My 90s food memories are very much centred around the vast number of kid-based labour-saving ready meals (turkey dinosaurs, crispy pancakes, waffles), instant foods (just add boiling water) such as pot noodle, cup-a-soup (with noodles/croutons), gravy granules and instant custard.
Vegetarian options began to be more widespread, with more exotic, world-based foods (particularly from Asian countries) finding their way into supermarkets and menus, although not so much in pubs, who were slow to drift far from the traditional burger, pizza, pie, chilli and spaghetti bol. However the demand for healthy and vegetarian options increased, particularly among students and the middle-class, white-collar brigade, with a scant few embracing the strictures of vegan lifestyles (as in no animal products such as leather shoes). This all changed at the end of the millennium, when protesters threw cans of red paint over people wearing fur coats, however vegan choices would not become mainstream until the mid-to-late noughties.
Breakfast
Pop-tarts (toastable, frosted pastries filled with – lip-burning – fruit)
Breakfast bars – whether fruit-filled baked grain, granola or muesli – they were de-rigeur for 90s time-poor working women
Oatmeal swirlers – instant oats plus flavoured syrup – strawberry, cherry, apple cinnamon, milk chocolate and maple brown sugar
Banana Bubbles ( launched late 90s: like coco pops but turn the milk banana milkshake flavour)
Kellogg’s Cinnamon Mini Buns Cereal – short-lived (91-93) as it was way too sweet
Mains
Birds Eye Potato Waffles (Grill ’em, bake ’em, load ’em, love ’em. Waffly Versatile)
McCain Micro Chips (an unsuccessful development of their oven chips – too pale and soggy)
Findus Crispy pancakes (super-quick, cheesy tea-time treat)
Bernard Matthews Turkey dinosaurs (more kid-friendly fast-food)
Stuffed-crust pizza (launched by Pizza hut in 1995)
Focaccia bread (Italian, herb-infused – especially rosemary)
Caesar salad (90s power lunch staple invented in 1920s)
Rocket (this peppery delight – and my favourite – became the salad leaf of choice)
Pesto sauce introduced in 1991 (green – basil and red – sundried tomato)
Goat’s cheese and sun-dried tomato bruschetta
Baked Brie (possible en croute)
Tuna pasta bake – covered in melted cheese – another signature of 90s – the (tuna) melt
Pot noodles (the late 70s invention) gained sauce sachets in 1992, Pot rice range added
New Convent Garden soups (fancy fresh soups in cartons – only in high-end supermarkets from 1986)
Tex-Mex – From Old El Paso spice mixes to TGI Fridays serving Chimichanga (deep-fried burritos), loaded nachos, enchiladas and tacos.
Puds & sweets
Banoffee pie (actually invented at The Hungry Monk Restaurant in East Sussex, in 1971)
Ben & Jerry’s Ice-cream (launched in 1978 in Vermont, but didn’t reach UK till 1994)
Viennetta (originally launched in 1982) added Mint, Strawberry, Cappuccino & Praline flavours
Chocolate lava cake (aka fondant, choc sponge with molten chocolate centre)
White chocolate (invented many decades earlier, but really came to prominence in 90s – The Milkybars are on me)
Cadbury’s Fuse (raisins, peanuts, crispy cereal and fudge pieces, all cloaked in Cadbury’s chocolate – only lasted a decade from 1996)
Barratt’s Flumps (twisted marshmallow), Dip dabs (sherbet with red lolly) & Wham (chewy bar)
Arctic roll, originally from 1970, was discontinued in 1997, then made a comeback a decade later
Marathon became Snickers in 1990, Opal Fruits became Starburst in 1998
Kids lunchboxes
Capri-sun (pouch plus straw perfect for kids lunchboxes)
Cheese strings (1996 – Real, A-peelable Cheese – another lunchbox favourite)
Dairylea Lunchables (build-your-own ham ‘n’ cheese crackers)
Yoplait Frubes (tubes of fruit yogurt) and Petit-Filou (tiny pots of fromage frais)
Drinks
Bass launched Caffrey’s Irish Ale in ‘’94 – a lighter-brown Guinness lookalike. Lambrini – before Prosecco became widely available, also Black Tower and Sambuca – ’nuff said! Enterprising teens had plenty of options to fuel their (underage) drinking with so many options seemingly aimed at them: Archers Peach Schnapps, Taboo (fruit-flavoured spirit), Diamond White & White Lightning cider, Ready-to-drink mixers – stubby glass bottles with a ring pull, handy for the park/beach etc Beefeaters: Gin& Tonic/Whisky & Lemonade/Whisky & Ginger Ale, Gordons (91), Mailbu (92), Barcardi Breezer (93) and Smirnoff Ice (99) Alcopops – bright packaging and 97% sugar! – started by Two Dogs alcoholic lemonade produced by an Aussie farmer with a crop of wonky lemons Remember Hooch (one taste and you’re hooched), Alize (vodka – Higher proof. Drink responsibly), WKD (vodka – have you got a WKD side?), Mad Dog (fortified wine), Metz (schnapps-based – Beware the judderman, when the moon is fat)
JRo Author 