The best finished product category for our World Confectionery Awards has been among our most hotly-contested categories, and this year is proving no different to that pattern, writes Neill Barston.

With the deadline for entries now closed, our finalists have been decided, attracting interest from a number of global locations, underlining the fact innovation is alive and well across our sector.

The awards, which form a notable element of our World Confectionery Conference being staged this year at One America Square in central London on 10 September, have been of considerable significance to our event over the past five years. You can register for our latest event via our dedicated website at the following link.

For our 2026 showcase, our finalists include Scotland’s Arbroath Tablet Company, an artisan chocolate business that champions traditional methods of confectionery production.

As the business stated, its approach ‘preserves a style of tablet making that has long been part of Scotland’s coastal identity.’ using local milk and butter, and granulated sugar for a distinctive, home-made soft melt confectionery experience.

Meanwhile, challenger brand Wild Thingz has moved to expand its series, with a Berry Mix and Tropical Mix – designed to boost taste appeal through bold, recognisable fruit profiles and playful shapes, aimed at driving taste-led purchase. 

Each gummy comes in Wild Thingz’s fun bug-inspired shapes, adding an extra element of play to every bag, with the business having adapted its pricing, marketing positioning and highlighting its better-for-you credentials. 

For its part, our third finalist, Belgium’s Godiva, has nominated its Signature Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Mini Bars, alongside its pistachio chocolate bar series, as the brand marks its centenary.

The individually wrapped mini bars combine smooth, creamy milk chocolate with crunchy salted toffee pieces, delivering a key balance of rich sweetness and a hint of salt.

Finally 2026, the brand underwent its most significant evolution to date. Rather than changing the product itself, we transformed the proposition around it. The relaunch repositioned Choc Nibbles around its rescued ingredient story, making its provenance central to the brand while maintaining its broad consumer appeal.

At the same time, Choc Nibbles transitioned to FSC-certified, kerbside recyclable paper packaging, becoming one of the first £1 value confectionery brands in the UK to adopt this format. Since launch, more than 1.28 million bags have been sold in the new packaging, removing over 5 tonnes of virgin plastic from the supply chain.