Bonds of London Mini Gems - 130g

Old sweet business, new owners

That sale was a multimillion-pound deal in April 2016. The buyer was Innovative Bites, a US-foods wholesaler founded in 2008 by Vishal Madhu. Then came the sensible bit: managing director Philip Courtenay-Luck stayed on with the business. When you buy something that old, you keep the person who knows where everything is kept, and which shelf the good stuff lives on.

Jars, bags and serious pick'n'mix

Innovative Bites' founder said Bonds of London has historically been known for traditional British sweets such as pick'n'mix jars and hanging bags. Its best-known jars include retro classics such as sherbet lemons and wine gums, the kind that sat on a shelf behind the counter while you pointed and hoped. A year after buying Bonds of London, Innovative Bites went on to acquire pick'n'mix wholesaler Hancocks Cash & Carry in a deal worth about £100m. Somebody takes pick'n'mix very seriously.

The one at the bottom

A bag of sweets in Britain is never really one person's. It goes along the back seat, round the office, down the row at the cinema, and comes back lighter every time. Somebody always leaves one in the bottom of the bag. It is never them. Keep yours in the desk drawer or the glovebox, and do not expect it to see out the week.