Love Them Or Hate Them: The 5 Best and Worst Retro Sweets

Retro Sweets have been around for as long as we can all remember and are just as popular now as they were back in the day. Amongst all the classic old favourites are a few that continue to divide family and friends and are sure to cause a bit of controversy. Whether you love them or hate them, here are just a few to cause a bit of debate…

First up on our love-em list is Flying Saucers. A popular topper of the UK favourite sweets list, these wonderfully colourful, tongue-tingling treats are impossible not to love. These fizzy sherbert-filled rice paper flying saucers are out of this world. These are possibly the greatest sweets ever, they combine the perfectly simple taste and texture of flavoured rice paper with the zangy, explosive fruit sherbet! They melt on your tongue and we don't know anybody that doesn't like these and, let's be honest, what isn't to like?! So succulently flavourful, be careful not to scoff the whole lot at one time... it's a mistake everyone has made once in their life.

Next up on the all-time classics list is Cola Bottles. Available in a huge range of shapes, sizes and even colours, you can’t go wrong with this old school delight. Oh-so chewy and plump, with a mouth-watering tang, they’re perfect if you want the cola flavour without the fizz. These juicy, cola filled bottles of delight are perfect for a true cola enthusiast, or just for dad to distract him from the T.V remote! Either way, they definitely won't disappoint! If the classic kind doesn’t take your fancy, then take a look at our Fizzy Cola Bottles, Cherry Cola Bottles and even sugar-free Cola Bottles – yum!

Up next is a love it or hate it classic. Parma Violets are arguably the most controversial Retro Sweets going. These violet flavoured fizzing treats have a firm place in our hearts – but what about yours? Just like marmite Parma Violets are one of those foods you either love with real enthusiasm or Hate with a very strong passion! Made by Swizzels, Parma Violets are small scented violet sweets that we think taste a bit like potpourri. Fabulously coloured, take your chance with these mystical sweets and it will soon become apparent whether you're a lover or a hater. One to be tried at least once in a lifetime!

Another controversial option is Liquorice. From old school Bassetti to bright and colourful Liquorice Allsorts, this is one of the oldest treats around and despite many people not being a fan, it’s successfully survived the test of time. Alongside Aniseed, these traditional Retro Sweets may be an acquired taste, but we are firm believers that you’ve got to try it to believe it – you may even find a new favourite sweet treat!

Another of the ‘best’ Retro Sweets out there are Bon Bons. These pick and mix favourites are available in a huge range of flavours and are oh so chewy and delightful. Made by the same company as the Highland Toffee Bonbons these Bonbons are absolutely perfect for keeping grandma or the kids happy on a long journey somewhere as their flavour goes on and on!

One of our absolute favourites here in the Keep It Sweet office is Fruit Salads. Although sadly not one of your five-a-day (there’s no fruit and no salad in these classic chews, just lots of mouth-watering pineapple and raspberry flavour), the fabulously fruity taste is just waiting to burst through but first these fruity treats need you to unwrap the iconic yellow covering that holds the yumminess in and then shove it in your mouth! Gobble some of these down with its sister sweet – Black Jacks – equally as good and oh-so-yummy, we can’t get enough of these Retro Sweets.

Finally, on our list of controversial delights are Toxic Waste. Toxic Waste is one of the most-sour sweets we have come across to date. A mini plastic barrel crammed full of individually wrapped dangerously sour sweets that will certainly make you screw up your eyes. A must for the sour-sweet lover, but be careful, they aren't called TOXIC for nothing!

View our full range of Retro Sweets here and don’t hesitate to let us know if you’ve got any love or hate delights!