Since we first published this blog, a few of our favourite retro foods have been brought back to our supermarket shelves (which we’re so happy about!). We thought it would be great to revisit some of our other old favourites we would love to come back from disappearing down the retro road and see if our wishes come true again!
Retro food 1: Fuse chocolate bar
Retro food facts:
Maker – Cadbury
Peak popularity - 1990s
Discontinued - 2006
Fuse exploded into the UK marketplace on, what makers Cadbury labelled, ‘Fuesday’ 24 September 1996. This was a chocolate bar with a difference; the yummy fusion of milk chocolate, raisins, peanuts, crisp cereal and fudge pieces ran all the way through, which proved hugely popular with the chocolate loving public. In fact, 40 million Fusion bars flew off the shelves in the first week alone and within eight weeks, it was the UK’s favourite confectionery! Alas, 10 years later, we lost our love for Fuse and it quietly disappeared from chocolate counters… Yet many of us remember Fuse to this day.
Did you like to chew on a Fuse?
Retro food facts:
Maker – originally Rowntree Mackintosh (later bought by Nestlé)
Peak popularity - 1970s–1980s
Discontinued - 1988
Chewy, caramel rich toffees in a tube…these creamy, dreamy nuggets were full of flavour and oh so yummy. But, alas, these childhood favourites were withdrawn from the Nestlé range as apparently they were expensive to make and sales were relatively low.
If ever there was a blast from the past that needs to make a comeback, surely it’s these tasty sweet treats?
Retro food 3: Starburst Joosters
Retro food facts:
Maker – The Wrigley Company
Peak popularity - 1990s
Discontinued - renamed as Starburst Jelly Beans, but now only sold in the US
These juicy, fruity, ‘burst in the mouth’, brightly coloured jellybeans filled sweet shelves in the 1990’s and we loved them! Yet, they were ripped from our grasp by the early Noughties and now, despite petitions, email campaigns and endless internet discussions from Joosters lovers far and wide, there is no sign of a UK return.
Do you want to see them make a comeback?
Retro food 4: Walkers BBQ Rib Crisps
Retro food facts:
Maker – Walkers Snack Foods
Peak popularity - 1990s
Discontinued - 2000s
Walkers are renowned for their ability to reinvent the simple crisp with a multitude of new flavours, including getting the public involved with new recipes. But one of our favourites at Eat Marketing was the BBQ Rib flavour.
The BBQ Rib did make a quick comeback last year as part of Walker’s flavours of the decade collection, to celebrate the business’s 70th birthday, along with other previously discontinued flavours such as sweet chilli and cheese fondue, but it was only available to buy for a limited amount of time.
Several petitions have been set up on websites such as this one on Change.org to encourage Walkers to bring back BBQ Rib for good, but there’s not sign of this happening anytime soon.
Were you a fan of the BBQ Rib, or is there another discontinued Walkers flavour that you would love to come back?
These are just a few retro food we want to see back on our shelves. Are there any retro foods you'd like to see again?
