Candy corn was originally sold as "chicken feed" — the tri-colour design was meant to look like kernels, not a Halloween sweet.
From "chicken feed" to Halloween staple
Candy corn dates back to the 1880s and is credited to George Renninger of the Wunderle Candy Company. It was mass-produced from 1898 by Goelitz Confectionery — now Jelly Belly — which marketed it as "chicken feed" to appeal to a largely agricultural American audience, packaging it in boxes decorated with a rooster. The tri-colour layers of yellow, orange and white were designed purely to mimic a corn kernel.
Why so many Americans say they hate it
Candy corn's reputation as Halloween's most polarising sweet is backed up by repeated US consumer surveys, which routinely rank it among the least favourite Halloween treats. The complaints are consistent: an intensely sweet, waxy texture with almost no flavour variation across each layer. It has its defenders too — devoted enough that October 30th is unofficially recognised in the US as National Candy Corn Day.
Why it never caught on in Britain
Candy corn has no real history in UK confectionery, and Halloween itself only became a major UK retail event in recent decades. Where it does turn up, it's usually through specialist American candy and snacks importers rather than mainstream supermarkets, alongside other seasonal imports in our Halloween sweets range.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented candy corn?
Candy corn was invented in the 1880s, credited to George Renninger of the Wunderle Candy Company, and was first mass-produced from 1898 by Goelitz Confectionery, now known as Jelly Belly.
Why is candy corn so divisive in the US?
Surveys of Halloween candy preferences consistently place candy corn among the most disliked treats in America, largely because of its intensely sweet, waxy texture with little flavour variation.
Is candy corn easy to find in the UK?
No. Candy corn has never been a British confectionery tradition and is mostly available in the UK through specialist American candy importers rather than mainstream supermarkets.