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The banking world of haves and have-nots was starkly illustrated during the awards pitch meetings with Euromoney. At one extreme was a troubled bank that can no longer afford biscuits. At the other was one of the industry’s strongest performers offering English high tea – cup cakes, scones, jam, clotted cream, together with a good brew. Euromoney knows which one it prefers. The chocolate cup cakes in particular deserved high praise. One taster said: "They were some of the best cakes I have eaten – perfectly moist and light."
At another meeting, we declined the offer of a cappuccino on top of which the logo of the bank was sprinkled in chocolate on the grounds that we must remain impartial.
Meanwhile, the oatmeal and raisin cookies at another bank meeting proved too much for one banker. "These cookies are so good!" he enthused, taking his third. "I think they must have marijuana in them!" This prompted the anxious PR to deadpan: "I would just like to confirm that X bank’s cookies do NOT have marijuana in them." (Although this could be an interesting pitch technique.)
