Now in its sixth year of development, we're proud to announce the latest version of the RealClassic Super Shed Mug with an all-new and uprated specification...

From tiny acorns (well, a little blue cup) grow mighty oaks (well, a bigger blue cup). The original, 2004 RC Shed Mug was a delicate little thing, handsome in its own way but somewhat challenged in the capacity department. Then came the Mk2 Super Spangly Shed Mug, uprated to a full 300ml and with the added benefit of being pretty much (mostly) indestructible. Robust and beautiful, the Super Spangly Shed Mug was a best-seller for many years and any still in circulation are now considered to be collector's items.

However, 300ml isn't quite enough to satisfy all tastes and we know that RC readers can have considerable appetites. Thus we searched high and low for a silly mug which held lots of coffee. We couldn't find a very silly one (although we did consider some traditional enamel types - too expensive, sadly) so we opted for this perfectly practical little number instead which comes with… wait for it… insulation! Yes, it's got lagging, thus making it perfect for old lags to use in the garage, workshop or shed, where it'll keep your cuppa cosy while you sling spanners or tell tall stories to the cat.

The 2010 RC Mk3 Shed Mug has a capacity of a whopping 450ml, which is nearly half a litre, which is a decent brew whichever way you want to measure it. The double plastic wall makes it tough while keeping the contents hot (or cold, if you want to chill out in style next summer). If you're on the move then you can fit the screw-down lid to prevent spillages, and drink American-style through the 'slurp slot' in the top. (Or you can just take off the lid and drink as you normally would. We did this during our extensive roadtest of the Mk3 Mug and instantly mislaid the lid, thus solving forever the problem of whether to drink through it or not!)

The Mk3 Mug is of course presented in smart RC colours (erm, blue), with some snappy(ish) slogans emblazoned upon it. Your mug will remind you that you're drinking HOT STUFF, and that the mug itself will Keep Your Cuppa Cosy While You're Working In The Shed. It even tells you not to forget some RealClassic reading - how many other plastic mugs are this helpful, eh?

The Mk3 Mug fits snugly into the cup holders in most cars, and is also jolly handy for those folk of a camping and caravanning persuasion. It's natural home is in The Shed, however - where the new lid comes in doubly useful for stopping spiders from taking up residence when you forget to bring your Mk3 Mug back to the kitchen and leave it outside overnight. (That's always supposing you've not lost the lid, of course.) We haven't yet experimented with carrying a hot cup of coffee in a motorcycle pannier - but we're sure someone will, and we look forward to seeing the photographic evidence of the resulting mess…

The RC Mk3 Mugs costs £6.50 including UK delivery, and anyone ordering from overseas pays £8.50. Hit this link to whizz over to our secure ordering site and pay with some kind of plastic:

Buy a Mk3 Mug

Or you're welcome to find the RC Crew at an event near you (check the Events Page to see where we're going next) where you can fondle a Mk3 Mug in person and save paying the postage and packing costs.

Once you've bought the thing you'll be tickled to discover that a plastic mug is now so complicated that it comes with a set of instructions which range from the bloomin' obvious ('the beverage you are about to enjoy may be very hot') to reminiscent of old BSAs ('…is not guaranteed against major leakage').

Just don't try to heat your drink in the Mk3 Mug in the microwave. It'll end badly.

And there's more RealClassic merchandise here...