Fridge for our conservatory

My wife and I are thinking of purchasing a fridge or a cooler unit for use in our conservatory.

Not a huge fridge, but a small to medium sized fridge that would be able to house snacks, some bottles of white and sparkling wine and also some cans and bottles of beer.

We are at the moment looking at several manufacturers and examining a number of buying options.

Should we go with Amazon, or Currys? Or perhaps check out several local high street retailers?

After all, we got a very good deal on a turntable free Sharp microwave/convection oven from a local family-owned business, so I think as trip into town over the next several days sounds like an excellent idea. 

If we go ahead with the purchase, I'll let you know how it goes.

(Image courtesy of tookapic from Pixabay)

Would you like to visit a farm?

Would you like to visit a farm? If you did, you would be able to learn more about where the food you cook and eat comes from.

And many farmers would love for you to visit their farms either in person or virtually.

LEAF (Linking Environmental And Farming) is all about brining this kind of meeting about.

LEAF have recently held an LEAF Open Farm Sunday and you will be able to have at look at their 2023 Feedback Scrapbook which details and demonstrates some of the marvellous feedback they received from both visitors and also from farmers, showing the good, positive impact of LEAF Open Farm Sunday, which took place on Sunday 11th June 2023. https://issuu.com/linking-environment-and-farming/docs/lofs_2023_feedback_scrapbook?fr=sNDk5MjYzNTEzNjU

However for people who cannot get to a farm you can also enjoy virtual farm visits and, if you are a farmer, you can learn how you can open your own farm to visitors (either in person or virtually) at the link here https://farmsunday.org/online-farm-sunday

You can get in touch with LEAF here:-

Phone:

024 7641 3911

Email:

lofs@leaf.eco 

Address:

LEAF, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, CV8 2LG.

(Image courtesy of Goran Horvat from Pixabay)

Aldi has healthy snack ideas for your summer holidays!

No summer holidays car journey is complete without some serious snacking opportunities and Aldi’s Organic Mamia range is perfect for those on-the-go bites. 

For a sweet flapjack style treat, shoppers can pick up the Oaty Bars for just £1.95 (6 pack) with a choice of Strawberry and Apple, Banana, and Carrot Cake flavours. And as there are absolutely no added salt or preservatives, these tasty bars will go down a real treat.

For a crisp style snack without added preservatives, parents can pick up the Tomato Wheels (20g, 55p) and Carrot Puffs (20g, 55p). These are more than ideal for a quick bite.

These organic snacks will make for happy tummies. Don’t forget to keep your children (and yourselves!) hydrated on long journeys without any added sugar with Aldi’s Sun Quench Fruity Blasts (8x200ml, £1.59).

Clean and Clear

Car rides can quickly get messy and when toilet stops are few and far between, parents can prepare with Aldi’s Mamia essentials. For young ones still potty training, no travel bag is complete without the award winning Mamia Ultra Fit Nappies (sizes 4-6+, from £2.99).  Or, for when sticky hands go wandering over windows, be sure to pick up the Mamia Baby Wipes (65p per pack).With 60 wipes per pack, these fragrance-free wipes are formulated for even the most sensitive of skin.

Aldi’s Travelling Checklist:

Travel Magnetic Scribbler, £6.99

Licensed Bumper Stationery Wallet, £4.49

Oaty Bars, £1.95

Tomato Wheels, 55p

Carrot Puffs, 55p

Sun Quench Fruity Blasts (8x200ml, £1.59)

Mamia Ultra Fit Nappies (sizes 4-6+, from £2.99)

Mamia Baby Wipes (65p per pack)

TOTAL: £19.76

 Aldi’s Licensed Products are available in store from 27th July, but shoppers will need to be quick as with all Specialbuys once they’re gone, they’re gone!

Sainsbury’s brings more shopping choice to Wapping with exciting new local store

Sainsbury’s has launched its newest store with the opening of Sainsbury’s Wapping Lane Local in Tower Hamlets, London. 

Open from 7am to 11pm seven days a week, the 1,658 sq. ft store has created new jobs for local people and supporting regeneration in the neighbourhood, whilst providing a much-needed boost to retail options for local people.

Customers now have the opportunity to sample Sainsbury’s latest convenience range, from fresh fruit and veg, healthy snacks and food-to-go to sweet, savoury and frozen staples. 

They'll also be able to choose from an absolutely delicious selection of freshly baked bread and pastries every day, plus pick up Argos, Habitat and Tu Clothing products ordered online via the in-store Click and Collect service. (EDITOR: I love my Tu jacket!)

Conveniently located on the corner of Wapping Lane and Green Bank, it's a mere two minutes’ walk from Wapping Rail Station.

Sainsbury’s new store is located on the ground floor of a former office building, the upper floors of which have been converted into a suite of luxury apartments by Malins Group. 

The two companies have worked closely together to ensure, like the flats above it, the new Local has been sensitively designed to stay in keeping with the local area. This included updating some of the external elements originally proposed in response to community feedback.

The colleagues making up the new store team will play an active role in the local community whilst also participating in Sainsbury’s national charitable programmes and initiatives. 

For example, through Sainsbury’s partnership with Neighbourly, the new Local will work with local food donation partners to help ensure any surplus food items from the store will go to those who need it most.

Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Property Director, said: “It’s been a real pleasure to welcome Sainsbury’s Wapping Lane Local to our estate this week. We’ve recognised the very real chance a new convenience store would represent for the local community in Wapping for some time now and we’ve really pulled out all the stops to bring our plans to life, making the most of an unique space in a fantastic redevelopment project. We’re delighted with the result and we think our customers will be too."

Jamie Buckland, Sainsbury’s Wapping Lane Local Store Manager, went on to say: “I felt privileged to join members of my team to cut the ribbon on our brand new store this week and we were thrilled to see a queue of customers patiently waiting outside before we opened. We know our neighbours have been looking forward to our arrival and we're really pleased to be able to welcome them for the first time today.”

Lauren Atkins, MD with The Malins Group, said: “It’s always a privilege to repurpose underutilised spaces and transform them into vibrant new ones. 

"The benefits of permitted development are clear at Green Bank Lofts, where the collaborative efforts of The Malins Group and Sainsbury’s have enabled a speedy transition from unused office building to 18 apartments and thriving retail space.”

Shoppers a-dough Asda's Affordable Viral Cake Shop Donuts

Social media users are raving about Asda’s affordable Cake Shop donuts, with users tagging friends and family members, sharing their excitement online. 

With a baker's dozen (13!) of utterly delicious flavours to choose from, prices start at just £1.20 for one or shoppers can mix and match, cheaper than the high-street leading donut shop.

Available in selected stores and rolling out to more, so please watch out for them.

Since the donut displays arrived in selected Asda stores, with more stores landing them later in the month, the donuts have taken centre stage on social media with countless likes, comments, shares and users tagging their friends and family members in excitement. Others have been highlighting just affordable they are, too!

Flavours include Birthday Cake Filled Donut, Rocky Road Filled Donut and Jaffa Chocolate Filled Donut and cost just £1.20 for one or mix and match any 3 for £2.50 or 6 for £4.50, the deal is a no-brainer for any true donut lovers. Social media users have been saying: “looks good and much cheaper than a Krispy Kreme,” and others saying they look nicer than the leading donut shops offering too.

Others said: “omg doughnut heaven 🍩” whilst another exclaimed: “Wow, these donuts sound like a game changer!... And at these prices, how could anyone resist a box of six? Count me in! 🍩” Others said: “Gonna be our new obsession,” “Doughnut queens unite” and “i need to try them all!”

Shoppers can’t wait to try them , with countless users tagging their friends across social media posts: “look at this! 😍 need to try them xx” and asking loved ones: “can we go to Asa plz xx”

What’s more, social media users have taken to celebrating special occasions like birthdays and weddings with donuts rather than 'ordinary' cakes. Some are even saying the Cake Shop donuts would be perfect to use for donut walls at parties.

Even more social media love for the scrummy donuts can be found here - https://www.shooglebox.com/shared-stack/Eb71MEz9FqmKpihRCnTJ/stack/1EqQAf408bd9L0xj37AN/floated

Available in selected Asda stores now, further rollouts soon. DO-NUT miss out on these!

That's Christmas: It'll be a very Merry Christmas as Asda to reward ...

That's Christmas: It'll be a very Merry Christmas as Asda to reward ...: There's good news for Asda shoppers, because Asda has announced it's introduced a new feature to its popular Asda Rewards loyalty ap...

SHORE celebrates awards

SHORE the Scottish Seaweed Company proudly announces not one but two awards at this year’s Great Taste awards, the largest and most trusted food & drink accreditation scheme in the entire UK. 

Widely regarded as the UK’s most reputable food and drink scheme, The Great Taste Awards are a highly regarded benchmark for fine food and drink, one that's dubbed the ‘Oscars’ of the food world. So it's with considerable pride that SHORE has been honoured with a total of three stars at this year’s awards.

The company’s accolades include a much coveted two-star award for their newly launched Chilli Ramen Broth, and a one-star rating for their already popular Peking Duck Seaweed Chips.

Joining the ranks of the company’s previous Great Taste winner, Sweet Sriracha Seaweed Chips, these awards further solidify SHORE’s continuous commitment to turning sustainable, local Scottish seaweed into better-for-you products that never compromise on taste. Ever!

The team are especially proud of their newly launched Chilli Ramen Broth, an innovative, plant-based Asian-themed liquid Broth crafted from all-natural ingredients, including their very own Scottish seaweed. 

It offers a healthier, more convenient way to enjoy a high-quality ramen experience at home. The judges were effusive in their praise, stating: “This is umami in a glass. An enticing, wholesome aromatic broth – umami, salty and chilli, all well balanced. A light and fresh instant ramen.”

This success marks the second triumph for their new Ramen Broths, with the Miso Ramen winning Gold at the Free From Food Awards earlier in the year.

“We're really delighted by this double win at the Great Taste Awards,” said Keith Paterson, head of SHORE. “It's a great endorsement of the quality of the SHORE products we offer, and all the hard work from the team that has gone into creating them.”

SHORE’s Ramen Broths can be found in independent stores up and down the country and online at Amazon. Their Peking Duck Seaweed Chips can also be purchased in hundreds independent stores across the country as well as selected Coops in Scotland, Holland & Barrett and Booths nationwide.

https://www.shoreseaweed.com

Top Tasting Food and Drink Products from the South East Revealed for Great Taste 2023!

Thousands of artisan food and drink producers from around the world discovered if any of their products have achieved a distinguished 1-, 2- or 3-star from Great Taste - the world's largest food and drink accreditation scheme based entirely on taste.

Across 89 judging days in Dorset and London, a group of over 500 judges conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on 14,195 entries which were submitted from a staggering 109 different countries. Each producer will also receive invaluable feedback on their submissions from an array of food experts.

Products from the South East have won not one, but an impressive 745 awards. 548 x 1-stars, 182 x 2-stars and an impressive x 15 3-stars have been scooped including the following:

Great Taste 3-star – Chestnut Smoked Coppa from Tempus Foods(only 1.8% of entries received a 3-star – “extraordinarily tasty food & drink”)

Great Taste 2-star – AmaZing Zari single variety apple juice from Charrington Fruit Farms (only 11% of entries received a 2-star – “above and beyond delicious”)

Great Taste 1-star – Sliced smoked duck breast from The Weald Smokery (28.8% of entries received a 1-star – “food & drink that delivers fantastic flavour”)

said John Farrand, MD at the Guild of Fine Food: “A huge congratulations to the producers from the South East who have been warded  Great Taste stars for 2023 with their outstanding food and drink.

“Every year, we welcome new and established producers making fantastic products around the world and this year has been no exception. The breadth and quality of food and drink has been outstanding, and we wish everyone who entered huge success and hope they find the feedback from our expert judging panel beneficial as they continue in their onward journey.”

Visit – https://gff.co.uk/  

M&S announces massive Newcastle store transformation with £13 million investment in North East

Today, M&S announced a £13 million investment in its North East stores for the coming year, with confirmation the interior of the retailer’s Northumberland Street store will be transformed in a top-to-bottom, multi-million pound redesign, offering Newcastle city centre shoppers the very best of M&S with a fresh-market style Foodhall and a new, refreshed Clothing, Home & Beauty department.

Works at the M&S Newcastle store, which has been a fixture of the city’s high street since it first opened its doors way back in 1932, will begin later this month. The redesign will be undertaken in stages so the store will be able to remain trading, serving customer as normal throughout, with the new Foodhall expected to be fully finished later this year. Improvements to the Clothing, Home & Beauty department will follow and be completed by early next year, 2024.

The news follows the announcement the retailer is set to open a brand-new, bigger M&S store at the Galleries Retail Park in Washington. The exciting new store will offer customers a bigger and better range of M&S products than ever before, with the retailer relocating from its existing Simply Food store into a 47,000 sq ft space with a new Clothing, Home & Beauty department and a bigger M&S Foodhall, almost double the size of the current store.

Construction work is already happening to bring together three previously separate units on the Galleries Retail Park to create the special new space. 

Ahead of the relocation, the existing M&S Simply Food store in Washington will stay open as normal until the new story is ready, expected to be next spring, 2024. There will be chances for all colleagues working in the current store to transfer to the new M&S Washington Galleries or other local M&S stores and M&S confirms the new store will create extra new jobs for the local community when it opens in 2024.

The £13 million announcement follows investment in the North East by M&S last year to update its store in Newcastle’s Silverlink Shopping Park and the M&S Foodhall in Gosforth.

M&S has 21 owned stores throughout the North East, spanning the region from Berwick-upon-Tweed to Teesside, supporting over 2,100 jobs in local communities, plus an additional 6 M&S stores in hospitals and travel settings including rail and fuel stations. 

This latest round of investment will enable M&S to reach even more customers in the North East, delivering the very best of M&S with the latest store designs and new in-store technology.

Helen Cowie, who is the Regional Manager for the North East at M&S, said: “M&S has been a part of local communities across the North East for well in excess 100 years, and throughout that time we’ve always been innovating to keep delivering an excellent shopping experience for our customers, be it the opening of one of our first ever Penny Bazaars in Newcastle’s famous Grainger Market in 1895, or launching our first ever shopping centre site in the country at the Metro Centre back in 1986.  

“We’re proud to have been trading from our store on Northumberland Street since 1932. Over the years we’ve undertaken plenty of refurbishments and extensions to make sure the store keeps delivering for local customers and today’s investment – as well as our plans for an exciting new store at Washington Galleries – shows that we’re as committed as ever to offering shoppers in the North East the very best of M&S.”

When noise annoys, Aldi is here to help

Aldi is trialling sensory-friendly shopping hours in selected stores. From next week until the end of October, almost 100 stores across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire will offer a quieter shopping experiences every Tuesday between 6pm and 8.30pm.

If this proves to be a success with customers, the scheme will be rolled out to all Aldi’s UK stores, with changes including stopping tannoy announcements, quieter till scan sounds, and signposting the dedicated times to all customers.

Vicky Metcalf, who is Diversity and Inclusion Director at Aldi UK, said: “Our new sensory-friendly shopping hours aim to help those who prefer a quieter shopping experience or struggle with noisy environments.

“We are committed to ensuring we are as accessible and inclusive as possible, this is both for shoppers and colleagues, and we look forward to receiving customer feedback on this trial to help inform our approach on a national level.”

Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket also recognises the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower to help support customers and colleagues with non-visible disabilities.

Colleagues at Aldi have also undergone training around hidden disabilities and the Sunflower symbol, so they can offer additional assistance to those who may require it.

People who suffer from conditions such as tinnitus, or who are on the Autistic Spectrum, could well benefit from quieter times in supermarkets. Hopefully the trial will prove a success. 

www.aldi.co.uk 

Great Taste Scotland

Thousands of artisan food and drink producers from around the world are discovering if any of their products achieved a distinguished 1-,2- or 3-star from Great Taste - the world's largest food and drink accreditation scheme entirely on taste.

Across 89 judging days in Dorset and London, a group of over 500 judges conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on 14,195 entries submitted from a staggering 109 different countries. Each producer will also receive invaluable feedback on their submissions from an array of food experts.

Scottish products have won not one, but an impressive 388 awards. 277 x 1-stars, 99 x 2-stars and 12 x 3-stars have been scooped including the following:

Great Taste 3-star – Hot Smoked Trout by East Neuk Kilnhouse (only 1.8% of entries received a 3-star – “extraordinarily tasty food & drink”)

Great Taste 2-star – Drinks Biscuits: Lancashire Cheese & Spring Onion by The Drinks Bakery (only 11% of entries received a 2-star – “above and beyond delicious”)

Great Taste 1-star – Honeyberry Jam by Jack & Jills Jam(28.8% of entries received a 1-star – “food & drink that delivers fantastic flavour”)

John Farrand, MD at the Guild of Fine Food said: “We offer an absolutely huge congratulations to the Scottish producers who were awarded Great Taste stars for 2023 with their outstanding food and drink.

“Every year, we welcome new and established producers making fantastic products around the world and this year has been no exception. The breadth and quality of food and drink has been outstanding, and we wish everyone who entered huge success and hope they find the feedback from our expert judging panel beneficial as they continue in their onward journey.”

Tesco reveals hot new trend for cooking adventurous global meals at home

Tesco, the UK’s biggest supermarket chain, has revealed sales of ingredients and meal kits for a range of global cuisines have been consistently rising over the last year, as customers look for alternatives to takeaways and learn to cook their own versions at home.

Ingredients to make familiar favourites like Indian curry are top of the charts, increasing by 33%, with items to cook a Chinese meal second, up by 32%. However it should also be noted that pan-Asian products to help make Korean, Japanese or Thai meals are also up by 15%. And Caribbean meal kits and ingredients are also high up in the charts, up 14% over the last year.

The demand for global ingredients as part of the cooking-at-home trend has been so strong Tesco has has taken the decision to extend its range of World Foods in by 35% to satisfy customer demand. The grocer has also introduced World Foods displays in 8% more stores.

To help customers looking to cook at home find great value, Tesco has launched its largest ever promotion for the category, with nearly 2,000 products offered at a 20% discount for customers with a Clubcard until August 8.

Shoppers have been stocking up on basmati rice for Indian cooking, plus record sales of Tesco chapatti flour, as customers make their own versions of the flatbread that's popular with curry.

The trend for pan-Asian cooking at home has been fuelled by increasing sales of spice pastes used to make authentic Thai cuisine, like Thai green curries, pad thai noodles and massaman curries.

Tesco customers have been experimenting more with meal kits to make themselves delicious treats like Donburi rice bowls or Yakisoba noodles from Japan, and Bibimbap, which is a delicious Korean rice dish.

Tesco has been offering inspiration to encourage its customers to continue experimenting with new global dishes, with in-aisle displays in recent months featuring Middle Eastern, Latin American, Japanese & Korean foods. The current theme highlights Caribbean food and features products from celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott.

Abigail Wilkinson, who is the Tesco Category Buying Manager for cooking ingredients and global cuisine, said: “We've seen a significant trend for customers looking to save money by cooking for themselves, rather than eating out as much as before. And they are being more adventurous in the kind of meals they are cooking at home.

“Shoppers are buying more ingredients or kits to make popular classics such as curry or Chinese stir fry, but we’ve also seen them branching out into cuisines such as Japanese, Thai or Korean. We are trying to expand our offering to meet this demand and to inspire home cooks with new ingredients and kits to help them to feel confident in making something new and delicious.”

www.tesco.com

Tesco unveils fresh mince ‘pillow packs’ that uses less plastic

Tesco Customers picking up fresh mince in some Tesco stores will notice a big change in how it’s packaged. Instead of the traditional tray/top wrap pack, shoppers will see two lines of mince in new ‘pillow packs’.

The supermarket is testing  the new packaging which uses an incredible 70% less plastic, on two products: 500g Tesco Beef Lean Steak Mince 5% fat (£3.49) and Tesco Beef Mince 500g 20% fat (£2.49). If customers like the new pillow packs, Tesco will roll them out to more stores and across more products, too.

Pillow packs are the opposite to vacuum packs. The slightly inflated ‘pillow’ keeps the mince in perfect condition and prevents it being compressed at all.

While the new packs still contain the same amount of mince as the older packs, the packaging is smaller in size, meaning fewer lorries are needed to transport them, and stores can fit more on shelves, increasing availability, too.

The new packaging is recyclable. Customers can put it into the front of store recycling units with their other soft plastic.

Dom Morrey, who is the Tesco Commercial Director for Fresh, said: “As well as looking for great value when they are shopping, customers want to see less plastic packaging on the products they buy. Pillow packs are a win-win: they keep the mince in perfect condition, whilst also requiring much less plastic. 

“Removing or reducing unnecessary plastic is a vital way we at Tesco can reduce environmental impact. We're proud of what we've been able to do so far, but we'll continue to look for ways to do more."

Tesco’s 4Rs packaging strategy aims to remove plastic where it can, reduce where it can't, reuse more and recycle what's left. To date, Tesco has removed around 2.2 billion pieces of plastic from its UK business, including: 

200+ million bags from Tesco.com deliveries

100+ million extra lids from products such as wipes, creams, yogurts and desserts

50 million pieces of plastic wrapping from cans of branded beers and ciders

www.tesco.com

Top Tasting Food and Drink Products from Wales Revealed for Great Taste 2023!

The land of my Fathers, Wales, has done extremely well in the Great Taste Awards. 

Thousands of artisan food and drink producers from around the world discover if their products achieved a distinguished 1-,2- or 3-star from Great Taste - the world's largest food and drink accreditation scheme based entirely on taste.

Across 89 judging days in Dorset and London, a group of over 500 judges conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on 14,195 entries which were submitted from a staggering 109 different countries. Each producer will also receive invaluable feedback on their submissions from an array of food experts.

Welsh products have won not one, but an impressive 242 awards. 151 x 1-stars, 77 x 2-stars and 14 x 3-starshave been scooped including the following:

Great Taste 3-star – Smoked Chicken Breast by Black Mountains Smokery (only 1.8% of entries received a 3-star – “extraordinarily tasty food & drink”)

Great Taste 2-star – Dragon Welsh Salted Butter by South Caernarfon Creameries (only 11% of entries received a 2-star – “above and beyond delicious”)

Great Taste 1-star – Plum Caramel and Pistachio praline by Brecon Chocolates (28.8% of entries received a 1-star – “food & drink that delivers fantastic flavour”)

John Farrand, managing director at the Guild of Fine Food comments: “A huge congratulations to the Welsh producers who have been awarded  Great Taste stars for 2023 with their outstanding food and drink.

“Every year, we welcome new and established producers making fantastic products around the world and this year has been no exception. The breadth and quality of food and drink has been outstanding, and we wish everyone who entered huge success and hope they find the feedback from our expert judging panel beneficial as they continue in their onward journey.”

So, what, exactly, 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 can't be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process.

New for this year and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Great Taste, the Guild of Fine Food offered 50 micro producers the chance to put one new product in front of its expert panel of Great Taste judges for free.

The bursary was aimed at micro producers who have never entered Great Taste before or have a new product, which has never been entered before. The bursary panel, which consisted of Adrian Boswell, buyer at Selfridges, industry commentator and food entrepreneur Mallika Basu, and PR & marketing expert AJ Sharp, selected the 50 most eligible entries.

2023 saw 21 products entered through the bursary scheme win a Great Taste award including Karobi's Ghee from Karobi's (3-star), New Alt from Antur Brew Co. (3-star), Shoogle Junniperous Scottish Navy Strength Gin from Shoogle Spirits (2-star) and Traditional Napa Cabbage Kimchi from The Ferm (1-star).

Food & Drink Wales is the headline sponsor of Great Taste 2023. Great Taste Golden Fork trophy sponsors include: Andrew Ingredients, Bord Bia, Food & Drink Wales, Invest NI, Italian Trade Agency, Maltby & Greek, Mevalco, Partridges, Scotland Food and Drink, ShireFoods, and Speciality and Fine Food Fair. Great Taste is supported by Henderson Group, Horgans, and Peter Green Chilled.   

The Great Taste 2023 judging panel:

“When I come across a product with the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo, I see it as a badge of honour and feel compelled to purchase it. Having knowledge of the effort required to attain such a rating and the exceptional flavour that accompanies it, I am confident the product will not disappoint.” said a regular of the Great Taste judging panel.

The distinguished judging panel consisting of over 500 food & drink experts, included chefs, critics, recipe developers, buyers, journalists, retailers, broadcasters, and reputable industry professionals. The Great Taste 2023 judging line-up included senior buyers and coordinators from Selfridges, Whole Foods Market, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods, Waitrose and Westmorland Family. MasterChef 2022 winner Eddie Scott, olive oil sommelier and author Irini Tzortzoglou, food writer and owner of Violet Cakes Claire Ptak, chef and co-founder of Island Social Club Marie Mitchell, chef turned farmer Julius Roberts, pastry chef and author Ravneet Gill, restaurateur and producer Amy Poon from Poon's, baker and author Kitty Tait - the youngest and newest judge to join this year. Finally, broadcasters and journalists Andy Clarke and Juliet Sear (ITV), Felicity Cloake (The Guardian), Xanthe Clay (Telegraph) and Joanna Blythman were involved this year, among many others. 

What next?

These Great Taste award-winners can now proudly display the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo as a badge of honour on their award-winning products. The logo states whether the product was awarded 1-, 2- or 3- stars and that it was awarded in 2023, so make sure to look out for them in your local stockist!

Past winners have stated that displaying a Great Taste sticker has increased sales by as much as 50%, as consumers from around the world are enthused to taste the best food and drink products available each year.

Great Taste Golden Fork ceremony 

The excitement of Great Taste 2023 doesn't stop there, for the highest scoring winners it's just the beginning. All 3-star winning products were tasted and judged again by the knowledgeable judging panel to crown the Golden Fork trophy winners and the 2023 Supreme Champion – the highest accolade of all.

The Golden Fork ceremony celebrates the best of the best from producers around the world, awarding them with a Golden Fork trophy. Further Golden Fork trophies are given for various categories, including the Guild of Fine Food Lifetime Achievement award, the Great Taste Startisan of the Year award and Nigel Barden's Heritage Award.

All will be announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Ceremony on Monday 11 September 2023 at the Battersea Arts Centre (this is a special, trade event only).

For the full list of this year's winners and where to buy them, head to www.greattasteawards.co.uk from 2pm today where you will also find a wide range of the award-winning products available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets across the country.

Keep up to date on socials: @guildoffinefood #ISpyGreatTaste

As my Welsh relatives would say: "da iawn!"

That's Christmas: Coming Soon to Mandira's Kitchen – Saffron Soirée ...

That's Christmas: Coming Soon to Mandira's Kitchen – Saffron Soirée ...: Mandira's Kitchen are celebrating this year's festive season with a magical pop-up restaurant! From mid-October right through until ...

Mandira's Kitchen Makes Christmas Entertaining Unforgettable

Mandira's Kitchen is again ready to make Christmas unforgettable with a delightful array of gifts and food for your celebrations.

This year, they have curated their best dishes to ensure your Christmas party is an absolute breeze, with the hostess or host spending a minimal amount of time in the kitchen. 

To add spice to your gathering, indulge in Party Platters  featuring crispy samosas and Indian canape delights, which can be conveniently delivered anywhere in Mainland UK or collected and added two new seasonal products to the range.

For larger gatherings, Mandira's Kitchen offers catering size packs of your favourite dishes, available in meat, vegetarian, and vegan options. These packs are perfect for catering to bigger groups, and you can order them in advance, keeping them in the freezer 'til the day of your celebration or party.

A quick four-minute microwave heating will have the food ready, allowing more precious moments with family and friends.  To really savour the essence of Indian cuisine, opt for specially curated Indian Banquets, presenting a three-course Family Feast, or choose the Dine-in-for-Two boxes for a romantic dining experience.

This year, Mandira's Kitchen is thrilled to introduce two exciting new festive additions to their freezer meals menu. Turkey Samosas, a perfect fusion of traditional holiday flavours that are a perfect canape for guests at a party.

To complement the festive spirit, Mandira's Kitchen presents a tantalising Cranberry & Spiced Rum Chutney. Bursting with the tangy sweetness of cranberries and infused with the warmth of locally sourced spiced rum, this chutney is the ideal accompaniment to the Turkey Samosas. Both of which will be available from November 2023.

Mandira's Kitchen has a range of Christmas Gift ideas including gift vouchers which can be redeemed for Cookery Lessons and Spice Tours, so they make perfect treats for the gourmet enthusiasts in your life. This year they have also extended the range of Indian-inspired giftware, with insulated dishes, spice tins, and candle holders.

Mandira's Kitchen can also provide larger packs for Hospitality and other Catering establishments, at special trade prices, for businesses wanting to enhance their own offerings and keep food preparation to the minimum to help with current potential staff shortages in the hospitality industry. 

For those planning a traditional turkey dinner on Christmas Day, to ensure no food is wasted, the Leftover Christmas Feast Spice Kit is a genuine must-have. This kit equips you with everything necessary to create a three-course Indian meal employing your Christmas leftovers, along with two chutneys and ghee. Cook-along videos available also on the MK YouTube channel.

Mandira Sarkar said: “I'm excited to introduce our newest festive additions - the Turkey Samosas and Cranberry & Spiced Rum Chutney. These flavours are a perfect fusion of holiday traditions and Indian cuisine, and I can't wait for you to experience them”

You can explore the full range of Christmas offerings and place orders at  https://www.mandiraskitchen.com/pages/festive-2023.

Mandira's Kitchen delivers to all UK Mainland addresses.

Where is Mandira's Kitchen? It's nestled within the heart of the Surrey Hills, overlooking the serene Silent Pool, is Mandira's Kitchen, an award-winning artisan business known for its absolutely exquisite Indian food and captivating experiences. The brainchild of Mandira Sarkar, the establishment has become synonymous with culinary excellence and offers a diverse range of exciting offerings.

At Mandira's Kitchen, guests are treated to a delightful array of mouth-watering dishes, each infused with a personal touch and a heart-warming story. From Mandira's mother's cherished Kaju Chicken to the finest Kaali Dal sourced from a quaint spot in Amritsar, every dish comes with a rich tapestry of love, joy, and cherished memories of sharing meals with friends and family amidst lively animated conversations and laughter.

Beyond their delectable menu, Mandira's Kitchen is also known for providing unforgettable culinary experiences. With offerings including cookery lessons, spice tours, and supper clubs, they immerse patrons in the authentic flavours and traditions of Indian cuisine, making each encounter an educational and delightful journey.

Situated within the Surrey Food Hub, Mandira's Kitchen shares its space with esteemed partners like Albury Organic Vineyard and Silent Pool Gin Distillery. This makes a visit to the hub a unique opportunity to not only savour the best of Indian cuisine but also to explore and indulge in an array of high-quality local produce.

Whether you're sipping on the finest Malabar coffee, enjoying freshly brewed chai, or relishing the crispiest samosas in town, every moment spent at Mandira's Kitchen promises an experience that will linger in your memory. Their dedication to crafting exceptional food and creating an ambiance that resonates with warmth and hospitality ensures that every guest leaves with a sense of satisfaction and a desire to return.

Join Mandira Sarkar and her team at Mandira's Kitchen for an unforgettable culinary adventure, where the vibrant flavours of India come to life, and the heart of each dish is filled with love, tradition, and the joy of shared meals. Experience a world where food and memories intertwine, celebrating the rich heritage of Indian cuisine in all its splendour.

https://www.mandiraskitchen.com/pages/festive-2023

The Farm Table Restaurant at Darts Farm Celebrates Its First Anniversary With Legendary Chefs

Darts Farm, which is just outside Exeter, celebrated the first anniversary of its new restaurant, The Farm Table, in July by welcoming two iconic chefs to take over the kitchen for the evening. 

Great British Menu winner, Mark Hix and local seafood hero, Mitch Tonks, created a unique 5-course seasonal menu, combining their celebrated styles with produce from the fields at Darts Farm and incredible artisan ingredients from the food hall; whilst sharing their stories about a lifetime of friendship through food.

Hosting two such culinary giants represents a huge accolade for the new Devon restaurant which opened its doors in Summer 2022 and has gone from strength to strength in spite of a period of unprecedented challenges for the industry.

Michael Dart, who runs Darts Farm with his two brothers, James and Paul, said: “It's been a very tough couple of years for hospitality businesses and not the ideal climate for launching a new restaurant, but as we mark the first anniversary of The Farm Table, we are so proud of what we have achieved in the last 12 months. Following hot on the heels of winning Food Magazine's Reader Awards as 'The Best Newcomer', The Farm Table has just hosted two world-renowned chefs who share our passion for championing local and sustainable food. 

"Our team, led by my son George and our Head Chef Tom, has worked incredibly hard to achieve so much in such a short time and having the seal of approval from two of the country's most eminent chefs is a fantastic reward for all their efforts.”

Michael's son, George, has been instrumental in bringing the original concept of The Farm Table to life and creating the new flagship restaurant. He explains: “Our aim with the launch of The Farm Table was to create a restaurant that would celebrate the simplicity of beautiful ingredients grown, reared, caught and crafted on our doorstep. 

"Produce that cannot be sourced from the farm is provided by our vibrant community of like-minded artisan producers, farmers and fisherman who share our passion for flavour. A year ago I couldn't have dreamt of hosting two such prestigious chefs in our kitchen but this event marks the culmination of all our efforts to deliver a world class dining experience that showcases the very best of Devon's produce.”

The Farm Table is open seven days a week for lunch (12-3pm) and for dinner (6-9pm) Thursday to Saturday. The menu includes Darts Farm's iconic Ruby Red beef, dayboat fish and seasonal vegetables, all cooked over charcoal and accompanied by a huge selection of wines, beers, ciders and spirits from the cellar. 

For further information on The Farm Table and Darts Farm please visit www.dartsfarm.co.uk and follow Darts Farm on Facebook and Instagram.  

  

Ed Baker Celebrates a Host of Great Taste Awards Using Matthews Cotswold Flour

South East London's Ed Baker is celebrating scooping a plethora of Great Taste Awards including 3 stars for their White Sourdough made with Matthews Cotswold Flour's premium organic white flour as well as 2 stars for their Wholemeal Sourdough made with Matthews Cotswold Flour's premium organic white, organic premium wholegrain and organic dark rye, and Baba au Rum made with Matthews Cotswold Flour's T55.

Said a "delighted" Eddy Sleiman, owner of artisan bakery, Ed Baker: “I'm absolutely thrilled to have won Great Taste awards for all five of the products I entered into this prestigious competition.

"I'm on a mission to deliver authentic flavours employing only real, organic ingredients and these accolades are a fantastic reward for the hard work and passion I put into each and every of my recipes. It's also recognition for the outstanding ingredients I use. I can honestly say the quality of my loaves changed dramatically when I began working with Matthews Cotswold Flour and I strongly believe I wouldn't have collected these awards without using their flour, as I'm certain that both the bread and the pastry wouldn't have been the same.”

Bertie Matthews, who is the MD of Matthews Cotswold Flour added: "We're obviously very delighted to see the fruits of Ed's labours being celebrated by these awards. Ed's dedicated a huge amount of time and effort, combined with science, to create these fabulous products which demonstrate how great ingredients in the hands of outstanding artisans can be turned into award-winning, popular products.”

14,195 products were put through the competition's rigorous blind judging process with only 1,568 being awarded a Great Taste 2-star 'above and beyond delicious', and 248 received a Great Taste 3-star – 'extraordinarily tasty food and drink'. 4,088 products were awarded a Great Taste 1-star 'food and drink that delivers fantastic flavour'.

White Sourdough made using Cotswold Premium Organic White Flour won 3 stars and was described by the judges as 'a beautifully crafted loaf with a crisp crust, perfect rise and a soft, open crumb' with a 'delightful' sourdough flavour.

Wholemeal Sourdough made with Cotswold Premium Organic White, Cotswold Organic Premium Wholemeal and Organic Dark Rye won 2 stars and was described by the judges as 'a gorgeous looking loaf with good colour on the crust and a lovely and moist crumb with good aeration'.

Baba au Rum made with Cotswold T55 won 2 stars and the judges commented that 'it's very clear that a skilful baker is responsible for this wonderful yeast bake. It was a delicious dessert'.

Ed Baker also won 1 star for their Mushroom Quiche with white wine and cheddar and their Onion Quiche with Lancashire cheese and jalapeno.

Ed Baker is a new artisan bakery situated between Hither Green and Ladywell, in South East London. The baker (Ed) is a sourdough purist and bakes his bread on site daily. He is self-taught and develops all his own recipes. 

Driven by the love and passion Eddy has for good food, his recipes are influenced by the richness and diversity of the East Mediterranean and European cuisines. Ed Baker was founded with the promise to always; provide healthy choices, deliver authentic flavours, and use real, organic ingredients. For more information about Ed Baker visit www.iamedbaker.com or follow @iamedbaker on Instagram.

Matthews Cotswold Flour is a family business that has been trading grain and milling flour in the heart of the Cotswolds since the 1800s. Matthews Cotswold Flour is committed to supporting regenerative food sources, developing an unparalleled range of top quality, award-winning, products and inspiring, educating and partnering with the nation's artisan and home bakers. For more information visit www.cotswoldflour.com or follow @CotswoldFlour on Instagram or Facebook.

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 producers. This year, judging took place over 89 days in Dorset and London, with a panel of more than 500 judges putting the products to the test. The line-up saw food and drink products submitted from an extraordinary 109 different countries across the world. For more information visit www.greattasteawards.co.uk

Top Tasting Food and Drink Products from Ireland Revealed for Great Taste 2023

Today, thousands of artisan food and drink producers from around the globe to discover if any of their products have achieved a distinguished 1-, 2- or 3-star from Great Taste - the world's largest food and drink accreditation which is based entirely on taste.

Across 89 judging days in Dorset and London, a group of in excess of 500 judges conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on 14,195 entries submitted from a staggering 109 different countries. Each producer will also receive invaluable feedback on their submissions from an array of food experts.

Irish products have won not one, but an impressive 526 awards. 389 x 1-stars, 120 x 2-stars and 17 x 3-stars have been scooped including the following:

Great Taste 3-star – Macroom Buffalo Ricotta from Macroom Buffalo Cheese Products (only 1.8% of entries received a 3-star – “extraordinarily tasty food & drink”)

Great Taste 2-star – Waldron Family Handmade Black Pudding from Waldron Meats (only 11% of entries received a 2-star – “above and beyond delicious”)

Great Taste 1-star – Bart's Blended Irish Whiskey by Lough Ree Distillery (only 28.8% of entries received a 1-star – “food & drink that delivers fantastic flavour”)

John Farrand, managing director at the Guild of Fine Food comments: “A huge congratulations to the Irish producers who have been awarded Great Taste stars for 2023 with their outstanding food and drink.

“Every year, we welcome new and established producers making fantastic products around the world and this year has been no exception. The breadth and quality of food and drink has been outstanding, and we wish everyone who entered huge success and hope they find the feedback from our expert judging panel beneficial as they continue in their onward journey.”

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.

New for this year and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Great Taste, the Guild of Fine Food offered 50 micro producers the chance to put one new product in front of its expert panel of Great Taste judges for free. The bursary was aimed at micro producers who have never entered Great Taste before or have a new product, which has never been entered before. The bursary panel, which consisted of Adrian Boswell, buyer at Selfridges, industry commentator and food entrepreneur Mallika Basu, and PR & marketing expert AJ Sharp, selected the 50 most eligible entries.

2023 saw 21 products entered through the bursary scheme win a Great Taste award including Karobi's Ghee from Karobi's (3-star), New Alt from Antur Brew Co. (3-star), Shoogle Junniperous Scottish Navy Strength Gin from Shoogle Spirits (2-star) and Traditional Napa Cabbage Kimchi from The Ferm (1-star).

Food & Drink Wales is the headline sponsor of Great Taste 2023. Great Taste Golden Fork trophy sponsors include: Andrew Ingredients, Bord Bia, Food & Drink Wales, Invest NI, Italian Trade Agency, Maltby & Greek, Mevalco, Partridges, Scotland Food and Drink, ShireFoods, and Speciality and Fine Food Fair. Great Taste is supported by Henderson Group, Horgans, and Peter Green Chilled.   

The Great Taste 2023 judging panel: “When I come across a product with the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo, I see it as a badge of honour and feel compelled to purchase it. Having knowledge of the effort required to attain such a rating and the exceptional flavour that accompanies it, I am confident the product will not disappoint.” said a regular of the Great Taste judging panel.

The distinguished judging panel consisting of over 500 food & drink experts, included chefs, critics, recipe developers, buyers, journalists, retailers, broadcasters, and reputable industry professionals. The Great Taste 2023 judging line-up included senior buyers and coordinators from Selfridges, Whole Foods Market, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods, Waitrose and Westmorland Family. 

MasterChef 2022 winner Eddie Scott, olive oil sommelier and author Irini Tzortzoglou, food writer and owner of Violet Cakes Claire Ptak, chef and co-founder of Island Social Club Marie Mitchell, chef turned farmer Julius Roberts, pastry chef and author Ravneet Gill, restaurateur and producer Amy Poon from Poon's, baker and author Kitty Tait - the youngest and newest judge to join this year. Finally, broadcasters and journalists Andy Clarke and Juliet Sear (ITV), Felicity Cloake (The Guardian), Xanthe Clay (Telegraph) and Joanna Blythman were involved this year, among many others. 

What next?

These Great Taste award-winners can now proudly display the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo as a badge of honour on their award-winning products. The logo states whether the product was awarded 1-, 2- or 3- stars and that it was awarded in 2023, so make sure to look out for them in your local stockist!

Past winners have stated that displaying a Great Taste sticker has increased sales by as much as 50%, as consumers from around the world are enthused to taste the best food and drink products available each year.

Great Taste Golden Fork ceremony 

The excitement of Great Taste 2023 doesn't stop here, for the highest scoring winners it's just the beginning. All 3-star winning products were tasted and judged again by the knowledgeable judging panel to crown the Golden Fork trophy winners and the 2023 Supreme Champion – the highest accolade of all.

The Golden Fork ceremony celebrates the best of the best from producers around the world, awarding them with a Golden Fork trophy. Further Golden Fork trophies are given for various categories, including the Guild of Fine Food Lifetime Achievement award, the Great Taste Startisan of the Year award and Nigel Barden's Heritage Award.

All will be announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Ceremony on Monday 11 September 2023 at the Battersea Arts Centre (trade event only).

For the full list of this year's winners and where to buy them, head to www.greattasteawards.co.uk from 2pm today where you will also find a wide range of the award-winning products available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets across the country.

Destination Cheese

Stunning scenery, history, culture and its diverse food offering are just some of the reasons behind Europe's popularity as a holiday destination. 

For example, in France alone, it's worth dedicating time to explore its many regions where you'll find some of the best cheeses in the whole world.

Normandy is home to four important cheeses - Camembert de Normandie - one of the crown jewels of French gastronomy, Neufchâtel PDO - a cheese often rendered  heart-shaped with a bright white, downy rind that browns as it matures, Pont-l'Evêque PDO, a soft-ripened, washed-rind cheese with a pronounced farmyard aroma and Livarot PDO, one of Normandy's oldest cheeses.

Beautiful and varied in landscape, Brittany offers wooded countryside, moors and river valleys shaped by the tides. Worth a try here is Saint-Paulin, defined by law as a semi-hard uncooked, pressed cheese made with cow's milk and originally produced by the Trappist monks of Saint-Paulin.

If you are travelling through the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, take a trip to Lyon (UNESCO World Heritage) which is France's culinary capital. As well as its many restaurants, you can also discover the region's cheeses which include Abondance PDO an earthy hard cheese with notes of hazelnuts and fruits, and Cantal PDO which, depending on its maturity, can range from softly textured with a buttery taste to almost crumbly with intense flavours. 

Beaufort PDO has fruity taste and creaminess that's highly prized and it's a very distinctive cheese without being too strong. 

Tomme de Savoie PGI is the oldest of all Savoie cheeses. With a straightforward taste and delicate, subtle flavorus that vary according to the level of maturity and the seasons. The younger a Tomme is, the milder its taste, with a hint of tang; the older it gets, the more typical, powerful and rustic its taste becomes.

For a region known for its wines, the Burgundy-Franche-Comté doesn't disappoint when it comes to gorgeous cheese. The triple cream cow's milk Brillat-Savarin can be enjoyed fresh and in maturity with the flavour and structural changes you'd expect from a fine wine.

Soumaintrain PGI is also creamy when young, but becoming more pronounced and aromatic as it ages. Chaource is a deliciously fine cheese which melts in the mouth, its flavours of cream and fresh mushrooms are enhanced by a little salt.

If you are going to try Comté PDO, one of France's foremost PDO cheeses, here is the place to do so.  A lesser-known but important cheese from the region is Bleu de Gex PDO or Bleu de Septmoncel. One of the milder of the salty blue cheeses, its beige and light brown rind is created by regular brushing, you can also identify from the engraving of Gex on the outer rind.

Côte restaurants announce return of the Prestige Menu for the summer - high quality dishes for a nice, set price

After church on Sunday I was talking with a friend who said that he and his wife were going to be dining at our nearest Côte restaurant to celebrate his birthday. And it looks as if it's coming together very nicely for them. How so?

Because Côte restaurants have announced the return of the Prestige set menu featuring high quality French dishes at affordable prices.

The exciting menu showcases exquisite food specially selected as a luxurious treat but at a delicious set menu price.

The Menu Prestige was designed by Côte executive chef Steve Allen who previously worked alongside Gordon Ramsay at his Michelin starred restaurants including London’s iconic Claridges and Petrus.

The triumphant return of the popular menu is all about great value evening meals featuring classic Côte a la carte dishes plus a selection curated exclusively by Steve.

The Menu Prestige will be available Monday to Friday from 7pm and available throughout the summer from the end of July at a selection of Côte restaurants across the country.

The set price menu will be trialled throughout the summer and if it proves to be a hit with diners it will be considered as a permanent fixture. The menu ranges from £18.95 for two courses and £22.95 for three courses (prices may vary).

The Menu Prestige will be available at Chester, Manchester, Liverpool, Cirencester, Winchester, Dorchester, St Martin’s Lane and Covent Garden Côte restaurants. 

Guests will be able to choose from starters including Calamari, French Onion Soup, Chicken Liver Parfait, Moules Normande and Salade Rachel.  Main course include Sea Bass Rouge, Confit Pork Belly, Squash Taboulé, Poulet Grillé and 8oz Sirloin steak (£3.50 surcharge). The delicious desserts include Chocolate Salted Caramel Tart, Almond Financier, Cheese Board and ice cream/sorbet.

A Côte spokesperson said: “In France almost every restaurant offers a set menu prix fixe and we wanted to showcase our fine French cuisine at affordable prices. At Côte we believe in life’s little luxuries and the Prestige menu was loved so much by our guests that we decided to print it back for the summer. Great food at affordable prices.”

​https://www.cote.co.uk.

Morrisons launches new support package for British farmers to cover rising costs of growing crops

What with rising energy prices, increased fertiliser costs and other price rises, our farmers have certainly being feeling the pinch lately. 

As a result, Morrisons has taken the decision to launch a new support package for British farmers to cover the costs of growing crops.

In fact, Morrisons has become the first UK supermarket to launch a support package that underwrites 100% of the costs associated with growing crops.

The retailer, which has over 1,200 branches throughout England, Scotland and Wales, has invested £2 million in a year-long trial and potato and carrot farmers are the first to benefit under the scheme.

The trial will help British farmers mitigate the cost and weather pressures coming from the peaks and troughs of the seasons, including field rent and fertiliser costs and gives farmers greater financial security with Morrisons shouldering all the risks.

Crops are currently being grown on three potato farms and one carrot farm with the first produce from these farms due to hit the shelves before year's end and into 2024. If successful, Morrisons hopes to roll out this scheme to more farms later next year. 

Morrisons already supports farmers by buying whole crops and picking out any fruit or veg that's perfectly fine to eat but has a quirky shape or a surprising size for its Naturally Wonky range.

Launched back in 2015, Morrisons Naturally Wonky fruit and veg helps reduce food waste in the field and offers affordable produce to its customers. It also provides farmers an alternative route to market. The range includes 24 wonky varieties, and 27,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables were sold this way last year alone.

Gareth Cosford, who is Morrisons' Senior Buying Manager for Root Vegetables said: “As British farming’s biggest direct customer we understand the impact higher costs are continuing to have on Britain's farmers. As a result, our trial scheme allows us to take all the risks that are associated with growing the crop away from our farmers and continue to grow the best quality British produce our customers know, love and have come to expect.” 

Participating farms so far include Naish Farms Ltd. which grow potatoes for Morrisons.

Andrew Nash, who is a Director at Naish Farms Ltd. said: “Morrisons already buy our whole crop of potatoes from us, taking the top-quality and also the misshapen or the oversized ones and making them available to customers as part of their naturally wonky range. This not only maximises our return, it also offers the best value to their customers.

“In farming there are ups and downs throughout the seasons. For us we are seeing greater weather challenges which could impact our crops and by being part of this new Morrisons trial, they’re underwriting our growing costs to cushion us from the associated risks and provide supply security so  we can focus on growing the very best potatoes for their customers.”

Interestingly, Morrisons is British farming’s biggest direct supermarket customer and works directly with over 2,700 farmers and growers all year round to ensure customers can purchase products of the highest quality. 

This week Morrisons is continuing to support the industry by sponsoring Farm 24, farming's biggest event which highlights the pride of the nation’s food producers. For more information, please visit: https://www.morrisons-farming.com/backing-british/farm24

Some shoppers believe that the Morisons Naturally Wonky fruits and vegetables actually taste better, as they remind them of the "real" fruit and vegetables their parents and grandparents used to be able to buy before the authorities decided that all fruits and vegetables should have uniform size, weight and appearance.

What do you think? Wonky or not? 

B. Dylan Hollis Makes Vintage Pies | Baking Yesteryear (Penguin Random House video)

That's Food and Drink loves apple pies. Our parrot also helps us to consume some of the apples used to create apple pies.

But what if we were to tell you that there are some apple pie recipes that don't, actually, contain any real apples?

In this tutorial video baking expert, cookbook author and Tiktok and YouTube star, Bermudan B. Dylan. Thomas will show readers of That's Food and Drink how to make two such pies via the magic of the Penguin Random House YouTube channel:-

 

Thank you B. Dylan Hollis and Penguin Random House for sharing this on YouTube.

(I'm going to be ordering my copy of Baking Yesteryear later this week.)

Videos on That's Food and Drink

That's Food and Drink is looking at the possibility of introducing video content to our food and drink blog over the next several weeks/months.

Some of the videos will be produced here at That's Food and Drink, but we will not be averse to sharing videos produced by other people. 

In fact you will probably have noticed that we have used a few YouTuber videos which featured items that we happened to be especially interested in. 

We have included videos from Tasting History and also a QVC interview with B. Dylan Hollis author of the book "Baking Yesteryear" amongst other video content. 

Which reminds me, I will have to order my copy of "Baking Yesteryear" very soon, before they are all sold out! 

So, please watch out for more videos on That's Food and Drink, both home produced and otherwise!

If there are any types of videos that you would like to see on That's Food and Drink, please let us know.

Ideal Beer gifts! Salcombe Brewery Co. Beer Hampers

A Salcombe Brewery Co. Hamper is the absolutely perfect gift for any beer lover. 

It's a box that's (carefully) crammed full of beer, snacks, glasses, beer mats and there's even a special dedicated bar towel, too!

It's got absolutely everything you need to create your very pub experience in the comfort of your own home, or garden room, or conservatory!

There's a fantastic range of options to choose from, including a gluten-free hamper, a Heritage Hamper and Discovery Hamper. All hampers are available for national delivery from https://salcombebrewery.com. And don't forget to ask about their full range of gifts and accessories. 

Which? responds to Labour’s call for budget lines to be available in smaller supermarkets

Sue Davies, Which? Head of Food Policy said: “Many households across the UK are really struggling to put food on the table during the worst cost of living crisis in our living memory. 

"Yet it's true that most of the supermarket giants are failing to stock a range of budget lines that will support healthy choices in their small branches, despite the huge difference this would make to people who have to rely on them for food buying."

She went on to say: “We believe that our supermarkets have a responsibility to step up and ensure everyone has easy access to a sufficient range of healthy, affordable budget items at a store near them. 

"They also need to act on the Competition and Market Authority’s concerns and provide transparent and easily comparable pricing to help people work out which products offer the best value.”

(Image courtesy THAM YUAN YUAN from Pixabay)

Food inflation starting to slow down? Here's what Which? Has to say

Sue Davies, Which? Head of Food Policy, said: “While it’s good to see inflation slowing, food prices are still rising quickly for millions of people struggling to keep food on the table, making it all the more important for supermarkets to do all they can to help people grappling with the cost of living.

“The CMA recently agreed with Which? that grocery pricing can be unclear, so supermarkets must act immediately to make it easier for shoppers to compare prices, while the government must fulfill its promise to close the loopholes that are making it too easy for supermarkets to confuse shoppers.

“Supermarkets must also take action to help people who rely on more expensive convenience stores by ensuring they stock a range of budget products that support a healthy diet, as Which? research has found these items are rarely, if ever, on sale in smaller branches.”

Soaring food prices having a detrimental impact on mental health, Which? reveals

Soaring food prices are having a detrimental impact on the mental health of shoppers and families across the UK, new research from Which? suggests.

The increasing prices of everyday groceries has worsened the mental health of one in four (25%) people, according to a new survey from the consumer champion Which? also finds rising food costs are causing a negative impact on sleep, diet and overall physical health.

When coming to mental health, some groups were more impacted than others. Three in 10 (30%) women told Which? their mental health had worsened as a result of soaring food prices.

A third of people aged 35 to 54, those most likely to be parents of young families, revealed food costs had a negative impact on their mental health. They were more likely to be negatively affected than those aged 18-35 (27%) and over 55 (18%). One person told Which?: “It’s a black cloud that never goes away” another said; “I’m living day to day”.

The alarming findings come as the price of the weekly shop is set to replace energy bills as the main worry for most households according to Which?’s most recent Consumer Insight tracker- and as MPs prepare to grill supermarket bosses over allegations of profiteering during the cost of living crisis.

The Which? survey also learned a quarter of people (23%) said rising food prices had hindered their ability to eat a healthy diet. One person told Which?: “I dread going to the shops. I worry about money as food is so expensive and stress that there's not enough food in the house for the kids to eat and that I cannot afford healthy foods.” Another said: “I’ve cut down on fresh food, I cook less and eat much worse.”

One in five (22%) people had lost sleep over food costs and another one in five said their physical health had also deteriorated. One person Which? spoke to said they go “days without eating” another said; “I've become vitamin deficient, I’m not healthy or sleeping well and am suffering from depression.”

With food inflation still worryingly and stubbornly high, Which? is concerned consumers’ mental and physical health will continue to suffer without urgent action to alleviate the financial burden. Recent Which? research found everyday family meals like pasta bake, fish fingers and chips and spaghetti bolognese have increased by up to 27 per cent in price over the last year, with some essential ingredients doubling during this time.

Elena, a mum of two from Merseyside, told Which? her mental health has suffered because the price of baby formula increased. Elena told Which?: “My baby has reflux and yet we can’t afford to buy the anti-reflux baby milk. It’s gone up from £11.50 in 2021 to £14. If your body doesn’t produce milk it isn’t a choice, you just shouldn’t have to pay a premium for something which is a necessity. Thinking about it brings me to tears. 

“I didn’t have babies until I was in a financially stable situation. We should be doing well but instead, we're looking at an uncertain future. We worked very hard for what we have and I feel so angry we and other families aren't being looked after. We feel our best interests just aren't being looked after. That all builds and builds up and I feel like a pressure cooker waiting to explode.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was right last week to put the focus on supermarkets in looking to help millions of people who are struggling with the soaring cost of their weekly shopping. MPs on the Business and Trade Select Committee must seize the opportunity to challenge supermarkets to do more to help when they question grocery bosses in Parliament.

While the whole food supply chain affects prices, Which? firmly believes supermarkets could be doing more by ensuring smaller convenience stores stock a range of essential budget lines that support a healthy diet, especially in areas where they are most needed.

Supermarkets also need to commit to clearer unit pricing, especially on promotions and loyalty card offers, so that people can easily work out which products offer the best value. 

Given the urgency of this cost of living crisis, the government must act now and work with supermarkets to secure these changes that could make a real difference to millions of people struggling to put food on the table.

Sue Davies, Which? Head of Food Policy, said: “Which? research shows how the sustained stress and worry caused by rising food prices is now having a detrimental impact on people’s mental and physical health. Women and young parents are among the worst affected and some people struggling to feed their children are asking themselves how much more of this they can take.

“Now's the time to act. The government must urgently get supermarkets to commit to stocking essential budget ranges in all their stores, particularly in areas where people are most in need, as well as make pricing much clearer so shoppers can compare prices and find the best value products.”

https://www.which.co.uk

That's Food and Drink has carried a story on Foodbanks which can provide help to those who are having problems with food buying https://thatsfoodanddrink.blogspot.com/2023/06/food-industry-is-helping-those-in-need.html

M&S Food investing in more price locks for customers

M&S Food is investing in the price of over 200 products as part of its promise to deliver trusted value to its 30 million loyal customers.

The investment will see M&S Food reduce the prices of over 70 family staples and extend its price lock on 150 customer favourites, while upholding its market leading quality and welfare standards at the same time.

M&S Food is cutting the price on some of its more popular cupboard staples to support its customers, especially those with families to buy food for, including products like M&S Select Farms DNA traceable Beef Mince, Avocados, Greek style yoghurt and Ciabatta rolls. 

The above are some of M&S’ more popular lines, with over 400,000 Avocado packs and 140,000 Greek Style Yogurt pots sold by M&S in the last four weeks alone.

At the same time M&S Food is extending its price lock on 150 products which will be in place right through to the autumn, and features a number of essentials that customers can rely on at M&S for great value right through the entire summer.

This includes M&S Select Farms RSPCA Assured outdoor-bred British Pork Sausages (pack of eight - £2.00), Super Sweet Corn on the Cob (pack of two - £1.40), Traditional Coleslaw (225g - £1.25) the price lock bestseller, British Mature Cheddar (10 Slices 250g - £2.80) and Select Farms Season's Gold Potatoes (1kg - £1.65).

The investment sits alongside the retailer’s Remarksable Value range of everyday staples, first launched back in 2019, which are continuously benchmarked against key competitors to guarantee best value for customers. The range continues to grow in appeal among M&S Food customers, with Remarksable sales up 40%, and in over 20% of customer baskets over the past year.

Alex Freudmann, who is the MD at M&S Food said: “We know value is everything to our customers right now, and while they’re looking forward to a great summer, they’re also looking for certainty on spending. Our latest price investment across 200 products upholds our trusted value promise and delivers on that certainty.

“Trusted value means offering the best possible quality at the best possible price. I’m proud we are the number one retailer for farm animal welfare, selling the biggest range of RSPCA Assured products, including our Scottish Smoked Salmon fillets and British Pork Sausages, alongside our DNA traceable Beef mince which has the ability to be traced back to the individual farm and the individual animal."

He went on to say: "We’re determined to keep up the pace for our customers. Our value perception is at its highest point in six years because we're relentlessly focused on price with no compromise to the magic of M&S Food, our market leading product quality, innovation and sourcing standards.”

In February of this year, M&S topped consumer group Which?’s annual supermarket satisfaction survey, achieving the highest overall customer score of 77% and receiving five star ratings for store appearance, customer service and quality of own label and fresh products.

Families prioritise healthy eating

While M&S’ latest Family Matters Index shows the focus on value for families has increased since the beginning of the year, healthy eating is also a growing priority with 30% of families looking to eat more healthily in the coming months.

As part of its investment M&S has dropped or locked the price on over 50 Eat Well products which meet key nutritional values and are given a health seal of approval to help customers feel confident in choosing a balanced diet, from M&S Select Farms Mangetout (260g – cut by 15% to £1.70) to Pineapple Chunks (150g – cut by 15% to £1.70). 

On top of M&S Food’s price investment, the retailer continues to run a number of other value initiatives. For example Sparks helps over 16 million signed up customers make the most of M&S with personalised offers and ‘Ways to Save” emails, while every week one customer in every store receives their shopping for free.

Grilling season is here, bang on time for Lidl being crowned Which? Cheapest BBQ basket!

Which? has revealed Lidl is the only retailer where shoppers can pick all their barbecue food essentials for under thirty quid, beating other stores such as Tesco and Waitrose, who came in at a whopping 30% more costly. 

Comprising a list of 13 products, the basket includes some of Lidl’s award-winning items, showcasing that savvy shoppers need never compromise on quality. 

This includes GHI Taste Test Approved own-brand Deluxe Brioche Burger Buns at just £1.10 for a pack of 4, and the Vemondo Vegan Sausages at £1.79, which won GHI’s Best Budget Vegan Sausages.

Peter de Roos, who is Lidl GB Chief Commercial Officer commented: “At Lidl, we’re officially fired up for the summer season, and after being crowned cheapest supermarket for BBQ essentials, our customers will be fired up, too. 

"This latest accolade fuels our passion for great food at best value prices, and it reinforces our unwavering commitment to delivering this time and again to our customers.”

Also, Lidl’s BBQ range has scooped a number of other accolades this summer. Burger fans will flip out over Lidl’s show-stopping Deluxe Aberdeen Beef Burgers, crowned the Best Budget Burger of 2023 by GHI. At just £2.99, these succulent burgers come to less than £1.50 per patty. 

The juicy patties are best topped with Valley Spire Blended Cheese Slices (£1.99) available in Hot & Spicy Cheddar and Black Pepper for a fiery kick - both of which have also been bestowed the GHI stamp of approval.

For a sausage fest, shoppers can pick up a double whammy of fantastic gold medallists: the Deluxe Pork Sausages, £2.49, winner of Which? Best Value title, the Deluxe Honey & Mustard Sausages, £2.49, winner of BBC Good Food taste test. Both pair perfectly with yet another GHI taste test approved bargain buy, Lidl’s Deluxe Hot Dog Buns, £1.10 – coming in at under 19p per bun. Plus, why not make a meal of it by topping with GHI’s Best Budget Mayonnaise, Batts’ Real Mayonnaise, at just 95p for 500ml. (EDITOR: I like Batts; Real Mayonnaise!) 

Shoppers can choose from Lidl’s full BBQ range, including its show-stopping award winners, in stores nationwide now, while stocks last.

lidl.co.uk