Mr Swainstons

Mr Swainstons is a South Shields sweet shop that went from TikTok live sales to a Dragons’ Den deal, and its Monthly Sweet Subscription Box is the way to get the shop’s jars delivered every month. For £14.95 a month you get a hand-picked bumper selection of retro and traditional sweets, including exclusives that are not sold on the regular website, packed by hand in the shop and sent by tracked Royal Mail. It is a nostalgic, giftable box with real charm. It is not, on the numbers, a bargain, and we explain why below. Our news story on the Mr Swainstons subscription and its Dragons’ Den deal has the background.

Mr Swainstons price and plans

Mr Swainstons says payment is taken on the 15th of each month and boxes ship from the 20th. Delivery is shown at checkout, and because a single £14.95 box is below the £30 free delivery threshold you should expect to pay postage on top. Cancelling is straightforward: the subscription policy says you can skip a month, change your address or cancel at any time with no fee and no minimum term, as long as you cancel at least two days before your payment date. You also have 14 days from signing up to cancel for a refund on any box not yet sent, and the brand promises 14 days’ email notice of any price change.

What’s in a Mr Swainstons subscription box

The brand does not publish a fixed contents list or a weight, which is both the appeal and the catch. According to Mr Swainstons, each box is a handpicked selection of sweets, with exclusive treats you will not find on the regular website:

• Unreleased sweets and rare retro favourites from the shop’s jars
• Seasonal editions such as Halloween mixes and a special Christmas box in December
• Hand-packing in South Shields, with tracked Royal Mail delivery

Contents vary and requests are not taken. The brand also warns that boxes may contain any of the 14 major allergens, so contact the shop before subscribing if anyone has an allergy.

Who is Mr Swainstons?

The name is old and the business is new. Harry Swainston opened the first Swainstons, a tobacconist in Laygate, South Shields, in 1894, and the family later added sweets and a second shop at Whiteleas. The shops had all closed and the name had disappeared from the town for years, until John Gray and Sean Robinson revived the name on New Year’s Day, starting with live sales on TikTok from a small studio with 50 jars. They opened a shop on Westoe Road and later moved to a bigger one at 128 to 130 Fowler Street, opposite the Town Hall, which now has more than 670 jars, a pick and mix counter and a soda bar.

The Dragons’ Den deal

John and Sean pitched on Dragons’ Den, asking for £50,000 for 10% of the business. According to the Shields Gazette, Jenna Meek offered the full £50,000 for 20%, falling to 12% once her investment is repaid, after four of the other Dragons went out. The deal matters for subscribers because it funds the push to grow the brand beyond South Shields, and the shop’s Dragons’ Den Box, a 1kg mix with retro milk bottles and chocolate coins, was built on the moment. It is a separate product from the subscription.

Is Mr Swainstons worth it?

As a gift, yes. As a way to save money, no. The subscription costs exactly the same as a nine-bag Build Your Own box, and the product page shows no subscriber discount, so you are paying for the surprise and the exclusives rather than for a better price. If you love retro sweets, enjoy not knowing what is coming and want to send someone a monthly treat with a real shop behind it, £14.95 is a fair price for a bumper box. If you know exactly which sweets you like, the Build Your Own box gives you the same spend with full control. We would start with one month as a gift or a test, then decide whether the mystery is worth the postage.

Pros

• Exclusive and seasonal sweets that are not sold on the regular website
• A genuine independent shop, hand-packed in South Shields
• Skip, change or cancel at any time with no minimum term
• A nostalgic, giftable box with Christmas and Halloween editions

Cons

• No stated weight or number of sweets, and no subscriber discount
• Delivery is extra on a single box, so the real monthly cost is higher
• You cannot choose the contents or request flavours
• Very few reviews so far

Best alternatives to Mr Swainstons

• TokyoTreat: a monthly box of Japanese sweets and snacks if you want something more exotic.
• Montezuma: organic chocolate on subscription for a more grown-up sweet tooth.
• Degustabox: a monthly box of full-size food and drink products to try.

For more ideas, browse our snack subscription boxes and food subscription boxes.

Mr Swainstons FAQ

How much does the Mr Swainstons subscription cost?

The Monthly Sweet Subscription Box costs £14.95 a month plus delivery. Royal Mail Tracked 48 is £4.99 and delivery is free on orders over £30, so most single boxes will carry postage. Twelve months comes to £179.40 before delivery.

How do I cancel Mr Swainstons?

Use the link in your subscription emails to skip a month, change your address or cancel, or email [email protected]. There is no fee and no minimum term. Cancel at least two days before your payment date to stop the next payment.

Where is Mr Swainstons based?

The shop is at 128 to 130 Fowler Street, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, and every order is hand-packed there. You can ring (0191) 403 4177 or email [email protected].

Did Mr Swainstons get a deal on Dragons’ Den?

Yes. Jenna Meek offered £50,000 for 20% of the business, reducing to 12% once her investment is repaid, and John Gray and Sean Robinson accepted.