Devon Hampers and Salcombe Distilling Co. Combine Forces

Devon Hampers and Salcombe Distilling Co.  have joined forces in an exciting new collaboration between the two top West Country businesses.  

Devon Hampers will provide fulfilment for Salcombe Distilling Co.'s corporate and wholesale customers, supplying, packing and distributing its wonderful hampers.  

Salcombe Distilling Co. is behind the multi-award winning brands Salcombe Gin and New London Light, with their exceptional and exceptionally popular products distilled and crafted at their waterside distillery on Island Street, Salcombe. 

Devon Hampers already operates a thriving online hamper business. Launched back in 2014 by Adam Fox-Edwards, a former RAF Squadron Leader, the company has delivered over 200,000 hampers and its client list includes Lloyds Bank, St James' Place Wealth Management and Chanel.

In 2020, Devon Hampers moved to new premises at Lifton, where the 10,000 sq ft warehouse has dramatically increased capacity.  

It can now offer a comprehensive service for fulfilment from a single logistics centre including for fresh produce, and with its ability to leverage its purchasing power, it can offer very competitive fulfilment rates.

Adam Fox-Edwards explains: “We're delighted to work with Salcombe Distilling Co. enabling them to enhance their customer offering and significantly boost sales.  

"We hold the same values and have the same passion for the best of Devon and want to share it with the rest of the UK.  The taste and quality of Salcombe Gin coupled with our reputation for first class delivery at Devon Hampers means we are well matched partners.  

"We're really pleased to add such a prestigious company to our growing list of fulfilment customers and are looking forward to working with Salcombe Distilling Co.'s team to facilitate the growth of this element of their business.”

Salcombe Distilling Co.'s, co-founder, Howard Davies adds: “Our beautiful Salcombe Gin hampers are one of the most coveted luxury gifts during the festive season, so we wanted to ensure a local Devon-based company was also benefiting from the desirability of these products. We're thrilled to work with Devon Hampers as both our fulfilment partner and a valued retailer, their experience and passion for local products is highly admirable.”

Devon Hampers will undertake all the steps from receiving orders to placing the finished hampers in the hands of customers, significantly reducing the workload of businesses like Salcombe Distilling Co. who are extremely busy with high customer demand for their beautiful gins and gift sets in the run up to Christmas.

Mr Fox-Edwards, said: “A significant increase in e-commerce orders for bulky items can provide a challenge to craft producers including warehousing and shipping, we can handle a large number of orders within a very short time, supporting businesses so that they can continue to grow.”

Devon Hampers already provides fulfilment for fast growing food and drink producers including Floreat - low alcohol, botanical wine and Flapjackery - a west Devon-based business that specialises in flapjacks.

The following Salcombe Gin hampers are available and can be found at www.devonhampers.com;

Salcombe Gin 'Start Point' Hamper

1 x 70cl Salcombe Gin 'Start Point', Indian tonic, glassware, Salcombe Gin jute bag and branded copper tongs

Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie' Hamper

1x 70cl 'Rosé Sainte Marie', Indian tonic, glassware, Salcombe Gin jute bag and branded copper tongs

Salcombe Gin Voyager Series Hamper  

1 x 50cl Salcombe Gin Voyager Series 'Daring', Indian tonic, glassware, Salcombe Gin jute bag and branded copper tongs

For further information about Salcombe Distilling Co., Salcombe Gin and New London Light visit salcombedistilling.com and to stay up to date follow salcombegin and newlondonlight on Instagram.  For further information about Devon Hampers, visit devonhampers.com and follow on Instagram at thedevonhampers.

Are your food and drink products disabled and elderly friendly?

I am not disabled nor particularly elderly, but I was faced this morning with a rather problematic carton of very delicious oat milk. 

I sighed when I realised I was faced with a pull tab. A pull tab which was difficult to access and hard to open without the milk spilling out all over the place. 

This set me to thinking. If it was difficult for me, how much harder must it be for people who face physical limitations, are suffering from rheumatism or arthritis, etc.

 It doesn't matter the high quality of the food or drink that your are supplying to your customers, if you haven't made an effort to ensure that all your customers can easily access or serve your products, then that's very unfair on your disabled and elderly customers, isn't it? 

Easy-to-open pull cans are the absolute devil to open if you are disabled, have arthritis, rheumatism, etc. So calling them easy-to-open is somewhat of an oxymoron. 

Returning to milk cartons, if some dairies and vegan dairies can use easy to open cartons, why can't they all do this? 

Sometimes those pull tab milk cartons don't open because the pull tab breaks off, leaving the milky contents unavailable unless the poor consumer has to take a pair of scissors or a potentially dangerous sharp knife to attempt to hack their way into the carton.

I think it would be helpful if food and drink manufacturers liaised with carton, bottle, tin and food container manufacturers to make certain that the food containers they use for their products are easy to access for all of their customers. 

There are organisations that you could reach out to for potential help to make sure that your food and drink containers are disabled friendly.

I believe you owe it to your customers to make your products easily accessible to all.

https://www.humanity-inclusion.org.uk

https://www.gov.uk/rights-disabled-person

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk

https://app.croneri.co.uk/topics/disability-access/indepth

(Image courtesy of Licht-aus and Pixabay)

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Sandford Orchards Celebrates 20th Anniversary of 'Hobby Turned Business Success'

Back in 2002 Barny Butterfield began making cider in a shed. 

Two decades later and Barry is Chief Cidermaker and owner of Sandford Orchards, a business which skilfully produces over 7 million pints of cider annually. However, it still retains Barny's original vision, to produce the best tasting cider whilst making sure it's 'done right'.

Says Barny: “ In the beginning, cider making was really just my hobby but one I seemed to have some talent for. It was also something that I was incredibly passionate about, right from the outset.

However, eventually, it was clear either my hobby or my day job needed to go, and I made the decision to put all my efforts into Sandford Orchards. 

"And it's a decision I've never regretted. I feel incredibly lucky to have been able to create such a successful business doing something I truly enjoy.”

In the early years, business growth was slow, as Barny navigated a steep learning curve with limited staff (mostly family and friends paid with cider!) and equipment. 

But producing top quality cider was always his aim and focus and in 2010 he won CAMRA Champion Cider of Great Britain. 

This threw Sandford Orchards into the spotlight and this recognition gave Barny the confidence to invest in and expand his business. 

The next step was to buy the Cider Works in Crediton, Devon, and bring it back to life as the country's oldest working cider mill. 

This enabled Sandford Orchards to increase capacity and establish itself as a serious player in the cider industry. Growth continued at a steady pace and then at the end of 2019, they made the strategic decision to invest heavily in a full rebrand. 

Alongside this, they expanded their packaging capability by setting up their own canning line, replacing their bottling line with brand new state of the art machinery and increasing automation in their kegging line. 

Barny explains: “The last few years have seen the most rapid growth for our business. Having invested over £1.2 million in 2020 on our rebrand and new equipment, we can now produce 3,500 cans per hour and 6,000 bottles, so that we can supply more of our great tasting cider to more people. 

"This means that, as well as being available in pubs, hospitality venues, off licences and independent shops, our cider has also now made it onto the shelves of high street retailers including Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Aldi, Spar  and The Co-op.”

Although the business, in some ways, has grown beyond all recognition from its humble origins in a lean-to on the farm, it still shares his original vision to create fantastic authentic cider.

Over the years, Sandford Orchards' cider has scooped a veritable host of national and international awards all confirming they are continuing to produce some of the best cider available. 

But Barny isn't one to rest on his laurels and he wants to ensure generations to come can continue to enjoy tasty, award-winning cider, which is why he is working hard to protect orchards for the future and encourage the next cohort of real cider makers.

Barny elaborates: “They've been making real cider in the UK for over 2,000 years and I want to make sure that tradition continues. Recently, we've been working with Bristol University to map the DNA of ancient apple trees in our orchards, so we can identify vulnerable and unique varieties and protect them for the future. 

"We also want to encourage the next batch of cider makers and have instigated The Sandford Orchards Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards, which offer aspiring cider makers advice, guidance and guaranteed listings in the on and off trade.”

Meanwhile, Sandford Orchards continues to grow at the fastest pace in its entire 20 year history. 

Barny adds: “We are proud to still be an independent, family-owned business and we are in a really healthy place that allows us to reinvest in the business and our staff. We still press and ferment whole juice from the finest apples and age it to perfection to create fabulous cider. 

"Our continued growth simply means more people get to enjoy it and that is exactly why I started making cider twenty years ago.”

For further information on Sandford Orchards please visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk.

Follow Sandford Orchards on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. 

That's Food and Drink would like to point out that Sandford Orchards ciders will make an excellent purchase for your Christmas drinks cabinet. In fact, I feel that there's a shopping trip to our nearest Morrison's coming up, soon!

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Mandira's Kitchen operates holiday hunger scheme for "food poor" families

Mandira's Kitchen has a holiday hunger scheme and donates 500 meals to families experiencing food poverty. 

Mandira's Kitchen said: "We also sell vouchers so our customers can contribute to the scheme and other local companies have donated extra like chocolate bars and fruit."

Customers can purchase vouchers here https://www.mandiraskitchen.com/products/holiday-hunger-voucher?_pos=1&_sid=3595cfcfb&_ss=r.

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Sainsbury’s aims to help feed over half a million pregnant women and children as cost-of-living rises

Sainsbury’s has taken the decision to reintroduce its £2 top up coupons to accompany the Government funded NHS Healthy Start scheme every week over the next 6 months in England.

Eligible customers will automatically receive a £2 printed coupon at Sainsbury’s check out whenever they use their Healthy Start card.

The coupon is valid when purchasing fresh, frozen and tinned fruit and vegetables, helping families to access affordable, nutritious food.

Sainsbury’s has announced it will once again top up the Government funded NHS Healthy Start scheme by £2 a move that could help feed more than 500,000 pregnant women and children in need of support over the coming months.

The retailer will provide a £2 coupon weekly over the next six months to customers using a Healthy Start card in Sainsbury’s, until Tuesday 11th April 2023.

The NHS Healthy Start scheme helps encourage a healthy diet for pregnant women, babies and young children under four from low-income households. Customers in England who use a Healthy Start card when shopping at Sainsbury’s automatically receive a printed coupon worth £2 to use towards fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables during their next shop.

Sainsbury’s first introduced the £2 top-up coupon in 2021, helping families during February half term and beyond. The coupon was then reintroduced throughout the winter to provide extra help to those who may be struggling over the Christmas period.

The additional £2 coupon was found to have a significant change on customer eating habits. Analysis by Leeds Institute for Data Analytics, in partnership with IGD, revealed that as a result of offering the top-up coupon, the number of fruit and vegetable portions purchased per customer significantly increased year on year. Sainsbury’s customers redeeming an NHS Healthy Start scheme top-up coupon purchased 13 more portions of fruit and vegetables per basket compared to those that didn’t, allowing low-income families to have access to nutritious food.

Sainsbury’s is also working with The Bread and Butter Thing, a community led network of food clubs across the North of England. It benefited from a Sainsbury’s Helping Everyone Eat Better Community Grant to develop an engagement programme focusing on increasing the uptake of the NHS Healthy Start scheme amongst low-income communities. 

With the funding, The Bread and Butter Thing is working hard to make sure that those who are eligible, in the North of England, are signed up to the NHS Healthy Start scheme, helping families to access the options available to them.

Ruth Cranston, who is Sainsbury's Director of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability said, “We know that times are tough for millions of families across the country, and that the rising cost-of-living is causing uncertainty for many of our customers, so today we’ve announced that we’ll be topping up the Government funded NHS Healthy Start scheme by £2 for the third time. 

"As part of our brand promise Helping Everyone Eat Better, we believe that everyone deserves to eat well, and the cost of healthy food shouldn’t be a barrier to this. We hope this additional support will ensure that good, quality food is accessible for everyone.”

The step is the latest in a string of initiatives Sainsbury’s has introduced to ensure that its customers are eating more fruit and vegetables. Throughout the summer, Nectar’s ‘Great fruit & veg challenge’, ran for its third consecutive year with over half a million customers taking part and a whopping 89 million portions of fruit and vegetables purchased. The digital challenge offers Nectar customers incentives to purchase more portions of fruit and vegetables, as well as encouraging them to add more variety to their intake, whilst earning extra points.

With costs going up, Sainsbury’s points out that it is also working hard to keep prices as low as it possibly can.

It's committed to invest £500 million by March 2023 in value, ensuring the products its customers buy most to feed their families are affordable. 

Customers can find low prices through popular campaigns including Sainsbury’s Quality, Aldi Price Match, which currently includes the top 20 products customers buy most often and fruit and vegetable favourites such as cauliflower, strawberries, bananas and carrots.

Coupons are printed in superstores and not convenience stores. But coupons can be redeemed in both superstores and convenience stores.

New 5Select TV Show Fix or Fail Features Budding Entrepreneur's Wine Packaging

New 5Select TV Show Fix or Fail Features Budding Entrepreneur's Wine Packaging

Packamama

60% of British start-ups fail within the first three years. Thanks, in part, to the advice and investment from mentor and investor Ryan Howsam, entrepreneur Santiago Navarro, CEO of then Garçon Wines and now Packamama, is one such example of a start-up leader who has avoided that dreadful fate. 

Within five years, Santiago has taken his fledgling business, rooted in his eco-flat wine bottle innovation, from concept stage to revenue generating and on to multinational success. With more than two million bottles ordered to date, despite the strong headwinds of a global pandemic, the innovation is now taking the industry by storm. Part of this journey has been covered in the TV show Fix Or Fail, to be broadcast on Thursday 20 October 2022 at 8pm on 5Select – then available on My5.

The beginning:

Santiago started the filming process with Ryan Howsam and his team on Fix Or Fail soon after his novel wine bottle innovation, that underpinned the idea for a wine through the letterbox discovery club, had been seen on Pop Up Start Up (CNBC International) in 2017. Aside from generating significant interest from UK wine lovers, the slimline, lightweight bottles caught the eye of significant players in the alcohol industry.

Contrary to the initial concept of a direct-to-consumer UK wine club, Ryan's first piece of advice on Fix Or Fail was to leverage the innovation's larger opportunity by focusing instead on selling it to other businesses.

Furthermore, under Ryan's mentorship the bottle designs were refined, production brought to the UK, 284 design patents across 35 countries were registered for flat bottle shapes, the bottle weight reduced even further to 63g, and pricing evolved. His advice not only led to business growth but also to having a far greater impact in tackling a wider industry packaging problem; round, glass wine bottles are the single largest contributor to wine's carbon footprint due to their heavy weight and spatial inefficiency.

How it's going:

Thanks to Ryan's advice to focus on the largest 27 billion bottle market opportunity internationally and sell the packaging to other wineries, Garçon Wines, as it was known at the time of filming Fix Or Fail, spun off the flat bottle packaging into a new business under the name Packamama. In addition to flat-packing, the bottles are made from 100% recycled PET. 

Packamama has secured an impressive roster of wine company customers to use their bottles including Accolade Wines, the UK's no.1 wine company, Moët Hennessy's Château Galoupet, Miguel Torres Chile, and Taylors Wines of Australia. Last month, Packamama surpassed the two millionth bottle ordered having smashed through the previous milestone reached in February of one million bottles – doubling volume in just seven months.

Additionally, Ryan's strategic advice from granular insights have enabled the creation of two business lines. Packamama will continue to address the wine and wider drinks packaging market. Garçon Wines will now evolve and soon relaunch as a sustainable, direct-to-consumer wine brand owner with scope to reinvigorate the initial wine through the letterbox discovery club idea featured in both TV shows.

Santiago Navarro, CEO & founder of Packamama, said “I am deeply grateful to Ryan Howsam for his support in the form of much-needed direction and investment. Fix Or Fail provides an insightful glimpse into the challenges faced by budding entrepreneurs like me. When one's business is their brainchild, then they can benefit significantly from the sage advice of a seasoned businessman like Ryan. We are never free from the risk of failure – no business is – but we have definitely been fixed in the right direction towards a course of multinational growth and success thanks to Ryan's pragmatic mentorship.”

Fix Or Fail on 5Select (Freeview 55) 

Maldon Salt Beetroot Cured Salmon

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: no cook, 3 days curing time | Serves: 6 people 

Ingredients:

• 1x side of Salmon (approximately 800g)

• 3 large raw beetroot, peeled and roughly chopped

• Zest of 1 orange

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 3 juniper berries 

• Handful of dill, roughly chopped 

• 6 tbsp Maldon salt 

• 1 tbsp horseradish sauce

• 200g golden caster sugar 

Method:

1. In a food processor blitz together the beetroot, orange zest, lemon zest and juniper berries. Pulse until it resembles a smooth paste. Tip into a large bowl and then mix with the dill, Maldon Salt, horseradish sauce, and golden caster sugar. 

2. Place the salmon, flesh side up, in a baking dish which comfortably fits it, and then spoon and press the beetroot cure on to the fish. Press and pack it in firmly and make sure it is covered all over. Then tightly wrap the tray in cling film and place in the fridge for 2 – 3 days. 

3. Once a couple of days have passed and it’s time to serve the salmon, remove it from the fridge and wash the cure off. Then place on a board and use a sharp knife to thinly slice. Serve the salmon with the fennel salad, lemon wedges, slices of soda bread and caper berries. 

This will be an excellent dish for Christmas feasting, we feel.

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New spooky apples and cheese at Morrisons

Morrisons has launched new red flesh Kissabel Apples and a Nightmare on Market Street Cheddar Cheese to help customers get in the spooky Halloween spirit.

Costing 99p for a pack of three, customers who bite into the limited-edition apples will reveal its hidden blood-red colour. 

The apples have a natural red flesh, all natural, no scary food colourings,  makes them the go-to healthy snack for Halloween. 

For half-term fun with the kids, the red fleshed apples can be used in traditional Halloween games, apple bobbing and apple on a string. 

Customers can also turn the Kissabel Apples into a creepy toffee apple sweet treat, or within a Halloween party punch or salad. 

The new freaky red flesh Kissabel Apples can also be paired with Morrisons scary cheese to create spooky, yet delicious, Halloween party cheese boards.

Costing £1.35 per 100g, the terrifying Nightmare on Market Street Cheddar Cheese is blended with Chilli Jam and Smoky Chipotle, a tasty combination without the overpowering heat. The new addition can be found on the deli counter alongside Morrisons variety of other cheeses, from ghoulish Goats Cheese and spooky Stilton, to beastly Brie and much more besides.

Fi Mitchell, Seasonal Trade Planner at Morrisons, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome two new spooky additions to our Halloween range. The Nightmare on Market Street Cheddar Cheese and the Kissabel Apples pair perfectly together on cheese boards or can be enjoyed on their own. Both are sure to be crowd pleasers and keep everyone happy this Halloween.”

Check for local availability https://groceries.morrisons.com.

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Happy Avoween! Healthy and Tasty Halloween Recipes from the World Avocado Organization

● Balance out some of the trick-or-treat sweets with four devilishly delicious low-sugar recipes

● Dishes include ‘Mummy Toast’, a ‘Frankenstein Smoothie’, ‘Guac Brain Dip with Spooky Crackers’ and a ‘Guacamole Spiders Web’

● Perfect for Halloween parties or simply getting the kids involved in the kitchen

Photos thank you to The World Avocado Organization

With Halloween just around the corner, the spooky season is upon us. What comes to mind when we think of Halloween? Crazy costumes, pumpkin lanterns and of course, sweet treats. 

But besides the witches, ghosts and vampires, what can be a little frightening is how much sugar there is in a handful of trick-or-treat goodies. While Halloween is a day for indulgence, parents seeking to diffuse the sugar rush with some healthier options should look no further than the avocado.

With its bright green colour, unique texture and incredible versatility, the avocado lends itself fantastically to an array of tasty low-sugar Halloween recipes that both kids and adults will enjoy. What’s more, aside from their great taste, avocados are also packed with important nutrients including healthy monounsaturated fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals.

So whether you’re planning a Halloween party, or you simply want to get the kids involved in preparing some devilishly delicious and nutritious Halloween dishes, here are four fun recipe ideas from the World Avocado Organization.

About the World Avocado Organization

Mummy Toast

Children will love decorating their own mummy toast. Make it a competition:? The scariest mummy wins!

Ingredients

2 avocados, sliced into thin strips (for the ‘bandages’)

12 mini mozzarella balls

Cheese spread (e.g. cream cheese, goat cheese, mascarpone or burrata)

6 slices of bread

A handful of your favourite seeds (e.g. pumpkin, sunflower, poppy or black sesame)

Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Toast a slice of bread.

2. Spread the toast generously with your chosen cheese spread.

3. Garnish with thin strips of avocado for that terrifying mummy bandage look.

4. Place two mozzarella balls on the toast, add two seeds for the.

5. Sprinkle the toast with your seed selection, a grind of black pepper and a few grains of salt.

6. Repeat to make six spooky mummies!

Frankenstein Smoothie

This vitamin-packed smoothie recreates the monstrous Frankenstein, complete with blueberry brains.

Ingredients

2 avocados, pit and skin removed

Juice from 1 orange

Juice from 1 lemon

2 frozen bananas, cut into chunks

2 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

250ml unsweetened almond milk

2 tbsp. hemp seeds

2 handfuls of blueberries

100g dark chocolate

Equipment

Food processor or blender

2 jam jars

Method

1. Blend all the ingredients together (bar the chocolate and blueberries) until smooth, add extra almond milk if you’d like your smoothie to be thinner.

2. Next melt the chocolate (in the microwave or a bain marie) and pour it round the top of the glass to get the drippy effect as seen in the photo, add two dots for the eyes and stick a couple of blueberries to the jar.  Chill in the fridge for a few minutes.

3. Pour your smoothie mixture into the glasses, top with some blueberry brains and serve with a reusable straw.

Guac Brain Dip in a Cauliflower Bowl with Spooky Crackers

This is a super fun, simple, and safe way to get kids cooking, using seasonal cookie cutters.

Ingredients

4 multigrain tortilla wraps

2 tbsp. olive oil, or truffle oil for a more decadent version

Curry powder (or you try your own spice mixtures using paprika, cumin or za’atar)

1 small cauliflower

3 ripe avocados

½ red onion, finely diced Seasalt

Juice of 1 lime

20g coriander, finely chopped

50g coriander, roughly chopped

1 green serrano or jalapeño chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)

2 ripe tomatoes, halved, deseeded and finely chopped

Equipment

Cookie cutters (Halloween-themed if possible!)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.

2. While the oven is warming up, prepare the guacamole. Lightly salt the chopped tomatoes and place in a colander or sieve over a bowl to remove the excess juice.

3. Mash the avocados with a fork and add the onion, tomatoes, a pinch of salt, lime juice, coriander and chilli and set aside while you make the crackers.

4. Brush both sides of the tortillas with olive or truffle oil.

5. On a chopping board, use cookie cutters to cut as many shapes out of the tortillas as possible.

6. Arrange the shapes on a baking tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle them with the curry powder or the spice mix of your choosing.

7. Bake the shapes until they are crispy, ±8 minutes, though keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly.

8. Meanwhile, wash the cauliflower. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower and cut a slice from the top (opposite side of the stem) so it can stand upside down. Remove as much of the tough stem as you can to create space while keeping the head in one piece.

9. Fill the cauliflower ‘bowl’ with guacamole and serve with the tortilla crackers.

Guacamole Spiders Web

A spidery take on the classic Mexican dip. Perfect for a Halloween party!

Ingredients

3 ripe avocados

½ red onion, finely diced

Seasalt

Juice of 1 lime

20g coriander, finely chopped

50g coriander, roughly chopped

1 green serrano or jalapeño chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (optional) 4 tablespoons of soured cream

3 black olives

A pack of your favourite nachos crisps

Equipment

Cocktail stick

Method

1. First, prepare the guacamole. Mash the avocados with a fork and add the onion, a pinch of salt, lime juice, finely chopped coriander and chilli.

2. Put the guacamole in a wide shallow serving bowl and carefully pour four or five rings of soured cream starting from the inside out.

3. Using a cocktail stick, mark lines from the centre out to create a spider web effect.

4. Create a spider using the black olives, using half an olive for the head, strips to make the legs and a whole olive for the body. Place the spider on the web.

5. Decorate with the remaining coriander and serve with nachos.

About the World Avocado Organization

The World Avocado Organization is a non-profit organization founded in 2016 whose members are avocado growers, exporters and importers from around the world - including the top four grower supplier countries to the EU and UK. The World Avocado Organization promotes the consumption of avocados based on their nutritional value and recognised health benefits. It also shares information and insights with the public on avocado production, supply chains and sustainability. For more information, visit avocadofruitoflife.com.

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Beers for ears! Egham beer festival raising funds for tinnitus charity

Real ale fans will be flocking to Egham United Services Club on the weekend of 3 to 5 November not only to enjoy the real ales on offer, but to show their valuable backing and support for those who are suffering from tinnitus.

Tinnitus is an extremely debilitating condition in which people hear noises in their head and/or ears but which have no external source. There is currently no cure. 

Tinnitus impacts some affects around 10,500 adults in the borough of Runnymede alone, and one in seven nationwide. That's over 7.6 million people in the United Kingdom, alone.

Bob Inman, who his Egham United Services Club’s Social Secretary and organiser of the beer festival said: “We’re supporting the British Tinnitus Association at the suggestion of one of our committee members whose son suffers with tinnitus.”

The Beer Festival will run from Thursday 3 to Saturday 5 November, running from 10:00am until late each evening at Egham United Services Club, 111 Spring Rise, Egham TW20 9PE.

Bob went on to say: “We'll be offering a wide and eclectic range of harder-to-find ales alongside with a range of hand-picked ciders & perries, we will have a BBQ with real steak burgers, plus pies, curries and chips. We’ll also have great live music on Friday and Saturday evenings, too.”

He went on to say: “It's our 38th beer festival since we started in 2008 and we have held three every year since, apart from during lockdown, of coursed. During those 14 years we have presented cheques totalling in excess of £25,000 to a variety of good causes and we’re delighted to be raising funds this year for the BTA. 

"We have a loyal following from local real ale drinkers, plus as many regulars from much further afield from  places such as Sheffield, Sunderland, Bolton, Peterborough, Shrewsbury, Norwich and Swindon and I hope all will put their hands in their pockets to make a donation!”

The BTA’s Fundraising and Supporter Engagement Manager Sabiya Hussain commented, “We’re thrilled Egham United Services Club have chosen to raise funds for the British Tinnitus Association. 

"We really do appreciate the time and hard work that goes into running events like these. We hope everyone attending will have a great time and I'd like to say huge thanks to them for supporting the tinnitus community and the work we do. “

More details of the festival can be found at www.eghambeerfestival.co.uk or email fundraising@tinnitus.org.uk if you would like to host your own fundraising event.

(Image courtesy of Gerd Altmann and Pixabay)

Make Soup, not waste! Love pumpkins this year!

It's believed a horrifying 22 million pumpkins will go to waste this year in the UK alone.

And That's Food and Drink is backing the campaign by UK Environmental charity UKHarvest to stop food waste this Halloween.

Join their first ever “Pass the Pumpkin” Challenge at UKHarvest this month to encourage people to cook and not just carve their pumpkins this year.

Last year it was estimated a shocking 41% of pumpkins bought ended up in the bin, uneaten.

It is expected a horrifying 22 million pumpkins will go to waste this year

But it doesn't have to be like this. Because this Halloween you can help reduce this scary number.

UKHarvest have come up with a simple and fun plan to gather your friends with a pumpkin and follow their instructional video @UKHarvest on Instagram or via the link below. 

We want you to video the following messages loud and clear and share them as a story with the #passthepumpkin and @UKHarvest before cooking up something orange and delicious.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CjnMsK8INU3/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY=

We are encouraging everyone to:

“Make Soup NOT Waste”

“Cook it DON’T Carve it

“Save our seeds!”

“Boil it DON’T spoil it!”

“Mash it DON’T Smash it!”

“Don’t be shy, make pumpkin pie!”

“Support UKHarvest this Winter”

“Together we can end food waste!”

Pumpkins are cheap, nutritious and all different varieties are grown across the UK. This campaign aims to make people think twice about their food waste, and we reckon some hot pumpkin soup is just what we all need this Winter.

UKHarvest uses its fleet of refrigerated vans to collect surplus food from across the supply chain to feed those who need it most. Please show support by sharing the “Pass the Pumpkin” Challenge or text your support with a simple £5 donation to help us rescue more pumpkins to feed those who need it most. Text PUMPKIN to 70580. For more information and pumpkin recipes please visit www.ukharvest.org.

(The image used in this post is courtesy of RitaE and Pixabay) 

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Jones the Grocer, the UAE’s favourite café and gourmet grocer marks its 28th store opening this month with a Jones the Grocer Express, its gourmet quick food concept, in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Media City, Dubai.

Based within the lobby of the hotel with its own direct access and in the heart of Dubai’s Media City, Jones the Grocer Express is an eight-minute walk from Arenco DIC metro station. 

The new Jones the Grocer Express store will cater to over 20,000 media and technology professionals and is the ideal venue to grab a tasty bite or a fantastic flat white.

For those looking to dine-in, rather than grab and go, there are 17 indoor seats, with shaded outdoor seating coming soon. There is free Wi-Fi, accessible parking and plug points so tech heads can plug-in their devices and get to work whilst comfortably munching on a delightful gourmet sandwich or salad.

A barista will pour Jones’ signature roast coffee, leaf teas, hot chocolate as well as smoothies and fresh juices. Hearty and hot dishes include the spicy rooster burger and brilliant cheese toasties. There are fresh salads, wraps and sandwiches such as the Roast Chicken and Asian Chili Jam Ciabatta.  For those looking for something a tad sweet there are freshly baked pastries, cookies and muffins on display.

Specially selected retail includes nibbles such as roasted luxury nuts, crisps, biscuits, chocolates and lots more to satisfy the lunchtime munchies!

Jones the Grocer Express is open daily from 7am – 7pm, 7 days of the week. For more information, visit jonesthegrocer.com or call +971 52 527 1750.

For more information about Jones the Grocer, visit www.jonesthegrocer.com.

Duo Launch Yorkshire Spirit Brand Inspired by Brontë Heritage

A new Yorkshire spirits brand inspired by the world-famous literature of the Brontë sisters has launched
this month.

Brontë Drinks is a range of small batch spirits crafted to produce a vibrant, crisp, individual taste within a collection of gin, rum and vodkas.

Created by two West Yorkshire entrepreneurs Nigel Pickles and Andy Walker as a “pandemic passion project”, the duo purchased The Brontë Liqueur Company from its Harrogate founder, Sir James Aykroyd, and using the liqueur's base recipe of blackberry, sloes, honey and jasmine, beginning to  experiment with new flavour combinations in a range of spirits.

Haworth-based Nigel Pickles said: “We do have a passion for and appreciation of a good spirit and when the opportunity came along to purchase the heritage-based Brontë liqueur brand and stock, we saw a real opportunity to use it as a base for developing a wider range of alcoholic drinks.

“We've been working with our Yorkshire distiller and experimenting with flavours including citrus, heathers and rich botanicals to create a rich, smooth and dry gin, alongside a vanilla and nutmeg infused rum and a wild berry-based vodka. Each batch is enhanced by Haworth's own spring water.”

He added: “Authenticity is key to our range and that transfers right through to our product names which, we feel are a great reflection of Yorkshire dialect and our humour! Once we cracked the name of our “Where's Tha Bin gin,” there was no stopping us!”

Brontë Drinks' “Where's Tha Bin” gin sits alongside “Ey Up Cocker” vodka and “Ee Bah Gum” rum and are being sold into local pubs, bars, specialist retailers and direct to customers online. 

With a planned roll out into major multiples during 2023, the duo is already working on an additional range of after dinner chocolates and locally made fudge, which are also based on the original Brontë Liqueur recipe.

Co-director Andy added: “While we know there are many spirits adorning the retail aisles and online markets, we feel there is a gap for a range of spirits which celebrate the landscape and the culture of Haworth where the very essence of its rugged beauty and native ingredients filter through into a very pure, premium quality product. 

“While Brontë Drinks offers a new range of spirits to the craft drink scene, we hope the quality, the heritage and the directness of our approach will be just the tonic for gin, vodka and rum drinkers across the region and beyond.”

For more details on the brand and the range on offer visit http://brontedrinks.co.uk

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Surrey Business, Mandira's Kitchen Competes for Spot on Aldi's Shelves in new TV series

Surrey business owner Mandira Sarkar, will appear on Channel 4's 'Aldi's Next Big Thing' on Thursday 20th October.

Mandira owns and runs Mandira's Kitchen, which produces artisan Indian freezer meals. She was picked from hundreds of applicants competing for a life changing contract to stock Aldi stores nationwide. 

Hosted by Anita Rani, of Countryfile and BBC Radio 4 and Chris Bavin, of Britain's Best Home Cook and Eat Well for Less, the six-part series sees suppliers compete in categories like dinners, baked goods, treats and store cupboard essentials.

Products are presented to Julie Ashfield, who is Aldi UKs MD of buying, who deliberates on factors like price, packaging, shopper demand, and the ability to scale up, before whittling contestants down to only two.

The finalists are then given a month to deal with any feedback, before presenting improved products to Julie who decides which product will appear as a Specialbuy in over 970 Aldi branches throughout the UK.

Mandira, who launched the business as a supper club in her kitchen and now employs 16 women, says: “Food is a very emotive thing and we cook all our meals with a lot of love. Everything is made from scratch, with fresh ingredients. There are absolutely no cans or jars.

“I think it's high time people in the UK are able to easily enjoy authentic Indian food at home, and a contract with Aldi would help us realise this ambition.”

The multi-category competition is part of Aldi's ongoing commitment to use locally sourced products. Aldi has pledged to prioritise home-grown suppliers as it works towards spending an additional £3.5 billion a year with British businesses by the end of 2025.

To find out if Mandira made it on to Aldi's shelves watch Aldi's Next Big Thing on Channel 4, every Thursday at 8pm until 24th November.

You can already purchase meals from Mandira, including authentic ice cream for UK-wide delivery at her website https://www.mandiraskitchen.com.

Readers will be please to learn that Mandira and her staff already have Christmas covered for you. There are special festive foods, gift vouchers, Christmas gifts and tableware.

They can also cater for events, too, so please do get in touch with them.

 

 

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