I’ve heard about the court case. I think too, it’s a cake and not a biscuit. Actually I’ve been wondering if it is invented by McVitie, or it is a traditional cake that existed already? Do you know its history?
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Fabulous Beef Wellington …
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According to McVitie’s website, the company invented it in 1927. Chocolate & orange is a classic combination so something might have pre-dated it, I suppose. Much as I like Jaffa Cakes (even though they are smaller than they used to be), I much prefer McVitie’s three main products which are definitely biscuits - digestives, rich tea and, my favourite, Hobnobs.
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I like this article about McVities.
In case anyone wants to make their own.
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By the by, naf’s giant Jaffa Cake looks entirely right. And, oh yes, the idea of a giant Jaffa Cake really does appeal.
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I made a simplified haggis, tatties and neeps, chips and egg (oven-baked, I don’t tend to fry chips at home- the egg was on another plate) , cranachan and whisky chai pears over the last few days.
I remember hearing about Chip and Egg (for tea, rather than breakfast)when I saw Shirley Valentine many years ago.
Then maybe 16 years ago, I was following a blog
that led to this book
I seek out cafes and historic tea rooms when I visit the UK.
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Ah, yes. A subject of much discussion at the time on British led forums. As you say, the film refers to “chips and egg”. However, that is the reverse of how it is usually phrased in the UK, “egg & chips”. I can’t recall if discussions ever pinned down if it was a regional difference or simply something “wrong” in the script writing. Either way, it appears as dinner for one in this house from time to time (my companion is not a fan of fried eggs) - I usually have a tin of baked beans with it to please the inner child.
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Good to know it is usually egg and chips!
thanks, @Harters. As a Cdn, I didn’t pick up on that. I have noticed in the UK, egg usually comes first, before bacon/beans/etc, whereas in North America, it’s " bacon and eggs" , “ham and eggs” or " green eggs and ham". Usually meat mentioned first here.
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They look amazing. Hope they tasted good too!
Gorgeous, gorgeous result., picture perfect!
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Bacon & eggs also in the UK. Language, eh?
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In a British food mag:
“Lobscouse” sounds suspiciously like Labskaus in the Baltic sea region, a dish I’m familiar with, however, it’s not a stew. Only in Norway there’s such a thing as labskaus stew. If I order labskaus in Norway I would get a surprise.
There’s probably very little British food that is actually native to this island. Travellers and traders brought this, invaders brought that, settlers brought something else. It’s a bit of a surprise that we ever managed to survive before that. 
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Labskaus is also common in Bremen and Hanover. Definitely is a cousin of UK scouse.
So- maybe what they have in common, are the ingredients, and the fact they are cooked in a pot.
Appears scouse is more stew, and labskaus is more mash/stamppot.
Although scouse comes from only thirty miles away, it’s very specific to the Liverpool area and I’ve only seen it there. Bit like the better known Irish Stew.
By the by, North Wales has its own version, lapsgóws. I think it’s based on a mix of the traditional Welsh dish of cawl and the Liverpool scouse which is obviously not far away
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@Harters good to know.
I’ll put this here for reference
Liverpool is a city I haven’t visited yet.
I also plan to visit North Wales at some point. North Wales has been on my wishlist for close to a decade. I had 4 nights in South Wales a while back. While planning that visit, I decided North Wales deserved several days to visit, to see more of its beauty.
At this point, we need our resident Scouser, Willowan, to chip in. There’s a couple of very decent “proper” pubs in that list - even for a “foreigner” like me.
FWIW, my experience of the dish was at the Bluecote Bistro, which is part of the Bluecoat Gallery. And I’ve also had “Catalan Scouse” at Spanish tapas place, Lunya - that was morcilla, chorizo and potatoes - and it was lovely.
North Wales? Lovely scenery. Good food is not in abundance - and seems to have got worse in the last few years. Several places that I would have previously recommended have either closed or have dumbed down their menu.
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@Harters maybe it’s all the crappy chain food in Canada- I’m almost always happy with the food I find at mom & pop restaurants or bakeries in small towns and rural parts of the UK. Some food further afield - in the sticks is what a Cdn might say- might seem boring, outdated or not worth a special visit, relative to places locals would have on a wishlist.
When I visited Devon and Cornwall, lot of places where we ate had no online presence. Good experiences overall.
I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to finding regional baked goods (saffron buns come to mind in Cornwall) and regional foods, in places off the beaten path.
In South Wales, I was sampling a lot of Welsh cakes! Some are much better than others
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I try and make allowances for the fact that North Wales is “small town”, so the quality and variety that you’d find from competition in a city can’t be expected.
That said, we’ve often eaten over the years at this gastropub. Always reliable. You’ll see the menu makes something of a committment to local produce.
https://queensheadglanwydden.co.uk/daily-menu-sample/
Speaking of local produce, it looks like a small fishing boat, with a crew of three, from nearby Conwy, has been lost at sea. It’s been missing since Wednesday and, as yet, no sign of it (or any wreckage). It’s a hazardous industry. By the by, the hotel we stayed in for a couple of nights last summer looked out over the river to where this boat would be moored.
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I’m sad to hear the fishing boat has been lost at sea. Yes, dangerous job, for sure.
I’ll keep the pub in mind.
By the way, did you know Charles Yu spent part of his youth in Wales?
