Favourite 'Railway' confectionery

[Lloyds siding]

In bygone days most stations had a vending machine selling chocolate, or even a kiosk selling cigarettes, tobacco, matches, etc and sweets to cater for Briton's notorious sweet-tooth.
What was your favourite purchase, and where?
Mine was Nestlé 'Superfine' chocolate bars out of the machine at Waterloo (Merseyside) station, supplemented by Parma Violets from the kiosk at the same station.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

If I couldn't get hold of a "Chocolate Chip Cookie" onboard, then it'd probably be a bar of Nestlé Dairy Crunch from an on-platform vending machine.

 

[billio]

A Costa coffee from a small kiosk on the down platform at Reading. On a few occasions I got off the train, bought a coffee and caught the next train.

 

[John Luxton]

I am going back to the 1960s but I seem to recall my great uncle who often took me on railway trips around Liverpool / Wirral / Lancashire often used to buy me a box of Payne's Poppets out of a vending machine usually at Liverpool Central Low Level or Liverpool Echange. They were in a small box with a perforated push out to dispense. I recall two types were available toffee or raisin. There may also have been chocolate coated peanuts as well.

 

[Trainlog]

For me it has to be at the coffee stall at Richmond station, I was walking past it and there was a sign about trying their hot chocolates and i thought, why not? Pretty decent hot chocolate and though it was a tiny bit more expensive than your average high street chain one, i believe it was worth it!

When it comes to a missed opportunity for kiosks at Stations. I always think that its a shame that there isn't a Rowleys Fudge shop at somewhere like Paddington station as its a shop that is well associated with Devon and a good promotion for the county in my opinion, especially as its on the GWML. if there is a train delay of 20mins or more the waft of cooking fudge will probably tempt even the most zoned out commuter into buying a small 150g of Fudge and would make an easy last minute gift or just something to eat on the train.

 

[Taunton]

The machine on Taunton's principal Down platform in my youth provided us platform enders with a Fry's (of Keynsham, Somerset) chocolate bar, divided into five sections and filled with a differently-coloured cream confection in each part. It was called something like Five Flavours or similar. Someone can probably come up with the right name. Even in my youth I pondered at the mechanical complexity of the machine at the chocolate factory which managed to achieve this.

In later times, on the opening day of the Jubilee Line from Stratford to North Greenwich in 1999, the crowds were impressed with the trains and the new stations. The Ms Taunton of the era however was disappointed that the platform chocolate vending machines were the same as elsewhere - I learned there had been expectation of whole new ranges.

 

[weepingwillowb]

There was a small kiosk at Leeds Station, just inside the barriers, which had sugar-free grapefruit-flavoured cans of Fresca for sale, around the late 1970s/early 80s. It was a sparkling soft drink that I'd occasionally found in shops, but for at least a year Leeds Station was the last place I was ever able to buy it. Made by Coca-Cola, it's still available in the US.

 

[GS250]

What confectionery did BR have in their buffet cars? Were they tied to a certain brand? I seem to recall Pepsi was generally on offer as opposed to Coke when it came to soft drinks.

 

[Lloyds siding]

The machine on Taunton's principal Down platform in my youth provided us platform enders with a Fry's (of Keynsham, Somerset) chocolate bar, divided into five sections and filled with a differently-coloured cream confection in each part. It was called something like Five Flavours or similar. Someone can probably come up with the right name. Even in my youth I pondered at the mechanical complexity of the machine at the chocolate factory which managed to achieve this.

In later times, on the opening day of the Jubilee Line from Stratford to North Greenwich in 1999, the crowds were impressed with the trains and the new stations. The Ms Taunton of the era however was disappointed that the platform chocolate vending machines were the same as elsewhere - I learned there had been expectation of whole new ranges.

It was called Fry's Five Centre. And, yes, it must have been complex to make. Ferrero Rocher is another complex one.

 

[W-on-Sea]

The Nestle Sultana bars that used to be found in vending machines on the tube, and as far I know, no-where else, were not quite the very best, but they were at least a kind of novelty

 

[Sprinter107]

It was called Fry's Five Centre. And, yes, it must have been complex to make. Ferrero Rocher is another complex one.

Those Five Centres were in red packaging, and were yummy. It would be nice to bring them back.

 

[32475]

Nestlé Dairy Crunch and Paynes Poppets are the ones I remember

 

[Taunton]

This has a marginal railway connection, but one day in the 1970s during university years in Edinburgh, travelling on a Met-Cam dmu to Dundee, I managed to engage in conversation (as one does) the girl sat opposite. "What do you do?". "I'm a nutter" was the reply, with a slight smile. While others might then have made their excuses and passed to the next car, further enquiry showed the job was at the Duncan Walnut Whip factory, which was in Edinburgh, placing (by hand) the walnut on the top of the Walnut Whips as they came along the production line.

 

[Ken H]

Picnics for our family often had Lyons Individual Fruit Pies. But the i found station buffets sold them. Yum.

 

[randyrippley]

Picnics for our family often had Lyons Individual Fruit Pies. But the i found station buffets sold them. Yum.

Always a highlight of a trip to Weymouth, bought from the buffet on a class 119/120 along with a Kia-Ora orange drink in a corrugated plastic (cellophane???) container

 

[greyman42]

Nestlé Dairy Crunch and Paynes Poppets are the ones I remember

It was actually Nestle's Dairy Crunch back then but yes, it was lovely.

 

[WesternLancer]

The machine on Taunton's principal Down platform in my youth provided us platform enders with a Fry's (of Keynsham, Somerset) chocolate bar, divided into five sections and filled with a differently-coloured cream confection in each part. It was called something like Five Flavours or similar. Someone can probably come up with the right name. Even in my youth I pondered at the mechanical complexity of the machine at the chocolate factory which managed to achieve this.

In later times, on the opening day of the Jubilee Line from Stratford to North Greenwich in 1999, the crowds were impressed with the trains and the new stations. The Ms Taunton of the era however was disappointed that the platform chocolate vending machines were the same as elsewhere - I learned there had been expectation of whole new ranges.

would that be this ?

Announcing Fry's 5 centre chocolate cream vintage style metal wall plaque sign | eBay

280MM X 200MM. 200MM X 150MM. 150MM X 100MM.

www.ebay.co.uk

Looks good. Apparently lasted in production until early 1990s but I don't recall seeing it

 

[Sprinter107]

would that be this ?

Announcing Fry's 5 centre chocolate cream vintage style metal wall plaque sign | eBay

280MM X 200MM. 200MM X 150MM. 150MM X 100MM.

www.ebay.co.uk

Looks good. Apparently lasted in production until early 1990s but I don't recall seeing it

The Five Centres were eventually in a red wrapper, there was definitely a pineapple flavour segment, and an orange one, they were usually found next to the Frys Chocolate Cream (blue wrapper) and Frys Peppermint Cream (green wrapper).

 

[TT-ONR-NRN]

I used to like the "Fabjacks" that GWR started offering in 2017. Nowadays, as someone who's always been very savoury - and that preference has strengthened considerably over recent years - I couldn't even finish one. Far too sweet.

 

[Master Cutler]

I recall a blue refrigerated milk vending machine on Prestatyn station in the 60s dispensing 1/3 pint cartons. I also vaguely recalling some vending machines dispensing cartons of strawberry milkshake.

 

[AlterEgo]

Until recently there was a little shop on the London platform at Woolwich Arsenal which sold lovely flapjacks.

 

[Sleepy]

The Dairy Crunch was so thick you could almost break your teeth on it !

 

[greyman42]

The Five Centres were eventually in a red wrapper, there was definitely a pineapple flavour segment, and an orange one, they were usually found next to the Frys Chocolate Cream (blue wrapper) and Frys Peppermint Cream (green wrapper).

I don't remember the coffee flavoured segment so i think it was replaced by the pineapple one.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

It was actually Nestle's Dairy Crunch back then but yes, it was lovely.

Not all of the time it wasn't!

 

[6Gman]

I am going back to the 1960s but I seem to recall my great uncle who often took me on railway trips around Liverpool / Wirral / Lancashire often used to buy me a box of Payne's Poppets out of a vending machine usually at Liverpool Central Low Level or Liverpool Echange. They were in a small box with a perforated push out to dispense. I recall two types were available toffee or raisin. There may also have been chocolate coated peanuts as well.

Thank you for reminding me what they were called!

Definitely my choice because they were SO railway; never ate them anywhere else.

 

[WesternLancer]

I recall a blue refrigerated milk vending machine on Prestatyn station in the 60s dispensing 1/3 pint cartons. I also vaguely recalling some vending machines dispensing cartons of strawberry milkshake.

There is a scene with a milk carton vending machine (and frustrations caused by) with Ringo Starr in the early scenes of A Hard Day's Night - at Marylebone - IIRC.

I guess they were not uncommon at the time.

 

[Bald Rick]

Without question, the little chocolate biscuit/crispy thing they give out on Avanti in First Class. Awesome.

 

[D6975]

It was called Fry's Five Centre. And, yes, it must have been complex to make. Ferrero Rocher is another complex one.

It's actually quite simple to make Five Centres - a bit of lateral thinking is all that's required.
I was another fan of Dairy Crunch, also Kia-Ora when it came in square tower shaped containers with stepped sides. There used to be a vending machine on the walk down the platform from Victoria to Exchange that sold it. Paynes Poppets were not just a railway thing, I used to buy them at the cinema as well.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The Cadbury vending machines that were on almost every London Underground platform back in the 1990s and early 2000s were a favourite of mine. Particularly in summer when a nice chilled bar of Dairy Milk was a welcome relief on the sweaty Central Line!

At some point it seemed that all those machines disappeared practically overnight. Presumably the contract had ended.

 

[Taunton]

The Cadbury vending machines that were on almost every London Underground platform back in the 1990s and early 2000s were a favourite of mine.

Those are the ones I described above that were installed on the opening of the Jubilee Line Extension in 1999.

As I understand it, the machines were installed by concessionaires, who stocked and serviced them, and collected the proceeds. Nothing to do with the railway apart from a, probably small, rental. The refrigerated milk machines, etc, would need an electricity supply on the station, which probably increased the rent.

Older members here may also remember the "print your name" machines, where a large alphabet dial on the front, plus an appropriate coin, printed up to maybe 30 characters on an aluminium strip. It appeared not to need an electrical supply, each character needed the handle pulled to make the letter impression. Some years ago, visiting the Bluebell, I got into conversation with an older couple, who said they were not particularly interested in the railway ride, but had come specifically because they recalled such machines, and wanted to print a number of aluminium tags for their garden plants, and thought the preserved railway would still have them. I explained the bit about the concessionaires, who owned them and took them away. They seemed a little disappointed.