Most sweets are the product of careful recipe development. Liquorice Allsorts, as the story goes, exist because someone dropped a tray.
A trip in Leicester, 1899
Bassett's, the Sheffield confectioner founded in 1842, sent sales representative Charlie Thompson out to show samples to a Leicester wholesaler in 1899. Thompson stumbled and dropped his tray, scattering several different liquorice sweets together into one jumbled heap. Rather than being annoyed, the wholesaler reportedly liked the look of the accidental mixture and placed an order for a batch made exactly that way - mixed shapes and all.
Legend, not verified record
It's a story told consistently enough to be the accepted origin tale, but it's generally treated as company legend rather than a documented historical record. Sources even disagree on a detail as basic as who named the new product - one account has Thompson coining "liquorice allsorts" himself, another says the Leicester client chose the name. What's agreed is the shape of the story: an accident in 1899 that turned into a permanent product line.
Bertie Bassett arrives later
The sweet existed for almost three decades before getting its mascot. Bertie Bassett, the figure built entirely from liquorice allsorts shapes, was introduced in 1926 and has represented the brand ever since - longer-lived, in marketing terms, than many sweets that came after it.
What we stock
We carry Taveners Liquorice Allsorts 3kg, along with the rest of our liquorice collection.
Frequently asked questions
How were Liquorice Allsorts invented?
According to the long-told story, a Bassett's sales rep named Charlie Thompson tripped in 1899 while showing samples to a Leicester wholesaler, spilling several different liquorice sweets into one jumbled tray. The wholesaler liked the muddled mix and ordered a batch of exactly that.
Is the Charlie Thompson story definitely true?
It's usually described as a legend rather than a verified record, and accounts differ on details - some say Thompson named the new assortment himself, others say the client chose the name. The core event, a 1899 mishap in Leicester, is the consistent part.
Who is Bertie Bassett?
The liquorice-figure mascot built from the various allsorts shapes. He was introduced in 1926, well after the sweet itself, and still represents the brand today.
Does Supreme Sweets stock liquorice allsorts?
Yes - we stock Taveners Liquorice Allsorts 3kg, alongside the rest of our liquorice range.
Sources: Wikipedia, Cadbury World.