Well it’s been a while since we updated the blog, a very very long while (although I have been wittering away on Twitter in the meantime…).

There’s a good reason for this, and that’s because The Big Yum temporarily closed its doors in order for us to have a bit of a re-think. Having started as a kitchen-table enterprise, it became evident from the interest we had in our products and in our business that we needed to grow up. And no, that didn’t mean me putting my Action Men on Ebay (although that did happen, sadly), it meant that we had to start talking to the money men and get ourselves some investment.

Thankfully, even in these lean times we were able to do so, and have invested the cash wisely in getting ourselves a natty new image and a relaunch for our flagship product, the mighty chocolate pretzel. Whereas before this little beauty was merely drizzled in milk and white chocolate, now the pretzels will be totally enrobed in milk chocolate and then drizzled with white chocolate – they look great and taste much, much better!

Plus, it’ll be all change for the way the Yum looks, too. In comes a new logo, new packaging and an all-new website.

We’re really looking forward to showing you our new look, and of course our tasty new products!

In the meantime, don’t hesitate to say hello…..be it through our Facebook page, Twitter, or even good old email!

Aaron

Fortnum and Mason, the prestigious Central London department store, has moved its very own beehive from the countryside to the store roof in Mayfair. Here the bees will continue to make the store’s honey, but now created using pollen carried from the gardens of London.

Apparently the bees tried to commute in using their Nectar cards, but were told to buzz off….

More info and photos here, including a webcam….

Apologies for having to close the shop temporarily, but we promise it is for your own good - absence makes the heart grow fonder, and if you have to wait just that little bit longer for your next chocolate pretzel or popcorn ‘hit’, it’ll be all the more worth it!

Truth is, we just couldn’t keep up with you all…”We Want More, We Want More”…The Big Yum HQ was besieged with requests, and our little machines couldn’t cope, so we’ve been working our little legs off to find someone who can help us out….and finally, we found him….the chocolate expert who will soon be responsible for making all our chocolately treats (even BETTER than before), so you can order to your heart’s content!

Give us a few tiny months, and we’ll be back with you all…but keep checking back on the site for regular blog updates….Over and Eat,

Chief Yum xxx

Let’s take the fellow below as an example. He loves bacon double cheeseburgers so much, he’s had one tattooed on himself! There’s no denying it’s incredibly precise, you can even see the sesame seeds on top of the bun! But we’ve got to be honest, it’s not very accurate. Firstly, there’s no sign of the obligatory gherkin, and secondly, burgers simply don’t look that neat and ordered when taken out of their box…

With a generous £1.50 from Mum, we used to collate quite a sizeable bag of sweeties, but with the last ever bag of Woolworths pic’n'mix having just been auctioned on ebay from £14,500 we’re not sure our pocket money would have gone far..

Ed Adams, a Woolworths store manager, filled the pic’n'mix just before his shop in Petts Wood, Bromley, south London, closed for the last time. The money will go to the Retail Trust, a charity for retail industry workers.

The 800 gram bag, officially certified by the company as the last one, includes “fizzy cola bottles, rhubarb & custards, strawberry bon bons, Turkish delight, white mice and pineapple cubes.”

Mmmm…I’ve got a taste for them now…must go and buy a Posh Pick & Mix…(you didn’t just read that, it’s a subliminal message…)

Now you’ll never have to suffer the injustice of having your sandwich stolen again…unless some kindly soul chucks it out on your behalf…oops!

They’re only available in America at the moment, so you’ll have to use a crayon to create the effect for now!

We know the score! Everyone’s childhood memories echo with a screech from their mums, telling us not to play with our food. Such spoilsports, the lot of them…don’t they realise it’s fun? At The Big Yum we’re particularly proud of a gruesome Jurassic scene we once created with a pile spare rib bones, a mountain of mashed potato and some tomato sauce…and yes, we were told off by our Mum but it looked great!

Anyway, a new series of photos have proven that playing with food is perhaps becoming more acceptable and could even be considered an artform! Click here to see a selection…

So you see…Mums aren’t always right (but usually they are - OK Mum!?) - allow some playtime on your plate next time and you never know what you might create….

Comprised almost exclusively of yeast extract and salt…mmmm…the beloved sticky, pungent paste has been decreed as too high in salt, and therefore too much of a risk to a country with a swelling obesity crisis! Various cheeses, jams and preserves are also under threat and may disappear from grocery shelves if the force pushes its agenda through.

But don’t get your bikini bottoms in a twist just yet because, despite the threats, it seems that the true blue Aussies are not going to let some namby pamby task force take away their treasure! The Vegemite fight has gone right to the top with Deputy Premier, Julia Gillard, declaring “I am a very happy Vegemite eater… Vegemite is part of being Australian, part of our history, part of our future, and I’ll be continuing to wake up in the morning and have it on my toast.”

Flaming gallahs - that’s fighting talk…

Ok, so it’s not the most obvious choice…but it’s certainly the prettiest, judging by the melon-y exhibits on offer at the ‘Melounovy Festival’ (we’re guessing that’s a ‘Melon Fest’ somewhere in Eastern Europe)…

From the Eiffel Tower, the Holy Mary, a Guitar, a Rower and endless Flowers…it’s amazing what can be carved into a watermelon….and I defy anyone not to choose a delicious carved creation over a choco bar!

It has to be seen to be believed so check them out here!

Oh..but that’s only in America. We don’t seem to have our own Popcorn Day in the UK…but I suppose that’s fair enough, we don’t make a big enough deal of popcorn over here in order to celebrate it! Well, not yet anyway….

The Big Yum has been following the trends of gourmet popcorn in the States and they really do do it properly. Forget buttery, salty or sweet…that’s child’s play in the world of American popcorn. We’re talking oodles of caramel and chocolate, tons of nuts and peanut butter, and not forgetting a sugary glaze with cinnamon and candy canes….mmm!

And the best news of all is that we’ve taken it upon ourselves to recreate these taste sensations over in the UK! That’s right, we’re having an entire revamp of our popcorn line, adding more flavours, ramping up the caramel and chocolate content, throwing in some nuts…the result will be pure indulgence!

Stay posted for updates, but in the meantime check out our favourite American popcorn gurus who know the score when it comes to creating some amazing tasting treats: www.daleandthomaspopcorn.com