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 |
Zoe Healy
HobNob Review |
Dear Nicey, are you sure that the biscuit name has nothing to do with The Giant and Hob Nob at Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum? Hob Nob is a kind of hobby horse - a pageant figure of the Salisbury Guild of Merchant Tailors. The Giant is first recorded in 1496 when, accompanied by the Mayor and Corporation and morris men, he was taken to meet Henry VII at nearby Clarendon Palace. The path of the Giant was cleared of people by Hob Nob, who chased and snapped at people in the crowd. I expect he could also be appeased with a happy old brown nice oat biscuit. |
Nicey replies: Zoe,
Oh yes that all sounds a perfectly plausible explination, well done. |
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Ben Keen
HobNob Review |
Where did the name HOB NOB come from? |
Nicey replies: Would it be glib to say a marketing person at McVities? Alright its an acronym 'Happy Old Brown Nice Oat Biscuit'.
Or it might be from the expression to 'Hob Nob', implying you are obtaining gratification by mixing with your social betters, which captures the aspirational aspects of the biscuit. No, I'm going for the acronym again. |
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Karen Duthie
Ginger Nut Review |
RE: previous message from Donalda Bint
I too was brought up being told this and much to my horror no one else ever appears to have heard of it - they all just think I'm completely potty. Imagine my delight to hear that I am not the only person to have humiliated myself by smashing the ginger nut, in company, before realising what I was doing. It does seem to be a very adept form of brainwashing as it is a totally instinctive reaction when picking one up. But again, it appears the more training you have, the better you become as after 25-30 years of practice I can still get a very respectable 95'ish % hit rate. I wonder if it's a skill only us Scots possess. |
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Emma Forsdick
Rich Tea Review |
Nicey,
While checking out the back catalogue of your fine website, in a rather feeble attempt to look busy at work, I came across a rather scathing report on Rich Tea biscuits.
I have to admit I find this a complete abomination and a sully libellous enough to end you up in court (should biscuits be able to afford to pay lawyers.) The Rich Tea is clearly the original and ultimate King of biscuits.
In these modern days everyone is looking for that bit of excitement and hedonistic pleasure, perhaps best illustrated by the self satisfied smugness of the annoyingly named Hobnob, with all its devilous coated offspring, or the e-number frenzied mothers’ enemy B-N. It is symptomatic of such a snivelling uncaring society that the faithful traditional Rich tea should be rejected in such a thoughtless manner.
It is a reminder of simpler times, when choppers were cool, Cars were called Kit, Blue Riband’s were luxury, and milk and biscuits considered a venerable treat. The rich tea with its smooth, crisp, simple taste was, and is a treat the entire family could enjoy, and at its reasonable cost was like a societal bond, inviting people across the generations and social barriers to unite in appreciation of the one true biscuit.
Rather than bland – it is untainted. It can be eaten dry, dunked or mashed, indeed it is an invitation to develop your imagination and discover new heights of biscuit enjoyment. Grabbing back the idea that entertainment is not provided but created, that pleasure must be earned and simplicity is all.
Open your mind and your heart to this wonderful biscuit and you too will reap a lifetime’s reward.
Fozzy |
Nicey replies: Yum yum pass the hair shirts.
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Lynn Pettersen |
Woo! Nostalgia trip! I've never forgotten these - in the early 1970s my mum was accosted in the corner Co-op and asked to test some samples of a then un-named new biscuit. She brought them home and my brother and I ate them and had to fill in a form rating them from 1-5 on things like chocolate - too much or too little? (is there such a thing as too much chocolate?) and crispiness of wafer, quantity of nuts etc. For this service, we received a couple more of the anonymous packs. Imagine our delight when they finally appeared, with a name, and we could say "we helped to test those"! (We were aged about 8 and 5 at the time).
Love your site - I'm going to Holland in a few weeks, must try and find some biscuits to review for you. |
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