M&S Rich Tea Biscuits - 300g

The Rich Tea is the biscuit of the tea break: the office tin, the visit to your nan, the plate put out when the plumber calls. It is not trying to be a chocolate digestive. It knows its job and gets on with it.

People in Canada go looking for it because it belongs to a habit rather than a craving. The kettle goes on mid-afternoon and something is missing from the saucer. An M&S pack has the extra pull of the food hall, the one you popped into on the high street for something small and came out with a bag.

A 300g pack is a good stack, enough for a week of tea breaks or one honest afternoon. Once it is open, fold the end over or tip them into a tin and they stay crisp in the cupboard. They are plain enough to sit next to a bit of cheese, and sturdy enough for a quick dunk, if you keep your nerve.

Most people buy them alongside a box of proper British tea bags, because a Rich Tea without tea is just a biscuit. Some pick up a few other M&S cupboard bits while they are at it.