Sweet shop (not American) in Central London

[PinkFlask]

I'm taking 10yo DS to London at half-term and this morning he asked if there's a big/cool sweet shop we could visit. I know there's all those American candy shops but they're a rip-off - he's picturing more the old-fashioned type of sweet shop or just something with a big selection. Not M&Ms World! Preferably somewhere where a 10yo with a fiver could come out with a reasonable amount of stuff.

SugarSin in Covent Garden, although he may need more than a fiver!

If you’re in Covent Garden, Toffee Nose also worth a look.

There used to be a lovely place called Spun Candy in Shoreditch but I think they shut down over lockdown and never reopened.

I think there's a Mr Sims or similar on Charing Cross Rd. Though they are all over the place now.

I think M&M world is still worth a visit - all the kids I’ve taken there have loved it. Rather than sweet shops would you consider chocolate shops?. The best one, in my opinion, is Rococo Belgravia - it’s on Motcomb Street. Last time I took my neice in they basically let her try everything and sent her off with a freebie for being a sweetheart. She still talks about it 3 years later.

Yeah came on to say Sugarsin or Toffee Nose, but a fiver won't go far in either.

A fiver won't go far in any independent sweetshop, especially not in Central London. I think you need to manage the expections OP.

I don't think there is anywhere that fits the bill that isn't expensive. It wouldn't be sustainable to run a shop selling just sweets at supermarket/pocket money prices. They will either be catering to the tourist market or the luxury market (or both). You might get a small jar of sweets or a couple of small packets for a fiver.

You could try Hardys (there are several branches) but I think SugarSin is prettier:

www.hardyssweets.co.uk

Selfridges have a big confectionary department with pick and mix:
www.selfridges.com/GB/en/features/events/selfridges-new-confectionery-space/

You can get most of the American sweets they sell in the tourist trap shops for a fraction of the price from the world food aisle at Tesco superstores.

The Japan Centre in Leicester Square and the Chinese and Korean supermarkets have interesting sweets:

www.japancentre.com/en/categories/845-candy-sweets?category_ids%5B%5D=845&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoLjSn8T19QIV0t_tCh2_-w8WEAAYASAAEgJehvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&per_page=24&sort_value=bs_in

www.oseyo.co.uk

www.loonfung.com

There’s a small old fashioned one very close to the Cutty Sark, can’t remember what it was called. All the sweets in jars on the walls.