Gummy sharks and jelly snakes are two of the most reliable shapes on any pick 'n' mix counter — not as instantly famous as the gummy bear, but just as much a fixture. Both are part of the same broad gelatine-sweet family, and we stock a genuinely wide range across Kingsway, Vidal and Haribo.
How gelatine-set novelty sweets became their own category
Moulded gelatine sweets are a British and German invention that both predates and outgrew the animal shapes we associate with it now. Maynards in London launched Wine Gums in 1909 — one of the first sweets made commercially with a gelatine-set recipe, though in plain shapes like circles and rhombuses rather than animals. It was Haribo, in Germany, that made the leap to a recognisable creature: founder Hans Riegel launched the Tanzbaren, or "dancing bear," in 1922, inspired by the real dancing bears that performed at European festivals at the time. That bear became the template the whole gummy category grew from, and once moulded gelatine sweets were established as a format, manufacturers kept extending it — worms, babies, and eventually sharks and snakes all followed the same basic method: a flavoured, coloured gelatine mixture set inside a shaped mould.
Kingsway Gummy Sharks
Our Kingsway Gummy Sharks 3kg is a bulk bag of shark-shaped gummy sweets — a straightforward, well-stocked option for pick 'n' mix counters or party bowls.
Vidal and Kingsway jelly snakes
Snakes come in more variety in our range than sharks do. Vidal Jelly Snakes Tub 720g holds around 60 fruit-flavoured jelly snakes — a dependable pick 'n' mix shape at a penny-sweet scale. For something more novel, Vidal Snake Jelly 66g is a single jelly snake up to a metre long, sold here as a case of 11 packs, and each pack includes a reusable mould that doubles as a toy once the sweet is gone — genuinely a step up from the ordinary bag of snakes. On the Kingsway side, we stock both Kingsway Jelly Snakes 3kg and Kingsway Fizzy Jelly Snakes 3kg, the latter giving the same snake shape a sour, fizzy sugar coating rather than a plain fruit flavour — useful if you want both a mild and a sharper option side by side.
Worth noting for anyone checking dietary suitability: the Vidal jelly snake products are made with gelatine and contain carmine (E120), so they're not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.
Giant Yellow Belly Snakes
If you're after the specific yellow-bellied snake shape rather than a mixed-colour bag, we stock it two ways. Supreme Giant Yellow Belly Snakes 500g is our own oversized version of the classic shape — a proper "giant" snake, bigger than the standard pick 'n' mix size. Haribo also make the shape under their own name: Haribo Yellow Bellies 3kg is the bulk bag, with a smaller 768g tub and 60g mini bags (case of 20) also in stock for anyone who doesn't need 3kg at once.
Fish-shaped sweets, too
Sharks and snakes aren't the only sea-and-swamp shapes on our shelves — we also carry a fish-shaped jelly sweet. Kingsway Vegan Cherry Fish 3kg is a cherry-flavoured, gelatine-free jelly sweet moulded into a fish shape, currently in more limited stock than our shark and snake lines, so it's worth checking availability before planning around it in bulk.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a gummy and a jelly sweet?
The terms overlap in everyday use — jelly sweets tend to be softer, gummy sweets firmer and chewier — but both are usually gelatine-set and shaped in a mould.
Are your jelly snakes suitable for vegetarians or vegans?
No — the Vidal jelly snakes contain gelatine and carmine (E120). Always check the current pack for confirmed ingredients.
How did novelty-shaped gummy sweets become popular?
Maynards launched gelatine-set Wine Gums in 1909, and Haribo's 1922 dancing bear became the template the wider gummy-shape category grew from, including sharks and snakes.
What sizes do the gummy sharks and jelly snakes come in?
Kingsway's are 3kg bulk bags; Vidal's come as a 720g tub of standard snakes or a case of 11 x 66g packs of a single long snake with a reusable mould.
Do you stock giant yellow belly snakes?
Yes — Supreme Giant Yellow Belly Snakes 500g, plus Haribo's own Yellow Bellies in a 3kg bulk bag, 768g tub and 60g mini bags.