Squashies are now one of the best-selling bagged sweets in the UK, outselling Haribo Starmix in some retail surveys. That is a remarkable position for a product that is essentially a softer version of penny sweets that have been around for decades. Swizzels took the Drumstick lolly, one of the most recognisable British confections of the last fifty years, and turned the flavour into a pillow-shaped jelly sweet. The result landed immediately and the range has grown steadily since.
This guide covers every Squashies flavour currently available, answers the halal question directly, and explains the best way to buy them in bulk.
What Are Squashies?
The Format
Squashies are soft, pillow-shaped jelly sweets made by Swizzels. Each piece is two-toned, with the two colours representing the two flavour elements in each variety. The texture is softer and more yielding than a standard gummy bear: they compress easily between your fingers and have a slightly foamy quality to them. The name is accurate. They are squashy.
The format was a deliberate evolution of the classic Drumstick lolly. Swizzels already had a well-loved flavour profile in the raspberry and milk combination. Squashies delivered that same flavour in a format that requires no lolly stick, no hard outer shell and no patience. You can eat a handful at once in a way that a lolly simply does not allow.
Who Makes Squashies?
Squashies are made by Swizzels, a British confectionery company based in New Mills, Derbyshire. Founded in 1928, Swizzels is one of the oldest independent sweet manufacturers in the UK and is responsible for a large proportion of the classic British pick and mix range: Love Hearts, Parma Violets, Refreshers, Rainbow Drops and Drumstick lollies all come from the same factory. The company is still privately owned and still makes its sweets in Derbyshire.
Every Squashies Flavour Explained
Drumstick Original: Raspberry and Milk
The Drumstick Original Squashies are the ones that started the range. The flavour is raspberry and milk: sharp raspberry on one side of the sweet and a creamy milk finish that rounds it out. It is the same flavour combination as the classic Drumstick lolly, just delivered in a much more snackable format. If you have never tried Squashies before, start here. The raspberry and milk balance is well-judged and nothing else in the range has quite the same profile.
Cherry Apple
Cherry Apple Squashies swap the creamy milk element for a second fruit, giving a sharper and more overtly fruity result. The cherry provides a slight tartness and the apple rounds it out without softening it too much. The overall flavour sits closer to a sour sweet than the Original, which makes it a good option for anyone who prefers fruit combinations over the raspberry and cream style.
Strawberry and Cream
Strawberry and Cream Squashies follow the same logic as the Original but replace raspberry with strawberry. The result is noticeably sweeter and the cream element is more prominent. These are the most dessert-like flavour in the range. Popular with people who find the Original a touch too sharp, and consistently one of the better sellers alongside it.
Rhubarb and Custard
Rhubarb and Custard Squashies take one of the classic British sweet combinations and translate it into the Squashies format. The soft texture works particularly well here because the custard flavour comes through more convincingly in a yielding jelly than it does in a hard boiled sweet. The rhubarb side has a genuine tartness rather than just sweetness. These tend to appeal to people who like traditional British sweet shop flavours. The flavour combination started life as a boiled sweet before Swizzels put it into the Squashies format.
Love Hearts
Love Hearts Squashies take another Swizzels classic and give it the soft pillow treatment. Standard Love Hearts are hard, chalky tablets with fruit flavours that vary by colour. The Squashies version keeps the fruit flavour combinations but delivers them in the soft format. These are popular for Valentine’s Day and events, but they sell year-round because the flavours work independently of the occasion.
Bubblegum
Bubblegum Squashies are the most distinct flavour in the range, sitting apart from the fruit and cream combinations that define the rest of the lineup. The bubblegum flavour is sweet, slightly synthetic in the way bubblegum always is, and immediately recognisable. These are popular with people who specifically want the bubblegum profile and are a good option for mixed party bags where you want variety.
Are Squashies Halal?
The Short Answer
No. Standard Squashies contain pork gelatine and are not halal certified. This applies to all varieties in the Drumstick and Love Hearts Squashies range. The gelatine is used as the gelling agent that gives Squashies their distinctive soft, pillow texture. Swizzels does not produce a halal-certified version of Squashies.
Halal Alternatives
If you need soft sweets in a similar format for a halal diet, there are good alternatives. Sweetzone and Bebeto both produce fully halal-certified soft sweets that cover a similar range of shapes and flavours. Haribo also has a specific halal-certified sub-range made using beef gelatine rather than pork, though not all Haribo products are halal certified, so you need to check the individual product. Browse the halal sweets range for a filtered selection of certified products.
Are Squashies Vegan?
No. Squashies contain gelatine, which is an animal-derived ingredient, so they are not suitable for vegans or vegetarians. For vegan soft sweets, the vegan sweets range has a number of jelly and gummy options made without animal-derived ingredients.
Buying Squashies in Bulk
Boxes of 12
Every Squashies variety at One Pound Sweets is available in a box of 12 bags at £1 per bag. A box of 12 works out at the most cost-effective way to buy and covers a decent quantity for events, party bags or keeping a regular supply at home. The Original and Cherry Apple are the most popular varieties and both tend to go quickly. Browse the full Squashies range for all current flavours and stock levels.
Mixing Flavours
Buying a box of each variety and mixing them is a popular approach for sweet tables and party bags. The different colours in each variety give a visually varied spread, and having multiple flavours means there is something for everyone without needing to commit a large quantity to one variety that not everyone will like. Orders over £20 qualify for free UK delivery, so combining a few boxes in a single order makes sense.
Squashies succeeded because the format is genuinely better than the original for some eating occasions. The Drumstick lolly has its place, but a soft pillow you can eat by the handful is a different experience. The range has expanded sensibly, each new flavour working within the same two-element structure that made the Original work. Whether you prefer the sharp fruit profiles of Cherry Apple or the sweeter Strawberry and Cream, the format delivers consistently across all of them.
Shop Squashies at One Pound Sweets
Browse every Squashies flavour in boxes of 12, from £1 per bag. Free UK delivery on orders over £20.