ARTICLE

Journey Back in Time with Rowntree’s® Retro Sweets

Discover the story behind some of Britain’s most beloved sweets

April 25, 2025

Few sweet brands have been part of so many of life’s sweetest moments as Rowntree’s. With iconic retro sweets like Fruit Pastilles, Fruit Gums, and Jelly Tots, Rowntree’s® has a way of igniting nostalgia while bringing joy to new generations. Come with us right back to where it all began and discover the stories behind our beloved sweets.

Our story began in 1725 with Quaker, Mary Tuke and her grocery store business in the bustling town of York. The shop specialised in tea, coffee and chocolate drinks, which were all the rage at the time. Eventually, Mary’s son and nephew started producing their own chocolate in-house as the business grew. Fast forward to 1862 and fellow Quaker Henry Isaac Rowntree acquired the business and gave it the family name. With the help of his brother, Joseph, they turned Rowntree’s® into a successful confectionery company.

In the late 1800s, Joseph Rowntree took charge of the company, determined to make delicious sweets bursting with real fruit flavour. He poached a French confectioner who had come to York to sell French pastille sweets and set him to work on creating our iconic Fruit Pastilles. The sugar-coated sweets, with their signature sparkle, launched in 1881 – originally as a throat sweet – and were an instant hit. A decade later, the company launched Clear Gums (today’s Fruit Gums), laying the foundation for the retro sweets we know today.

Rowntree’s® sweets quickly became a staple of British life, with families visiting their local sweet shop to buy a bag. Tubes of Rowntree’s® sweets became the go-to stocking filler at Christmas, and many a grandparent rewarded a chore well done with a handful of Jelly Tots. Rowntree’s® became synonymous with many of life’s little celebrations.

Today, our sweets are more popular than ever and we’ve never stopped innovating. In addition to developing new flavours and recyclable packaging, we were the first UK confectionery company to remove artificial colours, flavours and preservatives from all our sweets. It’s the same commitment to quality that we’ve always had set out by the Rowntree brothers, in 1862.

Vintage advert for Rowntree’s Fruit Gums featuring a pan of mixed fruit being poured into a box of Fruit Gum sweets.

Tubes of Fruit Pastilles became the go-to stocking filler at Christmas, and many a grandparent rewarded a chore well done with a handful of Jelly Tots.

Rowntree’s® Fruit Pastilles

Launched over 144 years ago, Fruit Pastilles are the ultimate expression of Rowntree’s® commitment to creating sweets bursting with real fruit flavour. Everyone has their favourite, from lemon and lime to strawberry, blackcurrant and orange, and the excitement of unwrapping a roll never gets old! Which one of our chewy retro sweets will be first? (Fingers crossed for double purple!)

Our secret recipe includes real fruit juice, giving each flavour its irresistible fruity taste. Fruit Pastilles contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. In 2020, we updated our recipe and became vegan-friendly. Available in various packs, including sharing bags, multipacks, giant tubes, and the iconic tube, there are plenty of options for at-home or on-the-go celebrations.

Did you know that Fruit Pastilles were originally sold as throat-soothing sweets? Perfect for keeping voices in tip-top shape, they quickly became the soothing sweet of choice when they launched back in 1881. And more than a century later, in 2007, we took our talents to the stage as the sponsor of Britain’s Got Talent – a fitting partnership that gave a nostalgic nod to the past while supporting the UK’s vibrant singing talent!

Rowntree’s® Fruit Gums

Launched in 1893, just over a decade after Fruit Pastilles, Fruit Gums soon became another Rowntree’s® classic. Known for their robust chew and long-lasting nature, the classic Fruit Gums are shaped like discs with a signature crosshatch emboss. While Fruit Pastilles are soft, Fruit Gums have a denser, chewier texture that’s made for those who like their sweets to last a little longer!

Our Fruit Gums are also made with real fruit juice and contain no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. All your favourite types are there: lemon, lime, orange, strawberry and the always-popular blackcurrant. Fruit Gums also come in regular and vegan-friendly options in sharing bags. Fun fact: there used to be a sixth flavour, raspberry!

Rowntree’s® Fruit Gums are proudly retro British sweets that have earned their place among the confectionery greats. Whether it's a roll in your pocket on a long work shift or a sharing bag with fruity shapes passed around at movie night, Fruit Gums adds timeless charm to any occasion. In the words of our most famous tagline, ‘Don’t forget the Fruit Gums, Mum!’

Collage of Jelly Tots sharing bags with individual Jelly Tots sweets against a green background

Rowntree’s® Jelly Tots

You know and love them lots – they can only be Jelly Tots! That’s right, everyone’s favourite sugar-coated fruity gems have been tantalising taste buds since 1965. They're soft juicy and come in our classic line-up of lemon, lime, orange, strawberry and blackcurrant.

Jelly Tots are great on their own, but they’re also known for their versatility. Ideal for baking and decorating cakes, they’ve earned a permanent spot in sweet lovers’ hearts. Like their older siblings, Jelly Tots are vegan-friendly and free from artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives. Alongside the Jelly Tots sharing bag, 2025 sees a new flavour released called Jelly Tots Tangy.

Creating Jelly Tots requires precision to achieve their perfect size and texture, but believe it or not, they were invented by accident! In the 1960s, a young research scientist at Rowntree’s® tried to invent a powdered jelly that set instantly when added to cold water. His experiment failed, but it did create tiny jelly droplets that soon became the fun-sized retro British sweets you know and love.

A Legacy of Sweet Moments

Our iconic sweets have been creating memorable moments for generations of British people for more than a century. For some, it could be the memory of offering away their favourite Fruit Pastille, or finding a pack of Jelly Tots in a pass-the-parcel game at a birthday party. Perhaps for you, it’s those times when your mum would split a bag of Fruit Gums between your brother and yourself on a day trip to the beach, which you’d eat with sandy fingers and a big grin.

What’s your favourite Rowntree’s® flavour or story? We’d love to hear from you! Share your stories or tag us on Instagram and sign up to our newsletter for even more sweet moments. And if you’ve got a special event to shop for, why not try crafting a sweet hamper to help celebrate new memories?