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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
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Jessica Molyneux & Lee Dalgetty

Lost sweets Edinburgh locals would love to see return to supermarket shelves

The recent news that Bounty bars have been banished from Celebrations tubs ahead of Christmas has got us thinking about all the fondly-recalled sugary treats that have vanished from supermarket shelves down the years.

While there's no shortage of bars of chocolate, crisp flavours and sweet treats to choose from these days, it doesn't mean we don't yearn for those that have been lost along the way.

Sometimes our old favourites have simply been renamed or rebranded, but there have been instances when once popular guilty pleasures were discontinued altogether.

READ MORE - Edinburgh residents recall legendary sweet shop Casey’s

Here in Edinburgh, we spent our childhoods waiting for the next trip to Casey's - which had two locations in the city back in the day. Otherwise, heading to Jeannie Veitch’s would do just fine.

Wherever you were going, you knew what was on offer - and many of these highly sought after delicacies are unavailable today.

We reached out to our followers on social media to ask them which treats they'd like to see return to Edinburgh's confectionery sections and supermarket shelves. The responses are bound to stir up some memories, and, as it turns out the Bounty bar is not the only coconut-based treat to have faced backlash over the years!

Secret

A chocolate bar which some argue was the most delicious creation from Rowntrees, Secret bars first appeared in the early '90s - before making a shock exit from the shelves in the late '90s.

Some may remember the iconic advert, filmed in a 1940s mystery style and telling the story of an elegant lady on a train. A mysterious man burst into her cabin, handing her a Secret bar before telling her to 'guard it with her life'.

By the time he returned, she'd gobbled the whole thing up. The words 'You can't trust anyone to keep a Secret' then appeared on screen.

While they haven't been on offer for over two decades, interest in the sweets is ongoing. In fact, there's an ongoing petition on Change.org to revive the much loved confection - which you can sign here.

Potato Puffs

Burton's Potato Puffs

Made by Burton's, Potato Puff crisps came onto our shelves in the 1960s. But they were very popular and a part of many childhoods through the decades.

Flavours included ready salted, cheese and onion, and salt and vinegar - as well as tomato ketchup. They disappeared around 2009, but there is now a Facebook group dedicated to bringing them back, where accounts hail the product as "the best crisps ever".

Cabana

A milk chocolate bar filled with coconut and cherry, the Cabana bar was ripped from the shelves in the '90s along with several other Rowntrees creations.

Those of a certain age will remember the televised adverts, with the tagline 'Tropical Magic'. Like many much-loved and lost sweet treats, there are ongoing campaigns to bring back the Cabana bar - more on that here.

Bandits

A clip from a Bandit biscuit advert (Image: Bandit/YouTube/Screengrab)

Biscuit manufacturer William Macdonald gave the world "Penguin", "Munchmallow", "Yo-Yo" and "Bandit" biscuits decades ago. Many will remember the famous Bandit adverts, showing a group of bandits stealing the bars and getting caught red handed.

The milk chocolate wafer bars were a popular choice for years. One advertisement, shared online, show's the slogan "now capture the rich taste of Bandit".

Pyramint

Discontinued chocolate bar Terry's Pyramint

Terry’s – famous for Terry’s Chocolate Orange – also used to make Pyramint. The dark chocolate Egyptian pyramid shape had a minty middle.

The chunky treat first came onto our shelves in the 1980s. But sadly, Pyramint has not been seen since the 1990s.

Spangles

A brand of boiled sweets from Mars, Spangles were available from the '50s into the early '80s. The round paper wrapped treats came in various flavours such as Acid Drop, Barley Sugar, Blackcurrant, Liquorice, Peppermint, Spearmint and Tangerine.

Selection boxes, and lives, have never been the same since Spangles were discontinued. In 2008, Spangles topped a poll of discontinued brands which British consumers would most like to see revived.

Texan Bar

A milk chocolate Nestle Texan Bar (Image: Birmingham Post and Mail)

American-inspired, Texan Bar stood out boldly on the shelves with the US colours emblazoned within each letter on the packaging. Once you opened the wrapper, you were met with a nougat and toffee bar covered with chocolate.

The Texan bar was everywhere during the '70s and '80s, but was sadly discontinued towards the end of the '80s. It was briefly reinstated in 2005 by Nestlé for a limited period - and was once voted Britain's favourite ever chocolate.

Fry's Five Centre

Launched in 1924, these bars had a pretty good run all things considered. They disappeared in 1992, but it feels like just yesterday that we were guessing whether it'd be raspberry, coffee, blackcurrant, orange or lime in our dark chocolate coated square.

Should they brought back, the original chocolate bars were vegan - likely to do well in these current times.

Aztec

An original Cadbury Aztec bar (Image: Sunday Mercury)

The Aztec bar was hugly popular after it was launched in 1967. Made of milk chocolate, nougatine and caramel, the treat came in a dark purple wrapper.

Often referred to as Cadbury's answer to the Mars Bar, the Aztec was relatively short lived, and discontinued in 1978. But it is still fondly remembered today.

Golden Cup

Golden Cups were once produced by Mackintosh before Nestle took over the delicious sweet. The milk chocolate had a soft toffee centre and lasted up until the 1980s.

Many will remember the bars and breaking off segments to indulge in the sweet centre. In the past, the logo was in bold yellow and red font.

Rise and Shine

A clip from a Kellogg's Rise and Shine advert (Image: Kelloggs/YouTube/Screengrab)

Rise and Shine came in the form of a powder mix sachet, which was then mixed with water. The Kelloggs product didn't only produce orange flavours either, but also blackcurrant, lemon and more.

It was very popular during the 1970's. Many will also remember packets of Bird’s Apeel that could be made into a glass of orange juice.

Mighty Imps

Children of a certain generation will remember this being possibly the strongest taste you may ever have had. Like blackjacks, Mighty Imps would turn your tongue black and came in a little tub.

The small black liquorice squares had a menthol kick to them. They were first sold in tins before the products were sold in flip-top plastic containers.

Nibb-it Wheelz

A packet of Nibb-it Wheelz crisps


Who could forget Nibb-It's blue and white logo stamped on some of our favourite crisps. The brand once made Wheelz crisps, that were in the shape of a a horse's cartwheel.

Children of the 80s will remember tucking into a packet of these. They were probably most popular for their onion and vinegar flavouring.

Mint Cracknel

Mackintosh's Mint Cracknel

Another favourite from Mackintosh was the Mint Cracknel - which also had an orange and a peanut flavour version. Consisting of two small squares held in a small cardboard tray, the chocolate covered treats boasted a crunchy green centre.

READ NEXT:

Edinburgh residents recall legendary sweet shop Casey’s

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