Humbugs of Distinction

Welcome to this little website of Casement’s Manx Knobs – the reassuringly eccentric confection which can make a small but not insignificant contribution to your sense of fun and wellbeing.  Whether you live on the other side of the Island or the other side of the World, we hope you enjoy your visit here.  We also have embraced the great social networking phenomenon and have a Facebook page (“Manx Knobs“) – do have a peruse if you really have the inclination and time. Make a fashion statement with a Casement’s Manx Knobs T Shirt for only £9.99 + postage.

A BIT OF HISTORY…

Manx Knobs were a product ingeniously thought up by our Victorian / Edwardian forbears engaged in the souvenir rock business. With the steady decline of the tourist industry in the Isle of Man over the years, the number of hotels reduced, while the number of traditional rock makers dwindled to extinction. We once considered engaging in manufacture ourselves, but recognised that time-honoured methods of sugar-boiling needed to produce traditional knobs require very special skills. We did not want to import powdered ready-mix, add water and call it “locally made”.  So, we searched…   and searched…

Maintaining continuity of supply was essential to prevent this nostalgic souvenir confection going the way of the Great Auk .  And we needed a source as close to the Island as was possible.

Eventually  - and within sight of Snaefell on a clear day – we were fortunate to discover a British family of confectioners who have been in business for over fifty years. They are highly skilled in the use of traditional “Coppers” for sugar-boiling and employ all the time-honoured techniques essential to create the taste and texture of Manx Knobs of olden days.  We greatly value their experience, high standards and consistency in producing a top quality product for us, which we believe outshines anything made anywhere else.  For quality we seek the best confectioners, not the nearest , not the cheapest, – and certainly not anyone using cheap powder ready-mixes & water!!!

…And thus for a decade, we managed to keep traditionally-made Manx Knobs alive – and definitely kicking!

Our range is conceived and developed in Port Erin, ably assisted by our good friends the printers far away in Port St Mary. All secondary packing is undertaken by ourselves here on the Island, with staff who can trace their Manx ancestry back for generations.

Let’s be clear about this…Casement’s products are designed for Grown Ups, Students of the University of Life and Readers of fine print.  Indispensable gifts for those seeking to provoke a smile, they make a refreshing and slightly more absorbing alternative to boring tourist tat. They are only available from a few selected outlets on the Island, or direct from The Port Erin Gaslight & Aerated Waters Company - which has been situated at Malew Street, in Castletown for the past 25 years.

“CAPTAIN CASEMENT’S FAIRLY FAMOUS MANX KNOBS” are the most “fairly famous” in the range. They have been enjoyed by fans all around the world either as a celebration of their personal connections with the Isle of Man, or just a celebration of their own slightly wacky sense of humour and need for good confectionery with “an edge”.   ALWAYS LOOK FOR “NOBBY” CASEMENT ON THE LABEL  (…he’s the handsome, three-legged one with the top hat )   and  BEWARE OF IMITATIONS . If it doesn’t say Casement’s on the tin, it won’t be Casement’s in the tin.

“FLYING KNOBS”  and “TRAVELLING KNOBS” were created to further entertain and sustain travellers of the World and equip them for gestures of kindness to fellow voyagers.

The new Mini-box for Casement’s Manx Knobs is ideal for social or corporate occasions as an introduction to this splendidly eccentric confection.

We hear many tales of Manx Knobs and their social achievements. All bring a smile, some are thought-provoking, some point the way to the Meaning of Life, the Universe and Everything.

…Well, nearly Everything.

Please note that some of the ‘facts’ alluded to in our old tales of Manx Knobs may not be facts in the traditional sense of the word, and may indeed bear little resemblance to the true nature of things, having been embellished by countless re-telling over the years. We would suggest that they be taken with a modest pinch of salt ( salt not included in Casement’s Manx Knobs tins!)

So use your seasoned judgement Dear Reader, and feel free to submit your own tales of adventure or photographs of Casement’s Manx Knobs in faraway places. Like Ballabeg for instance….or Basingstoke…….or Barcelona.         We will award little prizes to the best of submissions.      e-mail to:  gaslight@manx.net

REMEMBER  

Size of Knobs may vary …… such is Life