I Miss My Tikka

I’m angry today, I feel like I’ve lost a friend and just realised he’s never coming back.

It began with Asda. Now as supermarket’s go, I quite like Asda. Yes, it’s the shopping choice of the chavs and part of Wal-Mart but the reason I would get my backpack together and get on the train to go there was for the curry. Yes, there are a lot of curries and curry houses about that offer fine fare, but the Prawn Tikka Masala from Asda was my favourite of them all. Even though I was carrying lots of other stuff, I’d throw out the essentials to make way for three or four portions of that curry. I would freeze it and limit myself to one portion a week with a naan and poppadums. My eyes are misting over just thinking of it. Why? Because they stopped making it around a month ago.

At first I thought it was just because they closed those sections that have big pots and they give you a serving and instead had the chiller cabinets. But no, it’s gone forever. And not just in the one store - I challenge anyone to find it (if you do, let me know I’ll be there in a flash).

Still reeling from that news I made it through Christmas having inferior takeaways and allegedly superior ready meals. I found one I quite liked in Marks & Spencer but I’m going to have to boycott them. They’ve stopped making apples. Well, selling Braeburn apples to be precise. I used to like Golden Delicious but I changed to Red Delicious (the “glitzy American apple”) until I realise they were 50p each which is expensive for a piece of fruit. And then I found the joy of a Braeburn. They keep for weeks and never disappoint, until they’re not there anymore. Why? Who knows. Yes, I could go back to the Red Delicious, or even break the bank and go for a Pink Lady, but it seems I’ll have to settle on a Gala or a Cox until the Braeburn returns. Oh well.

Maybe I shouldn’t be so lazy and try a proper greengrocers or even Tesco’s, but my heart’s not in it. Anytime I start liking something they seem to stop making/selling them. I should write a letter or two. Maybe my purchases weren’t enough to justify the making/delivering/selling of them. So now I’m planning to buy as much as possible of things I like just in case they stop making them. These include:

• Strawberry Crisp cereal - I have room for 15 boxes in the cupboard and by gosh I’m going to use it.
• Advocaat - been around years and have a feeling they won’t stop making it, but I’m partial to a snowball now and then so might stock up.
• Corona/Brahma/Sol - just an excuse to get a quality beer in.
• Those nice trainers - next time I buy a pair of trainers I like I’m getting two pairs as they stop selling them when I want a new pair (admittedly ten years could have passed).

I’ve stopped being angry now and am a little depressed. Crossing my mind are loads of things they’ve stopped making now. Need to go and write a letter to see why they stopped making…..