Sweet shop ration books tackle child obesity

A sweet shop is using ration books as the latest weapon in the fight against childhood obesity, it emerged today.

Parents write a daily allowance in the retro-styled booklets and children get them stamped when they spend it at Hope and Greenwood, in East Dulwich, south east London.

The scheme has been a runaway success both with sweet-toothed kids and their health-conscious parents since it was introduced at the 1950s-style confectionary emporium in November last year, with hundreds of books being sold.

Even adults are getting in on the craze, with some being given a daily ration by their mother or partner.

“It’s been fantastic,” said Kitty Hope, who opened the shop with her husband Mark Greenwood in August. “We’ve sold hundreds of them, for kids and adults.”

The idea for the card, which is based on an original ration book lent by a customer, came about because of one little boy who kept sneaking into the store every evening to buy sweets, she said.

“His mother came in and said, ‘Can you stop serving him’, and we said, ‘We’re not the sweet police, what can we do ?”’ Miss Hope, 38, said.

“It became clear to us that the best thing was to put the kids on a ration. Parents buy them a book worth £5 (€7.28) or £10 (€14.60) but they can’t spend it all in one go.

“It seems crazy as a sweet shop owner to have a moral responsibility but I do believe in it. I love the fact that the kids really take it seriously.

“They’re not allowed to break it, absolutely not, no way. Not unless a parent is with them or they have extra cash.”

The ration books are not the only blast from the past in the shop, which specialises in traditional treats such as gobstoppers and liquorice laces, all displayed in huge glass sweetie jars.

Miss Hope and Mr Greenwood always dress in 1950s-style clothes and stamp the books with an antique Victorian stamping kit.