It’s been a good week for ... meat products
A Scottish black pudding has saved the life of a Devon butcher. Chris McCabe, 70, became trapped in a walk-in freezer after the door blew shut behind him.
Stranded in temperatures of -20C (-4F), with the door-release button frozen solid, he used the 1.5kg (3.3lbs) blood sausage as a battering ram to free the release mechanism.
"No-one could hear me banging," he said. "Black pudding saved my life."
Stuck in temperatures capable of killing a human in an hour, the butcher searched frantically for an implement to batter the door's frozen safety button.
With the beef and lamb too unwieldy, he then found the "best thing" – the black pudding, made by HM Sheridan of Ballater, Aberdeenshire.
"It was the right shape," he explained. "I used it like the police use battering rams to break door locks in."
The sausage saved the butcher’s skin.
It’s been a bad week for ... veg products
This is no ordinary cauliflower ...
Marks and Spencer have had a roasting over "cauliflower steak", which it will now stop selling after shoppers ridiculed the product.
The veggie steak – two slices of cauliflower and a lemon and herb drizzle – was being sold for £2. Customers pointed out that a whole cauliflower could be bought for £1 in its shops.
An M&S spokeswoman said: "We work hard to create quick and convenient meals for customers; however on this occasion we didn't get it right."
The “steak” was part of the new M&S Veggie range and after an introductory offer, which reduced the price by 20 per cent, it would have cost £2.50.
The range was aimed at customers wanting a "quick and convenient vegetarian meal option", said M&S. It als taps in to the Veganuary trend of “clean living”, which is dish of the day for the moment.
Still keen on trying this brassica delight? Buy a cauli (I would suggest even a quid is a bit steep for one), wash it, cut the white bit into cross sections about 2cm thick, slosh (OK, drizzle if you must) with olive oil and lemon juice, then cook on a very hot pan for about five minutes each side. Enjoy with a generous serving of self-satisfaction on the side.
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