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Sweets

In the winter Mom would buy Troach Drops and Herbal Tablets, the smell and taste transports me immediately to Teddy Gray's which is still going strong with the factory in Dudley, shops in Wednesbury ad Bewdley. My wife's Nan worked behind the counter there well into her 80s, she was from Fentham Rd, Aston. Rhubarb & custard, blackberry & raspberry are our favourites. I'm keen on aniseed with the different coloured layers and the pip inside. Teddy Gray's sweets are widely sold in the West Midlands, but they don't have a shop in Birmingham. Beech's block chocolate which they also sell isn't to our taste. Buttered Brazil nut toffees individually wrapped or chocolate eclairs were a treat. Troach drops and herbal tablets took away the horrible smells and taste of coal fires and chemicals found in the Smethwick air in the old days.
 
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Stokkie said:
In the winter Mom would buy Troach Drops and Herbal Tablets, the smell and taste transports me immediately to Teddy Gray's which is still going strong with the factory in Dudley, shops in Wednesbury ad Bewdley. My wife's Nan worked behind the counter there well into her 80s, she was from Fentham Rd, Aston. Rhubarb & custard, blackberry & raspberry are our favourites. I'm keen on aniseed with the different coloured layers and the pip inside. Teddy Gray's sweets are widely sold in the West Midlands, but they don't have a shop in Birmingham. Beech's block chocolate which they also sell isn't to our taste. Brazil nut toffees individually wrapped or chocolate eclairs were a treat. Troach drops and herbal tablets took away the horrible smells and taste of coal fires and chemicals found in the Smethwick air in the old days.
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What are Troach drops? They had a sweet shop in Coventry Market selling all those others. And a big oblong square ended chocolate block they cut slices off. It was vile! I like the sound the loose sweets made when they tipped them out of the glass jars to weigh them in to you the little paper bag. It's amazing how smells do transport you back.
 
troach drops i still buy them
emmasweetblog.wordpress.com

What on Earth is a Troach Drop???

I bet there is a fair few you out there who are scratching your heads to find the answer to this question. I am guessing those of you that don’t know are not from Birmingham and the West Midlands? …
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Nico said:
What are Troach drops? They had a sweet shop in Coventry Market selling all those others. And a big oblong square ended chocolate block they cut slices off. It was vile! I like the sound the loose sweets made when they tipped them out of the glass jars to weigh them in to you the little paper bag. It's amazing how smells do transport you back.
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They are made by Teddy Grey to a 'secret recipe' there's a strong flavour of aniseed, but there are also some herbal overtones that make the sweet stronger tasting. I'm guessing treacle, liquorice and a touch of menthol? They are hard candy boiled sweets. Stockley's in Southport make similar ones. Bit of a marmite sweet, if you are ever in Bewdley, try one. I can't promise you will like it though. Buy a coconut ice to take the taste away!
 
Teddy Gray's in Smethwick market also had wonderful liquorice toffee and a mixture of fondant and jelly sweets but I can't remember the name. Sugar pigs, sugar mice and candy walking sticks at Christmas!
(There's a stall in Blackheath market too.)
rosie.
 
rosie said:
Teddy Gray's in Smethwick market also had wonderful liquorice toffee and a mixture of fondant and jelly sweets but I can't remember the name. Sugar pigs, sugar mice and candy walking sticks at Christmas!
(There's a stall in Blackheath market too.)
rosie.
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My children still enjoy sugar mice at Christmas with string for their tails. I don't chobble these days, my dentist says I've got good teeth for my age! Barley sugar twist was popular too.
 
Stokkie said:
My children still enjoy sugar mice at Christmas with string for their tails. I don't chobble these days, my dentist says I've got good teeth for my age! Barley sugar twist was popular too.
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I still chobble still I find it hard to suck. I am on Extra Strong mints which don't seem that strong these days and Fishermans Friends, I always preferred cough sweets to sweets if you know what I mean? Nan used to call me Cough Drop. I loved chock sticks. I can no longer eat chocolate but I can still eat sweets.
 
Maria Magenta said:
The 1920s one is very smart.

I remember chocolate smoking sets (!) licorice pipes, and the seaside novelties. I had a sweet shop and a Post Office!!
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I still get people chocolate Carpentry sets but I am sure they are smaller and flatter, and dearer! And Chocolate penknives. There is a lovely chocolate shop in Keswick I think it is caled Farrers that make chocolate novelties.
 
Nico said:
I still chobble still I find it hard to suck. I am on Extra Strong mints which don't seem that strong these days and Fishermans Friends, I always preferred cough sweets to sweets if you know what I mean? Nan used to call me Cough Drop. I loved chock sticks. I can no longer eat chocolate but I can still eat sweets.
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If you like Fisherman's Friends, then ordering Troach Drops by post would work, I'm sure.
 
I buy some Troach drops whenever I'm near an old fashioned sweet shop, I got the taste for them from my Nan, who was also a prolific Victory V user (I order them a box at a time from Amazon). My family and everyone else that I know, view both of them with disgust, but they are an acquired taste, that I acquired many years ago ;). I also find the Victory V's help with a dry throat or a sore one.
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sady another bites the dust
Topic chocolate bar - made by Mars, 'a hazelnut in every bite' since 1962. Made with nougat, hazelnuts and caramel with a milk chocolate coating. These are now out of production as sadly Mars in 2022 decided to stop making them.:joy:
 
Loved those Rowntrees fruit pastille boxes. You'd see them mostly on sale at the cinema or at Christmas. Wasn't so keen on the pastilles themselves ('pastilles' a word that, I think, is largely out of use. French perhaps ?). But I loved the sugar coated jelly ones - were they the gums ?
 
Vivienne14 said:
Loved those Rowntrees fruit pastille boxes. You'd see them mostly on sale at the cinema or at Christmas. Wasn't so keen on the pastilles themselves ('pastilles' a word that, I think, is largely out of use. French perhaps ?). But I loved the sugar coated jelly ones - were they the gums ?
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i loved the boxes of fruit gums thet tasted different to the tubes. also i like the sugar coated jelly ones
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A firm favourite of mine and sorely missed were the Horlicks tablets. Saying that, I'm hearing Horlicks are releasing
an 150th anniversary tin of 20 tablets in December so time to start hunting them down!.
 
RRJ said:
A firm favourite of mine and sorely missed were the Horlicks tablets. Saying that, I'm hearing Horlicks are releasing
an 150th anniversary tin of 20 tablets in December so time to start hunting them down!.
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MUST get some. I loved Horlicks.

Sugar mice. Mum put one in my school bag on my first day at school for breaktime. Doubt I could eat one now, far too sugary
 
Vivienne14 said:
MUST get some. I loved Horlicks.

Sugar mice. Mum put one in my school bag on my first day at school for breaktime. Doubt I could eat one now, far too sugary
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Horlicks website has 'sold out' but apparently they are being sold through B&M shops. Bit of a trek for me but going tomorrow.
 
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