OV9

Posted: **Sat Feb 28, 2026 10:38 am**

After Penguin were no longer allowed to be called a chocolate bar and the Halal stupidity it's been all change at home.

The rule is essentially if you cannot buy all the original ingredients, it's not eaten. Now when out it can't be followed but when at home it's proving surprisingly easy. The biggest issue being variety.

Home made oat cookies, real chocolate, egg wraps, home made curry, home made bread, homemade crisps, lasagne, spaghetti bolognaise, beef tacos, steaks, omelettes etc etc

It's surprisingly easy to do but you do have to batch cook everything so you have a couple of meals for them with each cook.

A cereal alternative will be good to find as my youngest misses that but otherwise it's all going well. An air fryer makes it much much easier.

It won't be hemp jumpers and bin bag shoes but knowing what's in their food, as much as is possible, is quite a big thing for us and hopefully we should see some benefits.

Dave!

Posted: **Sat Feb 28, 2026 1:34 pm**

It's a piss take, especially all the chocolate based stuff being replaced with god knows what horrible substitutes. The price of wholesale cocoa has fallen for over a year

Posted: **Sat Feb 28, 2026 1:44 pm**

Yeah, a chocolate biscuit no longer being technically chocolate was the trigger, it's ridiculous.

It should be easier

Dave!

Posted: **Sat Feb 28, 2026 2:10 pm**

What happened to your carnivore diet?

For cereal can you mix your own muesli? Or is it something else he's missing?

Posted: **Sat Feb 28, 2026 2:33 pm**

I'm still on it and so is the wife.

It's a general being pissed off with the way food is now. I'm fine with the kids wanting chocolate, biscuits etc but it's rarely what you think should be in them.

Dave!

Posted: **Sat Feb 28, 2026 3:45 pm**

We're much the same. Tend to end up buying more expensive quality brands, but less often (which isn't a bad thing when it comes to sweets and the like). However, the frustration of not being able to trust quality is annoying. It could be worse though, we could be in the US trying to eat what they call food.

Posted: **Sat Feb 28, 2026 6:37 pm**

Mito Man wrote: Sat Feb 28, 2026 1:34 pm It's a piss take, especially all the chocolate based stuff being replaced with god knows what horrible substitutes. The price of wholesale cocoa has fallen for over a year

I’m doing a vid about Easter shrinkflation and asked a bunch of big manufacturers why they have increased the price of products when cocoa dropped something like 40% last year. They all came back with varying length replies saying approximately “we do everything we can to maintain high standards of flavour and taste, and ultimately pricing is up to the retailer”

Talk about passing the buck

Posted: **Sat Feb 28, 2026 6:45 pm**

V8Granite wrote: Sat Feb 28, 2026 10:38 am After Penguin were no longer allowed to be called a chocolate bar and the Halal stupidity it's been all change at home.

The rule is essentially if you cannot buy all the original ingredients, it's not eaten. Now when out it can't be followed but when at home it's proving surprisingly easy. The biggest issue being variety.

Home made oat cookies, real chocolate, egg wraps, home made curry, home made bread, homemade crisps, lasagne, spaghetti bolognaise, beef tacos, steaks, omelettes etc etc

It's surprisingly easy to do but you do have to batch cook everything so you have a couple of meals for them with each cook.

A cereal alternative will be good to find as my youngest misses that but otherwise it's all going well. An air fryer makes it much much easier.

It won't be hemp jumpers and bin bag shoes but knowing what's in their food, as much as is possible, is quite a big thing for us and hopefully we should see some benefits.

Dave!

What about something like this for cereal? There will be loads of online stores who sell very simple, single ingredient versions of cereals. Add some honey, cocoa powder, dried fruit etc might appeal to kids?

https://ebay.us/m/aWKBQM

https://ebay.us/m/aB7muB

I’ve always felt that whenever I stick to a completely home-prepared, wholefoods diet I feel really good. It is more work for sure though.

Posted: **Sat Feb 28, 2026 8:22 pm**

https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/ ... a-60063102

Wife swears by this, it has two sweetners, stevia plant extract and erythritol which is made via a natural extract

Posted: **Sat Feb 28, 2026 9:15 pm**

It's the sweetener that will be a no no on that last one, just getting away from all that stuff at home.

I'll give that cereal a go Gav

As an example the wife made oat biscuits tonight, a cottage pie, a banana bread and potato crisp things. All simple
Ingredients and nothing added.

Even some M+S bacon had sweeteners.

Dave!

Posted: **Mon Mar 09, 2026 11:45 am**

Gavster wrote: Sat Feb 28, 2026 6:37 pm
Mito Man wrote: Sat Feb 28, 2026 1:34 pm It's a piss take, especially all the chocolate based stuff being replaced with god knows what horrible substitutes. The price of wholesale cocoa has fallen for over a year
I’m doing a vid about Easter shrinkflation and asked a bunch of big manufacturers why they have increased the price of products when cocoa dropped something like 40% last year. They all came back with varying length replies saying approximately “we do everything we can to maintain high standards of flavour and taste, and ultimately pricing is up to the retailer”

Talk about passing the buck

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93jdk1yy3zo

Posted: **Mon Mar 09, 2026 2:03 pm**

My simple homemade muesli:

Jumbo porridge oats. Spread half on a baking tray and toast. One measure raw, one measure toasted, one measure Lidl Special flakes crushed a bit. Add lots of dried fruit and crushed mixed nuts.

Soak in apple juice for a few hours for a bircher, have with yoghurt and fruit compote to snaz it up, or just add some raw stevia leaf if the kids like it a bit sweeter.

Posted: **Tue Mar 10, 2026 9:18 am**

It has a Connor , my youngest, approval so will give that a try.

Dave!

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2026 1:01 pm**

Just bought a Magnum for the first time this year - bog standard chocolate coated vanilla one. The chocolate shell has been reduced to the thickness of a gnats penis

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2026 1:03 pm**

Apparently Feast have changed too. The big food businesses are really hammering things this year

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2026 1:16 pm**

Gavster wrote: Fri May 01, 2026 1:03 pm Apparently Feast have changed too. The big food businesses are really hammering things this year

Haha, I probably just saw the same reel as you, with a person ranting that summer is ruined because of this.

The companies are just maximising their profits for shareholders now and they really don't give a stuff if the quality has fallen through the floor.

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2026 2:56 pm**

Yeah she was ranting about them

Posted: **Fri May 01, 2026 3:59 pm**

We had some quick and easy BBQ stuff last weekend as it was a last minute idea. Turns out the sweet chilli chicken was essentially MSG and red colouring

.

I get really a hey legs when I have MSG and a hangover. Tested it a couple of times as I really didn't want to think we couldn't go back to our cheaply Chinese restaurant again.

Dave!

Posted: **Sun May 03, 2026 8:48 pm**

Been experimenting with growing mushrooms for a while. Finally got my DIY grow tent set up to a place I’m happy with:

Oyster mushrooms. Also have shiitake but they take a bit longer to grow.
As the proof of concept works I shall try some harder to grow varieties next time.

Posted: **Thu May 14, 2026 7:37 am**

Gavster wrote: Sat Feb 28, 2026 6:37 pm
Mito Man wrote: Sat Feb 28, 2026 1:34 pm It's a piss take, especially all the chocolate based stuff being replaced with god knows what horrible substitutes. The price of wholesale cocoa has fallen for over a year
I’m doing a vid about Easter shrinkflation and asked a bunch of big manufacturers why they have increased the price of products when cocoa dropped something like 40% last year. They all came back with varying length replies saying approximately “we do everything we can to maintain high standards of flavour and taste, and ultimately pricing is up to the retailer”

Talk about passing the buck

German court has made a ruling against Milka in relation to shrinkflation, if this is upheld when it goes to appeal I guess it could cause quite the upset for manufacturers

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crmp428zylko

OV9

The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.

Re: The Food reset, sadly no Felicity Kendall.