Army & Navy sweets get their black colour and medicinal bite from liquorice and herbs, not from anything to do with either armed service's uniform — the name comes from further back in their history.
A cough-sweet flavour built for winter
The blend behind Army & Navy sweets includes liquorice, aniseed, cloves, cinnamon and a hint of menthol, giving them a flavour much closer to a cough candy than a typical boiled sweet. That's also why they're most associated with winter, when their slightly medicinal character feels more at home.
Where the name comes from
The name is generally traced to the First World War, when the British Army started adding sweets to soldiers' rations as a compact source of energy. Army & Navy sweets took their name from that tradition of confectionery travelling with service personnel, rather than from any connection to a specific regiment or ship.
An old formula with an odd rumour
Some historical accounts of Army & Navy sweets claim the earliest recipes contained opium — not an unusual ingredient in Victorian and Edwardian cough remedies of the period, before later regulation of medicines removed it from confectionery formulas entirely. Modern versions rely solely on the liquorice-and-herb blend for their bite.
Find them alongside other traditional flavours in our liquorice collection.
Frequently asked questions
What flavour are Army & Navy sweets?
They're black, lozenge-shaped boiled sweets flavoured with liquorice and a mix of herbs including aniseed, cloves, cinnamon and a hint of menthol.
Why are they called Army & Navy?
The name is generally traced to the First World War, when the British Army began adding sweets to soldiers' rations as compact, high-energy food, linking the sweet to military service.
Did Army & Navy sweets really contain opium?
Some historical accounts claim early recipes included opium, which wasn't unusual in Victorian and Edwardian cough remedies before later medicine regulation removed it from confectionery.