A Worcester sweet shop has launched a new peppermint treat inspired by Britain’s mining heritage.
Mr D’s Olde Sweet Shop, High Street, unveiled Pitman’s Peppermints as the first in a series of historically-inspired confectionery.
Like some of history’s greatest inventions, such as penicillin and crisps, the mints were created by chance during a recipe experiment.
A spokesperson for Mr D’s Olde Sweet Shop said: “We were actually trying to develop something completely different when one of the test batches didn’t turn out as we’d intended.
“But when we tasted it, there was something immediately familiar about it.
“It tasted like the proper old-fashioned mints our grandfathers always seemed to have.”
The accidental creation sparked memories of strong mints once popular among miners, who would use them to freshen their mouths after long shifts underground.
Instead of reworking the recipe, the shop decided to give the mints their own identity.
The spokesperson said: “Unlike our gentler Malvern Hills Mint Drops, Pitman’s Peppermints were never meant to be subtle.
“They are stronger, brisker and properly pepperminty, with that clean, cooling feeling that lingers after the sweet has gone.
“We wanted them to have a bit of grit about them, something that felt fitting for the miners who inspired them and the hardy communities that grew around the mines and collieries.”
The peppermints are made in the UK and use natural flavouring.
READ MORE: Council unveils new system to cut down ‘crazy’ queues at tip
The spokesperson said: “There is something very ordinary about a peppermint, and perhaps that’s why this one means something to us.
“A taste can suddenly remind you of somebody you haven’t seen or thought about for years.
“That’s exactly how Pitman’s Peppermints began for us.”
Pitman’s Peppermints are part of a growing collection of original sweets being developed by Mr D’s Olde Sweet Shop.