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Your e-Mails

Rachael Kimberley and Chocolate Kimberley Review	Dear nicey, in response to your correspondant in birmingham, my local safeway has a whole irish food section (bizarre as we are in the middle of jewish stamford hill), which includes various kimberleys, and of course tayto crisps and barrys tea. Don't know whether all safeways have the same section, but it might be worth giving their customer services a call. Love the site. Rachael
	Nicey replies: Rachael, This is of course an extremely important development thank you for alerting us.
Myth2magus Kimberley and Chocolate Kimberley Review	Hi Mr Nicey, I was reading through the mails and responses, in particular the Kimberly Gene, I don't think you have to be Irish to inherit the Gene, My parents originate from Pakistan, I'm a born and bred Birmingham (UK) lass,  I've been working for Irish firms for the last 8 years and I LOVE CHOCOLATE KIMBERLY'S. I actually found your site when i typed in "Jacobs Chocolate Kimberly's", I was hoping to find somewhere to buy them from, as i have no idea where to get them (somebody help me). It's been years and I'd love a Chocolate Kimberly. :-)
	Nicey replies: Actually as we found out the Chocolate Kimberleys seem to safe enough to eat by anybody, its the original ones which are an acquired taste. Sadly though I've not seen them outside Ireland. Maybe you can get somebody in one of your Irish offices to send over a case of them, either that or get a cheap flight to Dublin and sort it out directly. We are planning another Irish tea tour this summer so I hope to grapple with the Kimberley again.
Keith O'Kane Kimberley and Chocolate Kimberley Review	Dear Nicey and the wife, I have just cast my vote in the Kimberley pole and was amazed at the level of ignorance among your readers (presumably English folk) when it comes to this Irish delicacy. In order to redress the balance, I am considering organising a Kimberley awareness day at work. Unfortunately, one of my colleagues is afflicted with vegetarianism and is unwilling to attempt a Kimberley due to the gelatine content of the marshmallow layer. Do you know whether there s such a thing as a vegetarian friendly Kimberley?
	Nicey replies: Well I've not seen any other sort apart from Jacobs, so its fairly unlikely. Still pickout the mallow and make them eat the rest, they shouldn't escape so easily.
Keith O'Kane Kimberley and Chocolate Kimberley Review	Dear Nicey, Just the other day one of my colleagues came into the office clutching a packet of biscuits which were given to her by another member of staff as a Christmas present. Excitedly, she removed a biscuit (which was a type unfamiliar to her) and took a large bite.  Her gleeful expression turned instantly to one of disgust as she raced to the bin to spit out the offending article. "What in the biscuit world", I thought, "could have caused such an unfavourable reaction?" I picked up the packet and, with one look at the name, everything became clear.  It was, in fact, the much maligned Kimberly.   Hailing originally from the North of Ireland, I am well acquainted with the Kimberly and, although not my favourite biscuit, I do confess a certain fondness toward the brand. I know (having read through your site) that my colleague's reaction is not uncommon among English folk and I think that the key to understanding the different reactions by people from Ireland and those from the rest of the world to the Kimberly is not ethnic but more a matter of timing. In Ireland (at least in my experience), children are started on the Kimberly very young.  The Kimberly is considered the natural missing link between the Farley's Rusk and the world of biscuit and as such is introduced to the Irish palette before the understanding of "Biscuit" has been fully formed. Those who first encounter the Kimberly in later life have already fully established their concept of "Biscuit" and the Kimberly, falling as it does outside this concept, can come as a bit of a shock.  Add to this the fact that many of these people are given their first Kimberly by an Irish person (possibly someone's mother) who, having been desensitised in early life, offer no warning as to its nature. I was glad to read the reviews of the Kimberly on your site which highlight the "wet MDF" taste and texture, giving rise to the "are you sure you stored these in a dry place" reaction as so ably demonstrated by my colleague. Although I still like the Kimberly, I do agree with your comments and will pass on warnings before attempting to serve Kimberly's to English folk in future. Thank you for highlighting this issue.
David Edwards Kimberley and Chocolate Kimberley Review	Hello Mr Nicey The Kimberley biscuit is today a shadow of its fomer self, that is why you were disappointed.  A kimberley was a special treat in my childhood days. If you knew someone, as we did,  who worked in the old Jacobs factory which was located in central Dublin, one could buy large bags of broken biscuits for a few pence. These were sold at the factory to the staff in thick off white paper bags for ordinary biscuits and in the case of chocolate the bags were smaller and dark brown. Being sold at the factory meant that they were factory fresh - even if they were damaged  - lesser mortals would have to content themselves with the more uniform but staler variety which could be found sitting around in a shop tin for weeks on end. Each factory purchased bag contained a different mystery variety which we were able to enjoy with an occasional squabble when a battered (in the damaged sense)  Kimberley appeared from the depths of the bag - there were always oodles of crumbs too which mother would on occasion convert into slices of chocolate biscuit cake if any chocolate was available or an occasion such as a bithday demanded such a treat. Many years ago it was a delicious biscuit with lots of gingery flavour and a marshmallow filling which was sugared on the outside.  I fear that the ingredients in the 1950;s were of a purer more flavoursome quality than today when we are forced to have artificial colouring  flavourings and sweetners - more and more these are used instead of the real thing.   There were also other marshmallow type biscuits made by jacobs with an oblong single biscuit, these were covered with a pink coloured coconut sprinked marhmallow with a central furrow which had a jam filling.  I cannot remember their name but they were tasty. Sadly biscuits do not taste the same these days. There was also a famous establishment called Bewleys in Dublin who had three branches. This firm survives in a form but again their chocolates, cakes, biscuits and buns were second to none - in particular cherry buns and almond rings were heavenly,  those of today are very poor shadows of those we enjoyed in the 50's and 60's.
	Nicey replies: David, Thanks for those memories of biscuits past. Actually when I read the Kimberley ingredients they all seemed perfectly in order with no recourse to sweeteners or colouring. The other biscuit you referred to is the Jacobs Mikado, or Mallow depending on which side of teh Irish sea you are.
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