Candy Kittens
Candy Kittens are soft chewy fruit sweets from London, founded in 2012 by Jamie Laing and Ed Williams. The whole range is vegan: there is no gelatine, no carmine and no beeswax in them, and the chew comes from pea and potato protein instead. We range the 140g resealable pouches, Sour Watermelon and Wild Strawberry, and ship them anywhere in Australia.
What Candy Kittens are, and what is actually in them
They sit between a jelly sweet and a chew: softer than a wine gum, firmer than a marshmallow, made with real fruit juice from concentrate and set with plant proteins rather than gelatine. The two we range are both 140g resealable pouches, both made in Germany.
Sour Watermelon is the tart one. The sweet carries 10 per cent watermelon juice from concentrate and the coating is a blend of malic, citric and lactic acid, so the first two seconds are sharp and the rest is fruit. Wild Strawberry is the rounder one: 6 per cent strawberry juice and, unusually for this category, 4 per cent coconut water from concentrate, which softens the acidity and gives the chew a slightly creamy finish. If you are buying for someone who finds sour sweets too aggressive, that is the one.
Common questions
Are Candy Kittens vegan?
Yes. Neither ingredient list contains gelatine, carmine, beeswax, shellac or anything else animal derived. The chew comes from hydrolysed pea protein, potato protein and modified starch, and the colour comes from fruit and vegetable concentrates: black carrot, pumpkin and apple in the watermelon pouch, sweet potato and black carrot in the strawberry one. That is also why the shades are muted rather than fluorescent. The full lists are in Candy Kittens flavours and ingredients, and why they are vegan.
Are Candy Kittens gluten free?
We are not able to tell you that, and we would rather say so than guess. The allergen statement we hold for both pouches reads contact us for more details, so there is no allergen declaration for us to quote. What we can say is that neither ingredient list names wheat, barley, rye, oats or malt. That is not the same as a gluten free certification and it says nothing about the factory. If you are buying for coeliac disease, read the current pack or call us on 1300 936 406 first. Products that carry their own gluten free labelling are in gluten free options.
What is the difference between Candy Kittens and Candy Kittens SHOX?
SHOX is the brand's own sour line and we do not currently range it. If the sour pouch is what you want, Sour Watermelon is the sour one here: the acid coating is malic, citric and lactic acid, and it is genuinely tart rather than sweet with a hint of sharpness.
How should I store them?
Cool and dry. Our pack information gives an average shelf life of seven months and these are a soft chew, so they behave in an Australian December the way soft sweets always do. Keep the pouch out of a hot car and out of direct sun.
Where a pouch earns its place
Three jobs. A stocking, because 140g is the right size for one. The glovebox, which is the argument in packing the esky and the snack bag. And the table at the point in the afternoon when nobody wants another piece of cheese. Two pouches also round out a build-your-own hamper alongside something from confectionery or snacking, and the rest of the plant-based range is under vegan options.
Orders placed before 12pm on a weekday are dispatched the same day from our Corio, VIC warehouse, tracked with Australia Post.