We all have memories of visiting a sweet shop, with jars filled with treats lining the walls from floor to ceiling. Colourful candies and retro sweets adorning every corner, and a friendly shopkeeper ready and waiting to weigh out your pick 'n' mix selection.
Sweet shops first appeared on British towns in the 1800 (in fact the oldest sweet shop in the world can be found in Yorkshire). Over the years, confectionary has evolved and changed to reflect people's tastes, but retro sweets continue to remain some of the UK's favourite treats.
Despite a revival of nostalgic shop fronts on the high street, today traditional sweet shops like this seem to be few and far between. And with even more people turning on online shopping, it appears that these old fashion stores could be lost all together.
However, that doesn't mean that retro sweets will be disappearing any time soon! And part of their appeal could be the fact that there is a proven link between our sense of taste and smell, and our memories.
From liquorice all sorts, pear drops and cola cubes to sherbet lemons, rhubarb & custard and bon bons, retro sweets offer nostalgic flavours which can transport anyone back to the good old days.
As experts in all things candy, the sweet connoisseurs at The Sweet Hamper Company know a thing or two about retro sweets. As a result, our retro sweet hampers are bursting with classic confectionary which ignites childhood memories.
In this article, we'll take a closer look at some of our favourite retro sweets which feature in our retro sweet hampers.
Traditional boiled sweets
Created by boiling sugar syrup and combining it with colours and flavours, traditional boiled sweets are one of the UK's top favourite retro sweets.
Boiled sweets as we know them today were originally invented in the 1820s and were a favourite of the Victorians. Before boiled sweets hit the market, luxury sugared candies were only available to the very rich - however the advent of the industrial revolution and the invention of more streamlined production methods changed all this. It wasn't long before boiled sweets took the masses by storm and became available in every flavour imaginable.
In fact, mint humbugs, sherbet lemons, rhubarb & custards and pear drops are all varieties of traditional boiled sweets.
Turkish delight
Believed to be one of the oldest sweets in the world and originating in Turkey in the late 1700s, Turkish Delight is traditionally flavoured with rose water.
Today, this brightly coloured jelly like confection can be found in an array of different flavours, is a popular addition to bags of pick 'n' mix and is also a delicious holiday souvenir.
Sherbert fountains
A staple of any retro sweet collection, the classic sherbet fountain has been a favourite since it was launched in 1925.
Consisting on a tube of fizzy sherbet and a liquorice dipping stick, this confectionary has stood the test of time and is still wrapped in vintage inspired packaging to this day.
Flying saucers
Appearing at the same time as the space race started in the 1950s, these simple yet tasty discs are created by encasing sherbet in between coloured rice paper.
Jelly babies
Jelly babies are another British creation which was born in Lancashire in the 1880s (pardon the pun). The most recognisable variety of jelly babies have been manufactured by Bassett's since 1918 - when they were marketed as 'Peace Babies' to mark the end of World War I.
These plump, juicy candies are officially one of the UK's favourite treats and were rated number six in a poll of Britain's top sweets in 2009.
You can find all these retro sweets and more in our retro sweet hampers, available here.