Independent retailers and online sweet shops around London are hunting out vegan confectionery according to the experts at wholesalers Hancocks.

The Watford store has seen a huge demand for vegan sweets over the last 12 months which shows no signs of slowing down.

According to statistics, there are around 1.5 million vegans in the UK and 3.1 million following a vegetarian diet. A further 12% or 6.5 million people plan to become vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian during 2021.

The store has introduced new confectionery to its vegan range to meet the demand, with some suppliers making significant changes to their confectionery to cater for this market.

Pick and mix from Kingsway, Hancocks’s own brand, has moved away from gelatine-based sweets to starch based without losing any of the quality.

Popular new additions include Kingsway Watermelon Fizzy Dummies and Kingsway Tongue Painting Fizzy Dummies.

Other exciting vegan brands include Swedish confectionery maker Bubs. New to Hancocks include Bubs Banana Mini Ovals, Bubs Mini Sour Foam Skulls, Bubs Cool Melon Foam Skulls, Bubs Sour Raspberry & Lemon Foam Skulls, Bubs Strawberry Cheesecake Foam Sweets and Bubs Watermelon Foam Sweets.

The vast majority of the Crazy Candy Factory range are vegan friendly including the sweets in toys, lollies, sprays and wrapped sweets. They’re also very pocket-friendly too for retailers and their customers.

Store manager for Hancocks in Watford, Reza Abbasi said: “Catering for different dietary requirements is something we get asked about a lot and vegan confectionery is the one our customers are most interested in.

“There has been a real improvement in the quality, taste and general consistency of vegan sweets and they are appealing to a much wider consumer base, not just those following a vegetarian, vegan or halal diet.

“There are now hundreds of options across all formats including pick and mix, chocolate and sweets, mints and gums.

“For retailers, both bricks and mortar and online, to truly remain competitive, it is important to factor in dietary requirements when making confectionery choices to stay one step ahead and cater for everyone.”

Hancocks is the UK’s leading confectionery wholesaler with 14 nationwide cash and carry stores and an online channel www.hancocks.co.uk where customers can shop online 24/7 with delivery to the door or click and collect options.

Hancocks is the one stop shop for confectionery for over 25,000 independent retailers and the partner of choice for over 250 suppliers from across the globe.