Guess the Word and Contact Us for Prizes! Series 55 starts soon….. 1st letter of each Post Title (in a Series) spells a business word – spelt correctly or jumbled up. Previous answers: Series 54 spelt S-W-I-N-G-S-U-P (UPSWINGS) Series 53 spelt LO-O-K-O-U-T (OUTLOOK) Series 52 spelt R-O-B-B-I-N (RIBBON) Series 51 spelt P-A-W-W-I-S-H (WHIPSAW) Series 50 spelt …
Category: Series 54 – Upswings
Ploughman’s lunch The ploughman’s lunch – all porky pies? Alludes to rustic, outdoor, bygone times, but actually dates from 1950s promotion in pubs to boost cheese sales. Sounds hot, sophisticated & substantial, when it’s a simple, light meal – bread, cheese, pickle, maybe added pie, egg & salad – eaten cold, with a glass of…
Upside-down cake Pineapple upside-down cake: shows how to solve a problem by viewing it as an opportunity. Can’t bake in an oven? Use a frying pan on stove-top. No fresh fruit? Use canned. Too dated to work now? This retro classic has comeback & now has a National Day on 20 April. Flip things over…
Scotch egg The humble Scotch egg lays out features of successful products: Simple components, well planned & properly executed (hard or soft boiled egg, enclosed in sausagemeat, rolled in breadcrumbs & fried). Many claims to invention (Scotland, England, India, Algeria). Enduring (from pre-18thC). Convenient (portable snack). Good anywhere (indoor meal, outdoor picnic). Popular (versions worldwide). …
Galway oysters A fixture on any Valentine’s Day menu: oysters. Savoured in Britain since Roman times. Protein & mineral-rich, oysters were plentiful until 1800s over-fishing & polluted waters depleted stocks. Since 1954, the world’s longest-running Oyster Festival in Galway, Ireland is on the last weekend in Sep. From “poor man’s food” to luxury prices –…
Naughty “Naughty, but nice” – 1970s National Dairy Council slogan for cream cakes. One of the most popular British classics with tourists (& locals), the Cream Tea – collective name for warm scone, clotted cream, strawberry jam & tea – dates back to the 11th c in SW England. National Cream Tea Day on the…
Irish stew The epitome of comfort food: Irish stew. Few ingredients – mutton, onions, potatoes, maybe carrots, parsley or thyme. Dates back to at least 1800s, when it was made slowly over an open fire. Still heartily enjoyed today. The economic importance of sheep for wool/milk meant only old animals ended up in the cooking…
Welsh rarebit Posh cheese on toast, Welsh rarebit dates back to 1500s when poor families couldn’t afford meat like rabbit. Cheese sauce, enriched with milk, ale or egg, spiked with mustard/ Worcester sauce & nutritious seaweed laverbread (‘Welshman’s caviar’). 3 Sep is Welsh Rarebit Day. Products can hop a long way from humble beginnings Guessed the…
Spread The great English spread: Marmite. Invented in 1902 from spent brewer’s yeast & still made today. Nutritious black savoury paste enjoyed on toast. Most-confiscated item at British airports, so comes in 70g travel size since 2015, & in limited-edition versions – new sales for traditional product! Included in soldiers’ rations in both World Wars &…