Big bags of Opal Fruits have been spotted on the shelves at B&M, and shoppers are feeling pretty nostalgic about it.
After the crushing news this week that iconic tropical fizzy drink Lilt has been discontinued after nearly 50 years on UK shop shelves, and rebranded and replaced with the brand-new Fanta Pineapple & Grapefruit, people have taking to social media to reminisce on some of their favourite nostalgic snacks and sweets that are no more.
And Opal Fruits seemed to appear pretty high up on the list for many.
Luckily though, B&M has reminded shoppers that it still stocks the retro sweets in some stores across the UK, and the news has definitely gone down a treat.
Opal Fruits may not be the easiest to come by nowadays, especially after the brand name was phased out in the UK and Ireland in 1998 and changed to Starburst to make it the same globally, but it does appear that they’re sometimes still knocking around in their original format – if you know where to look, that is.
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The budget retailer has tipped-off fans of the fruity retro sweet that they should probably get on down to their nearest store, as their shop shelves are stocked full of them.
“We have Opal Fruits if anyone is interested,” B&M said on Twitter earlier this week to fans mourning the loss of Lilt and remembering the taste of Opal Fruits.
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First introduced by Mars in the UK in 1960, and given the name by a man called Peter Phillips, who was the winner of a competition that won him £5, Opal Fruits were made in the four original flavours strawberry, lemon, orange, and lime.
Other seasonal and limited-edition flavours were introduced at later dates.
Many people will probably remember the sweet by brand’s famous tagline “Opal Fruits – made to make your mouth water.”
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Opal Fruits were first introduced by Mars in the UK in 1960 / Credit: Mars UK
After B&M shared that Opal Fruits were stocked in its stores, fans were feeling all nostalgic about the news and shared their love of the sweets on social media.
“Omg need, my mouth’s watering just looking at them,” someone wrote on Twitter.
Another fan said on Twitter: “I love the Opal Fruits, the lime flavour, also as a bonus the tropical or summer fruits would be nice, was never a big fan of the strawberry mix”, while a third added: “Always fingers crossed for a high proportion of green ones. Always my favourite.”
“This makes me love the UK,” another said.
The retro sweets are back on the shelves at B&M / Credit: B&M
“People keep telling me Opal Fruits and Starburst are the same, they are so wrong,” another sweet tooth said on Twitter.
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“I’ll be in for some, can’t beat the yellow and the green, never buy Starburst but won’t pass these without buying some, thanks B&M,” one happy fan commented.
Fancy seeing if you can get your hands on a bag of the retro fruity sweets then? Head on over and check the opening times of your nearest B&M here.
Featured Image – B&M
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Manchester United issue statement after Bruno Fernandes’ social media is hacked
Danny Jones
Manchester United were forced to issue an official statement following Bruno Fernandes’ social media being hacked.
The Man United star’s digital profile was hijacked in the wake of the defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion this weekend, which saw the Red Devils knocked out of the FA Cup and, it’s fair to say, quite the flurry of activity online.
As if to add insult to injury, with United‘s exit from the competition, a user then commandeered the club captain’s presence to share several fake posts.
With the official Bruno Fernandes X account being targeted following the game, the club had no choice but to respond after several controversial and/or inappropriate posts, not to mention multiple instances of general anti-ownership sentiment.
In case you didn’t see any of the since-deleted posts, besides one understandably troublesome comment which read, “let’s get rid of INEOS“, others were even more provocative/inflammatory.
The comments ranged from everything between messages @ing darts player and United fan Luke Littler to influencers like KSI and Jake Paul.
Offensive language was also present in many of them.
As for the Portuguese midfielder, he also quickly clarified that he obviously had no involvement in the activity; meanwhile, despite plenty of players coming out to apologise for the defeat on Sunday night, the skipper is yet to address the disappointment directly.
The loss to Brighton confirmed that Manchester United will be playing just 40 games for the rest of the campaign – the fewest since the 1914/15 season (i.e. at the outset of the First World War) – which serves as yet another unwanted record for the club of late.
You can see the highlights for the game down below.
It is also likely to have been caretaker manager Darren Fletcher’s final game in charge of the Reds, with an interim replacement set to be appointed imminently following Ruben Amorim’s shock sacking earlier this month.
His predecessor, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, also looked like the frontrunner at one point – and could still be involved in a backroom setup – but The Athletic now has it that Carrick could be is odds-on favourite to be announced before the Manchester derby.
Nevertheless, plenty of supporters still feel the problems remain deeply rooted throughout the club and that a change of personnel among the coaching staff still may not be enough…
Antoine Semenyo has officially joined Manchester City
Danny Jones
Yes, Man City have got their man and further bolstered their offensive options, with Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo having officially joined the club.
Having emerged as one of the Premier League’s hottest properties over the past couple of years, Antoine Semenyo has gone from not only being an extremely prolific winger, but beyond a flavour of the month, with multiple teams expressing their interest in recent months.
That being said, despite being linked with local rivals Manchester United, current champions Liverpool and an already heavily staffed Chelsea side, MCFC have now won the race to sign Semenyo – one they seem to have been leading since the start.
Finally unveiled by club media on Friday, 9 January, Semenyo was pictured for the first time in the sky blue strip.
It was long after that the first reports of the deal being ‘agreed in principle” surfaced online, and it became clear that no other suitors stood a chance of snatching him away from the Etihad Stadium.
Semenyo’s release clause was set at £65 million, which is approximately the same figure they sold former striker Dominic Solanke to Spurs for, but inevitable add-ons and bonuses were likely to set a rough club record fee in terms of player sales.
Penning a five-and-a-half-year deal, the 26-year-old’s contract will take him through to at least 2031, with the London-born Ghanaian international still yet to hit his peak.
Frightening stuff for Premier League defenders, to say the least.
Sharing a message with his new fan base via the full club statement, Semenyo said: “I am so proud to have joined Manchester City…
“They have set the highest of standards, and it’s a club with world-class players, world-class facilities and one of the greatest managers ever in Pep. I have so much scope for improvement, so to be at this club, at this stage of my career, is perfect for me. It’s a real privilege to be here.
“My best football is yet to come, I am sure of that. And City are in a great position – still involved in four competitions. I really feel I can help them have a strong second half of the season. The Etihad is my new home. I can’t wait to play in front of the fans here, and I hope to show everyone what I can do.”
Happy with the business, Blues? And as for you neutrals, do you think it’s the right next step for him?
Watch Semenyo’s first full interview as a Manchester City player.
Emily Sergeant -
16th February 2023 
