Fruit Pastilles have been in Rowntree's line-up since 1881, which makes them older than the brand's other famous gum sweet — and the two aren't just different shapes, they're made differently.
Pastilles vs Gums: not the same recipe
Both sweets start from a fruit-flavoured, sugar-set base, but the finishing is different. Pastilles are gel-set and left with a soft, matte, sugar-dusted surface, giving them a gentler, more yielding bite. Gums are firmer and chewier, with a shinier, glazed finish. There's a long-running bit of sweet-shop trivia around the two as well: Pastilles are generally flavoured to match their colour, while Gums have a reputation for the colour and flavour not always lining up.
Older than you'd think
- 1881 — Fruit Pastilles launched, one of the oldest sweets still made by the brand today
- 1893 — Fruit Gums followed, twelve years later
- 1988 — Nestle acquired Rowntree Mackintosh, bringing both sweets under its ownership
- 2019 — Recipe reformulated to remove animal gelatine, making both Pastilles and Gums vegetarian and vegan-friendly
The flavour line-up
The classic Fruit Pastilles tube sticks to five flavours: blackcurrant, strawberry, orange, lemon and lime, each pastille coloured to match. It's a small, fixed range compared to most modern sweet lines, and it's barely changed since the sweet was introduced.
Find them alongside the rest of the range
Fruit Pastilles sit within Rowntree's wider catalogue, which is worth browsing if you want to compare them against the brand's other classics in the Rowntree's collection, or check today's plant-based options in vegetarian sweets.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Fruit Pastilles and Fruit Gums?
Pastilles are softer and gel-set with a matte, sugar-dusted finish, while Gums are firmer, chewier and have a glossier, glazed surface. Pastilles are also generally flavoured to match their colour, whereas Gums are more loosely paired.
How old are Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles?
Fruit Pastilles date back to 1881, making them older than Rowntree's Fruit Gums, which followed in 1893.
Are Fruit Pastilles vegetarian?
Yes. Nestle reformulated Fruit Pastilles in 2019, replacing the animal gelatine with a plant-based alternative so the recipe is now vegetarian and vegan-friendly.