We’re indoctrinated to believe that as soon as we reach a semblance of adulthood we need to ‘put away childish things.’ But who decided that sweets should be childish? Sure, as we age, our tastes become more refined. Coffee becomes not just palatable, but desirable. Onions, olives, and blue cheese become a regular part of your diet. But mature tastes and sweet treats aren’t mutually exclusive. And a taste trip down memory lane can be good for the soul. So, these are our top six sweets guaranteed to send you on a sentimental journey.

Six Retro Sweets You Didn’t Know You Were Missing

Giant Milk Bottles

Whether you were of the ‘penny sweets at the corner shop’ generation, or a Woolworths pick ‘n’ mixer, choosing your own ‘mixture’ of sweets for the first time was a pivotal moment. And creamy sweet Giant Milk Bottles just had to be selected. Not only were they delicious, but they were bigger than all the other tub sweets (unless you counted Gobstoppers, and really, only the boys ever wanted those!). Once you try them again, we can almost guarantee that they’ll quickly become your guilty treating secret!

Fruity Pops

Fruity Pops lollies were rarely a first choice when you were choosing sweets for yourself. But they were in every single party bag. They were the treat at youth club or after Sunday school. And every time you opened them you remembered why you liked them. That rich fruity flavour would trigger every taste bud. They lasted for ages. And they were on a stick, so your fingers didn’t get sticky – which is a double bonus for the grown-up you!

Fizzers

Another party bag perennial, Fizzers could be eaten in two ways. You’d either separate out the colours, and eat each sweet individually, saving your favourite colour until last, or you would empty the packet into your hand and shove the whole lot in your mouth at once – enjoying the effervescent tingle that would somehow always find its way to your nose!

Banana Skids

They are as chewy as the chewiest toffee. Each bar takes about 6 years to eat (OK, so we’re exaggerating, but the chew factor does make them last longer than other sweets). And they taste like bananas. What’s not to love? The only time you might not want to revisit Banana Skids is if you’re waiting for an important phone call. Because you’ll find the words are quite hard to get out!

Rainbow Drops

One of the reasons that Rainbow Drops have remained popular for more than eight decades is because they are light in every sense of the word. They are lightly, sweetly flavoured. They weigh next to nothing. And a small bag contains only 37 calories. Which means that you can have a treat without going too far. Some people eat them with milk, like cereal. Others use them for baking. But we like Rainbow Drops just as they are – tiny morsels of confectionary perfection.

Strawberry Tarts

Imagine the perfect jam tart, only without the crumbs. You know where we’re coming from! Strawberry Tarts were the bomb! They didn’t just have that exceptional strawberry sweetness. They had the softer, almost milky base. They gave your mouth a bit of everything that it fancied, making them one of the most satisfying sweets around. They were unbeatable. They were incredible. And do you know what? They still are!

There comes a time when almost all of us leave sweets behind. It’s at the stage when we start aiming for sophistication. Some of us are lucky enough to rediscover sweets when we have our own kids. But why break away from the things that give you pleasure in the first place? We think that sweets should be for everyone. Because a little of what you fancy – just from time to time – does you good.