Been a vegetarian since 1975. I rarely eat traditional British foods because how many trad meals are animal-free? Beans on toast is not a cuisine! That said, I always have some old-fashioned products in my larder for those times I do my version of mam's 1960s cooking - quorn sausages and Smash or meat-free shepherd's pie with onion gravy or chilli without the carne.
I loved the puppet advert for Smash potato - ET robots laughing at stupid earthlings for making mashed potatoes the hard way - and more than fifty years later I still buy Smash out of nostalgia. I hope they paid the ad agency for their work because it was brilliant, really innovative, even on a tiny black and white tv.
I cannot think of another ad/product I am fond of as I am fond of Smash. I cut ads out of my life - have not even seen one this century as I resent being manipulated but that old puppet advert still lives in my head. Does anyone else remember that ad? I could probably recite the script from memory "... and then they smash them all to bits! Ha! Ha! Ha!" You could see the strings on the puppets! It was better than Captain Scarlet or Stingray and I loved those shows!
Normally, I only buy ethical food but Smash gets a free pass. It's crazy how it hooks into my child-mind. Don't use it much but there must be some in the pantry or I get twitchy.
Anyone else know what I mean? Share your guilty nostalgia foods.
