- Tom made cheese on toast
- Non-organic at Bridge Farm
- No beer, but there is cheesecake
- Brenda had a “pants” day
Tom made cheese on toast
For Brenda.
Looks like Kirsty’s telling-off may have worked.
Non-organic at Bridge Farm
Tom’s crunched his numbers again, and is ready to do battle with Pat and Tony.
[Tom] “I have the go-ahead from Helen. She sees the sense in going non-organic.”
[Brenda] “If they do agree to it, don’t crow.”
[Tom] “Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
(what a w*nker)
The bit is really in-between Tom’s teeth. He is absolutely sure he must go non-organic for pork, to get the volume he needs, at a workable price, for his ready meals. Though non-organic, Tom will still make sure the pigs come from incredibly welfare-friendly, local farms.
But. He needs Pat and Tony to agree to anything non-organic happening at Bridge Farm. Apart from everything else, it could impact on their status.
[Tom] “Who knows how big the ready meals might go in the future!”
[Pat] “Profit is king over principle …”
[Tom] “Since when did profit become such a dirty word … if we didn’t make an appropriate margin on what the farm produces, we’d fold.”
But Tony reckons the organic status is one customers are happy to pay a premium for.
Especially since the horsemeat scandal.
BUT Tom reckons his research shows the exact opposite. They’ll sell more if they manage a cheaper price.
[Tom] “It’s a no brainer.”
[Tony] “Don’t speak to me as if I’m stupid, Tom!”
Pat’s not convinced. She reckons she’s never been behind the ready meal concept.
[Pat] “The more complicated a product becomes, the further away it moves from its essence, the more people there are to take a slice of the profit … The original selling point of the product becomes uneconomic.”
[Tony] “Keep things simple, I say.”
[Pat] “And the key selling point for our farm is that it’s organic.”
[Tom] “Welfare friendly is the next best thing.”
[Tony] “But it’s nowhere near the same!”
[Tom] “People grasp what it means straight away, they know the pigs are reared outdoors, rooting around in the mud, and they feel good buying into it, and it’s not such a big move away, I’m not talking factory farming.”
[Tony] “But it’s not what our brand promises.”
[Tom] “Look, I’ve no hidden agenda to get us out or organics, not now, not in the future. Helen wouldn’t agree to it for a start … she can see the logic.”
[Pat, being facetious] “I can see the logic!”
[Tom] “Oh good, it’s an ethical product …”
The pork will be welfare friendly, but not organic. The veggies will be organic.
[Tony] “So, take it or leave it, eh?”
[Pat] “It’s a fait accompli as far as you’re concerned.”
[Tom] “Of course I want your blessing. It’s the right ,move forward, trust me.”
[Pat] “Just do what you want Tom. You will anyway … It’s a paradigm shift … I don’t want to argue about it anymore. Go ahead. I’m not happy about it.”
[Tom] “I’m sorry … it’s the right decision, I can move forward now.”
(Tom then corrected himself from ‘I can move forward’ to ‘we can move forward’)
So, Tom gets his way because of sheer persistence. Though Pat and Tony have given in, they are devastated.
[Tony] “He’s slowly undoing everything we stand for Pat.”
Sad days indeed.
No beer, but there is cheesecake
Elona asked Brenda to ask Matt if he could give Darrell some work.
Darrell was furious with Elona.
[Elona] “Darrell, you can’t afford to have pride if you have no job.”
Darrell explains that he can’t work for Matt or Lilian after what Matt had done to Joyce and Arthur. He still thinks Matt’s actions led to Arthur’s death.
[Elona] “That was in the past.”
[Darrell] “But he’s still the same man. I felt so sick and ashamed thinking about it … Can’t you at least leave me some dignity?”
[Elona] “Dignity won’t pay the bills.”
So to add to the piano lessons and the scooter – Elona’s prioritising Easter eggs for the girls.
(for goodness sake!)
Funnily enough, Darrell feels picked on. That their money problems are seen as completely his fault.
[Darrell] “You married me, but you’ve never respected me.”
[Elona] “I’m just so scared …”
When Darrell tries to find a beer to try and relax over, all he can find is a luxury cheesecake.
Darrell was about to get angry that Elona was buying (or stealing!) such things, but Elona told him Peggy had given it to her.
Which makes Darrell feel like they’re a charity case.
Well – it’s all stacked up against Darrell.
Looks like he’ll be doing the dodgy plan with Des, and will no doubt end up back inside.
Shame.
Brenda had a “pants” day
And is on the wine again (though Tom had already started).
Tom was about to start on about Pat and Tony again:
[Tom] “It’s tough for mum and dad, but the economic case is unanswerable …”
Then realised the Brenda was about to shout at him. So stopped up, and asked her about her day.
[Tom] “How was your afternoon?”
[Brenda] “Pants.”
Seems Matt bit her head off when she asked if there was work for Darrell, after Elona asked her to ask (!).
[Brenda] “Matt acted as though I'd asked him to sleep with a horse's head … tweedledee was scrutinising every receipt like a bloomin VAT inspector. Lilian never used to do detail, it’s really disconcerting … She’s just looking for excuses to find fault with me … it always goes back to Scott and James.”
Ah! FINALLY Brenda realises that Lilian will never, ever like her. Nor forgive her.
Would Brenda prefer the dole queue to working with tweedledum and tweedledee?
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