issue 17// vol 46 opinions // no. 15

Tim Hortons is a
Canadian gem

» It’s convenient, simple, and tasty
food that doesn’t cost much

Jessica Berget
Editor-in-Chief

 

will not hear the slander against Tim

Hortons. As a student and someone
who works two jobs, Tim Hortons
has been my life-line for when I’ve
forgotten to eat breakfast, had little
sleep and needed a caffeine boost, or
when I’m so sick the only thing I can
imagine digesting is simple and tasty
snacks. Since Mr. Tim Horton is not
here to defend himself—I will.

CC

the coffee chain for, and all for much
cheaper than your average coffee shop!
Their Ice Capps, coffee, French vanillas,
and hot chocolate are all immensely
satisfying.

Tim Hortons is a staple of our
society. A society where many people
are going to school and working full-
time—with little time to make food for
themselves. They serve classic breakfast
and lunch foods to many hungry and
frugal people, and they serve the food
well, so I will defend them until my

dying day.

Quit pretending
youre too good for
Tim Hortons.

 

For one thing, their food really is
not as bad as the haters say it is. Quit
pretending you're too good for Tim
Hortons. They have satisfying and
straightforward breakfast and lunch
foods for a decent price, and the food
makes you full and happy every time.
They also have such a vast variety of
sandwiches, soups, bagels, muffins,
beverages, pastries, and donuts—the
range can appeal to anyone’s palette.
Don't want a sandwich? Have a wrap!
Not feeling a big meal? Have a muffin
ora crueller. Not feeling that either?
There are dozens more options! Every
location you go into also offers that
nice casual yet homey feel which I
appreciate.

Sure, it’s no luxury breakfast
restaurant, nor does it claim to be. They
serve easy, delicious, and cheap food
that comes with less grease, guilt, and
shame than most fast-food joints. Tim
Hortons is effortless food that you can
grab on the go... when you're in a rush
and didn’t have time to make breakfast
or lunch. Personally, my favourite
things to get are their cheese bagels
with herb and garlic cream cheese with
tomato (and sometimes bacon), or
their sausage or bacon English muffin
breakfast sandwich or biscuit—it’s
sublime... and sometimes two for $5!
They also have delicious potato wedges
and hash browns! Everything you need
for an easy breakfast or lunch. All of
this with a wide variety of delicious
cold and hot drinks that I frequent

Trouble with the
Double Double

» Let’s not kid ourselves,

Tim Hortons is awful

Craig Allan
Staff Writer

 

n January, Prime Minister Justin

Trudeau received a lot of criticism for
buying $4 donuts from an independent
donut shop in Winnipeg on taxpayer
money when he could have just gone to
Tim Hortons for a cheaper price. I know
anything Trudeau does can be the object
of scorn, but in this case he was right on
the money. Our tax dollars deserve better
than the bland menu that perpetuates
every Hortons.

Every time I pass by a Tim Hortons,
I see a line going out the door. My teacher
in my marketing class says that she
drinks their coffee every morning. This is
inexplicable to me as I have very seldom
enjoyed the food from the behemoth of
Canadian fast food culture. ] must point
out that I do not drink coffee, which I
understand is Hortons most revered
product, but I have tried many of their
other offerings... and they are bland to
sub-par at best.
First are their doughnuts. They are

by far the best of their offerings, but there
is nothing special about them. Any other

 

Photo by Billy Bui

doughnut shop, independent or not,

can do better. Cartems, Krispy Kreme,
even McDonald's new little doughnuts
are better. Tim Hortons new Strawberry
Confetti Dream doughnut is pretty good,
but the others are not. This week I tried
the Chocolate Truffle Dream doughnut,
and it was stale. How can Tim Hortons
have stale doughnuts? It’s their whole
thing! As for their Timbits, they are
overrated as they come. They are either
too sweet, or in the case of the sour cream
glazed ones, just taste terrible.

Speaking of Timbits, in preparation
for this, I went to the store and bought a
box of the new Timbits cereal. I chose the
Birthday Cake flavour because I thought it
would be less sweet. To avoid giving a full
review on it, | will just say that if you are
looking to get out of doing a test or a day
of work, just eat a bowl of Timbits cereal
and you will be sent to the emergency
room and be put into a diabetic coma in
about an hour.

When it comes to their breakfasts,
they are just awful. They look bad, and
along with that, I always feel bad after
eating them. I mean just look at their
website. Look at the Bacon Roll. What the
hell is that? I feel like I can see the dull
grey warehouse that once surrounded this
“bacon” roll. Also, they don't even bother
naming their breakfast items. Breakfast
Wrap, Marble Rye Grilled Bagel Breakfast
Sandwich, and Cheese Muffin. Those are
descriptions, not names.

As for the other items they sell, they
are the epitome of half-ass food. Every
single time I have tried one of their new
menu items I have regretted it. The Grilled
Cheese Melt was burnt, and their BLT was
worse than something I could have made
at home... and | ama terrible cook.

Despite my hatred of Tim Hortons,

I do believe they have the chance to

get better from an experience I had
writing this article. Years ago, I had their
soup—and it was terrible. Just small
noodles, little soggy chicken pieces, and
no vegetables like carrots or celery. And I
thought, “How do you screw up soup?!”

It was, hands down, the worst soup I had
ever eaten. For this article, I thought I
would take a chance and try the soup
again. | was pleasantly surprised. The
noodles were conchiglie (shells), the
chicken pieces were big, and the soup had
carrots in it. Along with that, it was served
with half of a ciabatta bun for a nice touch.

If Tim’s can improve on their
soup, maybe there is hope for them yet.
However, if they keep doing things like
introducing Beyond Meat burgers and
Chicken Tenders, they should just give up.
lll end this by saying, all will be forgiven
if they just bring back the kettle chips!
They're better than those damn wedges!