Eating sweets makes you happier. Fact. But the science behind why we love sweets so much is a lot more complex than you think! In this blog, we take a look at why some people have more of a sweet tooth than others, why children crave sugar more than adults do... and we'll reveal which animal can't taste sugar at all! 

What is a sweet tooth and why do you have one?

 Someone with a  sweet tooth is someone who adores sweets! (Our favourite kind of people). But how does someone acquire a sweet tooth? Well, research suggests that a sweet tooth can be attributed to a number of things including; your genetics, the environment you grew up and live in, and your fondest memories of sweets.

Firstly, your DNA determines how sensitive your taste buds are to the taste of sweet foods, so you should be grateful if you're one of the lucky people who's born with taste buds that love sweets! 

Secondly, the environment you grow up and live in also plays a role in forming your sweet tooth. If your parents used to give you sweet treats as a child and if you regularly have sweets and chocolate in the house or around you at school/work, then you're much more likely to develop a sweet tooth!

Finally, if you associate fond memories with sweets then you'll be driven to re-create those feelings over and over again. Remember how yummy an ice cream on the beach on a hot day tastes... eating ice cream is likely to take you back to that happy place!

Why do children love sugar more than adults?

The reasons children have such an obsession with all things sweet and sugary is due to their bodies demanding lots of calories to use while they're growing! And, research shows that children who eat more sugar have faster growth spurts and can even end up taller than those who don't eat sweets.

Of course, we recommend only giving little ones sweeties in moderation and making sure they brush their teeth after - but don't prohibit sugar altogether if you want them to grow up big and strong! Why not treat a little one in your life to one of our new children's Letterbox Treats? The box and sweet fill can be easily personalised to make this a truly delightful gift!

View children's Letterbox Treats > 

So... which animal can't taste sugar at all?

CATS! Unluckily for cats, they don't have the same sweetness receptors that most other mammals have. Most cat owners are adamant that their cat loves sweets, but it is more likely the fat content of the sweet foods that they are drawn to. They're still sweet and adorable regardless!

So now that we've uncovered some lot of the science of sweets, why don't you treat yourself to some yummy sweet treats? We have a whole host of sweets to choose from on our Pick & Mix page, or you can choose something from one of our other Collections and enjoy!

View Our Sweet Collections >

If you've got a sweet tooth, you've probably got a favourite kind of jelly sweets. We offer all kinds of jelly sweets as part of our Pick & Mix collection - from yellow belly snakes to terrific turtles and cola bottles, your options are virtually endless.

No matter what shape you choose, jelly sweets are chewy, delicious and incredibly moreish! In this blog post, we're going to take a look at some of the most popular jelly sweets on the market - read on to find out some interesting facts about your favourite gummy treats.

Jelly Bears

The humble Jelly Bear (or gummy bear) is considered the pioneer in the jelly sweets community! The success of gummy bears in the early 1900s led to the creation of jelly sweets in lots of other tasty and colourful forms, including; jelly rings, snakes and cherries.

Are Jelly/Gummy Bears your favourite jelly sweet? If so, why not order some from our Pick & Mix page?

Order Gold Bears >

Jelly Babies

It may surprise you to know that Jelly Babies are more popular in the United Kingdom than the classic jelly/gummy bears are! We just can't get enough of them! In fact, here at Sweets in the City, we love them so much that we wrote an entire blog post about them. We also stock two different kinds of jelly babies - Dusty Jelly Babies and Jelly Babies - order yours now!

Or learn something new about the nation's favourite here:

Fun Facts About Jelly Babies >

Jelly Beans

Jelly beans are another truly iconic take on the jelly sweet. It's likely that, like us, you've been eating them from a young age and still get excited by the different colours and flavours now!

Jelly beans were originally enjoyed as a Christmas sweet, however, in the 1930s people started to include them around Easter time because of their likeness to eggs! Did you know it can take almost three weeks for jelly beans to be created due to the lengthy and manufacturing process involved - we think that the workmanship that goes into jelly babies makes them a sweet worth admiring and savouring. We stock both regular Jelly Beans, and the more elite - Gourmet Jelly Beans. Order them here:

Order Jelly Beans >

Don't you really fancy jelly sweets now? We most certainly do! Head over to our Pick & Mix page to see the entire range and be sure to check out some of the more obscure jelly sweets we have to offer - you won't be disappointed.

There are lots of sweet treats we enjoy at Christmas time, from candy canes to selection boxes and advent calendars. But where did they all come from? More often than not, we enjoy delicious festive treats without sparing a moment of thought for their origins. Don’t worry, in this blog, we explore the stories behind some of your favourite Christmas sweet treats. You’re in for a surprise!

Advent Calendars

Adults and children alike look forward to the first of December when they can finally open the first door of their advent calendar. But where did the idea for advent calendars come from?

Well, the idea supposedly came from a gentleman called Gerhard Lang who was inspired by a simplistic colourful Christmas countdown that his mother created for him. He took the design one step further and include small gifts, the idea took off. By the early 1900’s advent calendars, as we know them today, were widely popular. Do you have an advent calendar this year?

Candy Canes

Candy canes are an iconic symbol of Christmas, with their sweet peppermint flavour and swirly red and white design.

These delicious treats originated in Germany. According to folklore, candy canes were created by the choirmaster of Cologne Cathedral as a way to keep excitable children quiet during the church service on Christmas Eve (although we aren’t convinced this was an effective choice). He asked the confectioner to shape the sugary sticks into the shape of a shepherd’s crook to remind the children of the shepherds who visited the baby Jesus.

Selection Boxes

The history of where selection boxes came from is largely unknown. However, records suggest that during the 19^th and 20th-century chocolatiers started to produce them and they became a popular gift but, in some cases, they would cost more than an entire week’s wages! Nowadays, the average child receives on average six selection boxes every Christmas!

Milk & Cookies

Leaving milk, cookies and a carrot out for Santa and his reindeer is something we’re sure you did as a child and has been done by children and parents alike for centuries. The tradition is based on an old Norse myth and became commercially popular during the Great Depression. Parents wanted to teach their children to be grateful for the gifts they received at Christmas by offering a small gift to Santa and his reindeer in return for delivering their presents. Adorable!

How many of these traditional Christmas sweets will you enjoy in your household this Christmas? Why not take a look at our Christmas sweets range? You might see something a little less traditional that you’d like to try this year!

View our Christmas Range >

The Sweets in the City team have handpicked products from across our Christmas collection that will look perfect nestled under the Christmas tree or tucked into a stocking by the fireplace. Whether you’re looking for a festive Christmas eve gift or a jar full of American candy favourites, we’ve got you covered! Here’s a little inspiration for how you can give your loved ones the sweetest Christmas this year.

A Christmas Eve Treat

Some of us follow the tradition of having one gift to open on the night before Christmas. Some people even create a box of smaller gifts that can be used on Christmas eve to get children (and adults) into the Christmas spirit. These boxes contain things like, a Christmas pair of pyjamas, a Christmas movie to watch before bed, and some Christmas treats to enjoy while watching it!

We think that our Merry and Bright Super Shake would be an amazing addition to your Christmas eve box, or as a stand-alone Christmas Eve treat!

Order a Merry & Bright Shake here >

Give an American sweet lover a festive treat

We all know someone who adores American sweets, so here at Sweets in the City, we’ve created a Christmas Jar of Joy filled with iconic American candy! This jar not only contains American favourites such as:

• Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups
• Nerds
• Tootsie Rolls

but it can also be personalised for FREE! Whether Santa pops this Jar of Joy under the Christmas tree as a festive surprise, or you add it to an American themed stocking, it’s sure to be a hit.

Order a Christmas Candy Jar here >

Remember that all of our sweet gifts can be personalised and delivered for FREE. Take a look at everything Sweets in the City has to offer here or view the rest of our Christmas top picks here!

Pink sweets can add a charming touch to any event, but we think there are a few occasions when pink sweets can play a central role in your celebrations. Perhaps you're planning a special gender reveal party or an adorable baby shower? From pink themed sweet buffets to adorable wedding favours, your pink sweet options are endless. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Pink Sweet Buffet/ Table

Do you have an exciting charity event, children’s party or special celebration coming up? Why not create an entirely pink themed sweet buffet or table to compliment the occasion?

By displaying our pink sweets in clear jars or bowls you can create the illusion that you’ve spent lots of time planning and designing the event while needing to put in very little effort. You could accessorise with pink sweet scoops, pink ribbons and a pink tablecloth as you see fit to complete the look!

Here are some of our top picks from our Pick & Mix range that would perfectly compliment a pink-themed sweet buffet/table. Buy in bulk to ensure there’s enough for everyone to enjoy! Click on the sweets below to see them on our pick & mix page:

Strawberry Bonbons >     Red Paintballs >     Super Shrimps >     Strawberries >

Wedding Sweets

Whether you’re having an entirely pink themed wedding or embellishing your day with delicate touches of pink, our pink sweets will go down a treat.

We think a deliciously romantic option would be to wrap our Rose and Lemon Flavoured Turkish delight in tissue paper and secure it with a ribbon that complements the colour scheme of your wedding and give these to guests as wedding favours. Our Rose and Lemon Turkish delight has a soft melt in the mouth texture, a delicate flavour and a dusty icing sugar coating – perfect!

You could also fill mason jars with a selection of our pink sweets and create beautiful (and tasty) centrepieces. Why not scatter our Jelly Love Hearts across the tables as delicious edible confetti?

Rose and Lemon Turkish Delight >

We have lots of different pink sweets that you can browse in our Pick & Mix selection. Head to our site to browse and order yours today. Remember, all most all of our Pick & Mix sweets are available to buy in bulk!

Now that November is upon us, the organised people amongst us will be starting to plan for this year’s round of Secret Santa!

Did you know that the tradition of Secret Santa began in Scandinavia and was originally known as Juklapp or “knocking Christmas”? Secret Santa would knock on someone’s door, wait for it to open, throw a present inside and then quickly run away. This festive tradition might be a little questionable nowadays and has (luckily) evolved into the less invasive Secret Santa tradition we know today.

Drawing a name out of the hat is the easy part of Secret Santa., choosing a secret Santa gift is the challenging part… especially if you’re buying one for someone you don’t know very well. Whether you’re buying a secret Santa gift for a work colleague, a family member or a school friend, we think our Super Shakes are a foolproof choice, here’s why.

Secret Santa Super Shake

Here you can see our Merry & Bright Super Shake that has been personalised to make a Secret Santa gift. This Super Shake is perfect as a Secret Santa gift because it has a yummy festive fill and a label that can be personalised for FREE! That means you can create a special sweet gift that is sure to make anyone smile, for under £10!

Do you know your recipient loves a certain type of sweets, for example; fizzy sweets or retro sweets? Why not choose a different Super Shake that’s more to their taste from our range? You can turn any of our Super Shakes into the perfect Secret Santa gift by customising it & having it delivered for free. Here, you can see a Fizzy Heaven Super Shake that we’ve personalised to show you how your special gift would look.

View all our Super Shakes Here >

Our Super Shakes are our top pick as Secret Santa gifts because they fit perfectly within most people’s Secret Santa budgets, and they look delightful when they’re personalised. However, all of our sweet gifts can be personalised and delivered completely free of charge to suit your Secret Santa needs!

Why not head to our site to view all our sweet gifts and give your Secret Santa recipient a Christmas to remember!

Head to the site >

There are lots of options when it comes to sending a birthday card. Firstly, you need to find the perfect card and then decide what to write inside. You want them to know you’ve put some thought into it!

If your recipient is notorious for having a sweet tooth, why not take one of our birthday card ideas and send them a Sweets in the City Letterbox Treat? A Letterbox can be personalised on the inside and out, creating a memorable birthday gift that’s completely unique for your recipient!

Choosing the Card

When choosing the perfect card for someone, you should try to think of things that remind you of them. How did you meet? Have you shared any special experiences together? Choosing something reminiscent of your friendship or relationship with someone can take a birthday card to the next level and stand out from others!

Share a Memory

Whether the memory is a big event you attended together, or something intimate and personal between you two, sharing a memory with someone is bound to put a smile on their face! It’ll also remind them to remember all the good experiences of the past if they’re feeling down about getting older.

Choose a Special Birthday Quote

If you’re struggling to find the right words to say, why not take to the internet for a little inspiration. There are plenty of quotes and birthday messages that you can tweak to suit your recipient - sometimes all we need is a little inspiration.

Send a Personalised Gift

If you’re still unsure what kind of birthday card to send, or what to say, why not combine the gift and card into one! Sweets in the City offers a huge variety of gifts including Jars of Joy and Giant Lollipops that can be personalised to wish someone happy birthday with very little effort!

So, you’ve finally found the perfect card and written a lovely message inside, why not take a look at Sweets in the City’s range of Birthday sweets to accompany your chosen card? Give someone the treat they deserve with our sweet birthday card ideas & gifts.

View Our Birthday Gifts Here >

A great way of showing your customers that you appreciate and value their custom is by sending a personal thank-you gift. This not only demonstrates that you acknowledge their impact and help with your business, but it also provides a means of them to positively promote your company to their peers. Studies show that customers who receive something free and unexpected, are more inclined to shop more, so sending your customers thank-you gifts is definitely a worthwhile investment.

What’s the Best Thank-You Gift?

Choosing an appropriate thank-you gift can be difficult. Firstly, you want to make sure your customers can use and enjoy the gift that you send them. Secondly, you also want it to promote your business. That’s where Sweets in the City can help! We have an extensive collection of fully customisable corporate gifts that will give your customers a sweet treat whilst encouraging promotion of your brand – the perfect combination!

Our Corporate Sweets

Our Corporate Sweets can be customised to feature your business' look or a bespoke design of your choice. You can include personalised stickers, ribbon, packaging or gift tags to display your brand’s name, colours or logo. We also offer a range of products that are suitable for different dietary needs including, halal, sugar-free and gluten-free sweets, so you can be sure to appeal to all of your customers, no matter their needs!

Just a few Corporate Sweet Gifts available:

• Miniature Sweet Jars
• Branded Lollipops
• Treat Tubs
• Personalised Rock
• Beautiful Bags

View our full Corporate Brochure below to see our entire collection of branded corporate sweet gifts and the many ways in which you can show your appreciation to valued customers while also increasing your brand awareness!

If you have any questions regarding our collection of Corporate Sweets or would like to get in contact with us to make an enquiry about ordering personalised sweets for your business, contact us today!

View Our Corporate Brochure >

Liquorice Allsorts are the product of a happy accident. In 1899 one of Bassett’s sales representatives, called Charlie Thompson, dropped a tray of samples on the floor creating a muddle of sweets which would unknowingly become the Liquorice Allsorts we all know and love today.

At Sweets in the City, we’ve done our research about these colourful treats to bring you some of the most interesting facts about Liquorice Allsorts!

Where Did It All Begin?

The Bassett company, the father of many of our beloved sweets, was founded in 1842. The first Bassett sweet factory was opened shortly after in 1852 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The Bassetts factory has remained in Sheffield ever since!

Liquorice History

Liquorice Allsorts have only been gracing our sweet counters for the last hundred years or so, but liquorice has been a favourite throughout history. The Ancient Egyptians were especially fond of the sweet root, and historians even found some inside King Tutankhamun’s tomb!

Bertie Bassett

The iconic Liquorice Allsorts mascot, Bertie Bassett, was created by advertising copywriter Frank Regan. Bertie has truly become a recognisable British Figure over the years and recently wedded his high school sweetheart Betty (if you don’t believe us, take a look on YouTube!)

Liquorice Allsorts are unlike any other sweets on the market, truly distinguishable and totally delicious! If, like us, this blog has put you in the mood for some Liquorice Allsorts, then head over to our Pick & Mix page, find number 23 on our list and order yours today!

Browse our Pick & Mix Range

For more sweet facts – make sure you follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.

Are you planning a baby shower or looking for the perfect gift for a mum-to-be? Here at Sweets in the City, we have a huge range of sweets that are perfect for friends, family and mums-to-be.

Baby Shower

As some of you may know, we recently catered for our close friend and Sarah Lynn's fellow Apprentice contestant, Michaela Wain’s baby shower. While guests celebrated the upcoming arrival of Michaela and Harrison’s little Prince, they enjoyed a selection of Sweets in the City sweets and personalised lollipops - all of which can be easily recreated for your own baby shower.

Create a sweet table using our Pick & Mix range

One way to add a pop of colour and make sure there are sweets on offer that all of your guests can enjoy is to create a sweet table with a selection of yummy goodies from our Pick & Mix range.

We think that colour coordinating your sweets with your baby’s gender adds an adorable touch to any baby shower. Here are our suggestions of pink and blue sweets from our Pick & Mix range that are perfect for the job!  Display these sweeties in big glass jars with matching ribbons to ensure everyone knows that it’s a girl or boy!

GIRL:

• Prosecco Sweets
• Strawberry Swirl Lollipop
• Strawberry Bonbons

BOY:

• Blue Raspberry Bonbons
• Blue Paintballs

Personalised Lollipops

For a more personal touch, why not have our Giant Lollipops personalised to commemorate your baby shower. These lollies are a great gift for your guests during the baby shower, or to take home and enjoy later!

Mum’s Emergency Stash

If you’re struggling to think of a special gift to take to an upcoming baby shower, why not treat mummy-to-be to our Mum’s Emergency Stash? That way, she’ll always have a sweet treat on-hand to combat those sleepless nights.

It’s hard to think of a celebration sweeter than a baby shower, but we want to ensure that your baby shower is the sweetest it can be! Whether you are hosting or going to a baby shower in the coming months, we have the perfect treats for you!