What Are the Oldest Retro Sweets That Are Still Available?

Remember days spent getting sticky coat pockets from penny sweets? Or sneaking to the corner shop after school to stock up on treats and goodies? Our huge range of retro sweets contains something for everyone to dig into and is sure to bring back plenty of nostalgia and memories of your school days and years gone by… 

Many of our favourite retro sweets are from the 70’s. From brightly coloured Crazy Beans to explosive Lemon Sherbets, the 70s had it all when it comes to all sweet wonderful and wacky! One of the brightest of them all is Taffy Bubblegum. These bright blue swirly delights are sure to catch your attention and taste oh so delicious and fruity. If you can resist these lip-smacking treats for long enough, why not display them in one of our traditional Glass Sweet Jars to create an eye-popping gift or table decoration and the perfect splash of colour-come edible masterpiece!  

Hidden amongst the vibrant and groovy retro sweets of the 70s, there are also plenty of iconic old-school classics that to this day remain favourites of any pick and mix stand. One of these is Pear Drops. These hard boiled fruity favourites are sure to never go out of fashion and are even available in both small and large, making them perfect for every occasion. Another favourite of ours is Large Pink and White Mice. We are yet to meet anybody who doesn’t love these creamy chocolatey childhood classics. And of course, it wouldn’t be a true representation of 70s sweets without all the classic ‘granny sweets’ that no Grandma’s handbag is without! Treat yourself to some Assorted Fudge, Rhubarb and Custards and of course, some Ginger Creams for a true old school experience. 

Can’t decide which tasty retro sweets to choose? Don’t fear - for our fantastic range of Sweet Jars is here! Our Retro Classics Jar is the obvious choice if you are looking to sample all of the most well known favourites of the past few decades and contains everything from Rainbow Drops to Drumstick Lollies to put a smile on your face. However, we also have a huge selection of other themed jars to suit every occasion and to tickle everybody’s fancy! Our Sweet and Sour Jar is the perfect mix of tongue-tingling, eye-watering retro sweets for anyone who can handle the sourest of sour! Tuck into Snot Shots, Gumpowder, Eyepoppers and more for a true torturous (but great!) experience for your taste buds.  

We also have Personalised Sweet Jars that make the perfect gift for all ages and all occasions containing all your favourite retro sweets. Say a big ‘Happy Birthday’ to someone special with our Birthday Personalised Sweet Jar or even wish somebody a Happy Halloween with our Personalised Spooky Jar filled with all sweets scary. One of our current favourites is the Girls Personalised Jar. Treat a special lady in your life to this jam-packed jar of her favourite childhood sweets such as Mini Millions and Candy Necklaces, complete with a personal jar that can be kept for years to come to bring back happy memories. You can’t go wrong with this gift! 

Alongside our retro sweets we also have a great selection of retro toys for you to re-live your childhood with and are the perfect accompaniment to a sweet treat or two. Show off your musical talent with a Warbling Bird Whistle, bring back plenty of memories to mum and dad with a classic Spud Gun or find out what the future holds with an oh-so-accurate Fortune Teller Fish! Hours of fun to be had! 

One of the most loved and widely appreciated types of retro sweets are mints. These are sure firm favourites amongst consumers, but can sometimes get forgotten. We are here to say don’t underestimate the mint! The first modern day mint sweet was first created way back in 1790 and this cool candy has been a British necessity ever since. Here at Keep It Sweet some of our favourite mints and minty sweets include Fox’s Glacier Mints, delicious Mint Cremes and the unbelievably fresh treats that are Strong Mints. Did you know - the Romans believed that eating mint would increase intelligence? And that it could prevent somebody from losing their temper? As much as we would love this to be true, we are not entirely sure it is scientifically correct! What we do know however, is that there is nobody who doesn’t love a mint! 

To make it super easy for you to find all your favourite retro sweets, they are all categorised into flavours, as well as type and the decade they originated from. From fruity to hot, there are endless amounts of flavours of retro sweets available so you can not only find your favourites, but also try others with similar, or even completely different, flavours. By far one of the most popular sweet flavours is Strawberry. From Giant Foam Strawberries to traditional hard boiled Strawberry and Creams, strawberry sweets are amongst the nation’s favourites and come in a range of fun shapes and sizes to devour. Hubba Bubba Strawberry flavour is maybe one of our absolute favourite retro treats and as well as tasting simply irresistible, there is also endless fun to be had blowing bubbles (or at least trying to!). We also love Strawberry Ring Pops and even Strawberry flavoured Jelly Tongues if you’re looking for a more obscure option! 

And of course, it wouldn’t be a sweets collection without chocolate! Dig into Chocolate ducks, flowers or even a chocolate pint kit for a fun take on retro sweets shapes or re-live the good old days with classic favourites such as Chocolate Cups and Britain’s festive favourite - Chocolate Coins. Yum! 

View our full range of retro sweets here - what are you waiting for? Dig in!