Your ViewsKeep your e-mails pouring in, it's good to know that there are lots of you out there with views and opinions. To help you work out what is what, are now little icons to help you see biscuit related themes. And now you can see at a glance which are the most contested subjects via this graph (requires Flash 6.0 plugin). Please keep your mails coming in to nicey@nicecupofteaandasitdown.com | If you like, you can use this search thingy to find stuff that matches with any of the icons you pick, or use the fantastic free text search, Yay! | Your e-Mails |
Peter Mason |
Dear Mr Nice,
I have a short tale to tell.
A month or so back I was ambling in an unfocused manner through my local high street when I was waylaid by a pleasant lady of middling years, clutching a clipboard. She asked if I could spare twenty minutes to answer a few questions. I was dubious, having heard of such things on Watchdog, and other high brow programming, but the winter sunshine had lulled me, I was feeling helpful, and I threw caution to the wind, grasped my adventurous side, and acceeded.
She first had to 'qualify' me, by asking me very general questions. I expect you will understand how my interest was roused when the third question she asked was whether I preferred tea or coffee. I straightened my back and answered stoutly, "Tea, madam!"
Imagine my delight upon discovering that I had been recruited to give my opinion upon tea! Specifically, it was Twinings tea, who are planning to launch an everyday brand, but are, I gather, concerned that they might lose their 'top of the range' brand positioning. A tricky business indeed, and not one to be taken lightly. I flatter myself that I played my small part in guiding the powers that be away from the lemon-yellow box design which they were, as it were, 'running up the flagpole to see which way the wind blew'. It was not in good taste, suggesting insipid offerings, served with neon-coloured french fancies rather than good, sturdy biscuits.
I was rewarded for my efforts with a box of Twinings Assam teabags; a little posher than I am used to but a nice change for a week, until I could return with relief, but also, I confess, with a certain nostalgic regret, to my usual, 'Clipper' fairtrade brand; a cup I consider superior to even the PG Tips pyramid.
I now take my tea with a more serious air, knowing that in Britain, the silent majority's voice can still be heard, and that the future of teabag box design is not settled upon lightly.
Yours in bemused certainty
Peter Mason |
Nicey replies: Good work telling them to ditch the yellow box. Anybody who has been traumatised by Liptons Yellow Label tea whilst abroad will have a strong aversion to tea bags from yellow boxes. |
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Dave Sowerby |
My lust for a decent cup of tea at work has been sadly neglected by my corporate employers. Our vending machines have yet to introduce me to anything resembling tea They have some options that offer various shades of brown water and differing concentrations of sugar but I can't imagine the tetley tea folk or PG Chimps recognising them as bona fide tea. There's plenty of coffee, soup and sacharrine flavour cordial to choose from but unfortunately I don't like any of those either. It does a reasonable hot chocolate but there's only so much cocoa and froth I can manage in a sitting. We did kick up a fuss about a year ago about the fact that there was no hot water so we could make our own tea. They did give us a hot water dispenser(can't have kettles, apparently they're a health and safety risk). Unfortunately, they have yet to provide us with a fridge to keep the milk in or a sink to wash the mugs in. I got round the lack of milk by switching to chinese green tea but there's a limit to the amount of stains on a mug i'm prepared to drink from. |
Nicey replies: That's the advantage of working for a small/sensible company with a more realistic attitude to health and safety. You accept that if you are enough of a muppet to greviously injure yourself making a cup of tea then that's your look out. For their part they supply a kettle and a fridge, and usually a cupboard to keep the mugs and teabags. To be honest you are more likely to injure yourself carrying one of those flimsy cups from a vending machine. |
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Myth2magus
Kimberley and Chocolate Kimberley Review |
Hi Mr Nicey,
I was reading through the mails and responses, in particular the Kimberly Gene, I don't think you have to be Irish to inherit the Gene, My parents originate from Pakistan, I'm a born and bred Birmingham (UK) lass, I've been working for Irish firms for the last 8 years and I LOVE CHOCOLATE KIMBERLY'S.
I actually found your site when i typed in "Jacobs Chocolate Kimberly's", I was hoping to find somewhere to buy them from, as i have no idea where to get them (somebody help me).
It's been years and I'd love a Chocolate Kimberly. :-) |
Nicey replies: Actually as we found out the Chocolate Kimberleys seem to safe enough to eat by anybody, its the original ones which are an acquired taste. Sadly though I've not seen them outside Ireland. Maybe you can get somebody in one of your Irish offices to send over a case of them, either that or get a cheap flight to Dublin and sort it out directly.
We are planning another Irish tea tour this summer so I hope to grapple with the Kimberley again. |
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Schtoppie Too |
I've never had Barmouth biscuits (I think I must be too young!) but I served up some Sunburst biscuits (I think they are Foxes) and a friend thought they were Barmouth biscuits! I haven't seen them in many shops - the last time I bought them I got them in Sainsburys.
Thought this might be of interest to any Barmouth biscuit fans! |
Nicey replies: A lady at Foxs told me the other day that they discontinued Sunbreaks last August. Oh dear. |
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Marco S
Bahlsen Orange Choco Leibniz Review |
Hello Nicey.
Just discovered your intriguing web site, after a mention in this morning's London Metro newspaper.
A recent BBC2 Money Programme Special on Nestle's and Cadbury's strategies for the Easter chocolate market showed Nestle's head of UK marketing proudly saying "We're going to be having a lot of fun with Kit-Kat in the future". Well, I hope they bring back dark chocolate, and a dark-chocolcate orange flavour would be heaven on earth.
But when I saw your Bahlsen Orange Choco Leibniz feature I nearly exploded with delight. I buy the standard dark variety in Waitrose every week, but have NEVER seen the orange variety in their stores. Who sells it here then? Rest assured, this will be put right soon, or heads will roll at Waitrose.
Marco |
Nicey replies: A man who knows mailed us last week to say that Tescos are doing a BOGOF offer on all three species of Choco Leibniz. |
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