I work in a sweet shop – the three cough remedies for when you’re poorly and the soother which doesn’t work
COUGH and cold season is just around the corner.
But don’t go and buy a pack of Halls Soothers if you want to calm down a scratchy throat – go for a pack of Fisherman’s Friend instead.
That’s what one woman, who works at the Wyldes Sweet Shop in Tamworth, said.
Taking to TikTok, she began: “If the only cough sweet you’ve had before is a Halls Soothers, you can be forgiven for thinking all cough sweets are a lie and none of them actually work.
“We have had a traditional disappointing summer, and now that autumn is finally knocking on our doors, coughs and sneezes call for sweeties.
“Here are my top three cough sweets that actually work.”
Top of her list is Barnips – or Barnett’s Winter Nips as they used to be called.
“Even though the jar says 1927, they were actually made in 1896,” she explained.
“Most cough sweets of this era were made for miners or people who worked in industrial plants or factories.
“Lots of people if they can’t remember the name of them, say they look like Oxo cubes.”
Next up was Victory Vs.
“Now these are ones that will really summon up some nostalgia,” she laughed.
“They used to be way more notorious because in the mid 1800s they contained cannabis and chloroform.
“But I am sad to report from experience that they do not anymore.”
And last on the list, but the most “readily available” of the three – Fisherman’s Friend.
“Made by a pharmacist in the coastal town of Fleetwood, it spread to Blackpool then beyond, then even further beyond,” she said.
“I tell everyone that these taste like an old boot, but they’ll really get the job done.”
“Get ready for sneezy season soon! If you’re nearby, here are our top 3 sweets for fending off a cough,” the video was captioned.
And lots of people in the comments section raved about Fisherman’s Friend and it’s healing properties during a cold.
“My dad swore by Fisherman’s friend when he worked for the water board,” one wrote.
“Fishermen’s friend, the one my mother swore by,” another added.
“I always keep Fisherman’s Friend around when I know I’m going into the cough and cold season,” a third said.
“It’s been such a life saver!”
“Fisherman’s friend tastes like a pack of menthols but damn it really works,” someone else insisted.
“Dude my mum loves fisherman’s friends!” another wrote.
“She eats them with crushed ice. These saved me last I was really sick.
“Awful taste soothed my throat.”
As someone else commented: “Fisherman’s Friend changed my life!”
“Do they all taste nice as I feel all cough sweets taste like liquorice?” another person asked in the comments.
With the sweet shop worker replying: “I think if you’re not a fan of Liquorice or eucalyptus then most strong cough sweets will be a bit of a challenge.”
“I really do like the taste of Victory V and fishermen’s friends. Victorys are my favourite,” another raved.
As someone else insisted: “No-one buys halls blackcurrant for the soothing lol, THEY TASTE SOOO GOOD!”