A pick 'n' mix table is one of the easiest things to get right and one of the easiest things to get slightly wrong. Too little and it looks mean. Too much of one thing and you're eating foam bananas until March. Here's how to plan it properly.
How much do you actually need?
The working rule most sweet shops use is 100g per person for a party where there's other food, and 150-200g per person if the sweets are the main event — a kids' party, a film night, a wedding favour table.
So for 30 people at a party with a buffet, you want around 3kg total. For 30 children with sweets as the headline, budget 5kg. Buying a single 3kg bulk bag and calling it done is the classic mistake: you end up with 3kg of one sweet rather than a mix.
The five-slot method
A good mix has variety of texture and flavour, not just colour. Fill five slots:
- A chewy crowd-pleaser — gold bears, jelly babies, friendship rings. This is your volume line, roughly a third of the total.
- Something sour — Tangfastics or sour slices. Divides opinion, which is the point.
- Something fizzy — cola bottles or fizzy bubblegum bottles. Different mouthfeel to the chewy stuff.
- Something foamy — bananas, shrimps, yellow bellies. Light, and the one adults reach for without admitting it.
- A retro wildcard — rhubarb & custard, Pontefract cakes, wine gums. This is what gets people talking.
Buy in bulk, not in bags
If you're filling a table, share bags are the expensive way to do it. A 3kg bulk bag works out substantially cheaper per 100g than the equivalent weight in individual bags, and you're not left with a mountain of packaging. Our Bulk Bags range runs from 1kg up to 3kg.
For smaller gatherings, tubs are the sensible middle ground — resealable, easy to portion, and they keep properly once opened.
Check the dietary side before you shop, not after
This is the one that catches people out. Most gummy sweets contain gelatine, which rules them out for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone keeping halal or kosher. If you're catering for a mixed group, put at least one clearly-labelled gelatine-free option on the table — our Vegan and Vegetarian collections make that straightforward.
A few surprises worth knowing: Haribo Giant Strawbs are gelatine-free and suitable for vegetarians. So are Sour Sparks. Foam bananas usually aren't. Always check the individual product page — we list the full ingredients and allergens on every one.
Presentation
Jars beat bowls. Tongs or scoops beat hands. Small paper bags beat plates. And label the sour ones — you'll save yourself a lot of pulled faces.