Quality Street has been a festive favourite in households across the UK since 1936.
But for the first time ever in the brand’s 85-year history, a new chocolate is being added to the iconic selection tins and pick n mix stations just in time for Christmas.
The new ‘Crème Caramel Crisp’ – which will only be available in participating John Lewis stores – has an indulgent crème caramel flavour, which is perfectly -complemented by crispy biscuit pieces and coated in milk and white chocolate.
Not only is it the first new addition to the collection, it’s also the first Quality Street sweet to feature white chocolate.
As the much-loved Quality Street pick n mix stations return to John Lewis stores across the UK again in 2021 following a year-off due to the COVID pandemic, chocolate lovers will be able to create their own bespoke collection of favourites from the 12 delicious sweets in this year’s assortment, or personalise their own collector’s tin – which has been specially produced for John Lewis.
Customers also have the option of refilling previous John Lewis Quality Street tins if they prefer.
You can even get your hands on our limited edition Crème Caramel Crisp, exclusively available in selected John Lewis stores. More stores to be announced soon!
The new Crème Caramel Crisp will be available to try from 17 John Lewis stores across the UK.
Cat Mews – Brand Manager at Quality Street – said: “We know how much people missed our pick and mix stations at John Lewis last year, so we are delighted to announce that they are back for 2021. It’s a landmark year for Quality Street as the brand turns 85, and we’re celebrating our return to John Lewis with an exclusive new sweet and a beautifully designed collector’s tin that shoppers can personalise with a name of their choice.
“Best of all, you can tailor the contents exactly to your liking, whether that means nothing but purple ones, a tin full of toffees or a feast of fruit crèmes.
“With all this, plus the delicious new Crème Caramel Crisp sweet to try, we think this year’s Quality Street pick and mix stations will be a bigger hit than ever.”
The Crème Caramel Crisp is the first Quality Street sweet to feature white chocolate / Credit: Quality Street / John Lewis
Lisa Cherry – Christmas Buyer at John Lewis – added: “Launching the first ever Quality Street sweet featuring white chocolate is so exciting and we can’t wait to hear what our customers think of this new and exclusive flavour.
“It’s just one of the ways we are hoping to make more magical moments for our customers this Christmas.”
The pick n mix station at John Lewis’s flagship Oxford Street store has already opened, and other participating stores – including two right here in Greater Manchester – are set to follow suit from the end of this month.
John Lewis stores at the Trafford Centre and in Cheadle will both be taking part.
The full list of other participating stores are – Peter Jones London, Cribbs Causeway Bristol, Brent Cross, Cheadle, Nottingham, High Wycombe, Bluewater, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Liverpool, Cambridge, Newcastle, Stratford, Edinburgh, and Cardiff.
Featured Image – Quality Street / John Lewis
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A sneak peek at the first pour: Greater Manchester celebrates the return of Boddingtons
Danny Jones
Greater Manchester has every reason to drink and jubilate this Friday and toast the perfect excuse for an early dart as the first fresh pours in a new chapter for Boddingtons beer have been sunk.
And by’eck if ain’t still bloody gorgeous.
That’s right, in case you didn’t hear the latest news about ‘Cream of Manchester’, we can now officially and ever-so gladly confirm that Boddingtons Bitter is properly back on draught in the region.
With the iconic cask ale making a glorious return decades on from its glory days in the 1990s, the new and improved Boddies beer is flowing from the taps – just in time for the weekend, no less.
Yes, with local brewery and pub chain J.W. Lees taking over the manufacturing and distribution, leaving the Budweiser Group to take over the licensing, the updated recipe Boddingtons – which clocks in at a 4.0% ABV – is about to be rolled out across the 10 boroughs.
Better yet, with five native pubs having already reinstalled honey yellow and black pumps, and with Lees looking to deliver it to the ale-loving masses across the North West, this could be the biggest Manc comeback since, well, those two lads from Burnage…
Speaking of: we were invited along to Founder’s Hall on Albert Square (formerly Duttons and now home to every one of the brand’s beers, not to mention serving as a tribute to John Lees himself), for a special ceremony to celebrate the inaugural public pints of Boddies being poured.
Let’s just say we were honoured to be part of the grand resurrection.
Obviously, there have been some holdouts hanging onto the classic Mancunian brew, and we certainly had fun trying to track them down over the past couple of years, but we’re just glad we don’t have to do as much work to find one now.
Managing Director of JW Lees, William Lees-Jones, said on the relaunch: “When I joined JW Lees in 1994, Boddingtons was ‘The Cream of Manchester’ and we were in awe of their position in leading the cask beer revolution.
“We’re proud to bring it back home, starting with Founder’s Hall, and we’re planning to restore Boddington’s as one of the UK’s leading premium cask beers, particularly here in the North West.” Well said, sir.
Available from Founder’s Hall, The Black Friar in Salford, Stables Tavern; Sams Chop House, The Circus Tavern, Oxford Road Tap, Piccadilly Tap and Victoria Tap from today, as well as Corbières and Stockport pubs like The Crown and The White Lion, we can’t wait to see Boddingtons take over the nation.
In the meantime, why not look back at the storied history behind one of our finest exports?
Subway launches make-your-own jacket potato concept ‘Spudway’ across UK
Emily Sergeant
Subway is finally launching its viral make-your-own jacket potato concept ‘Spudway’ at all its restaurants in the UK.
That’s right – you can now walk into any Greater Manchester Subway and order a jacket potato instead of a sandwich, and you get to choose exactly what goes on top of it.
Britain has always been a nation of ‘jacket fanatics’, with almost half of Brits claiming the spud to be a British cultural icon, but according to new research by Subway, it’s been found that nearly a quarter (23%) of us have argued with family and friends over how to prepare or serve one.
So it’s fair to say that, yes, us Brits do love ourselves a jacket potato, and this is why ‘Spudway’ is launching nationwide.
The UK-wide rollout of Spudway comes after it was trailed in select sites earlier this year, and then proved so popular that the trail was extended to include more locations.
Now, those fluffy jacket potatoes are available everywhere.
You can choose topping options like the simple Cheese & Beans or Tuna Mayo, or you can opt for Subway specialities like Meatball Marinara, and Chicken Tikka, but the beauty of Spudaway is it’s all fully customisable.
This means you can pick, quite simply, from whatever you fancy at the protein and salad counters, and finish it with your choice of Subway’s wide selection of signature sauces.
“The nation’s love of Jacket Potatoes is unparalleled,” commented Cathy Goodwin, who is the Interim Director of Culinary & Innovation Subway EMEA.
Subway has finally launched its make-your-own jacket potato concept ‘Spudway’ all across the UK / Credit: Subway
“The enthusiasm we’ve seen on social media and the strong demand from our guests throughout the trial made it clear that Spudway deserved a permanent place on our menu.
“Made with British potatoes, Irish salted butter, a double portion of cheese, and fully customisable with any of our many toppings, Spudway is the perfect freshly-made, high-quality lunch choice.”
Spudway jacket potatoes are freshly baked in-store daily and can be enjoyed on their own, or as part of a meal deal – which includes a spud, drink, plus crisps or a cookie.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd September 2021 
