Cybercandy, Brighton

Cybercandy predates the rash of sweetie shops spreading themselves around Brighton.

It is more original than the newbies and manages to make confectionary just a little bit rock'n'roll. But only a little bit, they are after all just sugar and E-colour and chemical E-flavours.

The packaging is great though isn't it? Maybe that’s why cybercandy is better. They seem to have more stuff in interesting packets, rather than going down the put it all in glass jars to gain a yesteryear, nostalgia vibe.

They also sell imported goodies so if you come from far away and need the sweet taste of home then cybercandy is your portal back.

Having spent a year in America I discovered that American chocolate is, generally, nowhere near as good as Cadbury's or Galaxy. However, with a sweet tooth like mine I had to find alternatives. Occasionally I still get cravings for some of the American replacements I found and I am happy that there is somewhere nearby that I can get my Milk Duds or Pretzel Flips.

It's not cheap, so it is not somewhere I can go very often. However, if I do get that craving I can justify it as a treat.

There are sweets from all over the world in there, but at the prices they charge it is more a place to go to find things you have already tried abroad, rather than to experiment.

I don't like sweets much – I've just never really had a sweet tooth – but this shop makes me feel just a little bit excited for some reason... I think it's a mixture of all the insanely brightly coloured packaging and the fact that there are so many sweets in here I've never heard of I can't even begin to imagine what they all taste like.

The delights on offer range from the sweets we enjoyed as kids in the 90s – like Push Pops and popping candy – to things I've never heard of in my life, imported from America, Australia and Japan. Although I probably wouldn't buy anything in here, it's always fun to look around at the more unusual bits – like Lollipops with ACTUAL INSECTS inside them (yuck) and the caffeinated energy drinks that they refuse to sell to anyone under the age of 16.

I guess this is more of a sweet shop for adults than kids, as most kids just wouldn't appreciate the novelty of what Cybercandy offer. A great idea and clearly loved by many people, I'm glad this place exists... it just isn't really for me.

I’m really confused about my feelings for the owners of this place - one minute I want to give them a big wet kiss on the lips for opening it in the first place, another I just want to slap them for making me spend so much money I can’t afford in there.

Ahem….well, if you’re any kind of chocolate/sweetie addict, you’ll be like a kid in a…um….candy shop in here. If you’ve ever craved that chocolate bar you picked up in Oz once, or fancy a Twinkie, you’ll find it here. There’s sodas (Mountain Dew!) and breakfast cereals (Lucky Charms!) and even candy flavoured lip balms too. Quite simply, it’s like being in Willy Wonka’s factory, but in a little corner of Brighton. I miss it loads.

Ever find yourself pining for some sweets from your childhood, or perhaps from your trip abroad? Well, Cybercandy is the place to find them. They’ve got a fantastic selection of imported goods - I stocked up on Mountain Dew when I was there. There are also sweets that it’s likely you’ve never tried but go on, take a risk and try one! Prices are a wee bit higher than your average sweet shop but since it’s all imported that’s to be expected! Will definitely go back when I’m at that end of the country again!