Sweetzone was founded in 2002 by father-and-son team Bashir and Yasin Okhai. Today, we are one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of HMC-certified halal confectionery, supplying supermarkets, wholesalers, convenience stores and independent retailers across the UK and internationally. Our reputation has been built on producing high-quality sweets that combine great taste, excellent value and trusted halal certification.
Initially, the business focused on soft drinks under the Unibev brand, drawing on the family’s long-standing background in both soft drink and confectionery production. As the business evolved, our focus shifted entirely to confectionery, laying the foundations for the Sweetzone brand that customers know today.
In 2004, we recognised a growing demand for high-quality halal confectionery and introduced some of the first products in the Sweetzone range, including our marshmallows and candy floss. These products quickly became customer favourites and established Sweetzone as a trusted brand offering great-tasting sweets with outstanding quality and value.
Many of our original products, including Mighty Mallows, Mallow Twists and Pencil Jelly, remain among our bestselling lines today. Over the years, our range has expanded significantly to include jelly sweets, fizzy sweets, belts, pencils, fruit chews, hard candy, lollipops, share bags, retail tubs and 1kg bulk bags.
While many of our earliest customers chose Sweetzone because our products were halal, the brand has grown far beyond that. Today, Sweetzone products are enjoyed by people from all backgrounds because they offer the quality, flavour and value that consumers expect.
As our product range and national distribution expanded, so did our customer base. We are proud to have built long-standing relationships with customers including Bestway Group, United Cash & Carry, Lioncroft Wholesale and Khanjra Cash & Carry, many of whom have supported Sweetzone since the early years of the business.
We have also enjoyed long-term partnerships with many of the UK’s leading retailers, including Asda since 2007, Booker and Morrisons since 2010, and Tesco since 2014. More recent customers include World of Sweets, Euro Garages and Van Dijk Wholesale in the Netherlands, reflecting the continued growth of the Sweetzone brand.
Internationally, Sweetzone has supplied customers across Europe since the early years of the business, including Ireland, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Sweden and Norway. Since 2016, we have established a strong presence in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, while also growing our business in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and other international markets.
Today, Sweetzone offers one of the UK’s most comprehensive ranges of halal confectionery, with products available in a variety of retail-ready formats including share bags, tubs and 1kg bulk bags. Many of our products are also suitable for vegans and vegetarians, allowing us to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse customer base.
As we continue to innovate and expand, our goal remains the same as it was in 2002: to create high-quality confectionery that retailers trust, consumers love and customers around the world can enjoy. We look forward to continuing to grow the Sweetzone brand both across the UK and internationally.
