From a 'unique' dunnage warehouse reed diffuser to a newly founded haggis farm and a Buckfast whisky that turned out not to be a joke, here are some of today's April Fools food and drink news stories that raised a smile.
Calling something April Fools was surely going to make it seem like it was just that, but the Whisky Exchange are one of two whisky companies that were serious about their questionable 1 April releases.
The spirits retailer kept key elements of the limited edition whisky hidden until 6am on 1 April when all was revealed.
Maintaining the mystery, the label of the bottle has been printed with an ink sensitive to UV light, hiding details until a torch, included with every purchase, reveals the hidden text.
What was thought to be an elaborate joke is the launch of a 30 year old whisky, called April Fools.
A visible statement on the lable declares ‘Extremely young, I wish I were older’ as a tactic to retain the illusion of the whisky’s true age which is really 30 years old.
Priced at £150, only 869 bottles of the Speyside malt are available to buy from the Whisky Exchange website.
There are surely some that may want to bottle and enjoy the scent of a dunnage warehouse, making this new release seem a bit plausible, until you read more about the expert comments and the price.
Adam P. Wood, World Whisky Day’s resident Nosing and Tasting expert was quoted as saying: The Scotch whisky industry is a close-knit community with a proud heritage, so we felt it was our responsibility to convey the vivid musk of a dunnage warehouse as accurately as possible — and transform our fantasy into reality in the process.”
Claudia Sniffer, a leading scent marketing specialist added: “My clients in the spa and hospitality industries are clamouring to procure The Dunnage for their operations worldwide
“It is the post-pandemic saviour that the world so desperately needs. Massage oils, scented candles, branded colognes — the possibilities are endless.”
The diffuser was also priced at a whopping £182.40, and was not to be used internally.
Today Glasgow's Rapscallion soda was reported to have expanded manufactoring to include making baked beans.
Their new product: Half Baked is a far cry from the usual mass market tins of baked beans - these beans are expertly sourced and carefully brought to their facility in the Gorbals, Glasgow for a good roasting.
Once they hit the optimum level of heat, they then blend with their ‘secret’ red sauce. The beans are then hand canned much like the brand’s range of hugely popular sodas.
Gregor Leckie, the Founder of Rapscallion was quoted as saying: "I’ve always had a real passion for baked beans.
"The recent global events made me really question why I get out of bed in the morning. Our switch to baked bean manufacture was a real no -brainer”
"I found myself lying awake at night thinking, surely there’s more to life. And then I grabbed a can of cold beans from the shelf and thought, THIS IS MY TRUE PASSION"
It was reported that Gregor’s business partner refused comment and his partner Sophie was rumoured to have left the country in disbelief.
Rapscallion Beans were described as being 415g tins with the Rapscallion signature design and containing 'just pure hunners of beans in a mad wee tomato sauce.'
Picture: Iain Ferguson, alba.photos
This news had the headline 'Haggis from Scotland's first free range Haggis farm goes on sale in Lochaber' which from the outset raised a smile.
The story goes that wild haggis, which are found in the rich habitat of Fort William and Lochaber, are now available to buy thanks to a new farm.
The 'naturally shy' creatures from Lochaber are a prized delicacy, in high demand year-round throughout the land.
Elusive and hard-to-catch creatures, wild haggis have traditionally only been hunted by expert stalkers in small numbers every January during Haggis Season.
But now, it was reported, Lochaber chamber of commerce member, Hamish McSporran, has established a free range haggis farm.
Hamish McSporran said: “I always knew there was huge potential to introduce our wonderful Lochaber Haggis to a wider audience.
"However, it has taken me a few years of hard graft to perfect the techniques required to catch these unique animals in large enough numbers at exactly the right time, and to farm them in a sustainable way without affecting how they taste.
"I’m delighted to announce that my first free-range farmed Outdoor Capital Haggis is every bit as good as wild, and they’re a heck of a lot easier to catch."
While this 'Buckfast whisky' story may seem like a classic April Fools, the team at Master of Malt and the Rhythm & Booze Project have actually created 10 and 21 year old tonic wine cask aged whiskies.
Available now from Master of Malt, the distinct expressions are sure to make an impression on Buckfast fans or those curious to try this never been done before experiment.
Tonic Wine Cask Finish Single Malt 10 Year Old Tonic Wine Cask Finish is £44.95 and the 21 year old is £199.95.
Frankie and Benny’s announced a limited edition ‘Meatball Bath Bomb’ which, if it was real, would let fans bathe in the aroma of its signature ‘Meatballs al Forno’.
The restaurant chain, founded in 1995, first added its now signature dish to the menu in April 1996 and so, to celebrate the anniversary Frankie & Benny’s created the bath bomb which had scents of pork, garlic, chilli and tomato.
Earlier today it was announced that Heinz and Innocent were teaming up to create a soup/smoothie hybrid - Smoup.
Described as the 'veggiest drink you never knew you needed, until now' Smoup is a blend of the iconic Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup and innocent’s best-selling strawberry and banana smoothie.
The team said they created the combo by combining 111 years of Heinz soup know-how and 22 years of innocent messing around with bananas.
Diletta Fagioli, Senior Brand Manager at Heinz added: “We were very excited to make Smoup a reality with help from our fruity friends at innocent.
"At Heinz, we love to create new and tasty products for the public whether it’s Heinz Creamz, mixing Heinz Cream of Tomato Soup with Heinz Beanz or even a Heinz Tomato Ketchup filled truffle, there’s nothing we’re scared to try, and we always make it taste delicious.
"Initially you might question why we wanted to create this, but once you try it your doubts will subside, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this chilled delight. Smoup is going to be a craze that sweeps the nation this April."
World Whisky Day: How it started and how to celebrate with a dram at home
