From Snickers, Jelly Babies and even Starburst, there’s a wide selection of sweet treats that are classed as beloved favourites in the UK and have undergone a rebrand to change their original names
Who doesn’t love a sweet treat every now and then? Whether you’re a your Cadbury’s chocolate fanatic or love the tangy flavour from a packet of Haribos, we’re certain there’s something for everyone in the long list of UK favourites.
Taking a stroll down the sweets aisle of some of the biggest supermarkets or browsing the pick’n’mix section before watching your favourite film, there’s no doubt you’ll know your top choices by name, whether it’s a fizzy peach ring or a Dip Dab.
As you’ll know, some of the most iconic sweets have been around for centuries and loved by many for longer than we could imagine, but as with many things these days, a selection of sweets and chocolates have undergone a rebrand, with some changing their names completely.
To keep you well in the loop and to ensure you still get to experience the bliss of enjoying your favourite sweetie, here’s a list of the biggest sweet treat transformations, from the beloved Snickers bar to the original name of Starbursts.
Snickers
You’re not you when you’re hungry … right? The much-loved Snickers bar had a completely different name until the 90s, with many knowing the chocolate favourite as a Marathon Bar.
The nutty delight made up of peanuts, caramel and chocolate had already been known as Snickers around the world, but it wasn’t until 1990 that its creators decided to rename the treat so it aligned with the rest of the world.
In 2019, Mars gave chocolate fans a sweet nostalgia trip by stocking Marathon Bars on the shelves once again for a limited time.
Starburst
If you were born after 1998, this one might come as news to you, but the beloved Starburst treats were originally called something completely different and it turns out older generations are still struggling to adapt to their new name!
In 1960, Starburst were introduced as opal fruits to the UK. Seven years later, they were introduced to the US market with the name Starburst. The UK didn’t adopt this change until 1998, ditching the retro name and going by Starburst.
Paying homage to the original name, in 2020, Mars sold a limited edition version of opal fruits in top-rated flavours like lemon and lime, allowing many to relive their childhoods.
Jelly Babies
These miniature bear-shaped treats are one of Haribos most popular snacks, but their original name seems a lot more sinister. In 1864, they were created by an Australian confectioner who set out to make a mould for Jelly bears, but mistakenly made a mould that looked more like babies, leading to the darker name of ‘unclaimed babies.’
Fear not as this didn’t last long. By the end of World War 1, Bassetts of Sheffield started producing them and they were renamed ‘peace babies’ as a way to celebrate the end of the war.
They then rebranded as ‘jelly babies’ in 1953, a name that seems to have stuck.
Twix
In the UK a Twix has always been a Twix, so there’s no real change there, but in other parts of Europe the caramel chocolate bar went by another name and you might remember spotting it on one of your holidays.
The Twix used to be known as a Raider up until 1991 when global markets followed the UK’s lead and changed the brand name. This change didn’t take place until 2000 for countries like Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Turkey.
Daim
The Daim bar hails from Sweden and was known as a Dajm in Scandinavia. It was a hit with sweet lovers, providing a chocolate-covered caramel and almond crunch, but was best known as a Dime bar in the UK.
The name stuck for a while, even as creators made attempts to standardise the brand by renaming it a Daim bar, but the name didn’t arrive to UK markets until 2005.
Boost and Starbar
The Boost bar might not be as popular as it once was, but you’ll still be able to find it among other Cadbury favourites like Freddo and the iconic Dairy Milk. Cadbury introduced Boost bars back in 1985, but they were known back then as Coconut Boosts.
The original name matches its flavour perfectly, since the bar started out as a coconut and caramel bar, covered in chocolate. Things got a little complicated when a peanut version of the bar was created, triggering a rebrand as a Peanut Boost. As the coconut version was discontinued in 1994, and a biscuit and caramel version launched, the original chocolate bar was split in two. Now, the peanut version is known as the Starbar and the biscuit version is the beloved Boost.