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Great (white) balls of fire - aniseed balls top most requested sweet poll

Waitrose

30 October 2009

This summer, the nation's sweet lovers were asked which childhood favourites were due a revival. The results are in and the answer is aniseed balls. Waitrose, who launched the Great Sweet Revival campaign in August, has announced they will be bringing this sweet back to their shelves. However their aniseed balls will pale (by appearance only!) in comparison to those sold in the corner shops of our childhood. These great balls of fire are white instead of the traditional red. The reason - the balls by retro sweet brand Monty Bojangles are made using no artificial colours or flavourings. The retailer will be launching three of the most requested sweets. Aniseed balls, sherbet pips and chocolate mice will be stocked on the supermarket's shelves in early January. Matthew Jones, Waitrose Confectionery Buyer said "the colour of our aniseed balls will certainly raise a few eyebrows with candy connoisseurs. However, it is great we are able to bring back these much revered sweets with no artificial colours and flavourings. "We received a fantastic response to our campaign so I think our new retro sweets will be as popular with children today as those who remember tucking into them in decades past." Interestedly, it seems that longevity is key to picking a favourite treat. ‘Sucky sweets’ make up over half of the Great Sweet Revival top 10 which includes bon-bons and liquorice torpedoes. Top 10 Most Requested Sweets. 1. Aniseed Balls 2. Shrimps 3. Sherbet Pips 4. Lemon Bonbons 5. Sweet Peanuts 6. Chocolate Mice 7. Strawberry Bonbons 8. Liquorice Torpedoes 9. Toffee Bonbons 10. Foam Bananas