Sports Mixture and Liquorice Allsorts get lumped together because they look similar on a sweet-shop counter — an assortment of small, differently shaped pieces in one bag — but bite into either and the resemblance ends immediately.
Same idea, different flavour entirely
Both belong to what's sometimes called the "mixture" tradition in British sweets: a single bag containing several distinct shapes rather than one uniform sweet. That's where the similarity stops. Liquorice Allsorts are built from liquorice paste, layered or coated with sugar, fondant and sometimes coconut, giving that distinctive aniseed-adjacent flavour. Sports Mixture, by contrast, is a fruit-flavoured chew moulded into sporting shapes — footballs, rugby balls, boots — with no liquorice in the recipe whatsoever. Someone expecting Sports Mixture to taste like a milder Allsorts is in for a surprise.
Liquorice Allsorts' famous origin story
The best-known story behind Liquorice Allsorts centres on Bassett's, and a travelling salesman named Charlie Thompson who, in 1899, is said to have accidentally dropped a tray of different liquorice sample shapes in front of a client. Rather than being annoyed, the client reportedly liked the varied selection enough to place an order for exactly that mixed assortment — and the format stuck. Whether the spilled tray happened exactly as told, the assorted format became one of Bassett's most enduring products.
Sports Mixture's simpler history
Sports Mixture doesn't come with a famous founding story — it developed as one of several themed mixture sweets in the same tradition as Dolly Mixture, but themed around sporting equipment rather than the small geometric shapes Dolly Mixture uses. It was a staple of traditional weighed pick 'n' mix counters through the 20th century, where a single scoop delivering visual variety mattered more than any headline flavour.
What we actually stock
We currently stock Taveners Liquorice Allsorts as a bulk bag. Sports Mixture itself isn't something we carry directly at the moment — if it's the mixed-shapes format you're after rather than the liquorice flavour specifically, Haribo Starmix follows a similar idea with fruit flavours across several shapes.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Sports Mixture and Liquorice Allsorts?
Both are mixed-shape assortments, but Allsorts are liquorice-based while Sports Mixture is a fruit-flavoured chew with no liquorice at all.
Does Sports Mixture contain liquorice?
No — it's fruit-flavoured, with no liquorice in the recipe.
Where do Liquorice Allsorts come from?
Most associated with Bassett's, and popular legend credits the mixed assortment to a salesman who accidentally dropped a tray of samples in 1899.