Few things in life remind me of my childhood more than the famous Percy Pig soft gum sweets from Marks & Spencer. A staple in the family day out in the sun, tucked away in the mother's handbag, these lovable soft gums have gained a cult following for being a top-tier sweet.
Percy even made his own TV debut in 2021 as part of the lead of the Christmas advert for the supermarket giant and was voiced by Tom Holland. I forgot that was a thing too but an alive Percy Pig is something you can't unsee.
The sweet first came onto shelves in 1992 and has since expanded into becoming one of the leading images associated with the chain and has spawned merchandise including clothing, gifts, homeware and even cooking utensils. As a result of the success of the lovable smiling pig other supermarket giants have tried to replicate their own success with their own gummy-flavoured confectionery products with their own characters.
Read more: I compared Heinz baked beans to their rivals and I'm switching to one that's a third of the price
I questioned if Percy was the top dog (or should that be 'top pig'?) when it came to the animal gummy sweet food rivalry between supermarkets – surely he was or my childhood was a lie. Using roughly 40g as an average serving size among the sweets I weighed and compared the treats. This is what I found.
Percy Pig - Marks & Spencer (£1.65)
The price is sadly a sign of the times. I recall being able to buy it for a mere pound coin years ago but for 170g you get a reasonable-value sharing pack for four people – or a snack for one in my eyes.
The bag promises "no nasty artificial colours or flavours" gum sweets made with 3.5% fruit juice and five Percy Pigs came in at around 40g –just 2g less then the suggested serving size.
For that serving size you get 147 calories and a pretty substantial sugar count of just over 25g or roughly around six teaspoons of sugar. The NHS recommends adults should only consume up to 30g of sugar a day.
I could happily eat the entire bag in one sitting but most likely end up feeling a bit poorly afterwards. Nonetheless the raspberry and strawberry-flavoured pig treats are bursting with flavour (and sugar).
You need only look at the Percy Pig shelves in the store to realise the sweet has expanded from its popularity into different types – fizzy, sour, reduced sugar, vegan and so on with even venturing into more farm animals.
Nothing reminds me of my childhood more then biting down into the gum sweet but its sugar content was certainly an eye-opener. Nevertheless it's sweet and delicious.
Rating: 4/5
Leo the Lion - Aldi (95p)
A similar shape and colour to its rival but presumably aiming to become the king of the jungle rather than the farmyard. At the cost of less than a single pound coin you can't complain about the value when most sharing sweet packets today come in at considerably more.
The sweet is vegan-friendly and contains natural colours and flavourings. Similarly to Percy the lions are available in both strawberry and raspberry varieties. Trying to keep it consistent amongst the comparison I found five of the sweet amounted to 40g again.
Roughly coming in at 23g of sugar Leo the Lion is slightly less sugary and has a slightly lower calorie mark of 115 calories but still packs plenty of flavour. The Aldi chewy fruit gum is slightly less sweet-tasting than Percy and considerably cheaper for the same volume size of 170g so it's a worthy rival.
Rating: 4/5
Henry Hippo - Lidl (99p)
By now you're hopefully starting to see a pattern with supermarkets doing their own takes on animal-shaped soft gummy sweets. Henry Hippo is another budget take on the treat again with no artificial flavours or colours. Five of the hippos weigh in slightly heavier then the previous two supermarkets but only by a negligible amount. Roughly coming in at 45g serving size the hippos come in at 146 calories for a similar serving.
The raspberry and strawberry-coloured soft sweets come in a larger sharing bag of 200g while the serving size comes in at roughly 24g. These are nigh-on impossible to tell apart, flavour-wise, when comparing to Percy and is vegetarian and vegan-friendly. The hippo has plenty of flavour and is a competitor that goes toe-to-toe with the M&S offer.
Rating: 4/5
Candy Kittens - Sainsbury's (£1)
Sainsbury's had not opted into the soft gummy sweet trade but instead sold a chain sweet brand in replacement. Candy Kittens can also be purchased at other supermarket retailers like Asda, Morrisons, and Waitrose.
These are far from budget coming in at a £1 for a mere 54g packet. They are, however, marketed as gourmet vegan sweets but I don't think it justifies the price tag when the hippo bag is more than three times the size of this packet.
Made with 6% fruit strawberry juice it ranks the highest in terms of fruit content and sells itself as being carbon neutral. Seven individual sweets comes in roughly at 43g and a whopping 170 calories and 30g of sugar, which is not something I had anticipated from the small packet and treat.
Flavoured as Eton mess it is a very sweet and sickly strawberry taste and I wouldn't likely finish the bag nor be paid to eat it.
Rating: 2/5
Hettie the Hedgehog - Morrisons (£3)
Another supermarket brand that opted against breaking into the soft gummy sweet option and instead sold alternatives but at a higher cost. Candy Kittens were also sold at Morrisons but I opted to try a more 'premium' product to see how it compared to the budget soft chew sweets.
Coming in at £3 for this vegan-friendly jelly sweet came in a 140g bag and four of these sweets came in at around 41g weight. The smell was very appealing upon opening the sealed container, burst of strawberry but there was no advertised fruit content on the label.
The 'hedgehogs' don't particularly look like any animal I have ever seen and they were incredibly sticky and coated in sugar. One serving was more than enough. At an estimated 140 calories and 19g of sugar I expected far worse but was surprised to see they weren't the least healthy – despite tasting so. It had a strong strawberry taste that lasted in your mouth after the sugar and not one I would be quick to buy for a whopping £3.
Rating: 1/5
Verdict
It is clear to see that some supermarkets have made attempts to depose Percy Pig from his throne. Some have done it justice whereas others just haven't bothered competing.
Percy has nostalgic reminders for me of when I would visit my local park and get a packet to 'share' among my friends but admittedly I can't unsee Tom Holland as Percy Pig now. The cost is where Percy falls short, though, as both Leon the Lion and Henry Hippo offer budget options when everyone is looking for value for money and I think Henry wins in that category. Sorry Percy – Henry Hippo is my new go-to.
