Baked Beans, Spaghetti Hoops & Macaroni Cheese

A Light Hearted Tinned Food Tour of UK Payment Systems

📌 Episode Summary:

In this fun and food-themed episode of Payments:Unpacked, host Mike Chambers serves up a light-hearted comparison of the UK’s most common payment schemes — Faster Payments, Bacs, and the cheque clearing system — using a trio of classic tinned foods. 

From the future-ready baked beans of Faster Payments to the reliable-but-slow Spaghetti Hoops of Bacs, and the dusty shelf-sitter Macaroni Cheese that is the cheque, we explore how Britain’s financial infrastructure works — and which tins you want in your cupboard.

Whether you're a finance nerd or just here for the beans, this episode will leave you with a smile and a better understanding of how money moves in the UK.

⏱️ Episode Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Intro
  Why we're comparing financial infrastructure to tinned food (and why it totally works).

• 01:14 – Faster Payments = Baked Beans
  Speedy, reliable, and always ready when you are.

• 02:41 – Bacs = Spaghetti Hoops
  Slightly dated, slightly slow, but still gets the job done.

• 03:40 – Cheques = Tinned Macaroni Cheese
  Technically still edible, but best left untouched unless desperate.

• 04:39 – Which Tin (Payment System) Is Right for You?
  A quick guide on when to use each option.

• 05:37 – Final Thoughts + Outro
  Beans are the future. Cheques, not so much.