The next generation in the Hancock family have launched a new UK wholesale confectionery business four years after selling the Hancocks Holdings empire to its current owners.

Twin brothers David and Michael Hancock have set up HS Wholesale Sweets, which offers a range of the best-known sweets brands such as Haribo, Walkers Nonsuch, Swizzels and Millions, to buy online at competitive prices.

The brothers process and despatch all orders from their Nuneaton warehouse for a range of businesses, from confectionery shops and general stores to event organisers and promotional companies. Customers receive free delivery across most of mainland UK when they spend over £350.

David Hancock, joint managing director, said: “It’s what our grandparents did and it’s what our father and uncle did – it’s what we know! We both grew up with confectionery all around us on a daily basis and more recently, both worked within the family business.

“So it was a logical decision to return the Hancock family back into the world of wholesale confectionery. We’re really excited about this fresh start and hope that we can live up to our family’s history and its love of confectionery.”

The Hancocks story dates back to 1962 when David and Michael’s grandfather, Ray Hancock, set up a sweet shop in Shepshed, Leicestershire. This soon became an opportunity for Ray to wholesale sweets to other local businesses, ahead of the commencement of the Hancocks Cash & Carry chain.

Adrian, the brothers’ father and Andrew, their uncle, took up the helm following the death of Ray in 1986, growing the company to a 20-strong chain of cash and carries coupled with an ecommerce arm ahead of its sale in 2012.