Biscuit-Gate: It's Crunch Time for Brown, Cameron and Clegg

New Tate & Lyle Poll Reveals no Party Leader has Chosen the Favourite Biscuit of the Mumsnet Generation

LONDON, February 22, 2010 - The nation's political leaders should have chosen their favourite biscuit
more carefully if they wanted to connect with voters - according to a survey
conducted by Tate & Lyle with Mumsnet members to coincide with Fairtrade
Fortnight. It reveals that the biscuit most likely to secure the nation's
votes as favourite is none of those selected by leaders but…the Hob
Nob[1]. Chocolate digestives and shortbread fingers come second and third
respectively.

The matter of politicians naming their favourite biscuit became a
surprise talking point in October 2009 as all three leaders rushed to name
their snack of choice following question and answer sessions on Mumsnet[2].

However, if the nation votes through its stomach, then Messrs. Brown,
Cameron and Clegg should have selected a biscuit 'of all the talents', rather
than having chosen "anything with a bit of chocolate," "oatcakes", or "Rich
Tea", as they did respectively. As a crumb of comfort, if they now choose a
'middle way' in baking by combining the ingredients of their choices:
oatcakes (Cameron), chocolate (Brown) and plain biscuit base (Clegg), they
may find a recipe for success and select a biscuit more to the taste of the
Mumsnet electorate.

The research - run as part of a programme led by Tate & Lyle to highlight
the growing popularity of Fairtrade certification in food - also indicated
that politicians may have omitted another vote winning component - how the
biscuits are actually produced. Fifty five per cent of Mumsnetters try to
choose Fairtrade ingredients, yet no politician took advantage of this
opportunity.

This research marks the second anniversary of the Tate & Lyle's
commitment to move its entire retail cane sugars range to Fairtrade - at the
time the largest ever switches to the ethical labelling scheme by any major
UK food or drink brand - and the promise that shoppers will not pay more for
its Fairtrade sugar in shops.

Mumsnet founder Carrie Longton said: "Mumsnetters have always been
supporters of Fairtrade and a fair deal for Third World producers and welcome
any initiative that makes it easier for consumers to buy Fairtrade products.
They also bake a mean biscuit and readily rose to the Tate & Lyle biscuit
challenge."

Tate & Lyle's Head of Sustainability, Julia Clark, said: "Mumsnet members
clearly have strong opinions both about biscuits and political policies;
maybe our party leaders have missed a trick in leaving Fairtrade off the
agenda in their biscuit debate."

The poll-leading biscuits

    Chocolate HobNob    15
    Chocolate Digestive 13
    Shortbread fingers  12
    Jaffa Cake          8
    Tunnockes Wafer     7
    Chocolate Chip      6
    Cookie
    Fig Roll            5
    Gingernut           5
    Custard Cream       4
    Bourbon             4
    KitKat              4
    Malted Milk         3
    Jammie Dodger       2
    Digestive           2
    Other               9
    Don't know          1

To find out more about Tate & Lyle's Fairtrade commitment to date:
www.tasteandsmile.co.uk/tasteandsmile/default.htm

To view the Mumsnet Fairtrade biscuit challenge:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/competitions/903729-Create-a-Mumsnet-biscuit-recipe-and-you-could-win-a

To find out more about a question and answer session about Fairtrade on
Mumsnet:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/ethical_living/905335-Q-amp-A-with-Harriet-Lamb-executive-director-of-the

(Due to the length of the above URLs, it may be necessary to copy and
paste the hyperlinks into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove
the space if one exists.)

Notes to Editors:

Tate & Lyle announced its ambition to move its entire retail cane sugars
range to Fairtrade in February 2008, marking the largest ever switch to the
ethical labelling scheme by any major UK food or drink brand. In the first
year alone, the switch created a return of at least GBP2 million in Fairtrade
premiums[3] for cane farmers.

The FAIRTRADE Mark is the only independent consumer label that ensures
farmers in developing countries receive an agreed and stable price for the
crops they grow that covers the cost of sustainable production, as well as
additional payment (known as the Fairtrade premium) for farmers and workers
to invest together in the future.

———————————

[1] 1131 parents completed an on-line Tate & Lyle survey hosted on the
Mumsnet site between 25-31 January 2010

[2] Citation from Mumsnet required

[3] Additional payment to farmers' organisations, above and beyond the
negotiated price of, in this case, sugar (currently a min. price is set by
the EU). Farmers invest this premium collectively; its use is decided
democratically and overseen by an elected committee of farmers.

Contact: James Laird +44(0)7767-221548, james.laird@epicuruscomms.co.uk

Contact: James Laird +44(0)7767-221548, james.laird at epicuruscomms.co.uk