Ask Mummy & Daddy

Ask Mummy & Daddy was founded by me, Kane Dowell, in 2017. I wanted to create a range of premium, high-concept sweets that were perfect to give as gift boxes. I’ve always had a sweet tooth: as a child, I’d go to the 1p sweet shop and as big a bag of sweets as I could afford. When I visited places like Hong Kong, the USA and Australia as an adult, I was amazed by their sweets: they had so many inventive flavours and incredible packaging. I was inspired to create my own unique assorted confectionery for gifting, all made in the UK with biodegradable or recyclable packaging. From old fashioned sweets to the country’s first cocktail candy floss … We are experimenting and having fun! Ask Mummy & Daddy is proof that anyone can overcome personal challenges to pursue their dreams. I’m dyslexic and in school I had little to no support. I ended up leaving education at the age of 15 without a single GCSE and by the age of 21, I was neck-deep in debt. Thankfully, I found I could learn loads on the job and was able to turn things around, becoming operations manager for a successful food business. Adversity makes you stronger. It’s okay to take risks if you learn from your mistakes and can solve problems creatively. We’re all human! I like to think the brand’s playfulness and personalised candy reflect this. Initially a side hustle, Ask Mummy & Daddy grew organically as word of mouth spread and customer numbers grew. The turning point was a successful meeting with Selfridges about stocking our signature sweets in their iconic Food Hall – and the rest, as they say, is history. Now the company is a full-time operation with our own production, marketing and events teams. You can find our sweets online and in national outlets as well as family-owned shops across the UK. What’s in store for us next? In the long-term, world domination! Until then, we’ll settle for Ask Mummy & Daddy becoming the UK’s favourite sweets.