Metcalfe's Charity Topcorn Sea Salt

I took the train to Oxford to visit my friends the Professor and her husband the other Professor and found this bag of popcorn at Paddington Station.

I hadn't seen either of them in years so it was lovely to catch up. And it was also very nice to be able to take a look at Oxford which I don't know at all well. At at this time of year the Parks and the Botanical Gardens are looking lovely which was very pleasing for a tree fan like me. Also the vast mass of tourists following guides with umbrellas like flocks of sheep with cameras don't seem to invade the green spaces they way they do everywhere else.

The Professor had this vague idea that I write about breakfast cereal which made me laugh a lot. But why not, after all? Writing about crispy snacks is just as silly although I suspect there is more choice. I don't expect the Professor to remember this sort of nonsense: her mind is on much higher things. And that's not just me being facetious.

So after dinner at high table we went for a gentle walk around the college garden and then sat down to watch an episode of Lewis. As you do when you're in Oxford. And I opened this packet of Charity Topcorn.

I don't think I have seen this product before. I'm fairly sure I would remember a charity popcorn. I wondered, since the Sea Salt flavour sponsors CLIC Sargent for children with cancer, what charities the other flavours mentioned on the back of the packet were sponsoring. But it seems that they don't. it is only by chance that I picked up a sponsoring flavour. This one is called Charity Topcorn. The others are called Skinny Topcorn. Although why "topcorn" I can't quite make out.

Not a very exciting bag of popcorn. Just a gentle saltiness and (mysteriously because there is no butter in the ingredients) a faint almost butteriness which together make a pleasant slightly squeaky snack (I'm sure you must have noticed that popcorn does squeak.) And, as the Professor pointed out with approval, only 108 calories.

So, despite the lack of crispy snack excitement we rather enjoyed this bag of popcorn: sometimes one doesn't need excitement. And indeed, sometimes one goes to sleep while watching Lewis.

Metcalfe's have pledged to give at least £30,000 to their chosen charity between 2014 and 2017. A delicious donation for a great cause says the packet (I think that's my money paying for this packet), and congratulations & thanks for helping.

There are other flavours of Metcalfe's Topcorn available but only Sea Salt make a charitable donation so you pays your money and you takes your choice.

Oh yes, and let's not forget the little guy throwing his rubbish away responsibly. Because here we have a totally new design. Well done Metcalfe's.