Banning Kev’s pick ’n’ mix stall will just encourage obesity

Sweets should be seen in the context of a happy, healthy diet; a nugget of joy in a desperate world

The council bods of Saxmundham have given Kevin Hilliard his marching orders. After 24 years of running Kev’s Pick ‘n’ Mix, a market stall in the Suffolk town dispensing foam bananas, cola bottles and rhubarb and custards, a rebrand of the market means he’s no longer relevant – indeed his presence is malign. The market is soon to be renamed “Fresh Fare at Fromus Square”, and Kev’s presence is deigned an aberration. The focus is on healthy produce and Kev’s offerings, patently, do not fall into that category. Haven’t you noticed there’s an obesity crisis?

The council’s decision is wrongheaded and will do the opposite of fighting obesity: it will enable it. Sweets, treats, puddings, desserts, pastries, cakes, biscuits and sprinkles are all respectable items to consume. It’s the quantity that’s the issue. They should be seen in the context of a happy, healthy diet; a nugget of joy in a desperate world. Which is why the place they should be sold is exactly in a market offering “fresh fare”.

In our local town of Wiveliscombe the wonderful Wivey Larder is a haven of organic, plant-based goodness. And having worked your way past the breads, veg and fruits, behind the till is a vast selection of old-fashioned sweets. The context is perfect and the message is balance. And that’s the pathway from obesity.

While Kev is cast out, the big bad boys are conquering the high street. The only visible growth seems to be in US-style candy stores. You can’t miss them. Even if such shops aren’t a rather novel front for international gangsters, as some have alleged they are, they act like a Pied Piper to kids and adults; susceptible to the allure of a floor-to-ceiling, multi-coloured cave of naughty pleasure.

I don’t eat sweets, preferring a bit of decent chocolate after lunch. But Saxmundham council’s actions make me want to make haste to Kev’s stall and stuff my face with gobstoppers and jelly babies. Now there’s a campaign we can all get behind. And it’s more fun than glueing yourself to the tarmac.