Hello friends,
Well here we are, it’s the middle of August already! I overhead someone announce recently that we are about four months away from 2023. Hearing this news was actually a great thing really as it’s a reminder to make the most of the lovely summer and autumn days still to come.
Yummy new arrivals
We have been having a great summer here at the store, plenty of new arrivals have been coming in with each new delivery.
My favourites so far have been the Blackcurrant Jaffa cakes, Fully coated chocolate Digestive biscuits, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Mint Fingers and the new garlic sauce from Heinz. Trust me, you have got to try this one on your chips! Such was my addiction to this new delight, that I was getting through a bottle a week!
Culinary Experimentation at The Wandering Scott
We’ve been having the best time picking a product from the shelf and deciding on what new creation we can come up with.
The winner in recent weeks was Moira’s “Terry Chocolate orange / Puff pastry delight”!
We love uncomplicated deliciousness, and with only two ingredients, three really if you count the egg for sealing the edges! This is a real winner.
You can pop them in the oven or the air fryer (I used the air-fryer, and gave them 4 minutes each side) I was rewarded with the most divine treat, you’ll definitely impress your friends and family with this one!
Fit for a Queen
Something else we were really excited to learn recently, was that our new product line from Wilkin & Sons, Tiptree, is a staple in the Royal household. Tiptree received their first Royal Warrant from George V in 1911. They remain Royal Warrant holders as purveyors of ‘Tiptree’ products to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.
Unusual History of Britains Favourite Foods
This got me thinking about how long some of the most popular British foods have been around, I found that there is some great history attached to this question, for instance, did you know that the first solid chocolate bar put into production was made by J. S. Fry & Sons of Bristol, England, in 1847? They of course went on to produce the delicious Frys chocolate cream, one of our bestsellers here at the store.
Cream Tea
How about the origin of Cream tea? Did you know that there is a centuries old argument between Devon and Cornwall? The question is, which county is the true home to the cream tea? with each county believing that they are the creators of this afternoon treat. Of course this leads to the question of how to serve it, jam or cream first?
Well, it seems both are right depending on where you hail from. The difference between cream tea in Devonshire and Cornwall comes down to how it is served. Both versions serve the same items: tea, scones, jam, and clotted cream. In Devon, the scones are split in two and topped with cream followed by jam. In Cornwall, the split scones are topped with jam and then cream.
We learned during a recent Facebook poll on our page that most of our followers prefer the Cornish method, and for what it’s worth, the Queen reportedly prefers her jam first too!
Fish & Chips
There is a similar argument regarding fish and chips, still a classic and favorite British meal. The “first” fish and chips is a title contested by both Lancashire and London as they both had fish and chip shops opened in the early 1860s.
Curry
This is a really interesting one, it seems there isn’t any other dish that is as popular as curry! Would you be surprised to learn that chicken tikka masala is the national dish in England? The British have been enjoying curry for hundreds of years. The first record of it being sold in the U.K. dates back to 1733.
Cornish Pasty
Another one of our bestsellers here in the store is the Cornish pasty, The history of this one dates back to the 1200s when Cornwall was home to a thriving mining industry The Cornish pasty was created by the women for the men to take to work. It was designed so that the men could hold on to the thick pastry crust whilst eating the main part without getting any of the dirt from their hands onto the food. Now of course, people eat the whole thing, including the pastry crust. And while the ones we eat now are made up of meat & veggies, back then, it was common for the pasty to be divided into two parts. One part with a savoury filling, and the other would have a sweet filling. The perfect lunch really!
Full English Breakfast
A full English contents will vary depending on what town you are in but usually it includes eggs, bacon, sausages, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, black pudding, and toast. This scrummy dish dates back to the 14th century, back then it was only eaten by the rich, the poor people ate bread and porridge in the mornings, but during the industrial revolution, the working class began eating this full breakfast to get them through a long day of hard work.
Scotch Eggs
One may presume that given their name Scotch eggs originated in Scotland, but they are actually thought to have originated in London in the 1700s. The name comes from the process of making them, which is to mince the meat and place it around the egg, this is known at “scotching” hence, Scotch Egg!
Right well all of this research has me starving now, the full English is tickling my fancy so I’m off to check the freezer for the Brennans sausage, pudding and bacon!
See you all again real soon!
Sources cited: www.medium.com