Zubes belongs to a specific, slightly fading category of British sweet shop: the medicated lozenge that sat somewhere between a cough remedy and a boiled sweet. Unlike most of the brands we write about in this gap, it genuinely isn't made by anyone any more.
A proper medicated lozenge, now withdrawn
Zubes sat in the same category as Jakemans, Fisherman's Friend and Victory V — a strong, old-fashioned medicated lozenge rather than a straightforward sweet. The clearest evidence of its fate comes from the UK's NHS dm+d drug database, which lists both Zubes Original and Zubes Honey & Lemon lozenges as discontinued, giving a discontinued date of 26 July 2022. That's about as official a confirmation as this category gets.
Who actually made it
The ownership trail is a little tangled. The NHS listing names Ernest Jackson & Co. Ltd as the supplier of record, while the Science Museum Group's collection links the Zubes name to Roberts Laboratories Ltd and, earlier still, to F.W. Hampshire's factory, where tins of the sweets were apparently once common enough that rejects turned up in the factory tip. We couldn't pin down one single, uncontested manufacturing history — which is fairly normal for a brand this old that's changed hands more than once.
Do we stock it?
No — and nobody else does either, since production has stopped. For a similar old-fashioned medicated or cough-style sweet, we stock Bonds Cough Candy, Dobsons Cough Candy, and Fisherman's Friend Original Menthol & Eucalyptus Lozenges. See our Jakemans guide for more on this category generally.
Frequently asked questions
What is Zubes?
A British medicated lozenge brand, linked historically to F.W. Hampshire's factory and later sold as Zubes Original and Honey & Lemon.
Is it still made?
No — the NHS drug database lists it as discontinued from 26 July 2022.
Who made it?
Sources name Roberts Laboratories Ltd and Ernest Jackson & Co. Ltd; the ownership history isn't fully clear.
Does Supreme Sweets stock something similar?
We stock Bonds Cough Candy, Dobsons Cough Candy and Fisherman's Friend as alternatives.