Traditional British Rock Sweets

Whether you have lived here your whole life, or are visiting from another country, there is nothing that compares to indulging in British delicacies. Blackpool rock sweets are especially popular with a range of amazing flavours and made using traditional techniques.

Rock Sweets in Blackpool

Blackpool is a popular seaside city in the North-West of England and a famous tourist spot for summer holidays. With their beautiful beach and pier as well as lots of local attractions, it gained popularity in the 50’s as a must visit destination. With this new found fame came the food. Cuisine targeted at holiday goers includes fish and chips, hot doughnuts and, of course, rock sweets. These not only become a beloved treat but also a souvenir for your trip as rock sweets famously took a long time to finish. Even today, Blackpool sticks of rock are a must have for anyone who is visiting the area with many local businesses still sticking to the traditional flavours and techniques for making these sweets.

How to Make Rock Sweets

While in other places sweets are made on a factory conveyor belt, the Blackpool rock sticks are still made by hand everyday to keep the traditional practice alive. To do this, first the sweet makers will start off with a basic mixture, the recipe of which has not been changed for many years to ensure authenticity. This is made in a copper pan and boiled to an exact temperature, ready for the rest of the process. After that, food colouring will be added to the mixture and folded over again and again until it is fully mixed together. There are usually multiple colours in one sweet so the mixture will be spit into different parts for each colour. At this point, the batch has cooled slightly and become more solid. It is put on a pulling machine where flavour is added to the mixture and mixed in. While it is still warm, the different sections are moulded into the right shapes and pressed together. This new mixture is rolled and pulled until it is the right size and shape. Finally, it is left to cool and harden.

Rock Sweets Today

Blackpool rock sticks still continue to attract people to the seaside every year, following the tradition of tourists before them. However, many people use rock sweets as more than a souvenir. With the skills and experience of rock makers, custom rock sweets have been a popular product for a while. This allows customer messages and images to be set into the sweet creating a more unique product. These can be used for special occasions such as birthdays and weddings to commemorate the day with a delicious treat. As well as this, it can also be used by businesses to give as gifts to their customers. This benefits the business as it creates a more positive reputation while giving something memorable to their clients. The sweets can also be customised with the company logo and colours to help improve brand visibility among their target audience.

FAQ’s

What are rock sticks?

Rock sticks are a traditional British sweet originating from the seaside town of Blackpool. They are known for being difficult to chew and coming in lots of different flavours and colours.

How are rock sticks made?

These sweets are made using the traditional methods used from when they became popular. This includes the same original recipe mixed in a copper pan, mixed with colouring and flavour, and then left to harden.

How are rock sticks used today?

While they remain a popular choice as a treat for tourists, they are also customised and used for special events as well as marketing for businesses.

Conclusion

Blackpool rock sticks are a well loved sweet by many, especially those in and around Blackpool who have grown up having them as a special treat. To learn more about these sweets, their history and available flavours, visit the Promotional Candy Company website.