Fact Friday: Advent Calendars

Did you know that advent calendars originate from Germany?

Although the practice of celebrating the season of Advent dates back to the 4th century, the counting down of days to Christmas with the use of a visual identifier, or activity, is believed to have originated in Germany in the 1700’s.

Protestant families would count down to Christmas day, celebrating the ‘adventus‘ (which means ‘arrival‘ in Latin) of Jesus Christ, by creating a chalk tally and wiping away each day that draws near, or place a religious image on display, or even eat a tasty snack for every day in the month until the 25th. It wasn’t until the early 1900’s that printed advent calendars were invented – also in Germany!

The first wooden calendar was created in 1852, setting a precedent for the first printed version in 1900 titled ‘St. Nicholas the Santa Claus’. German publisher Gerhart Lang is often credited as the first manufacturer of the printed advent calendar, having launched his 24 day product around 1902. But it wasn’t until a half a century later that advent calendars began to feature chocolate.

Early printed German advent calendar

Popularized by returning soldiers from European battlefields following the Second World War, this Germanic festive tradition evolved further in the US and UK until calendars containing chocolate emerged in the mid 1950’s, although calendars containing traditional sugar candies had been in production for several decades.

Cadbury of Bournville, Birmingham, have been market leaders since the release of their first chocolate advent calendar in 1971. These, and their chocolate coins (discontinued in 2014 but now back in time for Christmas 2023) have now become a staple in many British households during the advent season.

Cadbury’s Dairy Milk advent calendars have been popular for generations; this year they brought back some vintage designs from the 1990’s!

Today, brands such as Cadbury, Kinder, Lindt, Nestle, Mars, Kinnerton (who usually make those cheap, nasty pound shop calendars), Haribo and Terry’s, to name a few, can be found on British shelves with a range of tasty and fun advent calendars. But, if you don’t have a sweet tooth, you can also get calendars that contain crisps, cheese, preserves, socks, beer, and event advent calendars to spoil your pets with!

How do you count down, or count up, to Christmas?

Wrapper Wednesday: Reese’s Peanut Butter Trees

It’s Christmas! Well, almost…so here’s a themed Wrapper Wednesday suited to the season – ‘Reese’s Peanut Butter Trees’.

The Reese’s empire was founded in the 1920’s by former Hershey employee, Harry Burnett Reese. Reese was a talented confectioner and saw an opportunity to create something for himself, and in 1928, created the first incarnation of his famous Peanut Butter Cups.

These quintessential American candies were bought out, along with the whole company, by Reese’s former employer in 1963, and the brand has since expanded into a plethora of peanut and chocolate-based treats: perhaps the most iconic, is the original peanut butter cup.

In the USA, these sweets are molded into seasonal shapes to reflect the holidays; hearts for Valentines, eggs at Easter, ghosts and pumpkins for Halloween, and of course, Christmas trees at Christmas!

Reese’s Peanut Butter tree

The Reese’s brand is instantly recognizable with the strong, punchy use of orange, yellow and brown, a colour combo that has been in use since the 1940’s. It’s an iconic combination and the ‘orange background’ is even trademarked! But this first wrapper is a little more subdued, with a primary focus on presenting a winter landscape. It’s cool, and calm, allowing that iconic orange to be lifted front and centre.

More Reese’s Peanut Butter trees

The second example features more of the famous colour scheme, and includes a rendering of the confection too…although they look more like wobbly poops more than trees…that clear cut shape is somewhat lacking! But, I believe people buy these primarily for the taste, not the shape.

I personally prefer the cool, crisp winter version. The product branding is so strong for Reese’s, that it doesn’t need to dominate the majority of the wrapper – just a simple, orange silhouette is enough to be recognizable.

Who would like to see more shapes for more holidays? Shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day? Peanut butter turkeys at Thanksgiving? Star shapes for Veteran’s Day perhaps? Maybe some of these have already been and gone – let me know if you have had other fun Reese’s shapes!

Review: Pepsi X Peeps

Peeps-a-boo! It’s Easter Sunday and up for today’s seasonal review I have ‘Peeps‘ flavoured ‘Pepsi‘ cola along with some classic ‘Peeps‘ marshmallows and ‘Peeps Gummies‘ thrown in for good measure! Hold on folks, it’s going to be a sugary journey!

Pepsi X Peeps 2023, ft. original Peeps Chicks marshmallows

‘Peeps‘ marshmallow chicks and rabbits are synonymous with Easter faire over here in the USA. These sugar-coated, squishy lumps (which vaguely resemble a young chick) were originally created by the Rodda Candy Company, Pennsylvania. When the company was bought out by Just Born confectioners they began to mass produce Rodda’s marshmallow ‘Peeps‘ and introduced them to the nation in 1953.

Previously these squashy chooks took approximately 27 hours to produce and package by hand! Just Born shaved that time into just six minutes!

I’ve had ‘Peeps‘ in the past. Before moving to the United States I envisioned these adorable mallow characters to be absolutely delicious. A vision of Spring in yellow sugary form. How could anything this sweet in appearance taste anything less than absolute?

They are gross. And I’m not the only one who thinks so! Despite a rainbow of colours and a huge variety of limited edition flavours; kettle corn, Dr. Pepper, sour watermelon, fruit punch, party cake and chocolate-dipped to name a few…’Peeps‘ are often the last candy standing at the end of the Easter festivities.

Reduced to just cents a box, they cover supermarket shelves long after we’ve had our fill of Easter lamb, ham and chocolates.

‘Peeps‘ are gritty, pillowy lumps of artificially dyed sponge-like mallow. Despite all the sugar, I don’t find them to be that sweet in taste. There’s a strange, chemical after taste that sticks in your teeth.

I have seen ‘Peeps‘ used as table decorations at weddings, used as ornamental features in floral displays, even turned into napkin holders! They are utilized in arts and crafts as much as they are eaten/endured by snackers.

I did find the ‘Pepsi X Peeps’ collaboration however, to be much more palatable. This limited edition marshmallow flavoured cola has appeared seasonally in the US before, and has returned for 2023.

They definitely should have called it ‘Peepsi’!

Upon unscrewing the cap I can smell vanilla immediately – it gives the Pepsi an almost buttery smell and taste. I think fans of Coca-Cola Vanilla and similar products might also enjoy this ‘Peeps‘ makeover.

Although I wouldn’t describe the taste as ‘marshmallow‘ flavoured, it definitely tastes artificial (just like the real ‘Peeps‘) but I find it to be more enjoyable…not enough to drink the whole bottle mind.

‘Peeps Gummies‘ are sugar-encrusted chewy sweets in classic chick and Peeps bunnies form (Peeps Bunnies didn’t appear on shelves until the 1980’s). Again, their outrageously adorable appearance is deceptive…They taste more like the limited edition Pepsi than original mallow ‘Peeps‘ shapes, but don’t taste much better.

Slightly better than the original ‘Peeps’, but not by much…’Peeps Gummies’

Overall, ‘Peeps‘ offers too much non-descript, artificial flavour for me…however, I love ‘Peeps‘ branding*. Shoes, t-shirts, plushies, pencil cases, hair bows…you name it I love it! I just don’t love the taste. But due to the strength of their branding, and the fact that I love anything chick and bunny shaped, it’s going to be hard to avoid these cuties year after year!

*they definately missed a trick in calling the new Pepsi ‘Peepsi‘!

If you’re intrigued by ‘Peeps‘, then check out my pals over at Candy Is Dandy – a candy review podcast based in LA. This week they ate fifteen types of ‘Peeps‘ and reviewed them so you don’t have to!

Candy is Dandy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMa9ZY2NgxA

Instagram: @candyisdandypod

Fact Friday: Kinder Surprise Eggs

Did you know that ‘Kinder Eggs‘ are illegal in the USA?

The ‘Kinder Surprise‘, also known as the ‘Kinder Egg’ was invented in 1974 by Michele Fererro – of the Italian dynasty that created the ‘Fererro Rocher‘ (1982) and ‘Nutella‘ chocolate-hazelnut spread (originally conceived in 1946).

The egg-shaped chocolate treat consists of a milk chocolate shell, which is lined with a creamy confection and contains a small toy kept safe in an orange yolk-type plastic capsule. Unfortunately, it is this novel idea that makes the European children’s favourite banned in the USA …

‘Kinder Surprise‘ vintage French advert (“Different surprises all fantastic and exciting”)

In 1938 the American Food and Drug Administration deemed any consumable that contained a ‘non-nutritive object embedded’ is not allowed. Although the ‘Kinder Surprise‘ is available in neighbouring countries Canada and Mexico, they will be confiscated if you are found smuggling these treats across the border!

In order to satiate the cravings for a child-friendly treat and toy combo, in 2018 Fererro released the ‘Kinder Joy‘ into the American market. Although it is also egg shaped and contains a miniature toy, the ‘Kinder Joy’ greatly differs from its Italian cousin the ‘Kinder Surprise’.

The packaging is made of two halves stuck together that have to be peeled back to reveal the goodies inside: one half contains the toy, the other contains a scoopable chocolate and creme spread with two cocoa wafer balls.

The differences between ‘Kinder Surprise’ and ‘Kinder Joy’ eggs

Similar…but not quite the same.

‘Kinder Surprise‘ toys in the past have ranged from farm yard animals, dinosaurs, cars and trains, Disney princesses, space aliens, Transformers, cowboys and ancient warriors. Some of the earlier toys were even hand painted!

‘Kinder Suprise‘ is not just for Easter either, these ovoid treats are enjoyed by children all year around…just not American children!

Wrapper Wednesday: Oreo Wafer Rolls

Now when it comes to Oreos I’m a bit of a purist. I prefer the straight up, regular sandwich biscuits (cookies) – no extra stuff, no thins, no mint, strawberry, peanut butter or Lady Gaga collaborations thank you very much. However, these crispy Oreo Wafer Rolls suit me just fine!

Oreo Wafer Rolls from China

This adorable box was purchased from one of my favorite Chinese supermarkets in Manchester city centre. And although I couldn’t read the writing, the multi-blue colour scheme gave me an inkling that this was perhaps an Oreo-related product…and I was right!

The cute bunny and bear duo really sold me on this packaging, and I would have probably purchased it regardless of what was inside; luckily for me it contained tasty, crispy, chocolately wafer rolls. The rabbit looks absolutely elated.

The Oreo was released in China in 1996 (84 years after its invention) but was not an immediate success. The unique flavour profile of bitter biscuit and sweet, creamy filling was too much for Chinese consumers. The nostalgia of twisting, licking and dunking the cookies in milk as part of a childhood snack was also lost on its new audience.

As a result of these findings, NABISCO (National Biscuit Company) began to experiment with how to alter the format and flavour of the Oreo to better appeal to Chinese snackers. These Oreo Wafer Rolls are just one of the unique and successful experiments created to boost the cookie brand’s popularity: and they are also available in strawberry, vanilla and matcha.

I don’t remember the taste being reminiscent of Oreo’s signature cookie in any way, but for me it didn’t matter. Tasty treat. Adorable cartoon animals. Sold.

I love buying Asian snacks. Their packaging is usually bright, cheery and sweet, and because I can’t read any other language than English, opening a packet up is always a lucky dip! And usually I get pretty lucky!

Wrapper Wednesday: Junior Mints Hearts

Love is in the air, woah woah woah, love is in the air! In the spirit of Valentines Day next week, today I have a love-themed wrapper (and sweets) for today’s Wrapper Wednesday: Junior Mints Hearts.

Junior Mints, Heart Shaped edition

 ‘America’s favorite chocolate covered creamy mint’ was invented in 1949 and took their name from a popular Broadway show ‘Junior Miss‘.

Similar to British ‘Poppets‘, Junior Mints are bite-sized pieces of peppermint crème coated in dark chocolate. As you can see from these pictures, the minty centre are slightly runnier than the crème inside a mint ‘Poppet‘; and for this special Valentines edition, some of the centres have been coloured red (which in my opinion is slightly off-putting).

Nevertheless, it’s a fun-filled novelty fit for the romantic holiday. Due to the large size of these special heart-shaped candies this Junior Mints box is deeper than a traditional packet – and I really appreciate the ‘actual size’ illustrations featured on the front. Show off them big old choccies!

A big heart calls for a bigger candy

Which chocolates will you be sharing/devouring this Valentines?

Review: Candy Bars by True Treats Candy

Well aren’t I the lucky one? I have received another tasty parcel from the lovely people at True Treats Candy – America’s only researched-based sweet shop! This time they’ve asked me and their other tasters to review a small selection of ‘vintage’ American chocolate bars (all in miniature); ‘Big Hunk’, vanilla ‘Charleston Chew’, ‘Peanut Chews’ and ‘Butterscotch Smoothie’ peanut butter cup.

Sweets provided by True Treats

Now, I have had the pleasure of sampling all but one of these candies before, but lets see how they compare side by side…

First up is the vanilla ‘Charleston Chew’. Created during the roaring ’20’s, this chocolate enrobed nougat, taffy-like bar was created around 1922 (some sources say 1925) and took its name from the popular dance craze at the time – the Charleston. It is chewy, sweet and ever so slightly chocolaty. This bite-sized piece is just the right portion if you don’t like picking out toffee from between your teeth!

But if you like a good chew, or a piece of candy to gnaw away the afternoon on, the regular sized Chews are best left in the fridge or freezer first before consumption – that way you end up with a treat that tastes like ice cream and gives a satisfying chewy chomp.

‘Big Hunk’ (or ‘Little Hunk’ in this case) is also a nougat based candy bar, sweetened with honey and includes peanuts. Produced by the Annabelle Candy Company, who also make ‘Look!’ ‘Rocky Road’ and ‘Abba Zabba’ confectioneries, the ‘Big Hunk’ has been around since the 1950’s.

The taste of the honey nougat is very strong and naturally sweet. And even though this fun-sized piece is naught but a mouthful, the taste of roasted peanuts comes through and offers a small change in texture when eaten. This flavour profile reminds me of my seaside home back in the UK (I now live in Wichita, KS) as nougat bars are a seaside staple in all souvenir shops.

Both this and ‘Charleston Chew’ are extremely…chewy! And they’re a lot of fun to eat.

Goldenberg ‘Peanut Chews’ are a regional favourite in and around Philadelphia. It is a bar that consists of roasted peanuts, formed together with sticky molasses and coated in dark chocolate. Created in 1917 it one of America’s oldest candy bars. This small piece is chock full of big peanut pieces and although the molasses gives it a good chew also, the nuts give ample crunch and it’s a great combination of textures. The smooth, rich dark chocolate compliments the earthy sweetness of the molasses (something that I do not enjoy in my sweet treats).

Having also previously tried the full sized Peanut Chew, I much prefer this little Halloween-sized portion as the molasses profile develops much later in the mouth…and then it’s gone!

I have eaten my fair share of peanut butter cups in my time: in my late teens there was an influx of American candy imports to the UK and Reese’s was one of the most obtainable treats. But even though I’ve lived in the US for over a year now, I’ve still not tried a ‘butterscotch peanut butter cup’…until now!

Boyer were the first candy company to create a ‘cup’ candy treat in the 1930’s with the ‘Mallo Cup’. Instead of a chocolate topping, Boyer’s butterscotch peanut butter cups are made with a buttery, caramel-like golden candy. Butterscotch itself is traditionally made with sugar, butter and cream and is a cousin of the fudge and toffee family – the Boyer Smoothie cup definitely is reminiscant of these flavours.

Much sweeter than chocolate, the butterscotch cup would be borderline sickly if any larger, yet is oddly morish and reminds me a little of the golden chocolate bar ‘Caramac‘. It is a delightfully different take on the American candy staple of a peanut butter cup.

In summary, what a great little selection to showcase some of America’s long-running candy bars! Most of these sweets are still produced by the original company – and unless we continue to buy and eat regional treats such as ‘Boyer Butterscotch Smoothie‘ cups and ‘Big Hunk‘s, they are at risk of eventually being squashed by the Big Three (Mars, Nestle and Hershey)!

Save America’s candy history…eat a ‘Charleston Chew’!

You can learn more about True Treats candy store here: https://truetreatscandy.com/

Wrapper Wednesday: Hello Panda

Hello New Year! And ‘Hello Panda‘ on this week’s Wrapper Wednesday!

‘Hello Panda fun filled biscuit treats‘ have been produced by Meiji, Japan, since 1979 and can be found in a wide variety of flavours; here are just a few that are within in my collection…matcha green tea, caramel, coconut and chocolate.

The sweet, moreish, printed biscuit vessel is perfect for mixing and matching flavours and adapting to themes, holidays and seasons. For example, the caramel box features the Panda characters engaged with a variety of sports, where as for the coconut edition they can be found enjoying a tropical vacation.

Each cookie is printed with a Panda taking part in one of up to thirty different sports, and are either round or panda-head shaped.

Apparently, despite being created in Japan, the ‘Hello Panda‘ range is no longer widely available in the country. Some have speculated that the cookie’s international success meant that producers Meiji have focused on foreign markets rather than home sales.

The ability to pick ‘n’ mix tastes and themes makes ‘Hello Panda‘ biscuits/cookies a treat that can be easily enjoyed all year round and for any occasion (not that we need an excuse to enjoy these tasty Japanese-origin snacks).

Wrapper Wednesday: Whoppers Snowballs

Oooh, only a few more days to go until Christmas day! And here on Wrapper Wednesday we’re continuing the theme of festive posts with today’s feature ‘Whoppers Snowballs‘.

Festive malt balls

‘Whoppers‘ were created in 1939 by the Overland Candy Company (Chicago) and were originally sold under the name ‘Giants‘ until 1949 when they were bought by Leaf Brands: later acquired by Hershey in 1996.

They are a chocolate-coated malt ball treat, and despite the tagline ‘be an original’, arguably they are the American version of UK-born ‘Malteasers‘ (created three years earlier in 1936 by Forrest Mars).

For the holiday season these morishly malty sweets have been coated in a white vanilla creme and packaged as ‘snowballs’. It’s a simple, yet very cute, way to adapt a product for the winter season. ‘White’ versions of popular snacks and chocolates are very popular over Christmas, and the ‘Whoppers‘ perfectly spherical shape allows this to be an easy and affective transition.

And being associated with the broader theme of ‘winter’ rather than ‘Christmas’, this packaging could appeal to a wider range of American customers.

Are you a ‘Whoppers‘ fan? Or a ‘Malteasers‘ fan?

Review: Darrell Lea Licorice Allsorts & Gustaf’s Licorice Ice

Black, or traditional, liquorice seems to be a flavour that divides opinion and appears to be less revered among younger generations. Today I have two black liquorice sweets up for review that might tempt you to give it another try if you are not so keen on this traditional flavour…

Liquorice (English spelling) or licorice (American spelling) has been used in medicinal tablets, suckets, comfits and cakes for centuries and arguably was one of the first ‘flavours’ to transcend its homeopathic history into the realm of established confectionery.

Australian sweet company Darrell Lea was established in 1934 by English immigrant Henry Lea, and named after his youngest child. The Aussie company is well known for their range of traditional and fruit flavoured liquorice as well as chocolate bars and confections that combine the two.

These ‘soft’ liquorice allsorts are some of the chunkiest I’ve ever seen! And despite their name being ‘soft’, I actually found these to be rather firm. Due to their generous size I also found them a little difficult to chew in one mouthful (those with bigger gobs might not have the same issue). But despite a minor jaw ache, they tasted great.

Chunky chunky licorice allsorts by Darrell Lea

Layered with black liquorice and fondant infused with coconut these allsorts are a great combination of sweet and bitter flavours. However, considering these are ‘allsorts’, I was also a little disapointed to find that all the sweets were of the same variety, albeit, different colours.

Liquorice Allsorts originated in 1899, England, when a travelling salesman for the Bassett’s confectionery company, accidently spilled his samples across the counter of a potential buyer. Up to that point Charlie Thompson had struggled to sell his array of sweets, but when the customer saw the jumbled up mix of liquorice, fondant and sprinkle-coated sweets, he said he would happily buy this random assortment together.

Darrell Lea’s Liquorice Allsorts lack any other variety other than the liquorice/fondant sandwich. In a typical mix you may also find a ‘spog’ (aniseed flavoured jelly covered in candy sprinkles), coconut ring, and small chunks of ‘pencils’ (fondant filled black liquorice rolls) to name a few. If Darrell Lea’s assortment also included some of these then it would be a very fine assortment indeed.

Gustaf’s ‘Licorice Ice‘ somewhat resemble a nub of chalk…but taste much better! Interestingly enough the Dutch word of ‘licorice ice’ is ‘schoolkrijt‘ or ‘krijtjes‘ (say kri-teous). This peppermint flavoured liquorice sweet was invented in the 1960’s by a small candy factory in Amsterdam. The company today produce a wide variety of liquorice-based sweets; black and fruit, salty, allsorts, belts, laces and and tablets.

The white outer shell is thin, sugary and crunchy. After biting through it there is an extremely sweet taste followed by the strong, herbal flavour of black liquorice. The cool peppermint comes through last, floats around at the back of the teeth before all three balance out and linger in the mouth.

Gustaf’s ‘Licorice Ice’ from the Netherlands

‘Licorice Ice’ is definately the sweetest black liquorice product I’ve ever tried, and I think for those of you who aren’t too keen on this traditional taste, something with a flavour profile such as this might be a good ‘gateway’ liquorice product.

For me, the sweetness is a little too much. I obviously prefer a more earthy root taste to my liquorice sweets…each to their own…but the overall impact of Gustaf’s ice is very pleasant.

And there you have it! Are you pro-black liquorice? Or do you prefer the soft, Aussie, fruity kind? Or can you not abide the whole thing in general?

Wrapper Wednesday: Mrs. Carver’s Fruit Cake

It’s ‘that time of year’ on Wrapper Wednesday! And whether you like it or loath it, fruitcake is a Christmas-time staple!

This fantastic white and metallic gold circular tin once contained ‘perfectly baked‘ light fruitcake: packed with cherries, apricots, pineapple, pecans, cashews and coconut, and was made by ‘Mrs. Carver‘ of the Carver Foods Company, Texas, USA.

Mrs. Carver’s home baked quality fruitcake

This is definitely a product of Texas! The tin features a rootin’ tootin’ cowfolk who goes by the name of ‘Tex Kringle‘ – who is dressed up like Santa Claus, totin’ his candy canes and cowboy boots – he’s even roped in his (unimpressed) horse to act as a reindeer. Due to this character alone I felt compelled to buy this tin!

Inside the lid is another wonderful illustration and back-story to the Carver Foods Company’s fruitcake. It tells the story of Mrs. Carver and her son Jerry baking Christmas cakes together, giving each one ‘individual care‘ creating a ‘titillating tidbit of sheer ambrosia‘…companies these days just don’t describe their products like this any more!

This type of language; ‘home baked quality‘, individual care‘, ‘finest ingredients‘, ‘original‘, ‘our pledge‘, combined with the image of mother and son working around the stove creates an image of a wholesome company creating quality foods for you and your family. That strong reassurance and confidence in brand quality is something we see a lot less on the supermarket shelves, whether it’s simply a marketing ploy or not. It is often the smaller, independent companies that still use this technique today to stand out against the big brands we simply don’t judge anymore. We assume the big brands taste good, but we need more reassurance from the little guys to try their products…

Inside the tin’s lid reveals the fruitcake’s back story…

This tin roughly dates to late 1950’s/1960’s. Although I couldn’t find much information about the Carver Foods Company, or ‘Mrs. Carver‘, it does appear that Mrs. Carver fruitcakes are still being produced by bakery company Beatrice Bakery (whose fruitcake origins date back to 1917).

Besides the fantastic nature of Tex Kringle, this tin reminds us that some of the best treats at this time of year are made by hand, by family, the old fashioned way.

Wrapper Wednesday: Banana Whip Milky Way

It’s Wrapper Wednesday! And this week we’re taking a look at a fruity twist on a classic chocolate bar: a ‘Banana Whip Milky Way’ from Australia.

The original ‘Milky Way‘ bar was invented by American confectioner Frank Mars in 1923 and is a concoction of nougat and caramel, enrobed in milk chocolate, and was inspired by popular malted milk drinks.

Outside of the US the ‘Milky Way‘ does not contain any caramel and the whipped vanilla nougat is considerably lighter than it’s American counterpart. The American ‘Milky Way‘ is essentially a UK ‘Mars‘ bar, and a UK ‘Milky Way’ is similar to a US ‘3 Musketeers‘…got all that?

Confusion aside, this wrapper belonged to an Australian ‘Milky Way‘ (just like the UK recipe) but with banana flavoured nougat instead.

I wish I could remember what this tasted like because I am attracted to anything banana flavoured! We also don’t see much in the way of ‘Milky Way‘ variations in the UK either so this was a novelty – I’d sure like to see more flavours like this available globally.

Fact Friday: Cracker Jack Mascots

Did you know that the Cracker Jack mascots ‘Sailor Jack‘ and ‘Bingo‘ the dog were modelled on real figures?

The popular American popcorn, molasses and peanut based snack ‘Cracker Jack‘ has been produced since 1893 when an early version of the mix went on sale at the Chicago World’s Fair. Created by German immigrant brothers Frederick and Louis Rueckheim the ‘Candied Popcorn and Peanuts’ were not branded as ‘Cracker Jack‘ until 1896. Urban legends tell us that the snappy name came from a delighted customer, who upon tasting the snack, exclaimed that it was a real ‘cracker jack’ – slang for something meaning ‘great‘ or ‘wonderful‘ at the time.

Vintage Cracker Jack box, featuring the early red, white and blue colour scheme

In 1918 (or there abouts) Cracker Jack mascots ‘Sailor Jack’ and ‘Bingo‘ the dog were added to the patriotic-coloured boxes. Sailor Jack was modeled on Frederick Rueckheim’s grandson Robert, who unfortunately died of pneumonia several years earlier, at the age of eight.

Sailor Jack and Bingo feature on a patriotic, vintage advert

Bingo the dog was inspired by adopted pet ‘Russel‘ who was owned by the Rueckheim’s business partner Henry Eckstein: the inventor of the revolutionary wax-lined ‘triple proof bag’ that kept the popcorn and peanuts fresh.

The chipper duo can still be found on boxes and bags of Cracker Jack snacks today over a century later.

Contemporary bag of Cracker Jack popcorn

Cracker Jack’s iconic ‘prize in every box’ marketing campaign is also a current feature. Starting in 1912 after an initial two years of including ‘prize coupons’, packs used to contain the likes of of small toys, baseball cards, dolls, decoder rings and costume jewellery. Modern prizes now often come in the form of stickers, temporary tattoos or jokes.

Wrapper Wednesday: Uncle Joe’s Caramelised Toffee Apples

OOOOOH! Only five more days until the Big ‘H’ so we better start getting into the spirit (get it?) with this week’s Wrapper Wednesday: featuring Wigan’s most famous son, Uncle Joe.

Uncle Joe’s was founded in 1898 by husband and wife team William and Ellen Santus. The company’s humble roots started on a modest market stall in the northern town of Wigan, selling fruit and Ellen’s own hand made mints and toffees.

Almost 125 years later (they will be celebrating this anniversary next year) and Uncle Joe’s most popular creation, the mint ball, is still made to the same recipe and in the same traditional method – cooked over gas fires in giant copper pans (I should know, I got to see them make mint balls last year on my factory tour)!

This is not a wrapper for a mint ball however…The autumnal flavours of caramel and apple have been infused into the company’s trademark hard candy confection ‘balls’ in order to create ‘caramelised toffee apples’ (which is what we call ‘candy apples’ or ‘carmel apples’ in the UK).

The company’s mascot Uncle Joe (a pure marketing creation) has been given a spooky make-over to celebrate the Halloween season, featuring fangs and an upturned collar – he always had the dapper top hat! The company’s patriotic colours of red, white and blue have been subdued by the strong Halloween decor of black and orange – with traditionally frightening images of bats, a graveyard and a haunted house…as well as some fireworks thrown in for Bonfire Night!

It incorporates all those classic fun images that we think of during these autumn months, and it’s great to see a company adapt their classic logo with the changing seasons.

Wrapper Wednesday: Squirrel Confectionery Company

It’s Wrapper Wednesday! And we’re up in the North West of England (my home turf) this week with this fabulous sweet tin by the Stockport-based Squirrel Confectionery Company.

‘A Piper And Pair of Nutcrackers’

This medium sized tin is adorned with a colourful rendition of Sir Edwin Landseer’s ‘A Piper And Pair of Nutcrackers‘ (1864). Landseer is most famous for his portraits of animals, in particular his painting ‘The Monarch of the Glen‘, which features a large stag; but also his sculptural work, including the lions at the base of Nelson’s Column in London.

Inside on the lid is a fantastically bright illustration of the company name and trademark squirrel mascot. This is quite a common feature amongst Squirrel Confectionery tins, with the lids sometimes describing what was inside; ‘Clear Gums’ and ‘Gums’ for example (mine does not).

Inside the lid…

During the late 19th century it was very common to find images of famous paintings or works of art adorning chocolate, sweets and biscuit tins; this trend was carried well into the 1950’s and 1960’s (which is where I think my tin is dated from).

The Squirrel Chocolate & Confectionery Co. opened in Stockport in 1930 having been previously founded in 1832 as a grocery business. Over the decades the name has changed several times, but they continued to produce and trade in jams, preserves, tea, coffee and confectionery.

According to the remnants of a torn and tattered paper label on the tin, this container once held cherry lips – a small, hard gum-based sweet. And was sold at one shilling (1/-) per quarter (approx. 5p per 113g).

Cherry lips – a sweet shop favourite

Despite passing through many hands since the 1980’s, the Squirrel brand still produces cherry lips and floral gums under its parent company Tangerine (located a few miles away from my old home in the seaside town of Blackpool).

Squirrel’s great graphics, bold text and tactile tins make them a very popular collector’s item these days!