Parma Violets

Producing over 100 million rolls a year, Parma Violets have one of the largest fan bases in the confectionary world. Their controversial flavour has been a topic of debate for decades! Some love the sweet flavour of lavender and violet flowers and some, not so much!

Get your Giant Parma Violets fix here! (Perfect for Parma Violet super fans, like us!) and you can also buy mini parma violets too. Parma Violets are also vegetarian, vegan friendly, and are also gluten-free – great news, as more people can enjoy these love 'em or hate 'em sweets.

A Brief History of Parma Violets
Parma Violets are small hard disc-shaped sweets created by Swizzels Matlow in 1946 - so they're over 70 years old! They appear in vibrant violet colour and have similar properties to the Swizzels Fizzers but instead of tasting fizzy – they have a very powerful sweet, perfumed flavour. You will not find any other sweet like it!

The name comes from the Parma Violet flowers that first appeared in the 16th Century – it doesn't get much more retro than that! Before the sweets we know and love today, there have been a lot of historical uses of the petals from the violet flowers. From herbal remedies to sweet foods – for example, violet flavoured chocolate and liquor was used to relieve nausea in the Edwardian era!

Parma Violet Facts
The London-based indie-pop band, Palma Violets, is named after the perfumed sweets! Also, Naomi Hamilton (an Irish singer) named her 2016 album after the purple confectionery too. Quite a catchy name if you ask me!

In Ian Fleming’s James Bond series, it is thought to be that Parma Violets are supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s, favourite sweets! Fans have been quick to notice that the description of the sweets appears to closely resemble Parma Violets. Who would have thought it!

In 2005, millennials voted Parma Violets to be the least popular sweet of that generation. Things may have changed since then!

National Parma Violets Day is officially on the 26th of June to celebrate the cult-like following that these purple perfumed wonders have created! On social media, fans and followers dress in purple and celebrate with Parma Violet flavoured baked goods. In 2016, Swizzels and The Cheshire Cheese Company collaborated to celebrate Parma Violets 70th birthday! Fun purple coloured cheese was featured on social media, TV, and National Press. That is one way for people to remember your birthday!

Love it or hate 'em? The Marmite of the confectionary world!
Whether you love them or hate them, Parma Violets are heavily rooted in the sweet world and are not planning on leaving any time soon! The unique perfumed flavours of the Parma Violet have now taken on many other forms than just their original sweets! They may divide the nation, but they will forever be on our shop shelves!

From Parma Violet flavoured, cocktails, gin, and perfume, through to air fresheners, Candles, Hand Wash, Ice Cream, and even tea...the list is endless! 

Parma Violets has been a staple flavour for decades and will continue to be!