Greener, kinder packaging for Fudge Kitchen

Fudge Kitchen are an artisan confectionery producer which is putting sustainability at the forefront of its business, with the launch of a new range of products in pouches that you can fully compost after use. 

And Fudge Kitchen is fully committed to reducing its impact on the environment and it is making changes to the way they source ingredients and also package their products.

The new packaging which is made from fully renewable resources - including TIPA bio-based film, NatureFlex cellulose and PaperWise paper, and can be composted in your household food waste (subject to local authority, of course). 

The compostability is clearly stated on each pack, with instructions on how to dispose of it appropriately.

The new pouches range will include Fudge Kitchen's handmade Chocolate Coated Honeycomb, Raspberry Coconut Ice, Rock Salted Peanut Brittle, and Sea Salted Caramel Crumbly Fudge. The collection is available to buy in their shops throughout the UK, on the Fudge Kitchen website and through their independent retail partners. The confectionery pouches are priced individually from £5.50.

Over recent years, Fudge Kitchen have made a number of business changes to propel them forward on their journey to operating in a more sustainable manner. 

For example several months ago in March, they changed their chocolate supplier to Colombian producer Luker Chocolate, meaning they have more visibility on supply chain ethics & sustainability practices used. 

Luker Chocolate is widely recognised for their work supporting cocoa growing communities in Colombia, recently receiving a sustainability honours award in recognition of this achievement. 

Sian Holt, who is the managing director of  Fudge Kitchen, says “During the pandemic, we began challenging ourselves to actively do more to minimise our environmental impact and give back wherever possible. As well as changing chocolate supplier, we are also trialling cane sugar (grown overseas) to beet sugar grown predominantly in the UK.”

The brand has also recently published their 2021/22 Giving Report, detailing their partnership with giving platforms B1G1 and Work For Good, which is allowing them to provide an exceptional positive impact not only to the environment, but to local and community initiatives too.

The compostable pouches range follows on from Fudge Kitchen's sustainable rebrand earlier this year. As part of their new look and feel, the confectioners moved to UK printed packaging, dramatically reducing their carbon footprint, and switched to plant-based inks and water-based glues. All non-compostable packaging is now FSC certified and fully recyclable.

Head of Sales, Rupert Allinson, says “There's a responsibility for all businesses to play their part in tackling the climate emergency. We don't want to just do 'enough' to keep in line with government rules and legislation, instead we want to pave our own way, going above and beyond to minimise the impact we have.”

The confectionery producers are nearing their 40th anniversary, and alongside their 6 high street shops and a flourishing online business, they also produce confectionery for some the UK's most prestigious department stores. 

To learn more please visit https://www.fudgekitchen.co.uk/en.

Parma Ham Recipe to Enjoy This Summer

The warmer summer weather always gives us the ideal opportunity to celebrate in true British fashion. By getting together outdoors with friends and family over some delicious food and drinks. 

Often hailed as a healthy alternative to bacon, Parma Ham is a natural product with no additives or preservatives, making it the perfect healthy choice to add flavour to anything from picnic palmiers, crispy canapés, and yummy fresh salads.

Prosciutto di Parma (often known as Parma Ham in English), is a product with Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. It is therefore made according to precise production methods that have undergone very few changes over the years. Every leg of ham is individually quality-checked after exactly a year of ageing by an independent inspection body, after which it is branded with the special 5-point Ducal Crown. This symbol is also present on all supermarket packaging, making the authentic Parma Ham easily identifiable.   

Parma Ham is the star of the show in these seasonal dishes – from small bites to picnic favourites, there is something for everyone to bring the taste of Italy to British summertime.

Prosciutto di Parma Palmiers

A simple puff pastry dish perfect for sharing as well as a delicious Parma Ham pairing.

Makes 28  

INGREDIENTS 

320g Sheet ready-rolled puff pastry

Flour for dusting

4 tsp. Sundried tomato paste

50g Parmigiano Reggiano

6 slices Prosciutto di Parma

1 Egg, beaten

METHOD 

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and line a couple of large baking trays with parchment paper.  

Unravel your pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface with the long edge facing you. Spread the sundried tomato paste all over the pastry, right to the edges, then evenly scatter over the Parmigiano Reggiano. Gently roll with a rolling pin to flatten the cheese a little. Top with the Prosciutto di Parma slices, laying them flat and evenly over the pastry. 

With the long edge facing you, fold the top quarter of the pastry down and the bottom quarter up. Repeat, folding the bottom up and the top down, so that the pastry meets, and you have a seam in the middle.  

Roll along the pastry pushing down gently to compact a little, then brush the top with the beaten egg. Fold in half along the seam, then chill in the freezer for 20 mins. 

Transfer the dough to a chopping board and cut into slices just under 1cm thick using a floured knife. Place well apart on the prepared trays.  

Gently pull the ends of each palmier apart slightly to make a kind of heart shape. Sprinkle very lightly with a little more Parmigiano Reggiano and bake for 15-20 mins, or until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

To find and support a local Parma Ham Specialist deli in your area, visit:

 https://specialist.prosciuttodiparma.com/ 

Brits Brave the Pub Despite the Heat

Monday and Tuesday of this week saw scorching temperatures over most of the UK, with the first 40 degree plus temperature ever recorded. 

Despite warnings to stay indoors and many businesses closing their doors, OrderPay data showed many Brits braved the heat, with pub sales broadly similar to the same days last week. However, the heat seemed to affect when we drank, and what we drank, with some interesting behavioural shifts in the data.

Although overall sales were similar to last week, lunchtime sales dropped dramatically - orders between 12PM and 2PM were down 42% week on week (18th -19th vs 11th - 12th)

However, punters stayed around until last orders to grab a drink when the heat dropped - orders at 11PM on Tuesday 19th were 3x higher than last Tuesday. 

Birra Moretti and Aperol remained the most ordered drinks through the OrderPay platform, with Guinness unsurprisingly seeing a 23% dip in sales week on week. 

But what is OrderPay? OrderPay is the UK's fastest, most flexible & highly cost-effective Order & Pay provider. 

Live in over 26,00 sites including Stonegate & Corbin & King, and the chosen partner for TUCO's 130 universities, every base is covered - from a slick app to a web-based Pay Only solution. With tipping, tabs, bill splitting, gifting & analytics offered as standard, OrderPay is the most feature-packed system on the market.

to learn more visit  www.orderpay.com. Would you like your premises on OrderPay? please visit marketing@orderpay.com.

Hot summer? Cool off with Nielsen-Massey

As temperatures continue to rise all over the UK, Nielsen-Massey, leading expert makers of gourmet extracts and flavourings, has introduced some delicious ice cream recipes that are perfect summer coolers.

These recipes feature Nielsen-Massey's Gourmet Vanilla Extract which offers cooks the ultimate flavour enhancement, as it is produced with vanilla beans that are hand-picked and cured, using a precise cold extraction process that preserves over 300 flavour compounds from the vanilla. 

No other company uses this method, guaranteeing both quality and the most 'true-to-bean' vanilla flavour that's possible.

Nielsen-Massey also produces a wide range of other extracts, including orange blossom, peppermint, rose water, coffee, almond, and lemon, all made with the same high quality standards as their vanilla. These are all incredibly versatile and perfect for various sweet and savoury dishes.

Ice cream for all the family:

No-Churn Coconut Vanilla Ice Cream

Enjoy a refreshing tropical twist on Britain's favourite vanilla ice cream, that  is really easy to make, with no need to get hot and bothered churning.  This simple five-ingredient recipe combines rich creamy coconut milk with the classic rich flavour of Nielsen-Massey's Gourmet Vanilla Extract to make the perfect summertime treats.

It's also a fun activity for adults to do with children over the summer holidays.

20 minutes of preparation.  Makes four servings.

Ingredients:

Three 400ml tins of unsweetened coconut milk

60g double cream

85g caster sugar

7g Nielsen-Massey gourmet vanilla extract

24g coconut flakes for garnish

Directions:

1. At least six hours before you plan to make the ice cream, put the coconut milk tins in the fridge to separate the coconut milk from the coconut water. Be careful not to shake or tip the tins, to ensure the layers stay separated.

2. Put a 1,000ml loaf tin in the freezer to chill.

3. Once the coconut milk has chilled, use a knife to take out the hardened coconut milk, and put it into a sieve or strainer.

4. Place the solidified coconut milk into a heavy mixing bowl with the double cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Reserve the leftover coconut water for another use.

5. Whisk the mixture at a low speed until the coconut milk is smooth, then increase the speed to medium until it forms soft peaks.

6. Scrape the mixture into the frozen loaf tin and place some baking parchment or cling film over the top of the mixture.

7. Place the loaf tin in the freezer until completely frozen (about six hours).

8.  Toast the coconut flakes by spreading them on a baking tin and baking at 180°c for three minutes.

9. Garnish the ice cream with the toasted coconut flakes and serve.

For adults:

Tequila Sunrise Ice pops

These refreshing, boozy, ice pops, named after their cocktail counterparts, are colourful and easy to take to a picnic or BBQ.  They feature Nielsen-Massey's Gourmet Vanilla Extract and Orange Extract which make a great flavour combination.

10 minutes of preparation.  Makes 10 servings.

Ingredients:

10 stemless maraschino cherries

830ml orange juice

150ml silver tequila

6ml Nielsen-Massey Orange Extract

5ml Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract

2.5 tbsps Grenadine

10 x 90ml ice pop freezer bags

Directions:

1. Add a maraschino cherry to the bottom of each ice pop bag

2. Place a freezer bag in a tall clean drinking glass

3. In a measuring cup stir together the orange juice, tequila, Nielsen-Massey Orange Extract and Vanilla Extract.

4. Place a funnel into the top of an ice pop bag and pour in some of the mixture, making sure you don't go over the fill line.

5. Stir the mixture between fillings to make sure the tequila is evenly distributed in each ice pop before freezing.

6. Using the funnel, pour 3-4ml of Grenadine into each bag to create a colour gradient.

7. Freeze the ice pops in an upright position until fully frozen, to retain the colour and prevent seepage.

New Bonne Maman Fruit & Chocolate Mousse

Bonne Maman has added another two very indulgent new layered mousses to its chilled desserts range.  Cherry and Chocolate Mousse plus Pear and Chocolate Mousse.

It actually makes reference to a classic French dessert, 'Poire Belle Hélène', the new Pear and Chocolate Mousse is a mouth-watering, multi-layered combination of flavours and textures. 

The creamy vanilla mousse is delicately whisked with generous pieces of juicy pear, then topped with a smooth, rich chocolate sauce.

New Cherry and Chocolate Mousse is a classic flavour fusion of milk chocolate mousse whisked together with delightful and luscious pieces of fresh cherry and then topped with a juicy cherry coulis.

As you'd expect from Bonne Maman, both of these desserts are made with highest quality, all-natural ingredients and, of course, contain no artificial colours or flavourings. 

Presented in packs of two x 95g pots the new mousses are available at Waitrose and Sainsbury's stores nationwide, at £2.20 recommended retail price. 

 

Double blow as 1,000s of families miss out on price cap and £400 energy bill rebate

Chris Harris at Millennium Apartments 

1,000s of British families are facing a double energy bills blow after finding they are not eligible for the £400 rebate, plus not being protected by the price cap, too.

Why is this the case? Households which don't have their own electricity meter and are supplied by a private supply meter won't get the discount.

These households are already facing a bigger than average rise in bills because they are classed as commercial users rather than domestic, so aren't covered by the price cap.

The new issue has been highlighted by bosses at Birmingham-based Ginger Energy, who launched a petition earlier this year calling for the price cap to be more far-reaching after finding that up to half a million UK households were not protected.

Lisa Gregory, a director with Ginger Energy, said: “To say it’s unfair is an understatement. These are the customers who need this rebate the most, yet they're missing out. So they could be paying up to 300% more for their electricity this year.

“The news that as taxpayers, they'll now be contributing to a £400 rebate that other households who are already protected by the price cap receive, will be a bitter pill for them to swallow.

“We are urging the government to review and consider its position regarding private supply electricity consumers, who are missing out on the rebate and are indeed the ones that need the help.”

Chris Harris is one of the residents who are affected. He lives at Millennium Apartments in Newhall Street, Birmingham, where electricity is supplied via a private supply.

Retired Chris, 72, a director of the Millennium Apartments Management Company, said: “Our contract renewed on July 1 and we've seen bills shoot up. My payments have gone from around £145 a month to £220 and we're all braced for another rise later in this year when we renew again.

“We don’t have the protection of the price cap,  so it was very disappointing to find out we aren't eligible for the rebate either.”

He said neighbours in the 70-apartment block were all dismayed and angry at the news and were all fearing a further big rise later this year.

He went on to say: “All residential customers should be treated the same.  Just because we're wired up differently doesn’t mean we should miss out.”

Stephen Knight, who is a director of Heat Trust, the national consumer champion for heat networks, said: “Ginger has rightly identified an injustice facing these energy customers. The government promised every household would get the £400 energy rebate this autumn, but as it stands, those on communal electricity circuits won’t see a penny, as the payment will only be made via domestic electricity suppliers.

“We have called on the government to find a way to get the rebate to this group of residents, who already face the injustice of not being protected by the price cap or having access to the Warm Homes discount scheme.”

Lisa went on to point out that it appeared Ofgem and the government had begun to take notice of the issue, thanks, partially, to Ginger's campaign.

The latest consultation document from the government's Energy Bills Support Scheme states: "The government recognises households without a domestic supply contract do not benefit from the same consumer protections as households with one. Government will work actively to address this at the next opportunity.”

Lisa added: "We don't know what this will entail yet, but they now acknowledge the situation is a situation. It's good that our open letter started it all off because they didn’t recognise it at first."

To sign Ginger Energy’s petition, go to https://www.change.org/Gingerenergy

Greene King launches new programme

Greene King is running “Expensable Lunches” - a new programme offering city workers the ultimate pub lunch break, but which has a very productive twist. 

In partnership with small business support platform, Enterprise Nation, the pub chain is giving central London workers access to a variety of meaningful training modules during their weekday lunch hour, for a lunch break that swaps office desks for pub stools.

The new launch comes as recent changes in ways of working have led to a more flexible approach to office life, but one where the lunchtime pub trip still can, and should, play a part.

The ‘Expensable Lunches’ training sessions will run every Wednesday for five weeks at select central London locations, from Liverpool Street to Victoria, Fitzrovia to Mayfair. At £25 each, tickets include entry to the training session – hosted by an accredited trainer - along with a main course and drink of choice. The menu on offer includes a range of options from Fish and Chips to Vegan Burgers coupled with a cheeky pint or refreshing soft drink.

The 45-minute lunchtime learning modules are designed to encourage city workers to take time away from their desks to acquire new skills, with sessions covering five key topics – creating a social media plan, building your personal brand, mastering the art of public speaking, becoming a better leader, and building a growth mindset. Upon completion of the module and a tasty pub lunch, Zone 1 workers will leave the upskilling session with a formal certificate, as well as a VAT receipt, allowing them to expense lunch back to their employers.

Said Alex Dawson, Business Unit Director at Greene King Urban Pubs: “It goes without saying that the working week is looking a little different these days. With people spending fewer days in the office, lunch times are often rushed with many central London workers opting to eat al desko. 

"We feel it’s important people take a proper lunch break and we’re excited to be offering these meaningful lunchtime workshops in partnership with Enterprise Nation to encourage people to take a break from the workplace. Our Expensable Lunches allow people to learn new skills over a delicious pub lunch, to help them refresh and refuel for an afternoon in the office.”

Emma Jones CBE, founder of Enterprise Nation said: “We’re delighted to be working with Greene King pubs to give Londoners a reason to step away from their desks and take a break from the daily grind. Bringing productive lunch sessions to local pubs in Central London will give city workers and small business owners an opportunity to learn something new that may help their own personal development. 

"In this new post-pandemic world, self-development and training has become more important than ever, and we are thrilled to be able to offer these bite-sized training sessions for anyone looking to spice up their working day."

Those after a guilt-free lunchtime getaway can snap up tickets for the power hour sessions via Eventbrite.

Sessions remaining are:

Wednesday 20th July – The Kings Arms, Bishops Gate

Wednesday 27th July – The Finery, Fitzrovia

Wednesday 3rd August – Rose & Crown, Mayfair

https://www.enterprisenation.com/

Garden Gourmet reminds us It's National BBQ Week!

Summer's here and the 4th of July (American Independence Day and also, by chance, the start of National BBQ Week, is swiftly approaching, with hosts across the country locking dates in the diaries and planning their spreads. Plus, with 8.8 million Brits set to go meat-free this year (up 22% ) the hosting ‘steaks’ have never been higher.   

But despite new research from plant-based food brand Garden Gourmet which found that 1 in 4 would feel unprepared if they knew a vegetarian was coming to their barbeque, hosts needn't ‘flip out’ as the top veggie & vegan brand is on hand with grill-ready meat free options and delicious recipes guaranteed to wow your guests. 

In fact, when it comes to catering to vegans, vegetarians and flexitarian guests, there are simple vegan solutions perfect for grilling available to hosts which don’t require buying additional products or resulting in miffed guests.  

Available options include Garden Gourmet’s Sensational Burger (226g, RRP £3.00) – the full burger experience in one bite. It has a meat-like texture, juiciness, and a rich, satisfying beefy flavour that will have guests (barbe)queuing at the grill.

Or you can opt for Garden Gourmet’s Sensational Fillet Pieces (160g, RRP £2.75), which are incredibly juicy and also delicious. Deliciously seasoned with tasty Mediterranean herbs perfect for barbequed skewers or side salads in the sun that everyone will enjoy.  

Plus, bring Garden Gourmet’s vegan solutions to life with the delicious recipe suggestions below: 

Garden Gourmet’s research also found it’s easier than ever for crowd-pleasing barbeque hosts to cater for changing UK dietary requirements: 36 per cent of 2,000 carnivores surveyed2 say the amount of plant-based options in supermarkets now makes it easier to provide alternatives for their guests.  

However, the study also revealed Brits remain unsure of how to ensure all their guests are happy, with one in four admitting they would feel unprepared if they knew a vegetarian was coming to their barbeque, whilst one in five would feel ‘stressed or confused’, and 18 per cent say they would have no idea what to serve. 

Laura Mack, Senior Brand Manager, Garden Gourmet, said: “The research shows that when it comes to hosting summer barbeques, hosts can feel unsure about what to serve guests with vegetarian, vegan or flexitarian dietary requirements, but there are many options for meat-free barbeques today that mean you don’t need to compromise on taste, including succulent and delicious vegan burgers, juicy fillet pieces, and sizzling sausages. 

“Garden Gourmet understands that if you’re not familiar with cooking meat-free items, it can seem daunting, but there are easy ways to switch out meat-based products for vegan alternatives that all guests will enjoy. 

“We’d like to think we’re here to making hosting easy, because our range is a one-stop-shop solution for everyone.” 

The study also found, of the 45 per cent who worry about pleasing their veggie or vegan guests, top reasons include not wanting to buy the wrong thing and offend them, and feeling under pressure to provide decent alternatives. Others don’t want to have to clean the barbeque in-between cooking and admit being unsure how to cook plant-based food. 

However, a successful 50 per cent bought vegetarian or vegan substitutes which their guests enjoyed. 

Aside from providing for dietary requirements, other aspects of hosting a barbeque which hosts worry about included not buying enough food, a lack of room inside if it rains, and running out of plates or glasses.  

Alex Head, Founder of Social Pantry and expert caterer and party host, said: “The research suggests more and more people want to be able to cater in a plant based way and accommodate dietary requirements, but that there is still a lot of uncertainty about what this looks like. Luckily, there are some really easy ways to keep everyone happy! 

“The huge range of plant based alternatives in supermarkets that replicate the flavour and texture of meat or dairy provide direct swaps, however adopting a more veg focused approach to feeding a crowd has the ability to benefit everyone! 

“I always suggest shifting the emphasis from a centrepiece to side dishes – not only are they delicious and often people’s favourite part of a meal, but having lots of vibrant colourful dishes on the table conveys that sense of generous abundance that makes people feel relaxed about tucking in, and by offering a range of choices, there is bound to be something for everyone. 

“Start with great produce – from beautiful salad leaves to the best bread – and invest in dips, condiments and sauces that can transform the simplest of meals. Sharing food is a fundamental way in which we connect with other people, but separate dietary requirements can create divides within a group. 

“Remember that veg centric food is for everyone – not just vegetarian and vegans – so rather than catering a small amount separately for your plant based guests, make enough for everyone so that you’re all eating the same, with meat/fish as an optional add on. If you focus on making your veg dishes great, everyone will be happy!” 

Garden Gourmet’s vegan burgers, fillet pieces, mince and sausages can be purchased at selected Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons & Asda stores. Find out more at https://www.gardengourmet.co.uk/.  

    

Celebrate July 4th with good food and drink

Yes, July 4th is soon to be here again. So why not join our American friends and family members in helping them celebrate Independence Day with some typical American holiday season foods and drinks?

Why is a UK-based food and drink blog helping to commemorate the day when the Americans beat Britain? Well, why not? It'll be some fun. Besides which, my American-based day job does give all staff July 4th as a company-wide public holiday so it would be rude not to!

One of the greatest dates to BBQ is the 4th of July. This year, instead of the usual burgers and sausages, smoked pork shoulder, or steak, why not fill your grill with a 4th Of July Feast?

Go for succulent beef bites that remind you of burnt ends, (Yum!) perfectly roasted baby potatoes smothered in melted cheese, sweet slices of onion, grilled asparagus wrapped in delicious, salty prosciutto, and finally, some garlicky shrimp will fill the plates and bellies of your friends and family as they feast away the 4th of July.

Ingredients

Beefy Burnt-end Bites:

12

beef short ribs, bone-in, uncut

Your favourite beef BBQ seasoning

Your favourite beef BBQ sauce

Roasted Baby Potatoes + Rotisserie Cheese:

3 lbs.

assorted mini potatoes

¼ cup

melted butter

Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

3 lb. (approx.)

brick of cheese – from deli counter

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus:

2 bunches

fresh asparagus

20 slices

prosciutto

BBQ Blooming Onions:

4 

sweet onions

4 tbsp. olive oil or melted butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Green onion, sriracha, and aioli for garnish

Grilled Shrimp Skewers: 24

jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined 8 

bamboo appetizer skewers

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. butter, melted

Directions

Start with the beef. It takes the longest. Preheat your grill to 250°F. Remove the bones from the rest of the beef ribs, then slice the meat into bite-sized chunks – leaving in some of the fat. Toss the prepped beef in your favorite beef seasoning. Slow cook the beef in a Napoleon Stainless Steel Topper, using indirect heat, for 2 hours.

PRO TIP 1: Add smoke by using your favourite wood chips to the Napoleon Smoker Tube 

PRO TIP 2: You can always pre-cook these beefy burnt-end bites before the main event and finish them off the next day.

While the beef is slowly cooking, wash and slice the potatoes in half. Toss them with the melted butter, seasoning them to taste with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Once the beef has been on for nearly an hour and a half (90 minutes), turn the heat up to around 350°F place the potatoes onto a prepared baking sheet. Roast them on the grill for about 45 minutes, tossing them every so often, until soft inside and crispy outside. 

Now that the beef and potatoes are cooking, prep the asparagus by rinsing them under cold water, then breaking the stems off about an inch from the bottom. Asparagus’ woody part will naturally break off here. 

Slice the prosciutto in half and wrap the good part of the asparagus. Set aside – in the fridge. 

Blooming onions on the BBQ are easy and fun. Plus, there’s no deep frying needed. Take a sharp knife and cut off the top, and if needed, the bottom of the onion so that it will sit straight. Use a couple of chopsticks to make sure that you don’t cut all the way through the onion. Cut down through the top of the onion like you would cutting it into sixths, but stop when you hit the chopsticks so you don’t slice all of the way through. 

Drizzle with the melted butter, season to taste. Set aside. 

Skewer the shrimp and set aside in the fridge until you are nearly ready to serve. 

Once the beef bites have been on for about 2 hours (120 minutes) and the potatoes have become crispy, you are nearly ready to eat. Turn the burners under the beef up to medium and toss the bites with your favorite BBQ sauce. Remove the potatoes from the baking sheet and put them into a shallow pan. Load the onions onto the grill, and the potatoes, and the asparagus. 

Carefully load the cheese onto the rotisserie spit rod, securing it in place with the rotisserie forks. When you load the cheese, load it so that when the spit is on the grill, the cheese will rotate over top of the potatoes – this may not necessarily be in the middle of the spit rod, but over to one side. Put the cheese-laden rotisserie onto the grill and turn on the motor. Close the lid and allow the cheese to start melting, the onions and the asparagus will cook. 

Finally, when everything looks melty, gooey, crispy, and tender, it is time to preheat the side burner. Grab the shrimp from the fridge, melt the butter and add the garlic. Sear the shrimp over the side burner, brushing thoroughly with the melted butter. 

Serve everything together and enjoy. If you found that you have way too much cheese left, a couple loaves of bread, sliced and placed underneath the dripping cheese is never a bad move. 

How will you fill your grill with a 4th Of July Feast? Tell us using your favorite social platform. Use the hashtags #fillYourGrill, #4thOfJulyBBQ, and #NapoleonGrill – and don’t forget, pics or it didn’t happen!

Happy Grilling!

This feature has been prepared with the expert assistance of  Andrea Alden of  www.Napoleon.com

https://www.napoleon.com/en/author/andrea-alden

Seggiano Pesto and more

Let’s be honest… Who doesn’t love affair pesto pasta? It's quick, it's simple Quick, simple and delicious and it's getting quite the cult following.

The best  is available from artisan Italian brand Seggiano.

Regularly winning in taste tests, Seggiano Raw Basil Genovese Pesto is the star of the show. Made using only Ligurian basil grown to organic standards, and the very best virgin olive oil that's available. Cashew nuts give a wickedly lush, creamy texture to this pesto which will really blow your mind.  

Other pesto varieties from Seggiano include Pesto Rosso made with tomato and basil; Wild Fennel Tomato Pesto; and Tuscan Black Kale Pesto. 

Seggiano Raw Basil Pesto – 1KG 

https://seggiano.com/product/raw-basil-pesto-catering-size/ 

Ironically the Mother of all pesto jars, this beauty weighs in at a hefty 1kg. Filled to the brim with the world’s best pesto from Seggiano, this jar should last your family a while

Seggiano Pesto Selection

https://seggiano.com/product/pesto-selection

Price: £22.50 for four jars of pesto, each 200g-220g

Surprise Dad with the full range of Seggiano pestos, including the star of the show, the Raw Basil Pesto, as well as Tomato Pesto, Tuscan Kale Pesto and Wild Fennel Pesto. 

Olive Wood Grater 

https://seggiano.com/product/olive-wood-grater-medium/ 

Price: Small, £11.40; Medium, £14.85; Large, £19.35

Because what would pesto pasta be without a heavy grating of Parmesan to top it off? This stunning box grater is handcrafted by the Marchini family from Tuscan olive wood which is pruned from the trees to encourage renewal and growth.

Organic Calamarata Pasta 

Link: https://seggiano.com/product/organic-calamarata-pasta/ 

Price: £4.40, 375g

Made using organic Tuscan wheat, cultivated in the untouched Orcia Valley, this pasta is dried slowly using bronze moulds to give the pasta a porous, matte texture, perfect for binding to pesto. 

Need a little helping hand with perfecting the cooking of your pesto pasta? Here are some top tips from Seggiano’s experts. 

Seggiano Perfect Pesto Pasta  

1. When you cook pasta you need plenty of water so that the pasta doesn't get gluey. Use 1.5 litres water per 100g of pasta, and bring to a brisk boil before adding salt (which will slow down the boiling process).

2. Drop the pasta into the briskly boiling water, stir and keep on a low boil for the time indicated, stirring occasionally.

3. Do the al dente test by carefully sampling a piece of pasta. It should be soft enough to bite through, but your teeth should still feel some resistance. Drain over the serving bowl which will warm it through, then empty and add the pasta to the dish.

4. Keep by a spoon or two of the warm cooking water, add this and a dash of good extra-virgin olive oil to the pasta to loosen it up, along with a good dollop of pesto. Stir well and serve onto warm plates. 

5. Ta da! Finish with a heavy grating of parmesan for the perfect pesto pasta.

All gifts can be ordered for nationwide delivery from the Seggiano web shop, where you can add a gift box to your purchase. 

Mayni Coffee

Mayni Coffee is indigenous, community coffee from the Peruvian Amazon.

It is grown in the shade and is fully washed.

The coffee is grown by the Mayni Indigenous Community of Junin in Peru.

For those who like to know these things it is grown at an elevation of 1650 metres above sea level, or roughly 5413 feet above sea level.

Shade grown. What does that actually mean? It means the Mayni people grown their coffee plants underneath the canopy of the rain forest. They don't employ the slash and burn land clearance technique  of growing coffee, which, unfortunately, is all too often associated with traditional coffee farming.

But the Mayni people don't do that! They make use of ecologically sound and safe techniques within their natural landscape. 

This means that foliage and wildlife are looked after and kept safe whilst the coffee is handpicked in a way to minimise damage to the handsome coffee plants.

So it's clear that it ticks all the boxes regarding how it is grown and harvested, which is very good. But what does it taste like?

Like coffee heaven! According to the tasting notes you will taste "honey, orange, chocolate and almond."

It is absolutely delicious. There's a dichotomy of tastes. At once it is bold and striking, yet it is also, somehow at the same time, mellow and smooth.

I don't know how it can be both, but it is. The only way for you to find out for yourself is to buy some.

It's available through https://www.easyjosecoffee.co.uk/ caffienated or caffeine free, the choice is yours. Our coffee was a combination of Caturra, Geisha & Typica beans. It costs from £9.50.

 

Proper snacks taste proper good!

The Proper snack company produce snacks that are proper good (that's bad English? I can live with that!).

Several years ago Cassandra decided that she had had enough of the snacks that were then available. They were too salty, too fatty, were filled with nasty ingredients that really had no place in foodstuffs or snacks. Or, if they were being made to be more healthy didn't taste all that good.

So Cassandra decided to start making proper popcorn. Using a repurposed cement mixer. And from that eco-friendly start  (nothing wrong with some recycling and repurposing) things have really progressed for Proper snacks.

Of course you can still buy Proper Popcorn (Caramelised Biscuit, Salted Caramel, Sweet and Salty, Lightly Sea Salted, Sweet, pop at home microwave popcorn, Salted Caramel Popcorn Bars and Hazelnut Praline Popcorn Bars) but there's also a growing range of other Proper snacks for you to enjoy.

There are now Barbecue Lentil Chips, Sweet Sriracha Chilli Lentil Chips, Sour Cream and Chines Lentil Chips and Salt and Vinegar Lentil Chips.

They are vegan friendly, though tasty enough for omnivores to enjoy, too and don't contain a long list of suspicious sounding ingredients that would look more at home in a science laboratory than in a bag of snacks for you and your children.

For example, Proper Lentil Chips contain lentil flour, potato starch, sunflower, rapeseed and coconut oils, corn flour, sugar, rice flour and natural flavourings and spices. 

To learn more about the company, how it's working hard to be the type of company we should do business with (Net Zero by 2030) and its range of snacks you can visit them at www.proper.co.uk.

They are a B Corporation and are hiring staff for a variety of roles.

If you want to stock their products they have a wholesaler here https://musclefinessewholesale.com/brands.html/proper-snacks.html

The People's Captain Latte Latte Love beer

The People's Captain Latte Latte Love beer is an absolutely stunningly good milk stout beer.

Produced with lactose, coffee and cacao nibs, plus water, malt, hops and yeast, it's a very interesting beer style.

Although brewed with coffee and cacao nibs it's only slightly different from a "proper" milk stout, but that slight difference is all it takes to bring Latte Latte Love beer from the ordinary to the extraordinary.

There's the milk stout taste, but the coffee taste floats to the surface (to coin a phrase) and the chocolate taste lingers throughout.

It's not a weak, insipid beer. Full of exciting, bold tastes, but you need to be wary. It's a 5% beer but it doesn't drink like a 5% beer, so do keep that in mind!

It's a product of an absolutely wonderful place the Brewing Positivity Laboratory and it's also a supporter of indigenous communities in the Amazon Rainforest.  

What is the People's Captain? It's a very, very special beer club. How is it different? In their own words: "We're on a mission, to use the social power of craft beer to bring communities together. We believe positive mental health is a vital part of life and we're inviting you to be a part of our journey to have a positive social impact in yours.

So, make it count - grab a beer, have a great conversation - and let's create positive change together."

Your first case of beer will cost under £20. To learn more please visit them at https://peoplescaptain.co.uk/

And they have got together with Tony's Chocolonely to offer milk chocolate and salted caramel milk chocolate both of which go so, so well with Latte Latte Love beer! 

Double Dutch Mixers

Joyce and Raissa de Haas

I have learned something new. It's perfectly possible to make a very nice Bloody Mary using gin as the base, but probably only if you use a high quality mixer as part of the recipe, in this instance a Double Dutch readymade Bloody Mary mixer.

Double Dutch was founded by Dutch twins, Joyce and Raissa de Haas in 2015 when they launched their first two mixers, Cucumber & Watermelon and Pomegranate & Basil.

Over the next seven years they developed a range of absolutely stunning and delicious mixers. They are so tasty that you could well be tempted to drink them in their own right, not bothering to use them as mixers! (Ginger ale, for example!)

What mixers are available? Cucumber and Watermelon, Bloody Mary Soda, Cranberry and Ginger, Ginger Ale, Double Lemmon, Ginger Beer, Indian Tonic Water, Skinny Tonic Water, Soda Water, Cucumber Margarita with Chilli Soda and, of course, Cucumber & Watermelon and Pomegranate & Basil.

My wife and I had great fun depleting our stock of alcoholic drinks (Scotch, Welsh, English and Irish Whisky, plus London Dry Gins) when we mixed up so mightily tasty Double Dutch cocktails. Obviously not all at the same time as that would have been messy!

But it was great fun to learn some new recipes including the gin bloody Mary using the Bloody Mary Soda. I'd never considered using anything other than vodka and was pleasantly surprised that it actually tasted pretty darn good!

Where can you buy Double Dutch mixers? Direct from their own shop  https://doubledutchdrinks.com/collections/our-drinks on Amazon and in Waitrose.

Are you a buyer for a large chain of supermarkets, a wine and spirits retailer, etc? Then you need to get in contact with their trade team sales@doubledutchdrinks.com.

Soho House, Dishoom and The Alchemist are venues that treat their customers like Kings and Queens by using Double Dutch tonics. To learn how your venue can up its game contact sales@doubledutchdrinks.com.

You'll find lots of cocktail recipes on their site, so have fun testing them!

(Image (c) Double Dutch)

Off your food due to hayfever? Superdrug can help

 I love food, but there's something that can put me off eating. Hayfever or allergic rhinitis. (Boo!)

Stuffed up nose, dry eyes, dry, sore throat, sinus headaches and a general feeling of malaise. Yes, it's no wonder we don't feel like eating under those circumstances.

What can we do about it? Visit your local branch of Superdrug and make your way to the hayfever display. Or ask their duty pharmacist what they can recommend. 

So get to your nearest branch or go on line to sort your allergies out. They offer click and collect and on line purchases, too.

I personally like the following items:-

Superdrug Hayfever Relief Wipes Twin Pack. £1.89 for a twin pack.

Superdrug Saline Nasal Spray 100ml at £4.99 this is one of my go to remedies. 

The relief is instant. Really, really instant!

Superdrug Allergy Eye Drops 10ml £3.29

My eyes really appreciate these eyedrops. They work so well at soothing them.

Superdrug Allergy Eye Mist 10ml £5.99

Maybe you can't put eyedrops in? Some people can't. But now you can use this eye mist spray to ease your poor eyes. 

There are also a range of other allied products available including antihistamines. Some Superdrug branches have health clinics and/or pharmacists.

To learn more visit https://www.superdrug.com/

Cranswick Country Foods Chicken products recall warning

Image courtesy of Pixabay/rajdeepcraft

Cranswick Country Foods, a major UK provider of processed chicken products to a wide range of retailers in the UK, has had to issue a product recall notification due to an outbreak of Salmonella food poisoning linked to their premises.

Retailers involved in the recall are: Aldi, Amazon, Waitrose, Co-Op, Sainsbury's, Caffe Nero, Costa, Jamie Oliver, One Stop, Tesco and Starbucks.

A full list of the products involved is here- https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-32-2022

On their website Cranswick have stated "Cranswick can confirm that a routine internal inspection has identified the presence of Salmonella in a limited number of cooked chicken products prepared at our poultry facility in Hull.

"These products are sold as ingredients for sandwiches and meals through UK retailers and food to go outlets.

"As a precautionary measure, we have asked our customers to remove any of their products containing our ready to eat chicken produced during the affected period. We are working closely with the Foods Standards Agency and will collaborate with their experts to resolve the matter.

"We are conducting a thorough investigation into the possible cause of the contamination and the site will remain closed until the investigations are complete.

"The safety and quality of every product produced by Cranswick is our number one priority and all necessary protocols will be followed and completed before we restart production."

https://cranswick.plc.uk

Ramsbury London Dry Gin

Ramsbury London Dry Gin is a remarkable London Dry Gin. 

It's a special Wiltshire born and bred Single Estate London Dry Gin which is distilled in Wiltshire at their special distillery which is housed in Stockclose Farm, on the Ramsbury Estate.

Although it is in the tradition of a fine quality London Dry Gin style, it really does stand out on its own.

It's crisp but yet it is also smooth as it lacks the harshness of some London Dry Gins.

The flavour is alluring in its complexity. There's a hint of something that reminds me of vanilla, some woody undertones and a mysterious, spicy sweetness that stays on the tongue for a while. Which makes it very moreish!

The gin is combined with quince fruit which is grown on the estate itself which blends very well with the juniper, citrus, angelica and cinnamon and the other botanicals and spices that they use.

My wife and I tried it neat and with some high quality mixers (more on Double Dutch mixers in a little while) and I made a discovery that was new to me, apparently you can make an absolutely delicious Bloody Mary with gin instead of vodka, though I feel that with a gin of lesser status than Ramsbury Single Estate Wiltshire London Dry Gin, the experiment might not have worked nearly so well as it did!

When you buy your bottle of Ramsbury Gin you will appreciate the fact that so passionate and dedicated to the entire concept of being a producer of genuine single estate gin that they proudly display the coordinates of the field in which the grain was grown. And you can't get more dedicated than that!

Visit them at https://ramsbury.com/

A 70cl bottle of 40% vol gin will cost £29.50 and we think it will make an ideal Father's Day gin for the Dad who loves his gins!

Skinny IPA

I absolutely love Skinny IPA. But then again, what's not to like about it? 

It's aimed at those drinkers (and I include myself in this category) who want to continue to be able to drink the types of beers that we love, but who want to reduce our calorific intake at the same time.

But that's quite a big ask. Because once you start messing with brews, things can soon go wrong, can't they?

But that's most definitely, certainly not the case with Skinny IPA. Skinnybrands, the folks behind Skinny IPA have been able to reduce the calorific content of their IPA to 89 calories per can, yet being able to hold the ABV at a very respectable 4.0%. 

This means that Skinny IPA has a remarkable 40% less calories than other quality IPAs out there. Plus 78% fewer carbs and it's gluten free, which makes it ideal for people like my wife, a diagnosed coeliac. 

I imagine that you're now saying: "That's all very well, but what about the taste? Does it taste like other IPAs?"

The truth is that Skinny IPA tastes better than many other (to coin an expression) full fat IPAs that are available. 

It's clean, crisp, has a delightfully hoppy bite to it, has a stonkingly good mouthfeel and leaves a very moreish quality IPA aftertaste that will certainly having you reach for another can. It actually reminds me of "proper" Californian craft IPAs I have been fortunate enough to try.

However, I have had a surprise. My wife is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a fan of IPAs. Her drinks of choice are a good quality Merlot, a high end gin, the occasional glass of Ardbeg Scotch and a pint of Guinness when the thirst is upon her. 

But when she took a sip of my Skinny IPA she said: "That's beautiful! Can you pass me a can, please?" Of course, being the good husband I try to be, I immediately presented her with her very own can. Which didn't last long, to be honest!

If you are wondering what to buy your Dad for Father's Day, order him a crate of  24x330ml Cans.

You can order them direct https://shop.skinnybrands.com/collections/skinny-lager-and-ipa-trial-packs/products/skinny-ipa-trial-pack-6x330ml-cans. A 6 can sample pack will cost you £12. 

It's also available in kegs and there's a draught system that's ideal for parties, etc.

Learn about them here https://shop.skinnybrands.com/

And don't forget their Skinny Lager, too.

My next step? To write to the Wetherspoon company and ask them to stock Skinny IPA!

Fighter Shots. The ideal Father's Day Boost!

The thing is as Dads, and moms, get older they tend to feel their age a bit more. Fact is there comes a time when you realise that when you get up from a seated position or even sit down you let out an involuntary little groan!

So, coming toward Father's Day, how can you help your father to feel as little less like groaning and a bit more like jumping out of his seat shouting "Yes! Let's do it!" instead?

We have recently come across a liquid food supplement called Fighter Shots. 

We have seen and tried some energy drinks over the years, my wife and I. However, they tend to be chockful of caffeine, sugar and some rather long pseudoscientifically named substances and they either make you as jittery as heck or give you a thumping migraine.

But that's not the case with Fighter Shots! Because Fighter Shots are different to any booster shots that you might have tried before.

They are guaranteed to be made using only 100% natural ingredients.

My wife's favourite is Ginger Beetroot. It contains ginger and beetroot. It's 70% beetroot, 20% ginger and 10% lemon. All of which are certified organic and cold pressed. Incidentally there is no added sugar and there are only 20 calories per 60ml shot.

I tend to prefer the Ginger Manuka shot for taste, but I love Manuka honey. It's 35% ginger, 30% lemon, filtered water and Manuka Honey MGO50+ at 15%. The ingredients are also organic and cold pressed. Due to the inclusion of honey the calorific value is a little higher at 35 calories per 60ml shot.

We also tried Ginger and Collagen. It's ingredients are filtered water, lemon, 30%, ginger 15%, honey 15% and marine collagen 3,000mg. The lemon and ginger is both organic and cold pressed.

The fourth Fighter Shot we tried was Ginger Turmeric. In each 60ml bottle there is filtered water, 30% lemon, 15% ginger, 15% apple, 8.5% turmeric and 8% cinnamon, black pepper.

These Fighter Shots go work, they give you energy and a bit of pep and collagen, turmeric, black pepper, beetroot and ginger are all known to be helpful, especially for older folks!

You can buy Fighter Shots direct at https://fightershots.co.uk or on Amazon, at Superdrug, Tree of Life, Yunbles, DDC Foods, The Health Store, Mr Lemonade and Faire.

A mixed selection of 12 shots should cost £30 but is on sale at Fighter Shots for £27.00.

Meantime Brewing's B-Side IPA

London's Meantime Brewing Company celebrated Record Store Day Live on Saturday 9 April. 

The event celebrated Meantime’s continuing partnership with Record Store Day, marking its 15th anniversary in 2022, offering continuous support independent record shops all around the globe.

All proceeds from ticket sales for the event are to be donated to War Child, Record Store Day’s official charity partner. 

But Meantime Brewing Company went one step beyond (to coin a phrase!) and they did what a good brewer does, they launched a special beer to commemorate the event.

The beer is called B-Side a 4.8% "No Coast" IPA. 

How does it taste? Absolutely stunning! It's very, very similar to craft ale small batch IPAs I have enjoyed on several trips to the San Francisco Bay area over the past decade.

It has tropical fruity notes which is underpinned by good, hoppy vibes and it is a beer that drinks very, very well indeed!

It is hoped with a star-studded trio of hops, Idaho 7, Calista and Jester.

Price:-

£15.00 for 6 packs

£30.00 for 12 pack

Available in 440ml cans at https://shop.meantimebrewing.com/products/b-sides-can

 

In the Welsh Wind launches independent bottling arm with limited edition single malt

In the Welsh Wind has launched independent bottling arm with a limited edition Mackmyra eight-year-old single malt.

Based in West Wales (where part of my Welsh ancestry hails from) In the Welsh Wind is an award-winning distillery.

They were offered a barrel of Mackmyra Swedish single malt whisky which was aged in a Banyuls cask. Banyuls being a fortified wine from south-west France.

The resultant whisky is a stunning single malt whisky. 

What does it taste like? What does it look like? It is a golden colour and the taste is absolutely stunning. There's a good underpinning of a toffee-caramel flavour, but there's definitely rich, sweeter notes which I'm presuming, comes from the wine cask that it was matured in.

There's also something else which is there, which adds another level of flavours which is a pleasing resinous-like taste.

I can certainly recommend this Welsh whisky if you are looking out for a bottle of whisky for Father's Day, or if you need to buy a bottle for yourself.

A bottle costs £75. It's an interesting marriage between a Welsh and a Swedish distillery, which has worked very well indeed. 

However, In the Welsh Wind produces a vast range of very different spirits, such as whiskies and gins.

"In the Welsh Wind ‘Welsh Origin Whisky’ is a single malt whisky distilled using Welsh-grown barley. Entirely processed in Wales and distilled at In the Welsh Wind, we work with our local farmers to bring you a uniquely Welsh whisky."

Should you wish to purchase a 30 litre cask of spirits they will cost £1,500. For details of this service visit https://inthewelshwind.co.uk/.

If you want to sell a bottled gin or whisky under your own brand, In the Welsh Wind will also help you to have a special spirit crafted to your own specification. 

Plus they also offer real distilled vinegar, too!

Dream roll alert! Sandwich taster wanted to judge entries at ‘The Grammys’ of the sandwich world

It's the 27th year of the British Sandwich Week celebrations.

To help mark this momentous occasion the organisers have decided to launch the search for Britain's top sandwich fan. And, to borrow an expression, "it could be you!"

The organisers of the two largest biggest and most prestigious events in the sandwich calendar, British Sandwich Week (www.britishsandwichweek.com) and The Sandwich & Food to Go Awards (otherwise known as ‘The Sammies’ - the Grammys of the sandwich calendar), is calling for foodies like you, the readers of That's Food and Drink, to apply for the dream job of becoming an official judge at this year’s event. 

The successful applicant will join a panel of industry experts, such as top celebrity chef Theo Randall.

Along with the other judges, including Theo,  you’ll be responsible for taste testing some of the finest and most innovative sandwiches from all over the UK, as sandwich making chefs go head-to-head to compete for the accolade of creating ‘Britain’s best butty’.  

But there's more! You and a companion (of your choice, obviously!) will be invited to attend the glittering and prestigious award ceremony in London as special guests of honour and the organisers will also provide you with overnight accommodation and rail travel to and from the event. 

You, clearly the ideal candidate for the job, will chomp your way through 24 sandwiches designed and created by the UK’s leading sandwich designers, choosing a winner for every category and the best overall ‘in show’.   

The winners will be revealed by celebrity chef Theo Randall and comedian Jo Caulfield during the special guest onl gala evening at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London on Thursday 5th May 2022. 

Jim Winship, who is the director of The British Sandwich & Food to Go Association, gives some more details of the dream job and tells you how to apply. Jim said “Are you batty about butties, have a penchant for paninis and think sampling some of the county’s most innovative sandwich creations sounds like your idea of heaven, then we definitely need to hear from you. 

“Superior tastebuds, plus a demonstrable obsession with sandwiches, are key attributes for our ideal candidate,” he went on to say.

“Also, we do recommend that the successful applicant should wear some comfy clothes on the day, as we'll have a lot of sandwiches to get through!"  

The job, currently being advertised, comes with a unique salary, payment in sandwiches,  and the best news is that you'll be able to keep your current job while you're helping out! (EDITOR: So you'll be paid in bread! Sorry.) 

Jim continued: “We must, of course, stress that the role is unpaid and voluntary, it’s not a way for somebody to earn a crust, but it’s sure to be a fun experience! Plus, you will get to attend The Sammies Awards dinner with a guest of your choice.  

“The Sammies is always a highlight in the calendar and a great party the entire industry looks forward to each year, and nobody more so than the judges.

“The awards dinner is also a precursor to the annual British Sandwich Week, a seven-day celebration aiming to support the industry and celebrate the nation’s love of a good sarnie.” 

The ideal candidate will be selected on their suitability for the role after filling in the application form here, including the reason why they think they deserve to be selected: https://www.britishsandwichweek.com/sandwich-taster-dream-job/ .

To apply for the dream job, head to link above and fill out your details. Applications are open until Friday15th April, the successful candidate will be notified by Friday 22nd April. 

This year’s Sandwich & Food to go Awards takes place on Thursday 5th May 2022 at the Royal Lancaster, London. For a full list of nominees and shortlisted companies visit:

https://awards.sandwich.org.uk.

British Sandwich Week takes place from 22nd  – 28th May 2022 – now in its 28th year, the annual event showcases the breadth, quality and innovation found within the UK’s sandwich and food to go sector. Find out more https://www.britishsandwichweek.com/  

(EDITOR: Although this is a voluntary roll the successful applicant could put this on their CV. After all, how many people could boast on their CV of having sat on a panel of food judges with luminaries such as Theo Randall?)

Cottage Delight Make this Platinum Jubilee extra special with royally inspired food

Cottage Delight has decided to help Brits (and others!) celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by launching some Special Edition Platinum Jubilee inspired products that are truly fit for a Queen.

To get us Brits baking and celebrating over the bank holiday weekend esteemed British brand, Cottage Delight, has created and developed a special range of Platinum Jubilee themed hand-crafted jams, chutneys, pickles and more, perfect for royally-good bakes, treats, and puddings, that everyone can enjoy whilst celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee (2nd June to 5th June 2022).

The range of special edition Platinum Jubilee inspired products are certainly dressed for the occasion, with resplendent platinum robes, they not only look great they taste great too. 

Home cooks and bakers across the country will get plenty of confidence and inspiration from using Cottage Delight. An impressive array of delicious tasting recipes, that are fit for a queen, have been created for people to try including Triumphant Union Jack Trifle and Clotted Cream and Strawberry Flavoured Scones. So, whether you are baking for a street party with neighbours; catering for a garden party with family; or putting together a picnic with friends, Cottage

Delight has got you covered!

There are seven special-edition products in the range which includes including: strawberry jam made from British strawberries and the ideal spread over scones or create a fruity jamtini cocktails RRP £3.99 (340g).

The smooth and creamy lush lemony lemon curd made with fresh lemons to slather over fresh crusty bread or use to create lemon meringue pie RRP £3.99 (310g)

The classy caramelised onion chutney made by a slow process of caramelising onions for hour after hour in oak aged balsamic vinegar RRP £3.99 (350g).

The Celebration Clotted cream, which is an iconic British classic, vegetarian and gluten free RRP £4.29 (170g).

The Fabulous farmhouse pickle crunchie garden vegetables to serve with cheese or cold meat RRP £3.59 (320g).

The Marvellous orange marmalade made from the juiciest oranges to create a luxurious flavour RRP £3.59 (350g

And then there's the splendidly sweet apple chutney which is absolutely perfect for marinating the traditional Sunday roast pork chops RRP £3.59 (325g). 

If you need Platinum Jubilee street party recipe inspiration, then check out all these recipes each created using Cottage Delight:

• Triumphant Union Jack trifle

• Farmhouse Pickle Cheesy Scones

• Champion Caramelised Onion Scotch Eggs

• Lucious Lemony Curd Meringue cupcakes

• Sensationally Sticky Orange Marmalade Cake

Plus, there are two gift sets ideal for gifting your loved ones and self-treating during the summer celebrations. The Perfectly Patriotic Preserves includes the Jubilee British Strawberry, Lush Lemony Curd and Marvellous Orange Marmalade RRP £12.99. The Truly Grate for Cheese includes the Classy Caramelised Onion Chutney, the Splendidly Sweet Apple Chutney and the Fabulous Farmhouse Pickle RRP £12.99.

The full range of products and gift sets are available by visiting www.cottagedelight.co.uk and you can also find a selection of the special range in leading independent retailers across the UK including Notcutts, Squires and Garsons garden centres.

Who and where are Cottage Delights? They have been creating great tasting foods in the beautiful Staffordshire Moorlands for over four decades. A spokeswoman said: "Celebrating flavour and bringing inspiration to you and your table is our passion, because great taste means great times.

"Our lovingly developed range brings people together through exciting flavour adventures, including tempting treats for those following vegetarian, vegan and gluten free diets. We have been dedicated to traditional methods and quality ingredients for nearly 50 years and are proud owners of 210 Great Taste Awards."

She went on to add: "It’s not just our ingredients we source with care and attention. Our glass jars and bottles are made from 100% recycled glass and we have worked with Peak Waste for over 25 years, achieving 0% to landfill, minimising our impact on the environment."

12 Day real ale festival is on at all Wetherspoon pubs

The Wetherspoon spring real-ale festival makes a very welcome return, with the 12-day event launched yesterday, Wednesday 30 March.

There's a fantastic selection of a quarter century (that's 25!) of fantastic different festival ales and beers, at all Wetherspoon pubs, until Sunday 10 April.

The festival’s beers will feature 19 very special types, which are brand new to Wetherspoon, having never before featured nationally in their pubs. Besides which, 18 of the festival’s ales are brand new or occasional brews which have been produced again especially for this event

Vegan and vegetarians are also catered for, plus people who have coeliac disease can enjoy special gluten-free beers.

There are also special ales from three international breweries. All three international brewers have featured at past events and are among the most popular festival visitors.

This will be the third occasion for which Young Henrys Real Ale (4.0% ABV) has been brewed for their bi-annual event and the fourth time that Young Henrys has featured, while the ale Terrapin Jazz (5.5% ABV) is new to Wetherspoon, although this is Terrapin’s fourth festival brew.

In their autumn 2016 real-ale festival, Birrificio Foglie d’Erba Hot Night at the Village (5.0% ABV) was voted ‘beer of the festival’. This supremely popular ale makes up the trio of international brews this time around. 

There are two speciality beers among the 25 festival ales:

Daleside Morocco Ale (5.5% ABV) is brewed with spices, while Mauldons Cherry Porter (4.8% ABV) is produced using cherries and is also a gluten-free ale.

Others to look out for are Jersey-based Liberation’s The Jester (4.8% ABV), a new beer from a very popular festival brewer, as well as the vegan-friendly stout

Dragonhead (4.0% ABV) from Orkney Brewery.

Also definitely among those beers to check out are Otter Brewery’s Hawthorn (4.0% ABV), Oakham Triple Beam (5.0% ABV) and Nine Tenths Below (5.9% ABV) – the strongest festival ale, from Titanic Brewery. All of the festival ales will be available to order via the Wetherspoon app, as well as at the bar.

Our special third-of-a-pint glasses will again be available, helping you to sample many of the fantastic festival ales – with three for the price of a festival pint. So you can taste the ales without getting under the weather!

Don’t miss this spectacular and eagerly anticipated spring showcase at the world’s biggest real-ale festival – across Wetherspoon’s pubs.

I shall be visiting my nearest Wetherspoon pub to enjoy the festival and also a meal, too, pretty soon.

Supermarkets stop selling disposable BBQs. Expert reveals why and suggests Alternatives

With supermarket chains Waitrose and Aldi banning the sale of disposable barbecues this summer, Barbeque loving Brits are looking for alternative ways to cook their meal whilst outdoors.

Disposable barbecues have long been a staple of many people’s summers. But the ban on the sale of disposable barbeques has sound "green" reasons behind it. After all over, one million of these single-use grills ending up in landfills each year. And they can cause wildfires or burn injuries if not properly used or adequately disposed of.

The team at the online campsite booking site Pitchup agree that our time spent in the outdoors must be sustainable.

Alex Russell, Head of Sales at Pitchup shares his insight on the importance of no longer using disposable barbecues and has suggested five of the best sustainable alternatives.

“We're aware of the increase in searches for ways to camp safely and with eco-friendly camping products - which includes the way people cook their food whilst they are camping.

“It is understandable that as the weather starts warming up, Brits will want to get outdoors with one of the most popular activities being cooking up something on a barbecue.

“But single-use disposable barbecues that can be easily bought in supermarkets can have an massive damaging impact on the environment and also on local wildlife.

“An immediate danger with disposable barbecues is they can produce a quantity of carbon monoxide, with fumes emitted during cooking and long after the flames are extinguished.

“Incidentally, should you ever use a disposable barbecue and find yourself feeling symptoms such as feeling sick, dizzy, or having difficulty breathing, this could be a sign of carbon monoxide poisoning."

He went on to say: “Also, these disposable barbeques usually contain charcoal and it's an unfortunate fact that it's most likely that it wasn't sustainably sourced. So every disposable barbecue will already  have had a negative impact on the environment. Even before you put a match to it."

Alex also raises some other important issues surrounding safety. He said: “Not everyone who use these disposable barbeques use them safely. For example, if a person places a disposable barbecue directly on the ground, it can completely destroy the ground beneath it and creates a risk of fire spreading."

 (EDITOR My wife and I have witnessed the result of what happened when someone had placed a disposable barbeque on a picnic table at a beauty spot. Unfortunately although the table was made to look like wood it was constructed of plastic and the disposable barbeque melted the surface of the table and ruined it for other visitors.) 

“Disposable barbecues can't be recycled and they can't be composted, so many millions of them end up in UK landfills each year.

“While disposable barbecues only last for around one and a half to two hours during their use, it can take the aluminium or iron they are made from approximately 200 years to fully decompose once they are thrown into a landfill."

Are there any alternatives? Yes. According to Alex there are, so those who can't cope without a sizzle on their campsite or in their back garden will not have to go without. 

What Alternatives Are Out There?

Portable barbecues make life easier for people who find themselves without a garden, or one with little outdoor space. They're also pretty nifty for people who like to spend their summers making regular trips to campsites in Cornwall, Wales Scotland or anywhere else.

The bonus is that the fact they're reusable makes them more economically and environmentally friendly. Also there are plenty of different types to choose from.

IKEA Korpon Portable Charcoal Barbecue

It is hard to believe a portable barbecue that ticks so many boxes is available for such a modest price. For under £20 this portable barbecue is lightweight, more eco-friendly than disposables and suitable to use almost anywhere.

Its legs easily fold up, so storage and transportation isn't a problem. It also comes with a strong carrying handle.

The specially designed grill plate, with smaller ventilation holes than more traditional barbecue griddles means you're less likely to lose food to the hot coals.

This barbecue is available for £19 directly from IKEA and also online from them. www.ikea.com.

Landmann Piccolino Portable Charcoal Barbecue

This unbelievably lightweight barbecue makes it the perfect pick for avid barbecuers who tend to move about.

It is exceptionally small and easy to pack away, so you can fit it in your car boot, in a cupboard at home, or maybe under your patio furniture or in your garden shed?

This barbecue is widely available. It is priced at £47.03 on Amazon.

Cobb Barbecue Cooking System

This futuristic design doesn't look like any barbecue you've used before, but it will still deliver the same great barbequed foods. You can also use it to smoke foods, cook roasts and even cook pizzas!

It has the advantage of using a minimum amount of charcoal, so is a greener option. And the Teflon cooking plate also makes it easy to clean, too!

With its padded shoulder bag, it's really easy to carry so is even a safer, green option for hikers. 

It costs £139.99 on Amazon.

Berghoff Table Top Barbecue

This compact barbecue has a sustainable cork lid that doubles as a heatproof mat that can be placed almost anywhere. (EDITOR: Probably not plastic tables no matter how good the wood grain effect is!)

Once lit, the lid also functions as a vent.

The strong carrying strap also makes it easy to carry. This is another unit that's ideal for hikers.

Also available for £139.99 on Amazon.

BioLite Base Camp Barbecue and Pizza Oven

This all-rounder is one of the more expensive portable barbecues, but it's lightweight and is a stunning camp stove and grill combo which can not only barbeque, but also cooks pizzas, too.

It also features a USB charger which generates electricity from the heat generated, plus an LED light, making this a very handy camping cooker. And, in my opinion, very eco-friendly indeed! 

The BaseCamp converts heat into usable electricity for large-format cooking and charging. It's designed to use only fallen branches or small pieces of firewood, so cooks wood-fired meals and charge devices all at the same time. 

They point out "It's a smarter alternative to fossil-fuelled stoves, creating an elevated cooking fire that burns smarter than any fire you're used to."

This barbecue is available for £399 directly from BioLite. https://row.bioliteenergy.com/

Many thanks to Alex and the people at Pitchup for their excellent help in putting this feature together.

https://www.pitchup.com/campsites/England/South_West/Cornwall/.

Over three quarters of British businesses still unaware of Plastic Packaging Tax

This story is for mainly aimed at our friends in the food and drink industry. 

With mere hours to go until its implementation, waste management and recycling experts Veolia state that 77% of British retail and manufacturing businesses are still completely unaware of the new Plastic Packaging Tax.

Research conducted by Veolia, examined the views of British-based senior decision makers across retail and manufacturing businesses on the upcoming Plastic Packaging Tax. 

The tax places a £200 per tonne levy on producers or importers of plastic packaging if they fail to include at least 30% recycled content and will come into force tomorrow,  1 April 2022.

The survey reveals that only a fifth (22%) of the manufacturing and retail businesses asked had already started using recycled content in their packaging. 

To reach the UK’s Net Zero goals, many more businesses must reduce their reliance on new or virgin materials. 

Most British retail and manufacturing businesses also support an escalator in percentage of recycled content threshold (63%) and cost charge (50%) as an incentive to use recycled content.

Veolia Northern Europe Zone Senior Executive Vice President, Gavin Graveson, said: “The UK’s Plastic Packaging Tax is the right way to start getting businesses to push sustainability up the agenda, but it really must go further. 

"A tax escalator would make choosing to incorporate recycled content in packaging economically and environmentally preferable to the use of virgin materials.

“Not only could the UK save up to 2.89 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually if all plastic packaging included 30% recycled content, it would also bring about incentives for investment in domestic infrastructure which could make the UK a world leader in plastics recycling.”

The British retail and manufacturing businesses who had made changes to their plastic packaging reported:

Two thirds (66%) have reduced the amount of unnecessary or avoidable plastic packaging

Over half (58%) now use recycled content

54% have changed the packaging design to make it more recyclable

39% have chosen alternative materials to plastic for their packaging

Working from three specialist sites in London, Essex and the Midlands, Veolia operates a full process to recycle plastic materials from homes and businesses, and turn them back into plastic pellets ready to be used to manufacture new plastic items. 

This can process over 100 different grades of plastic from consumer, commercial and industrial sources, and pass these materials back into the supply chain for further reuse. 

Backing the operations is the support team that can ensure compliance with the complex legislation involved in the reprocessing of these materials, and Veolia’s own Sustainable Packaging Academy.

Worldwide, it's Veolia's aim to recycle 610,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually within two years. That's equivalent to 16,944 million 4 pint milk bottles.

Incidentally, Veolia is part of the international cross value chain Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), currently made up of nearly thirty member companies, and this has committed over $1.0 billion to develop large scale solutions that will minimise and manage plastic waste and promote solutions for used plastics.

Food and drink manufacturers and retailers who need to investigate how this law will potentially impact on their business can learn more here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-need-to-register-for-plastic-packaging-tax and here https://www.veolia.com/en/solution/plastics-recycling-major-environmental-issue.

(Image courtesy of  adnovak and Pixabay)