Friday, January 27, 2006

Head in the Stars

Today's award for most pointless piece of journalism goes to the Daily Star as reported in the BBC's gossip column:

FA chief Brian Barwick is not ruling out the possibility of appointing an Englishman as the next manager of England. (Daily Star)

Thursday, January 19, 2006

McDeli belly

I was cold. It was raining. I had half an hour to kill and was hungry. Apart from pubs full to the brim with football fans waiting for kick off, the bright yellow 'M' of McDonald's shone out like a beacon amid the gloom.

The only problem is that without some Dutch courage I'm not a fan of their menu, particularly at this time of year when I'm looking to atone for the excesses of the festive period.

Now I've seen the new ads, visited their well produced rebuttal to 'Supersize Me' and heard about the new healthier menu, so decided to give them another chance.

There it was, tucked away on the right hand side, the Deli menu. Freshly baked baguettes, chicken breast and sweet chili sauce. Sounds good to me. With no chips and a drink of Tropicana orange juice, it had the makings of a decent meal.

I ordered my Deli baguette and was told I'd have to wait because none were ready. This could be that no one orders them or it could be that they are freshly prepared. I hoped for the latter and took my seat. Five minutes later my baguette arrived and I opened it curious to see what the new food revolution I'd heard so much about was made of.

Unfortunately, the chicken in question appeared to be one of those breaded chicken burgers that are on the traditional menu, but sliced in half. It was greasy and was complimented by added mayo and the sweet chili sauce. So near yet so far.

Perhaps I should have explored the menu more or perhaps it's not quite as healthy as it might be. Either way, strikes me as a missed opportunity to convert on the brand promise.