The World’s All-Time Favourite Sweets

Traditional sweet makers will certainly have been rejoicing when, back in 2009, the fizzy cola bottle was named the world’s most popular candy. The poll, which was commissioned by Marks and Spencer, asked people to list their favourite sweets and the fizzy cola bottle stood out by a clear mile.

Gummy sweets haven’t always taken top place, however. Many different varieties of chocolate were also found to feature in the top 10 and a clear gender bias was also discovered, with many more women than men listing chocolate amongst their favourites. Previous years – going all the way back to 1966 – saw one particular caramel-centred chocolate bar take top place on a regular basis.

Mars Bar

The reigning champion of all chocolate bars has to be the Mars Bar, and it was this candy which regularly appeared throughout the years in first place on lists of the world’s favourite sweets. The origins of the Mars Bar can be traced back to 1932 in Slough, UK. There have been many different varieties of Mars Bar, which vary by both location and promotion. Nevertheless, the Mars Bar logo has endured as one of the most instantly recognisable brands in marketing history.

Gummy Sweets

Gummy sweets are so prolific and varied in number that it would be almost impossible to comprehensively list them all. Fizzy cola bottles may have taken the number one spot in 2009, but other consumer favourites include wine gums, jelly babies and eggs – to name just three.

Werther’s Originals

These caramel flavoured candies have a reputation – largely thanks to advertising – for being preferred by an older generation. Regardless, their long standing history, which dates back to 1903, is due to a solid popularity with consumers of all ages.

Starburst

Howls of outrage went up around the nation when the name Opal Fruits was changed to Starburst back in 1998. Nevertheless, these fruit flavoured chewy candies have remained popular with both adults and kids around the world. Another Mars product, they were introduced in 1959 and originally came in just four flavours – strawberry, lemon, orange and lime.

Polo Mints

Are they a breath freshener or are they candy? However you’d like to classify them, polo mints regularly appear in top 10 lists as one of the world’s favourite sweets thanks to their refreshing minty taste and fun design. First introduced in 1948, Polo mints now come in a variety of different flavours but the one which always stands out is original spearmint. In 2010 Rowntree’s announced that an average of 150 Polo mints are eaten every second.

Author bio: John Marlen-Summers is a huge fan of candy and the written word, and he has lucked out by working for candy vending machine company Tubz Vending.