Fruit Pastilles have been around for years, 140 years actually. Fruit Pastilles are small round sweets measuring about 1.5 cm (0.6 in) in diameter. They are covered with granulated sugar and have a smooth, jelly-like texture beneath the sugar. Made with fruit juice, they have no artificial colours or flavours, and they do not, and never have, used carmine to colour their sweets. Fruit Pastilles come in five flavours: lemon (yellow), lime (green), strawberry (red), blackcurrant (purple) and orange (orange). There used to also be a white Fruit Pastille which was lychee flavoured, but, I think I speak for everyone when I say, they were horrible, no one misses the white Fruit Pastille.
A Very Brief History Of Fruit Pastilles
Fruit Pastilles are the first sweet that the Rowntree’s® family made when they bought a chocolate factory in 1862 and turned it into a sweet factory. Working with the French confectioner August Claude Gaget, they developed the famous Rowntree’s® taste and in 1881 Fruit Pastilles were made.
Were Fruit Pastilles Always Vegan?
Were fruit pastilles always vegan? No, they were not. Fruit pastilles didn't become vegan until 2020 when the beef gelatine was removed from the recipe due to pressure from vegans and vegetarians.
"We have had many requests from consumers over the years asking if we can make Fruit Pastilles vegetarian or vegan. We want the brand to be enjoyed by as many consumers as possible and so we are delighted to be able to introduce our new vegan-friendly recipe across the full range of sweets.
“In developing the new formulation, we were very conscious of our responsibility as custodians of this much-loved brand and its long history. Through this recipe change, we’ve made the sweets slightly softer, which we know has been a market trend for a number of years. However, our priority was to preserve the fabulously fruity chew that has made Fruit Pastilles a classic for almost a century and a half."
Meg Miller – Rowntree’s brand manager
This has been hailed as a success by vegans who are now buying and enjoying fruit pastilles, however some non-vegans were not so happy, with many saying that they will never buy fruit pastilles again. Complaints include the taste of the fruit pastilles having changed, that they are now too firm, that they made the eater's jaw sore, they are too chewy, too sticky and not juicy enough. Vegans, on the other hand are full of praise, there are the people that haven't noticed the change and are completely happy either way. Personally, I love the vegan fruit pastilles and am really glad to be able to eat these sweets again.