Cotton candy and candy floss are the same sweet by two different names — American and British respectively — which is why searching for "cotton candy" on a UK site can come up short even though the product itself is genuinely stocked. Here's what we carry under its British name, and the slightly strange history of how spun sugar became a fairground staple.
Sweetzone Candy Floss Tub
A small, ready-to-eat format: Sweetzone Candy Floss Tub 20g, spun sugar in a resealable cup rather than a bag you'd have to portion out yourself. It's a special-order line — usually around two weeks to arrive, at the same price as our in-stock range — but currently available to order.
Dobsons Wrapped Candy Floss Mega Lollies
For a bigger format, we stock Dobsons Wrapped Candy Floss Mega Lollies 1.9kg, a bulk bag of individually wrapped candy floss lollies. Stock on this one is limited at the time of writing, so if it's the format you want, it's worth not leaving the order too long.
If you searched for "cotton candy" specifically: this is the same sweet, just sold here under its British name, candy floss. We don't currently list either format under the American name itself.
How Spun Sugar Became a Fairground Classic
The machine behind cotton candy was invented in Nashville in 1897 by an unlikely pair: William Morrison, a dentist, and John C. Wharton, a confectioner. Their device melted sugar and forced it through a spinning, perforated drum, flinging out fine threads that collected into a fluffy nest — the same basic principle every candy floss machine still uses today. They patented it in 1899, and it was introduced to the public at the 1904 World's Fair in St Louis under the name "Fairy Floss", sold in small wooden boxes. The name "cotton candy" came later, credited to a Louisiana dentist, Josef Lascaux, in the 1920s — while in the UK and Australia the older "candy floss" and "fairy floss" names stuck instead.
Where to find the rest
Both lines sit within our wider retro sweets range, alongside other classic fairground and pick 'n' mix confectionery.
Frequently asked questions
Is cotton candy the same as candy floss?
Yes — same spun-sugar sweet, just the American and British names for it.
What candy floss products does Supreme Sweets stock?
A ready-to-eat Sweetzone tub and a bulk bag of Dobsons wrapped candy floss lollies.
Is the Dobsons candy floss lolly pack low stock?
Yes, stock is limited at the time of writing — order sooner rather than later if you want this format.
Who invented candy floss?
Dentist William Morrison and confectioner John C. Wharton, who patented their spinning machine in 1899 after inventing it in 1897.