I like sweets, always have done and no doubt always will. However over the years my choice of sweets has been filtered down to a select few sweets of choice. That’s not to say I wouldn’t eat any other type of sweet as that would be ridiculous, however the following are my favourites.
Cadbury Star Bar
This is bar far my favourite sweet of all time. I’ve been eating them for years. They used to be advertised a fair bit on TV something along the lines of the biggest snack in the universe – something like that anyway. The wrapper was different in those days but the bar inside has not changed to my knowledge. I’m not sure how many of these fine bars I have actually eaten in total but it must run into over 1,000. It came into being in 1976 and had an image crisis in 1989 when it was renamed Peanut Boost but thankfully the folk at Cadbury saw sense and changed the name back to Starbar in 1994.
This 53g bar punches well above its weight delivering 270 calories. Now when I think back to the days when I’d happily eat four of these a day I was basically eating half my calorie intake in Starbars alone. On the SnackCheck web site it’s actually listed as the worst snack in terms of nutritional value. Well that might be so but I dont really care a jot. I don’t eat them for nutritional value I eat them because I love the taste. Out of interest I looked at what they thought their best snack was and they came up with Scotts Porage Oats – cant stand that stuff myself.
If you’re interested in some more facts on this great bar then look no further. Here are the ingredients for your own analysis or reading enjoyment.
Caramel (34%) (Glucose syrup, Hydrogenated vegetable oil, Sugar, Dried skimmed milk, Glycerol, Emulsifier (E471), Flavouring), Milk chocolate (Milk, Sugar, Cocoa mass, Cocoa butter, Vegetable fat, Emulsifier (E442), Flavourings), Peanuts (20%), Hydrogenated vegetable oil, Dried Whey, Crisp rice (Rice, Sugar, Wheat gluten, Malt extract, Dried whey, Salt), Sugar, Glucose Syrup, Emulsifier (Soya lecithin), Flavourings, Salt. Milk Chocolate: Milk Solids 14% minimum. Contains vegetable fats in addition to cocoa butter.
You might find it hard to locate a place to buy these, they’re not being sold everywhere and survive due to a small but loyal fan base. It is the Starbar fans out there that make sure Cadbury keep producing them. If you’re one of the unfortunate people who cannot locate a place to buy then give Starbar Mana visit. His site is dedicated to one thing and one thing only – he sells Starbars. so now you have no excuse not to go and buy some.
In New Zealand they have Starbars but they’re called Moro bars. They are the 4th fave bar in that country so it’s good to hear that somewhere in the world the Starbar (in disguise) is doing so well.
Now I turn to a totally different type of sweet, no chocolate in sight. This time I’m going to declare my love of Maynard Wine Gums.
Maynards Wine Gums
So here’s the history lesson. Charles Riley Maynard started his business in 1880 by producing sweets in a kitchen with his brother, Tom, while his wife, Sarah Ann, served their customers. Maynards was launched as a company in 1896, having expanded its manufacturing, wholesales and retail businesses. Maynards Wine Gums were introduced in 1909 by son Charles Gordon Maynard. Maynards Wine Gums are now also available with Half the Sugar, as Maynards Wine Gums Light. Wine gums contain no wine. The name comes from the lingering, subtle fruit flavours that make it “similar to the experience of savouring a fine wine”. In reference to this, the sweets have the names of alcoholic drinks on them, for example port, sherry, champagne, claret, gin and burgundy.
Now whilst I support the concept of sugar free I dont actually do it myself.