Iconic 80s retro sweet spotted back on UK supermarket shelves over 27 years after being discontinued

Scottish Sun

10-07-2025

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AN iconic sweet from the 80s has been spotted on supermarket shelves 27 years after it was axed.
Opal Fruits are now available to buy across major UK retailers.
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Shoppers are racing to get their hands on limited edition Opal Fruits
Credit: Sainsbury's
The chewy fruit-flavoured treats are now up for grabs in Sainsbury's, Tesco, Iceland and Morrisons stores.
Bright yellow 138g pouches of the treats cost £1.25.
The relaunch has sparked excitement among 80s and 90s babies, who have missed the apple, strawberry, orange, lime and lemon treats.
Fans have taken to Facebook to share photos of the tasty treats and spread the news that they are now available in store.
One shopper said: "Just bought a bag to keep in the car."
Another added: "Got a packet of these at home reminds me of my childhood."
While a third said: "They will always be opal fruits to me. I thoroughly enjoyed my original packaging."
Opal Fruits were launched in 1960 and were available on supermarket shelves until the late 90s.
They were rebranded as Starburst in 1998 but fans have complained that they are not the same.
Since then, Mars Wrigley has surprised fans twice by relaunching them in stores - once in 2021 and again in 2024.
The company told fans that last year would be the "final time" the sweet would return, so the U-turn has come as a welcome surprise.
When the return was announced Florence McGivern, Skittles senior brand manager, told The Sun: "Our new limited-edition Opal Fruits will be as iconic as it was in the 90s, giving fans the chance to revisit the strawberry, lemon, orange and lime flavours from decades ago."
If you want to get your hands on the sweets then you will need to be quick as they are limited edition.
They will be available in stores nationwide but you might want to call your local store in advance to avoid a wasted trip.
How to save money on chocolate
We all love a bit of chocolate from now and then, but you don't have to break the bank buying your favourite bar.
Consumer reporter Sam Walker reveals how to cut costs...
Go own brand - if you're not too fussed about flavour and just want to supplant your chocolate cravings, you'll save by going for the supermarket's own brand bars.
Shop around - if you've spotted your favourite variety at the supermarket, make sure you check if it's cheaper elsewhere.
Websites like Trolley.co.uk let you compare prices on products across all the major chains to see if you're getting the best deal.
Look out for yellow stickers - supermarket staff put yellow, and sometimes orange and red, stickers on to products to show they've been reduced.
They usually do this if the product is coming to the end of its best-before date or the packaging is slightly damaged.
Buy bigger bars - most of the time, but not always, chocolate is cheaper per 100g the larger the bar.
So if you've got the appetite, and you were going to buy a hefty amount of chocolate anyway, you might as well go bigger.
Other chocolates spotted on shelves
Chocolate fans have spotted a rare Cadbury bar on supermarket shelves.
Shoppers were stunned to see the Top Decker bar on sale in The Range, years after it vanished from UK shops in the early 2000s.
The 95g bar was popular with many children growing up in the 90s.
Meanwhile, the Cadbury Dream bars are also back on shelves at The Range after they were axed in 2002.
Dream bars were launched in 2001 but were discontinued just one year later.
They are made from white chocolate and cocoa butter.
Plus, shoppers have rushed to get their hands on Malteasers white chocolate, which are now back in several supermarkets.
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