Searching for vegetarian sweets? UK confectionery stores and consumers have a huge range of delicious gelatine-free options available. From new creations to all-time favourites, stocking up for your pick-and-mix display has never been easier.
Whether you want options for your confectionery store, are stocking up for an event, or want to create a pick-and-mix display for a special occasion, this post will reveal the most popular vegetarian sweets available.
Why Gelatine-Free Sweets are Must-Haves
According to Finder Research, around 6.3% of UK adults are either vegetarian or vegan in 2026. Considering that 20 years ago, up to 0.4% of the population avoided animal-derived products, it’s clear that more people are choosing a plant-based diet.
There are three main reasons for this:
- Animal Rights: Many vegetarians and vegans avoid meat and gelatine due to animal rights. This means that many traditional confectionery options are unsuitable due to the gelatin.
- Health Reasons: There are proven benefits of a plant-based diet, including weight management and better health.
- Environmental Reasons: Plant-based diets don’t use as much land, require less water usage, and release fewer climate-damaging gases.
It’s also important to mention that some religions can’t have gelatine, as it’s not classed as Kosher or Halal.
Our Top Picks for Vegetarian Sweets
Vegetarian sweets have come a long way in recent years. While early vegetarian diets were restrictive, avoiding animal-derived products no longer means settling for less.
With realistic meat substitutes, dairy alternatives, and vegan sweets, UK consumers have more choices than ever before.
So, let’s have a look at some of the most popular options for pick-and-mix displays.
Bubs
We’ll start with the obvious: Bubs sweets. Ever since the Swedish brand went viral on TikTok, these delicious sweets have consistently flown off the shelves.
As vegan-friendly options, they manage to effortlessly recreate the flavours of foam shrimp and banana sweets.
Popular options include Bubs Large Banana Ovals and Wild Berry & Pomegranate Ovals. You can also find mini foam ovals, which are excellent options for your pick-and-mix counter.
Fans of sour sweets will love the Foam Dizzy Skulls, available in Bubblegum, Cola, and other flavours.
Candycrave Vegan Sweets
If you want to give your customers or guests a traditional pick and mix experience, Candycrave’s vegan collection won’t disappoint. These sweets are fan favourites because they’re similar to Haribo and 90s pick-and-mix counters.
Popular options include Cola Bottles, Dracula Teeth, Fizzy Cola Bottles, and Baby Meerkats. Other bestsellers include Tongue Painters and Funky Fish.
Kingsway
Often referred to as a Haribo alternative, Kingsway combines affordability with quality. For example, most 2.5 kg bags cost £8.49, which gives you huge savings.
Some of the most popular options in the Value Vegan range include Big Lips, Fizzy Blue Raspberries, Twin Cherries and other fizzy creations.
Lovalls
Last but not least, for traditional vegetarian pick-and-mix sweets, we have Lovalls. Similar to Kingsway, these sweets are inspired by brands like Haribo and feature a range of gummy and fizzy options.
Choose between Cherry Cola Bottles, Fizzy Cola Bottles, Sour Cherries, Sour Fruit Sticks, and Gummy Bears.
Lollies
Lollies are compact enough to fit into a pick-and-mix bag and last longer than traditional sweets. If you’re looking for treat-size lollies, we have a diverse selection available, including Swizzels Double Lollies and the classic Fruity Pops - a party bag staple.
Or, for older children, the Zed Candy Lollies are excellent options. These are available in different flavours, including Blue Razz, Strawberry, and Sour Apple.
Other Popular Vegetarian Options
The best thing about pick-and-mix counters is their versatility. Even though foam and gummy sweets will continue to be top choices, you can also find a range of other confectionery options, including chocolate and boiled sweets.
For example, Hannah’s offers traditional chocolate sweets including White Jazzles, Milk Chocolate Jazzles, and Giant Pink and White Mice.
Boiled sweets are also beneficial for confectionery stores that cater for older customers, including Swizzels Crystal Fruits and Barley Sugars.
How to Choose the Right Vegetarian and Vegan Sweets
When choosing gelatine-free sweets for your confectionery store, event, or celebration, the most important thing to consider is who will consume them.
Standard confectionery stores should focus on a diverse range of pick-and-mix sweets, including foam, gummy, and chocolate sweets.
Traditional stores can benefit from boiled sweets and other classic options, as these appeal to older generations as well.
The Bottom Line
Aside from ensuring your customers have a range of sweets to choose between, stocking up on vegetarian and vegan sweets also highlights your commitment to diversity.
With more people choosing plant-based or vegetarian diets, making sure you can accommodate their needs means your customer base can grow.
Shopping with Appleton’s gives you access to a huge range of confectionery at low prices. Everything we sell goes through strict quality checks before it’s available.
With no minimum order amounts and free delivery on orders over £500, we’re here to make confectionery more accessible. Please get in touch with us if you have questions or need support.