This is a rundown of the best sherbet sweets you can buy right now, where they came from, and what makes each one worth picking up.
Ask someone to name a retro sweet and sherbet comes up every time. It’s been in British sweet shops since the Victorian era and it still sells in huge quantities today. The fizzy, powdery hit hasn’t changed and neither has the appeal. Whether it’s packed inside a lemon, dusted over a lolly or spooned straight from a tube, sherbet is one of those things that just works.
What Actually Is Sherbet?
The Basics
Sherbet is a fizzy powder made primarily from sugar, bicarbonate of soda and citric acid. The fizzing sensation comes from the reaction between the acid and the bicarbonate when it hits moisture, either from saliva or from a liquid dip. It’s simple chemistry that happens to be extremely satisfying to eat.
British sherbet is different from what Americans call sherbet, which is closer to a sorbet. In the UK, sherbet means the fizzy powder, full stop. It’s been a sweet shop staple since the 1800s and shows no signs of going anywhere.
Why It’s Still So Popular
Part of the appeal is the texture. Sherbet gives you something no other confectionery does: that active fizzing sensation that you feel rather than just taste. Combined with the sharp citric kick, it creates a sensory experience that’s hard to replicate. It’s also cheap, which helps. A bag of sherbet sweets has never required much commitment.
Sherbet Lemons
The Classic You Already Know
Sherbet lemons are probably the most recognisable sherbet sweet in the UK. A hard boiled lemon shell surrounds a pocket of fizzy sherbet powder, and the combination of the sharp outer layer with the fizzing centre is what’s kept them popular for well over a hundred years. They’re one of the few sweets where the description on the packet is exactly what you get: no surprises, no disappointments.
How to Eat Them
Most people crunch straight through the outer shell to get to the sherbet faster. The more patient approach is to suck the lemon until it thins out enough that the sherbet breaks through on its own. Both are valid. The second method is messier.
Sherbet Fountains
The Tube With the Liquorice Straw
The Barratt Sherbet Fountain is one of the most iconic sweet formats ever produced. A yellow cardboard tube filled with sherbet powder, with a liquorice straw poking out of the top that you use to dip and eat. It’s been made by Barratt since 1925 and the basic format hasn’t changed since.
The Liquorice Debate
Sherbet Fountains divide people cleanly into two camps: those who use the liquorice straw as intended, and those who tip the sherbet straight into their mouth and ignore the straw entirely. There’s no wrong answer, but the straw does slow you down which means the sherbet lasts longer. Worth considering before you go straight for the pour.
They’re also a good buy for parties and events. A full box from Barratt gives you individual tubes to hand out, and they’re one of those sweets that land well across pretty much every age group.
Cola Cubes
Sherbet’s Fizzy Cousin
Cola cubes aren’t technically a sherbet sweet in the traditional sense, but they belong in this conversation because the fizzy, tangy hit they deliver is the same family of sensation. A hard boiled cube with an intense cola flavour and a slightly sour edge, they’ve been a pick n mix staple for decades.
Why They Keep Coming Back
Cola cubes have a loyal following that other sweets don’t. People who like them tend to seek them out specifically rather than just picking them up on impulse. The flavour is harder to find in other formats and the cube format means they last longer than most sweets their size. If you haven’t had one in a while, they’re worth revisiting.
Dip Dabs
Lolly Plus Sherbet
The Barratt Dip Dab is a straightforward concept executed well: a strawberry flavoured lolly that you dip into a small bag of sherbet powder. The lolly gets coated in sherbet, you eat it, repeat. It’s messy in the best possible way and it’s one of those sweets that’s genuinely more fun to eat than most things twice its price.
A Party Bag Essential
Dip Dabs have been a party bag fixture since the 1970s and they still work perfectly in that context today. Kids love them, adults who remember them love them, and the individual wrapping makes them easy to hand out. Buy them by the box and you’ve got a solid party bag filler sorted without much effort.
Sherbet Sweets for Pick n Mix and Events
Building a Sherbet Selection
If you’re putting together a pick n mix spread for a party or event, sherbet sweets are worth including because they add a textural contrast to the gummies and chews that most selections are heavy on. Sherbet lemons, cola cubes and a few Dip Dabs alongside a selection of softer sweets gives people something different to reach for.
Buying in Bulk
For larger events, buying by the case makes more sense than individual bags. The full cases section has bulk options across a range of sherbet and boiled sweet varieties. Free UK delivery applies to all orders over £20, and most individual bags start at £1, so building a decent order doesn’t take long.
Sherbet has been around for over a century and the reason is straightforward: it’s fizzy, it’s sharp, it’s satisfying, and nothing else quite replicates it. These sweets have been in British sweet shops longer than most brands have existed, and they’re still worth every penny.
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Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about sherbet sweets