B&B 43

MaliA · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2014 11:25

Buy a bottle of value water.
Buy a bottle of squash concentrate.
Add some concentrate to water.
Take to work.
Consume.
Refill from tap when empty.
Add some concentrate to water.
Take to work.
Consume.
Repeat until concentrate is empty.

flis · **Joined:** 26th May, 2008 **Posts:** 3333

Looking at a couple of houses on Saturday... We got an offer of a mortgage in principle so we thought we'd go see the sort of thing available for that money. We're still six months off moving in somewhere so it feels a little premature to me but Mr. flis says these things take months so we may as well start looking, even if it's just to get an idea of what we don't want.

Zio · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6093

My addiction to Diet Coke is all consuming now and there is literally no help for me. But thank you for your kind suggestions.

myp · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2014 13:17

Zio wrote:

My addiction to Diet Coke is all consuming now and there is literally no help for me. But thank you for your kind suggestions.

Do shops near you not stock it? A travesty

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 12243

Zio wrote:

My addiction to Diet Coke is all consuming now and there is literally no help for me. But thank you for your kind suggestions.

Grab a case from the supermarket and take them in.

markg · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 16560

Zio wrote:

My addiction to Diet Coke is all consuming now and there is literally no help for me. But thank you for your kind suggestions.

It's weird how people can tolerate Diet Coke. Same with artificial sweeteners in a brew. I think people must perceive them very differently or something because to me they both taste properly nasty. Most things I can at least understand why people might like the taste even if I hate it but that stuff just tastes wrong. :spew:

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10078

That's exactly what it is - some percentage of people taste aspartame as a horrible acrid taste.

Curiosity · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2014 17:44

BikNorton wrote:

That's exactly what it is - some percentage of people taste aspartame as a horrible acrid taste.

Me! It mings! It even makes sugar based drinks taste worse when they add sweeteners to them. Keep them in sugar free drinks only!

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2014 17:49

I prefer them. Drinks with sugar in taste kind of "thick" to me.

Pepsi Max is where it's at.

Mimi · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 25594

I also prefer Pepsi Max. Plus it is in a 600ml bottle, so you get more.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10078

I'm training myself to like Sainsburys Cola Zero and Tesco Diet Cola because my addiction is measurably worse than Zio's and I can't afford it any more.

Seriously, I spend more on Coke than beer. And I drink a lot of beer.

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22270

Pepsi max here too, and not just because it is half the price of diet coke in Costco...

miki · **Joined:** 30th Apr, 2011 **Posts:** 1458 **Location:** NL

/puts hand up for pepsi max

Dr Zoidberg · **Joined:** 15th Oct, 2010 **Posts:** 5157

It's by far the nicest of all the cola drinks I've tried.
Vanilla diet coke is pretty decent too, but hard to find.

TheVision · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2014 21:38

Normal Pepsi for me. It's brilliant.

Curiosity · **Posted:** Thu Jun 19, 2014 23:47

I don't really drink any cola on its own, but Pepsi Max is horrible garbage.

I also like that Coke Zero and Diet Coke have the exact same ingredients.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10078

They don't, though. Not having to.list percentages and being allowed to use xover-all terms just make it look that way.

Now I want to do a blind test though.

Morte · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 5:12

I never understand the pricing of Coca Cola / Pepsi in the UK...going through the supermarkets the prices change on an almost daily basis, from expensive to effing expensive (over 2 quid a bottle? for coke?).

Meanwhile if you go to the continent it's much cheaper...even here, where everything has to be imported (and taxed accordingly) a 2 liter bottle costs the equivalent of 70p. Someone, somewhere is making a stack of cash.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10078

It's probably to facilitate the near-constant offers, same as dominos and papa johns pizzas - it feels like you're getting a superior product (it must be, it costs 4x as much!) at a bargain price.

Though they've just got rid of 2l, its 1.75 now. Price didn't go down 12.5% obv.

As is typical of most things, we get much more pronounced american-style marketing psychology instead of more subdued continental style('this is a bit better so has a bit of a price premium', 'this is right posh, you can just fuck off out of my shop now, sonny').

That and the mainlanders don't really do so much of the own-brand versions, do they? Not sure of causality there (no need to do a cut-price knock-off because the real thing is cheap, real thing is cheap because there's no competition from cut-price knockoffs)

At least that's how I recall it from France, Belgium, Germany and Italy - potato crisps are Lays, tortilla chips are Doritos, corn flakes are Kelloggs... No 'OR own-brand OR posh own-brand OR value own-brand' multiplied by every chain. Even if it's often the same stuff, its still competition, brand dilution and reduction of economies of scale and profit maegins.

Bobbyaro · **Joined:** 18th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11843

I think it also seems to vary in quality, the times it is on special it seems thinner/weaker somehow. See also, Muller yoghurts.

MaliA · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 9:48

It'll be almost always on offer to drive volume and market share in a highly competitive environment where space is limited and there's only a set amount of money to be made. the receipe won't change whether it is on special or not due to rules and regulations about things being on offer (these are an absolute fucking nightmare to work out at times).

myp · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 9:51

Bobbyaro wrote:

I think it also seems to vary in quality, the times it is on special it seems thinner/weaker somehow. See also, Muller yoghurts.

That's some amazing tinfoil hat stuff, right there.

MaliA · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 9:52

BikNorton wrote:

It's probably to facilitate the near-constant offers, same as dominos and papa johns pizzas - it feels like you're getting a superior product (it must be, it costs 4x as much!) at a bargain price.

Though they've just got rid of 2l, its 1.75 now. Price didn't go down 12.5% obv.

As is typical of most things, we get much more pronounced american-style marketing psychology instead of more subdued continental style('this is a bit better so has a bit of a price premium', 'this is right posh, you can just fuck off out of my shop now, sonny'). No '... OR own-brand OR cheap own-brand OR posh own-brand' multiplied by every chain.

That and the mainlanders don't really do so much of the own-brand versions, do they? Not sure of causality there (no need to do a cut-price knock-off because the real thing is cheap, real thing is cheap because there's no competition from cut-price knockoffs)

At least that's how I recall it from France, Belgium, Germany and Italy - potato crisps are Lays, tortilla chips are Doritos, corn flakes are Kelloggs... No 'OR own-brand OR posh own-brand OR value own-brand' multiplied by every chain. Even if it's often the same stuff, its still competition, brand dilution and reduction of economies of scale and profit maegins.

There's the "good,better,best" model. people will trade up one level during special occasions and times of great joy, and trade down when things are pretty poor. Only ever really one level, though, and will trade down in january and early february when the credit card bills for christmas hit on 20th jan. In January, you'll see a drop in sales of treats as people goto the gym,a nd sales are back to normal in February.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49232

American Nervoso wrote:

Bobbyaro wrote:

I think it also seems to vary in quality, the times it is on special it seems thinner/weaker somehow. See also, Muller yoghurts.

That's some amazing tinfoil hat stuff, right there.

And if there's a man that knows...

myp · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 9:55

Cras wrote:

American Nervoso wrote:

Bobbyaro wrote:

I think it also seems to vary in quality, the times it is on special it seems thinner/weaker somehow. See also, Muller yoghurts.

That's some amazing tinfoil hat stuff, right there.

And if there's a man that knows...

Yeah, the completely provable and demonstrable surveillance and harvesting of citizens' personal data by corporations and governments is entirely analogous to someone thinking that a drink has been watered down for special offers. :DD

Bobbyaro · **Joined:** 18th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11843

Did I say it had been watered down for special offers. I find it far more likely there is a spectrum of quality and taste, and they distribute it according to the results of testing. Furthermore there may well be multiple manufacturing sites/ production lines which have their own nuances.

MaliA · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:02

Bobbyaro wrote:

Did I say it had been watered down for special offers. I find it far more likely there is a spectrum of quality and taste, and they distribute it according to the results of testing. Furthermore there may well be multiple manufacturing sites/ production lines which have their own nuances.

No, I think Coke only has the one plant, I was talking to someone who supplies them last week with major ingredients and she regferred to it as "the plant" so I think there's only one. Manufacturingwise, it'll all be exactly the same, otherwise the products and batches would get pulled after complaints.

MaliA · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:04

You probably buy more on offer in the summer and as it is hot, add more ice which melts and dilutes it.

KovacsC · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:11

MaliA wrote:

BikNorton wrote:

It's probably to facilitate the near-constant offers, same as dominos and papa johns pizzas - it feels like you're getting a superior product (it must be, it costs 4x as much!) at a bargain price.

Though they've just got rid of 2l, its 1.75 now. Price didn't go down 12.5% obv.

As is typical of most things, we get much more pronounced american-style marketing psychology instead of more subdued continental style('this is a bit better so has a bit of a price premium', 'this is right posh, you can just fuck off out of my shop now, sonny'). No '... OR own-brand OR cheap own-brand OR posh own-brand' multiplied by every chain.

That and the mainlanders don't really do so much of the own-brand versions, do they? Not sure of causality there (no need to do a cut-price knock-off because the real thing is cheap, real thing is cheap because there's no competition from cut-price knockoffs)

At least that's how I recall it from France, Belgium, Germany and Italy - potato crisps are Lays, tortilla chips are Doritos, corn flakes are Kelloggs... No 'OR own-brand OR posh own-brand OR value own-brand' multiplied by every chain. Even if it's often the same stuff, its still competition, brand dilution and reduction of economies of scale and profit maegins.

There's the "good,better,best" model. people will trade up one level during special occasions and times of great joy, and trade down when things are pretty poor. Only ever really one level, though, and will trade down in january and early february when the credit card bills for christmas hit on 20th jan. In January, you'll see a drop in sales of treats as people goto the gym,a nd sales are back to normal in February.

MS Kov is a store manager, she says the prices can be affected by the manufacturers paying the store to stock the stuff. Promotional ends etc,

myp · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:12

MaliA wrote:

You probably buy more on offer in the summer and as it is hot, add more ice which melts and dilutes it.

DA GUBERMINT IS WATTERIN R COAK DOWN WIV MURKERY

KovacsC · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:16

Seems apt for this forum

Zio · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6093

For me, I used to love regular Coke but not like the sticky sensation I'd sometimes get on my teeth afterwards. You don't get that with Diet Coke, so I started drinking that instead. Over the many years since, it's got so I really don't even like the taste of normal Coke (or Coke Zero - it unquestionably tastes different to Diet Coke) anymore. I'm quite convinced on the addictive qualities of aspartame however - I crave Diet Coke after a time and if it's been a while since I last drank some, I do get almost a kind of kick from drinking it. Rare is the day that I don't have at least one can of Diet Coke. Pepsi Max is the only acceptable substitute.

Also, the canteen and vending machines here are subsidised, so it's not that expensive - the problem is more having to occasionally top the credit on my pass up and then inevitably leaving my pass in the damn vending machine (as it spits out your drink before it does your pass). My parents are Costco members, so I do sometimes get Dad to buy me a crate when he's there.

Bamba · **Joined:** 25th Jul, 2010 **Posts:** 11128

Bobbyaro wrote:

Did I say it had been watered down for special offers. I find it far more likely there is a spectrum of quality and taste, and they distribute it according to the results of testing. Furthermore there may well be multiple manufacturing sites/ production lines which have their own nuances.

There may well be nuances between different sites (although obviously they would tweak these to ensure as much uniformity as possible) but that idea that they'd say, "Stuff from site A gets sold full price and stuff from site B goes on sale," seems incredibly unlikely. Apart from the co-ordination headache of that it would mean that organisationally they'd accepted the idea that a whole tranche of their products wasn't worth as much as others. Which I don't believe any company would do; they'd fix whatever the issue was so they could carry on selling everything at the same full price. Not just accept it and then change their distribution methods to somehow take it into account.

MaliA · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:24

Also, the buyers at the retailers, as well as the customers would have a massive shitfit and things would change. Quickly.

BikNorton · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 10078

Coke manufacturing doesn't work like that, does it? Coke Corp licenses the recipe to syrup manufacturers and the brand to a bottler. So they syrup manufacturer manufactures the syrup and sells it to the bottler, the bottler mixes it with carbonated water, bottles it and sells it to the distributor, the distributor sells it on to stores and delivers is to the warehouse. Coke Corp taking a slice of the profits, but not having to do anything, at every stage, including assuming legal responsibility for fucking up the local environment.

Tesco had a ridiculous offer on it all through December into January, way better than anything anyone else came close to - I'm a bit suspicious they hold their own syrup/bottling/distribution licences, it just seemed too big a difference in scale for "buying more" to cover.

MaliA · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 10:48

Retailers and suppiers deal with Coke directly is my understanding from where I'e worked and people I've dealt with. That and "We supply sugar to Coke and I'm going to Coke's bottling plant" that was said to me the other day, and a soft drinks buyer.

Jem · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 14:02

I don't know how anyone can drink Pepsi or any of the diet coke drinks. Bleargh.

GazChap · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 14:32

Well yeah, but you're Queen Wrong

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22270

I have done absolutely fuck all with my 3 weeks off, granted half of that was mainly being ill, but other than that I have watched shitty tv, played casual games and basically wandered aimlessly around the flat.

It's been fucking great

GazChap · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 14:37

The Trooper I know would have bought a ridiculously impractical bargain barge during 3 weeks off - what's up?!

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22270

My 7 series is working too well, that's the problem

GazChap · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 14:48

Hah - I wonder how much longer that'll last

Warhead · Noob as of 6/8/10

When did it become the norm that paper boys\girls are now grown ups who deliver by car?

Bobbyaro · **Joined:** 18th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11843

when the paper boys/girls grew up.

Warhead · Noob as of 6/8/10

But Shirley it's not a job for life. They need to move aside for the younger generation and start working at the petrol station or sweeping up at the barber's.

MaliA · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 15:17

Warhead wrote:

But Shirley it's not a job for life. They need to move aside for the younger generation and start working at the petrol station or sweeping up at the barber's.

All the kids are coding apps now using snapchat, or being web developers and stuff.

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22270

Polish paper boys I expect, coming over here and delivering our papers.

flis · **Joined:** 26th May, 2008 **Posts:** 3333

Spent an average of £140 on food shopping per month, in the last three months, which I was pretty please about because I'm trying to save money and stuff. Then I looked what I spent on clothes, cosmetics, hair products and other things like that... £210 is my monthly average and I don't even remember what I bought! And I was blaming the depletion of my savings account on birthdays... Oops.

Warhead · Noob as of 6/8/10

MaliA wrote:

Warhead wrote:

But Shirley it's not a job for life. They need to move aside for the younger generation and start working at the petrol station or sweeping up at the barber's.

All the kids are coding apps now using snapchat, or being web developers and stuff.

I fear you maybe correct. They won't be fit enough to mug old ladies at this rate, but I expect they'll just steal their identities and empty their bank accounts instead, without leaving the comfort of their squalid bedrooms.

Jem · **Posted:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 16:34

GazChap wrote:

Well yeah, but you're Queen Wrong

I like my drinks like I like my men....

Be Excellent To Each Other

B&B 43
Picking up the slack

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Be Excellent To Each Other

B&B 43 Picking up the slack

Who is online

B&B 43
Picking up the slack