Wally and Whiz: The Sweet Art of Staying True

Wally and Whiz is a Danish confectionery brand that has reinvented the classic wine gum into a refined, honest treat made from real fruit and natural ingredients. Founded by Kristian Them Hansen in 2015, the company began in a small Copenhagen kitchen with the simple dream of creating wine gums that truly taste like the flavors they contain. Today, Wally and Whiz is known for its unique combinations of complementary flavors and its commitment to rethinking candy, with its signature square gummies now enjoyed in over 800 stores across 30 countries. DeliveryRank has the opportunity to chat with Kristian.

Wally and Whiz gummy candies are always crafted with two complementary flavors—one in the coating and one in the core. Can you describe how you choose which flavors to pair, and how you balance contrast versus harmony in those combinations?

The idea of combining two ingredients actually comes from my grandmother. When I was growing up, money was scarce, so for desserts we would often go into the forest to pick strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and whatever else we could find. That’s where I first learned how beautifully different flavors can complement one another.

As for choosing flavors, I’ve discovered that I have a natural talent for it. It doesn’t require much time or effort on my part, yet the results are consistently strong. There’s also another dimension to this process: we collaborate closely with a flavor house, and together we publish an annual report on trending flavors around the world. This inspires me to experiment with unusual or unexpected combinations. For example, we’ve worked with flavors like guanabana, and right now we’re exploring quince. Part of the joy is introducing people to tastes they may not have encountered before and broadening their culinary experience.

The brand emphasizes using only natural flavorings and colorings, and ensuring products are 100% vegan, gluten-free, and allergen-free. What are the key challenges in maintaining those standards, especially when scaling up production?

Honestly, there isn’t much mystery to it—it's simply a matter of doing it. From the very beginning, I made the decision that this is how we would work, so I’ve committed to it fully. Whenever I visit a factory or meet with our suppliers, I make it clear right away that this is the standard we uphold.

Of course, there were challenges in the early days, but they were the kind of challenges that help you define your path. Over time, it became much easier to navigate because everyone we work with understands our requirements. For example, the flavor house we collaborate with knows we insist on natural flavors; our color suppliers know we only use natural colors; even our labels and packaging are produced with the same principles in mind.

At this point, it feels easy for me because it’s second nature. I know exactly what we stand for, and so do the people we work with.

Wally and Whiz commits to high quality and sustainable raw materials. How does the sourcing of ingredients globally, such as berries, flowers, and roots, impact both your production process and your cost structure?

The truth is, sometimes the story is rather dull—large companies simply send me a message announcing a price increase, and I end up paying it. But from the very beginning, I made a deliberate choice: to source ingredients and materials as locally as possible. My motivation has always been the environmental impact—reducing CO₂ emissions is something I quietly care about, not because I talk about it publicly, but because I want to pass these values on to my children.

Our flavor house, for example, is just ten kilometers from our factory, and the same goes for the color house. All of our sugar comes from the north of Denmark—about 80%—with the remaining 20% from Germany. Our boxes, cubes, plastic, and foil are all produced in Denmark as well. Wherever possible, I’ve kept everything nearby, both for sustainability and for the integrity of our production.

As for how this influences me, I’d say it’s mainly in dealing with those occasional price hikes from larger corporations. They always come with a long explanation, but in the end, it’s simply about charging more. I’ve stopped reading those justifications—I know what they are.

And, perhaps related, about three years ago I stopped watching the news altogether. It was only negativity, day after day, and I realized I was happier without it. Today, I feel lighter, more focused, and far less caught up in the noise. It’s a small life hack, but one that works for me.

Customer reviews often praise both taste and service, highlighting the balance of flavors and the overall experience. How does Wally and Whiz manage quality control and customer experience in both online and retail settings?

In our company, we live by a motto: quality is not our goal—it’s our promise. That philosophy runs through everything we do. It’s not only about the quality of the products we deliver, but also about the quality of life in the workplace. We want people to enjoy coming to work, without feeling overworked or drained, because that energy reflects in everything we create and share.

And this commitment shows in the way we treat our customers. On Trustpilot, we hold a score of 4.9. That’s because when someone reaches out with a complaint, we approach it with what I like to call “killing them with love.” Instead of dismissing criticism, we invite people to visit us, or we send new samples, and we always express genuine regret that they had a negative experience. Many people expect indifference when things go wrong, so they often react aggressively at first. But when we respond with care and attention, it surprises them—and it changes the whole conversation.

For us, quality isn’t just a slogan; it’s in our DNA. It’s such a natural part of what we do that we don’t talk about it constantly—we simply live it. Of course, we also follow all the “boring” but necessary procedures: careful testing when raw materials arrive, quality control at different stages of production, and internal teams monitoring everything closely. But at the end of the day, what really matters is that people feel the difference in both the product and the way we engage with them.

Given the candy industry’s shifts toward health and wellness, natural ingredients, and ethical sourcing, how is Wally and Whiz positioning itself to stay ahead in such a competitive market?

Our vision has always been to stay as natural as possible. I don’t think we have the scale or resources to dive into functional wine gums the way big players do, but right now I am experimenting with sugar-free options. We’ve had a lot of requests for that, and I can definitely see the market moving in that direction. Still, when it comes to large-scale functional products, that’s where companies like Red Bull or Monster step in—they have the muscle to push those trends hard.

For us, the focus remains on creating the best wine gums in the world. I believe that when you eat something truly delicious, it gives you a kind of happiness that’s its own form of well-being. That’s how we bring “health” to the market—not by adding vitamins, caffeine, or other functional elements, but by crafting something that tastes exceptional and makes people feel good.

That said, we are listening to the demand for sugar-free options, and I’ve been testing a range of alternatives. It’s taken time, but we’re making progress. My hope is that by the summer of 2026, we’ll have sugar-free wine gums ready to launch. 

If you would like to find out more about Wally and Whiz, please visit https://wallyandwhiz.dk/