The stuff from before on NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown ...

It's Cake Jim, but not as we know it

A NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown special report

Mars is nearer to us at the moment than at any other time in the last 60,000 years, and so we are marking the occasion with this special report into 'Universal Cake Theory'. Is there life on Mars? Well probably not but here at NiceCupOfTeaAnASitDown we are more concerned if there is cake on Mars and somewhere for a nice sit down out of those 200 mile an hour winds that are prone to whip around the red planet.

Two little old space-alien ladies having a nice sit down Fullsize image Illustration by Dave at www.liveinabin.com

So what is 'Universal Cake Theory'? Well its my theory that cakes must be universal. Where there is intelligent life in the universe they probably make and eat some kind of cake. It's obvious really. I like to think that when Carl Sagen was wandering around his dodgy colour separation over layed spaceship in his epic TV series 'Cosmos' pretending to look at nebulas and stuff in awe and listening to Brian Eno, that he was thinking 'the vastness of the cosmos and cakes, there must be a connection'. Well of course if he had of thought that then that would have made two of us.

Now I know what your all going to say, 'What about silicon based life forms Nicey! Or beings composed of pure energy or those who inhabit places where the laws of physics preclude the formation of cake, or even flapjack?'. Well, the silicon based life forms probably would be quite at home with Iced Gems, or maybe an assorted selection of Spanish biscuits, which whilst not cakes are quite similar to rocks. As for those beings composed of pure energy, they probably would have something a bit like a cross between a Swiss roll and Duracell battery. The folks that live where the laws of physics preclude the formation of cake, they want to get with the plot and move house.

We know that man has baked cakes from the earliest times, infact in the 'Epic of Gilgamesh' earliest known written story ever dating back to nearly 5000 years ago, there is a bit about flour or something. Cakes have deep cultural significance, and are baked and shared at important events in our lives and across many different cultures. Now if I was Eric Von Daniken, I would probably attribute this to visiting Space Aliens in our distant pre-historic past who introduced us to baking and probably had some form of advanced technology like a fan oven ideal for getting tricky sponge cakes to rise evenly, and non-stick cake tins. Of course we would have to wait until we sent men to the moon before we discovered how to make non-stick cake tins using space age teflon.

Northern Ginger Technology

We've gone Bothams bonkers this week on NiceCupOfTeaAndASitDown. Visitors to the Yorkshire seaside town of Whitby may be drawn into the Bothams establishment to be treated to a tour-de-force in tea and sit down technology. With plum bread, sticky Yorkshire Brack, a range of biscuits, their own blend of strong Yorkshire tea, and a built in tea room, Bothams are able to deal with any tea and sitdown situation that might arise. We've already scoffed our way through an All Butter Fruit cake, a sticky Ginger Yorkshire brack with stem ginger, and three packs of biscuits. Good job the Brack is low fat, although I think the damage has been done. Find out more in this week's Biscuit of the Week.

Sticky Ginger Yorkshire Brack, Tea, Shah Ginger, Ginger Chocolate Chip biscuits and a nice cup of tea

UK launch of the ANZAC

Well we were very honored today to be invited to the official UK launch of the ANZAC biscuit, at the National Army museum at Chelsea. You may remember that we reviewed the Unibic ANZAC back at the end of April this year, explaining its connection to the ANZAC forces that fought in WW1 at Gallipoli. Now whatever your views about business doing good deads and charity work there simply is no denying the 500,000 Australian dollars that have been raised in the last 5 years for retired servicemen in both Australia and New Zealand. There was also no disguising how pleased various bodies involved were to receive the support, and how keen our British Legion fund raisers are to get involved. The Australian Returned and Services League (RSL) had sent over Bruce Ruxton (pictured alongside) the veteran, whose idea it was to also raise money for the British Legion using the tasty ANZAC. We were also treated to a very moving poem written and read by Aussie media celebrity Clive James, long time supporter of the RSL, about his childhood memories of ANZAC day parades. All this whilst drinking cups of Tetley tea, complete with bubbles, and munching platefuls of ANZACs. ANZACs are available from today, July 14th at Sainsbury's stores through out the UK with 4% of sales going to the British Legion.