We reviewed one of Lancashire’s oldest sweets Sarsaparilla Drops for a trip down memory lane

An old fashioned sweet shop can be nostalgic for anyone. Whether you remember begging your parents to get you a treat or you enjoying reminiscing about grabbing a bag of your favourite sweets after school.

We’ve all got fond memories in these kinds of shops and most importantly, fond memories of our favourite types of sweets. Smells and tastes can bring back a whole host of times long forgotten about.

For some people in Lancashire, they swear by some particular sweets sold by Stockley’s from Blackburn. Last month, we tried Coltsfoot Rock – a cult classic for some people in this county, that’s being sold for just 90p in Morrisons.

READ MORE: We ate at the Blackpool restaurant dubbed ‘better than the Savoy’ – believe the hype

After trying it – and yes, it wasn’t really to our liking – lots of readers came into their droves to tell us about the sorts of memories the particular sweet had reminded them of. Patricia Ann Watkins wrote: “Oh my word, do they still make this, used to love it as a child some 65 years ago, along with treacle toffee, Pontefract cakes, pear drops and many other sweet delights. Can’t get any of them here in South Africa and looking forward to a visit to stock up.”

Bill Smith also had fond memories of the treat, writing: “I have never had coltsfoot rock for years. I remember my Gran bringing coltsfoot jelly to the hospital when I had my tonsils out a out 1948. I loved the taste and will definitely getting some rock when I find somewhere that sells it, haven’t had any for years.”

The common theme in the comments section was a fondness for the rock, but another theme was the suggestion for our next taste test. A similar sweet that’s also sold by the Lancashire-born company, Stockley’s, we were urged to try Sarsaparilla Drops – and of course, we had to comply.

Elizabeth Abbott described them as “heaven” and Simon Franklyne said his grandma used to love them – they also both stated it had to be the Stockley’s brand too. Wanting to learn a little bit more about the food and sweets from Lancashire and understand why people hold great memories of them, we set out on a mission to try the Drops and see what the hype is about.

Disclaimer – as with the Coltsfoot Rock taste test – I am not a fan of the taste of liquorice, so I didn’t have much hope for liking this new sweet. However, I am always willing to give something a try at least once.

Unsure of how common they are, I headed to a sweet shop, Master Henry’s Emporium of Sweets in Blackpool, to see if they stocked them. As far as sweet shops go, this one is particularly impressive, so I knew I might not see the goods straight away.

I walked in and admired their vast selections, from old fashioned English treats, to heavily taxed American goodies. The big tubs that lined the back of the shop were probably what I needed to focus in on, so taking myself down there, I asked the friendly woman behind the till if they sold the nostalgic drops.

Not wanting to embarrass myself but incorrectly pronouncing the name, I showed the staff member a picture of the sweets and as quick as a flash, I was presented with a huge tub of the red pearls. Opting for 100g, I paid £1.87 – perfectly reasonable for the amount you get.

The nostalgia for me, even though I’ve never tried these particular sweets, was the fact you always get them in a white paper bag. A true sign that you’ve opted to purchase your sweets from an old fashioned establishment, rather than from the sweet aisle in your local supermarket.

Feeling like a child in the aforementioned sweet shop, I couldn’t wait to dig in and try the treats that so many people have fond memories of. The hard boiled sweets have a sugared coating over them, which immediately looks appealling.

This is also the first thing you can taste when you try them, so it’s not an immediate hit of the actual flavour of the sweet. However, this soon changes and the aniseed-type tang settles in.

As you suck on the sweet a bit more – this is your only option unless you want to break every tooth in your mouth – another level of flavour makes itself known. Overwhelming sweetness. As someone who doesn’t enjoy the liquorice taste, the sweetness is particularly welcome and quite pleasant.

As described by Stockley’s themselves, they are ‘tablets with aniseed, liquorice and fruit flavour notes and a crystallised sugar shell’. According to other sweet shops, they were traditionally used in soft drinks and Temperance Bars as a herbal drink, alongside others such as Dandelion and Burdock – now there’s a nostalgic flavour if you ever did hear one.

Our research into the sweet and sarsaparilla itself has also led us to find that it’s been historically used as a “poor man’s Viagra”, with the root of the plant that it comes from, widely considered an aphrodisiac – but we’ll let you be the judge of that one. Overall, I’m glad I’ve given it a go, particularly as it’s a sweet that holds so many dear memories for lots of Lancashire residents.

It’s certainly not up there with elite sweets like cola bottles, but I can safely say it was better than the Coltsfoot Rock.

READ NEXT