The Irish Are Invading
One of the things I noticed at The Allergy Show was the number of new companies that I’d never heard of before. Several of these exhibitors were from Ireland and I stopped at one called Pure Bred from Donegal. I had a taste of their gingerbread and it was seriously good for a commercial product, that didn’t have a touch of the dry about it.
As I needed a loaf and buying Genius, where I live, means shopping other than my convenient Waitrose, I bought one of their sliced wrapped farmhouse loaves.
Bread to me must do three main jobs; make good toast, edible sandwiches when I travel and also make a good crust for some of the recipes I use like this fish from Mary Berry.
When I got home, I made some toast.
The bread certainly made seriously good toast.
One question that must be asked, is all this Irish gluten-free activity, a sign that the Irish economy is on the way to a full recovery?
Glamour Puds
The Allergy Show was busier than I’ve seen it before, with three supermarkets; Asda, Tesco and Sainsuburys exhibiting and a lot more stands generally.
One was called Glamour Puds, which in my view is a great name to get your product recognised. Especially, as glamour is a word rarely used with food, unless it’s Mae West suggestively eating something most of couldn’t!
I bought one of their raspberry jam sponge puddings and ate it with my supper. The pictures show the cooking sequence.
It was good and I’ll definitely eat another, when I can find a stockist. They will be in lots of Tesco stores soon, but then they don’t have a big store anywhere near me! But I don’t use them anyway! That’s another story!
If I have a complaint it’s not about the pudding, but the web site is factual and not glamorous enough.
I also think that they could add a touch of glamour to their presentation. The word drew me in and I wasn’t sure what they were selling, until I saw the packaged item.
One thing you have to remember is that I can be a showman, even if I’m a bad salesman, but I do know how to provide the ammunition for others to sell.
On the other hand Gerald Ratner was a showman and looked what happened to him. But then as he said, he was selling crap. This company certainly isn’t.
They’re also selling into a market, where a higher proportion of their target audience is on the thin side compared to the general population. So selling puddings to coeliacs doesn’t probably invoke the same guilt reaction in your customers.
I would wish them luck, but they probably won’t need any more than average good luck.
But how about a single pot custard to go with an individual pudding?
Why Would Anybody Have An Exhibition At Olympia?
The only time in recent years, when I’ve seen any class at Olympia, was when I stood on a stand at a telecoms exhibition next to someone, who is now a peer of the realm.
Today, I went to The Allergy Show, but my troubles started before I even arrived. I just missed the Overground train at Highbury and Islington, so instead of waiting half-an-hour for the next train, I decided to go via Victoria and Earl’s Court. I got to Earl’s Court in reasonable time, but then there was no shuttle train to Olympia. So I hsad to get a replacement bus, which somebody had saved from the scrapyard. At least it was clean.
When I eventually got to Olympia, there was an air of dereliction about the place. But it wasn’t any worse than I remember it, when we took the boys to the Christmas Horse Show in perhaps 1971.
John Betjeman would be summing up a friendly bomb.
At least I got home easy enough, but then leaving Olympic is much better than going!
Are Tomatoes Addictive?
The picture shows a punnet of cherry tomatoes in my fridge door.
Are Tomatoes Addictive?
I tend to snack on them and eat them how some might eat sweets!
They may be addictive to me, but I doubt they’ll do me too much harm!
What No Flamingos!
John Lewis has opened a roof garden with a little coffee and sandwich hut, high above Oxford Street.
Depending on the weather, it could be a nice place to have a snack.
Sadly they don’t have any flamingos, as Derry and Toms did in their famous roof gardens in Kensington.
My Sort Of Salad
I don’t really like lettuce and other green leaves in salad. This was my lunch yesterday of one of quiches from this post.
My Sort Of Salad
I eat a lot of cooked green vegetables, like spinach and cabbage. But when it comes to lettuce, it’s something that I’m happy to leave to the rabbits, so that they’re nice and large, when I eat them.
A Pair Of Poison Free Quiches
Last week I had an excellent quiche from Marks and Spencer.
Today, at the Angel they had two different types; cheese and onion and Lorraine.
A Pair Of Poison Free Quiches
There is no provenance on the quiche Lorraine, but the ones with added poison are made in Yorkshire. So what with the Tour de France in the county next week, are they upping the anchors and moving across the channel?
But it was so nice to have a choice. I’ll have some of the Lorraine for lunch tomorrow and put the cheese and onion in the freezer for a very rainy day, when it’s too much to go to the shops.
A Supper Of Odds And Ends
Supper tonight was one of those made up from what was left in the fridge.
A Supper Of Odds And Ends
The quiche was cold and half of one of Marks and Spencer’s new gluten-free ones. It’s funny, but going back, I think I’ve always preferred quiches cold. Are other people the same?
The tomatoes were delicious and had come via the De Beauvoir Deli from the Tomato Stall in one of England’s South Sea Islands. There were no air miles involved, if you’re worried!
The beetroot was a late-in-the-day reduction special at Waitrose and the asparagus was from Worcestershire and although it was tasty, it’ll probably be the last English we’ll see until 2015!
The gluten-free beer was German via Beers of Europe at Kings Lynn.
Note that I passed on any lettuce. I’m not a rabbit!
I Doubt I’ll Go Back To Salisbury
My plan had been to find a restaurant that was highly recommended by TipAdvisoralled Greengages Cafe. But I had a problem in that I couldn’t find it, as Salisbury doesn’t have any maps.
When I did find a map, after I’d walked back to the station, I realised that I must have walked past Catherine Street, where the restaurant is located. I thought it had been that street at the time, but there were no road names. Do you have to be psychic to find anywhere in Salisbury.
If cities and towns want to attract visitors, they must put up proper maps and signage. Salisbury could also do with more pedestrianisation or at least the banning of cars and trucks fom the centre. As I walked back to the station some idiot driver went past me at about fifty, as I was struggling to stay on the narrow pavement as a lady with a double buggy passed the other way.
Salisbury won’t miss me, if I never go back to the city again.
So lunch was a bottle of water from the Pumpkin and an EatNakd bar.
I Never Thought I’d Eat A Supermarket Quiche Again!
I’m probably not a real man, as I quite like quiche. But coeliacs don’t get much chance to eat one from a supermarket or chain store, as let’s face it, they only think we like food made from cardboard. But after their sandwiches on Saturday, I just had to try Marks and Spencer’s new gluten-free quiche.
I Never Thought I’d Eat A Supermarket Quiche Again!
It was pretty good. Let’s hope that their new gluten-free foods are still being made in a few years time.
I gave my fitness trainer a piece and she said it had a touch of the home made about it.
But then I’ve never made or rolled pastry in my life.
The Anonymous Widower 