Jelly Drops

Jelly Drops is a British confectionery company and consumer health-oriented brand based in London, England. Its principal product is a sugar-free, vegan gummy sweet designed to make fluid intake easier and more appealing for people who may struggle to drink enough water. The sweets contain approximately 95% water and are positioned as a complementary hydration aid rather than a replacement for ordinary drinking or clinical treatment. The idea emerged from founder Lewis Hornby's experience with his grandmother, Pat, who was living with dementia and was hospitalized after becoming severely dehydrated. While spending time in her nursing home, Hornby observed that some people with dementia refused drinks, did not recognize cups, or did not experience or communicate thirst reliably. He also noticed that they were often more willing to eat sweets. This observation led him to explore whether water and electrolytes could be delivered in a familiar confectionery format. Hornby developed early prototypes while studying Innovation Design Engineering at the Royal College of Art. The project attracted widespread public attention after a video showing him sharing the sweets with his grandmother was posted on Facebook. According to the brand's account as summarized in reference material, the video received more than 48 million views. A viewer subsequently created a JustGiving fundraising page, which raised more than £9,000 to assist with bringing the product to market. In 2019, Jelly Drops received a £100,000 grant and access to sector expertise through the Alzheimer's Society Accelerator Programme. The programme supported innovations intended to improve the care and quality of life of people living with dementia. As part of the relationship, Jelly Drops committed to donating 1% of its profits toward further Alzheimer's research. The project also received recognition through design and innovation awards, including the Pitch@Palace Award and the World Innovation Forum IMAGINE IF! Award in 2019, as well as disability and social-impact design accolades. Jelly Drops became publicly available in the United Kingdom in 2020 and expanded to the United States in 2022. The products have also reportedly been used in healthcare environments, including NHS wards. The brand's wider proposition combines food design, accessibility, caregiving, and hydration support: rather than presenting hydration solely as a medical task, it uses color, shape, flavor, and ease of handling to create a more approachable way for some users to consume fluid. The available reference material does not identify a parent company, public listing, ticker, current executive team beyond the founder, or a verified official website URL. Jelly Drops should therefore be treated as an active private British confectionery brand with a specialized social-impact and functional-food positioning.

Jelly Drops was founded in the United Kingdom on 28 August 2018 by Lewis Hornby. The concept grew out of Hornby's personal experience with his grandmother Pat, who was living with dementia and nearly died after becoming dehydrated. During a period spent in her nursing home, Hornby examined why conventional drinking was difficult for some residents. People with dementia might refuse drinks, fail to recognize a cup, or not identify thirst, while still responding positively to food and sweets. Hornby translated this observation into a design and engineering problem. While studying at the Royal College of Art, he prototyped a confectionery product that could provide substantial fluid in a small, familiar, easy-to-handle form. The resulting Jelly Drops were developed as sugar-free gummy sweets containing approximately 95% water, with electrolytes and flavoring included in the formulation. The product is vegan and was designed to be consumed as a supplement to ordinary hydration. Public interest accelerated after a video of Hornby and his grandmother eating the sweets together was shared on Facebook. The video reportedly attracted more than 48 million views. One viewer established a JustGiving fundraising page, which raised over £9,000 to help move the product from an educational design project toward commercial production. In 2019, Jelly Drops joined the Alzheimer's Society Accelerator Programme. The initiative provided a £100,000 grant and access to a network of specialists and industry advisers. The relationship connected the brand with the broader dementia-care and social-impact innovation community. Jelly Drops also pledged to donate 1% of profits to support Alzheimer's research. During this period, the project received several awards and nominations in design, innovation, disability, and social-impact settings, including the Pitch@Palace Award, the World Innovation Forum IMAGINE IF! Award, the DESIRE Award for Social Impact, and the Helen Hamlyn Design Awards' Snowdon Award for Disability. It was also named a finalist for the Dubai Design Week Progress Prize. The product launched publicly in the United Kingdom in 2020. Its early audience included caregivers, families, and people involved in dementia support, while reports also indicated use in healthcare settings such as NHS wards. This gave the brand a position between confectionery, assistive design, and functional food. Rather than relying on a conventional supplement presentation, Jelly Drops uses the sensory and behavioral familiarity of sweets to encourage fluid consumption among people who may find drinking difficult or unappealing. In 2022, Jelly Drops expanded into the United States. The available reference material does not provide detailed information about later ownership, corporate structure, product variants, revenue, distribution partners, or a current executive team. The documented history nevertheless establishes Jelly Drops as an active British brand built around hydration support, dementia-aware product design, and social-impact entrepreneurship.

• 2022

  United States launch

  [1]Jelly Dropsen.wikipedia.org

  The brand expanded public availability to the United States.

• 2020

  United Kingdom public launch

  [1]Jelly Dropsen.wikipedia.org

  Jelly Drops became publicly available in the United Kingdom.

• 2019

  Alzheimer's Society Accelerator support

  [1]Jelly Dropsen.wikipedia.org

  Jelly Drops received a £100,000 grant and specialist network access through the Alzheimer's Society Accelerator Programme.

• 2019

  Innovation awards

  [1]Jelly Dropsen.wikipedia.org

  The brand received the Pitch@Palace Award and World Innovation Forum IMAGINE IF! Award, and was recognized in additional design and social-impact programmes.

• 2018

  Company founded

  [1]Jelly Dropsen.wikipedia.org

  Lewis Hornby founded Jelly Drops in the United Kingdom after developing the concept in response to his grandmother's dehydration and dementia-related difficulties with drinking.

• 2018

  Design and disability recognition

  [1]Jelly Dropsen.wikipedia.org

  The project received recognition through the Helen Hamlyn Design Awards, including the Snowdon Award for Disability.

A functional confectionery and accessibility-focused hydration brand that uses a familiar, enjoyable sweet format to help people who may have difficulty drinking sufficient fluids, especially people living with dementia.

• Functional confectionery · 2020

  Jelly Drops

  Jelly Drops are sugar-free, vegan gummy sweets formulated with approximately 95% water. They were designed to make hydration more accessible and appealing for people who may not drink enough through conventional beverages, particularly people living with dementia. Their small, sweet format is intended to be familiar and easy to consume, and the product includes electrolytes according to the available reference description. Jelly Drops are positioned as a hydration-support product rather than a substitute for medical care or ordinary fluid intake.

• 2019Alzheimer's Society Accelerator Programme

  United Kingdom

  Jelly Drops participated in the Alzheimer's Society initiative supporting innovations intended to improve care and quality of life for people living with dementia.

  Outcome. The programme provided a £100,000 grant and specialist access; Jelly Drops also pledged 1% of profits to Alzheimer's research.

  Source
• 2018Viral founder-and-grandmother video

  International online audience

  A video showing Lewis Hornby sharing Jelly Drops with his grandmother circulated widely on Facebook and reportedly received more than 48 million views, bringing broad attention to the hydration concept.

  Outcome. The exposure helped generate public interest and contributed to a JustGiving fundraiser that raised more than £9,000 for product development.

  Source

• 2022

  United States expansionProduct launch

  Background

  After its United Kingdom launch, Jelly Drops pursued availability in another English-speaking market.

  Action taken

  The brand launched in the United States.

  Aftermath

  The expansion extended Jelly Drops' addressable market beyond the United Kingdom; detailed distribution and sales information is not available in the supplied sources.

  Source

• 2020

  United Kingdom commercial launchProduct launch

  Background

  Following prototyping, fundraising, awards, and accelerator support, the product was prepared for broader consumer access.

  Action taken

  Jelly Drops launched publicly in the United Kingdom.

  Aftermath

  The launch established the brand as a commercially available functional confectionery product and led to reported use in some healthcare settings.

  Source

• 2019

  Commitment to support Alzheimer's researchStrategy

  Background

  Jelly Drops received support through the Alzheimer's Society Accelerator Programme.

  Action taken

  The brand pledged to donate 1% of its profits to fund further Alzheimer's research.

  Aftermath

  The commitment reinforced Jelly Drops' social-impact positioning, although the available material does not report the value of subsequent donations.

  Source

• 2018

  Use confectionery as a hydration-support formatStrategy

  Background

  Hornby's observations suggested that some people with dementia who refused drinks or did not recognize cups might still accept sweets.

  Action taken

  The project developed a water-rich gummy sweet containing approximately 95% water, with a focus on accessibility and familiarity.

  Aftermath

  The concept became the basis of the Jelly Drops brand and attracted public, charitable, and design-sector support.

  Source

1. 1Jelly Dropsen.wikipedia.org