Chris and Dave lived in York, for they were studying in York University. Most of the time they were studying the menu in Goodricke coffee bar, and wondering if fried flapjack would be nicer or much nicer than normal flapjack. Chris came from Tring, a silly town with a silly name, somewhere lost in the big space between London and Birmingham. Dave came from Grimsby, the most desirable place to live if you were of a suicidal nature and liked rats.

The story started when Chris and Dave moved in together for their fourth year at University. They had a project to do for the majority of the year, which meant that they could study when they wanted, and, more significantly, where they wanted. As it turned out, apart from a few hours spent in labs, in which they had to survive with a large thermos of coffee disguised as a signal generator and a supply of sticky cakes hidden in the back of an oscilloscope, they spent their time in one of the many coffee bars and dining halls on campus, or in Big Bite near the Uni.

Their days consisted of studying work for their project whilst eating any food they could find that was bad for them. Since they had managed to get themselves sponsored by a large electronics company, they had much money to spend on cake and coffee and all day breakfasts, and used their talents for DIY to make anything they were supposed to use their money to buy.

"Dave," said Chris one Tuesday evening as he finished frying his doughnuts for supper, and tipped the excess oil in his cup of coffee to 'give it that extra something', "You know we ought to start thinking about getting jobs after we finish this year".

"Yes!" said Dave. Chris thought he sounded too enthusiastic about working so looked up from his plate of food to see Dave putting the new finishing touches to his new creation - coffee soup with doughnut croutons.

"Dave!" shouted Chris. "Jobs. Bad. Need to find one. Bad." Dave looked up, and gave an affirmative nod. "What kind of jobs are out there though?" he enquired.

"We do electronics, Dave, there are loads of people willing to pay us tens of thousands of pounds a year to play with circuits and computers and things."

"Yes, but do we get fed?"

The impact of this question was severe. Chris hadn't fully thought of the implications of having a full-time job. No free periods to drink coffee. No lectures to skive to go and find cake. No chance of a cooker and frying pan being installed in his office.

"Arse. Well what are we going to do then; I don't think I could survive in an office with nothing to eat but time."

"Open a new Big Bite."

"But there's already a Big Bite."

"Not here; in Grimsby. Everyone would flock to eat our fried food sandwiches and fried doughnuts. And we could eat on the job. We could have a lunch break all day. And Grimsby is the perfect place to start - there are loads of people who would eat bad food. And we could open it next to a pub and do deals with the landlord and get free beer. Come on, what do you say, Chris, me and you, a whole world of food".