Quick facts
| Founded | 1928 |
|---|---|
| Country | Netherlands |
| Made by | Cloetta (Swedish confectionery group) |
| Dietary status | Contains gelatine and wheat, not vegetarian |
About Red Band
Red Band is one of the Netherlands' most-recognised confectionery brands, launched in 1928 and now part of the Cloetta family of Nordic and Northern European sweet brands. The brand is best known for its Liquorice-Fruit Duos format (a soft licorice and fruit-flavoured layered gummy), alongside classic Dutch winegums and other licorice variants. Red Band has a strong following among UK expat Dutch communities and licorice-curious UK shoppers.
The 2 Red Band sweets we stock
The two most-bought Red Band products in UK retail.
| Product | Profile |
|---|---|
| Liquorice Fruit Duos | The brand's signature: half soft licorice, half fruit winegum in a single piece. Five fruit flavours: cherry, orange, raspberry, lemon, pineapple. Sweet-meets-savoury Dutch classic |
| Winegums | Classic Dutch fruit winegums in five flavours. Firmer chew than UK retail winegums, more pronounced fruit profile. The benchmark Dutch winegum recipe |
What licorice fruit duos actually taste like
Worth covering because the format is unusual for UK shoppers who haven't tried Dutch sweets before. Each Liquorice Fruit Duo is a single piece divided into two halves: one half is soft Dutch licorice (made from licorice root extract, salty rather than sweet by Dutch tradition), the other half is a fruit winegum (cherry, orange, raspberry, lemon or pineapple depending on the piece). The combination delivers two distinct flavour experiences in a single bite, and the texture is firmer than typical UK gummies because of the Dutch winegum recipe.
The Dutch licorice tradition is distinct from UK liquorice in two ways. First, Dutch licorice ("drop" in Dutch) is typically saltier and more intensely flavoured than UK Pontefract Cakes. Second, the texture is softer and chewier than UK liquorice all-sorts. The Red Band Liquorice Fruit Duos use a slightly milder licorice profile than pure Dutch drop, which makes the brand more approachable for UK palates new to the format.
Ingredients and allergens
Representative ingredient list for Red Band Liquorice Fruit Duos:
Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Gelatine, Wheat Flour, Starch, Licorice Extract, Acid (Citric Acid), Concentrated Fruit Juice, Salmiak Salt, Salt, Vegetable Oil (Coconut, Palm), Flavourings, Beeswax, Colours (Anthocyanins, Vegetable Carbon, Paprika Extract, Curcumin).
Allergen profile: contains gelatine and wheat (gluten) as direct ingredients. The Liquorice Fruit Duos contain licorice root extract and salmiak salt (ammonium chloride), which gives the distinctive Dutch licorice profile. Not vegetarian or vegan because of the gelatine. Not gluten-free because of the wheat flour binder. Not halal certified. Contains beeswax in the glazing agent. Always check the back of the individual bag for the most current dietary information.
Who Red Band is for
Dutch diaspora UK shoppers: Red Band is one of the most-bought sweet brands in the Netherlands and a daily-purchase staple for many Dutch households. For Dutch nationals living in the UK, Red Band is a direct nostalgia purchase.
Licorice fans wanting variety: the Liquorice Fruit Duos format is distinct from UK liquorice all-sorts and gives access to the Dutch licorice tradition without committing to a full bag of straight drop.
Adventurous European sweets buyers: the sweet-meets-savoury duo concept is unusual in UK confectionery and worth trying for the experience. Pairs with our Milka European chocolate range for an EU-imports basket.
Winegum traditionalists: the Red Band winegum recipe is firmer and more flavour-forward than mainstream UK winegums (Maynards Bassetts, Bassetts). Shoppers who like a denser chew with more pronounced fruit flavours will find Red Band a step up.
Buy Red Band online in the UK
All 2 Red Band sweets stocked. UK supermarket distribution is limited: Red Band has zero mainstream UK supermarket presence (Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda do not carry the brand). The Dutch and European specialty food shops carry the range, and online specialist sweet importers like us stock the most-bought UK products. Build the basket past £20 to qualify for free UK delivery. Two Red Band bags plus a few additional European sweets takes you over the threshold. Orders placed before our daily cut-off are dispatched the same working day.
Red Band UK: frequently asked questions
Who makes Red Band sweets?
Red Band is owned by Cloetta, the Swedish confectionery group (the same parent company that owns Chewits, Venco, Sportlife and several other European sweet brands). Production is at Cloetta's Dutch and European facilities. The brand was founded in the Netherlands in 1928 and has been a Dutch national-cultural staple for nearly a century, with the slogan "Red Band, als je voor pret bent" running in Dutch advertising for decades.
What are Red Band Liquorice Fruit Duos?
Red Band Liquorice Fruit Duos (also called Dropfruit Duos in Dutch) are the brand's signature product: a single piece of candy that combines soft Dutch licorice on one half with a fruit winegum on the other half. Five fruit flavours rotate through the mix: cherry, orange, raspberry, lemon and pineapple. The combination delivers two distinct flavour experiences in a single bite, and the format is genuinely Dutch and rare outside the Netherlands. The Dutch licorice profile is milder than straight Dutch "drop" candy, which makes the duos approachable for UK palates new to Dutch licorice.
Are Red Band sweets halal?
No. Red Band sweets contain gelatine, which is typically pork-derived in European confectionery production. The brand does not carry halal certification on UK packaging. Halal-keeping shoppers should look at Peelerz Halal or Bebeto instead, both of which are stocked here as halal-certified alternatives.
Are Red Band winegums different from UK winegums?
Yes. Red Band winegums use the Dutch confectionery recipe, which is firmer and chewier than mainstream UK winegums (Maynards Bassetts, Bassetts). The fruit flavour profile is also more pronounced, with each individual winegum delivering a distinct flavour rather than the more generic "fruit" notes of UK retail winegums. For UK shoppers who find Maynards winegums too soft or too mild, Red Band is a noticeable step up in both texture density and flavour intensity.