Rhubarb & Custard is one of the most recognisable retro flavours in British sweets, and stick rock is one of the most recognisable formats — so it's no surprise people search for the two put together. Here's how Rhubarb Rock actually fits between them, and what we carry if you're after that flavour.
Two traditions colliding: seaside rock and rhubarb & custard
Stick rock is a British seaside tradition dating back to the 19th century, made by pulling and stretching boiled sugar until it's aerated, then rolling lettering through the middle so a name or message runs the full length of the stick. Rhubarb & Custard, meanwhile, is one of Britain's most recognisable retro sweet flavours — a tart rhubarb note against a sweet, creamy custard note — usually sold as a boiled sweet or gum rather than a stick. Rhubarb Rock is what happens when a rock-maker applies that flavour pairing to the traditional stick format instead of the usual peppermint.
Why rock flavours vary by seaside town
Classic seaside rock is peppermint, but individual rock-makers have long produced fruit and specialty flavours alongside it — it's part of how seaside sweet shops differentiate themselves from each other, and it's why flavours like rhubarb & custard, cola and various fruit mixes turn up as rock alongside the standard pink-and-white stick.
What we actually stock right now
We don't currently stock a stick of Rhubarb Rock specifically, but Rhubarb & Custard is one of our best-covered retro flavours in other formats. In stock now: Haribo Rhubarb & Custard 3kg, Haribo Rhubarb & Custard Sweets Tub 810g, Bonds Rhubarb & Custard Jar 2.5kg, Dobsons Rhubarb and Custard Jar 2.72kg and Supreme Rhubarb & Custard 500g. If it's a stick of rock you're after in a different flavour, Kingsway Liquorice Cream Rock 3kg is in stock too.
FAQ
Does Supreme Sweets stock Rhubarb Rock?
Not directly — we don't currently carry a stick of Rhubarb Rock. We do stock several Rhubarb & Custard sweets in jar and tub form, all currently in stock, plus a stick of Kingsway Liquorice Cream Rock in a different flavour.
What's the difference between Rhubarb Rock and ordinary Rhubarb & Custard sweets?
The flavour is the same pairing — tart rhubarb against sweet custard — but Rhubarb Rock uses the pulled, lettered stick format of traditional seaside rock, while most Rhubarb & Custard sweets are boiled sweets or gums.
Why is most seaside rock peppermint?
Peppermint became the standard flavour early in rock-making history and stuck, but rock-makers have long made fruit and specialty flavours alongside it as a point of difference between seaside towns.
Is Rhubarb & Custard a real fruit flavour?
It's a flavour pairing rather than a real fruit extract in most sweets — rhubarb provides the tartness and custard the creamy sweetness, combined artificially to recreate the classic pudding pairing.