Haribo The Complete UK Guide

Haribo: The Complete Guide to Every Bag in the UK Range

Haribo is the default answer to the question “what sweets do you want?” It appears at parties, in cinema trips, at office desks and in the hands of children and adults who have long since stopped pretending they buy it for the kids. The yellow bag is as recognisable as any sweet brand in the world.

This is the full guide: where Haribo came from, every major bag in the current UK range, and how to buy it online without paying over the odds.

Where does Haribo come from?

Haribo is a German company, founded in Bonn in 1920 by Hans Riegel. The name comes from the first two letters of his name and the first two letters of Bonn: Ha-Ri-Bo. The company invented the gummy bear in 1922, which is arguably the most influential single sweet ever created given how many gummy products exist today.

The brand arrived in the UK in the 1970s and has been growing ever since. Today Haribo operates manufacturing plants across Europe and sells in over 100 countries. Despite the global scale the product quality has stayed consistent, which is not something every confectionery brand can claim after a century of operation.

For the full story of whether Haribo is German or British and where the UK Haribo factory is located, we have both covered on The Hub.

Every major Haribo bag in the UK range

Starmix

The one most people picture when they think Haribo. Five shapes, five textures: cola bottles, fried eggs, hearts, gold bears and rings. The combination works because every shape has a slightly different bite and the variety means you never get bored halfway through the bag. Starmix is the pick n mix in a bag.

Tangfastics

Tangfastics are Starmix for people who want more from their sweets. The same format, similar shapes, but each piece has a sour sugar coating that makes every bite sharper and more intense. Tangfastics regularly outsell Starmix in the UK, which tells you something about the British relationship with sour sweets.

Gold Bears

The original Haribo product. Small, chewy, fruity gummy bears in five flavours: raspberry (red), orange (orange), lemon (yellow), pineapple (white) and apple (green). The pineapple white bear is the controversial one. People either love it or spend the whole bag picking it out. It is a good sweet.

Supermix

A broader mix than Starmix, including more shapes and slightly different flavour combinations. Supermix casts a wider net and is a solid choice if you want maximum variety in a single bag.

Happy Cola

Every shape in the bag is a cola bottle, which sounds one-dimensional but is actually a smart move. Cola bottles are the most popular pick n mix sweet in the UK and an entire bag of just cola bottles, done well, is hard to argue with.

Rhubarb and Custard

One of the more specifically British products in the Haribo range. Soft jelly sweets in the classic rhubarb and custard flavour pairing, a combination that has been popular in the UK for well over a century. The Haribo version is good and widely available.

Maoam

Maoam is technically a separate brand owned by Haribo. The chewy strips and Pinballs in the Maoam range are some of the most intensely flavoured chewy sweets available in the UK. Pinballs in particular have a following that borders on obsessive. Worth having both in any serious pick n mix setup.

Is Haribo suitable for vegetarians and vegans?

Most Haribo products contain gelatine, which is derived from pork. This makes the standard range unsuitable for vegetarians, vegans, and those following a halal or kosher diet.

Haribo does produce some gelatine-free lines specifically for markets where this matters, but the mainstream UK range is largely not vegetarian. If you are shopping for vegetarian or vegan sweets, or halal sweets, the dedicated categories on One Pound Sweets will have better options.

Where to buy Haribo online in the UK

Haribo is widely available in supermarkets but the range stocked physically tends to be limited to the four or five bestselling bags. Buying online gives you access to the wider range, bulk quantities and better per-bag pricing on larger orders.

You can browse the full Haribo range at One Pound Sweets including Starmix, Tangfastics, Gold Bears, Happy Cola and more. Cases of individual bags are available for bulk buyers and pick n mix selections can include individual Haribo pieces alongside the rest of your order.