- British luxury hamper supplier, Regency Hampers has tried to imagine what a treat hamper would look like through the decades.
- Imagine finding nostalgic treats such as Aztec bars, Cadbury’s Cheesy Criss Cross and the loveable wafer, Banjo.
Largely thanks to TikTok and Reddit, the bygone decades are capturing more and more of Gen Z’s imagination. It all suddenly seems so cool and carefree.
Be it the 70s with flared trousers and disco beats, the 80s with neon leg warmers, big hair and iconic New Wave pop anthems, or the 90s with flip phones, tamagotchis and bright tracksuits, there is an inevitable nostalgia associated with our recent history – after all, life was more fun, and food was better.
Speaking of which, a British luxury hamper supplier Regency Hampers has tried to imagine what a treat hamper would look like through the decades. Are you missing any of these weird but lovable British food brands?
Regency Hampers’ imaginary 1970s, 1980s and 1990s Nostalgia Hampers is a lovingly crafted fictitious trip down the memory lane celebrating the quirky and iconic treats that were once staples in homes, on road trips, and at holiday gatherings. If we were to build our ideal nostalgic hamper, here’s what you would find in it:
1970s
- Aztec Bar – A chocolate bar with nougat and caramel, discontinued in 1978.
- Spangles – Fruit-flavoured boiled sweets, phased out in the early 1980s.
- Cabana Bar – A coconut and cherry chocolate bar, discontinued in the early 1980s.
- Nutty – A chocolate bar with whole hazelnuts, discontinued in the early 1980s.
- Milk Tray Bar – A bar version of the Milk Tray chocolates, discontinued in the early 1980s.
- Old Jamaica – A rum-flavoured chocolate bar, discontinued in the 1980s.
- Quosh – A concentrated squash drink, wildly popular in the 1970s, discontinued in the 1980s.
- Hirondelle – A popular cheap wine brand in the 1970s, no longer widely available.
- Watney’s Red Barrel – A keg bitter beer, phased out in the 1970s due to changing tastes.
- Double Diamond – Another popular beer brand that declined in the late 1970s.
1980s
- Rowntree’s Drifter – This chocolate bar was popular in the 1980s but was discontinued in 1988, although it has since been revived in a different form.
- Cadbury’s Cheesy Criss Cross – These cheesy snacks were tried in the early 80s but deemed too expensive to produce and never made it to full production.
- Hedgehog Flavoured Crisps – Launched in 1981, these novelty crisps implied they contained hedgehog meat, leading to their discontinuation by the mid-80s due to regulatory issues.
- Thunderbird – A fortified wine that gained notoriety in the UK during the 1980s, known for its high alcohol content and sweet flavour, it fell out of favour and is largely considered a relic of that era.
- Taunton Cool Cider – Famous for its mild taste and corny TV adverts, the much-loved British brand started to go into decline during the 1980s.
- Tooty Frooties – These fruity sweets were beloved by children and were discontinued in the late 80s after nearly 60 years on the market.
- Caramac Bar – Although it was first introduced earlier, this caramel-flavoured chocolate bar saw a decline in popularity during the 80s and was eventually discontinued by Nestlé.
- Cadbury’s Marble – This milk and white chocolate bar with a hazelnut praline centre was discontinued in the early 2000s but had its origins in the 80s.
- Banjo – A chocolate-covered wafer bar, discontinued in 1986.
- Texan Bar – A nougat and toffee bar coated in chocolate, discontinued in 1984.
1990s
- Hooper’s Hooch – This beloved alcoholic lemonade defined the mid-90s party scene and is ready to make a comeback in your holiday celebrations.
- Pimm’s No.6 – Though introduced in the 1960s, Pimm’s No.6 became a household name in the 1990s, and it’s refreshing taste brings back the spirit of this golden era.
- P.B. Crisps – Crunchy and tasty treats that looked like peanuts and had peanut butter filling inside. What’s not to like?
- Dairylea Tri-bites – Not the most sophisticated cheese around, however it was well-loved due to its convenient packaging.
- Fruit String Thing – long, coiled fruity strings served on a piece of waxy cardboard, typically in some kind of fun shape like a bicycle. They found it difficult to compete with the Woolworth’s pick and mix aisle and other sources for similar fruity treats.
- Corona – A range of carbonated soft drinks (not the beer and not the virus), phased out in the 1990s.
- Lilt Mango & Mandarin Lemonade – A fruity and tropical twist introduced in 1996, perfect for reliving the carefree summer vibes of the ’90s.
- Mackintosh’s Weekend Selection Box – Forget today’s predictable selections! These colourful chocolate assortments were the ultimate treat for 90s kids, packed with fruity, nutty, and chocolaty surprises.
- Cartoonies – Fun, biscuit treats with a molten chocolate centre, reminiscent of after-school snacks shared with friends.
- Rowntree Cabana Bars – This unique combination of caramel, coconut, and cherry encased in chocolate is a taste explosion straight from the past.
Perfect for anyone who has ever felt nostalgic for the wild, colourful, and playful era that was the recent British history, Regency Hampers’ imaginary Nostalgic Hampers will bring back childhood memories this Christmas and make us reminisce about the changes in taste. We used to prefer simple snacks in bright packages, often involving a gimmick concept, while today our taste has grown to be more sophisticated and focused on local produce – with most of our customers appreciating select cheeses, Swiss chocolate, Italian Proseccos and local ales.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could resurrect some of these sorely missed consumer brands?