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Month: May 2011

British Sandwich Week

Posted on May 16, 2011by stevehin BITE, Events, food

It’s British Sandwich Week, 16th – 21st May! Earlier this month we asked our readers to comment on their Favourite Pub Snack, it was no surprise to hear that crisps and pork scratchings came out on top, what was surprising was the lack of votes for “sandwiches”… These bastions of snack were unrepresented in our poll, even though there are an estimated 1.8 billion sandwiches sold in the UK each year, in a market worth almost £3 billion annually.
So, let’s get out there and raise our sandwiches high, and show some support for Great British Sandwich Week 2011!

You may have heard the legend that John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich asked his valet to bring him meat tucked into two pieces of bread so that he could continue to play cribbage without getting his cards greasy (hat tip to BITE user Alan Williams). People saw what the Earl was eating, and they requested “I’ll have the same as Sandwich” the phrase was whittled down and forged into the name we know today. While this story is true, the Earl of Sandwich is not credited with the invention of the ‘sandwich’. The British have been eating meat and cheeses with bread since the stone age. During medieval times the first instances of dining plates were made from large pieces of rough, sometimes stale bread cut into thick slabs called ‘trenchers’. Food was served on the trencher and at the end of the meal – either consumed by the diner, or more popularly given to a family dog or a local beggar.

The sandwich remained in the realms of aristocracy as a fancy food until the industrial revolution in the 19th Century, where it was taken up by the working class as a cheap portable meal for many workers. From then onwards it’s place on the British menu was forever concrete. Despite attempts to change it’s design with foreign influence the basic sandwich has long since comprised of two pieces of bread plus a filling or fillings, square cut or triangle cut. Cheese has been the historic British favourite filling, until recently where chicken is currently the nations favourite sandwich filling.

Did you know?
It was the Fool’s Gold Loaf sandwich that killed Elvis. A single warmed loaf of bread, sliced, part hollowed, and filled with one jar of creamy fried peanut butter, one jar of grape jelly, and a pound of bacon, this calorific monster of a sandwich of course – supposedly attributed to ‘the Kings’ heart failure.
The sandwich that killed R-and-B singer Luther Vandross, known as ‘the Luther’ is doughnut shaped brioche cut in half with two types of fried chicken, bacon, buttermilk and pecan nuts. It’s a very popular sandwich in America too, despite being an artery clogging masterpiece.
“The Millionaire’s Cheese Sarnie” created in Britain, by Michelin chef Martin Blunos, as the name suggests, is the world’s most expensive sandwich you can buy. Made from sourdough bread and cheese blended with expensive white truffles, dressed with 100 year old balsamic vinegar and gold leaf it costs around £100 per sandwich, it’s not much bigger than a regular sandwich by the way!
Golden Palace Casino purchased American singer Britney Spears half eaten egg salad sandwich from internet auction site ebay.com for $500 (£308) in 2009, to add to their collection of bizarre memorabilia which also includes the grilled cheese sandwich with the effigy of the Virgin Mary toasted into it – which was purchased for $28000 (£17280) in 2004.
The worlds longest sandwich measured 634.50 m (2,081 ft), created in Britain by Italian Pietro Catucci in 2004.

Do you know of a pub sandwich that is worth mentioning? Have you yourself created a master chef worthy sandwich that you have been keeping secret until now? Have you ever looked across the pub table and thought “I want that sandwich!” Do let us know on our Facebook page, or in our comments section below – and thanks for all your input, we do read everything!

Britains Pub Toilets

Posted on May 13, 2011by stevehin BITE, pubs

Once the beer and food service reviews are out of the way, many BITE users turn their attention to the pub toilets, on BITE we have over 25,000 reviews mentioning the words ‘toilet’ or ‘toilets’.
What is it that drives us Brits to review the condition of a pubs water closet? Do you ponder which is the best part of the door handle to use to avoid peoples germs? Isn’t it irritating to be in a pub toilet with just cold water taps? And no soap in the dispenser! We’ve all been in a slovenly pub toilet at some point in our life, dripping from ceiling to cistern, maybe you had to wade in on tip toes? The toilet seats have been used as target practice by the 2nd Auxiliary Potty Training Regiment, or there’s no seat at all, just cracked, stained porcelain…

You could think that we are over reacting, but cleanliness is serious business. Wetherspoons pub chain goes out of it’s way to maintain and ensure it’s toilets are up to and above the standard of hygiene, they won the Loo of the Year Award 2008 and even had a independent Facebook group setup called “Wetherspoons Toilet Fascination Club”. A great many other pubs have followed suit, it’s a winning combination – lack of cleanliness can lead to complaint, coming into physical contact with something disgusting can cause a normally mild mannered Briton to turn into a ranting lunatic.

For the majority of us British citizens we feel it’s our right to do our business in a state of complete cleanliness and would be serenity – if it weren’t for the hand dryer turbine interruptions. So here’s to you, cheers! The landlords and staff that go out of their way to provide clean establishments, it can’t be an easy job – especially with alcohol governing the dexterity of some peoples handling of hazardous substances.

Feel like leaving a comment? Use our comments section below, or visit our Facebook page.

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How do you arrive at our Blog?

Posted on May 12, 2011by stevehin BITE

The Beer in the Evening blog has been publishing news for over a month now, some of our blog posts have been swept under the internet door mat, some have been received with mirth and some with welcome applause (in a virtual sense). We’d like to sharpen our content so that it’s more in tune with what our readers want to read, in order to do this we first of all need look at how our readers get here, to this blog.

Do you use Facebook to read our blog posts? Or maybe you get here from a tiny weeny Twitter post? You may get to this blog by simply typing the address into your browser or search engine, or have reached this blog just by chance. Do let us know as by answering the poll below – this will help shape our future content and how it’s delivered to you.

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National Limerick Day

Posted on May 11, 2011by stevehin BITE, Events

It’s a funny one today, we’re already knee deep in doughnuts thanks to National Doughnut week, but this particular day (12th May) is National Limerick day, celebrating the birthday of Edward Lear (1812-1888) the author of “Book of Nonsense” published in 1846.

Edward Lear was the 21st child of Ann and Jeremiah Lear born in Holloway, he suffered from epilepsy, asthma and breathing problems as a child, although he still maintained a good sense of humour which became his most notable trait. Unfortunate then that during the 19th Century, epilepsy was considered to be a form of demonic possession and Lear struggled with the embarrassment that this bestowed upon his family name, often falling into deep depression which he referred to as “The Morbids”.
Later in life Lear left his family behind and travelled widely finally settling in Sanremo, North West Italy. Lear would introduce himself as “Mr Abebika kratoponoko Prizzikalo Kattefello Ablegorabalus Ableborinto phashyph” or “Chakonoton the Cozovex Dossi Fossi Sini Tomentilla Coronilla Polentilla Battledore & Shuttlecock Derry down Derry Dumps”. These long winded names are taken from a parlour game of the time, and show how ingrained Lears love of language and word play had become.

A Limerick is a humorous verse or poem. It is five lines longs. It’s name comes from the city of Limerick, Ireland, although it’s unclear if Lear himself ever visited the city, the first two lines rhyme with the fifth line, and the third and fourth lines rhyme, the fifth line being the conclusion to the previous four lines.

Here’s a good example by Brookston Beer Bulletin user Nitelaf;

Abbey Ale by Nitelaf
Abbey ale’s what we brew here, we Trappists.
(We’re in Belgium, for all of you mappists.)
Strong and rich, full in body;
As sweet as a toddy.
I’m glad that we’re brewers, not frappists.

A Frappist is a person with Red hair according to Urban Dictionary, but it’s possible the author meant frappist as in a person who drinks ‘frappachino’, an iced coffee.

And here’s another example from us;

Beer in the Evening by Anon
Another blog post is here
This ones about Edward Lear!
For BITE, I’m out of love,
This isn’t about pubs!
Nonsense about dead poets, get to back the beer!

Edward Lear was born in Holloway, London where (surprisingly) “The Edward Lear Hotel” now stands. If you are in the area you might want to pay a visit to the Prince Edward, The Coronet or Shillibeers Brasserie Bar.

Have you got a Beer in the Evening Limerick, a real ale limerick or even just a plain old limerick ? (Obscene “Man from Nantucket” Limericks will not be published unfortunately.) Let us know in our comments section below or on our Facebook page.

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Supermarket Real Ales

Posted on May 10, 2011by stevehin Beers, BITE, Real Ale

There could be a great many things that are tipping their hat to just how auspicious the Real Ale industry is looking right now. In the last four years microbreweries have been on the rise and some have received huge media notoriety. A top British comedian chanting “all hail the ale” to packed audiences who’d previously never even considered ale as an option. Perhaps the rebirth of British tradition and all things British thanks to national events such as the Royal Wedding. Then there’s the reacceptance of cider as ‘hip and trendy’ by drinkers on their search for an alternative ‘hip and trendy’ beverage. As a nation we’re also much more environmental, we actively look for greener or locally sourced produce, it’s fashionable. But don’t shun consumerism entirely; Real Ale popularity could also be attributed to the extension of Real Ale shelves in supermarkets and greater exposure by supermarkets to new or potential Real Ale drinkers.

Cast off your criticism for a second about how supermarket Real Ale is not ‘Real Ale’ due to its conditioning. Two of the biggest supermarkets in the UK have reported rises in Real Ale sales for the past three years. And let’s be honest, those supermarket Real Ale shelves (back from extinction) look physically attractive with their adorning decorative, embossed, gold trim labels telling stories as if each bottle was a novel, tales of dragons, kings, goblins, knights, bulldogs, ferrets, badgers, and bananas(?) to name a few. You don’t get that spirit of tradition or spark of imagination when you walk through the repetitive, uniform, imported fizz keg aisle. Despite Camra’s ranting that supermarket booze is destroying the economy of pubs, Real Ale in supermarkets is cheap, if you want to try something different and you don’t like it, your wallet is not damaged in the process of you enjoying yourself.

So, supermarket Real Ale could be the first step in a blossoming affair with ale for some men and women, who will hopefully pass on the baton of responsibility to their sons/ daughters, keeping the tradition of British Real Ale alive for years to come. It is though, probably down to consumerist attitude, people buy more Real Ale in the moments fad, and supermarkets reflect our desires with bigger and wider stocks. This could then switch to an adverse effect as we become so aware of real ale that we become uninterested in it and ale once again begins to disappear from shelves, … sparking another “bring back the ale” campaign and so, the dog begins to chase it’s tail once more.

Do you buy real ale from supermarkets? What’s your favourite ale from supermarkets? Have you ever gone to a supermarket just to buy real ale? Have you ever knocked a bottle over in an aisle and had to suffer the embarrassment of everyone standing and staring? Let us know as usual in our comments section below or by visiting our Face book page.

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