Thursday, November 10, 2005

The Real Jelly Babies

Name: Bassett’s Jelly Babies
Brand: Bassett’s (Cadbury)
Place Purchased: Sainsbury’s (West Los Angeles)
Price: $4.29
Size: 215 grams
Calories per ounce: 335 calories/100 grams
Type: Jelly

I reviewed a knock-off version of Jelly Babies a few months ago, because that’s all I was able to find here in the States and I was lead to believe that Bassett’s are illegal for import because they contain non-FDA approved food dyes. Of course when I saw them at Sainsbury’s a few weeks ago, no carcinogens were gonna keep me from trying the real thing!

 

What these Jelly Babies offer that the others don’t is personality. Each of the little babies has a name and a different persona. The pink (according to the package) is Baby Bonny who is sitting with a diaper on. Black is Bigheart, who has a little heart shape on his chest. The orange is called Bumper and has some sort of innertube or fanny pack around his middle to keep him from hurting himself. I think I’d like to see a helmet too. Brilliant is the raspberry one with a big B on his middle. Bubbles is yellow and has a little bead necklace on. Boofuls is the light green lime one who is crying.

(You can see a full detail about them and what they supposedly look like here.)

While the Bassett’s is not as grainy as the Norfolk Manner I tried before and the Bassett’s do have a bit more flavor, I still find them a little perfumey, a little bland. The best one to me, suprisingly enough, was the raspberry one (I’m not overly fond of fake raspberry candy). I don’t think I could eat very many of them in a sitting, which is what makes sweets “candy” in my book. It has to be positively difficult for me to NOT keep shoveling them into my mouth if they’re sitting around. For pure addictive jelly-type candy I will always prefer Swedish Fish, Gummi Bears, spearmint leaves/orange slices, gumdrops or plain old Jelly Beans.

Rating - 5 out of 10

POSTED BY Cybele AT 10:08 am Tracker Pixel for Entry     CandyReviewCadburyJelly Candy5-PleasantUnited Kingdom

Comments
  1. Cybele's avatar

    (comments copied from previous version of blog)

    Jodi said…

      I love Jelly Babies! And I think I’ve had the “real” ones, but now want to check at the British shop in Burbank that I sometimes go to.

      November 10, 2005 7:07 PM
    Grace said…

      The Albertson’s on Lincoln and Ocean Park has remodelled a bit and now has a much larger international section, including several shelves of British stuff. They have the Jelly Babies there, too. (Though we didn’t buy any.)

      November 10, 2005 8:17 PM
    Flavia said…

      Hi Cybele,
      Could you kindly tell me where the Sainsbury’s is in West L.A.? I searched all over the internet, and it’s probably a place I have driven by a couple thousand times, but doesn’t ring a bell! smile
      Thanks

      November 12, 2005 2:20 AM
    Bruce Anderson
    Bruce Anderson said…

      Flavia, I don’t know the exact address, but it’s one block west of Bundy on Wilshire. If you’re heading west, into Santa Monica, it’s on the left-hand side of the street.

      Please bear in mind that this is an itty-bitty convenience type store, not a full-fledged grocery, which is a pity.

      In addition to the plethora of British sweets, they sell a remarkable assortment of sodas in glass bottles. I buy “real” Coke (read: Coke made with sugar and not corn syrup) there as well as a few other goodies.

      Grace and I went there Saturday and I got some of the Bassett’s Jelly Babies. Finally, a chance to say, “Would you like a Jelly Baby” in my worst Tom Baker accent!

      They’re not awful, but for the price they should have been better.

      November 14, 2005 4:32 PM
    Cybele
    Cybele said…

      Bruce - thanks for the directions for Flavia.

      I agree on the build up over the years of Jelly Babies in my imagination. I wished they were more like Swedish fish. And less expenisve.

      November 14, 2005 5:53 PM
    Flavia said…

      Yay, thank you guys!

      I will definetely check them out.

      Cybele has led me to the path of loving british chocolates.

      Now I can barely live without them.

      Have you guys ever been to The Tudor House?

      BTW, Cybele, I was there last weekend and I saw they carried Kinder Eggs.

      Cheers!

      November 15, 2005 4:43 PM
    PrincessFiona
    PrincessFiona said…

      I was about to post about jelly babies… ‘cause I received a package of Bassett’s candy from UK, then I found your blog via google. Nice post.

      November 15, 2005 7:33 PM

    Comment by Cybele on 11/16/05 at 2:12 pm #
  2. Jelly Belly are NOT vegan! They have beezwax!!!

    Comment by ey on 8/17/06 at 6:21 pm #
  3. I love real jelly Babies.  Gummis are inedible and break my teeth if they don’t stick to them first where you spend the rest of the day trying to get them off of your teeth worse than the popcorn skin from the stale popcorn with the artificial butter that leaves that taste in your mouth that is the equivalent of ten all fat stakes with butter all over them.  Wow it’s like we are in a different universe
    on this one.  Did you switch the ratings by accident or something?

    Comment by Donny wallace on 11/05/08 at 8:23 pm #
  4. These are quite delicious, i think….....! Most unbelievable flavor… not one person i have offered them to has been able to describe it…..

    Comment by :-) on 12/08/08 at 5:46 pm #
  5. By the way, I am a HUGE FAN OF DOCTOR WHO!!!!!!!!! TOM BAKER AND DAVID TENNANT ROCK!!! Tom Baker is REALLY funny, but David Tennant is REALLY hot! wink

    Comment by :-) on 12/08/08 at 5:48 pm #
  6. Hi, i was wondering if anyone knows really good places to pick up international desserts and treats in NYC, like stroopwafels and jelly babies?

    Comment by Casey on 11/18/09 at 5:26 pm #
  7. Does anyone know where I can find the French jelly babies that used to be sold at the Gare du Nord in Paris decades ago? Their flavor was absolutely incredible. It was like a party in your mouth! I looked all over Paris my last trip there and couldn’t find them. Each baby was about two inches long and completely packed with incredible flavor, more than any candy I’ve ever tasted.

    Thanks for your help!

    Comment by William Stout on 6/07/10 at 10:03 pm #
  8. Jelly Babies were a favorite of Beatle George Harrison.  Fans used to throw them at him in concert.  Apparently US fans could not find the soft Jelly Babies so threw Jelly Beans instead and he said they hurt!

    Comment by Ellen on 12/16/10 at 6:54 pm #
  9. Review Haribo Jelly Babies - I am from London and have never been a fan of Jelly Babies however recently tried the Haribo variety and they are a lot nicer!! Taste loads better and no gritty/grainy texture smile

    Comment by London_Girl on 11/05/11 at 4:44 am #
  10. If you haven’t already then do a review on these sweets etc that are a favourite of mine!

    Pear drops
    Rhubarb & custards
    Pineapple cubes
    Kola cubes
    (The above are all hard boiled sweets)

    Nestlé Walnut Whip
    Cadbury Boost

    Oh, and you have to try McVities Jaffa Cakes!!

    Comment by London_Girl on 11/05/11 at 4:57 am #
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