The Perfect Snack

When I arrived on Bequia in the 70s, the shops were a far cry from what they are today. I use the term “shops” because grocery stores, where one could buy something other than canned goods, were a thing of the future, and so were snack foods. Corned beef and sardines could be purchased and spread on Crix crackers to serve as cocktail snacks, but “proper” junk food didn’t seem to exist. At times Tannis’ store stocked Pringles potato chips, chips that I would have turned my nose up at in Canada. A tube of Pringles was $7 EC, which back then was a lot of money, and I would scurry home with my treasure hidden from prying eyes so that I wouldn’t be forced to share. I didn’t even particularly LIKE those chips, but my cravings for snack food outweighed common sense.

Fortunately, I discovered Shirley biscuits before I had squandered too much money on tubes of Pringles potato chips, and have been enjoying the tasty cookies for more than 4 decades. Shirley biscuits, made by Wibisco (West Indian Biscuit Co.), have been a Caribbean classic for over 60 years. They were first manufactured in Barbados in 1952, and, as rumour has it, were named after an office employee named Shirley who was considered especially sweet.  Each little cookie has an intricate stamp of a house surrounded by flowers, a cute design I have always appreciated whilst nibbling my treat. The biscuits are low in sodium and contain zero cholesterol, making them a healthy alternative to the junk food crowding the grocery store shelves. They are also low in calories and taste terrific, a winning combination in my book!

In 2003 Wibisco came up with a new coconut Shirley biscuit, closely followed by Shirley ginger and Shirley chocolate. Being a firm advocate of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” I was apprehensive about this messing about with a perfectly good product, and bought packages of the new biscuits fully expecting them to taste of artificial flavourings. To my amazement they are all incredibly good, and have remained reassuringly inexpensive throughout the years.

I am often filled with dismay when I see today’s school children buying unhealthy treats when good old Shirley biscuits are so readily available. Child obesity has become a real problem on Bequia, and, while Shirley biscuits are not in the health food category, they are a far better option than most of the fattening junk being consumed during school break.

The pride of Barbados and a Caribbean classic; to me, Shirley biscuits represent the perfect snack….