Opies' Christmas Recipe Inspiration Adds First-Rate Flavour to Home-Made Festivities

Opies Recipes

Indulge yourselves with these delicious and decadent breakfast ideas:

Panettone French Toast – the perfect early-morning breakfast treat and also a way to use up any leftover Panettone.

Apricot & Custard Danish Pastry Stars – all you need is kitchen cupboard ingredients.

Fool-proof recipes that transform family faithfuls into fantastic favourites: easy ways to spice-up Christmas pudding, Christmas cake, cranberry sauce and mince pies.

Mince Pies with Ginger Streusel – perfect as homemade gifts that offer a twist on tradition.

Ginger Christmas Cake – rich and decadent with a joyfully gingery surprise.

Spiced Cranberry & Ginger Sauce – a quick and easy hack to take traditional sauce to the next-level.

Vegan Spiced Gingerbread Biscuits – so good you wouldn't know they were plant based.

Rudolph Christmas Cakes – get the kids in the kitchen to make these super-cute cakes.

Black Forest Chocolate Yule Log – Rich, chocolatey and studded with Black Cherries for decadence.

Cut down Christmas waste and create new ways to feast on festive leftovers

Pigs in Blankets Mac & Cheese – classically comforting but with a festive twist!

Turkey & Bombay Potato Tray Bake – an all-in-one tray bake that uses up leftover roasties, turkey and sprouts.

Turkey Casserole – a tasty way to use up leftover turkey. Can be frozen too.

Leftover Sandwich – great for brunch and to use leftover cold meats and cheese.

Boxing Day Show-stopping table centrepieces

Glazed Ham – bejewelled with Stem Ginger, an impressive table piece to display front and centre or carve thick, luscious slices for a sharing board.

Tear-and-share Celebration Bread Wreath – worth the effort to share with friends as quite frankly, there's no better way to enjoy this bread than with an oozing baked camembert centre!

Cherry & Pistachio Bakewell Christmas Tree – share with friends, family or neighbours.

Cheese & Walnut Palmiers – great to snack on whilst watching a favourite Christmas film.

Perfect puddings offering Christmas culinary inspiration

Black Cherry Crème Brûlée – a classic crowd-pleaser that's had an effortless transformation.

Flourless Chocolate & Pear Torte with Amaretto Cream – it may be flourless (and therefore gluten free) but it won't stop this from being a high-hitting dessert favourite.

Pineapple & Spiced Rum Tiramisu – this twist on an Italian classic offers an element of surprise with every mouthful.

Vegan Sticky Pear Pudding – you won't believe this is vegan as the depth of flavour is reminiscent of Sticky Toffee Pudding.

Baby Pear Queen of Puddings – a nostalgic pudding that has been given a modern-day revamp.

Forest Fruit Soufflé – the perfect dinner-party dessert to create a conversation-stopping moment.

Apricot Meringue Parfait – indulgence in every slice. The richness of the creamy parfait is perfectly balanced with slightly tart apricots and finished with crunchy almonds.

Peach & Blueberry Crumble Squares – tray bake using Opies Peaches with Courvoisier® VS Cognac

Apricot & Chocolate Trifle – a modern day twist on a retro pudding.

You'll be able to find the above recipes and more besides at https://www.opiesfoods.com/pages/home.

Mason Pearson's first product launch in nearly three decades

Mason Pearson is launching a new hairbrush cleaner to improve hygiene and brushing.

Mason Pearson, the London producer of highest quality hairbrushes has launched an innovative new Hairbrush Cleaner that kills 99.9% of germs and bacteria, so offering you cleaner hairbrushes, healthier living and better brushing performance for fabulous looking hair. 

The secret to shiny, lustrous hair is regular brushing with a good quality, clean hairbrush to stimulate blood flow to the scalp and encourage healthy hair growth.

The pandemic demonstrated that hygiene and health go hand-in-hand so it’s time to stop the spread of germs and this includes our hairbrushes and combs. We clean our hands, so why not our brushes too?  Over time, dust and grime builds up on the hairbrush, which can leave hair dull and weighed down.

Now with Mason Pearson’s innovative British Standard certified Hairbrush Cleaner 99.9% of bacteria and germs are killed for better hygiene and a cleaner brush which may aid brush longevity, too.

Master Brush Maker Michael Pearson said: “Our Customer Care team was constantly being asked how people could clean their hairbrushes, so we wanted to create the best practical solution. We’ve incorporated the lessons of the last two years to develop a cleanser that kills germs and viruses.  

"As a business, we have never been interested in introducing new products for each passing fad or bringing out limited editions. We are committed to a small range of products that really work. We are so proud of the efficacy of the Hairbrush Cleaner and we are confident it will further increase the longevity of our hairbrushes.”

Mason Pearson has been synonymous with luxury hairbrushes for over130 years. Its core product has barely changed since the early 1900s, with many of the original hairbrush model names still being used today. The Hairbrush Cleaner is the first addition to the brand’s portfolio since the launch of hand-made combs in the 1990s and has been created based on customer demand.

Hairbrushes should be dry cleaned every one to two weeks and thoroughly cleaned monthly, but until now there were limited options to thoroughly sanitise the hairbrush without the risk of damage to the renowned orange pad. The Mason Pearson Hairbrush Cleaner can be used on any make or model of hairbrush and on combs.

To thoroughly cleanse your hairbrush, remove loose hairs with a comb, before spraying with the Cleaner, then scrub using a Mason Pearson Cleaning Brush or good quality toothbrush and leave to dry.

The Mason Pearson Hairbrush Cleaner is attractively bottled in the brand’s vintage-inspired packaging. Individual bottles can be purchased for £4.95 while display boxes, containing 24 units, are available for retailers.  

The Mason Pearson Hairbrush Cleaner is available as of now. UK customers can purchase online at www.masonpearson.com or from authorised retailers. Consumers outside the UK should contact their country distributor to find their nearest retailer.

 

Seggiano Organic Oil and Vinegar

Seggiano Organic Oil and Vinegar and Seggiano organic gluten free Artisan Pasta are being looked at during The That's Food and Drink Organic September festival.

My wife and I are very keen on organic foods and my wife, who is a diagnosed coeliac, also has to avoid gluten.

Seggiano has been sourcing the highest quality traditional regional Italian specialities, from the highest quality top artisan family producers for in excess of two decades.

Seggiano has an uncompromising commitment to highest ethical standards to only providing the highest quality, tasty organic foods, that are produced from totally traceable GMO free ingredients.

They also ensure that the foods they retail have no industrial additives and also use only a minimal amount of heat processing.

They guarantee to use only the highest quality of cold extracted oils and to make certain that all of the recipes are free of palm oil.

Incidentally their gluten free fettuccine artisan pasta is specially bronze drawn and slow dried, and made using buckwheat and corn.

What's it taste like? My wife and I love it, as it is firm with a good consistency and absolutely delicious!

It works well with the Seggiano organic oil and Balsamic Vinegar.

Check them out for their other delicious products.

To learn more visit www.seggiano.com.

Introducing delicious Cove Passion Liqueur

Building on the stunning success of their award-winning Cove Vodka, Cove Damson Liqueur and Cove Coffee Liqueur, Devon Cove is delighted to introduce Cove Passion Liqueur. 

This exceptional and very special handcrafted liqueur is made by combining fresh passion fruits with their luxuriously smooth Devon potato vodka and the result is an enchanting, exotic and absolutely delicious drink.

Try Cove Passion Liqueur over ice with a twist of grapefruit, with cloudy lemonade or in the crowd-pleasing Pornstar Martini cocktail. Presented in a stylish bottle with a nice, traditional wooden cork so you can easily reseal the bottle after use, although it tastes so good you might not need to!

Commenting on the launch, founder of Cove, Leanne Carr said: “We are really thrilled to bring this product to the market. By using fresh passion fruits we've created a uniquely delicate liqueur which will not only excite those who like to make quality cocktails at home but also those who prefer something sweeter than whisky as a digestif, since it works so really well on its own.”

Cove Passion Liqueur is available to buy from www.devoncove.co.uk 5cl (£5.95) and 50cl (£33.00) 25% ABV.

Devon Cove creates an exceptionally high quality vodka using only King Edward potatoes lovingly grown by the sea on founder Leanne Carr's family farm which overlooks Hope Cove in South Devon. 

It's low-carb and totally gluten free, Cove Vodka is as pure and clean as the sea air around it and has a  uniquely smooth to taste.

Since their launch in 2019 Devon Cove have gone from strength-to-strength bagging a handful of high-profile taste awards, the most recent of which was a Gold award in the Ultra-Premium category at the Vodka Masters 2022. 

Devon Cove have also expanded their range of liqueurs and launched a cocktail club subscription service so you need never be without a good cocktail at home. Leanne has become somewhat of a master mixologist and looks forward to featuring Cove Passion Liqueur in new cocktail kits to be released soon.

Cove Vodka, Cove Cocktail Kits, Cove Coffee Liqueur, Cove Damson Liqueur, Cove Rum and Cove Passion Liqueur are all available to purchase from online shop hHp://www.devoncove.co.uk/ with nationwide delivery.

To keep up to date with all of Devon Cove's news and for cocktail recipes and inspiration 'like' @Devon Cove Vodka on Facebook, 'follow' devoncovevodka on Instagram or @devoncovevodka on Twitter or visit www.devoncove.co.uk #coverum

 

A Little Bit Food Launch New Trio of Vegan Friendly Dips

These are a welcome addition to their ever growing range of tasty products. 

Complementing their existing sauces, dressings and mayos, the dips encapsulate the brand's aim to create great, homemade-tasting products that are easily accessible and made using fresh herbs and the finest quality ingredients.

Perfect for sharing, dipping or spreading, the trio consists of a Peamole, a Spicy Salsa and Onion and Chive dip. 

The Peamole offers an alternative to the eminent Guacamole; the key ingredient peas used as a replacement for avocados. I, personally, am not that keen on avocados, so I am keen to try this new product. 

This decision reflects A Little Bit's passion for sustainability, and a conscious effort to monitor their environmental footprint. 

The Spicy Tomato Salsa continues to encompass the brands efforts to champion quality ingredients, with the addition of fresh parsley and coriander; it has a rich tomato taste, great texture and a subtle spice. Completing the trio is the Onion and Chive dip, made using fresh chives.

To learn more about the A Little Bit range, please visit them at https://alittlebit.co.uk.

Salcombe Brewery Co. Partners with Too Good To Go and Donates Funds to The Seahorse Trust

The Salcombe Brewery Co. is delighted to reveal it's partnering with Too Good to Go to help reduce its waste and just donated over £1,000 to The Seahorse Trust, which has been raised through a five pence donation for every bottle sold of its Seahorse beer. 

These announcements have been made as Salcombe Brewery Co embarks on its journey to B Corp status.

Jordan Mace, the MD of Salcombe Brewery Co. explained: “Constantly improving our sustainability credentials has always been a core objective for us so, when we discovered Too Good To Go, we jumped at the chance to reduce our waste. 

"This clever app allows us to sell our cosmetically damaged products and any short dated stock to a wide range of customers, at a reduced price, rather than throwing it away. It is a new partnership that came about as part of a review of our processes as we work towards B Corp status.”

Jordan went on to say: “The surrounding coastal environment has always been hugely important to Salcombe Brewery Co. The Salcombe Estuary is one of the few places in the UK where you can find the rarer of the two species of seahorse and we partnered with The Seahorse Trust four years ago to raise funds to support these endangered creatures. 

"We give a regular donation to The Seahorse Trust and are pleased to be handing over another £1,198.25 this month. This money has been raised by making a donation of 5p from every bottle of Seahorse sold.”

Salcombe Brewery is in the process of working towards B Corp status. Certified B Corps, are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. Becoming a Certified B Corporation is a rigorous, comprehensive process that involves reviewing a company's processes, procedures and ethos.

The Seahorse Trust was founded in 1999 by Neil Garrick-Maidment to preserve and conserve the natural world, especially the marine environment, with the seahorse as its flagship species. The Trust makes a difference through education, conservation and campaigning for protected areas.

Salcombe Brewery's range of beers is available nationwide in pubs and hospitality venues as well as retail outlets and online from www.salcombebrewery.com. It is available to the trade directly and through a number of key wholesalers. For further information on Salcombe Brewery Co. please visit www.salcombebrewery.com follow Salcombe Brewery Co. on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  

Shown is Image of (left to right) Jordan Mace, Salcombe Brewery Co. and Neil Garrick-Maidment, The Seahorse Trust. 

Visit the brewery here https://www.salcombebrewery.com.

Incidentally, I was enjoying Salcombe Bay's Shingle Bay bitter, recently. At least until we lovers of good beers drunk it all! 

Sober October with New London Light

You need sacrifice nothing this Sober October with New London Light, a bold collection of contemporary non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs from the multi award-winning distillers at Salcombe Distilling Co. 

Thanks to innovative flavour combinations and a pioneering production method, New London Light (NLL) is setting the global standard in taste for the fast-growing alcohol-free spirits category, ensuring that alcohol-free no longer means second best.

Available in three expressions 'First Light', 'Aegean Sky' and 'Midnight Sun', New London Light can be enjoyed straight up, with tonic, or as part of a cocktail. New London Light 'Midnight Sun' is now also available to buy in selected Waitrose & Partners stores (RRP £27.50, 70cl, 0% ABV).

Serving the alcohol-free community as well as the growing market of drinkers wanting to reduce their alcohol intake somewhat, NLL provides options that will make it easy to create new habits. With all natural ingredients and no artificial flavours or added sugar, consumers can rest assured they are drinking something pure. They can also be sure they are doing some good, since every bottle purchased in the UK helps protect and regenerate Seagrass, with 1% of sales donated to the Marine Conservation Society.

New London Light 'Midnight Sun'

As unique as the rugged Nordic coast from where it takes its inspira7on, New London Light 'Midnight Sun' is a layered and elegant non-alcoholic aperi7f combining wild coastal berries, fresh kelp and pine. On the nose there is a delicate combination of floral elderflower and fresh pine with a hint of berry sweetness and herbaceous dill. Sweet yet complex berry flavours are found on the palate with a touch of salinity from kelp and samphire. Floral notes of elderflower and resinous pine provide a full spectrum of flavour. The finish is long and lingering with natural sweetness making way for elderberry tartness, dryness from sage and pine and lasting sense of the sea from the subtle flavours of kelp.

'Midnight Sun & Tonic'

New London Light 'Midnight Sun' is best served in a 'Midnight Sun & Tonic' to give a new perspective on complex flavour combinations.

Ingredients:

50ml New London Light 'Midnight Sun'

150ml Premium light tonic water

1 Raspberry

1 Mint leaf

Method:

Fill a highball glass with ice

Add a large measure of New London Light 'Midnight Sun'

Add 150ml of Premium light tonic water

Garnish with 1 raspberry and a mint leaf

Gently stir and serve

'Oslo Highball'

This crisp, fragrant, and ultimately thirst-quenching serve is like taking in a deep breath of fresh Nordic air in the glowing Midnight sun.

Ingredients:

50ml New London Light 'Midnight Sun'

15ml lime juice

15ml honey water*

Raspberry dash water

Blueberries

Dill

Method:

Muddle 3 blueberries in a cocktail shaker, before adding the New London Light 'Midnight Sun', lime juice and honey water

Fill with ice and shake for 15 seconds

Double strain into a chilled highball over ice

Top with dash water with wonky raspberries

Garnish with a sprig of dill and 2 blueberries

*To make the honey water, add 100ml of honey to 100ml of boiling water in a jug and stir until the honey has dissolved. Place in the fridge to cool before using.

'Alpenglow'

Named after an optical phenomenon when red light appears on high mountains, this sour style serve takes all of the berry and pine flavours from the land of the Midnight Sun and showcases them effortlessly.

Ingredients:

50ml New London Light 'Midnight Sun'

15ml Lime juice

15ml Honey water*

25ml Cranberry juice

3 x Fresh raspberries

20ml Aquafaba

Freeze-dried raspberries to garnish

Method:

Add New London Light 'Midnight Sun', lime juice, honey water, cranberry juice, fresh raspberries, and aquafaba to a cocktail shaker and dry shake without ice for 15 seconds

Add ice to the shaker and shake hard again for a further 15 seconds

Double strain into a chilled tumbler over ice

Garnish with freeze-dried raspberries

*To make the honey water, add 100ml of honey to 100ml of boiling water in a jug and s7r un7l the honey has dissolved. Place in the fridge to cool before using.

New London Light 'First Light', 'Aegean Sky' and 'Midnight Sun' are all available from salcombegin.com, RRP £27.50 for a 70CL boQle, 0% ABV.

For further information about Salcombe Distilling Co. and New London Light visit salcombedistilling.com and follow on Instagram and Facebook at newlondonlight.

Didsbury Gin is a real hit and a real winner

Didsbury Gin is a real hit and a real winner.

My wife and I and her cousin Dorothy were invited to try Didsbury Gin's Strawberry and Sicilian Lemon Gin.

My wife was intrigued by the taste, but was feeling a little bit left out as she doesn't particularly like the taste of strawberry.

However, Dorothy and myself really loved this particular gin type. There's a delicious marriage of the real Sicilian lemons and natural strawberry flavouring, which we found work together very well.

In fact Dorothy, who is a real gin aficionado, declared it absolutely delicious, a sentiment that I found it easy to agree with.

We made some old style cocktails using ginger ale, soda water and Indian tonic water. And each one worked remarkably well.

What other Didsbury Gin types are available? Original, Blood Orange and Ginger, Raspberry and Elderflower. To make a delicious pink gin.

They use natural fruits and ingredients, are vegan friendly and are one of the nicest gins we have been honoured to try. And all produced in Didsbury, in Manchester.

Incidentally they also produce pre-mixed cocktail cans, mixers and special gifts. 

We would like to thank the kind folks at Didsbury Gin. To learn more about the gin and to learn some really nifty cocktail recipes (remember to use them this Christmas!) please visit them at www.didsburygin.com.

Elephant Gin Brings "Ready-to-Drink" Cocktail Classic Negroni to the Home Bar!

Africa meets Italy. Just in time for Negroni Week (12th -18th September) Elephant Gin launches its newest product, a ready-to-drink version of the popular Red Negroni (28% ABV). Bitter-sweet and finely balanced, the classic drink hits the taste buds for all those who love the combination of complex sweetness, straightforward bitterness and want bar quality cocktail experiences at home.

The Negroni, a cocktail classic and great-grandfather of the Aperitivo family, consists of three components: Bitters, sweet vermouth and gin. This September, Elephant Gin brings the classic aperitif to the home as a "ready-to-drink version". The flavour profile of Elephant Gin Negroni convinces with a sophisticated balance of bitter and sweet flavours consisting of equal parts Elephant Aged Gin, vermouth and bitters all providing plenty of depth and personality which are then rounded out by six months of ageing in oak barrels.

The oak ageing enriches the drink adding depth and texture as well as creating a slightly smoky aroma. Despite ageing, a wonderful balance of bitter-sweet wormwood and Elephant Aged Gin flavours is maintained. A German Riesling from winemaker Stefan Winter was used to create a well-balanced sweet vermouth. All ingredients are produced by Elephant Gin and contain no artificial additives.

"The ready to drink trend is here to stay. Consumers like it simple, but at the same time insist on high quality. With our new Negroni we serve these demands and can offer existing and new customers a high quality ready-to-drink cocktail experience using the best possible ingredients without any artificial additives ``, says Tessa Gerlach, Co-founder of Elephant Gin. 

Highly sophisticated and finely nuanced, Elephant Gin Negroni brings not only cocktail history, but a classic and elegant cocktail to the home. Enjoy over ice and garnish with an orange zest.

True to the brand's core, each bottle (700 ml) is adorned with traditional Maasai beads, handmade by three women from a Kenyan Maasai tribe. In addition, 15% of bottle profits will go to the recently established Elephant Gin Foundation, which supports important projects to protect the African elephant.

Better Gin. Safer Elephants.

Drinking Recommendation:

Fill the tumbler with a large ice cube, pour 100 ml Elephant Gin Negroni, garnish with an orange zest. Served at sunset or before dinner but best with good company.

Serves 7 cocktails

Available through the Elephant Gin Shop (www.elephant-gin.com/shop).

From December 2022 also via Amazon

RRP £35.90/700ml

What's it all about?

About Elephant Gin

In 2013, Elephant Gin Founders, Tessa and Robin Gerlach, were inspired to create their range of premium handcrafted gins following their adventures in Africa. The award-winning Elephant London Dry Gin (45%) was first to the portfolio. The range was complemented by the aromatic Elephant Sloe Gin (35%), the full-bodied Elephant Strength Gin (57%) and the fresh Elephant Orange Cocoa Gin (40%).  

Inspired by the African sundowner experience, Elephant Gin combines rare African botanicals with fresh apples. Each of Elephant Gin's unique bottles is individually crafted with handwritten labels, excerpts of African maps and an embossed crest of the Maasai. Elephant Gin is highly lauded by the leading spirits adjudicators, as depicted below, the latest grand prize is The Spirits Business' Gin Masters Awards 2021, where Elephant Gin was labelled the world's best gin by a panel of independent judges, who described the gin as simply “stunning”.

Safer Elephants.

Elephant Gin gives back to what has inspired the brand in the first place: 15% of bottle profits are donated to the endangered African elephant. So far, over €1,000,000 has been raised through sales and fundraising events. From September 2022, donations will go directly to the Elephant Gin Foundation, a grant-making foundation that invests in African elephant conservation and educational projects.

Key Stockists (Range Various Between Outlets)

Ocado, Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, The Whiskey Exchange, and the Elephant Gin Online Shop at www.elephant-gin.com.

Bar Stockists (A Selection)

Oriole, The Gibson, The Coral Room, Davies & Brooks, Dukes, The Dorchester, Mr Fogg's, Amazonico, 5 Hertford Street, Hotel Café Royal, Quo Vadis, 45 Jermyn Street, Eve Bar.

Make Christmas About Kindness This Year: Shop Local and Win a Hamper for You and a Friend

Make Christmas About Kindness This Year: Shop Local and Win a Hamper for You and a Friend

What could be better than spreading kindness while doing your Christmas shopping this year?

Produced in Kent, the membership organisation supporting the county's independent artisan producers, is launching a Christmas Kindness competition, it's an effortless way to support local and spread happiness.

Join in the festive fun and support your local shops, crafters, or producers to be in with a chance to WIN two Christmas hampers (worth over £250 each) filled with festive Kentish goodies – one for yourself and another for someone you think deserves some Christmas Kindness.

How to Enter

Pop into participating shops (see below) or visit their online stores.

Purchase a lovely local gift.

Scan the Produced in Kent QR code at the till or follow the link on your e-receipt.

Enter your details for the chance to win a hamper for yourself and a friend.

Feel good about supporting local business.

Entry Tips

For a bonus entry - share a selfie on Instagram or Facebook (a post, not story) of yourself with your shopping and tag @ProducedinKent #ChristmasKindness

Get the kids involved by spotting the Produced in Kent QR codes in stores.

Purchase from as many participating businesses as you like, the more entries, the greater your chance of winning.

Think about who your chosen co-winner might be, who deserves a treat this Christmas?

Participating Shops

A wide range of producers and retailers catering for every festive need are taking part, as well as donating prizes to the hampers – including the Produced in Kent shop at Bluewater. For exceptional wines visit participating vineyards Balfour Winery and Simpsons Wine Estate, for beer gift inspiration visit Musket Brewery and the Old Dairy Brewery for natural beauty products & more visit Fox & Bloom and Romney Marsh Wools, and for local spirits visit The Maidstone Distillery. For the full list of participating businesses and prizes visit www.producedinkent.co.uk/christmas-kindness.

From wrist warmers to wine; beer to bedding; art to artisan foods, Kent producers will have something for everyone this Christmas. Friends and family will be delighted with a gift from Kent, while your purchase will support the regional economy and the local community. It's a win for everyone!

The campaign is being backed by Kent industry, including the generosity of sponsors Café Nucleus and FoodE by Oak Creative. The competition will run from 1st October to 16th December 2022. A winner will be selected at random on 19th December and the hamper will be sent out to them and their nominated person in time for Christmas. For the full terms and conditions of the competition visit www.producedinkent.co.uk/christmas-kindness.

 

Presca Coffee

Presca Coffee's Signature Edition coffee is a genuinely delicious single-origin ethically sourced coffee.

The coffee beans are a 100% Arabica speciality coffee. 

It's grown at an altitude of 1,800 to 1,900 metres and is carefully washed.

The varietals are caturra and catuai.

They are carefully and lovingly roasted at the Presca coffee bean roastery which is in Bristol.

What does it taste like? It has a low level of acidity, is described as having a creamy body and has a cherry finish, with hints of orange peel. 

It's also delightfully sweet, too, without needing any added sweetness. Sorry, organic honey! You are sitting this one out!

I have to agree. There's a certain fruitiness to it and I could certainly detect a very present orangey taste to it.

I like this coffee, but my wife absolutely adores it!

And what's more it ticks all sorts of boxes as it is produced by the Tarrazu Co-Operative from the San Luis Lot. They are consistently winning awards and prizes as the best coffee foundation in the whole of Costa Rica.

Learn about this coffee here https://www.prescasportswear.com/products/presca-coffee-signature-edition

And whilst you are there check out all the other good stuff that Presca offers.

An update on The Gary Barlow Organic Red Wine

Gary Barlow OBE Organic Red Wine is priced at £7.99 and is currently on offer.

This is an update on the Gary Barlow Organic Red Wine we were talking about the other day.

Gary's Organic Red Wine is a real god send to red wine drinkers, especially those who really go for organic wines. 

It's absolutely delicious! It comes with a genuine red wine juiciness, more than a hint of wild berries and with a touch of spiciness. My wife can detect an element of chocolate in it, but to be honest, I'm not sure I could. But then again, my wife is the wine expert rather than me!

It matches well with traditional Spanish tapas meals (this wine is, of course, from the heart of the Central Castilla region of Spain) and it is also a perfect accompaniment with any meat dish. Including a green and black peppered beef sandwich of my own invention! 

Interestingly it also goes remarkably well with adult conversation on the patio or in the conservatory on a warm summer's eve!

To learn more please visit http://www.thebottleclub.com.

Spare Snacks Secures Major National Listings for Kid-Friendly Range

St Albans based husband & wife (and mum & dad!) duo, Spare Snacks produce delicious, crunchy anytime snacks for all the family. 

Made with 100% whole fruit, the healthy and affordable range contains no added sugar, salt, fat or oil and a pack counts as one of your five a day. 

Spare believes snacks should taste good and do good, that's why they transform wonky apples into healthy crisps, so the more you snack, the less goes to waste.

Having quickly become firm favourites on Ocado and Amazon, as well as an increasing number of schools and independent outlets, in 2021, Spare's kid-friendly range, Scrapples, is now launching into hundreds of supermarkets and schools, as well as on board British Airways flights. 

Having seen an increase in demand for healthy, sustainable snacks, Spare launched kid-friendly Scrapples Apple, Apple & Mango, and Apple & Strawberry Crisps. With eye-catching design, Scrapples come in at under 50 calories; they're high in fibre and mess-free, perfect for on-the-go healthy snacking or as a nourishing lunch box treat. Stocked by the UK's leading school caterer, Chartwell's, Scrapples is the healthiest kids fruit snack on the market.

July 2022 sees Scrapples launch to British Airways' Speedbird Café, just in time for the school holidays. The Scrapples range will also launch multipacks and single bags into major retail for the first time, rolling out across Morrisons and Co-Op stores around the country, as well as to Ocado, from the end of August 2022, in readiness for the new school year.

Over 930m tonnes of edible food is wasted globally each and every year; Spare makes use of both wonky raw and dried apples that are often rejected because they are misshapen, blemished, or deemed the wrong shape or size. 

The wonky apples are always fresh and delicious, they just happen to look a bit irregular; Spare transforms them into beautifully healthy, Great Taste Award-winning apple crisps that are good for people, producers, and the planet. Hence Spare's mantra: Waste Not, Want Lots!

Founder Ben Whitehead says, “We're so excited that our healthy and sustainable snacks are resonating with parents and buyers alike. Being able to bring Scrapples to the mass market across retail, schools and travel is an important milestone for us and comes at the perfect back-to-school moment. I can't stomach the fact that millions of tonnes of edible fruit and veg are wasted each year, whilst only 23% of us eat our five a day. 

"That's why I started transforming surplus fruit into healthy snacks. Being able to bring Scrapples to Morrisons, Ocado and Co-Op shoppers and British Airways passengers is a step that will be welcomed by fellow parents as a handy, healthy, and mess-free option for keeping the kids fed and entertained, whilst our new Top Bumps character cards also give them a chance to chat about food sustainability in a fun way.”

Dimitry Onaka, a Co-op Buyer as part of its Community Buying Team and Incubator Programme, adds, “We are delighted to work with Spare Snacks, as one of the inaugural group of businesses participating in our incubator scheme they are an exciting and innovative producer with a real point of difference and something unique to excite shoppers. Our 'apiary' programme is designed to help anticipate and, respond to changing consumer tastes and needs, while mentoring and supporting local suppliers as part of our commitment to creating value and making a difference in our local communities – we are really looking forward to seeing their products on our shelves.”

For more information, please visit www.scrapples.co.uk.

What's available?

Scrapples Apple & Mango Crisps, RRP from £0.70 per 12g bag, RRP from £2.65 per box of 5 x 12g bags

Scrapples Apple Crisps, RRP from £0.70 per 12g bag, RRP from £2.65 per box of 5 x 12g bags

Scrapples Apple & Strawberry Crisps, RRP from £0.70 per 12g bag, RRP from £2.65 per box of 5 x 12g bags

Spare Apple Crisps, RRP from £1.00 per 22g bag

Spare Apple & Mango Crisps, RRP from £1.00 per 22g bag

Where can you buy them?

Ocado (Scrapples Apple Crisps, Scrapples Apple & Mango Crisps and Scrapples Apple & Strawberry Crisps (12g); Spare Apple Crisps and Spare Apple & Mango Crisps (22g); NEW Scrapples Apple Multipacks; Scrapples Apple & Mango Multipacks)

Amazon (Scrapples Bulk Boxes and Spare Bulk Boxes)

British Airways Speedbird Café (Scrapples Apple & Mango Crisps)

NEW Morrisons (Scrapples Apple Multipacks; Scrapples Apple & Mango Multipacks)

NEW Morrisons (Scrapples Apple Crisps; Scrapples Apple & Mango Crisps)

From 19th September 2022

NEW Co-Op (Scrapples Apple Crisps; Scrapples Apple & Mango Crisps; Scrapples Apple & Strawberry Crisps; Scrapples Apple Multipacks; Scrapples Apple & Mango Multipacks)

From 21st September 2022

NEW Chartwells – The UK'S Leading School Catering Company (Scrapples Apple Crisps; Scrapples Apple & Mango Crisps; Scrapples Apple & Strawberry Crisps)

From 1st September 2022

NEW Brakes – Wholesaler (Scrapples Apple Crisps; Scrapples Apple & Mango Crisps; Scrapples Apple & Strawberry Crisps and Spare Apple Crisps and Spare Apple & Mango Crisps)

 What benefits are there?

High in fibre

No added sugar, fat or salt

One of your kid's five a day

Nothing artificial

100% fruit

Low calorie (42-44kcal per pack)

Air dried, never fried

Great Taste Award winning

No mess

Allergen Free

No palm oil

Perfect for lunchboxes, on the go and for a healthy post-school snack

Recyclable packaging

Schools-approved

Tackles, and raises awareness of, food waste

Vegan

Whole wonky fruit

                                                                                   

Goodbody Clinic Launches At-Home Health Checks in Response to Increasing NHS Wait Times

In some parts of the UK as many as half of all patients are still struggling to access a face to face appointment with their GP. 

To alleviate pressure on the NHS, leading health diagnostics provider Goodbody Clinic has launched a comprehensive blood testing service which enables patients to take control of their health.

Finger prick tests are available from the comfort of your own home. A testing kit is sent via the post with everything you need to collect your sample and return it to the lab.

Or as an alternative, Goodbody Clinic has a national network of pharmacies and clinics with trained phlebotomists available to administer tests which require a venous blood draw.

The comprehensive range of tests includes well women and well man profiles; liver, kidney and heart checks; hormone and vitamin levels; fitness profiles; cancer DNA tests and everything in between. For some these tests are preventative, allowing individuals to monitor key wellbeing markers to provide them with reassurance. For others, diagnostic tests can help them investigate a niggling or unexplained symptom

Tests are processed at UKAS accredited laboratories, with results sent direct to the patient. There is even the option of being referred to an online GP service to discuss any abnormal results in more detail. Alternatively, the patient can take the results back to their own GP for further assessment and treatment if required.

One of the tests available is an early detection diabetes test. With research finding that people who recovered from Covid-19 within the past year are 40% more likely to receive a new diagnosis of diabetes this could result in millions of new diabetes cases worldwide. This simple test allows early diagnosis of diabetes or pre-diabetes so that the condition can be monitored properly.

According to Dr Jamie Brosch, a GP with 30 years’ experience, “Early recognition and management of diabetes can substantially reduce the risk of complications, such as eye, kidney and heart damage which can begin years before some people even find out how they have the condition”.

Father of two Sam recently had diabetes and cholesterol tests, “Since the start of the year, I had really wanted to do something about my health. I have a young family, so want to be the best Dad I can be for my kids, which means taking care of my health so that I can be there for them.

“I’ve lost over 3 stone since January 2022, but I wanted to make sure things were improving on the inside too. I have a family history of diabetes and high blood pressure, which I know is a side effect of high cholesterol levels in the blood. I was looking at booking a rapid diabetes test, but thought I might as well book a cholesterol test at the same time just to get a clearer overall picture. 

"I was really pleased with my results, they reflected the hard work that I’ve been putting in and it’s clearly paying off. I may be becoming more physically fit, but I’m so glad I’m also becoming biologically fitter as well”.

According to MD of Goodbody Clinic, George Thomas, “With the NHS under increasing pressure, creating new pathways for health diagnostics is a positive move forward for primary care. Patients are increasingly health-aware and want to take control of managing their wellness before symptoms arise”.

Tests can be ordered on the website www.goodbodyclinic.com/bloodtesting.

Delays in supporting ‘UK Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry’ putting more lives at risk

With the inquest into the death of Celia Marsh in December 2017 taking place this week, the British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology (BSACI) has today issued a call for more funding for the Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry (UKFAR).

Celia died after she ate a pre-packaged vegan sandwich. She was known to have an allergy to cow’s milk. 

Unfortunately, these cases are becoming more frequent and understanding why these fatalities occur, and to reduce the number of deaths, the medical profession must understand the mechanisms by which anaphylaxis becomes lethal and know why these fatalities occur.

In 2020 The British Society for Allergy & Clinical Immunology (BSACI) in collaboration with Manchester Foundation Trust (MFT) received a one-off grant of £100,000 from the Foods Standards Agency (FSA) to support the development of a Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry. 

The registry employs staff who collect and analyse data from deaths that have been recorded as anaphylaxis to identify patterns of events so that we may understand more about what causes people to die from anaphylaxis and improve survival rates. To continue its work, more funding is needed on a sustainable basis.

Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, co-founder of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, said: "It is absolutely vital that funding continues for the fatal anaphylaxis register. Recording this information is critical so that lessons can be learned and we can help keep people with severe food allergies safe. 

"We already have significant concerns that anaphylaxis deaths are being under reported and not developing this register will further undermine the huge efforts being made on behalf of the 2 to 3 million people with food allergies in this country."

Inquests into previous deaths from Anaphylaxis have resulted in calls from coroners to establish a national reporting system for recording anaphylaxis fatalities so they can be investigated. 

Judith Bousquet, the mother of Ruben Bousquet, a 14-year-old boy who died after eating popcorn with a drink at the cinema, says "Ruben had a whole life ahead of him and despite taking precautions to ensure his own safety, tragically, it wasn't enough in the environment he was in on the day he was taken from us. 

"Clearly, more needs to be done. The safety net which is currently in place for those living with allergic disease isn't sufficiently robust. A UK Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry is one step in helping to rectify this and we fully support its introduction."

Owen Carey who died after eating grilled chicken coated in buttermilk at a restaurant. Paul Carey, Owens father said: “The Campaign for Owen’s Law fully supports the continued development of the Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry. It is incredibly important that this work carries on indefinitely and is critical in helping reduce the risk of early deaths of those with allergies, as we suffered with Owen.”

Fiona Rayner, BSACI Chief Executive states “The one-off grant from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) will run out by the end of the year. Long-term funding is needed to sustain and analyse retrospective cases as well as prospective cases, as its critical to be able to reduce the number of deaths in the future. The BSACI have been working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to secure funding from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and are awaiting to hear the outcome of a proposal to support the UK Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry.”

Lead Investigator on the UK Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry Dr Vibha Sharma points out: “The UKFAR is unique in the kind of information it can collect and retain. This registry has been informative for allergic individuals and for those involved in their management. There is still a lot that remains ill understood. 

"We are aware that anaphylaxis is common but deaths from anaphylaxis are rare. Why some die and many recover is ill understood. Continued detailed review of each case of fatal anaphylaxis is likely to enhance our understanding and help avoid future deaths."

Each case of fatal anaphylaxis is unique. Learning lessons from each of these deaths is important. Attempts must be made to learn from each of these cases. Early involvement of UKFAR in assessment of suspected fatal anaphylactic events will facilitate collaboration for important data, evidence gathering to help identify contributing factors, and focus on relevant post-mortem assessment/s.

Calls for the ongoing funding of the UK Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry were also echoed by UK allergy charities Allergy UK and Anaphylaxis UK that both support people living with allergies. A referral can be made for UKFAR involvement here

Carla Jones, who is the CEO of Allergy UK, the leading national charity for people living with all types of allergy, comments, “Our most heartfelt condolences go out to the family of Celia Marsh for whom this inquest has undoubtedly resurrected the devastation of such a needless and tragic death of a loved one. We continue to be faced with a society that doesn’t take allergy seriously, which is why we urge the call to be heard for a UK Fatal Anaphylaxis Registry to be introduced without further delays. It is a crucial step in helping to ensure the risks of this happening to anyone again in the future are significantly reduced.”

To learn more visit www.bsaci.org.

Alder Tree Blackcurrant Ice Cream Scoops Great Taste Golden Fork Award for East Anglia

Following a stunning and record-breaking 14,205 food and drink entries from 110 countries all over the globe, Great Taste, the world's largest food and drink accreditation scheme based entirely on taste, has reached its grand finale for 2022.

Announced last night at the Great Taste Golden Forks ceremony held in Southwark Cathedral, the Great Taste Golden Fork trophy for East Anglia has been awarded to Alder Tree from Ipswich, Surrey, for its Blackcurrant Ice Cream, described as a “delicious balance of creaminess and tart fruit and pronounced blackcurrant flavour”.

The Alder Tree Blackcurrant Ice Cream is made by hand on the company's fruit farm to a traditional family recipe which calls for the use of only 100% British fruit and cream and sugar.

Thrilling the Great Taste judges with its “inviting, deep, rich purple colour”, the Alder Tree Blackcurrant Ice Cream made an impression at every stage of the blind-tasted judging process across the 90 days.

Rising to the top among hundreds of other entries from East Anglia, this “light and airy” ice cream was celebrated as being the best tasting product in its region at the highly anticipated ceremony, the culmination of Great Taste, the largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme on the planet - dubbed the 'Oscars' of the food & drink world and attended by food industry experts and influencers.

Says John Farrand, the MD with the Guild of Fine Food: “Unveiling the Great Taste Golden Fork winners is always a huge honour. After months of rigorous blind-tasting and judging, it is fantastic to reveal the award-winning products and celebrate the producers' hard work and innovation. It's been an exceptional year for creativity and inspirational food and drink entries. 

"Huge congratulations from all of us at GFF to all the award winners, it really isn't easy to do what you do - I have the utmost admiration for you all. And thank you to everyone who was involved in Great Taste 2022.”   

For more information on Alder Tree, see here: https://www.alder-tree.co.uk.

The Great Taste Golden Fork from East Anglia was sponsored by Shire Foods East Anglia. Also nominated this year were the Great Taste 3-star Hadley's Blackberry Ice Cream from Hadley's Dairy based in Colchester and a Beef & Bone Marrow Burger from The Gog which is based in Cambridge.

This year, food and drink products from 110 different countries were entered into the Great Taste accreditation scheme. Only 5,556 products – that's 39.1% of the total products entered this year – received either a Great Taste 1-, 2- or 3-star award, and of the 2,344 winning companies, 27% are based outside of the UK. 

The full list of this year's winners can be found at www.greattasteawards.co.uk and a wide range of the award-winning products are available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets.

Visit – https://gff.co.uk

Established in 1994, Great Taste is organised by the Guild of Fine Food and is the world's largest, longest standing and most respected food accreditation scheme for artisan and speciality food and drink producers. 

100% Environmentally Friendly Coffee Wins Great Taste Golden Fork Award for Wales

Following a record-breaking 14,205 food and drink entries from 110 countries all over the globe, Great Taste, the world's largest food and drink accreditation scheme based entirely on taste, has reached its grand finale for 2022.  

Announced last night at the Great Taste Golden Forks ceremony held at Southwark Cathedral, the Great Taste Golden Fork trophy for Wales has been awarded to Bay Coffee Roasters from Ceredigion, for its Indonesian Sumatran Fairtrade Organic coffee beans, described as having aromas “redolent of the cedar veneer found in quality cigar tubes” and a “full bodied coffee with spice notes at the front”. The Bay Coffee Roasters Indonesian Sumatran Fairtrade Organic is also made using 100% environmentally friendly energy.

Impressing the Great Taste judges with its “gentle, sweet, spicy flavours which dance around the mouth and then come together in a balanced harmony that finishes with a sweet, slightly fermented linger”, the Indonesian Sumatran Fairtrade Organic made an impression at every stage of the blind-tasted judging process across the 90 days.

Rising to the top among hundreds of other entries from Wales, this “complex but wholly approachable” coffee was celebrated as the best tasting product in its region at the highly anticipated ceremony the culmination of Great Taste, the world's largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme, dubbed the 'Oscars' of the food & drink world and attended by food industry experts and influencers.

John Farrand, who is the MD at the Guild of Fine Food said: “Unveiling the Great Taste Golden Fork winners is a huge honour. After months of rigorous blind-tasting and judging, it is fantastic to reveal the award-winning products and celebrate the producers' hard work and innovation. It's been an exceptional year for creativity and inspirational food and drink entries. Huge congratulations from all of us at GFF to all the award winners, it really isn't easy to do what you do - I have the utmost admiration for you all. And thank you to everyone who was involved in Great Taste 2022.”   

For more information on Bay Tree Roasters, you can visit them here: https://www.baycoffeeroasters.com

The Great Taste Golden Fork from Wales was sponsored by Food and Drink Wales. Also nominated this year were the Great Taste 3-star Espresso Martini Ice Cream by Mario's Luxury Dairy Ice Cream from Carmarthenshire and the Curried Goat Pattis from Tasty Bites @ Ionas Kitchen which is based in Gwent.

Get Britain Cooking: Cookable Launches a New Way to Learn to Cook

Cookable is on a special mission to Get Britain Cooking, and make learning to cook more accessible to more people.  The company has launched a 4 week course - Cooking Essentials - that is affordable, accessible, and effective -  bringing new learning opportunities to millions more people.

Cooking good food more often at home has never been more important.  Knowing how to cook will: 

Reduce food bills 

Reduce reliance on take outs/convenience 

Improve diet and health

Cooking Essentials is a dedicated 4 week online course.  It's designed for everyday home-cooks, it teaches how to cook quicker, healthier, and more affordable meals.  Crucially, it ticks all the boxes:

Effective: All the teaching is live and interactive, taken from your kitchen - the best way to learn.  

Flexible: Each weekly class is run multiple times through the week.  Every student can choose what time suits them best.  (Choices are weekday evenings and Sunday afternoons)

Affordable: The course - with the 4 live & interactive classes, plus the additional resources of recipes, how-to's and guides - sells for £50.

Cooking Essentials is for everyone: 

Anyone who wants to learn the basics, and cook more often at home 

Anyone who wants to rely less on take-outs and convenience meals 

Anyone who wants to feel confident, and conquer their kitchen 

Launched this summer, 2022, Cookable was born out of a lack of learning opportunities when it comes to cooking.  The company's flagship course Cooking Essentials - and the entire business model - is designed to make a significant difference to Britain's cooking ability: 

Scalable: Cookable's business model can scale to whatever the demand from the British public.  Allowing us to make a tangible improvement to our country's cooking habits. 

Effective: Live and interactive teaching is the best, most effective way to learn. 

Accessible: The course is at an affordable price point, and runs in a flexible format - taking classes from home, and at a time that suits the student.   

Jack Deane, founder said: “Particularly in our cost of living crisis, knowing how to cook is more important than ever.  Cookable is here to give everyone the chance to learn.  We're ready to bring our cooking course to anyone who wants it, and we're working with charities and educational bodies to bring it to those who need it most.  Let's Get Britain Cooking and reduce our bills, waste less food - and have more fun whilst we do it!”

https://cookable.co.uk.

That's Christmas: Planning ahead for a fantastic Christmas this year

That's Christmas: Planning ahead for a fantastic Christmas this year: Everyone will probably be feeling the pinch this year as we head toward Christmas. So how can you make sure that you, you family and your fr...

Aimia Foods Spice Up Their Range of 1883 Syrups With Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread and Cinnamon

This is an amazing and ideal option for baristas and foodservice operators who want to create top quality, seasonal beverages, 1883 Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread and Cinnamon syrups can be used to transform standard beverages into a seasonal, limited-edition options.

As Karen Green, Marketing Manager at Aimia Foods, enthused: “Consumers love to get into the spirit of the season, particularly as we approach Halloween and Christmas when customers crave the taste of exotic, wintery spices.

By adding a shot of 1883 Cinnamon syrup, baristas can satisfy this demand, transforming a standard latte, cappuccino or hot chocolate into a wintery delight, one that packs a spicy and sweet punch and can be charged for at a premium, especially when served in an aesthetic way.

With all the aromas and irresistible taste of a classic gingerbread recipe, 1883 Gingerbread syrup can be used in the same way, with subtle notes of cinnamon and ginger powering through, making it an ideal addition to many hot beverages.

Particularly popular in the run-up to Halloween, Pumpkin Spice 1883 syrup captures all the intensity of pumpkin, enhanced by notes of cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg, making it an ideal option for baristas that want to share a slice of the profit opportunity that pumpkin spiced lattes have to offer.”

Steeped in history, every 1883 syrup has been expertly crafted since 1883 and are always made with the finest ingredients available including pure cane sugar and water from the French Alps in which surround 1883's home. What's more, the natural properties of 1883 syrups ensure consistent quality without the need for any preservatives.

Due to the impressive high concentration of 1883 syrups, a bottle has an extremely good yield compared to competitor syrups, with just 8ml per pump. 

How to put this into perspective? From a single 1 litre bottle of Pumpkin Spice syrup, baristas can create up to 125 pumpkin spice hot drinks or 63 cold drinks based on an 8oz cup.

To find your nearest stockist, or for more information on 1883, contact Aimia Foods on 01942 4086000 or visit www.aimiafoods.com

 

Great Taste First, as Fermented Fresh Green Kampot Peppercorns Revealed as Supreme Champion of 2022

The Great Taste Supreme Champion is the highest award for taste in the world, there is only one and it's the best of the best, the highest-scoring product in the whole competition. And it was revealed last night at the Golden Forks ceremony, the culmination of Great Taste, the world's largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme, dubbed the 'Oscars' of the food & drink world and attended by food industry experts and influencers.

The small, but mighty, peppercorns packed a massive punch and impressed the judges at every stage of the blind-tasting process, earning Kadode Kampot Pepper UK the highest honour for taste. Described as “an extremely interesting product with a delicate scent of salt on the nose”, the judges enjoyed the “soft crunch of the peppercorns and the layers of flavour that started salty, then fruity then have a kick of heat”.

John Farrand, the MD at the Guild of Fine Food said: “These Kadode punchy peppercorns are probably one of our most interesting winners so far. I'm impressed, but not surprised, to see a fermented product take home the Supreme Champion trophy this year. For many years, we've seen meat, fish and cheese doing very well in Great Taste, but every year is different, palates changes, flavour fashions evolve, and we're seeing a new desire for fermented and plant-based foods. These peppercorns are both.”

“It's such an honour to celebrate the Supreme Champion. We really saw that there was noticeably more innovation and creativity in the entries this year, and ingredients - like these peppercorns - certainly captured our judges. They really do taste exceptional.”

In the final stage of the awards, 241 Great Taste 3-star award-winning products were re-judged to find this year's Supreme Champion and regional Golden Fork trophy winners.

The Fermented Fresh Green Kampot Peppercorns come from southwest Cambodia, in the shadows of the Phnom Voir mountain range in Kampot Province. They undergo a unique natural process where young peppercorns are picked from the vine before being lacto-fermented – similar to that of yogurt, kimchi or pickles, producing a dark, juicy and almost snackable peppercorn. In the final stages of production, the peppercorns are preserved in Kampot fleur de sel. Tasting notes suggest heat, fruit, and citrus, and they can be served whole or crushed.

Food writer Melissa Thompson judged the peppercorns during the Great Taste 3-star final panel process and comments “I thought they were incredible. I think pepper for so long has been maligned as this sort of 'one note flavour', which we don't pay enough attention to, but these fermented peppercorns bring out the best of the already-loved ingredient. The fruitiness, the tang, the heat, - they are really addictive. I can eat them as is, but I'd love to cook with them or just sprinkle them over some cheese. I'm really excited by this product.”

As the top scoring product, the Fermented Fresh Green Kampot Peppercorns were also awarded the Great Taste Golden Fork for Best International Food and Drink – a double whammy of a win!

For more information about this year's Supreme Champion, please visit www.kadodepepper.co.uk.

Along with the Supreme Champion, 14 Great Taste Golden Fork trophies were also awarded:

Great Taste Golden Fork for Best International Food and Drink - Kadode Kampot Pepper UK for Fermented Fresh Green Kampot Peppercorns

Great Taste Golden Fork for Charcuterie Product of the Year - Highland Charcuterie and Smoke House for Wild Highland Venison Salami with Juniper, Smoked with Peat

Great Taste Golden Fork from East Anglia – Alder Tree for Blackcurrant Ice Cream

Great Taste Golden Fork from Ireland – Scúp Gelato for Natural Yogurt

Great Taste Golden Fork from London – Jemima's Deli for Jemima's Tahini Granola

Great Taste Golden Fork from the Midlands – GCL Food Ingredients for Nduja & Honey Mezzaluna

Great Taste Golden Fork from the North of England – Mr Vikki's for Black Lime Chutney

Great Taste Golden Fork from Northern Ireland – Baronscourt Estate for Wild Sika Venison Loin

Great Taste Golden Fork from Scotland – Heather Hills Farm for Scottish Heather Comb Honey

Great Taste Golden Fork from the South East and Great Taste Startisan of the Year – Sozye for Noya Sauce - Soya Sauce Alternative

Great Taste Golden Fork from the South West and Great Taste Small Artisan Producer of the Year – The Artisan Kitchen for Blaisdon Red Plum Jam

Great Taste Golden Fork from Wales – Bay Coffee Roasters for Indonesian Sumatran Fairtrade Organic

Nigel Barden Heritage Award – Martins Meats for Dry-aged Lamb Hogget Chops

The Guild of Fine Food also awarded its annual Lifetime Achievement award for contribution to the food and drink industry to Stuart Gates, former managing director of Fortnum & Mason and former director of Daylesford Organic and Harrods.

So... what is Great Taste?

Recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else. All products in the line-up for judging are blind tasted: every product is removed from its packaging so it cannot be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process. This year, the judging took place over 90 days across two judging locations (Dorset and London).

Great Taste's prestigious judging panel is made up of over 500 food & drink professionals, including critics, chefs, recipe creators, buyers, retailers, journalists, broadcasters, and experts in the field. This experienced panel, each with trusted palates, have together tasted and re-judged the 3-star winning products to crown the Golden Fork trophy winners as well as the Great Taste 2022 Supreme Champion.

This year, food and drink products from 110 different countries were entered into the Great Taste accreditation scheme. Only 5,556 products – that's 39.1% of the total products entered this year – received either a Great Taste 1-, 2- or 3-star award, and of the 2,344 winning companies, 27% were based outside of the UK.

Information on where to buy the Fermented Fresh Green Kampot Peppercorns and all other 2022 winners can be found at www.greattasteawards.co.uk.

 

Final Call for Entries: World Cheese Awards 2022

Today, the Guild of Fine Food, organisers of the World Cheese Awards, would like to remind cheesemakers of the entry closing date for this year's awards; reveal more details about the World Cheese Market for trade; and announce important information for the Academy of Cheeses' Young Cheesemonger of the Year competition.

World Cheese Awards: Call for final entries

The entry closing date is Tuesday 20 September. Spaces are being quickly filled, with cheese entries coming in online from over 40 countries across the world. Cheesemakers shouldn't delay in submitting their entry forms, as the closing date will be brought forward if capacity is met.

This year will be the 34th edition of the World Cheese Awards, which is the largest 'cheese-only' event of its kind globally. The awards will be held at the International Convention Centre Wales (ICC Wales), Newport, Wednesday 2 November.

John Farrand, who is the managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, the organisers of the competition, says: “We've seen some impressive entries already this year and look forward to those yet to come. With limited entry places, we're encouraging cheesemakers to get their submissions in as soon as possible to be part of this year's World Cheese Awards.

“For anyone involved in making, buying, or selling cheese, come and see us in Wales at the World Cheese Market and explore an array of exceptional cheeses and cheese people, from around the world. We look forward to having you join us and introducing the rich food and drink culture, history, and beauty of Wales.”

World Cheese Market: Trade visitors are welcome

The awards will also play host to the World Cheese Market on Tuesday 2 November. A total of 32 stalls surrounding the judging arena will be manned by cheesemakers, affineurs and a range of cheese accessories, so that trade visitors can take in the atmosphere of the judging spectacle whilst also enjoying a valuable day out from their business connecting with other industry professionals. Award-winning cheesemakers exhibiting at the market will include Cornish Cheese, Shepherds Purse Cheeses, Quesos Rey Silo, Quickes, Treur Kass and White Lake Cheese. For any trade wishing to attend the market, please visit: gff.co.uk/world-cheese-market-2022/ to book your free trade tickets.

Young Cheesemonger of the Year 2022 – Run by the Academy of Cheese, the Young Cheesemonger of the Year competition will take place at this year's World Cheese Awards in Wales. An innovative contest to find the brightest, freshest talent in the world of cheese retail. The competition has been established to celebrate rising talent, promote cheese knowledge, and provide career development opportunities within the industry.

Tracey Colley, director of the Academy of Cheese, comments “The Academy are thrilled to once again support the search for Young Cheesemonger of the Year. It's an award that is completely aligned to the Academy's ethos of championing skills and knowledge within the industry. I hope that in years to come, many more young cheesemongers will develop their passion for the sector through our accreditation programme. Previous contestants have gone onto great jobs in the cheese industry, including Senior Buyer, Head Cheesemaker and Cheese Grader”.

Free to enter, the competition is open to any cheesemonger under the age of 30, with applicants being asked initially to provide a short biography and submit recommendations for their perfect cheeseboard. Shortlisted entrants will be invited to attend the World Cheese Awards in Wales and compete against their peers across four testing rounds. The rounds will comprise of delivery of the rationale behind their cheeseboard selection; demonstration of their “cut and wrap” skills; a cheese identification round, and the final round - MasterRind - a quiz about cheeses from around the world. Sure to be a highlight of the competition, MasterRind will be hosted by Justin Tunstall, an award-winning cheesemonger-turned cheese judge, consultant, and food champion.

The winner of the award will be announced at the World Cheese Awards dinner on Wednesday 2 November. Full details of this, along with the application form, can be found on the Academy of Cheese's website: academyofcheese.org/young-cheesemonger-of-the-year/

As well as a bright future and the coveted title of Young Cheesemonger of the Year 2022, the winner will receive a trophy and will also be invited to judge at the World Cheese Awards 2023. International contestants are welcome, and all entries are to be submitted by Friday 9 September.

Keep up to date on socials: @guildoffinefood #WorldCheeseAwards

Scottish Heather Comb Honey Wins Great Taste Golden Fork Award for Scotland

Following a somewhat staggering and record-breaking 14,205 food and drink entries from 110 countries across the world, Great Taste, the world's largest food and drink accreditation scheme based entirely on taste, has reached its grand finale for 2022.

Announced last night at the Great Taste Golden Forks ceremony held at Southwark Cathedral, the Great Taste Golden Fork trophy for Scotland has been awarded to Heather Hills Farm from Perth and Kinross for its Scottish Heather Comb Honey, described as having “a wonderful deep rich caramel edge that lingers on the palate beautifully” and suggesting flavours of “lavender and subtle fruit alongside pure heather loveliness”.

The Scottish Heather Comb Honey is only available in limited supply after each heather honey harvest season which occurs at the end of November of each year.

You can find Scottish Heather Comb Honey here http://www.heatherhills.co.uk.

Impressing the Great Taste judges with its “rich golden colour, and remarkably floral aroma with the character of sweet alyssum”, the Scottish Heather Comb Honey made an impression at every stage of the blind-tasted judging process across the 90 days.

Rising to the top among hundreds of other entries from Scotland, this “delightful, rich and pleasing” Comb Honey was celebrated as the best tasting product in its region at the highly anticipated ceremony – the culmination of Great Taste – the largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme on the planet - dubbed the 'Oscars' of the food & drink world and attended by food industry experts and influencers.

John Farrand, managing director at the Guild of Fine Food comments: “Unveiling the Great Taste Golden Fork winners is a huge honour. After months of rigorous blind-tasting and judging, it is fantastic to reveal the award-winning products and celebrate the producers' hard work and innovation. It's been an exceptional year for creativity and inspirational food and drink entries. Huge congratulations from all of us at GFF to all the award winners, it really isn't easy to do what you do - I have the utmost admiration for you all. And thank you to everyone who was involved in Great Taste 2022.”   

The Great Taste Golden Fork from Scotland was sponsored by Scotland Food & Drink. Also nominated this year were the Great Taste 3-star Orkney Akvavit from Orkney Gin Company based in the Orkney Islands and Scotch Reserve Pure Royal Filet from St James Smokehouse based in Dumfries and Galloway.

What is Great Taste? 

Recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else. All products in the line-up for judging are blind tasted: every product is removed from its packaging so it cannot be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process. This year, the judging took place over 90 days across two judging locations (Dorset and London).

Great Taste's prestigious judging panel is made up of over 500 food & drink professionals, including critics, chefs, recipe creators, buyers, retailers, journalists, broadcasters, and experts in the field. This experienced panel, each with trusted palates, have together tasted and re-judged the 3-star winning products to crown the Golden Forks trophy winners as well as the Great Taste 2022 Supreme Champion.

This year, food and drink products from 110 different countries were entered into the Great Taste accreditation scheme. Only 5,556 products – that's 39.1% of the total products entered this year – received either a Great Taste 1-, 2- or 3-star award, and of the 2,344 winning companies, 27% are based outside of the UK. 

The full list of this year's winners can be found at www.greattasteawards.co.uk and a wide range of the award-winning products are available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets.

Keep up to date on socials: @guildoffinefood #ISpyGreatTaste

Visit – https://gff.co.uk.

Eat Real Snacks Extends Hummus Chips Range With the Launch of New Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar Flavour

Highly-popular and award-winning snacks brand, Eat Real, is aiming at increasing and broadening its appeal to a wider snacking audience of foodies, food lovers and flavour explorers by launching its brand-new flavour, Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar.

Following the growing movement toward healthier yet still delicious plant-based snacking options, the snack brand intends to accelerate its growth, yet still keeping its pioneering roots at the forefront, through its big bold flavours and 'better for you' credentials.

As with all Eat Real products, Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar is vegan in addition to being free from gluten, artificial colours, flavours and ingredients, and containing 30% less fat than regular potato chips.  

The new flavour, currently available as part of the Hummus Chip range, joins other hero flavours including Tomato & Basil and Salted.

The launch coincides with Eat Real's rebrand, that not only reveals new pack designs across the full range but also the revamp of its Hummus Chips selection. Now, five of the Hummus Chips flavours are HFSS compliant thanks to a reduction of their salt content by more than 50%.

Says Eat Real Marketing Director, Helen Pomphrey: “Eat Real has become pioneers in better-for-you thanks to its unusual ingredients layered with bold, unexpected flavours inspired by the combinations you find in your own cooking.  

"Balancing the moreish taste of sea salt with the sweetness of balsamic vinegar, the Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar offers a new Eat Real snacking choice that provides maximum snacking satisfaction.

"We've found that Eat Real's flavours are a key driver to consumer purchase, as more people are opting for delicious, yet healthier alternatives.” 

 Eat Real's new packs will be available nationally at stockists including Sainsbury's from September and other retailers including Tesco from October 2022.

Grab bags, Hummus (45g), RRP £1.20. Sharing bags, Hummus (135g), RRP £2.00. 

https://www.eatreal.co.uk.

Warm up the colder evenings with Shwen Shwen Hot Sauces

With Shwen Shwen Sauces you can give a spicy boost to the autumn and colder evenings with some hot chilli sauces from Shwen Shwen.

They are the perfect accompaniment to fish and meat dishes. It's said that once you've tried them, you'll want to add them to very nearly everything!

The Shwen Shwen Hot Sauces are crafted in Kent by chef Maria Bradford. 

Having grown up in Sierra Leone, Maria takes flavour influences from her homeland and incorporates them into her private dining catering business and her range of products. With the heat of scotch bonnet chillies as a base, these sauces are sure to add fire and flavour to any dish.

Shwen Shwen Hot Sauces - £4.00 per 300g jar

Salone Spark - Fire and flavour dance together in this jar, paying homage to Sierra Leone's immensely loved ingredient: chillies.

Salone Fire - Fire and bite in one jar. Flavour that's seriously off the heat scale.

Chef's Tips

Maria recommends mixing her delicious hot sauces with mayo as a dip for chips or crudites, adding to grilled vegetables, spicing up a grilled cheese sandwich, or a versatile condiment for savoury foods.

For those who already have a taste for the hot stuff, a Chilli Sauce Gift Box is a sure way to their heart. Featuring a gorgeous gift box filled with 6 jars of the two best-selling chilli sauces, Salone Spark and Salone Fire.

For further information about the Shwen Shwen products visit www.shwenshwen.com or follow @shwenshwenbymaria

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That's Books and Entertainment: Stepping Into My Shoes

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Babingtons Blends Forest Fruits Tea Is a Fantastic Immune Booster

Babingtons Blends Forest Fruits is a refreshing and healthy herbal tea blend, prepared by mixing strong, fruity flavours of apples, blackberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and strawberries together.

As Autumn comes ever closer and we need to keep our immune system tuned up, this speciality blend is perfectly balanced by the floral hints of elderflower and hibiscus, making it not too sweet.

Beneficial properties: refreshing, purifying and anti inflammatory, filled with antioxidants and helpful vitamins (A,B and C),

Since 1893, Babingtons Tea Rooms which sit at the foot of Rome's iconic Spanish Steps, has been serving fine teas to the world's most discerning tea connoisseurs. That's nearly 130 years of service, so far.

All Babingtons Blends teas are sustainably sourced, hand blended and are 100% natural with no artificial colourings or flavourings. All packaging is biodegradable.

Tea Formats

Pyramids (x 18) from £7.99, Pouches (Loose leaf) from £6.99, Caddies (Loose Leaf) from £11.99, Caddies (Tea Bags) from £12.99

www.babingtonsblends.com

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Organic September

Back in the mid 1970s I was a young foundry technician and an aspiring writer. 

I became interested in the idea of organic vegetable gardening so I requested a patch of unused land in my parent's back garden and decided to grow vegetables using organic fertiliser.

Organic fertilisers were not commonly available then, at least not in the small market town we lived in, but eventually I found a local hardware shop (managed by a very large cat who sat on the counter and who demanded fusses by way of payment) which was selling liquid organic seaweed-based fertiliser and I began to use that to fertilise the vegetables that I had planted. Beans and peas were amongst the two main crops that I first planted.

My mother was very encouraging but my father teased me in good fun about me being a hippy for growing crops organically. but after seeing how well the crops were doing and how good they tasted after they were harvested, he was brought round to the viewpoint that organic was better.

Now, 45 years later, we are participating in Organic September.

Organic fertilisers are now pretty mainstream and although the cat and her pet humans retired long ago, organic fertilisers are readily available, now. In fact the Maxicrop Seaweed fertiliser I used all those years ago is still available. You can buy it on Amazon and at garden centres or visit them at https://www.solabiol.com/en/maxicrop-uk.

But if you don't have the space, time or the ability to grow your own crops using organic methods, buying organic foods to eat is now even easier than it ever has ever been.

From large supermarket chains to speciality farm shops to corner and convenience shops, everyone seems to have some organic food and drinks that are on their shelves.

Organic milks, cheeses, meats, vegan alternatives, coffee, tea, beers, wines, spirits, confectionary, breakfast cereals, vegetables, breads etc, etc, all are available.

And many restaurants, pubs and hotels are striving to offer organic food and drink to their customers.

Over the next month That's Food and Drink, with the assistance of our friends in the organic food PR profession, will be featuring organic produce as part of Organic September. 

That's Food and Drink would like to thank Alexa at Pixabay for the image used to illustrate this feature.

(Alexas_Fotos at Pixaby)