The Bath Oliver has never left our hearts, but many of us remember the dark days in 1984 when the archetypal biscuit was first stripped from us. We persevered, stayed strong and true, and because of our persistence the resplendent Bath Oliver was returned to our grocer shelves and to our homes. A Bath Oliver is a hard, dry biscuit or cracker [1] made from flour, butter, yeast and milk; often eaten with cheese.
It was invented by physician William Oliver of Bath, Somerset around 1750, giving the biscuit its name. The Bath Oliver has appeared in countless stories and period dramas. Perhaps most famously, poet Ezra Pound speaks in Hugh Kenner's The Pound Era thusly: "Men have witnessed the dinner ceremony on flagships, where the steward still called it 'claret' and a Bath Oliver appeared with the cheese." During World War 2, Royal archivists hid the most valuable parts of the British Crown.
Princesspamma, I think the iced biscuits were called Playbox. Oh, and I saw Bath Olivers in Waitrose yesterday. The Bath Oliver - a thin biscuit that traces its history back almost 300 years - is popular with cheese lovers.
But in recent weeks aficionados have struggled to lay their hands on the biscuits, which were invented by Dr William Oliver in Bath during the Regency period. And the Bath Oliver is a modicum of decency, of old-fashioned British values, even; reliable, modest and true. The Bath Oliver is large, proud, straightforward and handsome.
Photo: Bath Oliver Biscuits Shopping with my mum I reached for a pack of Bath Oliver biscuits and was shocked to see that they were £1.85 (price matched with Tesco). My hand hovered. I love these crackers but could I justify spending almost two quid on them? These biscuits were invented by Dr William Oliverin the mid 1700's.
This is a group intended to share those little snippets you hear whilst deciding which brand of tapenade best suits those Bath Olivers you just put in the basket. Check opening hours, store details & new stores information. Find the nearest Waitrose store with our branch finder.
Tis the season to merry, except for the last several years if you are were one of the people fruitlessly searching for Chocolate Bath Olivers. Well cheer up because good to their word, Huntley and Palmers have finally managed to resurrect them. Witness, a tin of the sought after treats purchased this very day from Waitrose.
