Enter Bovril. Yes, that’s right, it’s going to be one of those lists. This warm, peppery brew is dangerously close to a pint of gravy, but sometimes that’s all that’s needed. A mug of this to soothe a raspy voice could be essential before braving the cold autumn air of Newcastle.
And then there’s really only one logical step to take from Bovril: Marmite. I realise I’m taking a fairly divisive approach with these suggestions, but admittedly this next one is a bit unusual... The key is to mix Marmite with peanut butter before spreading it on some toast. You want peanut butter on toast to be rich and salty but not too dense. Adding the marmite into the mix helps with all of these, diluting the stodginess of the peanuts down just enough, and also bringing the extra flavour. And to be honest, with all these carbohydrates there’s probably a decent amount of crossover to be found for this dealing with hangovers as well as colds.
And finally, tea! This is already a daily essential for me as it is, but it’s almost as though the other two suggestions can’t truly work their magic without a good cuppa to accompany.
That’s the best I’ve got: Bovril, Marmite and tea. Unintentionally British and clearly the undisputed holy trinity of modern medicine. Who needs a degree in BioMed when you’ve got Bovril? Yours sincerely, a misinformed journalism student.