THE “last ever” unopened can of Creamola Foam is being auctioned off – after being secretly locked away in a safe for years.
Creamola Foam was a soft drink – produced in the form of raspberry, orange, lemon and cola granules – that dissolved in water to create a foaming fizzy beverage.
From when production began in Glasgow during the 1950s Creamola was one of Scotland’s most iconic exports – holding its own against the likes of Tunnock’s Teacakes and Irn-Bru.
The distinctively packaged drink is a staple of many Scots’ fond memories of childhood – and when production halted in 1997 many were heartbroken.
Since then a host of nostalgia-seekers have campaigned to bring back Creamola Foam or recreate its unmistakeable tangy flavour, copious foam and luminous colour.
And now a Glasgow couple are auctioning off what they believe to be the last ever unopened can of Creamola Foam – described by some as a “holy grail” -giving sweet toothed Scots the chance for one last taste of their childhood.
Roddy and Janice Nicoll – from Yoker, Glasgow – purchased a coveted can of lemon flavoured 1970s Creamola Foam six years ago and have kept it under lock and key ever since.
Now they are offering it up for auction online – alongside a raspberry flavoured tub of the foam from the 1990s – in a lot they are describing as “two pieces of true Scottish modern history.”
The couple have described the two cans as “the last ever unopened can” and the “last ever drinkable can”.
Janice – who listed the lot on Ebay – has said that her and Roddy have tried a small portion of the raspberry can prior to the sale, and she is confident it is drinkable.
Janice said: “Two small glasses have been made from the raspberry and it tasted superb and we are both still here, we had to have a glass before it went.
“Both of these cans were given to me as a present from my Husband when he disposed of his collection of Scottish Confectionery memorabilia.
“When we moved into together the deal was that all of the collection had to go.
“The Creamola foam however was far too valuable and the cans have sat in a small safe now for over six years periodically to be taken out at parties or family gathering for adults of a certain age to ‘ohh’ and ‘ahh’ at.
“They work just like little time machines that whisk the holder back to halcyon days at the back of the Grannies Pantry or begging below the top shelf at the local Co-op.
“As we both approach our 50th Birthdays the time has come for them to move on to either a private collection, a museum or the hands of whomever wants to be the last Scot to ever taste the original real thing or pop the wee paper seal on the top of a Creamola Can for the last time.
Talking about the second-raspberry flavoured can- she added:”The can is almost full so there are perhaps 10 glasses of Raspberry Creamola left in the world. Use them wisely.”
Roddy – a confectionary enthusiast who has even written a song about the drink – said: ”They sit in the safe for 362 days of the year and nobody sees them. It is time to let them go.
“I got the metal one from an English dealer – the poor guy didn’t know what he had.
“It’s very much a part of the Scottish childhood for anyone of a certain age – everybody begged their mum for it, and maybe your mum wouldn’t buy it but your granny would.
“It was a treat and you had to be good to get it.”
Roddy, 49 – who describes himself as “a complete Creamola Foam nut” – said he has “absolutely no idea” what the final price of the auction will be, although 20% of proceeds will go to the Beatson Charity Centre.
Speaking about the taste test he and his wife Janice – also 49 – conducted he said: “It tasted just exactly as I remembered it.
“That nice sour tart mixture and the foamy head.”
He said he bought the unopened lemon can for £60, whilst the raspberry set him back £40.
Production of Creamola Foam ceased after Nestle bought out the brand’s parent company – Rowntree.
A Nestle spokesman could not confirm whether the can is indeed the last ever.
The highest bid on the auction- due to end at 8:00pm on Monday – is currently a surprisingly low £26, although the reserve has not yet been met.
Creamola Foam’s recipe was lost when production halted – and attempts to revive the firm favourite have hinged on confectioners being able to hunt down an original can.
In 2006 an Orkney baker and an Inverclyde businessman found themselves locked in negotiations over a can of the drink after the baker with the can demanded a cut of the profits, should the recipe be rebooted.
It is therefore expected that bidding on the lot could sky-rocket, as rival entrepreneurs hope to lock down the recipe.
