English Chocolate
 

I am leaving for London next week. I have been dieting like mad so I can indulge myself on this trip. I have a sweet tooth and it will be Halloween after all so i must have candy. Anybody have some recommendations for me of really good candy, chocolate or other, that i can munch on during my trip.

Thanks!--Laura

What sort of thing do you like?
Not to try and patronise you, candies are called generally called sweets in the UK.
(I apologise for the spelling in advance)

- Mars Bars are quite good (Like the Milky Way you get in the US)
- Milky Way's are good but not like the ones you get in the US (see above)
- Fruit Pastilles (chewy candy covered in sugar, come in a tube or bag)
- Midget Gems (small chewy candies - make sure you get the Lions brand ones the others are soft, taste different and are not particularly good)
- Bounty bars (if you like Coconut)
- Liquorice and Blackcurrant sweets (candies) are one of my favourites
- Ponyfract Cakes (spelling may be off here) are little circles of liquorice.
- Crunchie bars (chocolate covered cinder toffee - a sort of hard, bubble filled caramelised sugar)
- Liqourice Allsorts (liqourice, sugar and cocunut in various forms - all sorts in fact)
- Cadbury's Fudge (vanilla fudge covered in chocolate)
- Tutti Frutti's (little chewy sweets usually, sold in a small bag)

There's always Twix bars and Snickers if you need something familiar.
Failing that ask around for a specialist confectioners and lash out for something a bit more special

If you find an actual sweet shop they normally sell the above none chocolate bar sweets by weight along with lots of other things you probably won't have heard of - give 'ema try and include it in your trip report!?

Go to any grocery store or corner shop/newsstand and you'll see ROWS of chocolate. Do you like dark or light? Cadbury's is a good brand if you're wanting strictly English chocolate. Also, After Eights are dark chocolate thin mints--excellent. Terry's chocolate oranges are good. If you see a Boots Chemist shop, they'll have a good supply of chocolate to choose from. Chocolate covered digestive cookies are a favorite of mine (a bit like an oatmeal cookie. I'll post some more if I think of any.

Thank you Matthew and Ally for the "sweet" information. I don't want anything I could get here-what is the fun of that. I like most anything but do prefer light to dark chocolate. I will give your suggestions a try. My mouth is already watering.

Go to Harrods candy section - always fun and you can ask for samples before you buy! Enjoy!

Thanks for the great suggestion 4totravel. Harrods is on my itinerary so I'll definitely check out the sweets section. Samples-yum!

Laura, Do try the ones that you can get in the US. They really are different (much better) in Britain. Take a Kit Kat with you and do a taste test when you get to Britain. You'll see what I mean. Mmmmm.
Two favorites of mine are Cadbury Flakes and a bar called "Caramel". I usually treat myself to a Caramel every evening when I'm there. My friends always want me to bring home these two bars.
And I'm just taking about the everyday candy bars.
Then you could always try Thornton's and then go to Fortnum and MAson's and get some Bendick's.
Enjoy.

Yes Cadbury and after eight mints are terrific.
Thay are also available in the US.
Cadbury at Krogers Food and Nestle After Eight at CVS drug stores among other places.
Yummy,

Laura, speaking of Cadbury's Flakes, get a soft serve ice cream cone with a Flake in it. A Flake is light, airy, milk chocolate that "flakes". It comes in a stick. The Cadbury's you get in the U.S. is made by Hershey's, so in England you'll get the real thing. A Cadbury's Whole nut (whole hazlenuts) or Cadbury's Fruit and Nut (nut and raisins) is a treat. I could go on....

For sure Harrods and that great chocloate shop just down Picadilly from Fortnum and Mason (can't think of the name right now but you can't really miss it)

But do try commercial brands like After eights and cadburys too. they do not taste anything like the versions we get in the States. After Eights for instance - the US version used to be made by Hersheys on license and now I think they are made in canada. The UK version is darker, less sweet and very yummy.

Cadbury chocolate caramel bars are sold in the vending machines on the tube platforms. We missed more than one train buying candy bars!! They are not the Cadbury that we have in the US.

Thanks for all the great responses. You have now convinced me to try the English versions of the brands I know. I can't wait!

I too am dieting right now.... plan on getting too thin so I can happily eat my way back to normal weight in Europe next year! HEHE!

Cadbury's is the best, but Galaxy is good too, and if you can get your hands on Cote d'Or which is Belgian, well that's just to die for :-)

http://www.chocosphere.com/Html/Products/cotedor.html

http://www.cadburyworld.co.uk/

http://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/system/index.html

http://www.britstore.co.uk/itmidx3.htm

You have to try Cadbury's Wispa.... mmmm... yum yum! And Cadbury's Turkish delight, and flake and and and.....
Cookies- Jaffa Cakes are a must, and Boasters and Cadbury's Chocolate Fingers and....... just try them all and keep telling yourself that you are walking off all the calories, and besides, you have to keep your strength up! haha!
Have fun :-)

PS. We have all these yummy chocolates where we live but we're going to Italy! Need I say more! YUM!

I'm with you Mishka--chocolate gives you energy and is supposed to give you the same feelings as if you were in love. What could be better. Thanks for the great suggestions and the websites.

Oh - and be sure to try McVities dark chocolate covered digestive biscuits (the name might sound terrible but they are worth the airfare! ) and Hobnobs.

I can eat a whole packet of digestive biscuits at one sitting and I have a friend who's only request on every one of my trips is to bring her a couple of packets of Hobnobs - must be the datk chocolate ones . . . . .

In Canada we are lucky as we have most of the big name English and American chocs. My favorite English ones we don't get though - Galaxy. Try the minstrels and the ripple. Creamy, heavenly chocolate.

And it is true that the same bars taste different. A Canadian kitkat is different from an American kitkat, is different from an English kitkat. (Although the Canadian and English are pretty similar). All the English sweets seem to be just that bit better .. .

As an American you should try 'real' smarties too! *wink* They are chocolate not the powdery halloween rolls.

I don't think anybody's mentioned Thornton's yet!! This is a high street chain (also often found in train stations and airports) that sells yummy own-brand chocolates, wonderful chewy toffee and fudge. Their "continental selection" is delicious.

Green + Black's chocolate is available, if you look hard, in better supermarkets (larger branches of Tesco, Sainsbury and Waitrose). Organic, generally high chocolate content, and some glorious recipes (try cherry)

These people also sell very high (70% and over) cocoa content chocolate bars, normally under their own label.

Thanks again for all the great ideas everyone. I will probably gain 10 pounds on this trip.

Thorntons Chocolate store. There is one in every high street. Sells the most delicious melt in the mouth, milk/white/dark chocolates ever. So many choices. www.thorntons.co.uk

Also I noticed that the Liberty department store in Oxford Circus in London, has just opened a new chocolate section. It can be seen from outside the store and is quite big. Havent been inside but there is a large range.

Selfridges dept store also has a large chocolate selection, though can be quite expensive.

Cadburys is a great British brand. Their chocs are available in most sweet stores.

Happy Eating :)