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It was interesting over the last few days seeing posts about the demise of Ben’s bread. The once iconic Nova Scotia brand is being done away with. Then again, that it seemed to be harder to find over the past few years anyway.
It isn’t unusual to see smaller brands taken over by larger companies and be consolidated out of existence. Or, in spite of their roots, disappear from store shelves. Schwartz spices comes to mind. A Nova Scotia based company that sold their products worldwide. I still have a few of those glasses their mustard came in. You know. The ones with the playing card suits on them. Apparently the brand still exists, but I haven’t seen it in a store for many years. Ben’s is just another once familiar brand that will soon be going away.
But there is one thing I miss more than Ben’s bread. Those little plastic tabs used to close bread bags. Those I really miss. Although I still have a few around the house that I have been using, quickly replacing those useless cardboard things that replaced them.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not one of those in favour of single use plastics. I really don’t mind the paper straw that much. I am old enough to have grown up using paper straws. So on those rare occasions when I use a straw, it is more of a nostalgia thing in my mind. I even don’t mind utensils made of… whatever it is they are made of. I grew up in the age of the wooden ice cream spoon. I like the taste of birch. I think it was birch they used for those.
But the cardboard bread bag closure is, quite simply, useless. They could call those little plastic tabs “single use” all they want. But at least they would usually get you through a loaf of bread without it going too stale. The cardboard ones? If you can use it twice, consider yourself lucky. They are the true “single use” product. Use it once and forget about ever trying to use it again. The cardboard ones with the plastic coating seem slightly better, but are we really gaining anything by using plastic coated cardboard?
I do have a few plastic ones that still reside in the bread box. Thankfully, I didn’t throw them all in the recycle bin over the years. A few were left behind and are still pressed into service from time to time. But my stocks are getting low.
All is not lost however. When the supply of plastic bread tabs is finally used up, there is always the twist tie. And I have twist ties. Lots of twist ties.
My mother saved them. She would buy garbage bags that used twist ties, but always tied the tops of the bags. Never used a twist tie on them. Instead, the twist ties went in a drawer. The twist tie accumulation went on for many years. Enough that there is little danger of stale bread in my house. I have the twist tie drawer. The motherlode of twist ties. I may even be able to pass them on to my children. Possibly my grandchildren. They could end of being the family heirloom of greatest value.
I might miss Ben’s smiling face when I pass the bread aisle. But I miss those plastic tabs even more.
