Giving sweets, love hearts, and heart-shaped cards are all common customs on Valentine’s Day. But why do we bother with these traditions anyway? In this blog, we take a look at contemporary Valentine’s Day and how you can give your partner a mesmerising and love encapsulated surprise for the special day.

Does anyone wonder how and when Cupid’s special day began? One of the common beliefs is that during the 1800’s, lovelorn patients were told by their doctors to eat as many treats as possible to soothe their nerves. It is also thought that as far back as the era of the Aztec empire, sweet treats were considered an aphrodisiac and was used to win love.

There are also other reasons that sweet treats bring us and our partners together, and it’s not our fault! The mental craving comes from serotonin – this being a neurotransmitter that puts us in a great mood and moderates a sense of wellbeing!

Another reason is due to our primate heritage; the human tongue can detect four basic flavours — salt, sour, bitter and sweet, but humans are naturally drawn to sweet because we are primates, animals that evolved eating fruit in the trees.

Even the act of licking a lollipop or chewing on one of our Vegan Duals can lift your mood. While we won’t go as far as saying that candy is the answer to a stressful day, some evidence suggests that very well may be the case.

The most popular day for all lovers being Valentine’s Day, what better way to express your love than with our Valentine’s Day Collection? With a variety of jars, shakes and boxes to choose from, we're sure to have the perfect Valentine's Day gift for that special someone in your life!

It will be the ultimate expression of love and is bound to make your lover feel very special and cherished. Why don't you treat yourself to some yummy sweet treats? We have a whole host of sweets to choose from on our Love Collection page, or you can choose something from one of are other Collections and enjoy!

Visit Our Love Collection Page >

After our huge announcement a fortnight ago where we revealed our brand new Duals vegan sweets to the world, we are extremely proud to bring you even more exciting news! 

Here at Sweets in the City, we believe in making the world a sweeter place and by doing so, we want to deliver our collection of delicious sweet treats to you, whenever and wherever we can. As a result, we have strived to make our sweets more accessible both online and offline and today, we can announce that we have taken offline availability to the next level by partnering with supermarket giant, Waitrose! 

Our range of Duals vegan sweets is now available to buy from a select number of stores from all across the UK. Meaning you can get your Dual fix at any time and don't have to sit around and wait for them to be delivered from our website. 

Wondering if your local Waitrose is selling Duals? See the full store list below:

Please be aware that some branches may have not yet implemented their new lines and Duals availability within these stores may take up to two weeks. However, many stores will have stock and lines ready for you to go out and purchase your Duals today! 

So, be sure to head to your nearest stocked Waitrose store and pick up your Duals. Don't forget to share on your socials and tag us in your images to be featured across our channels and keep a close eye out for some giveaway news soon. 

Browse & Order Duals >

If you're not doing so already, you can follow us on Twitter and Instagram and Like us on Facebook to keep up-to-date with all things Sweets in the City!

With the launch of our brand-new vegan-friendly Duals sweets on the 1^st July, we thought we’d give you a little more information about them and why we wanted to bring them to you!

Firstly, we noticed a growing demand by customers for a sweet option that can be enjoyed in today’s current societal climate and met a number of dietary needs. Secondly, both customers and clients were looking for a contemporary sweet that not only tasted good but was creative and inspiring in its appearance and design. In answer to these two huge demands, we created our new Duals sweets, a product based on quality, taste and convenience!

Duals have been manufactured with a unique tool and mould that no other sweet on the market boasts, giving you a sweet choice that no other confectionery company can offer. Our Duals sweets contain a delicious pectin jelly centre, a vegan recipe that delivers a real fruit juice flavour. This is what makes our Duals sweets really stand out from the crowd as vegan pectin centres are not currently offered in the premium sweet marketplace, a niche area that we believe needs to be satisfied in a quality way. But what is pectin? Let’s take a look!

Delicious pectin centre

Unlike gelatine, which is an ingredient often found in sweets and is made from animal parts, pectin comes from berries and fruits. Many fruits such as quince and apples are naturally very high in pectin, which is the reason why they are so firm. When heated with sugar, pectin causes a thickening that is characteristic of jellies and jams, which is what is found within our new Duals sweets! As a result of being derived from fruits and berries, pectin is the perfect ingredient for a vegan-friendly product.

As well as being vegan-friendly, Duals are also gluten-free and produced with a dairy-free recipe that contains natural colours and flavours. But this doesn’t mean that we’ve substituted a great taste, you can still expect a mouth-watering sweet option whether you’re in the cinema or grabbing a quick snack for your commute home. With our 125g and 50g options, our Duals sweets can be enjoyed at any time or any place with anyone. We’re excited to finally be able to see months of hard work realised and look forward to hearing your feedback on the latest addition to Sweets in the City! Don't forget to pre-order your Duals below! 

Pre-Order Duals >

Be sure to follow us across our socials to keep up-to-date with all the latest news that we have to offer. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!

So, after months of hard work behind the scenes, the Sweets in the City team are super proud to finally announce to you the introduction of our brand-new premium vegan sweets range – Duals!

Available to pre-order online directly from the Sweets in the City website today to be delivered from 1^st July and exclusively in Waitrose from 8^th July, our new Duals sweet range offers you a new, delicious way to satisfy your sweet cravings totally guilt-free. Manufactured with a bespoke tool and mould that gives you a sweet as you’ve never had before and available in 4 mouth-watering flavours, our new Duals range is just the sweet that you’ve been waiting for!

• Apple & Watermelon 
• Strawberry & Lemonade
• Pineapple & Coconut 
• Mango & Passion Fruit 

Not only are our new Dual sweets available in the 4 tasty flavours above, but they also come in two different sizes, perfect for any time of the day! A Larger 125g bag, ideal for indulging by yourself or sharing with others, and a smaller 50g bag, just the thing you need for a quick ‘grab and go’ snack option. Unlike any other sweets currently on the market, Sweets in the City’s Duals sweets have been created with a pectin jelly centre, offering a real fruit juice taste! As well as being vegan-friendly, Duals are also gluten-free, perfect for sweet lovers with gluten intolerance that want to sit back and enjoy a flavoursome sweet treat. But it doesn’t end there. Duals are also available with our famous Letterbox Treats!

With a totally new design, our Duals Letterbox Treat will come exclusively filled with four 50g impulse bags of each flavour, so you or whoever you decide to send the Letterbox Treat to get the chance to try out our entire new range! Better still, the limited-edition Letterbox Treat will be available to order for just £9.99 including delivery, yes including delivery! So, be sure to get your hands on this fantastic sweet gift as fast as you can. Full personalisation will still be available for that extra-special touch to any friend or family member that are vegan or gluten intolerant.

And there you have it, our new Duals sweets range! Available to order online from 1^st July from our website below – keep your eyes peeled on our socials for more news and updates and we look forward to hearing from you all on launch day!

Pre-Order Duals >

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.

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!

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.

Admit it: we all have those times when we struggle to write the perfect message in a card or on a gift label. Either you know exactly what you want to say and just can't find a way to get it out...or you've hit a wall where your mind has gone completely blank, and you end up writing the same thing as last year.

Not everyone is naturally good with words, so to help, we have come up with a few tips that will make your message writing a whole lot easier. Our Letterbox Treats double up as a fantastic card, and all of our wonderful sweet gifts allow you to write a personalised message that will also definitely go a long way!

Be complimentary

If you are close to the person you are writing for, don't be afraid to throw in a compliment or two! They will help in making the recipient feel special in knowing that you admire certain qualities that they possess and will show that you appreciate them. Something like: "I am the luckiest person in the world to have such a sweet and funny friend like you."

Make the message unique

Writing a message that is unique to the person you're writing for is definitely one of the best ways to make your message stand out from others, especially if you're writing for an occasion such as a birthday where the recipient will be receiving a whole bunch of cards!

A personal message that only you and they will understand is the way to go here. Either an inside joke that nobody else would know about, or a more traditional message such as "I hope you get that pair of shoes you were hoping for." This shows not only that you've taken the time to think about the person, but that you actually listen to them and pay attention to what they have to say when you're with them.

Be funny

Even though every message that a person reads is appreciated, most of them tend to say the same, unimaginative things. If you stick with the usual platitudes, your message will be the same as the one before and the same as the next. By adding an element of humour, especially something that's personal, you'll make any reader smile and remember your message at the very end.

Be honest

This relates to messages that are a little more heart-felt rather than casual. Something you'd write to a significant other rather than a friend. Here, honesty is the best policy and the key is writing something that comes from the heart. You don't have to write a cheesy poem or anything like that, just something that shows the recipient how you really feel.

Writing the perfect message is only as difficult as you make it. It's easy to over-think and get stuck on what to write, so take your time and even practice if you need to. Once you're happy with what you've got, you can then transfer it over to the card and send it with the perfect gift - one of our Jars of Joy perhaps!?

Send a Gift >

If you follow our simple tips, you will be an expert in writing the perfect message, no matter the occasion.

Jelly babies are something of a classic when it comes to sweets – they’ve been around for as long as any of us can remember (and probably as long as your Grandparents can remember, too!) but where did it all start? Jelly Babies went through quite the timeline to get to where they are today.

Sweets in the City have all the deets from the Jelly Baby origin story… along with a few interesting facts, to sweeten your historic knowledge.

A Sweet Invention

I know what you’re thinking, what incredible genius invented the delicious jelly baby? Well, legend has it that it was an Australian immigrant in 1864. The initial invention was something of a mistake…he was meant to create a mould for jelly bears, however, (for reasons which may be forever lost in time) it seems the jelly baby was born instead – pun wholly intended.

And thus, the reign of the jelly baby began. After a short hiatus, classic sweet manufacturer Basset’s took up the style of the rather darker original name ‘unclaimed babies’ and rebranded them ‘Peace Babies’ to mark the end of World War I. These new sweets had a more realistic baby look , closer to the sweets we know today.

Ironically, the production of Peace Babies was halted by wartime shortages in World War II, but – luckily for all of us – they were relaunched officially as Jelly Babies in 1953, just in time for the rock & rollin’ 50’s era!

Who are the Jelly Babies?

Maybe it sounds like a weird question, but Sweets in the City happens to know that jelly babies come with their own personas – even their own names!

The Jelly Baby gang consists of Bubbles (the yellow one!), Baby Bonny (that’s the red one – to you and me), Boofuls (the green jelly baby), Bigheart (the dark purple, blackcurrant flavoured baby) and Bumper (by process of elimination, Bumper is, of course, the orange one)!

Not only do they have names, Jelly Babies are something of a household name – and that’s not just because they’re so tasty. They’ve made more than one TV appearance over the years, their portfolio includes: Doctor Who, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series and even Doc Martin.

Why is the green jelly baby crying?

The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed that Boofuls – everyone’s favourite green Jelly Baby – appears to be crying. But don’t worry, nothing terrible has happened – Boofuls is just a little sensitive. In a 1993 Jelly Babies advert, it was revealed the Boofus cries at everything – whether she’s happy or sad – “she’s a real cry baby”.

We <3 Jelly Babies

We’re not sure about you, but all those Jelly Baby sweet facts have put us in the mood for some Jelly Babies of our own. Luckily for you, you really are in the right place. Go to this page to buy  your favourite Jelly Babies in bulk – that’s right, in bulk! Your Jelly Baby stash will go a long way with this order – and feel free to pick out your other sweet favourites while you’re there.

Don’t forget to impart your knowledge on Bubbles, Bonny, Boofuls & Bigheart when sharing them around… For more fun sweet facts, make sure you’re following us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.