Preston's population sits at around 147,600, with the wider urban area closer to 163,000 — enough people that you'd expect at least one serious name in sweets on the high street. Until recently, there was one.
The Covered Market, and Beech's Fine Chocolates
Preston's Covered Market on Earl Street has been trading since 1875, a Grade II listed cast-iron and glass structure that took three false starts and a serious construction accident before it was finished, with a 90-foot roof span built free of internal pillars. It's a proper working market — fruit, veg, fabric and household goods — not a tourist set piece. Confectionery, historically, came from somewhere else entirely: Beech's Fine Chocolates, founded in 1920, made hand-finished chocolates from the same factory on Fletcher Road for 105 years, until rising cocoa, energy and wage costs forced it into insolvency in September 2025. The name didn't disappear — British Gourmet Emporium bought the brand and relaunched Beech's online in December 2025, keeping the original recipes.
What that leaves on the high street
With the Fletcher Road factory gone, Preston's day-to-day confectionery comes down to what the Covered Market and a handful of independents — Preston Sweets, the Sweet Drop Shop — can offer over the counter. None of them stock bulk bags, trade cases for a business, or a dedicated vegan or halal-friendly range; that was never what a market stall or a small pick 'n' mix counter was built for.
Why Preston's most famous sweet name is now online too
It's an odd kind of proof: even Beech's, made in the same Preston building for over a century, now reaches customers by post rather than a shop counter. For anyone in Preston after bulk quantities, dietary-specific ranges, or simply more choice than a market stall carries, ordering online and having it delivered was already the practical option — now it's how the city's own oldest chocolate name does business too.
25,000+ customers, and counting
We've served over 25,000 customers UK-wide, Preston included, with most orders dispatched within 1-2 business days. The range covers pick 'n' mix by the bag and tub, bulk bags from 1kg to 3kg, trade cases for events and businesses, vegan and halal-friendly sweets, retro favourites, and full chocolate ranges from the major brands.
Frequently asked questions
Do you deliver sweets to Preston?
Yes — UK-wide, including Preston, with most orders dispatched in 1-2 business days.
Is there a well-known sweet shop in Preston?
Preston's Covered Market (trading since 1875) has independent counters, and the city was long home to Beech's Fine Chocolates — made in the same Fletcher Road factory from 1920 until 2025, when it closed and relaunched online.
Can I buy bulk or wholesale sweets in Preston?
Not from a market stall — we deliver bulk bags, multipacks and trade cases direct to Preston addresses instead.
Browse the full range in Pick 'n' Mix and Bulk Bags.