Our favourite sticky, sugary childhood treats are back – and The retro revival that’s keeping us all sweet

SCOTLAND is in the midst of a baby boom – of the jelly variety.

Confectioner Golden Casket last week announced it was set to invest in a £1m machine to keep up with the country’s growing demand for the sweet treats.

It means Scotland will be the birthplace of jelly babies for the first time in history.

The machine will also produce other best-sellers from yesteryear, such as wine gums and midget gems.

From Spangles to sherbet lemons and flying saucers to floral gums, Britain is in the throes of a retro revival as the nation goes Willy Wonkas for the sugary delights of old.

Take a trip down memory lane with the sweets you still love – and the ones you’ve probably forgotten about... inexpensive treat that whisks you back to playing hopscotch in the playground. Just seeing the sweet takes you back. But the taste is the most powerful factor of all.”

While there are shelf- loads of old favourites available, many haven’t survived. “I’m really sad about the sweets that have disappeared since we started,” said Michael.

“We used to sell Old Jamaica, Merry Maids, Bluebird Toffee, Wilko Mints, Vimto Bottles and Desperate Dan bars. They have all gone.”

One of the other changes in these health- conscious times is the introduction of sugar-free, gluten-free and gelatine-free sweeties.

Manufacturers are moving with the times to cater for diabetics, vegetarians and celiacs – and they guarantee that, even without some of the old fashioned ingredients, they taste just as good.

“Five years ago the sugar- free sweets were pretty horrible,” Michael admitted. “But they have improved a lot recently and many taste as good as their sugared counterparts.

“Gluten- free is much more

Beverley Mitchell opened her sweetie shop nine years ago – and says every day working there is a trip down memory lane. recent and, like gelatine- free, is mostly a case of just supplying the information to the manufacturers.”

But whatever the type, there’s no sign of our sweet- toothed hunger drying up any time soon.

“One of the things that surprised me is how different age ranges get nostalgic about different sweets.

“I thought our customers would be 40- plus, but people get nostalgic about sweets from the 1990s too so it’s a really broad age range.

“People want to relive their memories and also introduce their children to old favourites.”

Beverley Mitchell, who runs Mrs

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