Oldest UK Candy Bars Still Around (and still popular)

One of the nation's favourite pastimes is indulging in chocolate and sweets. Luckily, there are so many available, and we're all spoilt for choice. There are some chocolate bars we grew up with, and many new offerings hit the market each year. But, which retro sweets and chocolate bars are as old as your great-great-grandparents? Let's find out. 

During the 1800s, Fry's company was a pioneer of chocolate and aimed to make it affordable for people from all class backgrounds. Fry's cream stick was introduced in 1853, but Fry wanted to create a bar shape using unique moulding. 

In 1866, Fry's & Sons brought the chocolate cream bar to the public. It was a fondant cream centre, covered in plain chocolate. By 1875, the company remoulded their signature chocolate, and Cadbury's manufactures it today. 

Through the years, Fry's introduced exciting new flavours, including Peppermint, Strawberry, Raspberry and Orange creams. The RAF would also hand out chocolate creams to their pilots before a mission, which shows how popular the chocolate brand became. 

In 2010, Cadbury's acquired Fry's and their chocolate creams are enduringly popular, among all ages. 

Following on from their success with chocolate creams, Fry's created another fan favourite that still exists today. In 1914, the company combined a rose-flavoured Turkish delight, and milk chocolate to make a delicious treat. 

Cadbury still makes Turkish Delight today and removed the artificial colouring to make it a healthier treat for children to enjoy. Inspired by Fry's Turkish Delight, Cadbury combines their dairy milk chocolate with a rose flavoured centre, which is especially popular in Australia and New Zealand. 

Technically, Toblerone isn't a UK chocolate because it's made in Switzerland. But we love it so much here, and it seems a shame to leave the delicious chocolate out of our list of retro sweets that still exist. 

Toblerone is renowned for its silky smooth texture and unique flavours. In 1908, chocolatier Emil Baumann decided to mix chocolate with nougat, almonds and honey. Taking the recipe to his cousin Theodor Tobler, the pair came up with the unique triangle shape and packaging, then began to advertise their chocolate.

Despite being a Swiss brand, Toblerone steadily grew in popularity, and people in the UK especially enjoy the delicious chocolate. There are many variations available today, including white and plain chocolate triangles. 

Of all the chocolate bars on this list, Cadbury's Dairy Milk is probably the most infamous. The company began producing chocolate in the late 1800s, but its success came in 1905 with the Dairy Milk.

Cadbury decided to create a chocolate bar with a lot more milk than their other varieties. The Dairy Milk became instantly popular with the public and is still the companies best-selling product. 

Throughout the years there have been many Dairy Milk variations, including Fruit and Nut, Whole Nut, and more exotic combinations such as Mint, Turkish Delight and Caramel. 

Another Swiss native on our list is Lindt chocolate. If you've ever tasted anything from the Lindt range, you'll know that the chocolate is silky smooth, and has a distinct rich taste. In the 1870s, Rodolphe Lindt set out to make a chocolate bar that people wanted to eat. 

Many would describe chocolate as chewy until his breakthrough, but Lindt's innovative Conche machine changed the world forever. Using his innovation, Rodolphe Lindt managed to create a bar of creamy chocolate that melts in your mouth, and it's still one of the worlds most beloved candy bars today. 

The last chocolate bar on our list, Nestle is a favourite among children and those that enjoy unique tasting treats. Henri Nestle was a baby milk manufacturer, but it was a business associate that introduced him to the chocolate world. 

Daniel Peter knew how to make milk chocolate, but he needed Henri Nestle to help him with the technical elements. The pair put their heads together and worked on coming up with a unique recipe. Nestle didn't get off to a flying start, but years of perfecting their recipe meant the company would continue to thrive worldwide. 

In 1875, they finally released the Gala Peter bar, and while it's no longer around, there are plenty of other Nestle creations that survived the test of time. The white chocolate Milky Bar is one of the most popular around, but there is a selection of milk and dark chocolate types.

Other creations include: 

• Smarties 
• Quality Street
• KitKat
• Rolos
• Aero
• Malteasers 

Retro Sweets That Still Exist

We can't forget about the sweets that our parents and grandparents enjoyed, because many of them are still around today. Like chocolate, retro sweets make a fantastic addition to your confectionary store, because people of all ages can enjoy them. 

Let's take a look at some retro favourites. 

Since 1848 Barratts have created delicious sweets, and many of them are still around today. Black Jacks, Refreshers, Dib Dabs and Flumps are all fantastic ideas to include in your store. 

Remember those Pick n Mix sweets from Woolworths? Hannahs keeps their memory alive by offering fan favourites such as chocolate jazzies, white mice and traditional bubble gumballs. 

Kingsway is also a famous brand, offering candy watches and necklaces. Other popular ranges include strawberry bonbons and candy lettering. 

Swizzles is perhaps Barratts biggest competitor. The company was founded in 1928, by The Matlow Brothers and David Dee to develop delicious sweets for children and adults. 

Popular products in the range include Drumsticks, Double Dip, Love Hearts, Parma Violets, and Refreshers. There are so many products to choose from in the Swizzles range; it's fair to say that it is one of the most popular retro sweets providers in the UK. 

So that's our top picks for the oldest UK candy bars and retro sweets. Hopefully, you've seen some favourites of your own. It's important to remember that these products have stood the test of time, so including them in your product line almost guarantees your long-term success.