Ten o'Clock Tested and a Victory Roll (Crosse and Blackwell Branston Pickle)

Member Name: aefra

Product:	Crosse and Blackwell Branston Pickle
Date:	12/03/04 (831 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Traditional flavour and substance, Inexpensive

Disadvantages: None

Since 1995 was the 50th anniversary of the end of World War 11 someone came up with the bright (?) idea of awarding a prize for a sandwich with a patriotic theme. Breadwinner Foods were awarded the prize with their Victory Roll which had as its innards Scotch beef, creamed Welsh leeks, English stilton cheese and most importantly Branston Pickle. * For this marvel of delectability would be as nought without pickle and the creators could use no other than Branston. For nearly 75 years Branston Pickle has been regarded as traditionally British although it is now sold across the world. We may sometimes struggle with global competition in many areas nowdays, but by heck this sweet brown pickle is still the best.

Although the very first sandwich dates back to the 1st century BC, the humble butty as we know it was created by John Montague, Earl of Sandwich in the 18th century. This founder member of the infamous Hellfire Club found that he could play cards with one hand while eating with the other by placing his snack between two slices of bread and it seems the idea caught on. Poor John Montague, though, was 160 years too early to know that his creation lacked an essential ingredient for full satisfaction.

What is the Branston? Well this is a rich dark brown condiment with crunch and for me no cheese sandwich would be complete without it. For you non-vegetarians cold meats such as chicken or ham are given added flavour when enhanced by a good dollop of the brown stuff. Apart from some modified starch and colour the glass jar contains carrots, cauliflower, gherkins, marrows, onions, rutabaga (a brassica low in calories and high in vitamins), tomatoes and dates. There is little fat and a calorific value of 140 per 100g. It is quite high in sugars though. The flavours of cheese and cold meats are br
ought out by the blend of lemon juice and spices used which include garlic (not apparent to garlic haters).

That's the food-value stuff, so what about the all-important flavour and texture? This last is what makes Branston king of the pickles. I have in front of me a teaspoonful of pickle and what do I see? The tiny spoon I am using is filled with 4 cubes of crunchy vegetable in its bowl, each side a centimetre in length. No, I am not joshing you. I licked off the sauce and measured them. I now have a mucky ruler, sticky keyboard and a teaspoon sitting in the lid of the jar on my desk.

On opening the jar you will be greeted by a quite strong fruity scent. The sauce although not over thick is not runny either and the flavour has a fresh, sweet tangy sharpness. This is not a relish to mingle with the food, rather to enhance and add its own piquancy. Other brands come fairly close to Branston, but they lack the consistancy and originality of the real thing. Which is probably why sandwich makers stress that Branston Pickle is included in their produce when advertising their wares.

Branston is not only for adding taste to sandwiches and rolls. A cold meat salad can be a dull afterthought if the creator is not careful. Add a couple of spoonsful of our pickle to the side and things taste brighter. Those addicted to tomato sauce on everything could do well to try this instead and may have a pleasant surprise, especially with that full English breakfast of egg and bacon. Unlike sauces the Branston has enough substance and the contents are full enough to stay obediently at the side of the plate for when you want to dip. So you won't have soggy chips. A chilli version is available for those who prefer the present day need to hot up the taste buds, although for me that would be like the sinful adulteration of good scotch whisky wi
th lemonade.

At a price of 79p for 310g at Safeways, this is not going to frighten the budget when wondering whether perhaps an "own-brand" might be worth considering, particularly as once opened the contents seem to stay fresh for quite some time. For those who wish to serve your guests a slightly more delicate fare, Branston also comes with smaller chunks at the same price.

My title? Way back in 1959 Crosse and Blackwell told us that they tested their famous pickle every day and "10 o'clock tested" became as much a national catchprase as Coca Cola's "It's the real thing" is in modern times.


*source http://www.britannia.com/panorama/pickle.html

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