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When you sell lollies for a living you get to know what the best sellers are and what Kiwis just can’t get enough of. Kiwi expats pay some ridiculous shipping fees to get their favourite NZ lollies shipped all over the world, just so they can bring back the taste of home that they love and miss…
We thought we’d share with everybody what the most popular lollies are that we sell. There may be some lollies that aren’t on the list, and maybe you don’t agree with the rankings, but it is what it is… our take!
Most of these are old school lollies that have been around since the 80s and 90s. The classic Kiwi lollies we used to buy in a 20-cent mixture from the corner dairy (back when you could get several lollies for 20 cents!).
Jumping right in at the top of the list…
1) JELLY BEANS
The classic jelly bean cannot be overlooked. We sell the Rainbow Confectionery range of single coloured and flavoured jelly beans, and when sales of all colours are combined, we sell more of these than any other type of sweet. Jelly Beans are convenient, economical, and they taste great. The most popular flavour by a mile is Aniseed (black), followed by Bubblegum (blue) and Strawberry (pink).
2) MACKINTOSH’S TOFFEES
The legendary Mackintosh’s Toffees that have been around since the dawn of time (well it seems like that long anyway). We sell these in single flavours and that gives us an insight into Kiwis favourite flavours, which are of course malt and coconut, followed by mint, egg and cream, toffee de luxe and last is Harrogate. These chewy toffee caramels were manufactured in New Zealand by Nestle, under the Allen’s brand until 2018, now they are made by RJ’s Confectionery in Levin.
3) MAYCEYS CROCODILES
These chewy hard gummies in the shape of a crocodile are a very popular sweet that Kiwi's can't get enough of. Mayceys Crocodiles come in 6 different vibrant colours and flavours, and they also come in a super-sized version called Killer Crocs.
4) MAYCEYS SOUR FEIJOAS
Never ever did you taste a sweet that was so true to the real fruit taste! They call them Sour Feijoas, but they aren’t lip-puckering sour, just less sweet than some other types of candy. These harder style gummies are chewy and packed full of feijoa flavour.
5) MAYCEYS GLO-HARTS
Glo-Harts come in two different sizes, regular and giant, although the giant ones aren’t really that much bigger than the regular size. The Mayceys Rep told us that they are the result of throwing all of the left-overs from manufacturing other lollies into a vat and mixing it up, so they aren’t actually any particular flavour, in fact the flavour is very difficult to describe.
6) PASCALL FRUIT BURST
The only Pascall manufactured sweet to make it into the top 10. Fruit Burst lollies come in 5 colours/flavours: Green (Lemon & Lime), Orange (Orange), Yellow (Banana), Purple (Wildberry) and Red (Strawberry). The most popular flavours are Banana and Strawberry, then Lemon & Lime, Wildberry and lastly Orange.
7) MAYCEYS SOUR GRAPES
As with the other flavours in the Mayceys Sour Fruits range, Sour Grapes have a very realistic grape flavour. They are a harder type gummy that you can chew on for quite some time, so you really get your money's worth! Don't be mislead by the name as they aren't as sour as you may think.
8) MAYCEYS SOUR PEACHES
Packed full of real peach flavour, these gummies are just delightful. Despite their name, we don't consider them a sour lolly, maybe just a little less sweet than some other candy, but that's certainly not a turn-off if you don't like super sweet. Sour Peaches grabbed the number 8 spot by just one bag over the next contender...
9) MAYCEYS SOUR STRAWBERRIES
Well it looks like Mayceys Sour Fruits range are cleaning up this year, with 4 of the 5 flavours making it into the Top 10. What else can we say but congratulations to Mayceys for an outstanding and thoroughly delicious range of not-so-sour lollies. The Sour Strawberries are bursting with real strawberry flavour and a great long lasting chew.
10) MAYCEYS MEGA-GUMS
Jumbo sized chewy wine gums in 6 colours and flavours, each with a smiley face. Kiwis have a strong love for these harder style gummies that has lasted generations. Like many of the Mayceys products, Mega-Gums are Gluten Free.
Well there you have it, the top 10 best NZ lollies updated for 2023 as chosen by your spending habits.
New lollies come and go, but you can't beat the tried and true Kiwi classics!