Retro Sweets by Decade: From the 1950s to the 1990s

Tell us the year you were born and we can probably guess your favourite sweet. Every generation has its own tuck shop memories, from a quarter of pear drops weighed out on the brass scales to a 10p mix-up chosen one sweet at a time. Here is our trip back through the decades, with the retro sweets that sum up each one, all still on our shelves today.

The 1950s and 60s: the jar on the top shelf

Sweet rationing finally ended in Britain in February 1953, and the decade that followed was the golden age of the jar. Children would hand over their pocket money for a quarter of something from the top shelf, weighed out and tipped into a paper bag.

• Pear Drops, with that unmistakable sharp, fruity smell
• Sherbet Lemons, with the fizzy surprise in the middle
• Aniseed Balls, which last for ages and change colour as you go
• Rosey Apples, Cherry Lips and Barley Sugar
• Pontefract Cakes, for the liquorice lovers

The 1970s: cubes, chews and chocolate limes

The 70s sweet shop was a riot of colour. Boiled sweets were still king, and these were the jars everyone pointed at.

• Cola Cubes, the sweet that stuck your teeth together
• Rhubarb and Custard, the sweet shop's most famous double act
• Pineapple Cubes and Chocolate Limes
• Floral Gums and Midget Gems
• Dolly Mixtures and Jelly Babies

The 1980s: the penny tray

If you grew up in the 80s, you probably remember the penny tray: a counter full of foam shrimps, milk bottles and flying saucers, and the agony of choosing how to spend 20p.

• Black Jacks and Fruit Salads, the chews that turned your tongue black or pink
• Flying Saucers, rice paper filled with sherbet
• Foam Shrimps and Foam Bananas
• Milk Bottles and Milk Teeth
• Anglo Bubblys, the bubblegum in its own little paper wrapper

The 1990s: fizzy, sour and very colourful

By the 90s, the pick and mix was everywhere and sweets had gone fizzy. If it made your face scrunch up, it was a hit.

• Fizzy Cola Bottles and classic Cola Bottles
• Fizzy Cherries and Sour Tongues
• Jelly Snakes and Fried Eggs
• Tongue Painters, the more colourful the better
• Heart Throbs, swapped in the playground

Why retro sweets still matter

Retro sweets are about much more than sugar. A single smell can take you straight back to a moment in your childhood, or to the person who used to buy them for you. That is why so many of our customers come in for one bag of their old favourite and leave with five.

At Mr Swainstons we keep more than 670 jars on our shelves in South Shields, and every online order is hand-packed from those same jars.

Make a box from your decade

Choose any 8 bags and we will pack them into a gift box for £15.95. A box full of sweets from someone's childhood decade makes a brilliant birthday present. Build your own retro sweet box.

Retro sweet questions

What are the most popular retro sweets?

Some of the best-loved retro sweets are Pear Drops, Cola Cubes, Rhubarb and Custard, Sherbet Lemons, Black Jacks, Fruit Salads, Fizzy Cola Bottles and Jelly Babies.

What is a "quarter" of sweets?

A quarter is a quarter of a pound, about 113g. It was the standard way to buy sweets from the jar for generations. Today our online bags are 100g.

Where can I buy retro sweets online?

Right here. Shop our retro sweets and we will hand-pack them at our sweet shop in South Shields and post them anywhere in the UK.