Chewits
British confectionery brand known for cuboid-shaped, soft chewy sweets and its Chewie the Chewitsaurus mascot.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Chewits is a British confectionery brand best known for cuboid-shaped, soft chewy sweets. The brand originated in Southport, where J. A. & P. Holland began producing the product in 1963 under the name Chewzits. Following J. A. & P. Holland's acquisition by James Goldsmith in 1965 and its integration into Cavenham Foods and Cavenham Confectionery, the product name was changed to Chewits. The brand subsequently became associated with fruit-flavoured chews, memorable television advertising, and a distinctive dinosaur character called Chewie the Chewitsaurus. The original flavour line consisted of Strawberry, Blackcurrant, Orange, and Banana. Chewits later broadened its range with additional fruit, sour, fizzy, and novelty flavours. Apple and Tutti Frutti were introduced as sour flavours in 2000, while other limited or experimental varieties included Ice Cream, Cola, Rhubarb & Custard, and Blue Mint. The core range has included Strawberry, Blackcurrant, Fruit Salad, Lemon Xtreme, Cola, Blue Raspberry, and Cherry, although exact availability can vary by market and period. Ice Cream Chewits, first released in 1989, returned in 2009 after consumer demand expressed through an online petition and social-networking sites. Manufacturing also changed over the brand's history. The United Kingdom production facility closed in 2006, after which manufacture moved to Slovakia. The brand remained closely associated with the UK confectionery market and continued to use packaging, advertising, sponsorship, and promotional activity aimed particularly at children and families. Chewits' marketing identity has been unusually character-led. Its first television advertising appeared in 1976 and featured Chewie, a Godzilla-like dinosaur who travelled through miniature or animated settings in search of something chewy. The early clay-animation advertisements showed Chewie chomping or trampling landmarks including London Bridge, the Taj Mahal, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Empire State Building, and Barrow-in-Furness Bus Depot. A pack of Chewits was presented as the way to satisfy or calm the monster. The advertising drew on the visual language of monster films and the narration style of mid-century radio serials. The brand's advertising formats changed over subsequent decades. A 1988 ZX Spectrum spin-off game, The Muncher, extended the character into interactive entertainment. Later campaigns included a 1995 commercial built around exaggerated 1950s-style narration and increasingly absurd chewy objects, late-1990s dinosaur news presenters, and animated Chewie advertisements in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The latter used a version of the phrase “I Like to Move It” adapted into “I Like to Chewit Chewit.” Chewie was formally reintroduced as the central brand character in 2003, redesigned in a more contemporary computer-game-inspired style in 2009, and given another visual update with mottled colours and more exaggerated teeth in late 2019. Chewits has also used digital engagement and youth activities to reinforce its identity. In 2009, the brand launched a social-media presence centred on Chewie the Chewitsaurus. It has supported children's sports and activity programmes, including holiday sports courses operated with Premier Sport, junior cricket membership activity with Lancashire County Cricket's Lancashire Thunderbolts, a young sporting ambassador programme connected with preparations for the 2012 London Olympics, and an extreme-sports road show supporting the Xtreme product range. The brand has also been associated with leisure and destination promotion, including a Chewits log flume at Pleasureland in Southport. Chewits is owned by Cloetta. Publicly available reference material identifies the brand's principal market as the United Kingdom but does not provide sufficient information here to establish a current global operating footprint, headquarters, financial performance, or named executives.
History
Chewits began in 1963 in Southport as a product called Chewzits, manufactured by J. A. & P. Holland. In 1965, the company was acquired by James Goldsmith and combined with other confectionery businesses within Cavenham Foods, forming Cavenham Confectionery. During this integration, the product name was changed to Chewits. The brand's early identity was based on soft, chewy sweets in a compact cuboid form. Its initial flavour selection comprised Strawberry, Blackcurrant, Orange, and Banana. Over time, Chewits developed a broader portfolio that included fruit, sour, fizzy, and novelty flavours. Apple and Tutti Frutti were introduced as sour varieties in 2000. Limited or temporary flavours included Ice Cream, Cola, Rhubarb & Custard, and Blue Mint. The core range later included Strawberry, Blackcurrant, Fruit Salad, Lemon Xtreme, Cola, Blue Raspberry, and Cherry. Ice Cream Chewits, first released in 1989, returned in 2009 after consumer requests expressed through an online petition and social-networking platforms. Television advertising became a major part of the brand from 1976. Early commercials introduced Chewie the Chewitsaurus, a monster resembling a miniature film dinosaur who sought out chewy products and moved through stylised versions of famous landmarks. The advertisements used clay animation, monster-movie references, and a dramatic narration influenced by 1950s radio serials. Chewie's destinations included London Bridge, the Taj Mahal, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Empire State Building, and Barrow-in-Furness Bus Depot. The central premise was that Chewits could satisfy or control the monster's desire to chew. The advertising concept continued to evolve. A 1988 ZX Spectrum game called The Muncher developed the character beyond television. A 1995 commercial parodied post-war advertising conventions by presenting a narrator's guide to increasingly implausible chewy objects, including Wellington boots, a rubber boat, and a rubber plant. In the late 1990s, Chewits briefly used dinosaur news presenters and the instruction “do it before you chew it.” The brand then returned to animated versions of Chewie, including commercials broadcast in 1999 and 2001. These used a playful adaptation of the song “I Like to Move It” in the phrase “I Like to Chewit Chewit.” In 2003, a new advertisement used animals auditioning to become the face of Chewits before announcing Chewie's return. The mascot received a major contemporary redesign in 2009 and appeared across packaging and sponsorship activity. A further redesign in late 2019 gave the character mottled colours and a more exaggerated mouth and teeth. Production changed materially in 2006, when the UK manufacturing facility closed and manufacturing moved to Slovakia. The brand continued to operate primarily in the UK confectionery market. Its promotional activity extended beyond advertising into leisure, social media, and youth sport. Chewits has been associated with a log flume at Pleasureland in Southport, holiday sports courses delivered with Premier Sport, Lancashire County Cricket's junior Lancashire Thunderbolts club, a young sporting ambassador programme related to the 2012 London Olympics, and an extreme-sports road show supporting the Xtreme range. Chewits is now a Cloetta brand. The available reference material does not establish a separate Chewits corporate headquarters, current named management team, detailed international distribution footprint, or financial results.
- 2019
Chewie receives another redesign
[1]The mascot is updated with mottled colours and more exaggerated facial features.
- 2009
The brand expands its formats and mascot identity
[1]New packaging, formats, and flavours are introduced; Ice Cream Chewits returns; and Chewie receives a contemporary redesign.
- 2006
Manufacturing moves to Slovakia
[1]The UK production facility closes and Chewits manufacturing is transferred to Slovakia.
- 2003
Chewie returns as the central mascot
[1]A new advertisement presents Chewie the Chewitsaurus as the returning face of the brand.
- 2000
Sour flavours are added
[1]Apple and Tutti Frutti are introduced as sour Chewits flavours.
- 1989
Ice Cream Chewits debut
[1]The Ice Cream flavour is introduced for the first time.
- 1988
The Muncher computer game is released
[1]A Chewits-related spin-off game is released for the ZX Spectrum.
- 1976
Television advertising begins
[1]Chewits launches its first television advertising featuring the Chewie the Chewitsaurus character.
- 1965
The product is renamed Chewits
[1]Following J. A. & P. Holland's acquisition and integration into Cavenham Confectionery, the product name changes from Chewzits to Chewits.
- 1963
Chewzits is first produced
[1]J. A. & P. Holland begins producing the soft chewy confectionery in Southport under the name Chewzits.
Products and positioning
A playful, character-led UK confectionery brand positioned around intense chewiness, fruit flavours, exaggerated taste adventures, and nostalgic entertainment.
Soft fruit chews · 1963
Core fruit Chewits
The main Chewits format consists of small, cuboid-shaped soft chews built around a prolonged chewing texture. The established range has included Strawberry, Blackcurrant, Fruit Salad, Lemon Xtreme, Cola, Blue Raspberry, and Cherry, with availability varying across periods and markets.
Sour confectionery · 2000
Sour Chewits
Sour varieties extend the traditional fruit-chew proposition with sharper flavour profiles. Apple and Tutti Frutti were identified as launches in 2000, while the brand has also used “Xtreme” naming for products positioned around stronger flavour intensity.
Novelty-flavoured chews · 1989
Ice Cream Chewits
Ice Cream Chewits are a novelty flavour first released in 1989. The product was later reintroduced in 2009 following consumer requests expressed through an online petition and social-media communities, making it an example of a discontinued or returning flavour responding to fan demand.
Intense-flavour chews
Chewits Xtreme
The Xtreme range is positioned around stronger, more adventurous flavour experiences and has been supported by slogans such as “For xtreme chewers only.” The range has included Lemon Xtreme and has been promoted through activity and extreme-sports-themed marketing.
Marketing campaigns
- 2011Team Extreme road show
United Kingdom
Chewits partnered with Team Extreme on an extreme-sports road show supporting the Xtreme product range.
Outcome. The campaign gave the Xtreme range an experiential and activity-based promotional platform.
- 2009Chewie social-media campaign
United Kingdom
Chewits launched a Facebook-led social-media campaign built around the redesigned Chewie character and carried the mascot into digital engagement.
Outcome. The campaign extended the brand's established character platform beyond traditional advertising.
- 2009Chewits Young Sporting Ambassador programme
United Kingdom
Chewits introduced a programme intended to support young sporting hopefuls through funding and coaching ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.
Outcome. The activity linked the confectionery brand with youth sport and athlete development.
- 2003Chewie auditions
United Kingdom
Animals auditioned to become the new face of Chewits before the advertisement announced the return of Chewie the Chewitsaurus.
Outcome. Chewie was reaffirmed as the brand's primary character.
- 2001I Like to Chewit Chewit
United Kingdom
A follow-up animated advertisement showed Chewie waterskiing and used a playful adaptation of the song “I Like to Move It” to create the refrain “I Like to Chewit Chewit.”
Outcome. The campaign connected the mascot with a recognisable contemporary pop-culture sound.
- 1999Animated Chewie city advertisement
United Kingdom
A redesigned animated Chewie roller-skated through a busy city scene on two buses in a high-energy commercial.
Outcome. The campaign modernised the mascot while retaining the character's exaggerated movement and comic destruction.
- 1995The essential guide to a chewier chew
United Kingdom
A television commercial parodied post-war advertising by encouraging viewers to try implausibly chewy objects before presenting Chewits as the ultimate chewy product.
Outcome. The campaign reinforced the brand's absurdist humour and its promise of extreme chewiness.
- 1976Chewie the Chewitsaurus television launch
United Kingdom
Chewits introduced Chewie in television advertising as a monster searching for chewy food. The campaign used clay-animation effects, landmark destruction, monster-film imagery, and dramatic radio-serial-style narration.
Outcome. The character became the long-term visual and narrative signature of the brand.
Brand decisions
2009
Reintroduce Ice Cream ChewitsProduct launchBackground
Consumers requested the return of a flavour originally launched in 1989 through an online petition and social-media activity.
Action taken
Chewits brought Ice Cream Chewits back to the range.
Aftermath
The reintroduction demonstrated the brand's willingness to respond to direct consumer demand for discontinued flavours.
2009
Redesign Chewie and refresh the product lineGeneration changeBackground
Chewits sought to modernise its packaging and character identity while expanding formats and flavours.
Action taken
The brand introduced new pack designs, formats, flavours, and a computer-game-style version of Chewie.
Aftermath
Chewie continued to appear across packaging and sponsorship activity as the central brand asset.
2006
Transfer manufacturing to SlovakiaStrategyBackground
The UK manufacturing facility associated with the brand was closed.
Action taken
Production was moved from the United Kingdom to Slovakia.
Aftermath
Chewits continued as a UK-focused confectionery brand with manufacturing outside the UK.
1965
Rename the product from Chewzits to ChewitsStrategyBackground
J. A. & P. Holland was acquired and integrated into Cavenham Foods and Cavenham Confectionery.
Action taken
The product name was changed to Chewits during the corporate integration.
Aftermath
Chewits became the enduring brand name used for the confectionery line.
Recent events
- 2019
Chewits refreshes the visual design of Chewie[1]
Campaign · Product generation
A later character redesign introduced mottled colour effects and a more exaggerated mouth and teeth.
- 2009
Ice Cream Chewits return after consumer demand[1]
Product generation · Product launch
The Ice Cream flavour, originally introduced in 1989, was brought back following an online petition and demand expressed through social-media platforms.
- 2009
Chewits introduces a redesigned Chewie[1]
Campaign · Product generation
The brand updated Chewie the Chewitsaurus with a more contemporary, computer-game-inspired appearance for packaging and promotional activity.
- 2009
Chewits launches a social-media campaign around Chewie[1]
Campaign
Chewits established a social-media campaign centred on the Chewie the Chewitsaurus character, extending the brand's long-running mascot strategy into digital channels.
- 2006
Chewits production moves from the United Kingdom to Slovakia[1]
Other
The UK manufacturing facility associated with Chewits closed and production was transferred to Slovakia.
Sources2 sources
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