An American candy store is all I need to release my inner child
Twinkies ad from the 1970s. Image from Flickr.com/wafflewhiffer. Thanks Brandon!
40 going on 10 … or maybe even 8…
With three older brothers who had to look after me in Singapore, playtime as the youngest and only girl in the family was less Barbie dolls and playhouses and more Action Men and fisticuffs.
In fact, the one and only Barbie doll I ever had (a gift from one of my mum’s friends) lasted exactly half an afternoon before we decided that Barbie was put to better use being the ‘fetch’ with our German shepherd.
But one of the best things about having three older brothers was that I had a never-ending supply of comic books to read. I’m almost 40 years old now but I still love comics and graphic novels, a love which my husband shares too.
So bad for your teeth
Unfortunately, this childhood born out of reading every comic we could get our hands on – whether they were from Marvel or DC, Archie, Scooby Doo, you name it – also nurtured a wholly strange fascination with American candy and cakes.
I think every comic book I read as a kid had at least one ad for Twinkies, and because they didn’t sell Twinkies in Singapore, I totally bought into it just from the advertising alone – it looked like the best cake in the world.
I've died and gone to Twinkie heaven. In Surrey, England.
Of course, I know that’s not true. I tried my first Twinkie when I was about 11 or 12 on a trip to Florida. I knew it didn’t taste like the best cake it in the world, but it was still the best cake in the world despite this, if you know what I mean…
I thought Twinkies only came in one flavour. Should these be allowed???
Even today, when you can find much better cream cakes everywhere, Twinkies hold a special place in my heart and mind.
The Stateside Candy Co. In Surrey, England.
So imagine my surprise when, during a completely unrelated shopping expedition online, I stumbled upon a website for a company called The Stateside Candy Co, a distributor for American sweets and cakes in the UK, and of all the places in Great Britain to have their warehouse, it turned out to be 20 minutes from where we live in Surrey.
Fluff. didn't buy it, have never tried it but I have been told it is quite nice
Against his better judgement, I persuaded my husband that we had to visit the shop and I think the only reason he agreed was so that he could keep an eye on me – it’s much, much safer than leaving me alone with a credit card and a laptop. I may be almost 40 but when there’s a candy store involved, I am the proverbial kid in it…
To his great relief, the shop itself was nothing more than a small room packed with lots of American sweets and sauces. Still, I had an absolute ball and I couldn’t resist taking lots of pictures to share with you.
These are wrong on too many levels to mention. Gross.
This was what I was actually looking for online
I love my husband not least because he let me buy more junk that I knew he wanted me too. That said, he didn’t really try very hard to stop me either. Of the two of us, he knows he has the bigger sweet tooth but he’s very unlikely to admit that.
Anyway, we did end up with a mini and very nostalgic haul of treats but most of it will be distributed among friends, family and colleagues, except for the Twinkies. No one touches the Twinkies. 🙂
I'm sorry. I tried this when I got home and it was DISGUSTING.
If you want to see what this shop offers, here’s their details.
Who knew pop tarts came in this many flavours?
The Stateside Candy Co
Unit 1,
Blackwater Valley Trading Estate
26 Blackwater Way, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU12 4DL
Tel: 01252 342999
We did buy these. Stupid but dangerous because they're really, really good. Why shouldn't everything taste of bacon indeed? At least they're supposedly low salt versions. I hope so anyway.
Getting ready for Halloween
I know my husband hopes that I’ll forget all about ‘Candy & Co’ now that I’ve been once (I do have a very short attention span) but Halloween’s just around the corner and there’s still candy corn to be had, hehehehe. Enjoy the pictures.
Our haul from The Stateside Candy Co.
Lots of love
thebigfatnoodle
thebigfatnoodle 
OMG its my local store on your doorstep!
( I am afraid to say that I have searched hi and low for the alternatives to these 🙂 )
And have found a few little places that stock Heinz baked beans and Marmite –
Its the little things eh!
Fun post though!
Thanks. I did have fun 🙂
I can see you hit the motherlode in this place and no one will dare to touch your Twinkies. I grew up with this stuff, but can say I have not had a Twinkie or snack cake in years. I do get a craving for candy every once in a while, like Swedish Fish, licorice, jelly beans, candy corn/pumpkins, chocolate (prefer dark) and will buy a treat, but not stock up (too dangerous). Cookies are my downfall, so try to stay away from those delicious beauties too. You must have been on overload going into this place and looks like you had fun too:)
We were good and didn’t actually buy too much but I have to say that my husband is the one that’s eaten most of the reese’s mini peanut butter cups! 🙂
Wow never seen those toothpastes before (besides the cinnamon) pickeles and bacon not really the taste I want to go to bed or wake up to. And Twinkies original flavor is Banana. And I agree Vanilla Coke is nasty, to me it tastes flat. An you should pick up the Fluff next time, Fluff-A-Nutters are the best (Peanut Butter and Fluff Sandwich).
And I’m with your husband, Reese’s Cups are my ultimate downfall.
Loving all these photos, is it me or is American packaging immensely better than the UK’s?!
Also…
You forgot to picture nerds! http://www.americangoodies.co.uk/catalog/product/gallery/id/207/image/733/