Candy remains a global packaged-food staple, with legacy brands still sold centuries after their debut. Among the oldest candies still available are products from Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States that companies and museum records trace back to the 16th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. What stands out is not nostalgia alone, but the fact that several of these recipes or brand lines remain in active production in 2026.
Historic brands still on shelves
Italy’s Amarelli confirmed that its liquorice business in Rossano, Calabria, dates to 1731, and the company’s museum states the family’s liquorice work reaches back to the 1500s. The brand still sells pressed liquorice, including its well-known tin-packed pieces, through retail partners and its own channels in 2026. That makes Amarelli one of the oldest continuously operating candy names consumers can still buy.
In the United Kingdom, Fry’s Chocolate Cream was introduced in 1866, according to confectionery histories maintained by Cadbury and Mondelez brand archives. The filled chocolate bar is widely cited as the first mass-produced chocolate bar, and it remains listed in select retail distribution. Its recipe and availability have shifted over time, but the brand name has stayed in circulation for more than 150 years.
Another long-running British sweet, Black Jack, was launched in 1920 by Trebor, according to brand history published by Barratt. The aniseed-flavored chew is still sold in the UK in assorted candy formats. In the United States, Goo Goo Cluster has been made in Nashville, Tennessee, since 1912, and the company states it remains the original combination candy bar.
Where shoppers can still find them
For US shoppers, the easiest old candy to buy is usually Goo Goo Cluster, which remains tied to Nashville and is sold online and through specialty retailers. The company continues to identify 1912 as its founding year, and its flagship cluster is still produced in Tennessee. Exact national store counts are not publicly listed by the company.
Some older European candies are less common in mainstream US grocery chains. Amarelli liquorice is still sold in Italy and through import retailers, but the company has not released a comprehensive list of US outlets. Fry’s Chocolate Cream and Black Jack are also more likely to show up in British import shops or online candy stores than in large American supermarket aisles.
Availability also varies by country of origin. In the UK, Barratt sweets still have stronger recognition and distribution than they do in most US markets, while Amarelli remains closely associated with Calabria. What is confirmed is that these candies are still in production; what is not always public is the full breakdown of store-by-store distribution outside their home markets.
Why these candies have lasted
Their staying power comes partly from ownership structures and brand identity. Amarelli has remained a family-linked business in Calabria for centuries, according to the company museum and corporate history, which helps explain its continuity. Goo Goo Cluster has also leaned heavily on its Nashville identity, with the company continuing to market the bar as a local original more than 110 years after launch.
Another factor is format. Shelf-stable candy travels well, and products such as liquorice, chocolate bars, and chewy sweets can be updated in packaging without abandoning their core identity. Mondelez, Barratt, and other confectionery owners have kept older names in circulation even as formulas, portion sizes, and distribution channels changed during the 20th and 21st centuries.
For customers, that means the oldest candy still sold is not just a museum piece. In 2026, shoppers can still buy sweets with documented roots in 1731, 1866, 1912, and 1920, depending on the brand and market. The practical reality is simple: some of the oldest candy is easiest to find near its home base, while a few legacy brands still reach global buyers through specialty retail and online sales.
