Frequently asked questions about HARIBO

The name HARIBO comes from HAns RIegel BOnn. Hans Riegel was the founder of the company, born in 1898 in Friesdorf (a region of Bonn). In 1920, the company was registered into the Bonn trade register as HARIBO - an acronym of Hans' name and the place Bonn.

Our much-loved mascot, Goldbear appears exclusively at HARIBO activities and events. Although we understand that he is a very popular bear, he is unable to attend any third-party events or appearances.

HARIBO UK has two sites which are based in Pontefract and Castleford, West Yorkshire, both are very busy working factories. The production of HARIBO products is subject to extremely high and international hygiene and quality standards, this means that in order to protect the entire production and filling process we have no official or private tours open to the public.

HARIBO exports its sweet treats to more than 100 countries worldwide. Over the years, our dedicated export team has built up relationships with a number of trusted partners. As a result, we do not require any additional partners at this time.

We are always happy to hear from our customers and it brings us great joy to know that our fans take such an interest in HARIBO's delicious range of treats! While we do take the time to read product suggestions, unfortunately we are unable to progress with any ideas which we receive from the public. As the UK's leading gums and jellies brand, we do have a dedicated Product Development Team who are constantly looking at ways to bring innovative treats to the marketplace. Excitingly, some of these sweets are already in production and will hit the shelves in the coming months - we hope you like them!

Here in the UK, HARIBO Starmix is our best selling product and was also named 'Britain's Favourite Sweet' (C5, 2020)! Having celebrated its 25th birthday during 2020, we believe that it's the familiar mix of iconic pieces and delicious flavours that has seen this favourite bag retain its place as a sweet treat that people know and love.

In the UK we have over 100 different, but equally delicious, varieties of HARIBO.

In the UK, we are unable to supply HARIBO pieces in packs of one specific flavour or colour. We’re really sorry if you prefer a particular flavour or colour, but at least that gives you an extra reason to share your HARIBO - which is one of the things that makes enjoying our treats so much fun!

Due to the popularity of our treats, our factory is kept very busy producing all of the different varieties of HARIBO sweets that our fans love. Unfortunately, this means that we are unable to produce custom-made products in small batches.

The mixture of flavour, colour and sweet piece combinations are one of the things that our fans love! However, sometimes people do wonder why they didn't receive more of their favourite pieces within a bag. As our packs are mixed at random, it's never really possible to guess the exact mix of pieces that will feature in each bag - but we think that this simply adds to the fun! But, if you really do want a particular mix, it's worth taking a look through the clear window in the front of the packet which will give you a sneak peak at the variety of tasty treats contained inside!

Each country has its own delicious range of treats, which have been developed especially to suit the demands and tastes of the customers in that country. We're very lucky to have a fantastic variety of tasty HARIBO sweets available in the UK. This includes established family favourites as well as a selection of new and exciting treats that are unveiled each year. For more information on our range of existing and new product launches, please visit the product section of our website.

You’ll be eggstatic to hear that this sweet piece is in fact a tasty HARIBO Egg.

Simply because it contains our most popular and well known sweet pieces – hearts, bears, bottles, rings and eggs. We think they are all little stars, but not in the cosmic sense!

Our UK range does not use milk or dairy based ingredients, and our only product containing wheat are our ‘Pontefract Cakes’. Here, wheat is shown on the packaging in bold. Our other products are made without gluten containing ingredients and with controls in place to risk cross contamination. For more information, you can visit www.coeliac.org.uk.

Our UK range of products contains gelatine deriving from pork. This includes our MAOAM range, and Chamallows. The only exception are our Halal products where beef gelatine is used, and the products are clearly marked. It is worth noting that products in our vegetarian and vegan range are free from animal gelatine.

Our products do not contain nuts as an ingredient and we have strict guidelines in place to prevent cross contamination. Any allergens present in our products are shown in bold on the packaging.

We do have a delicious range of products that can be enjoyed by vegetarians. Check out our product page! https://www.haribo.com/en-gb/p...

The HARIBO range has a number of tasty products which can be enjoyed by those who follow a Halal diet.

Fruitilicious, a treat with 30% less sugar than regular fruit gum sweets, has been delighting HARIBO fans since January 2018. Delivering the same great taste that’s loved and expected from HARIBO, Fruitilicious offers people even more choice when it comes to a sweet treat. Jam-packed with fruitiness, Fruitilicious contains a mix of fruit shaped, smiley faced pieces in strawberry, raspberry, pineapple, orange, apple and lemon flavours - delicious!

Please apply online using our application form – it is faster and also better for the environment too.

It's a good idea to include a covering letter and CV, along with details of any additional qualifications and relevant training that you feel would be applicable for the role - good luck!

This is your time to shine and show us why you'd make a great addition to the HARIBO team! So it's important that you use your application to highlight your strengths - remember, we are looking for top-quality candidates for all of our roles. Provide us with an authentic and accurate overall description of you and don't forget to detail your motivation for joining HARIBO - what is it that sets you apart from the rest? First impressions count, so this is your chance to distinguish yourself from all the other applicants.

Your covering letter

• Maximum one A4 page
• Individual, personal application text - no 'standard' templates please
• Power of persuasion regarding job requirements
• Reference to location of job ad (website, job portal)

Your CV

Complete personal information and data on the following:

• Schooling, education
• Degree course, internships, professional qualifications
• Career experience, including any relevant work experience
• Training and special skills
• Transferable skills
• Personal interests

Your online application

• Please answer the application questions accurately and honestly
• Attach your covering letter and most recent CV
  File formats: JPG, PDF or Word
  Maximum 4 MB per document
  Maximum 8 MB for the entire application

Simply send us a separate application for each occupation, using our online portal.

Important: When writing your covering letter, remember that different departments have differing job criteria - so please be specific around how your skills would suit each of the roles that you apply for.

Please see the specific job vacancy as the required skills, education and experience vary between roles.

This can vary depending on the role, please see the vacancy notice for further information or contact a member of the HR Team.

We attend various careers events throughout the year. Take a look at our Events page where you can find details of upcoming opportunities to meet the team and discuss how HARIBO could be a fantastic place to progress your career.

Unfortunately, we do not offer a specific scheme for Graduate applications, however we welcome your application to one of our direct vacancies.

Our apprenticeships are very competitive and generally we only hire one person per role advertised. To give yourself an advantage, make sure your cover letter and CV show us the best of what you have to offer and your motivations for joining the HARIBO family.

Throughout your apprenticeship you will be supported by your line manager, head of department and HR, along with your supporting external college... we're always here to help you succeed!

HARIBO UK does not currently offer apprenticeships with international placements.

For Office roles:

If you win us over with your compelling CV straight away, we’ll invite you to an interview in person. If you really impress us in the first round, we’ll usually invite you to a second, more in-depth interview.

For Operations roles:

You will be invited to attend an SHL Testing Session - this is the first stage of our recruitment process. The type of tests vary depending on the role being recruited for but generally these look at the following skills: understanding instructions, mathematical accuracy and understanding visual cues. Successful applicants will then be invited to stage two, which is an interview with the recruiting department.

We understand that people are keen to join the 'Happy World of HARIBO'; however, we do only hire on the basis of current job ads. Therefore, please keep an eye on current vacancies and submit all applications via our online recruitment portal.

Training is offered to all colleagues within HARIBO and we are exceptionally proud of the emphasis that we place on personal and career development, both for new starters and for existing colleagues. All team members are appraised on a yearly basis through our 'HARIBO Talk' system and, from this, development needs are identified and then followed up throughout the course of the year. This ensures that we constantly enhance our teams where needed, whilst making certain that we effectively support and develop the talent that already exists within the team. Together, this approach ensures that we always have fantastic people to support HARIBO on its journey for many years to come.