One of the best bits in "Supersizers Go Seventies" was when Giles Coren and Sue Perkins visited a fantastic-looking old-fashioned sweet shop and found themselves face to face with glorious sweets from yesteryear - cola cubes, humbugs, peardrops, spacedust and the like.
I've never been able to track down this particular establishment, but Mrs Kibble's Olde Sweet Shoppe fits the bill just as well.
The windows are crammed with enormous jars stuffed with good old-fashioned jaw-breaking sweetness, but I was surprised to discover they also have three shelves of sugar-free sweets for diabetics (or the more abstemious) amongst us.
Overwhelmed by choice, Hubby and I eventually plumped for a mix of 50g each of Butterscotch Gums, Sour Apples, sugar-free Lemon Sherbets, and sugar-free Strawberries and Creams.
As the lovely Scottish assistant packaged up our goodies, I also noticed a chocolate counter containing luscious-looking hand-made truffles.
Thus into the basket went a dinky box of Praline Truffle, Chocolate Cream, Lemon Souffle, Malibu & Coconut Truffle, Banana Cream, Violet Creme and Rose Creme. Hubby added a Sherbet Dip Dab (with bonus Cola Dip!) and we shuffled home.
Back at the ranch, I waited about two minutes before ripping open the box of chocs. The Praline Truffle and Chocolate Cream were lush, cocoa-rich and crazily fresh-tasting, as if made with real, clotted cream.
The Lemon Souffle, Malibu & Coconut Truffle, and Banana Cream were equally delicious and you could definitely taste real fruit.
However, the Rose Creme and Violet Creme felt like an assault to all my senses. Cloying, over-perfumed, air freshenery horrors, I ended up spitting them back out.
Sweeties next. Sugar-free doesn't have to mean flavour-free, and Mrs Kibble has done a sterling job with the Sherbet Lemons and Strawberries and Creams. And the Sour Apples were really, really toothsome - not too astringent, and just the right amount of appley punch.
Sadly, the Butterscotch Gums were weirdly bland and plasticky tasting and barely tasted sweet at all.
To sum up, run don't walk to Mrs Kibble's Olde Sweet Shoppe to get your sugary blast from the past.
They also have great gift ideas, like huge personalised sweetie jars or make-your-own hampers of goodies.
Mrs Kibble's Olde Sweet Shoppe
57A Brewer Street
London W1F 9UL
Mrs Kibble's Olde Sweet Shoppe
4 St Christopher's Place
London W1U 1LZ
Comments