Purple is one of the few sweet colours tied to an actual distinct flavour rather than just a shade in a rainbow mix — and it covers two quite different traditions.
Blackcurrant and grape: the fruit camp
Most purple sweets lean on blackcurrant or grape, both genuinely purple fruits, which makes the colour-flavour link a straightforward one. Vimto — itself a blend of grape, raspberry and blackcurrant — has built an entire confectionery range around that purple fruit flavour, and our Vimto Bon Bons and Millions Vimto Jar are both built on it.
Parma Violets: the odd one out
Not every purple sweet is fruit-flavoured. Parma Violets are flavoured and scented after the violet flower itself, a tradition that goes back to Victorian violet creams and violet-flavoured confectionery rather than anything fruity. It's a genuinely distinctive, slightly perfumed taste that either works for you completely or not at all — there isn't much middle ground with violet flavouring.
Why purple works so well as a flavour signal
Unlike green, which covers apple, lime and generic sourness more loosely, purple sweets tend to commit to one of two clear lanes — fruity (blackcurrant/grape) or floral (violet) — which makes purple one of the more reliable colour-to-flavour predictors on a pick 'n' mix counter.
Shop the range
See our full Swizzels range for Parma Violets, or browse Vimto-flavoured sweets alongside the rest of our Pick 'n' Mix selection.
Frequently asked questions
What flavour are purple sweets usually?
Blackcurrant or grape most often, though Parma Violets use a floral violet flavour instead.
Why are Parma Violets purple if they're not grape or blackcurrant flavoured?
They're flavoured after the violet flower itself, a tradition from Victorian violet confectionery.
Does Supreme Sweets stock purple sweets?
Yes — including Swizzels Parma Violets and Vimto-flavoured sweets.