If the thought of diving headfirst into a pit of candy fills you with childlike glee, then strap in. Australia’s largest-ever lolly shop has just opened its second human candy claw machine, letting you plunge into a pool of lollies and chocolates – and take home every sweet treat you can grab.
Lolly lovers will be no strangers to Tom's Confectionery Warehouse, a Brisbane institution that opened more than 40 years ago and has become Australia’s ultimate destination for anything sugar-related. In 2023, the renowned candy chain expanded with a second store in Melbourne’s Highpoint Shopping Centre, where it smashed the Guinness World Record for the world’s biggest pick ‘n’ mix selection of candies, offering a whopping 947 varieties.
One of the best parts of Melbourne’s carnival-like candy store is its giant human claw, where kids and adults get dropped into a sea of lollies, chocolates and other sweet treats. Now, Tom’s Confectionery Warehouse has brought this major attraction to its OG Brisbane store – and it looks like the stuff our childhood dreams are made of.
This mega candy claw machine works just like the classic arcade game, except this time, you’re the claw. Strapped into a 3.5-metre-tall rig, participants are lowered into a candy-filled ball pit with just three seconds to grab as many sweet treats as possible. It’s $35 per person, but you’ll get to take home at least $50 worth of treats (whatever you can get your hands on). Plus, you’re guaranteed to get some hilarious snaps for the ‘gram.
You don’t need to book for this sugar-filled experience, but those keen to give it a go must be at least eight years old, 120 centimetres or taller, and weigh between 30 and 120 kilograms. You can find out more here.