Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Category: Food and Drink

  • Pret – Coffee Subscription (unimpressed….)

    Pret – Coffee Subscription (unimpressed….)

    I cancelled my Pret coffee subscription after one month, which was the one that they gave me. Anyway, since I’m in London and they have lots of branches here, I thought that I’d resubscribe. The account process is terrible, it’s fiddly to log-in and I know other people are just making up new e-mail addresses to get free coffee, so they probably haven’t had vast amounts of people manually resubscribing.

    Anyway, with code in hand, the store at Moorgate refused the transaction suggesting that my payment hadn’t gone through. My payment had gone through, but these things happen. I heard the store manager say “nothing we’re prepared to do about it”. I contacted Pret and the problem, which was theirs, was immediately fixed. It might have been easier for them to just give me the coffee they’d poured and ask if I could resolve it with Pret customer service, but it’s possible they get too many people trying it on. As it wasn’t busy, a “do you need any help, or a contact phone number for Pret?” might have been really useful though.

    I was more annoyed by having to go back ten minutes later and then I ordered again and they forgot to pour that one entirely (I don’t think it was because they were annoyed at me, they forget an order from another customer as well). The service was polite and the coffee was fine and these things do happen, but it’s the “nothing we’re prepared to do about it” means I’m not prepared to renew….. Disappointing, as I very much like Pret.

    NB, and as an addendum written the next day, things improved  🙂

  • Aldi and Forks….

    Aldi and Forks….

    This is low on my list of concerns, but I picked this cheese salad up from Aldi and it does look at first sight that there’s a fork in it. Since they’ve put a huge green fork on it and there’s space for one inside. But the big fork logo is actually on closer inspection signalling that there’s no fork, because that’s apparently a thing. Being quite dull, I do carry a wooden fork with me on my travels so it doesn’t much matter, but I do wonder who actually designed this packaging…. It was a pretty dreary product as well, nowhere near the quality of similar products the chain sell in mainland Europe.

  • Three Hills Brewing – BPAVK Coconut Macaroon

    Three Hills Brewing – BPAVK Coconut Macaroon

    It would be remiss of me not to mention this beer that I had at the Artichoke in Norwich on Saturday. Brewed by Three Hills it’s one of their range of imperial stouts and it is quite beautiful. Flavours of coconut with a sweetness of taste, decadent and rich. I can’t recall a beer that I’ve had this year that’s better. It probably wasn’t the ideal beer in terms of it being 10% to have the day before walking 27 miles, but, then again, maybe it did me a world of good. Although maybe it might work better as a reward after finishing the walk. Anyway, I digress.

    Decadent is a word I like using, so I applaud it when breweries use it, especially when it’s actually true.

    And my rating, a 5/5…… I had a similar beer from them last week, the chocolate doughnut edition, which was tremendously good and also had the richness of flavours. I felt it just very slightly thin, but that one wasn’t far off perfection. Their cherry imperial stout impressed me, although I got more flavours of liquorice and so it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. But, I’m rather excited to see what they’ll come up with next, this is very much my kind of brewery. And they toast my check-ins on Untappd and since I’m easily pleased, I like them more for that.

  • Spike Brewing – Brave Advertising

    Spike Brewing – Brave Advertising

    Quite brave and punch advertising this, “your liver will fail before our equipment does”. I’m not sure that advertising like this would be allowed in the UK, but it doesn’t much matter, as this is a US company from Milwaukee who produce stainless steel home brew equipment. Memorable advertising though, I quite like it.

  • Craft Beer and Brewing – Other Half Brewing Co.

    Craft Beer and Brewing – Other Half Brewing Co.

    I’ve been rationing myself to how much I look at Craft Beer and Brewing magazine, as otherwise I might book endless amounts of flights to the United States (well, there’s one little problem with that plan at the moment, but hopefully that will pass) to go to these breweries. But, I’ve never heard of Other Half Brewing (I know who will pipe up to say he’s heard of them) but I have now and this Bourbon Barrel Aged Pastrytown beer sounds, well, as near to perfection as it’s possible to get. And the magazine agrees with the 100 rating….

    I need to get to Brooklyn and this brewery’s taproom. The ratings on Untappd make this one of the best breweries in the world and their beers look quite tremendous.

  • The Craft Beer Section of Fuller’s Web-Site

    The Craft Beer Section of Fuller’s Web-Site

    I make no comment about what displays on the craft beer section of Fuller’s web-site…..

  • Craft Beer and Brewing – Melvin Me, Myself and Thai

    Craft Beer and Brewing – Melvin Me, Myself and Thai

    I’ve decided, I need to spend several weeks in the United States next year. I keep reading Craft Beer and Brewing magazine and there are hundreds of beers that I want to try. The people of Alpine, Wyoming should feel very pleased to have this sort of innovation. Just remember that the people of Bury St. Edmunds have Greene King IPA.

  • Toppling Goliath Assassin 2020

    Toppling Goliath Assassin 2020

    I’ve never been to Iowa, just near to it, but this seems a very good reason in itself to go. From this month’s Craft Beer & Brewing magazine, this sounds a most decadent treat. And, looking at the score that the magazine has given, it looks to be the pinnacle of dark beer…..

  • Pret – Coffee Subscription

    Pret – Coffee Subscription

    Since I signed up earlier today to Pret’s new coffee subscription, I thought I should pop down to their now only outlet in Norwich. I was the only one paying using this method when I was there, although they have apparently had a few people use it so far today. It’s nice and easy, scan the QR code sent by e-mail onto their card reader and the coffee is presented free of charge. It can be used inside or outside, with a variety of drinks included as part of the deal.

    There’s a free one month’s trial and you’re allowed up to five coffees per day (spaced at least thirty minutes apart) for the £20 per month. I await to see what some of their rivals do…. But, all logical and efficient so far.

  • Evil Twin Brewing – Beautiful Advert

    Evil Twin Brewing – Beautiful Advert

    This is a full-page ad in Craft Beer & Brewing magazine, and it’s beautiful. I’m not sure how anyone can leave a 1-star rating on Untappd for anything that Evil Twin Brewing produce, but, perhaps it’s not for everyone as they say. But, Evil Twin is one of the best breweries going, so they can definitely get away with advertising like this. It is annoying me now that I haven’t had enough of their beer though, I need to get out more…