New year, new sweet obsession?
Following its launch in 2012, Candy Kittens has grown into one of the UK’s favourite sweet brands.
And now, the confectionary company — launched by reality TV star Jamie Laing — is launching a lower-priced spin-off range, Smittens.
Smittens are bigger sweets, still featuring the iconic cat head emblem with a gummy, heart-shaped eye, but on a larger more ‘soft’ and ‘foamy’ base. They come in three flavours (or edits): Strawberry, Sour and Blueberry.
The current ‘gourmet’ Candy Kittens range has a hefty price tag, typically costing £2.50 for a 140g packet. When you can buy the same amount of Haribo for only £1.25, the price can put some off.
But Smittens, available exclusively at Tesco (and other chains owned by the retail giant), will cost £1.60 for a 130g pack.
The sweets are being rolled out on January 2, so if you’re still nursing a two-day hangover after New Year’s Eve, now might be a good time to head to the shops.
Also available in Booker, Budgens, Londis and Premier shops, the new range has been described by Candy Kittens’ as a ‘fresh evolution’ of its signature gourmet sweets.
In line with the wider Candy Kittens range, Smittens are also gelatine-free and vegan.
Candy Kittens CEO Ed Williams tells The Grocer: ‘Smittens is a major innovation milestone for Candy Kittens, and something genuinely new for the category.’
‘By launching Smittens nationwide with the Tesco Group, we’re able to put bold, plant-powered sweets in front of more people than ever before.’
Given that the sweets only hit stores today, there aren’t many reactions from customers online yet – but given the reception some of Candy Kittens’ recent product launches received, we can imagine people will be excited to get their hands on these.
Earlier in 2025, the brand released a new line of ‘Treets’ chocolate snacks with three flavour variations: crispy, salted peanuts, and crunchy corn – utilising popular vegan chocolate alternative, ChoViva, a cocoa-free, sunflower seed-based recipe.
A number of vegan influencers praised the release on social media, with one TikToker @MumableCo stating: ‘These are going to be a new obsession.’
Another creator, @Misha G, was a particularly big fan of the salted peanuts treats, stating: ‘This is everything I wanted it to be and more.’
However, she did note that she felt the crispy edit could do with some work, paling a little in comparison to the other two flavours.
There are now approximately 2.5 million vegans in the UK, and with demand for more exciting and innovative alternatives on the rise, brands will do well to properly cater for all kinds of consumers.
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