Your Views

Keep your e-mails pouring in, it's good to know that there are lots of you out there with views and opinions.

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Your e-Mails

Nik Whitehead Garibaldi Review	Far back in the dim and distant past (the late sixties and early seventies) I was in love with the most wonderful biscuit on Earth - the plain chocolate garibaldi. Now of course, the milk chocolate garibaldi was good, but the bitterness of the dark chocolate combined with the sweetness of the fruit made this, for me, the ultimate in 'sitting with my grandfather watching television' treats. Sadly, I have not seen such delights for many years, although a friend of mine once presented me with a Christmas gift of several packets worth of garibaldi over which he had carefully spread melted chocolate. Ah... those lost biscuits of the past...
	Nicey replies: Nick, Yes our best information on the Chocolate Gariballdi is that it was probably made by the now defunct south London biscuit manufacturer Chiltonian biscuits. Not only were they able to cover some in chocolate but theirs were much more moist than today's Gariballdis. When ever I'm in the presence of one of the powerful people in the biscuit world I habitually put in a plea to bring back the Chocolate Gariballdi. So far there is no sign of this happening.
Tim Walters	Hello Nicey I much enjoy your website, devoted as it is to... well the best things in life. I've just voted in your current biscuit poll (but not currant biscuit poll obviously). I think it's a grand idea to show pictures of what you've just voted for, and the poll leaders. This, however, leads on to my problem. My favourite biscuits are from the hobnob family. I find that local supermarkets tend not to stock the dark chocolate hobnobs, so for reasons of (local) exclusivity they are the worthy recipient of my "best" vote. (Honourable mention must go to the figrolls that some misguided fools have shown as "yuckiest"). I notice that the pictures used for dark chocolate hobnob and dark chocolate digestive appear to be ONE AND THE SAME. Obviously I realise that biscuit production methods might mean the topping is applied in identical faashion to both biscuits. In which case I will accept your categoric assurance that the pictures are genuine. Might I be so bold as to suggest that side views could be shown in addition, so that no such confusion ensues. I am pleased to see pink wafers getting the scorn they deserve. Quite how coloured cardboard comes to be sold as a comestible is beyond me. A dishonourable mention to Kimberleys. Not sure why they aren't a clear second place. Keep up the good work Tim Walters
	Nicey replies: Tim, You have of course spotted my guilty secret, namely that I didn't have a dark chocolate Hobnob picture so switched in a Dark Digestive. It's also plainly time that I sorted out the votes and told everybody what has been happening. I shall get to it right away. I can say however in advance that the Top 10s are as follows: Favourite Dark Chocolate Digestive Milk Chocolate Digestive Milk Chocolate Hobnob Jaffa Cake Gingernut Dark Chocolate Hobnob Chocolate Caramel Digestive Hobnob Custard cream Regular Digestive Milk Chocolate Digestive Dark Chocolate Digestive Gingernut Rich Tea Jaffa Cake Hobnob Custard cream Choc chip cookie Bourbon Yucky Pink Wafers Fig Roll Wagonwheel Rich Tea Lemon Puff Iced Gems Gingernut Jaffa cake Garibaldi Nice Well done to the Gingernut and Jaffa cake for appearing in all three top 10s. Also we would like to add that the Jaffa cake is of course still a small cake despite its inclusion in the poll. Mind you maybe the VAT man will use this very poll as evidence next time they thrash out the eternal debate.
Chris Bis Fruit Shortcake Review	Hello Nicey Further to this discussion as we have previously established, a few crumbs (especially from a ginger nut) can prove extremely dangerous, a few carefully laid crumbs could serve a purpose for those that wish to cause harm with biscuits… However, I find it strange that suddenly you have e mails flooding in from people that seem keen on relaying tales of biscuit related violence. I think they need a nice cup of tea and a sit down. It must be all the horrific news and war in our world that is even creeping into our daily tea and biscuit related enjoyment…What is the world coming to ? Oh and on another note, we had a discussion some time back when I asked you what you thought the most under rated biscuit was, you said a fruit shortcake. And although sceptical I cracked on with a packet just last week and I am certainly coming round to your point of view, they indeed do give way more than you ask of them. At this rate I will be trying Garibaldis again and they haven’t seen the light of day in my world for a good 30 years after a fly related comment corrupted my then young mind and created a phobia for them. You make a strong case for them in your review I am tempted, maybe its my age? Here's to revisiting biscuits from the past, and of course peace in our time. Chris Bis
	Nicey replies: The lack of a biscuits as weapons icon is becoming increasingly embarrassing. A word of caution on the Garibaldis, modern ones are a bit drier and generally less chewy than those of antiquity. Just so that you are prepared, still certainly worth a good go. Also it is almost certainly your age, it is increasingly the reason for most standpoints I have on things. Wifey and I were very lucky to attend the Oldie magazine's 200th Edition party last week, were we told off by Patricia Routledge for not being old at all, however after a mere 5 or 6 drinks it took us both 2 days to recover fully.
Simon Dolega-Ossowski	Both me and my collegue Mr Nadar have long lamented the disappearance of the celebrated Lemon Puff, which I think was a Peak Freans product. The broad perforated rectangular glazed puff sandwich with its delicious lemon cream filling - a corner-stone of 70s and 80s biscuit tins - was a perfect foil to its heavier based chocolate based counterparts such as the Bourbon. The Lemon Puff has resurfaced recently, as an inferior roundel I fear, reintroduced by the supermarkets, and it's not the same: we may have been duped about the shrinking size of a Wagon Wheel, but Rich Tea doesn't seem to have diminished in size one bit, and we cannot be fooled for a moment about the shape, and more generous proportions of the old rectangular Lemon Puff. I await its appearence on your otherwise excellent website. PS - have you any info on Kunzle Cakes?
	Nicey replies: Indeed as far as I recall the Lemon Puff was a Peek Frean biscuit and so its custodian-ship moved to Jacobs in due course. As I have often said I respected the lemon puff of old, despite not really liking it.. We had a couple attempts at reviewing the modern and inferior round ones but they were too grim. As for Kunzle Cakes, I never had one but they sound amazing, there is a very good blog devoted to them.
Mike Armitage	Hello Nicey ,Wifey and the rest of the team. I've just come back from a cycling holiday in Oakham, Rutland. I visited the local market while I was there and found a specialist Tea stall. ( Must be because the Oakham School is quite posh!) There were 3 varieties of Earl Grey tea on this stall! I bought some loose tea, a tea caddy and a "Dauerfilter" for making loose tea directly in the cup. Its a permanent filter and is "Auch ideal zum Aufbruhen von kaffee" I don't remember which variety of Earl grey tea I bought because the stall owner put it directly in my new caddy but it has a very strong scent of bergamot and it quite delicious. I have been amazed by people far and wide who admit to having seen and enjoyed your site or have read your book. Mike Armitage
	Nicey replies: We keep passing through Rutland, and Oakham on our way to and from other places. In fact we tried to find somewhere to camp up there two weeks ago but wound up in Derbyshire. If we had of made it to Rutland we would have been cycling round there too.. Just got back from a splendid bike ride this afternoon with both younger members of staff and Nanny Nicey. All off road in the hills between Saffron Walden and Royston. We took half a home made fruit cake and a flask of tea. We pop two teabags in the flask when we are ready to make the tea, and this works very well indeed.
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