M Piper, Greengrocer

Self, M Piper, and Mrs D's gooseberry jam (June, 2022)

My quest for Mrs Darlington's beetroot chutney has borne fruit, in a sense.

It transpires that my local greengrocer, Michael Piper, purveyor of fine fruit, vegetables, preserves, and conserves, stocks Mrs D's products.

His shop is located at 23, Belmont Road, Strandtown, Belfast.

A dear friend is sending me two jars of Mrs D's excellent beetroot chutney, so today I purchased a jar of the gooseberry jam instead.

The Plain Loaf

I happened to be entering a major supermarket one morning when I was accosted by Hazel, a reader of the blog, from Portaferry, County Down.

Hazel was quite effusive about my alter ego, Lord Belmont, reminding me of past articles including the one about Irwin's Nutty Krust high-fibre wholemeal plain loaf, which was made until March, 2020.

Mark Thompson the wrapper, in fact.

Here was a loaf of bread which was a perennial favourite of mine: Irwin’s Nutty Krust high-fibre plain loaf.

It toasted very well indeed.

Some batches had a tendency occasionally to be slightly misshapen upon purchase, which necessitated trimming the edges a little for insertion into the toaster.

No matter.

The lucky birds used to get the crumbs.

The standard white Nutty Krust loaf remains on the shelves and continues to be popular.

THE PLAIN LOAF  is a traditional Ulster-Scots style of loaf.

It has a dark, well-fired crust on the top and bottom of the bread.

There is no crust on the sides due to the unbaked loaves being stuck together in batches, baked together then torn into individual loaves afterwards.

This style of bread does not fit well in most modern toasters due to the greater height of the loaf.

This was once the more widely available style of loaf in comparison to the now more common pan loaf.

Irwin's bakery is based in Portadown, County Armagh.

First published in November, 2012.

Non-Royal Toothpaste

I've been using Maclean's toothpaste for years.

Apparently it was introduced into United Kingdom in the 1930s by the Maclean's Company, which was subsequently taken over by the Beecham Group, and eventually by SKB.

Yesterday I bought a new tube of Maclean's and almost immediately noticed that the royal warrant was missing.

This warrant was a conspicuous likeness of the Prince of Wales' feathers, surmounted by the legend: By Appointment to HRH The Prince of Wales, Suppliers of Toothpaste, GSK Consumer Healthcare. Brentford, Middlesex.

Evidently another concoction is used to clean the royal gnashers now! 

Thomas Tunnock Ltd

THE FOLLOWING WARRANT IS HEREBY ISSUED:

By Appointment to the Rt Hon the Earl of Belmont, 

Purveyors of Tea Cakes,

Thomas Tunnock Limited, Uddingston, Glasgow.

The Tunnock's Teacake, popular in the British Isles, comprises a small round shortbread biscuit covered with a dome of Italian meringue and a whipped egg white concoction similar to marshmallow.

This is then encased in a thin layer of milk or dark chocolate and wrapped in a red and silver foil paper for the more popular milk chocolate variety; or blue, black, and gold wrapping for the dark.

First issued March, 2010.

N.B. Editors: the alter ego, viz. Belmont, simply cannot have enough of these ethereal biccies (!)

Tiptree Tomato Ketchup

I've been fond of tomato ketchup since I was a lad in short trousers.

Forty years ago there was little choice other than the famous Heinz variety.

I remain unenthusiastic about the Heinz ketchup, one factor being its viscosity.

In comparison with Tiptree ketchup it's quite thin.

The percentage of tomatoes in Tiptree ketchup probably remains at 75%.

I must have consumed unimaginable amounts of the stuff over the decades.

The peculiar thing is that, when I was ten years old, I enjoyed corned-beef sandwiches with salad-cream; whereas my pal, John, insisted on ketchup!

Tiptree Tomato Ketchup by Wilkin and Sons is the best, to my mind.

I really ought to be a shareholder in the company, given the amount of their ketchup I consume.

The first Tiptree conserves were made in 1885 on the Tiptree estate in Essex and are still made there to this day.

Fruit crops include strawberries, loganberries, mulberries and damsons, to name but a few.

The signature fruit is the Little Scarlet strawberry, a tiny wild variety, originally brought to the United Kingdom by the Wilkin family in the early 1900s.

It is believed that they are unique in the world in growing this difficult crop.

Wilkin's received their first Royal Warrant from GEORGE V in 1911 and remain Royal Warrant-holders to this day, as purveyors of Tiptree products to Her Majesty The Queen.

Their products are available in over seventy countries, on luxury cruise-liners, in de-luxe hotels and on leading airlines.

First published in October, 2009.

The Visiting Card

A gentleman's or lady's visiting card used to be de rigueur in the past; whereas even today, in the Internet Age, they survive in the form of a business card.

Traditionally, visiting cards have been in differing sizes for men and women and I gather that the classic man's size was 3" x 1½".

They were very simply laid out, with merely the name in the centre, often the address at the bottom left, and one's club to the bottom right.

I happen to think that they still serve a useful purpose.

Cognisant of this I searched the Internet for printers who specialize in such cards; and I discovered Blush Publishing, based in Flintshire.

Nobody in Northern Ireland seems to specialize in the kind of products that Blush sells.

I contacted two in County Down and might I suggest that they have a look at the Blush web pages.

They use heavy cotton paper and the cards are printed using the letterpress method with vintage Heidelberg presses.

I can apprise you that I am delighted with my new visiting cards, which is why I'm expressing my appreciation in this article.

Man about Town

I ventured into central Belfast this morning.

The little grey cells have been chugging away, considering a special gift for my godmother.

Having alighted at Donegall Square North, opposite City Hall, my eyes were drawn to Molton Brown, supplier of toiletries to the royal household.

Their GHQ seems to be at Shaftesbury Avenue in London.

My mission has come to a happy conclusion, having been served by lovely Catherine in the said shop.

As it happens, I wasn't aware that they received a royal warrant in 2013.

Thereafter I darkened the threshold of possibly the longest established optometrists in Belfast, Petticrew's, of Cornmarket, established in 1887.

I was warmly greeted by Andrew Petticrew, who happened to observe my overcoat.

I was wearing a traditional olive covert overcoat, which I bought in 2001.

Andrew remarked that he owned a very similar one.

Andrew Petticrew is one of the most amicable optometrists you're likely to encounter in Belfast.

In fact, I was there to look at reading glasses and I was given a complimentary pair, despite offering to pay.

If you are reading this, Andrew, may I convey my sincere gratitude? They were put to good use within five minutes.

Belfast has its annual Christmas Market in the grounds of City Hall, so I had a brief look before going home.

Mourne Seafood Bar's Lobster Burger

I have to confess that the Mourne Seafood Bar's Lobster Burger sounded tempting at £7.

The Umbrella Collection

I have a Number One umbrella, for special occasions; a Number Two, which is used more often; and a country umbrella, which has a National Trust logo.

The Number One is manufactured by Swaine, Adeney and Brigg.

It is a Prince of Wales Malacca umbrella, with a sterling silver nose-cap and collar. The collar displays an engraving of the Prince of Wales's feathers and Warrant. 

This umbrella is of solid construction and feels sturdy.

Click on the image above to see intricate detail.

The Number Two is a lighter umbrella with a Whangee handle. This belonged to my father and I'm rather fond of it.

The country umbrella is considerably larger in size and canopy than the town umbrellas; heavier, too.

A fourth umbrella is broken and, consequently, no longer used. 

It was a gift from my late father, bought in Harrod's.

This umbrella has an ebonized handle with a gold-plated nose-cap.

I’ve produced a short video below.

First published in 2010.

Lindt Excellence 70%

BY APPOINTMENT TO THE RT HON THE EARL OF BELMONT, LINDT & SPRÜNGLI AG, SUPPLIERS OF CHOCOLATE PRODUCTS

I always used to shun dark chocolate.

Godmother always insisted on Black Magic chocolates, as she made clear on one occasion when I unwittingly brought her a box of milk choccies.

A decade ago, however, I purchased a bar of Lindt Excellence 70% (it was probably on offer), and haven't looked back since.

The flavour of the 70% is wonderful: Not bitter, nor too sweet; rich, almost like currants; with character and depth.

It's not bitter, unlike the 85% version which is a bit too earthy for me. The connoisseurs seem to agree, too. 

First published in March, 2013.

Sainsbury's Coleslaw

By Appointment to the Right Honourable the Earl of Belmont

SAINSBURY'S SUPERMARKETS LIMITED, HOLBORN, LONDON,

SUPPLIERS OF MATURE CHEDDAR CHEESE COLESLAW

I discovered this creamy, tasty coleslaw several months ago and, I have to admit, I am an addict.

This is Sainsbury's West Country Mature Cheddar Coleslaw, Taste the Difference ~ Cabbage, carrot, cheddar cheese, West Country cheddar and onion in mayonnaise.

Mayonnaise (36%); Cabbage (25%); Carrot (16%); Cheddar Cheese (10%); West Country Cheddar (8%); Onion; Chive.

The mayonnaise contains: Rapeseed Oil, Pasteurised Free Range Egg Yolk, Water, Spirit Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Mustard Flour.

All previous Warrants for coleslaw are hereby cancelled and annulled.

New Warrant

By Appointment to the Right Honourable the Earl of Belmont

FISHMONGER

ALAN COFFEY, PORTAVOGIE, COUNTY DOWN

His lordship's trusty bicycle is in the frame and Ivan is open for business as usual every Thursday at one end of Circular Road in east Belfast.

They always have a good range and variety of fresh fish and seafood and I particularly enjoy their battered County Down scampi.

The new Warrant takes immediate effect. I understand that Coffey's have a regular stall, Something Fishy, at St George's Market, Belfast.

Craig's Honey

I breakfasted on toast spread with Craig and Anna's exquisite home-made honey this morning, which emanated from bees at the Castle Ward estate in County Down.

It has the most wonderful flavour. Well done, Craig, Bee-keeper Apiarist Extraordinaire and purveyor of fine honey to the Earl of Belmont!

Preferred Dictionary

There was an old dictionary which we had had for many years. I think it originally belonged to my grandparents and dated back to the 1930s. It was entitled Nuttall's Standard Dictionary Of The English Language, and continued "based on the labours of the most eminent lexicographers" etc.

I found it the most excellent reference book, because it also included pronunciations, derivations, useful information and more besides. The old dictionary been showing its age and was increasingly held together by masking tape. There were loose pages, too; and it was dog-eared.

On Ebay, I noticed a 1964 version of Nuttall's for sale and decided I wanted it. It hasn't been published for twenty-five years or so and the publisher, Frederick Warne, has been taken over by Penguin.

I took a chance and offered the princely sum of ten pence; postage was six pounds due to the weight.

I won the bid! It's in great order for its age; much better than our older one. It's got thumb-marks at the edges for easy reference too.

Nuttall's is particularly useful to those - viz. Timothy Belmont - with a tendency towards pedantry!

Here is an example: the entry for the adjective Heinous:-

heinous, a. hay-nus, characterized by great wickedness; hateful; atrocious. (Fr. haineux.)

Note its pronunciation. Many today pronounce it as in hee rather than hay!

Last Published in September, 2009.

Noble Slumber

I have just purchased a new mattress by Hypnos online through a company called Mattressman. It literally pays to check for promotional codes (and often websites prompt you by asking for a promotion code): I discovered a promotion code for my purchase and saved 10%, or £89.90.

These Hypnos mattresses are quite luxurious - like floating on water.

Cadbury's Caramel

Like so many things in life, opinions and personal tastes vary. They are subjective. For instance, the finest chocolate in the world, to my mind, is probably Lindt 70% Excellence due to a number of factors: depth of flavour, balance - neither too bitter, nor too sweet; a lingering taste in the palate.

Despite that, I remain a Cadbury's Caramel Loyalist; or, to give it its formal name, Cadbury Dairy Milk with Caramel. It is simply heavenly and sublime. If I'm lucky, the supermarkets sometimes have a "two bars for two pounds" offer.

Whilst checking out of my apartment in the Canary Islands recently I gave Reception two bars of it!

Hovis Seed Sensations

Hovis Seed Sensations "Rich and Roasted" is still a firm favourite in the household. It's better value now than over a year ago, when a loaf cost £1.53. It weighs 800g. It's not wholemeal bread, though it is brown.

It is described, for trade description purposes, as being "multi-seeded bread with linseed, sunflower, pumpkin, millet and poppy seeds". The fibre content is twelve percent, which equates very well compared with wholemeal bread.

This bread is literally filled with wholesome seeds, toasts well and is, to my mind, delicious. Highly recommended.

Darrell Lea Liquorice

Lord Belmont is pleased to make the following announcement:-


By Appointment to the Right Honourable the Earl of Belmont,

Suppliers of Soft-Eating Original Liquorice,

Darrell Lea Limited, New South Wales, Australia

By Appointment

I have added a new category, or label, to my blog: By Appointment To The Right Honourable The Earl Of Belmont.

The warrants may be approved or removed at any time.

I'll start the proverbial ball rolling by the first Entry: Wilkin Tomato Sauce, purveyors of tomato sauce to the Right Honourable the Earl of Belmont.

A week ago I decided to try Heinz tomato ketchup, highly rated by many. Frankly, I was disappointed. I am no connoisseur of ketchups; however, I do know what I like.

Wilkin ketchup has a richer taste; is thicker and less viscous than Heinz; and it has more substance to it as well. I shall retain the Heinz ketchup in the fridge for culinary purposes.

I am aware that there are many other ketchups on the market, so I welcome nominations.

Nutty Addiction

I've always been fond of peanuts. Perhaps it ought to be called Compulsive Nut Disorder. I tend to go for the flavoured ones, my favourites being the honey-roasted variety.

Until quite recently I've bought the supermarket branded ones, often a mixture of cashews and peanuts; however, I find that their taste and quality varies if they change their suppliers.

Whilst on holiday I came across a make called Eagle and their honey roast peanuts have been my favourite for many years, invariably buying several packets for the suitcase to take home. They are practically impossible to find here in the UK. I've never seen them on the shelves.

About two months ago, however, I made a momentous discovery: KP Honey Roast Peanuts, which are sold in large 600g containers. They compare very well with the Eagle ones and, indeed, they are now my firm favourites. I know that because when I start nibbling away at them it's very hard to stop!

Most of the main supermarkets seem to stock them, so there's no further need for me to overload the luggage with nuts!