Charles Butler: Traditional Sweet-Making Still Going Strong

The world of confectionery is not immune from the comings and goings of short-lived trends, faddy products and new and bizarre en vogue flavours. As a supplier of wholesale sweets, hf Chocolates appreciates how tough it can be for its retail customers to keep up to date.

Trends have their place, but the old-fashioned, traditional sweets never seem to go out of fashion. The price of playing around with a winning formula can be expensive, and when you consider that the confectioners at Charles Butler have been making handmade sweets since 1848, there is a strong case for sticking with the timeless classics. Some of the old favourites have become staple choices today, and many, despite peaking in popularity several years ago, are the kinds of delicious treat that will always feature in wholesale sweets catalogues.

Charles Butler’s legacy in the confectionery world is proof that traditional, classic, old-world varieties are the way to go.

Charles Butler: The Beginning

This talented confectioner began his career as a young apprentice sweet maker in Sheffield in the 1830s. During his eleven years there, he became a master at crafting sweets by hand. This, in turn, motivated him to set up on his own sweetshop, and in 1948 he followed his dream and became ‘Charles Butler, master confectioner and mint rock manufacturer’. His success grew and over decades to follow Butler’s mint rock, barley sugars, and chocolate limes became his signature pieces.

Even today, the Charles Butler sweets are made by hand in his home city of Sheffield, and his legacy lives on. The recognisable packaging and branding boasts the ‘proper old-fashioned’ strapline, and the fantastic sweets maintain their traditional aesthetic and would look perfectly at home decorating the shelves of any whimsical old-world sweet shop.

The Charles Butler website promotes the man himself and, in effect, helps his spirit live on. His photo and an explanation of how he became the man he did invites visitors to explore the site further. Charles even had certain words that he used, such as ‘afternoonified’ and ‘gigglemug’ that now feature in the quirky ‘Dictionary of Charlesism’.

Classic Favourites

The reputation of Charles butler’s sweets is completely justified and, while some confectioners are always looking to develop new wholesale sweets, it is clear that the popularity of the old favourites is continuing to stand up to any challenging fad that comes along. People of the older generation are bound to feel a sense of happy nostalgia when they delight in the familiar stripy liquorice and blackcurrants, the soothing barley sugars or the tarty fruit drops, while the youngsters will just love being introduced to a fabulous range of delectable sweet treats.

As a vendor of wholesale sweets, hf Chocolates is confident that retailers should stick to the classics. There is always a place for trying novelty varieties, but you can guarantee that your customers will always go back to what they know and love.

Angelina Moufftard works for hf Chocolates, established wholesale sweets suppliers with decades of experience supplying sweets and high-end chocolates to retailers across the UK. Working with the most dedicated suppliers from France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Belgium, the USA and the UK, hf Chocolates' great tasting and beautifully packaged products add panache to any sweet display.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.