Quick facts
| Founded | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Country | UK |
| Made by | Niko Omilana / Shades brand |
| Dietary status | Vegan certified, halal certified, gluten-free, dairy-free |
About Shades by Niko
Shades by Niko is a British vegan and halal certified sweet brand from Niko Omilana, the YouTuber and content creator known for his viral 2021 London mayoral campaign. The brand launched with sunglasses-shaped chewy sweets across four flavours, with Vegan Society and halal certification, plus gluten-free and dairy-free recipes. The four-way dietary credentials are the brand's main selling point and rare in the British sweet aisle.
The dietary credential that makes Shades by Niko unusual
The recipe simultaneously achieves four certifications that almost no other UK sweet brand combines.
- Halal certified: certified by Halal Europe. No pork-derived ingredients, no alcohol, no animal-derived emulsifiers. Production-line halal certification on every bag.
- 100% Vegan: no gelatine, no dairy, no honey, no insect-derived colours (no carmine, no shellac). Texture comes from modified starch and potato protein.
- Gluten-free: no wheat, barley or rye in the recipe.
- Dairy-free: no milk solids in the recipe, although the production facility handles milk so trace cross-contamination is possible.
UK sweet brands that hit all four of these credentials at once are genuinely rare. Most "vegan" brands aren't formally halal certified. Most halal sweets contain dairy or aren't vegan. Most gluten-free sweets aren't vegan or halal. Shades by Niko is one of the cleanest options in the category for shoppers who need to satisfy multiple dietary requirements at the same time, and the recipe achieves this without the artificial colours, flavours or emulsifiers that typically prop up dietary-restricted confectionery.
For colour, the brand uses real fruit and plant concentrates: black carrot, radish, apple, sweet potato, blackcurrant, turmeric and spirulina. None of these trigger the UK hyperactivity warning that applies to most American imported sweets containing E102, E110 or E129. This is a genuine clean-ingredient advantage at this price point.
The 4 Shades by Niko flavours we stock
Each pack is 150g of sunglasses-shaped foam-jelly sweets. Same recipe base across the range, different flavour profiles.
| Flavour | Profile |
|---|---|
| The Originals | Multi-flavour mix in the launch pack. Bright fruit flavours, mild rather than tart. The format-defining flavour of the brand |
| Straight Up Strawberry | Single-flavour strawberry, bold and sweet rather than tart. Made with apple and blackcurrant concentrate for the red colour |
| Tropical Blast | Tropical fruit mix: mango, pineapple, passion fruit profile. Brighter and warmer than The Originals |
| Sour Ultimate Vibes | The brand's sour variant: a tart sugar coating over the foam-jelly base. Notably tangier than the other three flavours |
Ingredients and allergens
Representative ingredient list for Shades by Niko The Originals:
Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Modified Starch, Dextrose, Acids (Malic Acid, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid), Potato Protein, Colouring Fruit and Plant Concentrates (Black Carrot, Radish, Apple, Sweet Potato, Blackcurrant), Natural Flavourings, Acidity Regulator (Calcium Carbonate), Colouring Spirulina Concentrate, Glazing Agent (Carnauba Wax).
Allergen profile: the recipe is free from the major UK allergens as direct ingredients (no wheat, no eggs, no nuts, no soya, no sesame, no milk). May contain traces of milk due to shared facility production, although milk is not a direct ingredient. Vegan certified, halal certified by Halal Europe, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free as direct ingredients. None of the colours used in the Shades by Niko recipe trigger the UK hyperactivity warning, because the brand uses real fruit and plant concentrates rather than the synthetic E102, E110 and E129 colours that appear in most imported sweets. Always check the back of the individual bag for the most current allergen and dietary information.
Who Shades by Niko is for
Halal-and-vegan households: the overlap of halal and vegan is rare in UK sweet retail, and Shades by Niko is one of the strongest options. Sits alongside Bebeto vegan-certified products as the cleanest halal-vegan combo available.
Multiple dietary restriction shoppers: if you're buying sweets for a household with halal, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free or nut-free requirements, Shades by Niko is one of the few products that satisfies all of them at once. Useful for inclusive party bags and gift-giving.
Gen Z and YouTube audience: Niko's audience is the obvious starting demographic. If you follow him on YouTube, Shades by Niko is the natural product purchase. The brand has built genuine staying power past the initial influencer launch cycle.
Clean-ingredient shoppers: the recipe avoids synthetic dyes, artificial flavours and artificial emulsifiers. For UK shoppers comparing labels and avoiding additives, Shades by Niko is meaningfully cleaner than most mainstream gummy options.
Cross-shopping with other vegan and halal brands: works in a mixed basket alongside Peelerz Halal, Bebeto, and our wider vegan sweets and halal sweets ranges.
Buy Shades by Niko online in the UK
All 4 Shades by Niko flavours stocked at the 150g pack size. UK supermarket distribution went live in May 2025 through Sainsbury's, Co-op, WH Smith Travel and Booker (via Hancocks wholesale), but stock has been intermittent and the Sour Ultimate Vibes variant in particular tends to be the hardest to find consistently. Specialist sweet retailers and online importers like us carry the full four-flavour range more reliably. Build the basket past £20 to qualify for free UK delivery. Mix all four flavours for a complete tasting set; the variety pack works well for party bags or gifts. Orders placed before our daily cut-off are dispatched the same working day.
Shades by Niko UK: frequently asked questions
Are Shades by Niko sweets halal?
Yes. Shades by Niko carries formal halal certification from Halal Europe. The recipe contains no gelatine, no pork-derived ingredients, no alcohol and no animal-derived emulsifiers. The certification is production-line confirmed and the halal symbol appears on every bag. Shades by Niko is one of very few UK sweet brands that combines halal certification with a fully vegan recipe, which makes it suitable for halal-keeping households and vegan-keeping households simultaneously.
Are Shades by Niko sweets vegan?
Yes. The recipe is 100% vegan. No gelatine, no dairy, no honey, no eggs and no insect-derived colours (no carmine, no shellac). Texture comes from modified starch and potato protein rather than animal gelatine. Colour comes from real fruit and plant concentrates: black carrot, radish, apple, sweet potato, blackcurrant and spirulina. The brand markets the vegan credential prominently and uses pectin or starch as the gelling agent across the range.
Who is Niko Omilana?
Niko Omilana is a British YouTuber and content creator with millions of subscribers across his channels. He is best known for the 2021 London mayoral campaign run as a mix of performance art and genuine candidacy, where he came fifth out of 20 candidates with over 49,000 first-preference votes. The Shades by Niko brand is named after his signature children's-style sunglasses, which became part of his public persona during that campaign. The brand launched in May 2025 as his move into confectionery.
What's the texture of Shades by Niko like?
Shades by Niko are soft foam-jelly sweets, similar in texture to fruit-flavoured marshmallow or the foam-style sweets you find at pick-and-mix counters. Lighter and softer than traditional gummy bears, with a slight chew and a fine sugar coating on the outside. The Sour Ultimate Vibes variant adds a tart sugar coating; the other three are sweet rather than sour. The texture is plant-based and softer than gelatine-set gummies because of the modified starch and potato protein base.
Where else can I buy Shades by Niko?
Shades by Niko launched into UK retail in May 2025 through Hancocks wholesale, with initial distribution at Sainsbury's, Co-op, WH Smith Travel and Booker. Stock has been intermittent at supermarkets, with the Sour Ultimate Vibes variant particularly hard to find consistently on shelf. The official brand website (shadesbyniko.com) sells direct. Specialist sweet retailers and online importers carry the full four-flavour range more reliably than supermarket distribution.