As of 2022, there are 11 different flavours in a tin of Quality Streets and whether you love em’ or hate em’ a lot of folks have a small, octagon-shaped space in their heart for these nostalgic treats.
So, last week we asked our readers: Which Quality Street is the best? Hundreds of responses came in through our website and social media platforms and in total, nearly 1,300 of you had something to say about this holiday treat, which is technically available year-round.
VERY IMPORTANT POLL: which #QualityStreet candy is superior?
— The Coast - Halifax/Kjipuktuk (@TwitCoast) December 6, 2022
Let us know 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/xzNmPgMjez
The top two choices were unsurprising. The first place winner, the purple one, is a crowd-pleasing combo of chocolate, caramel and a hazelnut. Second place, the long gold one, is a stick of toffee enrobed in chocolate (and sure, it’s that shitty watery chocolate signature to Nestle, but the toffee is the star of the show here). Third place changed my perceptions of reality.
An alarming number of you enjoy Strawberry Crème. It ranks third overall on our website poll, above the Hazelnut Triangle, Caramel Cup and the Toffee Penny. Despicable. And they know it. The majority of voters who confessed to enjoying any of the fruit creme flavours did so with rightful shame and acknowledgement that their tastes are, putting it nicely this time, unconventional.
According to the Quality Street wikipedia page, where all the research for this piece was done, there is a separately sold lemon creme Quality Street, and my bones ache when I think about what biting into that would taste like.
A love letter to the Toffee Penny
The Toffee Penny is the best and most humble Quality Street confection. And I fully stand by that statement as someone who suffers from temporomandibular joint issues (TMJ). I likely developed said TMJ during some Christmas from my childhood, back to a time when the ThePurpleOne had a Brazil nut inside, not a hazelnut, and I would scarf down like 20 Toffee Pennies back to back to back. Long-term dental health be damned.
From the website poll, a measly 5% of us agree that Toffee Penny is the elite street. It deserves a second chance. This circular nugget of caramel may rip the molars right out of your skull, but its rich, smooth, buttery flavour makes it all #worthit. Also, the key is to eat them first when the tin is fresh—I swear, they’re softer.
Final observations
Other than our top 3, the flavour that most of our social media followers can get on board with (except for those with nut allergies) is the green triangle. I suspect that the pink wrapper (Fudge) is sometimes overlooked because some folks assume it’s the Strawberry Crème. Also ranking surprisingly low is the Caramel Cup.
Maybe it’s because it’s near the holidays, but I kind of have the warm- n-fuzzies that over 1,000 people had so much to say about chocolates on the internet. I can’t really put my (toffee) finger on it but it’s… sweet. Even those who indulge in the fruit cremes, you are very brave for sharing that truth.
Now excuse me while I ride out this Toffee Penny-induced sugar high until bedtime.