Ferrara's Brach's Crunchy Chewy Jelly Beans have earned the Most Innovative New Product award in the Seasonal Category at the National Confectioners Association's 2026 Sweets & Snacks Expo, held in Las Vegas. The recognition puts a spotlight on a product that blends two distinct textures — a snappy outer shell with a soft gummy interior — into a single jellybean format built around bold fruit flavors.
For foodservice and hospitality operators who curate seasonal retail displays, gift shop assortments, or amenity offerings around major holidays, the Expo award serves as a useful market signal. Products that earn NCA recognition at Sweets & Snacks tend to draw strong retail velocity, which can translate to consumer familiarity and demand by the time the Easter season arrives. Brach's, positioned as a leader in seasonal candy, is targeting nationwide distribution for the spring Easter set, giving buyers advance notice to work the SKU into procurement planning.
The dual-texture format reflects a broader confectionery and snack innovation trend that has been gaining traction across both retail and foodservice channels — consumers increasingly expect layered sensory experiences from familiar candy formats rather than straightforward reformulations of classics. A crunchy-shell jellybean represents a meaningful structural departure from the standard panned-sugar Easter staple.
Ferrara, the Chicago-based confectionery company behind the Brach's brand, has been steadily expanding its seasonal portfolio. The Sweets & Snacks Expo award adds third-party validation that could support sell-in conversations with grocery, convenience, and hospitality retail buyers ahead of next year's Easter window. Operators interested in how snack and candy innovation intersects with guest experience can find additional context in restaurant and hospitality retail coverage on how seasonal merchandise drives ancillary revenue.
Brach's Crunchy Chewy Jelly Beans are slated to hit shelves nationwide as part of the 2027 Easter seasonal set.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
