Industries of Bury St Edmunds – I think most of Bury must have worked at Van Melle at some time. My mum, me and my sister did.
I started in the factory then the office. We all used to buy the big bags at the end of the week and give them to our friends. The worst day was when you walked up the hill and the smell would hit you like a disgusting gassy smell. It was a fruit called Durian I think that’s how you spell it. That was probably the only sweet that nobody ate.
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I have never smelt durian, I have heard a lot about it and I know that Far Away Foods in St Johns Street often sells them. So far, I have just not been brave enough to dive in 🙂
Thanks for this post. It brought back sweet memories.
Durian is a tropical fruit that one either loves or hates. The smell of the fruit is indeed disgusting but the taste is loved by many/some.
In the fifties and sixties the Van Melle company catered the Durian candies to the European community returning from the ex-colonies. My mother, who grew up in the tropics, was addicted to them.. And yes, she was the only one in the family. The candy jar was never empty.
I wonder if those candies still exist. Maybe I I will appreciate them at old age.