Favourite Irish Brand / Company of all time?

Mr.Biscuits

Was in that new Mr Simms Sweet Shop earlier today in town (the same Town Phil Lynnott was referring to when he just said Town without feeling the need to specify in which county he was meaning) and bought a whole bunch of old favs.

It wasn't until I was home that I realised that almost all of the items that I bought were Caffreys:

Big Time, Macaroon Bar, Winners, Fizzy Pop, Tea Cakes and tee Holy Grail of confectionery perfection, the Snowball!!

I mean, is there anything in this world nicer than marshmallow covered with a thin chocolate shell and lightly coated with toasted coconut, washed down with a cup of tea? No is the short answer.

Quite fitting that that the founder Thomas Caffrey was known affectionately as Ireland's Willy-Wonka. He passed away on Saturday May 15th 2010, aged 92.

Thomas Andrew Caffrey (12 September 1917 – 15 May 2010) was an Irish chocolatier and founder of Caffrey's Confectionery which today sells products in Ireland, Europe, Australia, the United States and is the oldest remaining family-owned, family-named chocolate company in Ireland.

He was considered "Ireland's answer to Willy Wonka", and was referred to as this when alive, having been credited with personally inventing treats such as the Macaroon bar, the Big Time bar and the Chocolate Snowball.

Generations of Irish school children recognised these products, according to The Irish Times, while his imagination was inspired by his son's frolics with his wind-up toy and led to him creating the Marshmallow Mice.

Thomas was born in Dublin on 12 September 1917. During summers as a little boy he worked in the chocolate factory managed by his brother William on the Isle of Man. Caffrey's Confectionery commenced business in Harold's Cross, Dublin in the 1930's before moving to Walkinstown. Caffrey's received a contract with the UK retailer Woolworths Group in the 1950s.

In 1953 he provided confectionery for the coronation of Elizabeth II in the UK. Fundamental to his success was the fair treatment of his staff. Thomas remained with his company until he was in his seventies.

Thomas was also interested in horticulture, skipping, reading and rugby union, supporting both Leinster and the Ireland national rugby union team. He ate chocolate daily, favouring his own Snowball invention above any other.

His wife Eileen died before him. He died at the age of 92 on 15th of May 2010.

The Irish Post reacted to Thomas Caffrey's death with the headline "the end of an era" and by calling him "one of Ireland's finest heroes" and "the country's leading chocolatier, having created the delights such as the Snowball, Chocolate Mallows, Tea Cakes and Mint Crisp bars amongst many others".

So, Caffreys (Est 1948) is my nomination for best Irish Brand / Company .. what's yours?

starbelgrade

Spice burgers.

hairyprincess

It's Tunnocks teacakes for me, the Caffreys ones are mank

uch

You shouldn't be buying sweets with a username like that!

Tesco Massacre

TK red lemonade.

I used to love mass of a Sunday followed by a cool glass of TK red lemonade. And a nice biscuit from my gran's USA assortment.

SafeSurfer

JP Mostrim and Sons Ltd.

The most professional undertakers, I highly recommend them.

Stained Class

Tayto

Mr. Incognito

Guinness

(yes I know they are owned by Diageo now but still)

grey_so_what

TK Cream Soda.

and it's a nightmare to find!..:(

ejmaztec

Tesc O'Supermarkets.

grey_so_what

ejmaztec wrote: »

Tesc O'Supermarkets.

Thanks Ejmaztec, the branch I go to get it in once in a blue moon, but I stock up when I go to the bigger branches.....The looks you get when you buy in bulk!:rolleyes:

EarlERizer

Lyons (Tea)

mikemac1

Cavan Cola

Why is Barrys Tea so popular in Cork but not elsewhere? Strange

mackg

mikemac1 wrote: »

Cavan Cola

Why is Barrys Tea so popular in Cork but not elsewhere? Strange

Tanora too, surprised they don't have a sticky about it in the Cork forum :pac:

pragmatic1

McDaids banana juice/foootball special/pineapple

im invisible

Homestead
homestead, brings value home

policarp

Dunnes Stores. . .

The difference is, we're Irish. . .

Godsentme

WATERFORD CRYSTAL.

44leto

C and C Club Orange

Kerrygold

Fiona

starbelgrade wrote: »

Spice burgers.

Walsh's I think are the people who make them - NYOM

grey_so_what wrote: »

TK Cream Soda.

and it's a nightmare to find!..:(

Love cream soda have not had that in ages! And Cidona!

44leto

Superquinn sausages, not quite a brand, but people do go out of their way for them.

Barrys Tea, the only cup of tea.

elmossman

+1 on the TK red lemonade!

fonda

Guinness

Oh and woppa bars!

fishy fishy

still purchase a bottle of TD red lemonade at Christmas for nostalgia sake.

anytime I ate one of those snowballs I used to get the "sweet shivers". Y'know when you can feel how much sugar you just ate.

bag of tayto and cadet orange on a sunday after mass.

Balmed Out

All those who prefer Lyons "tea" to Barrys have no taste and are undoubtedly the same people who vote fianna fail and ruined the country.

RachaelVO

grey_so_what wrote: »

TK Cream Soda.

and it's a nightmare to find!..:(

Always hated Cread Soda, it's bubble gum in a bottle! FOUL stuff!

TK red lemonade, now that was the drink with Sunday Dinner. Then when Irish Spring brought out the 3 litre bottle (there were 4 kids so there was more to go round), we always got the orange one on a sunday!

Enjoyed reading this thread, some great stuff mentioned!

Kolido

king crisps

Niglet wrote: »

Bernard Mathews

Isn't this a British brand?

fishy fishy

i think cream soda is a new thing compared to the lemonades and oranges. Never had it as a kid and has only become popular in the last few years (correct me if I am wrong) - I think it is more of an american thing, like root beer for instance.

Also, coke was never the big drink when I was a kid, There would never be coke brought into the house - we could either have orange or lemonade or sometimes lemon, and the lemonade usually came in a big heavy glass bottle, and you would have a glass of it with sunday dinner and it was a MAJOR TREAT. you would watch your other brothers/sisters to see who would have the most left at any one time. You'de nearly be afraid to drink it, cause it would be gone. :o

Doc Ruby

Ryanair!

Yeah.

fishy fishy

i know they've always been around, but I just had a bag of chipstix about a month ago. First bite brought me right back to when I was about ten. But after eating the bag of them felt slightly sick and they were all stuck in me teeth. nostaliga city tho.

razorblunt

I loves my tay I does, hence I loves my Barry's!

O'Neills are great too making inroads abroad also.

fryup

Mr.Biscuits wrote: »

Was in that new Mr Simms Sweet Shop earlier today in town (the same Town Phil Lynnott was referring to when he just said Town without feeling the need to specify in which county he was meaning) and bought a whole bunch of old favs.

but the song starts with a cockney accent so i persume he wrote it with london in mind

Orando Broom

Bacon and Cabbage™

foxyboxer

Michael Guineys.

marketty

KVI
I loved the wilful, deliberate minimalist ****tiness of the packaging

Nothingbetter2d

Corcorans Minerals the first to do those 3l bottles

Autumn Moon

Oatfield. Emerald toffees........ mmmmm. Chocolate Eclairs........mmmmmm.....:pac:

counterlock

NAMA - worlds largest property portfolio
or Kerry group

harmoniums

I'm partial to the Smurfit Groups line of excellent cardboard boxes.
They're a bit dry though, so I have to use lubricant like some kind of common yank.

but just look at that corrugation!
Just look at it!

http://www.bloomberg.com/image/i1o_rwxWEw8g.jpg

fishy fishy

green shield stamp anyone?

harmoniums

fishy fishy wrote: »

green shield stamp anyone?

jebus that takes me back.
What about the sweepstakes where the nurses have to pull a pair of underpants out of a dryer?
They all line up in a line and yank out the kacks, and if they are your pair, you win money.

edit, I just found the picture

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/10/Irish_hospitals_sweepstake.jpg

Man those drawings looked cool, it seems like they took place in the circus maximus


another picture

http://www.gambling-guide.poker.tj/images/hungarian-state-lottery_clip_image004.jpg

the front loading door on those dryers were tiny back them, its amazing how much bigger you remember things

harmoniums

marketty wrote: »

KVI
I loved the wilful, deliberate minimalist ****tiness of the packaging

Keener Value Industries, or Known Value Item

thats the two explanations of the acronym I heard

fishy fishy

harmoniums wrote: »

jebus that takes me back.
What about the sweepstakes where the nurses have to pull a pair of underpants out of a dryer?
They all line up in a line and yank out the kacks, and if they are your pair, you win money.

edit, I just found the picture

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/10/Irish_hospitals_sweepstake.jpg

Man those drawings looked cool, it seems like they took place in the circus maximus


another picture

http://www.gambling-guide.poker.tj/images/hungarian-state-lottery_clip_image004.jpg

the front loading door on those dryers were tiny back them, its amazing how much bigger you remember things

ya, it was the sweeps wasn't it. They modernised the machines tho to ones that looked more like front load washing machines.

harmoniums

foxyboxer wrote: »

Michael Guineys.

I preferred Bolands across the street, they had a proper auld wan cafe upstairs.

fishy fishy

stp stickers all over your school book covers (which were always seemed to be covered in wallpaper). You could tell what somebodys house looked like by looking at their school books.

Mr.Biscuits

Orando Broom wrote: »

Bacon and Cabbage™

©oddle.

Teyla Emmagan

Kerrygold. There is no better butter on earth.

AnonoBoy

It's got to be King Tayto.

policarp

Roadstone. . .

counterlock

AnonoBoy wrote: »

It's got to be King Tayto.

Possibly the worlds greatest taytos.

elefant

Off the top of my head I'd say Club.

Fanta is a poor substitute for Club Orange, Lemon and Rock Shandy. Club drinks are one thing I always buy when I'm home.