Refreshers have been on British pick 'n' mix counters for seventy years, and the format that made them different from every other fruit chew is still exactly what it was in 1955: a fizzing sherbet centre inside a soft chew. Here's the full Swizzels range we stock, and what's actually in it.
Seventy years of fizz
Swizzels Matlow, based in New Mills, Derbyshire, has been making sweets since the 1920s. Refreshers themselves date back to 1955, and the chew bar version was developed as part of Swizzels' growing line of penny sweets — a soft, chewy bar built around a fizzy sherbet centre that reacts on the tongue, which gave it a point of difference competitors never quite matched. Swizzels now makes well over 1.8 billion Refresher chew bars a year.
The five we stock
All five are genuine Swizzels Refreshers products, and every one of them is well stocked at the time of writing:
- Swizzels Refreshers 3kg — individually wrapped lemon chews with a fizzing sherbet centre, in a 3kg bulk bag.
- Swizzels Refreshers Original Lemon Flavour Chew Bar — the classic chew bar, sold as a case of 60 x 18g bars.
- Swizzels Refreshers Strawberry Flavour Chew Bar — same format, strawberry flavour, case of 60.
- Swizzels Refreshers Sour Apple Flavour Chew Bar — a sharper, sour-apple take on the same chew, case of 60.
- Swizzels Atomix Refreshers Sour Fruit Flavour Chews — from the Atomix sub-range, a sourer, fruit-flavoured chew, sold as £1 price-marked bags in a case of 12 x 100g.
All four chew bars and the 3kg bag are made without gelatine, so they're suitable for vegans — worth knowing if you're catering for a mixed group. All contain soya; check the label for full allergen information.
If you want something related
If it's the sour-fruit angle specifically that appeals rather than the Refreshers name, we also stock Vidal Naturall Sour Fruit Mix, a naturally flavoured, vegan sour gummy in strawberry, pineapple and watermelon shapes — a different brand and a different texture from the chews above, but in the same sour-fruit territory.
FAQ
What's inside a Refreshers chew bar?
A soft chew with a fizzing sherbet centre — the sherbet reacts on the tongue as you bite through, which is what set Refreshers apart from standard fruit chews when Swizzels developed the format.
How old are Refreshers?
Refreshers date back to 1955, making the chew bar one of the longer-running lines in Swizzels' range — the brand celebrated 70 years of the sweet in 2025.
What's the difference between the Original chew bars and Atomix?
The Original range (lemon, strawberry, sour apple) is the classic Refreshers chew bar format. Atomix is a related but distinct sub-range with its own sour fruit flavours, sold in larger 100g bags rather than individual bars.
Are Refreshers vegan?
The 3kg bag and all three chew bar flavours we stock are made without gelatine and are suitable for vegans, though they do contain soya — check the pack for full allergen details.
Can I buy Refreshers in bulk?
Yes — the 3kg bag and all four case-packed chew bar lines are sold as wholesale quantities, and all five are well stocked right now.