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 |
Ian Klein
Jacob's Orange Club Review |
I just thought you might like this Club biscuit anecdote.
I went to university at Westfield College, London. Sadly, its' now gone away with the re-org of London Uni, but that's another story. Anyway, I used to live in the college halls, and one of the conditions was that you had to buy meal tickets to use in the college refectory. The food was dreadful, with the result that at the end of each term one had a whole book of meal tickets (cannot remember the value - it was in 1978/79). All one could do was buy wine (Liebfraumilch) ... and Club biscuits - makes a great meal. In fact, in my first year I recall only ever buying Club biscuits by the box-load (you know, the ones with the box lid that folded back down to make a handy shop display). I coated the desk in my room with the silver wrappers - this being a particularly time consuming process as one had to peel off the waxy paper, then smooth out the wrapper, and then apply to the desk! If the silver foil broke, the wrapper was of course discarded! Oh, what times I had as a student! I stopped eating Club for the same reasons as you, but I can still hear the slogan ringing in my ears "If you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit join our club". Also, I'm not sure about your dates, because I think the wrapper changed in my third year (1980) - surely that was the end of the chocolate biscuit legend.
I am now quite partial to Tesco's finest range of biscuits - the choc ones and the almond ones. |
Nicey replies: Your quite right of course the exact construction of the inner paper and foil liner did change, I had forgotten that. |
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The Sugar Daddy
Fox's Sprinkle Crinkle Crunch Review |
Dear Nicey,
As you can tell from my email address I currently work for a most excellent company without which biscuit production would be quite impossible. Clearly we at the British Sugar engineering department pride ourselves in the impact our product brings to the nation and the many delightful creations which can be produced from our simple but delicious ingredient. Clearly we see the importance of being fresh, alert, and ready to face the challenges which the day will bring, and as a part of that preparation we hold the office tea break in high regard, with it's ability to refresh and replenish our strength. Yet one obstacle stands in the way of total tea break harmony; What biscuits should be purchased for communal office consumption? Traditionally a wide selection would be bought, including: Maryland Cookies, Digestives (Plain and Chocolate), Jaffa Cakes, Jammy Dodgers, Hob Nobs, Fig Rolls, Gariballdi, and Crunch Creams. But is this the optimum solution, perhaps we have it good or are we missing out on a biscuit extravaganza?
one cannot stress the importance of your help in this area, imagine Britain without sugar, truly it is to horrid to comprehend.
Yours
The Sugar Daddy
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Nicey replies: I don't quite see your problem here. If anything I would encourage you to try even more biscuits in your working environment, variety as they say is the spice of life. From time to time you'll meet some disappointments but in general you will only benefit. If you want to know where all that sugar you made went get hold of Foxs' Sprinkle Crinkle Crunch I believe you will find most of it there. |
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James Gunn |
Being somewhat of an amateur biscuit consumer for the past two decades having been weaned onto a nice cuppa and a digestive by my dear old grandmother I find myself in an alarming position. Just the other day I purchased a packet of crisps to have with my lunch (I hope you will forgive me this sin as a biscuit would have resulted in too much snack envy from my colleagues), imagine my horror when looking at the packet of 'TESCO Potato triangles' I find them described not as a crisp but a, and I use there own words in direct quotation
"Ready Salted Potato Biscuits"
Yes what I feel is a crisp, or borderline cracker has somehow been classed as a biscuit. Can this be true? Could it be perhaps that these snacks were baked or, and I hope this is the case, Tesco's wrong for classing them in a biscuit based category. I am naturally perturbed by this discovery and would urge others to investigate this phenomenon amongst other high street stores. I myself am nibbling on a stalwart digestive to calm my nerves.
Yours Faithfully
J Gunn |
Nicey replies: Thats really got to get your goat, hasn't it. |
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Chocciecat |
Hi there Nicey,
I'd never heard of this site until I saw you having a sit down with R&J, now I shall be a regular visitor! I love R&J & it was obvious that they enjoyed meeting you, great tv.
Does anyone remember Rondellos?? Think that was their name, must have been the 70's & they weren't around for long, they were lovely! My poor husband has never got over the demise of Royal Scots, now I can tell him he is not alone!
Love Chocciecat. |
Nicey replies: Yes we had a lovely time at R&J. The Wife sat in the Green room and drank tea whilst I did my bit. I think the ladies who made all the lovely after show nibbly food were a bit put out when I asked them to bring the biscuits into the Green room. I had a huge cup of tea and a biscuit head on me for some reason. They were very kind however and wrapped up some nibbles for us to eat on the train home. Lovely. They also gave us a splendid B&W film of biscuits being made in the 1950s in Cricklewood.
Alas I never had a Rondello. |
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Katy Thomson |
Dear nicey,
I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that the radio four programme "questions, questions" has come up with the definitive biscuit alphabet. Whilst obviously no substitute for actual biscuit consumption, this could easily while away those dreadful biscuitless hours that do sometimes creep up on you while you're not looking. Or alternatively it could be used in a mega biscuit eating session were you to find all of the requisite varieties.
Here goes:
Arrowroot Biscuit
Bourbon
Custard Cream
Dixie Crackers
Excursion
Filbert Biscuits
Ginger Nuts
Hobnob
Iced Gem
Jammy Dodger
Kent Creams
Lincoln Creams
Macaroons
Nice
Opera Wafers
Petticoat Tails
Queen Drops
Rataffia
Savoy
Traveller
Union Biscuits
Victorias
Waverley Shortbread
eXcursion Biscuit
Yarrow Biscuits
Zella Wafers
I must say I find the double use of excursion biscuits frankly unacceptable. I'm sure you or your exceptionally well educated and loyal readership will be able to do better!
Happy munching and dunking!
A dedicated biscuit fan |
Nicey replies: That looks a bit ropey to me, I'm sure our folks can come up with something more user friendly. |
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