Corporate Gifts Blog

There are many theories relating to the origin of our company name ‘Stupid Tuesday’.

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‘Were you having a particularly bad day when you named your company, and was that day Tuesday?’ say some.

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‘I know, you only work on Tuesdays’, say others.

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Yet others speculate that ‘Stupid Tuesday’ was chosen because it is more contemporary than the Boom Town Rats, ‘I don’t like Mondays’.

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In reality, the reason we named the company ‘Stupid Tuesday’ is none of the above. In fact, the answer is a rather arcane one to which but a privileged few know the answer! What we are certain of, however, is that the name has an extremely high level of recall amongst customers and suppliers alike and we never have to explain to people who we are after the first time we contact them.

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So, in an uncontrollable outpouring of spontaneous generosity and magnanimity, we will give a free gift box containing two special edition mugs and lots of pens to anyone who can guess the real origin of the name ‘Stupid Tuesday’. All you have to do is go to our website and email your answer …. here!

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There are lots of environmentally-friendly gifts available for promotions, we should know, after all we at Eco Store specialise in them. There are products made from recycled CD cases, biodegradable plastic, recycled paper, sustainable timber – the list goes on and on.

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However, there is another ‘growing’ (quite literally) product sector which we rather whimsically refer to as Flower Corner on our website. The range of products in this sector includes ‘Tiny Terracotta’ flower pots which come with attractive, full colour, branded packaging and a choice of plant seeds such as tomato, Forget me not, chives, strawberry or Sunflower seeds. Give them to your clients and they’ll remain on their desks or window-sills, lovingly tended as they grow and being a constant reminder to them of your company.

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Or you might choose our ‘Garden in a Tin‘ which comes in two sizes and with grass seeds as standard. Brand the tin with your logo and/or message and away you ‘grow’!

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Alternatively, if you’re looking for something a little lighter in weight and thus easier to post to clients, there is a range of packeted seeds in three sizes, small, standard and large again with a choice of plant seeds available. The packets may be printed in full colour and branded for a really cost-effective and long-lasting business gift.

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For more information on our range of plant gifts call us on 08450 998796 or visit our website and follow the Flower Corner link.

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According to a study in the US by the Promotional Products Association, promotional products show ’staggering’ levels of recall and reaction.

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The study showed that 94% of persons interviewed recalled receiving a promotional product in the last two years and 89% could remember the name of the company being promoted. It also found that 83% liked receiving promotional products and 48% would like to get them more often. Indeed, the promotional products were kept by 69% of people.

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In fact, according to the findings,  recall rates of promotional products are higher than TV, print and online advertising. In addition, consumers made a purchase after receiving a promotional product more often than viewing a print ad, TV commercial or online.

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This is good news for the hard-working team here at Stupid Tuesday and shows that our endeavours in supplying quality branded promotional items are reaping rich rewards for our clients. Call us on 08450 998796 if you’d like your own company to benefit from high levels of recall.

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Whilst we at the Mug Shop are working hard, day after day, nose to the grindstone, designing and supplying great looking mugs, glassware and tableware to the world at large, it’s really nice to receive feedback from satisfied clients. Of course, we receive many such testimonials but the one we reproduce below is so gratifying that we just had to share it through our blog.

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So, I’ll say no more but simply allow the testimonial speak for itself.

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Hello Stuart

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Helen has just told me the mugs have arrived.

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We have been so impressed with all the help and advice and quick, friendly responses from both you and Jill throughout the process. It feels as though I have been dealing with friends, and yet it has been very professional.

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Having never ordered anything like this before, we needed advice! Jill did a really clever job of adapting the drawing by one of our sponsored children in Uganda to make it fit the mug. We hope we shall sell them quickly to raise much-needed funds and will definitely come back to you for another set.

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We will stay in touch and will send feedback from people. Thank you for all you have done. We wish you the best in your business – you deserve to do well!

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Regards, Margaret Stevens (Teso Educational Support Scheme)

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If you would like to experience great quality products and exceptional service too, call us on 08450 998796 or visit our website.

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New to the Mug Shop’s range for 2010 is a range of mugs made from recycled polystyrene. These good-looking mugs are tough and durable and make an environmentally-friendly alternative to the usual throwaway drinking vessels made from polystyrene.

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Ideal for the workplace, these recycled mugs are proving to be a direct hit also with colleges, schools and local authorities who are using them to promote their own environmental messages.  ‘Non-chip’, these mugs are made from densely-pressed polystyrene and can put up with a lot of rough handling.

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The recycled polystyrene mugs come in three colours – black, red and blue – and have a ’sparkly’ appearance which makes them highly attractive and memorable.

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These super mugs, which have a volume of 275ml (10 fluid oz) can be printed in up to three colours and may be pantone matched if required. The print area available is a generous 168mm x 54mm which is ample to display your logo and/or message.

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For more information, a sample or to request a quotation call the Mug Shop on 08450 998796 or email us here.

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Here is a simple guide to choosing the perfect promotional USB Flashdrive:

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1. Which Model?
Choose a model that best suits the recipients. Executives may appreciate a solid metal USB Drive or a Leather USB Drive. College students may prefer a wristband drive. Eco campaigners may go for a recycled wood USB Drive – in fact, all housings for our USB Drive come from recycled materials.

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2. What Size of Memory?
The price of Flash memory fluctuates almost daily so it’s important to check. The price difference between 1Gb and 2Gb, however, is usually quite small, so it is worth offering clients the larger memory for just a little extra cost.

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3. What Colour?
The range of standard colours available is vast and even if you can’t find one too exactly match your corporate colour, we can usually  produce a model to match, including Pantone colours!

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4. What Do You need to Print My Logo?
It’s best if you can supply a high quality logo file, preferably in EPS (vector) format.  If you don’t have one to hand, speak to your designer, marketing people or printer. If you’re still having a problem, talk to us, we employ skilled designers ourselves!

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5. What About Uploading Files

Rather than supply the USB ‘empty’, consider uploading your brochure or catalogue on to your USB Memory Sticks? Saves paper, print costs and what’s more the recipient won’t throw it in the bin! Alternatively, you could upload your website or other digital material.

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6. Lanyards and Key Rings
All our USBs come with a choice of plain lanyard or keyring but just to make it  bit different, consider  branding the lanyard or keyring as well. This will increase your brand awareness and ensure the promotional USB Stick is always handy.

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7. Custom Made USB Memory Sticks
Despite the vast standard range we offer, you don’t need to restrict yourself because we can also tailor a USB shape to your own specific requirements! Let your imagination take over … you’ll be surprised at the affordability!!

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For more information, advice or a sample, call us at the USB Store on 08450 998796 or visit our website.

Unless you’ve been away from Planet Earth for quite some time, you’re sure to be aware of the widespread demand for reducing the usage of polythene bag. All of the major supermarkets are banging the drum about the matter and more and more towns are declaring themselves ‘polythene bag free‘! Many of the larger retailers also offer ‘bags for life’, most made from heavyweight jute. Now the point is arguable that these are not actually for life, that’s stretching things a little far, but with careful usage these bags will certainly give good service for a good period of time.

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This move away from polythene is one of the reasons why printed bags are one of the most popular promotional items in the UK at the moment. At the Eco Store we have a range of bags made from 100% natural cotton, organic cotton, recycled paper, recycled plastic and sustainable jute all of which are robust and very practical. These may be printed on one side or both sides in one to four colours to really emphasise your brand and the large print area afforded by these bags underlines and empowers your company message.

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So, if you have  a trade event to attend or perhaps an exhibition, you can do no better than invest in some branded bags. Not only will they make a statement at the event but they’re sure to be used outside as well, displaying your brand in the high-streets and supermarkets for some time to come.

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Call us on 08450 998796 or visit the Eco Store.

According to a recent BBC news item*, tea could well be a healthier drink than water! Indeed, a study reported in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition argues that three or more cups of tea is as good as taking in plenty of water and that tea does not, as previously thought, cause dehydration. In fact, as well as rehydrating just as well as water it can also protect against heart disease and some cancers.

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These new findings support recent experiments carried out at City University London which revealed that the act of making and drinking even a single cup of tea can reduce stress levels significantly. And even if we are not stressed, taking time out to make a brew is a certain way to relax. It helps us to create a small space of quiet and calm in our busy lives.

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Now, at the Mug Shop, the beneficial effects of tea are something that we did not need official studies to tell us this! Most of our customers are of the same mind and they continue to buy favourite tea mugs such as Sparta,Marrow, Diner and Almo mugs in increasing quantity. What’s more these four mugs now happen to be on special offer so there’s never been a better time to buy!

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Then there are those who think that tea just tastes so much better from a bone china mug or tea-cup and this accounts for why sales are up of Marlborough bone china mugs and Stirling bone china tea-cups. You can even give your clients a branded teapot!

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So, take time out to make a cup of tea, after all it’s scientifically-proven to do you good. It tastes great too …. no wonder we’re all turning to tea!

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Call Mug Shop on 08450 998796 for further information.

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In response to numerous requests to come up with a list of top dunking mugs, we have conducted some research. Under rigorously-controlled scientific conditions (the kitchen in our office), and choosing a digestive biscuit with a standard diameter of 64mm, three popular mugs were assembled. These were the Pint Mug, the Cambridge Mug and the fashionable Metro Mug.

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A delicious brew of tea was then made using a blend from the Pembrokeshire Tea Co. and duly poured into each of the mugs. Then the dunking began! In reverse order of performance the results were as follows:

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1) Metro Mug – with a massive top diameter of 88mm this should be a real contender. However, despite a good starting dunk there was a tendency to bump the biscuit against the narrowing sides of the mug resulting in too much biscuit mush for our liking. DUNKABILITY RATING: 6 out of 10.

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2) Cambridge Mug – this mug has a top and bottom diameter of 80mm so its straight lines should be ideal for dunking. However, this depends heavily on what you have been up to the night before and calls for a really steady hand to direct the digestive in a smooth downward motion in order to avoid ‘bump-mush’. As we had been out the night before perhaps we didn’t give this mug a fair crack of the whip! DUNKABILITY RATING: 7 out of 10.

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3) Pint Mug – well, what can we say? With a quite gigantic 102mm top diameter the Pint Mug is a dunkers-delight, even with the after-effects of the night before! Plenty of dunk-space is afforded by that huge mouth and even though it narrows slightly this capacious drinking vessel easily accommodates ‘biscuit-tremor’ and avoids any distasteful and unsightly mush generation. Truly, a dunking mug amongst mugs which is hard to fault! DUNKABILITY RATING: 10 out of 10.

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For further information on the Mug Shop dunking facilities call 08450 998796 or go to our website.

How does breakfast benefit you? The eleventh annual Farmhouse Breakfast Week 24-30 January 2010 is the ideal time to find out! Taking place 24-30 January the week is a real opportunity for everyone to get into the healthy breakfast habit and celebrate the rich wealth of breakfast foods found across the country.

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Health professionals all agree we should start the day with a healthy, balanced breakfast. Breakfast really can benefit your energy levels, concentration, mood and can even help you manage your weight.

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Of course, there’s no better accompaniment to a good breakfast than a steaming hot mug of tea or coffee. Here at the Mug Shop we heartily concur and we have a splendid range of mugs, cups and teapots to go with your breakfast.

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As well as the widely-used and very popular mug types such as Sparta, Atlantic, Cambridge and Sandfield recent additions to our collection include the American style, retro Diner Mug, the elegant Almo Mug and for those with a more than hearty appetite, the extra-large capacity Metro Mug.

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Each of these mugs make splendid promotional gifts to give to your customers. All have a large branding area and can be printed in up to six colours in most cases. What’s more they are available within 2 to 3 weeks.

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So the next time you’re tempted to skip breakfast the simple answer is … don’t! Get your day off to the best possible start with a full English and a mug of your favourite beverage!

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Call the Mug Shop on 08450 998796 or click here for more details or a sample.

At the Mug Shop we are often asked ‘where did coffee originate? How did coffee become the world’s second most valuable traded commodity?’ Read on to find out more…

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It is known that coffee was being cultivated in the Yemen in the 6th Century AD. One legend has it that an Ethiopian goat herder was curious to see his goats leaping around after eating a certain type of red cherry. The goat herder tried the berries, and found himself strangely energised. Before long, Muslims were brewing a beverage from the dried berries, which they found gave them further energy in their long hours of prayer. This beverage became known as ‘kahweh’ from the Arabic for ‘invigorating’. By 900 AD, coffee was well established in Arabia and by the 15th Century, the practice of drinking coffee was popular throughout the Muslim world.

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In 1615 Venetian traders smuggled a coffee plant out of the Yemen and coffee came to Europe along the Spice Route It was at first used for medicinal purposes but by the end of the century traders were also selling it as a drink. In 1650, the first coffee house in England opened in Oxford. Now there is a revival of the coffee house in the UK, with some 2,000 opened by 2002

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Today, coffee is the second largest traded commodity in the world (after oil). In the UK approximately 70 million cups of coffee are drunk every day. Now, after something of a revival, there are over 2,000 coffee houses in the UK.

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To complement this renewed interest in stylish coffee drinking, we have a wide range of beautifully-crafted coffee mugs at the Mug Shop, whether made from ceramic or bone-china. What’s more all of our mugs may be printed in from one up to six colours to display your brand at its very best. Call us on 08450 998796 for prices or a sample.

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Businesses are invited to get involved in the UK’s first coffee festival to be held in Bath on May 15th and 16th 2010. The Bath Coffee Festival 2010 will be a two day outdoor event celebrating everything related to coffee and is an opportunity for the coffee industry to showcase and sell their products, as well as educate consumers about the art of coffee making.

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The festival programme will include expert barista sessions, roasting master classes, latte art demonstrations, as well as educational talks, films about coffee and music from the coffee growing regions.

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Festival organiser Linda Donaldson comments; “Café society is an important part of Bath life. The city has a large number of independent retailers as well as the big brands, and with its many other attractions, Bath is the natural place to host Britain’s first coffee festival.”

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At the Mug Shop, as premier purveyors of quality branded ceramic and bone china mugs, we applaud any initiative that encourages consumers to get a mug into their hands! Whether you’re a coffee shop, hotel, restaurant or corporate concern, we have a range of promotional mugs to suit your requirements.

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Call the Mug Shop team on 08450 998796 to request a price and/or a sample of a mug from our high quality range.

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Visit the Bath Coffee Festival website here.

It’s remarkable how the internet has shrunk the business world, isn’t it? Recently, our Mug Shop website was found by a customer in the South Atlantic – in the Falkland Islands to be precise, a little matter of around 8,000 miles away!

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It’s not a holiday destination that normally comes up in conversation but the Falklands does have a thriving tourist industry and the mugs they ordered from us are to be sold to visitors. In fact, whether you are looking for adventure or seeking quieter pleasures, the Falklands is a great place to relax and unwind. The best time of year to visit the Falkland Islands is during the Austral Summer, particularly between the months of December to February. This is the peak of wildlife activity and, usually, the warmest time of the year.

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So, just into the New Year, we’ll be shipping 2500 mugs printed with images of one of the best-known Falklands Islands sights …. penguins! Rockhoppers, King, Gentoo and Magellanic penguins all feature on the Marlborough bone china mugs. Talk about taking coals to Newcastle!

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To avail yourself of great quality printed mugs for your next promotion call us on 08450 998796 or visit Mug Shop.

In the world of internet trading consumers need to satisfy themselves that, although on the face of it, a website maybe a convincing and legitimate company, the company may in reality be somewhat different.
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Stupid Tuesday Ltd has signed up with “CheckRate“, a company that constantly checks our credit-rating as a company in the UK. It provides consumers with confidence in knowing that the company behind the web site is a legitimate trading company, and more importantly, that the company is solvent and creditworthy.
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This allows you, the consumer, to have the confidence that Stupid Tuesday Ltd is a legitimate company, and one you can purchase from in confidence.

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Call our team on 0845 0998 796 for information on our range of promotional products or a no-obligation quote.

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Unless you’ve just returned from an away day to Mars or some other extra-terrestrial body, you can’t possibly have failed to notice that there’s a conference being held in Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen. Referred to with some hyperbole as  the ‘most important conference the world has ever seen’ (by the way, where does that leave WWII’s Teheran Conference or those concerned with non-nuclear proliferation?) the meeting of world leaders and its outcome is, no doubt, bound to be the topic of conversation for the foreseeable future.

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Quite sensibly, most responsible companies are looking constantly to reduce their carbon footprint and a very practical way that they can achieve this is to use Eco-friendly promotional products as part of their marketing process.

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Products are available  manufactured from recycled materials: pens made from old CD cases, recycled card, biodegradable plastic and sustainable timber, pencils made from recycled newspaper and denim, mousemats, rulers, paper products and bags all utilising recycled or sustainable materials in their make-up.

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When co-ordinating your next marketing campaign it makes sense to consider these eco-friendly promotional items for a number of good reasons. Firstly, it goes without saying, customised products are a proven way to support your efforts and get your message across. Secondly, eco-friendly products set your credentials as a caring, environmentally-aware organisation. Thirdly, environmentally-friendly products now can cost no more than standard promotional products.

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It’s a win-win-win situation for you, your customers and the environment!

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Click here to view our range of quality, inexpensive eco-friendly products. Or call 0845 099 8796

When tea arrived in Britain in the seventeenth century, our drinking habits changed forever. But we waited much longer for the radical invention that would revolutionise our tea-drinking habits –  the tea bag. The tea bag’s ‘raison d’etre’ is the belief that tea tastes best when the leaves are removed after a specified brewing period. There is also the convenience of tea bags – tea can be made as easily in a mug as in a pot, without straining.

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It was in America, the ’spiritual’ home of convenience products, that tea bags first emerged around 1908 and the Americans took to tea bags with great enthusiasm. In Britain, such radical change in tea-making methods were resisted and only in the 1950s did acceptance arrive. In 1953, Tetley introduced tea bags into Britain and other suppliers were soon doing likewise. In fact, by 2007 tea bags made up a phenomenal 96 per cent of the British market! Today there can hardly be a home, office or workshop in Britain that does not have a stash of the humble, but vital, tea bag.

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Now, whilst this is not good news for teapots, it is very good news indeed for us here at the Mug Shop. The dominance of tea bags ensures our promotional mugs like the Atlantic, Bell, Lincoln and Newbury continue to be very popular and are to be found in homes, offices and workshops up and down the land. What’s more, these four mugs are now on special offer so there’s never been a better time to invest in promotional mugs as part of your marketing effort.

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We will even throw in some tea bags!

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To take advantage of this special offer, or if you’d like information about other mugs in our range, call 08450 998796 or go here.

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Well, it’s that time of year again and it seems to have come around all too soon for many of us. And, in business, it is expected that we send all of our customers a Christmas Card, wishing them well and thanking them for all the lovely business they have placed with us during the year.

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So, it makes sense to send them a card that really stands out from the crowd; one that bears your company logo and your individual message. It’s even better if your card purchase contributes to charity at the same time!

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And now it’s easier that ever to get your own personalised Christmas Cards for your company. Using our on-line personalisation and ordering facility you don’t need to employ an artist to design your Christmas Card; you can do this on-line yourself thanks to our our user-friendly personalisation facility.

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Simply, go to our dedicated website, choose your style of card, personalise it with your logo and message, choose a quantity, pay on-line and receive your cards. Simple!

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What’s more, for every card you buy, 10p will be given over to a charity of your choice so be sure to dig deep! But remember, our order cut-off date this year is 12th December.

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If you need help, call us on 08450 998796 or you may link from the Stupid Tuesday website by clicking on the Personalised Charity Christmas Cards Banner at the bottom.

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It’s a fact that there’s a whole plethora of promotional gifts available to be branded and given out to customers. Mugs, for example, are superb vehicles for your logo and message and tend to stay on clients’ desks for a long-time. Mugs, however, are not the only promotional products that are sure to be well-received and also are apt to remain on desks for a long period.

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In this regard, the ubiquitous mousemat is an excellent choice, having a massive branding area, typically 235mm x 200mm for a rectangular mousemat, as well as being extremely cost-effective and, because they are thin, very easy and cheap to post.

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Walk into any office, anywhere, and the one item that you are sure to find on peoples’ desks is the mousemat with it’s fantastic brand-building ability. We’ve already said that mousemats have a massive branding area and this can be printed in full colour and even in photographic quality to make sure your brand and message shouts out loud and clear, day after day after day!

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There’s a variety of mousemats to choose from but two of the best sellers are Britemat mousemats and the less-expensive Q-Mat mousemats. Both these options can be printed in full colour up to photographic quality so they’re both excellent branding and marketing tools. Both Britemats and Q-Mats come in rectangular or round shapes and in smaller versions as drinks’ coasters. And, if you really want to make an impact you can combine mousemats and coasters in a great Presentation Pack.

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Call the team at Stupid Tuesday for more information or for a sample: 08450 998796

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Here are ten interesting and intriguing facts about tea, brewed up by the nice people at the Tea Council and poured out for you by the team at Mug Shop:

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We do hope you find this triviality both entertaining and illuminating!

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1. Tea-breaks are a tradition that have been with us for approximately 200 years.

2. 80% of office workers now claim they find out more about what’s going on at work over a cup of tea than in any other way.

3. By the middle of the 18th Century tea had replaced ale and gin as the drink of the masses and had become Britain’s most popular beverage.

4. Tea contains half the amount of caffeine found in coffee.

5. The number of recommended cups of tea to drink each day is 4, this gives you optimal benefit.

6. Tea was created more than 5000 years ago in China.

7. Tea is a natural source of fluoride that can help protect against tooth decay and gum disease

8. Tea has potential health maintainence benefits in cardiovascular disease and cancer prevention.

9. 96% of all cups of tea drunk daily in the UK are brewed from tea bags.

10. 98% of people take their tea with milk, but only 30% take sugar in tea.

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At the Mug Shop all this is ‘music to our ears’ not to mention ‘just our cup of tea’ as as it means that demand for our branded mugs, cups and teapots is unlikely to fade any time soon. Call us on 08450 998796 to discuss your own branded mugs.

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Now then, ‘what would you say to a cup of tea father?’ (Clean replies only please!)

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Source reference.

With winter upon us many of us will be dreading that long, dark commute into the office. For some of us, however, the journey will be more bearable, even pleasurable, with our good old insulated travel mug alongside, filled to the brim with our favourite hot beverage!

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This scene will be re-enacted throughout the land and it’s why sales of travel mugs really hot up in the winter months. In fact, this time of year is the ideal time to give out travel mugs to customers or as employee rewards.

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In effect, promotional travel mugs can become miniature, traveling ‘billboards’ for your company when imprinted with your company logo and sales message. These mugs are extremely robust and with reasonable usage will last for many years. With today’s highly mobile society most people are on the go most of the time and this is what makes promotional travel mugs such an ideal gift. Driving a vehicle, or sitting as a passenger on the tube or bus, promotional travel mugs can be a most welcome comfort.

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Promotional travel mugs may be printed with your company logo and sales message at a very reasonable price, making them a highly cost-effective marketing tool. They are so inexpensive that you could consider handing them out in fairly large quantities at major exhibitions or trade events. And they are particularly effective when specifically targeted at business sectors where they are sure to be used, such as road haulage or the building industry. Even small businesses with limited marketing budgets would see promotional travel mugs as a particularly effective way to keep in front of customers as they don’t cost a lot and last a long time.

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Most promotional travel mugs, though not all, have handles for easier handling of hot or cold drinks and are insulated to make sure temperature loss or gain is kept to a minimum. They come in a range of different materials, the most robust being made from stainless steel, but they are also available in plastic.

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Call us on 08450 998796 for more information or visit here.