Mike and Ike turn up in searches constantly, but they're not a chocolate bar and not a British brand — they're an American chewy fruit candy that's found a genuine following here through pick 'n' mix counters and cinema-style sharing boxes. Here's the full run of what we stock, and the surprisingly unresolved story of who Mike and Ike actually were.
What we stock
All six lines come in the 120g Theatre Box — the cinema-concession format Mike and Ike is best known for, sized for sharing rather than a pocket-money top-up. All six are special-order lines for us, so factor in a slightly longer lead time than our everyday range when ordering.
- Original Fruits Theatre Box 120g — the line the brand launched with in 1940: cherry, lemon, lime, orange and strawberry, and still the most widely recognised format.
- Sour Blue Raspberry Theatre Box 120g — a single sour-forward flavour rather than an assortment.
- Berry Blast Theatre Box 120g — a mixed-berry lineup spanning wild berry, blue raspberry, strawberry, blueberry and peach berry.
- Thrill Ride Mix Theatre Box 120g — a fairground-themed mix: cotton candy, lemonade, caramel apple, fruit punch and churro flavours.
- Ice Cream Truck Mix Theatre Box 120g — dessert-inspired flavours: strawberry shortcake, orange twist, chocolate waffle cone, cherry ice and banana split — flavoured to taste like the dessert, not actually containing chocolate or dairy.
- Jolly Joes Theatre Box 120g — the odd one out: a single grape flavour rather than an assortment, in the brand's recognisable purple box.
All six carry healthy stock behind the scenes, sold individually by the box rather than by the case — just allow the extra special-order lead time when you check out.
The name nobody has ever confirmed
Just Born has never officially explained where "Mike and Ike" came from, and in the absence of a straight answer, two theories dominate. The first points to a vaudeville-era song called "Mike and Ike," from a period when double acts playing identical or interchangeable characters were a stock comedy format. The second, more specific theory ties the name to the Matina Brothers — circus performers nicknamed Mike and Ike who were cast as Munchkins in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. A comic strip called Mike and Ike (They Look Alike) and even Dwight D. Eisenhower's nickname "Ike" have been floated too, but none of it is confirmed. Just Born has let the mystery stand for over 80 years.
The company behind it: Just Born
Just Born is a family-owned confectioner based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, founded by Russian immigrant Sam Born, who also gave the company its name and its enduring product line of Peeps marshmallow chicks. Mike and Ike launched in 1940 as an all-fruit chewy candy — no chocolate, no gelatin coating like a jelly bean, just a dense, chewy fruit-flavoured shape. Just Born's 1953 acquisition of the Rodda Candy Company, a jelly bean specialist, brought in the flavour-development expertise behind later additions like cotton candy and root beer, and the brand has kept adding themed mixes — like the Thrill Ride and Ice Cream Truck lines we stock — ever since.
Where to find the rest
All six lines sit in our Mike and Ike collection, part of the wider American Candy & Snacks range. For the brand's other long-running classic, see our piece on Milk Duds and the rest of the older half of American candy.
Frequently asked questions
What flavours of Mike and Ike does Supreme Sweets stock?
Six: Original Fruits, Sour Blue Raspberry, Berry Blast, Thrill Ride Mix, Ice Cream Truck Mix and Jolly Joes, all in the 120g Theatre Box format.
Does Mike and Ike contain chocolate?
No. All six lines we stock are chewy, fruit-flavoured candy with no chocolate — closer to a jelly bean than a chocolate sweet.
Who was Mike and who was Ike?
Nobody knows for certain — Just Born has never confirmed an origin. Leading theories point to a 1940s vaudeville song, or to the Matina Brothers, two circus performers nicknamed Mike and Ike who played Munchkins in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
Is Jolly Joes a fruit flavour or something else?
Jolly Joes is a single grape-flavoured box rather than an assorted mix, sold in the same purple-branded Theatre Box as the other lines.
Is Mike and Ike a special-order item?
Yes — all six flavours are special-order lines for us, so allow a little longer for delivery than our regular stock.
Sources: Wikipedia, Just Born, Mike and Ike.