Squashies took the classic British penny sweet and made it softer, squishier and considerably more addictive. The Drumstick flavours are the standout, but the range has grown to cover Love Hearts, bubblegum and more. All available in boxes of 12 bags from £1 with free delivery on orders over £20.
Showing all 6 resultsSorted by popularity
The Drumstick Squashies Original are the ones that started it all. Swizzels took the Drumstick lolly, one of the most recognisable penny sweets in Britain, and translated the raspberry and milk flavour combination into a soft, pillow-shaped sweet. The result is something that tastes exactly like you expect it to: sharp raspberry up front, creamy milk finish, with a texture that’s considerably more yielding than the original hard lolly. If you’ve never tried Squashies before, this is the one to start with.
Drumstick Cherry Apple Squashies swap the raspberry and milk combination for a cherry and apple pairing that’s sharper and more overtly fruity. The cherry gives a slight tartness and the apple rounds it out. It’s a different profile to the Original but works just as well in the Squashies format. Popular with people who prefer fruit flavours over the creamy finish of the Original.
The Strawberry and Cream Squashies follow the same raspberry-and-milk logic as the Original but with a softer, sweeter strawberry flavour instead of the sharper raspberry. The cream element is more prominent here, which makes these the most dessert-like of the Drumstick range. A good option for anyone who finds the Original slightly too sharp.
Rhubarb and Custard Squashies are one of the more interesting flavours in the range. Rhubarb and custard is a classic British sweet shop combination that works particularly well in the Squashies format because the soft texture carries the custard element more convincingly than a hard boiled sweet can. The rhubarb gives a sharp, slightly tangy note and the custard softens it. These tend to appeal to people who like traditional British sweet flavours.
Swizzels Love Hearts Squashies take another Swizzels classic and give it the Squashies treatment. Love Hearts are known for their sweet, slightly chalky tablet format and the fruit flavours that vary by colour. The Squashies version keeps the fruit flavour combinations but delivers them in the soft pillow format. These are popular for Valentine’s Day and events but sell year-round because the flavours are genuinely good.
The Bubblegum Squashies bring a sweet, slightly synthetic bubblegum flavour that’s different in character to the rest of the range. Bubblegum is a divisive flavour in the same way that cola is: people who like it really like it. The Squashies format works well here because the soft texture matches the kind of sweet you’d expect from a bubblegum-flavoured product.
Squashies are made by Swizzels, a British confectionery company based in New Mills, Derbyshire. Swizzels has been making sweets since 1928 and is one of the few remaining independent British sweet manufacturers. The company is responsible for a range of classic British sweets including Love Hearts, Drumstick lollies, Refreshers and Parma Violets. Squashies were launched as a soft sweet version of the Drumstick lolly and have grown into a range of their own since.
The defining characteristic of Squashies is the texture. They sit in a category sometimes called “foam sweets” or “soft gummies,” softer than a standard gummy bear but not as airy as a marshmallow. The texture comes from a combination of sugar, glucose syrup and gelatine, which gives them that distinctive give when you bite into them. The flavours are more intense than you might expect from something that soft, which is part of why they’ve built a following beyond the traditional Drumstick audience.
Standard Squashies contain pork gelatine, which means they are not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. This applies to all the Drumstick and Love Hearts Squashies varieties. Swizzels does produce some vegetarian-friendly products, but the Squashies range as a whole relies on gelatine for its texture. If you need vegetarian or vegan alternatives, the vegan sweets range has soft sweet options made with plant-based alternatives.
All Squashies varieties at One Pound Sweets are available in boxes of 12 bags. Each bag is 120g to 131g depending on the variety, which makes a full box around 1.4 to 1.5kg of sweets. At £1 per bag, a box works out cheaper per gram than buying individual bags from most shops. Free UK delivery applies to all orders over £20.
Squashies work well for sweet tables and events because the individual bag format is easy to portion, the flavours are familiar and the range is broad enough to offer variety without introducing anything too unusual. They also work well as part of a pick n mix selection. For a broader look at building a pick n mix bag, the pick n mix online guide covers the options in more detail. For other Swizzels products alongside Squashies, the retro sweets range is worth browsing.
