New Year, New Crisps. Salty Dog crisps are new to The Trading Post but why a salty dog, where do they come from and what are they like?

OK, so “salty” I understand. Many crisps are salted. In fact, when commercially-produced fried potato chips were first given flavour it was via a small (blue) pack of salt that you used to season your snack to your own taste. This later developed into ‘ready’ salted crisps that had been seasoned beforehand by the workers of the crisp manufacturer. “Salty” is therefore not the outlying word here. “Dog” however, seems slightly weirder. The crisps are not dog-flavoured are they? Or, perhaps worse, salty dog flavoured? Maybe the dog is just a theme: wine gums have “burgundy” and “merlot” embossed on the gummy fruity sweets, maybe Salty Dog call their varieties “Labrador” rather than salt & vinegar, "dachshund" for cheese & onion, or “cockapoo” for sweet chilli…

Salty Dog are actually a small, independent crisp-maker based in Buckinghamshire and whilst the phrase “salty dog” is internationally used for everything from old and experienced sailors, a café in Charleston - South Carolina, a highball cocktail (with a salted rim), an American rock band from Los Angeles and an apparently-unproven technique for keeping ticks away from valuable hunting dogs… the Salty Dog in this instance refers to Ruby, a terrier puppy who sat alongside her owner, Dave Willis, whilst he delivered crisps in his van. This is the reason Salty Dog are so named, a cute little terrier. One day, aforementioned Dave posited that he could make better crisps than the ones he had hitherto been delivering (a different brand). He then went on to prove that. Following a recent short trip to the UK, it came to our attention that Salty Dog crisps were: A. really quite tasty, and; B. really quite good. The Trading Post now has a fine selection of Salty Dog crisps that are both tasty AND good for your delectation. Furthermore, they are variously available in individual 40g packets, boxes of thirty 40g packets and big, family-style sharing bags of 150g. What are the Salty Dog flavours you ask? Well we have…

Sea Salt - which is like a posher version of old-skool ‘ready salted.’ This isn’t just any old ‘table’ salt, but salt from the actual sea! If, like me, you spend many a wasteful minute browsing the seasoning aisles of your local supermarket, you will know the (justifiable) premium (and impressive cork-topped) cardboard tubs that adorn salt derived from the sea. This is genuine flavour people, given to you by the actual sea.

Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar – this is at least as posh as the Sea Salt flavour but with the fish & chips-realness of added tangy malt vinegar. Imagine, if you will, the ephemeral joy of going to the local chippy (not carpenter) on a Friday evening and them lovingly/dismissively/arbitrarily applying dark malt vinegar to your hot, fluffy and haphazardly crispy chips before wrapping them up. That flavour and, to some degree, that experience can be yours with every bag of Salty Dog Sea Salt & Malt Vinegar.

Strong Cheddar Cheese & Onion – the King (former Queen) of cheeses and, in its association with onion, the first commercially-sold flavour of crisps (after ‘salted’ which is like the monochrome version of colour). Not just cheese, not just Cheddar cheese, but a strong Cheddar cheese that stands up to the flavour of Onion, looks it deep in the eye and says “I KNOW you.” There is a mutual respect here, but one that has been earned by a Cheddar cheese that refused to take a backward step and always responded to Onion’s challenges with the mantra “I will work harder!”

Ham & Wholegrain Mustard – Everyone loves ham (except for the many millions for people who don’t eat ham for religious, ethical or taste reasons) and here it is paired with the hot, layered flavour of wholegrain mustard. These are the crisps for people who like their flavour like they like their synonyms for intransigent: uncompromising.

Sweet Chilli – Crisps flavoured with sweet chilli.

Here’s another thing about Salty Dog crisps; they are gluten-free and vegan, except for the Cheddar ones and the Ham ones, which are gluten-free and vegetarian. Don’t believe me? Check out the packaging, and their website.

One final point: nuts to you! We can deliver both the Salted and Dry-Roasted Salty Dog nuts to you, throughout France and beyond…

We love the mountains. We love skiing. We love snowboarding. We love snow. We even love the cold. The Trading Post has been operating from the heart of the French Alps since the very beginning and we have many friends across the snowy peaks, in the hotels, restaurants, bars and supermarkets of ski resorts throughout France, Italy and Austria. If you’re taking an Alpine ski trip this winter there are many ways you may encounter products supplied by The Trading Post. Furthermore, here are a few tips on getting hold of your British and International goods when you’re not on the pistes.

Many of the biggest tour operators throughout France buy all their food from the Trading Post and even if you only frequent small, independent chalets, chances are your cooked breakfast features bacon, sausages and hash browns originating from our warehouse. Furthermore, our vast range of international goods diversify the fayre found on restaurant menus both on- and off-piste from Morzine to Meribel, Les Gets to Les Arcs, Avoriaz to Alpe d’Huez… So next time you tuck into a curry in Courchevel or a fajita in Flaine, the perfect piquancy may well be provided by ‘the Post.’

Outside of the bars, brasseries, snack stands and restaurants, Trading Post goods can now be found throughout the local supermarkets of most French ski resorts. If you visit a Sherpa or Spar supermarket within spitting distance of the slopes, you can often find a whole section dedicated to our British and International goods, meaning you can #findatasteofhome minutes from your accommodation. Stocking a variety of goods from Heinz Baked Beans to Landlord beer, with Cadbury chocolate and Salty Dog crisps also prevalent, your Alpine supermarche gives you a selection of our most popular products with the convenience of a local store.

With our vans making (at least) weekly trips to all the main French ski resorts, you can also order online for free direct delivery to your holiday destination, meaning you can get our whole range direct to your door. Just check out our comprehensive delivery schedule for all the details.

The new year is here and, as usual, it has arrived with a mixture of optimism and nostalgia. Whilst various people use different calendars for religious, social and cultural observances, the Gregorian calendar is used pretty-much worldwide as the standard for organising time and our existence within it. Furthermore, the change from one year to another is an almost universal reason to celebrate, commemorate, re-evaluate and reflect. New Year’s eve has always been a relevant excuse for a good-old knee’s up, with even those who would normally be tucked up in bed way before 10pm being tempted to stay up until the small hours to “see in” the New Year (as if it might not happen without us).

If the Gregorian calendar is essentially humankind’s attempt to overlay order (and the concept of time) onto astronomical realities, why do we celebrate at all, what does it mean for us individually and what can we take away from the New Year as a whole? Many people see the return to the first day of the first month as a chance to reset; make new year’s resolutions, get some closure on events of the previous year, verbalise and (in a minority of cases) actualise their hopes and ambitions for the new year. We essentially take the opportunity to “start afresh,” embracing Sartre’s freedom of existentialism for a short while and revelling in both choice and possibility. The New Year allows us hope and gives us the moment of self-reflection to believe we can positively improve the future, for ourselves and others.

What does this mean in a practical sense? Whilst it pains me to say this on the first of January, any individual’s feel of optimism is unlikely sufficient to end the war in Ukraine, stop world hunger, alleviate the climate crisis, revolutionise age-old unbalanced political systems or perceptibly improve the lives of millions of people. However, New Year’s resolutions have long been “a thing” and people’s desire to improve their lives, and the lives of others, is still a massive motivating force. Whilst the lead-up to New Year’s eve is rife with TV programmes, magazine articles and Facebook posts urging us to “look back” at the Best TV programmes of 2022, the biggest news stories of the year and all those recent memories which fill us with a mixture of comfort and nostalgia, the New Year is an opportunity to look forward, to hope, dream and make changes that benefit ourselves and others. We can figuratively “draw a line” under the past and collectively move forward towards a better future. Our New Year’s resolutions may not be able to individually affect the global social, technological or political landscape, but together our good intentions can effect positive change.

So, what about our New Year’s resolutions? We can certainly dream big and optimism should never be considered a negative factor. Following a study of over 3,000 participants, academic Richard Wiseman has come up with a number of tips for achieving one’s resolution goals. These include making only one resolution, planning ahead, avoiding previous resolutions and being specific about what you want to achieve. Furthermore, he has gender-specific hints for “following through,” such as setting incrementally measurable goals (for men) and going public with your intentions (for women). So, whether you want to get healthier, improve your local community, further your education or do more for charity, there are ways of “staying the course” and ultimately improving the world. Good luck, good planning and a happy New Year to you all.

Judging by our recent deliveries, no-one needs a reminder that Christmas is coming. People have been stocking up ready for the big day, rapidly reducing the Christmas stock on our warehouse shelves. Instead of listing the very many products still available in the Christmas section of our website, we thought we would give you a helpful advent-calendar-themed checklist to ensure you are fully prepared for December 25^th…

Of course, you don’t have to do all of these things, but consider them to be acceptable suggestions for an adequately enjoyable holiday period.

1. Get your Christmas cake ready (if you haven’t already done so). There’s still plenty of time to feed it plenty of rum, brandy or whisky and truly let those festive flavours mature.

2. Write and send your Christmas cards. The postal service gets very busy at this time of year (mostly with letters to the North Pole) so get your festive greetings written, stamped and into a post box to give them plenty of time to arrive. This also allows the Christmas card recipient to display your card on their mantelpiece, or a piece of string hung across the room.

3. Pick some festive films to watch in December. I like to watch a different Christmas movie every day that the advent calendar is in full effect. Line up some classics, like Home Alone, Elf, Miracle on 34^th Street, Muppet’s Christmas Carol and Die Hard, and intersperse it with more left-field choices, like Rare Exports, Arthur Christmas, Jingle Jangle and All is Bright. Whether the films are fantastic or full-on failures, they’ll make you feel fully festive.

4. Put up your Christmas decorations. Put them up at home. Put them up at work. Put them up anywhere you’re legally allowed to put them up. I’m not going to presume to tell you exactly WHEN to do this (as that opens a can of worms, family tradition, dogma, superstition and surprisingly powerful opinion), but put them up when you feel the time is right.

5. Spread cheer by arranging Christmas drinks, social time and maybe a Secret Santa with you friends and/or workmates. There’s still plenty of time to arrange an enjoyable mulled wine or hot chocolate, with low-value gift-giving. The sooner you pick names out of a hat, the sooner you can start buying random gifts based on the minor facts you know about people.

6. Whether you choose religious or secular carols, having a good sing-song sing-along is always super festive. Desperately try to remember all of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” whilst singing with full commitment.

7. Get a recipe for egg nog. Make egg nog. Drink egg nog. Say egg nog. Egg nog.

8. Create some sort of Christmas costume. It’s always fun to dress up, and Christmas is the perfect excuse to wear candy cane stripy stockings, don a fake white beard, put on some reindeer antlers and parade your favourite Christmas jumper (possibly all at the same time).

9. Compile a Christmas playlist. Whether you use some sort of streaming technology, mp3s, CDs, or a combination of all of the above, get your hot tracks lined up ready for almost incessant playing. Do not forget Run DMC’s ‘Christmas Is,’ The Waitresses’ ‘Christmas Wrapping’ and, of course, Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want for Christmas is You.’

10. Ensure you have plenty of gravy in the larder. A Christmas dinner can go without parsnips, Yorkshire puddings, carrots, turkey and even brussel sprouts, but you are nowhere without gravy.

11. Donate to charity. Christmas is a time for giving after all.

12. Visit a Christmas market or go and see the Christmas lights in your local village/town/city. Wrap up warm, drink some hot cocoa and take in some crisp winter air.

13. Get some games ready for the festive period, so you can have organised fun with friends and family throughout the holiday period. Maybe make a Christmas quiz, maybe play with long-distance friends using internet video conferencing…

14. Wrap your gifts. Wrap them up good. Before this, ensure you have plenty of (functional) tape.

15. Make a wonderful centrepiece for your dinner table. Use pine cones, candles, seasonal plants, decorations and/or all of your artistic skill to wow your fellow diners.

16. Make, or just eat, plenty of mince pies. It’s the only time of year you get to see them and everyone loves a pie. Great for breakfast, elevensies, brunch, dessert or an anytime snack. Pairs well with a cup of tea, a mug of mulled wine or a delicate sherry.

17. Go for a festive walk. Enjoy nature in all its winter glory.

18. Change your social media profile picture(s) to something suitably Christmassy. So the world that you take your festive responsibilities very seriously.

19. Make sure your shovel is in good condition and buy road salt so guests don’t slip (this idea was taken from elsewhere – can’t decide if it is excellent or terrible Christmas advice).

20. Go ice skating or sledging. Whilst these activities can be snow/ice dependent, many towns have a temporary ice rink around Christmas-time, and if you’ve got snow, you should always use it.

21. Tip people. There are various individuals who may deserve a Christmas tip… your postie, the concierge, the refuse collection people, the person who sells you coffee, maybe even your Trading Post delivery driver… Generosity is always appreciated around this time of year.

22. Try not to rush around visiting people and doing stuff for the whole of December. Build in some time to snuggle up with a good book, or just do NOTHING but stare into the fire.

23. Get some really random stocking gifts. Preferably absolute nonsense. Everyone loves a surprise on Christmas morning.

24. Put carrots out for the reindeer and something delicious for Father Christmas. He is known to enjoy cookies (and other home-baked goods), milk and (sometimes) a cheeky glass of something more fortified.