Most gummy sweets are built around gelatine, which is why vegan versions have historically felt like an afterthought: fine on taste, unconvincing on texture. Jealous Sweets was built to close that gap from day one.
A gap two ex-bankers decided to fill
Jealous Sweets was founded in 2010 by Tahzeen Basunia and Imran Merza, former college friends who left careers in banking in the City to start a confectionery company. Their starting point was a straightforward complaint: vegan-friendly sweets on the market at the time were limited, and rarely matched mainstream gummies on look or texture. They set out to make gummies that happened to be vegan, rather than vegan sweets that happened to be gummy.
Built to look like the real thing
The brand's signature is realism. Rather than the usual bear or worm shapes, Jealous Sweets built its range around fruit-accurate forms, flavoured with real fruit juice rather than purely artificial flavouring, and coloured to match. The effect is a gummy that's noticeably closer to the fruit it's named after than the average pick-and-mix jar.
No gelatine, no palm oil, no shortcuts
Every product in the range is plant-based, with no gelatine, no palm oil and no artificial colours or flavours, and a large part of the range is also gluten-free. That combination is a big part of why the brand found a following well beyond people specifically shopping for vegan sweets.
From Selfridges to a global shelf
The brand secured its first major retail listing at Selfridges in 2011, followed over the next few years by Whole Foods, Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Asda. By 2019, Jealous Sweets had expanded outside the UK for the first time, launching in Hong Kong and Singapore as demand for vegan confectionery grew internationally. You'll find the range in our Vegan collection alongside other plant-based sweets.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Jealous Sweets?
Tahzeen Basunia and Imran Merza founded the brand in 2010 after leaving banking careers to address a gap in the vegan confectionery market.
Are all Jealous Sweets products vegan?
Yes, the entire range is plant-based, free from gelatine, palm oil and artificial ingredients, with much of it also gluten-free.
Where can you buy Jealous Sweets?
After launching at Selfridges in 2011, the brand expanded into major UK retailers and, from 2019, international markets including Hong Kong and Singapore.