Taffy Mail - Closed

Taffy Mail

If you or someone you know is an American ex pat living in the UK, Taffy Mail might be just the ticket to help in curing any bouts of homesickness, as it comes complete with a monthly box of American snacks and drinks that you cannot typically purchase in shops on the high street here in Old Blighty.

From candy bars, cookies, sour gummies, soda to chewing gum, Taffy Mail is a subscription for those with a sweet tooth for classic American treats. So, whether you're looking for a little taste of home or you just fancy some different sweets that you can't buy in your local supermarket, Taffy Mail offers a wonderful surprise sweets subscription. Starting from just £7.49 per month for their smaller box, you really won't be able to source these hard-to-find, delectable treats cheaper anywhere else.

At A Glance Info
What's in the box? Classic American sweets and treats
How often does it come? Monthly
Sent from UK

Taffy Mail Review

By Kim (June 2017)

Taffy Mail Contents June 2017

As an American living here in the UK for the past decade, I was absolutely ecstatic to receive a box from Taffy Mail to sample. When I opened the box, I had a little squeal of excitement and suddenly felt as though I was a kid again at the end of the eve on Halloween going through and itemising (or 'itemizing' for you fellow yanks) my ever-sacred candy stash.

First Impressions

Taffy Mail First Impressions

I'll admit the Taffy Mail box and packaging isn't overly glamorous, but, really, it's the contents that matter and the company truly packed a lot of punch into the one box, so I was impressed! The items came loosely hidden under some bright blue packing peanuts, which was like uncovering hidden treasures one after the other.

What We Received

The complimentary box we received from Taffy Mail was the 'Extra' box, which includes up to 20 sweets, an American soda, and a premium item. In our box, we received 17 items in total, which included a can of the all-classic American beverage – root beer! – with the premium item being an entire package of Peeps Oreos, which is a special edition Oreo that I'm guessing you can only typically find around Easter. It also came with an array of American chocolates, various sweets and a couple of savoury items.

Sweets

Taffy Mail Sweets

Being a 'sweets and treats' box, the majority of the items you'll find in your Taffy Mail box will most likely be sweet. In terms of the non-chocolate sweets, our box included a cherry and an apple Laffy Taffy, apple-flavoured Fun Dip, patriotic red, white and blue Skittles, an orange Air Head, some Appleheads, and, my personal favourite, some tropical Dots. These things are like the American version of wine gums but, in my opinion, much better.

All of these items are the classic sweets that the Easter Bunny put in my Easter basket every year throughout my childhood, the sweets that my neighbours passed out on Halloween and the ones that Santa would often put into my Christmas stocking and they taste just as good and fresh as I remember them. Every kid ought to have the opportunity to turn their tongue from green to blue with some good ol' American Fun Dip.

Chocolate

Taffy Mail Chocolate

There was a good selection of chocolatey things included in our Taffy Mail box too, including a white chocolate Kit Kat, a dark chocolate Milky Way, a box of Milk Duds, as well as a mini York peppermint patty and a small bar of plain Hershey's milk chocolate.

You Brits might not think that we Americans do chocolate very well what with your deliciously addicting, smooth and perfect Cadbury chocolate, but have you ever tried a Milk Dud? Now's your chance! These are an American cinema classic and any kid growing up in the states will have enjoyed these at the movies alongside a giant bag of buttery popcorn bigger than their face. They are super tasty and I was so happy to see them included in the box.

If you're thinking Milky Ways are British, you'd be right, but we also have them in America and they are different, as our version has caramel. We also have Kit Kats here in the UK but now is your chance to taste how the Hershey's company in Pennslyvania has ruined them – only joking, of course! Hershey's might play second fiddle to Cadbury but many people prefer it and we Americans are known to only ever put Hershey's on our s'mores. And, if you don't know what a s'more is, let me google that for you.

Cookies & Cakes

Taffy Mail Cookies & Cake

I was happily surprised by the inclusion of cookies and cakes in the box, which included two items that I have never tried before, including some Peeps Oreos and a creme-filled Oreo brownie. Having grown up in America, I could truly appreciate these ones despite never seeing them before, as Peeps are these adorably delicious little marshmallow birds that we only ever get around Easter and, Oreos, are the quintessential American cookie, aside from, of course, the ever-coveted Girl Scout cookie! The package of Oreos was big ticket item in our box and definitely not something you'd ever come across in Tesco. I'm still not convinced by the brownie – a bit sickly for my liking – but an E for Effort on the inclusion of something we never would have expected.

Soda

Taffy Mail Soda

You can never go wrong in choosing a nice, cool refreshing glass of root beer, which, weirdly, a lot of Brits think is disgusting, but we Americans love the stuff. This is the soda that came in our box, which was somewhat disheveled after being tossed around by various postmen on its way to us, but delicious nonetheless. I should probably explain that root beer is a classic American soda that comes from the sassafras tree, so extremely hard to describe to someone who hasn't had it. It's generally non-alcoholic and quite often enjoyed with a scoop or two of ice cream dropped into the glass – known as a root beer float.

I've never personally heard of the brand 'Dad's Old Fashioned Root Beer', but it's possible it just never made its way to the Western states where I grew up or my parents just always opted for A&W as the go-to root beer of choice. In any case, I enjoyed it thoroughly. And, if you like root beer, you should consider trying some sarsaparilla next time. It's the Champagne of root beer.

Savoury Treats

Taffy Mail Savoury Treats

I was pleased to find some delicious savoury snacks in the box, as well, after feeling a bit ill from all the sweets I've been sampling this past week. The ones included in our box were some spicy, chili-flavoured Lays Stax called 'Que Rico' (or 'How Delicious!' for those of you who don't speak Spanish) and Snyder's of Hanover buffalo wing-flavoured pretzel pieces.

I was amused to find the Lays Stax made in Mexico with the ingredients and nutritional guide all written in Spanish. Having grown up in southern California, this is absolutely something I would have found growing up being so close to the border. And, if you haven't tried Snyder's pretzel pieces, you haven't yet lived. Those things are ridiculously moorish and I practically ate the whole bag in one sitting. Luckily, you can now find them at Tesco in the American section, but they can be pretty pricey.

Overall Impressions

For me, Taffy Mail was nostalgia in a box. I would highly recommend it as a gift for any ex-pat living here in the UK who could use a taste of home, as I believe they would really appreciate everything in the box like I did. It's also the perfect subscription for anyone who has a sweet tooth, as 15 out of the 17 items were sweet rather than savoury. I also thought it was incredible value for money. Typically, you just can't find any of this stuff in the UK and, if you can, there's a massive mark up on everything, so receiving almost 20 items for just over £24 seems like a pretty sweet deal.

How Does It Work?

Like all subscription boxes, with Taffy Mail you simply subscribe to their box to receive a monthly box of surprise American sweets and treats. All you need to do is to decide which size box you'd like to receive, fill out some contact details and make your payment and you'll receive your box on or before the 15th of every month. When you sign up, you enroll on a monthly basis, but you can easily cancel whenever you want, as long as you do it before they take the payment on the first of every month.

What Do You Get?

With every Taffy Mail box, you'll receive a range of delicious American sweets and treats. This includes lots of sugary items like sour gummies, bubble gum, specialty American sodas, cookies, chocolate and even a few savoury items like American potato chips, nuts or other salty snacks.

Options

In terms of options, the contents of each month's box is a surprise, which adds to Taffy Mail's charm, however, you'll get to decide approximately how many items you receive on a month-to-month basis. There are three sizes, including the Taffy Mail Lite, which includes 4-5 items, the Taffy Mail Classic, which includes 10-12 items, and the Taffy Mail Extra that includes up to 20 items in a box and also includes a premium item.

Examples

Showcasing America's finest treats, Taffy Mail is a sweet tooth's dream subscription box. Hershey's, Oreos, Cap'n Crunch, Lucky Charms, A&W, Bottle Caps, Milk Duds, Nerds, Warheads, York peppermint patties, Cheetos, Fun Dip, Air Heads, Jolly Ranchers, Synder's Pretzel Pieces, Lays Stax – these are just some of the many items you'll find in your Taffy Mail subscription.