Dubai Sent England an Emergency Biscuit Shipment

In England, no tea break is complete without biscuits. From McVitie’s Ginger Nuts to Crawford’s Custard Creams, these crisp packaged cookies transform an ordinary beverage into a tasty mini-meal that’s equal parts proud cultural tradition and practical late afternoon snack.

That’s why Brits panicked last December after severe flooding in the country’s Cumbria region shut down United Biscuits, the company that manufactures well-known biscuit brands like McVitie’s, Crawford’s, and Jacob’s. After a three-month biscuit shortage in parts of the U.K., Smithsonian reports that peckish Earl Grey drinkers in north-central England can once again enjoy the tasty treats thanks to an emergency shipment from an anonymous donor in Dubai.

According to the Doncaster Free Press, two Boeing 777s filled with biscuits recently landed in the town’s Robin Hood Airport. Airport cargo manager Dayle Hauxwell reacted to the shipment in an effusively grateful (and punny) fashion. “We’ve been delighted to welcome two flights from Emirates full of the nation’s favourite biscuits,” he said. “We’ve welcomed all sorts of different cargo over the years, from a pride of lions to last year’s consignment of tea. This time we’ve quite literally ‘taken the biscuit!'”

Hopefully, England won’t have to rely on foreign snack supplies for much longer. Maintenance workers have been hard at work fixing United Biscuits' damaged electrical systems and ovens, and officials report that the factory is “well on its way to the full resumption of baking,” The Independent reports.

[h/t Smithsonian]