Retro Recipes To Recreate Right Now!

Take a trip down menu lane with us via the kitchen. Whether for Jubilee celebrations or pure nostalgia, make these retro foods and fire up your taste bud memories!

Nostalgia is that warm, fuzzy feeling we get when we’re reminded of the past. These memories trigger our senses and tap into our emotions. Anything can spark nostalgia, not least a comforting childhood meal or long-forgotten favourite snack.

The great news is nostalgic memories are thought to have positive health benefits as they can leave us feeling happy and make life more meaningful. So what better way to tap into them than with a plate of your best-loved childhood grub?

Nearly 30 years after their American debut, Pop Tarts reached the UK in 1990 and we felt like budding chefs as we prepared sweet-filled pastries with just our toasters. They’re still in the shops today but if you make your own you can fill them with whatever you fancy.

Wagon wheels have been lunchbox favourites for decades thanks to their size, gooey marshmallow filling and chocolate coating. To grownup hands, they may feel as if they’ve shrunk over the years but you can make a DIY version as big as you dare!

Having hit the shelves in 1958, crispy pancakes are a teatime blast from the past for many of us. Once made by Findus, they were scrapped in 2016 and then brought back by Birds Eye. Make your own fancy version and serve with homemade potato smileys.

Highlights of a childhood meal out don’t come much better than scampi and chips and duck a l’orange. And while they’re still to be found on some menus, master your own at home and you can enjoy them whenever the mood takes you.

Lining up some classic dishes for a Jubilee street party? Look no further than 80s dinner party staple, the mighty vol-au-vent or give much-loved Coronation chicken a daring twist by turning into a pie.

Angel Delight has been the champion of convenience puddings since the seventies and while its popularity has risen and fallen over the years, it’s still very much available in the shops. Whip up your childhood dessert dreams with this grown-up version.

What passed for a posh pud on your Sunday table? There’s a good chance an Artic roll would have raised a cheer (here’s a brilliant step-by-step guide to a DIY version. And how about a fully loaded banana split? Yesss!

As we spent our younger years screaming for ice cream (and still do to be fair), we’ll finish with two bygone icons. Ice Magic, the wonderous instant-hardening topping that came in a mountain shaped bottle (here’s how to make your own and the lolly to beat all lollies – Funny Feet! Create a healthier homemade version with this mould and this yummy recipe. Enjoy!