Events

Hello all Bah Humbug followers!

What are you doing for Valentine's Day?

How many of you have given thought to what you're going to give your Valentine in 12 days time?  Have you spent hours, days and weeks planning a special meal, a surprise outing, a trip somewhere romantic?  Is your Valentine already your partner or are you still a secret admirer?

Sweet Gifts for Valentine's Day

Whatever you have already done, or plan to do, why not add a little sugary element and present your Valentine with a Sweet Gift from Bah Humbugs?  You can get plenty of ideas on our website www.bahhumbugs.com.  Perhaps a Decade Bucket for a trip down memory lane?  Or a Sweet Bucket full of your Valentine's favourites?  Maybe a mixture of Cherry Lips, Love Hearts, Strawberry Hearts would hit the spot?  If you can't see exactly what you're looking for you could drop us an email at sales@bahhumbugs.com and let us know what you want.  If we can do it we will.

Classic Fudge for Valentine's Day

We also do the most amazing fudge, which is always a winner!  Flavours include Clotted Cream, Coffee, Maple and Walnut, Rum and Raisin, Chocolate, Vanilla, and if that's not enough we have Peanut Brittle and Coconut Ice!  Why not get us to put together a Fudge Hamper especially made for your Valentine?  Have a look at some of our Hamper selection if you're still not sure.

Check out some history about Valentine's Day and perhaps get some more ideas here Valentine's Day - Facts, Origin, Meaning and Videos.  Whatever it is you decide to do for your Valentine in 2017 make sure you do it with love.

Happy Valentine's Day! X

Hi all!

If you're planning a wedding and you need some inspiration for your wedding favours have you thought of getting Bah Humbugs to provide them?

You can choose from our huge range of hundreds of different sweets, and we can package them up any way you wish.  From a simple bag with a ribbon to match your colour scheme, to a range of sweet jars containing any variety of sweets.  We also have a sweet cart which can be hired complete with sweets for your guests to help themselves. We can work with you to provide whatever takes your fancy, so if you have an idea you want to run past us then please do.  No two weddings are the same and every bride deserves the best!

We are happy to be supporting a new wedding venue, http://www.barolinweddings.com/ in a wedding event they are holding this weekend, Friday 4th to Sunday 6th November, promoting everything wedding related.  Barolin offer a wonderful service focusing on all aspects of your wedding and we are delighted to be working with them.

Wedding Favours at Barolin Weddings

Give us a call or drop an email if you want to discuss anything and we will be happy to help!

Bah Humbugs

Hello all Bah Humbug followers!

How are you finding the drop in temperature as we enter autumn? Bit of a shock after the sunshine of the summer.  Here in Masham the raincoats and umbrellas have made an appearance but for half term week it looks as though the sun will be shining, for at least some of the time anyway. Let's hope it last until Halloween so that all the Trick or Treaters out there can stay dry while they scare their victims!

We're making preparations for our Halloween offering so, for everyone who doesn't want to have a trick played, make sure you put a visit to the shop on your list of things to do and stock up on your treats.

We have lots of Halloween themed treats, chocolate eye balls, Halloween chocolate coins, special Halloween sours and much, much more! The shop is decorated and awaiting your visit but be prepared, we have some spooky guests!

Looking a little further forward with an eye on the bonfire season we have added to our usual toffee offering with wonderful bonfire toffees, together with a bigger choice of Mega Lollies, including Treacle or Toffee.  You might just be looking for something to warm you up, and we have a great range of herbal sweets that are just the job.

For any locals who listen to Radio York, you may have heard clues on their Finders Keepers slot which would lead you to our door.  It's always great fun to be included in local broadcast and events so we hope you were listening but if you missed it you can catch up here.

Bah Humbugs - BBC Radio York - Finders Keepers October 2016.mp3

We look forward to seeing you soon and don't forget that if you live further afield you can always order online or drop us an email if you have any special requests for party bags, gifts or special orders.

Bah Humbugs

Hi all

Avid Bah Humbug followers will not be surprised to hear that August brought a change of ownership for our lovely traditional sweet shop.

The original Mrs Humbug, after more than 12 years in the shop, has decided to move on to new challenges.  However, do not despair!  We have a new Mrs Humbug who brings with her a love for our current traditional sweet offering, together with some very exciting ideas for increasing and improving the selection of sweets we can offer.

Some ideas are simple, expanding the range of flavours offered within certain sweet 'types' and increasing, where possible, the existing range of sweets, continuing to source products from traditional manufacturers, many of whom have been using the same wonderful recipes and techniques for the last century.

We will continue to supply corporate gifts, wedding favours, and don't forget our Sweet Cart which is available to hire for Weddings, Birthdays or other celebrations.  If you're shopping for gifts the hampers, buckets, bottles and cones are still available and we plan to add more to the range.

With the children just back to school after their long summer break we are looking to the next event in the calendar, so watch out for our spooky Halloween sweets to terrify those trick or treaters!  If you are having a Halloween party why not get a few party bags made up for your guests? Or if you want a bucket of sweets to offer to visitors then we have just the thing!

Any questions give us a call or send us an email and we'll be happy to help.

'Til next time x

Hi all

On this very historic day, when the sweet loving public of Great Britain get a chance to cast their vote for possibly the most important decision we make in our lifetime, we thought we would add a lighter note to the proceedings and take a look at some of the sweets that have seen us through from the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the establishment of the European Community and the formation of the European Union.

From the 1950's onwards many sweets have come and gone, some remembered fondly and their loss lamented, with others having stood the test of time, continuing to be favourites today.  Which sweets do you remember from childhood?  Maybe we can jog your memory a little with this retro selection:

Launched in 1957

The drumstick lolly, with it's distinct Milk and Raspberry flavours was launched by Matlow Brothers in the same year that The Treaty of Rome was signed by six European states.  The breakthrough of a wrapped lolly was made by Trevor Matlow as he experimented with a new chew wrapping machine,

Been around longer that the European Community

Love Hearts were first manufactured in 1953, before the creation of the European Community.  Originally they were only sold within the Swizzels Christmas cracker, but proved so popular it was decided to introduce them as an ongoing line.  During the 1960's the sweets were given away attached to the front of popular children's comics and over the years have been translated into different languages for export, have been produced as commemorative limited edition versions and was iconic enough for a Love Heart sculpture to be placed in the Millennium Dome.

Which of these two were your favourites?  We think the Double Dip came first but other than them being around for longer than the EU we're not sure.  We do know they're both delicious though, and there is something about sherbet of any kind that transports you back to childhood!

We have so many more sweets to add to this list but I shall resist!  Obviously all of them are bundled up into one big box of memories as our Retro Hamper, but then most of you reading this will know that!

Bursting with flavours that will take your taste buds on a tantalising trip down memory lane....

Whichever way you have decided to vote today let's hope that, as a nation, we make the right choice!

Hello from the Team at Bah Humbugs!

If you're local then it's a great time to be in and around Masham, especially if you're looking for a little shopping discount with a bonus!  If you're not local and planning on visiting us for a holiday, or you're just passing through you can still join our Make the Most of Masham loyalty card scheme and benefit from the discounts and offers available.

What you get...

For £5 you get a beautiful cotton bag with with an illustration by local artist Rob Blades, and a membership card for the Make the Most of Masham Scheme which entitles you to various discounts, benefits and offers at many local businesses.  You can buy your bag and membership card here at Bah Humbugs, @bahhumbugs, and every time you spend £10 or more you will get a 10% discount so, if you're looking to stock up on your sweets, buy a gift from our great range of Decade Buckets, Retro Hampers, Sweet Buckets, or many others options then this gives you a fabulous discount. Bags are also available at Masham Community Office, @VisitMasham, and a few other participating shops. Why not pop in to get yours? For more info go to the Visit Masham website

Bag Illustration by Rob Blades

Support for Masham

We are also very excited about the support we are getting from Stray FM at the moment! @StrayFM are getting ready to launch a three month 'flag-waving' campaign to promote our town, so tune in and make sure you keep up to date with what's going on.

We look forward to you popping in and grabbing your bag!

Hello all!

If you're planning to come to Masham this Spring Bank Holiday weekend then you're in for a treat.  Masham Market Spring Festival will be on and you will be able to browse the stalls. Check out who'll be here by looking at the Masham Market website. There will also be additional stall holders for the Farmers Market on Sunday 1st May.

In the Town Hall you will find a 'Handmade' fair on Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st May, and there is a Art, Craft and Design exhibition by Brigantia being held in the Blue Light Gallery at Masham Community Office running from 30th April to 3rd June.

It would be lovely to see you, so pop into Bah Humbugs and browse our sweet selection.  If you've got birthday presents to buy you can check out our hampers and gift buckets.

Bah Humbugs Decade Buckets

Bah Humbugs Hampers

While you're here you can pop into one of our lovely pubs for a drink and a bite to eat, or try the award winning Vennell's restaurant.  A brewery tour makes an interesting diversion so why not visit one of the two Breweries, Black Sheep or Theakstons.  If art is your thing then see some artist's work at The Gallery (Ian Scott Massie), The Nolon Stacey Gallery or The Little Picture House Gallery (Nikki Corker), or make a visit to Uredale Glass.

There is so much more to do while you're here such as taking a look round our beautiful church, going for a walk around the river and visit Marfield Wetlands Nature Reserve.  If you feel there's too much for you to see in one day then why don't you stay for a few? Lots of accommodation in the area, so check out the Visit Masham site for options.

Whatever you're planning on doing this Spring Bank Holiday weekend have a great time, and if you happen to be here then we look forward to seeing you in Bah Humbugs!!

With Mothering Sunday less than a month away, many of us are thinking of what to buy as a gift this year.

Giant Hamper

Why not treat your special mum to a sweet treat from Bah Humbugs? We can make up a hamper containing all her favourites or, if  you're happy to leave the choice to us we can add a selection of sweets that will be a welcome treat for any mum!

If you're looking for suggestions we have a range of chocolate coated peanuts, raisins, brazil nuts, or ginger.  Favourites such as Sherbet Lemons, Pear Drops, Rhubarb and Custards or Strawberries and Creams.  Maybe your mum is a liquorice fan? We have a great range of

Liquorices from Bah Humbugs

English classics including Allsorts, Torpedoes, Cuttings, Comforts and many more, together with a large selection of Dutch or Scandinavian liquorice treats.

Don't forget we have great Decades buckets or Sweet Treat Buckets so check out the selection on our website.

Groovy Seventies Sweets

We can also make up treat bags or hampers to include retro sweets or pick n mix.

Prices will vary depending on what you choose, but why not drop us an email sales@bahhumbugs.com and we can discuss the options?

Online / Digital Award Winnner Yorkshire & North East 2015

 We were delighted to have been shortlisted in two categories for the Forward Ladies Business Awards 2015 - Yorkshire & North East Region. The regional final was held in Newcastle yesterday (29th September) and we were absolutely thrilled to have won The Digital/Online Award for Yorkshire & The North East. What an accolade!

This means that we're now into the National Finals in Leeds on 20th November 2015, but before that we have to work a little harder to impress the judges at a Live Panel judging session on the 4th of November!!!

Please see below for all the details of the awards from our PR friends at 2B Communications.

Sweet success for confectionery entrepreneur as she storms through to national finals for Forward Ladies Women in Business Awards 2015

A Yorkshire sweet entrepreneur who spearheads a retro sweet business has forged ahead to the national finals in the Forward Ladies Women in Business Awards 2015.

Lucy Scott Paul, owner of Bah Humbugs won the Digital/Online Business of the Year Award 2015 for Yorkshire and the North East region at an awards ceremony yesterday (Tuesday 29 September) in Newcastle upon Tyne,in recognition of her 12 years of experience in confectionery and her success in the digital side of her business.

The 38-year-old who hails from Masham, North Yorkshire where her business is based, started her business with a shop on the market square and has grown the online side of the company with a website which now takes orders from across the globe, and a strong social media presence. The Bah Humbugs website http://www.bahhumbugs.com/has received close to 10,000 new visitors since January this year spread across the UK, USA and Norway.

She specialises in liquorice confectionery and stocks nostalgic sweet hampers whilst she also suppliessweets and hampers for corporate clients, events and weddings.Lucy has strong relationship with her customers and has harnessed her online community’s views to help shape her themed sweet products to mark occasions such as the Queen’s Jubilee. Her latest range of sweets features ‘Decade Buckets themed sweets. .

Lucy now joins start-ups and multi-million pound businesses for the 2015 Forward Ladies Women in Business Awardsfinal which promises to be one of the most closely run finals in its six-year history.

“I am absolutely delighted to have won Digital Business of the Year 2015 for Yorkshire and the North East region and cannot wait for the finals. The digital side of the business has enabled me to expand my client base across the UK and beyond including wining new corporate contracts.

“Running your own business can be isolating at times and making decisions can be hard. I found it really motivating being at the awards ceremony and in the company of such successful women who all have inspiring stories to share.”

The mother-of-two won regional Retail Business of the Year 2012 in the same competition and now joins 142 entrepreneurial female business leaders who are competing in rounds in Newcastle, Manchester, London and Nottingham across 11 categories to reach the finals to be held in Leeds, West Yorkshire in November.

Fellow winners at the Newcastle awards ceremony included Claire Young of BBC’s The Apprentice fame in recognition of her School Speakers business.

Forward Ladies Managing Director Griselda Togobo said the standard of entries this year was one of the highest ever.

“The calibre of entries has been increasing year on year, but this year we have a number of outstanding entries, which have attracted women from all ages, all professions and all walks of life.  We are also delighted to hosting regional heats in Newcastle, Manchester, London and Nottingham for the first time, which means we can showcase some of the best talent from across the whole of England.

“We also have categories to showcase the underrepresented women working in traditionally male dominated fields such as STEM, Digital and Online category, and have received some outstanding entries in this category.  The judges have seriously had their work cut out for them this year.”

This year’s judging panel was made up of leading business personalities and entrepreneurs including Karen Boswell, the managing director of Hitachi Rail Europe and former managing director of East Coast Trains, Ajaz Ahmed, the founder of Freeserve and Debra White, the Regional Director of Small Businesses at HSBC.

Bah Humbugs has over 3,500 twitter followers and over 4,000 facebook page. To follow on twitter visit https://twitter.com/bahhumbugs and to become a facebook fan visit http://www.facebook.com/bahhumbugs. To visit Bah Humbugs You Tube page visit http://www.youtube.com/user/englishsweetshop

For more information visit http://www.bahhumbugs.com/

ENDS

For interviews/photos or more information please contact Audrey Barton at 2B Communications on 07769334877 or email Audrey@2bcommunications.co.uk

All the Regional Winners for Yorkshire & The North East

Lion's Sports Mixture

Well Summer is most definitely over, not that we had much sunshine that's for sure! This weekend sees the annual SHEEP FAIR here in Masham and this year it is the 30th Anniversary of this great weekend.

If you don't know Masham, we have one of the largest and finest market squares in England, and it was always famous for sheep sales. Historically up to 70,000 sheep were sold each year. Today, the annual Sheep Fair raises lots of money for local charities, and the weekend is full of fun activities - not all sheep related!!

Anyway, the Sheep Fair marks Autumn here in Masham, and i thought i'd take a moment to let you all know what the Top Ten Best Selling Sweets have been here in Bah Humbugs Sweet Shop over the Summer.

1. Pontefract Cakes - what needs to be said about these Best Selling Sweets? They're a chewy liquorice coin, synonymous with the town of Pontefract which has a history steeped in liquorice.

2. Lemon Sherbets - tangy, crunchy lemon sweets with a sour sherbet centre

3. 1950s Decade Sweet Bucket - 1950s Sweets crammed into one of our new Sweet Buckets, fabulous selection, great for sharing.

4. Lion's Sweet Hamper - A hamper full of the entire range of sweets made by Lion's including Midget Gems and Sports Mixtures.

5. Lion's Midget Gems - the absolute 'proper' ones - with black liquorice ones.We only sell the authentic Lion's Sweets, the hard, chewy, fruity gums, so you won't find any blackcurrant flavoured black sweets here!

6. Lion's Sports Mixtures - proper Sports Mixtures, with the black liquorice ones, just like the Midget Gems.

7. Haribo Giant Strawbs - the best selling Haribo Sweet, Strawberries, Chewy Strawberries or whatever you like to call them! they are a scrumptious strawberry flavoured chew!

8. Raspberry Blue Bon Bons - why are Raspberry flavoured

9. Liquorice Torpedoes - Crunchy hard shells with a lovely liquorice centre

10. Cherry Lips - love them or hate them, they're a floral, fragrant and hard chewy gum.

Are any of these sweets one of your favourites? What sweet IS your favourite?