British Sweets Selection Trivia Quiz

Answer: Black Jacks

Black Jacks were originally introduced by Trebor in the 1920s. However, they have changed hands throughout the years, having been produced by Cadbury and later Valeo. Chewy in texture, they have an aniseed flavour which gives them a liquorice taste. In the 60s they were sold in separate packets or in packets containing Fruit Salads. They remain popular and are still available.

Answer: Munchies

Munchies were first introduced by Mackintosh's in 1957, before becoming part of Nestlé in 1988. They are covered in milk chocolate and filled with crunchy biscuit and caramel. There is also a mint version first sold as Mintola, later rebranded in 1995 as Mint Munchies, and finally relaunched in 2006 as After Eight Bitesize. These are dark chocolate with a peppermint fondant filling. Nestle has also produced salted caramel fudge flavour and, most recently, Munchies Gold, made with Caramac chocolate. Munchies are still going strong.

Answer: Chocolate Buttons

Cadbury Chocolate Buttons made their debut in the UK in 1960. They are circular, flat pieces of Cadbury chocolate. They quickly became a favourite of chocolate lovers. Over the years, Cadbury has introduced their White Chocolate Buttons and Giant-Sized Buttons. One animated TV advert featured the Buttons coming to life in a chocolate world. You can buy some today. Ordinary or Giant-sized, anyone?

Answer: Fruit Pastilles

Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles first became available in 1881. Small, chewy and coated in sugar, there were five flavours, including blackcurrant and lime. According to TV adverts, 'You Just Can't Help Chewing' them! Following Nestle's takeover of Rowntree's, they made the sweets vegan-friendly, removing the gelatin from them.

A petition from 2022 titled 'Bring back the original, non-vegan Rowntree's sweets' was launched by fans who were unhappy that the sweets had lost their famous chewiness. The vegan-friendly Pastilles can still be purchased today.

Answer: Parma Violets

Parma Violets were first produced by Swizzles Matlow in 1946. They are small and purple-coloured and have a unique floral, perfumed flavour. They are not to everyone's liking, as some people dislike the scented taste of them. Nevertheless, they continue to be consumed today by those who appreciate their distinct flavour.

Answer: Smarties

Smarties were originally produced by the Yorkshire-based company Rowntree's in 1937 and were called Smarties Chocolate Beans, which they had been making since 1882. In 1998, Nestle took over Rowntree's and has continued to produce Smarties. One TV advert featured the sweets coming to life in a Candyland setting. One slogan was 'Only Smarties have the answer'.

They are still available to buy.

Answer: Spangles

Spangles were a product of Mars in 1950. They became very popular in post-war Britain as only one ration token was required to purchase them, whereas other sweets needed two tokens. There were various flavours such as strawberry, lemon and lime. Other varieties were also available, Old English Spangles (my favourite) being one.

There was also a mint variety which had a hole in the centre, making it resemble a square-shaped Polo Mint. Others were Acid Drop and Barley Sugar. Spangles were discontinued in 1984 due to declining sales.

Answer: Opal Fruits

Opal Fruits were first introduced by Mars in 1960. Their name was chosen through a competition and advertised on TV using the slogan 'Made to Make Your Mouth Water'. They are square-shaped, chewy, soft and fruit-flavoured: orange, strawberry, lemon and lime. In 1998, Opal Fruits became Starburst to align with its global name.

Answer: Revels

Mars Introduced Revels in 1967. The bag they came in contained a mix of chocolate-covered sweets in various flavours, such as raisin, toffee, coffee cream and orange cream. The original mixture also contained coconut and peanut, but these were replaced over time.

They were advertised with the tagline 'Making life less predictable'. Grab a bag today and take your chances on which flavour you'll select!

Answer: Treets

Treets were introduced by Mars in the 1960s. They were small bags of peanuts coated with milk chocolate crispy candy shells. There were also Toffee Treets and Chocolate Treets. According to the TV advert, they would 'Melt in your mouth, not in your hand'. Treets were discontinued in 1998, with the chocolate variety becoming Minstrels, and the peanut ones becoming Peanut M&Ms. You can't have a Treet today.

However, you can treat yourself to an M&M.