Retail Randoms

BEFORE YOU GO: RETRO SWEETS / EGGLESS EGGS

Nostalgia's not as cheap as it used to be

For reasons best known to itself, website freshstudentliving. co.uk has apparently been researching inflation in the cost of retro sweets. Why that information would be useful is anyone’s guess, but the research concluded that some of the nation’s favourite sweets that have stood the test of time now cost as much as 10 times more than they did 30 years ago.

The average price increase for the sweets researched was 250.5% with the highest increase award going to a packet of Toffos, originally 20p, but now costing £2.32 – an increase of over 1000%. Where exactly you can buy long-discontinued Toffos for £2.32 was not revealed. The Flake, originally 99p in the 90s, now costs £1.50. Which seems fair enough after 30 years.

Surprisingly, the humble Dib Dab apparently began life costing 20p and, all these years later, still costs 20p.

Apparently the top three retro sweets are, in order: Flumps, Refreshers and Rainbow Drops.

Do with this information as you see fit.

Straw poll on eggless-egg

We have a question for you: would you be open to trying a vegan egg alternative to help you ‘veganise’ some of the nation’s favourite dishes? If new research from The Vegan Society and ‘no-egg egg’ brand Crackd is accurate, only 2% of you will politely decline the opportunity.

A survey of 1,000 non-vegan Brits apparently found that 98% would be up for trying Crackd’s vegan egg replacement. The survey was carried out to mark Crackd getting listed in Morrisons.

Apparently Crackd is perfect for everything from apple sauce to aquafaba. We’re sure you know what aquafaba is, but just in case: it’s the liquid left over from cooking chickpeas. With the unforgettable tag line of “made, not laid”, Crackd is a pea-protein alternative to eggs which cooks like a beaten egg and has the same texture as an egg when it’s cooked. It lasts seven days in the fridge when open and unopened it has around a 30-day shelf life. Each bottle contains the equivalent of eight eggs. The survey also asked consumers where the product should be sited in-store. Thirty per cent said they would look for it in the dairy-free milk and yogurts section, 21% think it should be alongside plant-based meats, 17% said between vegan cheeses while 13% would expect it to be with plant-based ready meals.