Clippy’s Apples, giving your BBQ the Fruit-factor!

This summer no BBQ will be complete without Clippy’s Apples wonderful range of tasty conserves, jellies, chutneys and relishes. 

Created by working mum and Master Preserver, Clippy, Clippy’s Apples products contain only British apples and, unlike other sugary supermarket brands are totally fruit-tastic, packed full of lovely juicy fruit and combined with indulgent hedonistic ingredients – they’ll set your taste buds alight!  Available nationwide, Clippy has hand-picked from her range the ones that best capture this season in a jar:

Apple, Garlic & Thyme Jelly

This tongue-tingling preserve is made with pressed British apple juice, perfectly roasted garlic, and thyme. Use it to add some zing to your BBQ meats.  This jelly is also delicious melted down and used as a mild marinade.

Apple, Redcurrant & Chilli Jelly

The word 'addictive' describes this hot but not hellish chilli jelly.  It contains 63g of fruit per 100g.  Again, this jelly, when melted down makes a lovely marinade with a chilli kick!

Apple Tomato & Roasted Garlic Relish

The perfect dip for any BBQ, it’s light and refreshing, everyone’s favourite!

Apple, Mango & Chilli Chutney

Wow!  This really packs a punch - try with your BBQ sausages or to perk up your burger!  Also yummy with big juicy prawns or fish on the BBQ.

Clippy is on a mission to save British apple orchards and uses only British apples in all Clippy’s Apples products.  All of Clippy’s recipes have been developed in her home kitchen using apples from her back garden with daughter Rosie, 2, as chief taster!  (EDITOR: That's a very important job!)

Clippy’s Apples products are available via Ocado.com, ASDA (North West stores only), Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols and E.H. Booths.

All of Clippy’s Apples products come with handy serving suggestions on the label to give you a little inspiration.

Clippy’s passion for British apples began when she found out that two-thirds of British apple orchards have been lost since 1970 and Clippy, together with fiancé Paul Gorman, wants to reverse this disturbing trend.  Clippy Founded Clippy’s Apples in 2008 by using apples from her back garden.

(EDITOR: That's Food and Drink raises a glass to Clippy, Paul and Chief Taster, Rosie!)

Kent's Kitchen can help you with your BBQ

When barbecuing first became popular in the UK, it was a case of somehow eventually starting a fire and, in clouds of billowing, choking smoke, turn some sausages and burgers in to charcoal lumps that were barely edible, though everyone did their best to chew through them, just to show willing.

But that's all changed, now! After watching TV chefs (who have crews of dozens to help them!) people want marinated these, rubbed those and really nice, tasty sauces. So, you can be stuck in the kitchen for hours even before you have wheeled the barbecue cooker out of the shed!

But there's an easier and better way to do it all! There's the Kent's Kitchen way! 

Kent’s Kitchen specialises in meal kits and risottos and aims to make the busy foodie’s life easier with products that mean you don’t have to have massively long shopping lists, or bother with lengthy prep time and over-complicated recipes.

For the summer season they have some fabulous bbq sauces, rubs and marinades on their website, perfect for al fresco dining and bbqs.

The meal kits contain 3 pots – infused oil, paste, and spices / herbs – all you need to buy a couple of ingredients and in 20 minutes you have an authentic, delicious meal! Easy!

The range includes Chow Mein, Thai Green and Thai Red curries, Madras, Spicy Korma, Rogan Josh....just £2.50 each.

The risottos are brilliant – all the hard work is done for you and you just add water. It really could not be easier! They come in 5 delicious flavours including wild mushroom, bacon & spinach, chicken & sage, prawn & lemon and vegetable. Just £2.40 each.

And Kent's Kitchen believe that there is no place for additives like artificial flavours, colours and the like in good quality food. So they do not use them!

And what's more, most of the range are vegetarian and coeliac friendly and you can order them on line at www.kentskitchen.co.uk.

So now you can barbecue like a professional with none of the pressure! And that's good!

Ideal nibbles for your barbie from Penn State

Top UK pretzel maker, Penn State Snacks, is experiencing an exciting period of growth as it launches a brand new range of popcorn and pretzel flavours this summer. And they look to be ideal nibbles to accompany your barbecue feasts this summer!

In a highly competitive market, Penn State Snacks is performing very well, with sales up 11%, so their the new range is perfectly positioned to meet the needs of the health conscious, on-the-go consumer. (EDITOR: I guess they mean you and me!)

Innovative new air popped Sweet & Salt (80g) and Monterey Jack Cheese (80g) popcorn flavours are launched this summer, along with the sizzling seasonal Spicy Tomato & Chorizo Pretzels (175g). Due to high demand, Penn State Snacks is also re-launching the popular Worcester Sauce Pretzels in share size 175g packs as well as handy 30g packs.

Steve Harger, from Intersnack, the firm behind Penn State said: “This is an exciting time of expansion for us as we launch our brand new line of popcorn and pretzel flavours. We are committed to meeting the needs of the consumer and driving forward growth throughout 2011 and beyond.

“Our team have been working hard to make certain these new flavours are of the highest quality and we would urge retailers to stock up on these guilt-free products.”

Following the trend of growth in the snacks, crisps and nuts industry, Penn State Snacks is outperforming in the baked category and with many major supermarkets stocking Penn State products and new listings in Boots and Superdrug, the brand presence is growing continually.

In a bid to refresh and add to the existing range, the growth will continue later into the year with the introduction of the only bottom coated milk chocolate pretzels on the market, as well as an addition to the seasonal range with the festive Gammon & Mustard Pretzels. (EDITOR: Must buy some for our next barbecue, they sound pretty good for barbecue nibbles, while we wait for the first food to cook!)

Steve went on to say: “All our snacks offer consumers the health benefits of a low-fat, low-calorie snack, without compromising on taste. We have been in the business of making pretzels for 15 years and after adding our delicious baked deli chips to the range in 2009, we’re now looking forward to extending further with our popcorn flavours.

“As always here at Penn State, the emphasis is on sharing and having fun and we hope our tasty new treats will continue to reinforce this.”

As the first company to produce pretzels in the UK, Penn State started production of their signature original sea salted pretzel flavour back in 1996 and since then, their popularity has steadily grown and the Great British pretzel now has a firm fan base.

Royal Crown cola is now on sale in the UK

I have heard of Royal Crown cola from American friends who rate it very highly and who were puzzled as to why they couldn't get it in the UK.

Thankfully, Royal Crown cola (RC® cola) has just been launched in the UK, offering kids and adults alike a great cola alternative for summer gatherings and barbecue parties this summer!

Royal Crown cola was born out of the efforts of a young pharmacist in Columbus, Georgia; Claude A. Hatcher began creating his own soft drinks and the results of his experiments would became the iconic American soft drink RC cola.

Created back in 1905, RC® cola is one of America’s original colas and is already available across the globe in over 45 countries and is now available in Asda stores nationwide - just visit www.rccola.co.uk for your local stockist.

A 2 litre bottle of RC cola retails at £1.28, while the 6 x 330ml multi-packs retails at £1.87.

(EDITOR: Now all I need is a local stockist of Root Beer, too and I'll be very pleased!)

Get the taste for Barbecuing this National Barbecue Week!

Yes, National Barbecue Week is coming! And to celebrate, That's Food and Drink is telling you what's available to cook, what you can cook it on, what you can serve it with and what you can drink with it.

Firstly, here are a few safety tips:

Make sure your food is cooked properly. If you need to defrost food, ensure it is properly defrosted and then make certain it is cooked thoroughly

Make sure pets and children are well away from the barbecue

Be sober when you cook

Do not use accelerants to start the barbecue.

Follow those rules and you should be safe and have a good barbecue!

Thistles The Rougemont Hotel gets an afternoon delight from local sisters

Thistle's Exeter hotel, The Rougemont, saw Exmouth sisters Tilly and Ellis Jephtha reign supreme and crowned the best bakers as local finalists battled it out to revitalise the classic British pastime and create the ultimate afternoon tea.

In an attempt to see their very own afternoon tea recipe on the Nelson's Lounge and Bar menu at The Rougemont Hotel, competition finalists, Tilly and Ellis Jephtha, Phyllis Liles and Charlotte Baker were invited to take part in an exciting 'bake off' at the hotel, where entries were judged on visual appeal, taste, smell and texture.

The judging panel comprised the mayor of Exeter, councillor Marcel Choules; Mrs Stella Fernyhough, food judge from Chudleigh Women's Institute of Devon; Shane Munro, group development manager, Food and Beverage, Guoman and Thistle Hotels; and Mark Beedell, general manager, The Rougemont Hotel.

The winning entries from Tilly and Ellis saw the judging panel torn between Tilly's scones with thick Devonshire clotted cream and homemade passion fruit and raspberry jam and Ellis' scones with cream, raspberry blackcurrant and rhubarb jam.

In the end the panel thought the sisters were equally deserving of first place thanks to the superior taste and texture and taste of their scones, and the overall presentation of the dishes!

The sisters' winning entry features as the hotel's specialist, traditional Devonshire afternoon tea on its new teatime treats menu.

Mark Beedell, who is the general manager at The Rougemont Hotel said: "After weeks of collating entries for the competition, we're extremely pleased to award both Tilly and Ellis the title of ultimate afternoon tea champions.

“Their creations will make fantastic additions to our afternoon tea menu at Drakes Restaurant and we're certain that our guests will be as excited as we were when sampling their afternoon delights."

After impressing the general manager with her passion for cooking, Tilly who is the baker in the family and wants to study Catering at Exeter College next year has also been offered work experience at The Rougemont Hotel.

This will help her in her college application, plus it will give her the opportunity to experience all departments in the hotel. Also, and to assist her in building her experience whilst studying, Tilly has been invited to join the team on day release after she has started her college course.

Says Tilly: "The competition has been a wonderful experience which I feel will benefit my future career in catering, and I very much look forward to starting my work placement at The Rougemont Hotel."

FACTFILE:

The Rougemont Hotel in Exeter is a stylish Victorian building situated near the city centre and Rougemont Gardens. The hotel's Drakes Restaurant is relaxed and welcoming and features home cooked favourites and modern European dishes, perfect after a spot of shopping or sightseeing.

Celebrate BBQ Week with The Pampered Chef

Celebrate this year’s National BBQ Week between Monday 30 May and Sunday 5 June.  With the BBQ range from The Pampered Chef, you can take the stress out of alfresco dining and enjoy those relaxing summer afternoons cooking up a sumptuous feast with your friends and family.

Long gone are the days of burnt chicken thighs and dry, horrible sausages! The BBQ Grill Tray (£24) allows you to cook anything from asparagus to meatballs.  It has a large stainless steel frame and thin wires that make a perfect surface for grilling.  It also perfectly grills more delicate foods like fish.  If you are cooking for a large party, you should try the BBQ Grill Basket (£25.50), which makes it easy to grill generous amounts of food like prawns and veggies.

The BBQ Skewer Set (£16.95) is a nifty addition to your BBQ utensils.  The stainless skewers have chef’s hat handles with angled tips, ideal to pierce meats and vegetables.  A food slider removes cooked foods in one smooth motion and doubles as a handy way to store the skewers.  To season your meat just to your taste, try the BBQ Basting Brush (£18).  The silicone head holds more sauce for better bastings and detaches for easier cleaning.

Men will be wowed by the BBQ Jumbo Turner (£19), allowing the chef to turn two burgers at a time.  The extra-wide, stainless bevelled head makes cooking outside just that little bit more effortless.  If that isn’t impressive enough, The Pampered Chef has a BBQ Flexible Turner (£19) that flexes to slide under and neatly turn longer foods, such as salmon.  Another addition is the durable BBQ Mitt (£14.25) made with black suede and has an insulated lining to protect your hands.  It also has a unique split finger, which helps you grasp barbecue tools.

Take away the stress of spilled drinks with The Pampered Chef’s Outdoor Party Sticks (£33.50) –an essential gadget to keep your bottles, glasses, cans and candles safe.  Just place them in the ground and feel confident that your drink will be safe from toppling over.  The set includes one bottle holder and six glass holders.

Be inspired with The Pampered Chef’s Fresh and Fabulous Cookbook (£8.95), which you can find in the new Spring/Summer catalogue available online and from Pampered Chef’s consultants across the UK.  This cookbook has a tasty selection of great grilling and salad recipes, including tips on preparing vinaigrettes.

Products can be bought online at www.pamperedchef.co.uk  or through in-home cooking shows and catalogue shows. Call 01344 823600 to find a consultant in your area or become a consultant yourself.