I have an incredibly soft spot for Poppets. They were one of those things that I grew up with; A cheap form of sweet treat and a tasty one too. Even now you can get a box of Poppets for approximately 40-50p.

With the registered address being just a stone throw away from here and where I grew up it is of little surprise that they are so readily available here and how people in other bits of the UK know of them less; My time from living in London I also know that I very rarely ever seen them. As for trying to explain them to an American? Well the nearest you could get might be Milk Duds.

Locally the word poppet is also a term of endearment or a nickname for somebody, sort of meaning doll and falling into the same category as sweetie, and something about that makes them all the more of a charming or sweet little treat to me.

The minty ones are not my favourite. The mint interior is not something like a York Peppermint Patty or After Eight style fondant or sugar paste interior but rather a thicker and almost chalkier texture that also happens to be a lot stronger in taste and a vibrant green too. There was something that I made at some point in the past, all the way back when I was a teenager, but for the life of me I cannot completely remember what it was.

As for the toffee ones they are just these little chewy balls of delight and the way that the chocolate coating mixes with the toffee as you chew is brilliant too. The main downside to them is the way it sometimes gets a little bit stuck in your teeth until it warms up or you chew your way through the sugar chunk. They aren’t, like a lot of toffee or caramel, actually overly sweet but more just creamy with a reasonable amount of sweetness; Perhaps it would become overwhelming if there was more than approximately 40g in a box (reminders that makes these about 1p a gram which in this economy is a pretty solid deal.

They also do other flavours like orange, which has a similar texture to the mint ones and is again very heavily full of artificial flavour, but then there are newer ones that I haven’t tried like a toffee popcorn one and (as per the latest trend) salted caramel ones. I would happily give the salted caramel ones a try as it has been a flavour combination I have enjoyed for at this point over 15 years (dang I feel old) but at the same time I am quite picky over my salted caramel enjoyment and feel something so ‘cheap’ probably would miss the mark a little bit.

If you happen to find yourself with the chance to give Poppets a go then be a Poppet and take the chance! If you have tried any of the newer types then do let me know your thoughts so I can figure out if they are worth trying out or not!