No Nasties. All Good.

At Candy Kittens we make sweets differently - Plant Powered and packed with flavour. No animal gelatine, just gourmet sweets made with plants.

Meat in sweets? Nasty! Why use gelatine when you can make irresistible tasting sweets with plants instead? Our use of Plant Power ensures that tonnes of gelatine that would otherwise be used does not make it to our supermarket shelves!

As a proudly certified B Corp, the ingredients in our sweets is only one part. Our commitment to do good, for people and our planet, extends beyond the pack. Read below to find out more about our B Corp certification, the charities we support, and the journey we’re on to achieve our sustainability goals.

Read our impact report

How we're building a future with No Nasties

Honest ingredients

We like to keep things transparent and as easy as possible, and that means we don’t hide any meat, artificial flavours or artificial colours in our sweets. Instead, we use plants and natural flavours to deliver big taste without any compromise.

I'm recyclable!

In 2020 we made the commitment to make all of our packaging recyclable. Our pouches can be recycled at supermarket collection points. We work with OPRL and their simple, UK-wide recycling icons across all of our products to make it easy for you to know what to do, so please recycle!

Plant Powered

Did you know other sweets contain meat? Nasty! We believe in the power of plants as an alternative to animal gelatine, so in 2018 we turned our recipe plant based! Today, our range is 100% plant powered. We’ve managed to keep that ‘gimme more’ texture you love by using vegetable proteins and starch, so everyone can enjoy our entire plant powered range.

We're a B Corp , baby!

We became the first B Corp certified sweets brand in October 2022! B Corp is a globally recognised certification that approves businesses that balance purpose and profit. We’re proud to be recognised as using our business as a force for good.

“Candy Kittens believes that better is possible, and we’re on a mission to call out the brands who are continuing to hide meat in their sweets and challenge them to do better. We’re proving it’s possible, what’s their excuse?”

Ed Williams, Managing Director & Co-Founder

The first B Corp certified sweets brand!

Since day one, we’ve been on a mission to shake up the sweet game and challenge the outdated industry to make sweets better. Our ‘better is possible’ outlook has meant a continuous journey to improve our impact on the planet, and our aim to balance purpose with profit was officially recognised in October 2022 when we became a certified B Corp.

In fact, we were the first sweets brand to become a B Corp)! With the average Global company scoring 50.9, we’re really proud to have achieved 86.5 - for context, the pass mark is 80.

But what does it all mean - what is a ‘certified B Corp’?! B Corp is a globally recognised certification that means businesses are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, community and the environment. Simply put, it means we’re using our business as a force for good.Being part of the B Corp community also gives us the opportunity to connect with other brands who share similar values. From our new London office ‘The Sweet Factory’ which is decorated and styled by fellow B Corp brands, to the collaborations we host via our email newsletter and social channels. We want to shine a light on the great work these brands do - be sure to subscribe and follow us to stay up to date and learn about other like-minded brands!

Achieving B Corp status isn’t just a one-time box-ticking exercise - we’ll need to re-certify every three years. We commit to doing this and to sharing our progress with you openly and transparently - it’s a journey to better that will continue to evolve and grow as we do. You can read more about what we’re up to and how we achieved this status in our 2023 Impact Report. You can also click here to head over to the B Corp website to learn more.

Better is possible

We’re committed to improving our impact on the planet, and 2023 was a big year in moving us a step closer towards a future that is All Good. Below you can read about some of the great projects our team worked on.

Our 2023 highlights
We reduced the amount of plastic in all of our 140g pouches by removing the reseal and making the pouches slightly smaller (don’t worry, there’s still just as many sweets in there!) This resulted in a huge 25% reduction in plastic - the equivalent of 80T of carbon dioxide.

Our gift jars moved to 100% rPET materials. rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) is made from recycled post-consumer plastic waste, which has a lower carbon footprint compared to the production of virgin plastic, making it kinder to the planet.

Our employees are passionate about using our brand to give back to the community. For the second year running, we partnered with the incredible akt charity through our LOVES product to support their work within the LGBTQ+ community in helping people suffering from hostile living situations or homelessness as a result of coming out. Additionally, we partnered with Asda’s Tickled Pink to give our Wild Strawberry pack a makeover to raise awareness and funds for Breast Cancer charities CoppaFeel! and Breast Cancer Now.

What’s next?

We’re proud of the work we’ve done so far but we don’t shy away from the fact that there’s always more that can be done - in fact, we love looking for ways to make things better so if you have any suggestions, please let us know at support@candykittens.co.uk!

We may not have all the solutions yet and, like you, we’re learning as we go - the field of sustainability is an ever evolving beast but we promise to be open and honest about what we’re doing. We’re also really lucky to work with some amazing partners who share our mission for a greener future and who keep us ahead of the game. Here are some initiatives we’re working on in 2024:

1. Improving the sustainability of our Advent Calendars by reducing the amount of plastic and paper materials by 40%

2. Going bigger and better with our support for charity akt through an on-pack donation

3. Increasing our B Corp score by implementing improvements across all five categories: Governance, Environment, Community, Customers and Workers

Though we are always looking to do better! As a B Corp we put planet first meaning over the next 12 months we hope to be doing even more.

Our Packaging

In 2020 we made the commitment to use recyclable packaging for all of our products. Our gift jars are made from 100% recycled plastic waste and are fully recyclable at home. Our pouches are made from the same material (OPE/PE or OPP/PP) as a plastic bag, which means you can recycle them along with carrier bags at larger supermarkets.

Over the past 12 months we have tested paper as an alternative, but we found that plastic was best. The reason being, our sweets are difficult to store in paper as it impacts the flavour and appearance. To ensure our sweets remain as fresh as possible, the paper would need a plastic barrier. This plastic barrier would mean our products cannot be recycled, which is why for now we continue to use plastic packaging.

We’re excited by the recent news from the government that by March 2027 the flexible plastic that our pouches are made from can be recycled at home, making it a lot easier for everyone and a big step towards our ambition of ensuring every pack is recycled. We’ll be sure to keep you in the loop as the changes go live, and you can always ask us questions or share any ideas with us atsupport@candykittens.co.uk

As part of our commitment to do better, we have a live project looking at alternative materials for our pouches, to move away from virgin plastic. When we have an update on this, you will be the first to know!