Jelly Babies are a popular sweet in the UK, but lovers of the delicious chewy treat are only just realising that each flavour of Jelly Baby has it’s own unique name
Jelly Babies are one of the most popular sweets in the UK. They’ve been around for over 100 years and are a staple in the sweet aisle in every shop and supermarket. The squishy and chewy sweets are also a popular choice at Christmas, as you can buy them in large gift boxes that are perfect for wrapping up and gifting to the sweet lover in your life.
However, despite millions of us tucking into Bassett’s Jelly Babies regularly, it turns out there’s one fact most people had no idea about. When you open a packet of the jelly sweets, you’ll see that the baby-shaped treats are different colours. You may have even referred to them by their colour before, perhaps stating that red is your favourite or that you’re not fond of green.
But did you know that each flavour of Jelly Baby actually has its own unique name? Officially, they’re not referred to by their colour, or by the flavour the colours represent – they all have actual names.
Richard Price, British Grocery expert at Brit Superstore, explained: “Whilst every Brit undoubtedly has a favourite flavour or often colour, few British consumers or expats realise they actually have a name. As part of their rebrand in 1953, Bassetts gave each colour a distinct shape and name.”
The names are written on the back of the box or bag of Jelly Babies, but not many people bother to read the fun fact. Officially, the red one is called Brilliant, the yellow is named Bubbles, the pink one is adorably named Baby Bonny, Boofuls is the green one, Bigheart is the purple one, and the orange baby is named Bumper.
As Richard mentioned, the names were introduced as part of Bassetts’ rebranding of the sweets in 1953, as they were previously known by several different names.
Jelly Babies were first invented in 1864 by an Austrian immigrant working at Fryers of Lancashire, and they were known at the time as “Unclaimed Babies”. They were then revived as “Peace Babies” by Bassetts in 1918, to mark the end of World War I.
A TikTok video by Bria Lafayette previously shared this little-known fact, as she explained that the original name, Unclaimed Babies, “stuck out” in Victorian England because there were “unfortunately a lot of abandoned babies at this time”.
Bria also explained that during World War II, the production of the sweet, known at the time as “Peace Babies”, was halted due to wartime shortages. They were then relaunched in 1953 under the name Jelly Babies, and it was at this time that unique names were assigned to each colour.
Richard added: “This is the kind of quirky trivia Brits will love sharing with family, even if they don’t want to share their favourite sweet. They are an ideal stocking filler or a sweet addition to a Christmas gift hamper.
“Christmas is a time when families come together, and with Jelly Babies under the tree, it is a sweet reminder of childhood memories and shared festive traditions.
“Retro favourites like Jelly Babies aren’t just a treat they are a way to connect across generations. This Christmas, they are the perfect way to spark nostalgia, share a smile, and create memories around the festive table.”
So, next time someone asks you which Jelly Baby flavour is your favourite, make sure to give them the proper name that corresponds to the colour you like best!
