Vegan Quality Street

Back in the 70's when I was a nipper, and at least a decade before I entered the world of vegan, Christmas wasn't Christmas without a big tin of Quality Street to gorge on whilst watching the annual repeat of Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, or other such obligatory festive film wonders.  My grandmother would, without fail, arrive with the very obvious but still wrapped up tin and place it under the tree.  It was as predictable as knowing that the golden wrapped hard toffees would be swimming away all on their lonesome at the bottom of the tin once all other options had been devoured.  I must admit I really loved the childish wonder of these tins and the excited anticipation and thought that went into choosing your next treat, whilst Dorothy clicked her ruby red slippers together.

Over the past 40 years, and every Christmas, long since my grandmother departed this world, I have had little flashbacks and longings to repeat this wonderful memory.  I have yearned for a vegan version of Quality Street.  This is rubbed in further by the fact that at this time of year at work a well meaning soul has often dropped in a tin of Quality Street or Roses for our team.  My reward, unable to enjoy the contents, is the tin or box which, rather than add to the landfill, I normally reserve for some use or another.

Well in a moment of magical wonder, and whilst clicking my vegan boots together and saying 'there is no such place as home', I thought why don't I make my own memories come alive and create my own Vequality Street?  With a discarded Roses 'tin'  (sorry not your favoured Quality Street Grannie) I set about embellishing it with garish 70's style blues and oranges (in your honour Grannie!). Next came the contents.  Well, it might not be as varied in the amount of choices but the quality and vegan kindness far outweighs this in my version.  There are four types of Pernigotti chocolates in there, along with Jameson's Raspberry Ruffles, and Choices Dairy Free Caramels.

I am genuinely excited about finally having my own vegan version of Quality Street. After all these years Vequality Street adds some equality and quality back into my childhood memories without compromising my ethics. The chocolate devouring Phil has been suitably warned off touching this 'family heirloom' until Christmas.  Once Christmas starts however and the echoes of Mary Poppins and  'a spoonful of sugar' start reverberating around the Driftwood household, no doubt we will revert to the old family tradition of squabbling over the contents.