Apparatus (1) and process for the manufacture of lollipops in which lollipops (3) are transferred from a substantially horizontal condition in a hopper (4), to a substantially vertical condition in a stick retainer (7) prior to placement in sugar confectionery. The apparatus comprises a hopper (4) for holding the sticks (3) with their longitudinal axes substantially horizontal, means (5) for ejecting a stick from the hopper in a substantially horizontal direction and feeder means (6) for feeding the ejected stick downwardly into a stick retainer (7) prior to placement in the sugar confectionery, the feeder means comprising a flexible tube (8) operable to conduct the stick from the hopper to the stick retainer whilst simultaneously changing the orientation at the stick to that of a downward direction.