inawera horned toffee

[Simon G]

it doesn’t, really. i don’t know why where i grew up we called it a dainty.

because of Dainty Dinah Toffee. perhaps?

 

[Simon G]

It's just like calling vacuum cleaners Hoovers, surely?

 

[zouzounaki]

i’ve no idea what a dainty dinah is. i thought dainty was a scottish thing to describe this wee toffees but it seems maybe only where i grew up.

 

[zouzounaki]

if i google “toffee dainty” mccowans highland toffee is the first result. they even had tartan paper.

 

[Simon G]

i’ve no idea what a dainty dinah is. i thought dainty was a scottish thing to describe this wee toffees but it seems maybe only where i grew up.

Dainty Dinah was a North-East icon – the Angel of the North of her day.

Mr Horner was a Norfolk lad who took over a corner of Chester-le-Street in 1910 where jam was produced in a steam-powered factory. He converted it to toffee-production, and in 1914 introduced Dinah, her dark, moony face fringed by an Edwardian bonnet. It is said that Dinah was modelled on Mr Horner's chauffeur, Alice Scott, who died in 2001 aged 102.


In the 1920s, Horner's erected a 106ft chimney, with the words "Dainty Dinah" picked out in white at the top which became a landmark. A large bust of Dinah was placed on top of the factory overlooking Horner's "five acres of sweetness".


After giving sugar rushes to several generations of North-East children, the Dainty Dinah factory closed in 1961 and it was demolished in 1985 – although the Dainty Dinah bust can now be found in Beamish museum.

If that isn't why you call them Daintys then that's a hell of a coincidence.

 

[Simon G]

if i google “toffee dainty” mccowans highland toffee is the first result. they even had tartan paper.

View attachment 241282

Highland Toffee Dainty .... do you think they were manufactured by the same company?

This is all quite intriguing.

 

[abujeee]

Gonna check if they have an address and a phone number and if they accept PayPal

 

[zouzounaki]

@Simon G i’m wondering now if these particular ones were only called a dainty where i grew up. i don’t think they were branded as dainty, it’s just how we called them when i was a nipper. they were 2p so @Rickster and @oldhippydude must be older than me.

it’s a strange one, an interesting coincidence if that’s what it is.

 

[Mr Ripple]

I used to deliver milk back in the day and one particular old Doris I used to deliver to used to greet me every visit with 2 mint imperials and ask me if I wanted a toffee.
Must be colloquial.

 

[zouzounaki]

I used to deliver milk back in the day

you should take this over to the EU/nostalgia thread. how much did the milk cost? was the milk float repairable?