Pocket money once stretched surprisingly far in London, especially when corner shops displayed jars packed with colourful sweets and crisps that felt like small treasures. Many locals still associate these treats with school journeys, weekend errands, and quick stops before heading home.
Some snacks quietly became part of everyday London culture, creating memories tied to flavour, texture, and shared childhood routines. Revisiting these familiar favourites highlights how simple foods often carry strong emotional connections across generations.
All information is provided for general interest only. Taste, appearance, and availability may vary. Photos are for illustrative purposes only.
1. Dip Dabs
Remember that sticky lolly you'd lick then plunge into tangy sherbet powder until your tongue tingled? Dip Dabs turned snacking into an interactive experience, part sweet and part science experiment.
The fizzy sherbet reacted with your saliva, creating that signature mouth-puckering sensation kids adored. You'd ration each dip carefully, trying to make the powder last as long as the lolly.
By the end, your lips were stained bright colours and the stick was gnawed to nothing, but that sherbet buzz was absolutely worth it.
2. Black Jacks
Not everyone could handle the bold aniseed punch of a Black Jack, which made loving them feel like joining an exclusive club. These dark, chewy squares divided playgrounds into fans and haters with no middle ground.
The intense liquorice flavour lingered long after the sweet dissolved, turning your tongue an alarming shade of black. Brilliant for grossing out your mates or pretending you'd lost a tooth.
At just a penny each, they offered serious flavour bang for minimal pocket money investment.
3. Fruit Salads
These peachy-pink rectangles tasted nothing like actual fruit salad, yet nobody complained. The mysterious tropical flavour was sweet, chewy, and utterly moreish, often paired with their minty green cousins at the tuck shop.
Each sweet started firm then gradually softened as you chewed, releasing waves of artificial but delightful fruitiness. Your jaw got a proper workout after demolishing a whole bag.
They stuck to your teeth something chronic, but that just meant the flavour lasted through double maths.
4. Sherbet Fountain
Tearing open that yellow cardboard tube revealed a liquorice stick and a mountain of fizzy sherbet that inevitably ended up everywhere except your mouth. Half the fun was the chaos of trying to eat it without covering yourself in white powder.
The liquorice straw was meant for dipping, but most kids just tipped the tube back and poured sherbet straight down their throats. Cue sneezing fits and sherbet clouds.
Teachers could always spot who'd had one at breaktime by the telltale powder dusting their uniforms.
5. Flumps
Soft, squishy, and impossibly light, Flumps were the marshmallow treat that melted on your tongue like sugary clouds. Their twisted pink, yellow, and white stripes made them instantly recognizable in any sweet selection.
Unlike dense marshmallows, these had an airy texture that dissolved quickly, leaving just pure sweetness behind. Perfect for kids who wanted something gentle after the assault of sour sweets.
You could stretch them, twist them further, or just pop the whole thing in your mouth for instant marshmallow bliss.
6. Wine Gums
Despite the name causing parental eyebrow raises, these contained zero grapes or anything remotely boozy. Wine Gums were all about that firm, satisfying chew and the mystery of which flavour you'd get next.
Each colour supposedly represented a different fruit, though debates raged over whether anyone could actually tell them apart blindfolded. The black ones were always the most controversial.
They lasted ages in your mouth, making them excellent value when your pocket money was running low before the weekend.
7. Trebor Mints
These weren't the sweets you chose for fun but the ones adults forced on you before visiting relatives or after eating something pongy. Still, that intense peppermint blast had its place, especially when you'd overdone it on the fizzy sweets.
The extra strong ones could practically strip paint, clearing your sinuses in one powerful hit. Kids would dare each other to crunch a whole one at once.
They came in those satisfying rolls you could click open one mint at a time, making them last for ages.
8. Softmints (Trebor)
For those who found regular mints too aggressive, Softmints offered a gentler approach with their creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture. These were the sophisticated choice, smooth rather than sharp.
Each mint dissolved slowly on your tongue, releasing a cool, buttery peppermint flavour without the throat-burning intensity of their stronger cousins. Grandparents always seemed to have a roll tucked in their handbag.
They left your breath fresh without making your eyes water, which seemed like proper grown-up territory when you were ten years old.
