top of page


Holmes called faithful housekeeper Mrs Hudson into his consulting room. Watson stood behind his chair looking serious. Holmes coughed, clearly uncomfortable with what he was about to say.


“Mrs Hudson, Watson and I have noticed that the number of biscuits placed upon our saucers at tea time has decreased by thirty-three percent. I am unable to account for this. I see no evidence of you squirrelling away part of the shopping money to spend on gin, fancy clothes or to give to an unsavoury acquaintance. Your behaviour remains constant, and I must therefore ask you to account for the reduction in my dark chocolate gingers. Should you be concerned for my health, Watson assures me that the dark chocolate gingers aren’t my most pressing vice.


“There is no mystery, it’s the price of comestibles now, have you not heard of cossie livs?”


Dr John Watson looked thoughtful. 'Cossie Livs, does she do business from an address in Soho?' he asked.


An awkward silence descended on the room, like a tree falling due to the palm oil industry.


'It’s shrinkflation,' said Mrs Hudson, sadly. 'You’re getting less for the same price. You’re also getting cheaper ingredients. Palm oil is in your chocolate, bread and biscuits now. It's everywhere. Last night it slid into bed with me and whispered that it wasn’t even the worst oil.'


Dr Watson sighed, “Might as well add a statin to all these foods then”. He frowned.


Holmes sniffed at his dark chocolate ginger and wondered at the folly of the modern world.



Image credit: deep dream generator



Why not join our WhatsApp channel, NewsBiscuit Daily Posts? You can access the latest output from NewsBiscuit and share posts easily with friends, family and colleagues using WhatsApp. Get some biscuits in your pocket (sorry about the crumbs, though) by clicking here.

The Chancellor has welcomed the latest data from the ONS that shows falling prices in the last two weeks.


This new data bucks the trend of rises prices throughout 2025.


A government spokesman told us that, in the week before Christmas, prices for many vegetables had fallen, as shops offered deals at 5p, 8p and 15p for bags of short dated produce. In addition, there was a measurable fall in the price of advent calendars.


'Since Christmas, there have been dramatic falls in the prices of brandy sauce, mince pies, Christmas crackers, tree decorations, panettone, goose fat, and wrapping paper. Chicken prices have also fallen due to a lack of demand for poultry products in the post Christmas period. And there are early indications that the prices of diaries and calendars will fall in the new year.


'The government very much welcomes this evidence that its policies are delivering for the British people, and that inflation is now well under control. If this positive trend continues then the Prime Minister has promised to come out of hiding to take the credit, and to talk up Labour's chances in the May elections.'



bottom of page