English Heaven in a can from Folkington's

Folkington's is a modestly sized and utterly independent drinks firm based in the English county of Suffolk.

They have launched a new range of effervescent (but not too gassy)  drinks.

They are charmingly called Folkington's Garden and are a range of four fruit pressés.

There's an utterly delicious and very traditional elderflower drink, with just enough Sicilian lemon juice to add a little bit of a zip to it. Works very nicely with the genuine wild hedgerow elderflowers.

There's a fiery ginger beer that uses some awesomely hot West African ginger root. Very refreshing! (That one was my wife's favorite.)

There's a very nicely created English Rhubarb and Apple drink. Often when drink firms make anything with rhubarb, they tend to overdo the rhubarb, which can create an over tart taste, that sets one's teeth on edge.

This is simply not the case with Folkington's English Rhubarb and Apple drink. The predominant flavour is that of real English apple juice with just the right amount of rhubarb juice to add a very pleasing tart zing to the drink.

Then there is the more than excellent Lemon and English Mint drink which has a perfect combination of  refreshing lemons and calming mint.

Each can is guaranteed free of things that many children can't have (artificial this, that and the other!) and as each can contains less than 100 calories, even those who are on a diet can sip their way through a can without any guilt.

They make ideal companions on a picnic or at a family garden party or BBQ and they make excellent mixers for artisan gins and the like. Or as part of a delicious range of mocktails for those who do not want any alcohol.

They also make a packed lunch in the office taste just a little bit more special.
 
You will find Folkington’s Garden range in independent shops, cafés and delis.

To learn more about the wide range of drinks that are available please do visit them at
http://www.folkingtons.com.

Wild West Deli Beef Jerky Thai Spice Flavour, Chilli and Lime Flavour

Wild West Deli Beef Jerky is a high protein snack range from the Meatsnacks Group of Buckinghamshire.

We were fortunate enough to try this product, recently.

It is described as a "softer beef jerky" and that is exactly what it is.

It is beef jerky, marinated in Thai spices and smoked over applewood.

The result is a softer and utterly delicious taste experience.

They make the point that they only use ingredients for their own marinade that you would be able to find in your own kitchen store cupboard.

Whilst that's true of some more advanced foodies, I think that Meatsnacks are being more than a little modest, here. For in the opinion  of my wife and myself, the herbs and spices used by Meatsnacks are probably of much higher quality than might be found in some family kitchens.

How so? Well, you can taste the sweetness of the real Demerara sugar, but there's a whole range of other flavours, there, too. Garlic, the tang of both the apple cyder vinegar and a hint of lime and the other spices and herbs that go together to make this jerky.

Apparently you van use the jerky in some recipes which you can find at www.meatsnacksgroup.com/wild-west-deli. But as my wife said: "Good luck to anyone who is trying to keep the family out of it long enough to cook with it!"

There is also the equally delicious Chilli and Lime Flavour softer beef jerky, also made in Scotland using select cuts of UK and EU brisket beef.

My wife is not a fan of chillies, but she made the point that Chilli and Lime flavour beef jerky from the Wild West Deli range has none of the harshness and over done heat of some shop bought products.

We noted that there was a well-balanced combination of flavours with a pleasant chilli kick and the sublime tartness of the limes.

These softer beef jerky snacks are idea for snacking, make an excellent and interesting course during a larger meal, are great to serve with a salad, perhaps out of doors, during a BBQ.

They go very well with a nice wine, maybe a Riesling or perhaps a bottle of something like Prosecco?  Or perhaps a nice red? The choice is yours!

Heck Chicken Italia Sauasages

Heck Chicken Italia Sausages are delightful sausages that are made with 100% British chicken meat.

Which is just like the other chicken meat sausages from Heck.

However! In the Chicken Italia sausages we see a special combination of herbs, spices and other ingredients that are mixed together to create a perfectly balanced, somewhat exotic sausage that does, indeed, have a  hint of Italy about them.

There's some basil, some garlic and a range of other spices that join together to create a fantastic taste sensation!

How to serve it? You can serve them as some of the most tasty sausage sandwiches that you can think of. Especially if you have some rustic Italian bread.

Or cook them, slice them up and mix in with Mediterranean style salad leaves and tomatoes to make a most excellent Italian salad, with lashings of olive oil dressing, of course!

Or what about slicing the cooked sausages up fairly thinly and spreading them over a pizza?

Or how about making some garlic and potato mash with olive oil and lots of freshly ground black pepper and making some bangers and mash the likes of which you have probably never tasted before?

New from Mrs Crimble! Mrs Crimble's Authentically French gluten free Madeleines

Mrs Crimble's Authentically French gluten free Madeleines come in two flavours, both a classic vanilla madeleine and a chocolate variety.

And they are made in France, the traditional home of the Madeleine sponge cake recipe.

They are traditionally baked -in proper little scallop-shaped moulds!- and are proper little sponge cakes.

They are available in two varieties, delicious plain sponge and yummy chocolate, which comes with a fantastically delightful and very tasty liquidy chocolate sauce filling.

The great thing about Mrs Crimble's Authentically French gluten free Madeleines is that they are all guaranteed to be 100% gluten free.

They come in packs of six, but each one comes in its own individual wrapper, so they make ideal and very healthy additions to the lunch boxes of children, or adults, who have a problem with being able to process gluten in their diet.

They should be widely available in health shops and also in the "free from..." section of most major supermarkets. And if not, request them to start stocking them.

To learn more, please visit www.mrscrimbles.com/blog/ooh-la-la-mrs-crimbles-goes-continental.

They should cost £2.50 for a bag of six.

Tsingtao Beer. Lager. As it should be.

Tsingtao Beer is lager beer, as it should be.

I remember taking a sip from a glass of my late father's lager back in the early 1960s. And I enjoyed the taste.

However, when I came of age I found that lagers that tasted as refreshing as the lager I had 'borrowed' from my father's glass all those years ago were few and far between.

And then  I found Tsingtao Beer.

Tsingtao Beer is brewed in China and has been brewed by the Tsingtao Brewery since 1903, that's a proud record of over a century of brewing excellence.

What does the beer look like? It is a delightful golden colour, more golden than many other lagers, it has to be said.

It is made of water, malted barley, rice and hops. It has a respectable, but not ridiculously high, alcohol content of  4.7% Vol.

So, what does it taste like?

The bouquet is of lager hops, with a tang of something fruity.

The taste is a revelation. It is very, very similar to the delicious lager beer that I managed to take a sip of from my father's glass all those years ago.

It is refreshing, and you can notice a proper, balanced combination of flavours. There's even a hint of summer fruits, including ripe wild berries.

It goes very well with all types of foods and I think that an iced bucket filled with bottles of
Tsingtao Beer will be an excellent addition at any party this summer.

And every bottle is brewed in China. There's none of that "brewed under licence business", here!

It's also available in Wetherspoon pubs and most good off licences and many supermarkets.

To learn more please visit www.tsingtaobeer.co.uk.

Heck Zesty Chicken sausages

"Heck Zesty Chicken Sausages?" "This should be interesting," we thought as we opened the package.

The label says: "bursting with peppery watercress and lemon freshness."

And that was exactly right.

The predominant flavour was of tender, moist British chicken. Well, with 85% chicken you would expect no less!

There was, however, a very well-balanced taste sub plot going on, here, too.

The watercress was there, adding a nicely executed watercress flavour, which is peppery, but not overly so.

And what else was there? Yes! A definite hint of a lemon flavour, too.

But the watercress and the lemon had been included in the recipe to assist the chicken, not to overpower it.

We enjoyed these sausages very much.

We had them with some fresh three seed long rolls, but they would be equally at home with a salad (perhaps chilled after cooking and sliced up?) or perfect with fresh mashed potatoes and some homemade gravy, too? Or served with new potatoes and homegrown beans direct from the garden?

The choice will be yours!

Heck sausages are available from Morrisons and several other leading supermarkets.

To learn more please visit them at www.heckfood.co.uk.



 

Overhang it revitalises you very quickly

There are many drinks that claim to revitalise you. Some of them work, but others not so much.

Firmly in the former category of drinks that do revitalise you is Overhang.

It is based on a traditional Italian family recipe that has been passed down through the family for generations.

Recently late one evening I was developing a headache. I had been busy working all day, had forgotten to have lunch (that's never a good thing) and by the evening a migraine was threatening to start.

I remembered that there was some Overhang in the fridge and I took the bottle out, shook it (not necessary, but I always like to play it safe!) and poured it into a glass and started to drink it.

The first thing I noticed was the delicious taste of oranges, but with an underlying tang which I think was the limes coming through.

Then there was the noticeable and very welcome (but not too strong)  bite of the ginger.

Wow! That started me feeling better straight away!

Intrigued, I looked at the label and was impressed with the ingredients of Overhang. 

Orange juice, lime juice, ginger, burdock root, milk thistle, raspberry leaf and a whole host of vitamins C, niacin, pantothenic acid and B6.

I retired to bed and the next morning the migraine that had been threatening to start was just a sort of dull memory of what could have been a really bad migraine.

I would imagine it would be good if you have overindulged the night before, if it's been a hot day or if you have had a stressful day at work, or you have been working in the garden, doing a workout or whatever. 

Keep some in the fridge ready for when you need to be revitalised.

Where you can get it? Various retailers, including Holland and Barrett where it costs £2.49 for a 500ml bottle.

You can learn more about this drink and its unique history at http://overhangdrinks.com.

Jim Beam Double Oaked Twice Barreled

I

had never tried Jim Beam Double Oaked Twice Barreled Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in oak before, so I was intrigued and pleased to be able to give it a taste.

It has an inviting golden to very light brown colour to it, so it has obviously benefited from the unique process that it has been put through.

So, it looks good and it leaves the bottle with a highly satisfying glugging sound.

But what of the taste?

The first word that comes to mind is sublime.

It's smooth, in fact it is, in my opinion, smoother than smooth.

There's a hint of oak, there. It's almost as if someone has taken the soul of an oak forest and distilled its essence and bottled it.

 But oh, boy! Has it got a kick to it! But, and yes, let's mix the metaphors here, it's like a velvet gloved kick, as there is no harshness in this drink!

There's an undertone of sweetness as if there are some really rather exotic fruits within the DNA of this Bourbon.

Is there a hint of earth ands fire, there, too? Yes, I think there is. Toffee? Yes. That, also.

The flavour is very intense, but pleasingly so.

Serve it by itself, with water, with ice, as part of any cocktail that demand whiskey or whisky as one of the keynote ingredients, and you just can't go wrong.

But my advice is, it doesn't really matter much how you serve Jim Beam Double Oaked Twice Barreled Bourbon, so long as you serve it!

Elizabeth Shaw chocolate orange sticks

Please picture the scene, after a hard morning's writing, my wife and I decide that the next food tasting we would undertake would be on the patio, with some delicious cocktails (more on those, later) and some delicious snack foods on what must have been the hottest day of the year, so far.

And some utterly delicious Elizabeth Shaw Chocolate Orange Sticks made the experience one of utter bliss and contentment.

There is something very special about all Elizabeth Shaw chocolate products, they are all perfect. Which is why they do not feel the need to tamper and tinker with their recipes.

The chocolate is sublime and the amount of orange oils that they use is just right, offering the correct balance of creamy milk chocolate and tagy, tasty orange flavours.

However, even under the shade of the umbrella table the chocolate began to visibly wilt and bend, so we put them into the fridge to allow them to firm up a bit.

Have you ever had Elizabeth Shaw Chocolate Orange Sticks chilled, before? If not, you will find it a marvelous experience. I served them up with some ice cream!

Learn more about the delicious Elizabeth Shaw range at   https://www.elizabethshaw.co.uk.

Firefly revitalising juice drinks

Firefly revitalising juice drinks do exactly what it says on the tin, or rather exactly what it says on the bottle.

They provide a properly balanced drink when you need refreshment.

They taste good -which isn't always the case with some drinks that are supposed to rehydrate you!- for example the Peach and Green Tea flavour that we tried had hints of green tea, with a goodly amount of peach in the flavour.

But it also contains vital ingredients like kola nut, yerba mate and rosemary.

I personally think it is ideal if you wake up cranky after a poor night's sleep, if you have been feeling low after having a cold or an annoying summer bug, if you overindulged at the BBQ or if you have managed to get a bit dehydrated in the hot, summery weather.

It tastes good even at room temperature, but it is better if you allow it to chill before drinking it.

And you must, we are informed, consume it within 24 hours of the bottle being opened.

In fairness I would say that it would be a miracle if it lasted longer than 24 seconds!

You can learn more at www.fireflydrinks.com. They are produced by Purity drinks and there are six delicious flavours.

For a list of stockists please visit http://www.fireflydrinks.com/stockists,

Liberation Nuts. Lots for everyone

No matter what type of nuts you like, Liberation Nuts have some nuts for you and for everyone else!

But they put the exact same amount of effort, skill and knowhow into each of their products.

For example, there's the subtlety warming, yet not fiercely hot, Oven Baked Chilli and Lime Cashews with peanuts and roasted corn.

Plus there is the  absolutely delicious Oven baked peppercorn, peanuts with cashews and Habatas Fritas crunchy beans, which is an International Food Festival in a bag, all by itself.

The next one we tried has got to be my favourite, the Get up & Glow bag, not only is it a source of Vitamin B1, it contains nuts  (brazils and almonds) pears and luxurious chunks of ginger all wrapped up in some of the best dark chocolate that I have ever tasted!

And there's loads of other types to choose from and some peanut butter, too!

Not only are they extremely tasteful, they are also good for you in some way (though I only speak as a nut eater, not a nutritionist)  because if they are oven baked, well, that speak volumes, doesn't it?) and also better for the whole world, as they are all Fairtrade, too!

Where can you make purchase of these most excellent nutty products? Waitrose, Traidcraft and Oxfam.

To learn more just nip along to http://chooseliberation.com/products-stockists/.

Next time I go into town I think a visit to our local Oxfam shop would be a good idea. I think I need some more Get Up & Glow.

Celia organic premium Czech lager. It's gluten free and flavourful

Celia organic premium Czech lager is an organic lager that is guaranteed gluten free and also guaranteed to be 100% organic.

It's also suitable for vegans as no animal by-products are used in its production.

Some lagers can leave you feeling bloated, this is because carbon dioxide gas is relentlessly pumped into the beer, making it more like fizzy pop than genuine beer.

This is not the case with Celia. Because the only carbonation within Celia is that of the natural brewing process so it does not leave you with that horrible bloated, gassy feeling that comes with some other lagers.

Celia is brewed with Moravian Malt and 100% Organic Saaz Hops. The water used in the brewing process is locally sourced from the neighbouring Zatec foothills, where it is naturally filtered through sand.

Incidentally, the hops are chosen from a specially selected crop in Zatec, where hops have been farmed since 1004, well over 1,000 years of farming history served in a bottle of Celia!

The Saaz hops are the world's only protected hop, which is why Celia Organic Lager is allowed to use the Protected Designation of Origin symbol on their bottles.

It's also carefully brewed to make sure it is an able and very willing accompaniment for almost every type of food, savoury or sweet. (EDITOR: We found it especially good with a chicken dish.)

So, it's organic, it's gluten free and it's safe for vegans to drink.

So what does it taste like?

It's a real premium Czech lager beer. It's lighter than many you might have tried, the bubbles are refreshing, but they do not get in your way of enjoying the flavour of the beer.

There's a refreshing bitter edge and depth to the flavour and there's also more of a fruity background to it, I was thinking berries, my wife was more convinced it was a hint of several citrus fruits, combined.

My wife is, or rather was, not a lager fan, though she has been converted to Celia.

We will be seeking this out again, as it is the only lager so far that my wife (who needs to be gluten free) can both enjoy and tolerate.

It costs £2.50 a bottle and can be found at Waitrose, Ocado, some Oddbins, Booths and Whole Food Market.

Coronation Chicken flavour crisps. From Tyrell's, of course!

Tyrell's are, as the saying goes, never backwards in coming forwards, and this latest addition to their range is no exception to that maxim.

Coronation Chicken flavour.

Now, first, a little background about what is, after all, a quintessentially British dish.

It is generally held that the dish was specially created for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, by Constance Spry, an English cookery expert and food writer and Rosemary Hume, both of the  London-based Cordon Bleu Cookery School.

It basically consists of cold cooked chicken meat, herbs and curry spices all blended in mayonnaise and often served with a salad, as a filling for jacket potatoes and the like.

It is an extremely popular dish in the UK. So, how would the Tyrrell's version stand up to the taste test?

The answer, if there had been any room for doubt, was that it stood up to the taste test very well indeed!

The crisps taste exactly like a good Coronation Chicken.

There's a nice mixture of flavours, roast chicken comes through, very nicely, there's a hint of a nice and creamy mayonnaise dressing, plus a rather nice  tang of curry that comes through very well.

It is important to point out that no one flavour predominates or over-powers. The chefs at Tyrell's have worked really to come up with this creation.

In fact I think Tyrell's -if they haven't done so already- should send a crate of these Coronation Chicken Crisps 150g bags to Buckingham Palace!

By the way, these are seasonal so do not miss out!

Tyrell's Poshcorn. Best popcorn I ever tasted!

This summer those clever folk over a Tyyrell's have introduced a special summer flavour for their Poshcorn popcorn range.

Summer strawberries and cream.

When we opened the packet there was a delightful scent of strawberries and cream.

As we sat out on the back patio of That's Food and Drink House, my assistant (well, manager really, AKA my wife!)  we dipped in and our reactions were immediate.

Mine: "Oh, wow! Just like strawberries and cream!"

Hers: "Good heavens! It is just like strawberries and cream!"

It is British grown popping corn combined with real strawberry juice (and some raspberry juice, too) and real, honest to goodness Dorset cream.

At the rate they were being consumed a 75g bag lasted far longer than we thought it would.

Or you can even find a massive 270g party bag!

For a really decadent idea, why not serve them with a bowl of fresh strawberries and real cream?

That was my plan, but sadly we accidentally ate them all before we could put my plan into action.

Next time? Yes. Definitely next time. Unless, of course, we eat them all again before we can get around to doing it!

My advice? Buy several bags and lay them in ready for Wimbledon.

Other flavours available are: Coconut and caramel, sweet, sweet and salty, sea salted, salted with a twist of black pepper and lemon cupcake.

Food blogger suspended for being in 'racist' (not really) 1980s punk band

Primrose's Kitchen

Primrose extends a warm welcome to everyone who is interested in eating well and eating properly.

It's the proud claim of Primrose that everything she and her company creates, every recipe, are made from 100% natural raw vegetable ingredients deep in the heart of Dorset.

Primrose crafts some very delicious breakfast muselis and she has taken the decision to grow their range so there are now even more tasty recipes for you to enjoy.

The purpose is to ensure that their range will be able to help you feel nourished throughout the day as simply as possible.

All of their recipes are gluten free and are suitable for everyone to eat and enjoy, including vegans.

Flavours (all are gluten free and nut free, unless stated otherwise) that were trialled were as follows:

Courgette and Cacao Granola.
This was an example of a chunky type of breakfast cereal. It is made up of sunflower seeds, coconut pieces, sultanas, sprouted buckwheat, dates, courgettes, shelled hemp, cacao, lucuma, cacao butter, ground flaxseed, vanilla, turmeric and kelp powder.

The predominant taste that came through was that of the chocolate flavour from the cacao. (Raw cacao is made by cold-pressing unroasted cocoa beans)

Orange and Cashew Granola
Made from sunflower seeds, orange, sultanas, cashew nuts and coconut pieces
Unsurprisingly the predominant flavour with this particular granola recipe is orange, though as you would expect, it is the flavour of real oranges.

Porridge Oats
This is made with Gluten free oats and nothing else.
It is great made up as a traditional porridge (with only salt, not sugar as my grandfather insisted!) but it is also perfect with cold milk. (Cow, rice, soya, or almond milk, whatever your preference.)

Raw Beetroot and Ginger Muesli
I have to confess that this was my personal favourite. It is made with Gluten free oats, raw beetroot, raw blue agave nectar, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, raw virgin coconut oil, almonds, linseeds, coconut pieces, ground ginger, psyllium husk seeds and hemp seeds.

The ginger makes this breakfast cereal a real tongue tingler and the raw beetroot makes the milk turn a delightful shade of pink. You can taste the ginger and also detect the good, honest earthy taste of the raw beetroot working in the background.

Oatmeal and Chia
The same delicious gluten free oatmeal as used in the porridge oats, but with the addition of chia seeds.

The chia seeds add an interesting and subtle taste to the oats. It's almost the same as poppy seeds in flavour, but not quite.

To learn more about the range of breakfast foods and other items that Primrose makes -and to keep your eye open for fresh, new recipes- please drop in to see them at www.primroseskitchen.com 

400 grammes will cost £5.95.

You can purchase Primrose's Kitchen products at the following link http://goo.gl/GjK2SB. Just enter the shop and click on the Grocery section once you are there.

Jimmy's Iced Coffee. Iced coffee like it should be.

Jimmy's Iced Coffee is like iced coffee should be.

There are many types of iced coffee that you can buy in convenience stores, grocers, sandwich shops, supermarkets and the like. But please do mark my words, there is only one Jimmy's Iced Coffee.

Some iced coffees (even those made by some so-called leading brands)  just don't taste right. They are either too weak, or sometimes taste a little bit burnt.

But that's definitely not the case with Jimmy's Iced coffee.

There's no cream in Jimmy's Iced Coffee (well, that is to say unless you choose to add some!) but it does have a deliciously creamy taste and texture to it.

Is it the fact that when you buy Jimmy's Iced coffee you actually get real British milk? Could be!

Let's take a look -and a taste- of Jimmy's Iced Coffee Skinny.

It's deliciously refreshing. You can definitely taste the Arabica coffee (well, with 36% of this making up the coffee part of the taste, that's a certainty!) and the fact that this blend uses British skimmed milk, which makes up 61% of the total content, plus there's the great taste of demerara sugar to add just the right amount of the subtle brown sugar taste that's so often sadly lacking with other types of iced coffee.

The carton tells us that there is 24.9mg of caffeine in every 100ml of coffee.

There's Original, Skinny and Mocha.

It's a family owned business and is made in Britain. In Dorset to be more precise.

It costs £1.59 and bears the legend: "Keep Your Chin Up!" (KYCU)

To learn more visit http://jimmysicedcoffee.com/

Great Uncle Cornelius' range of real non-alcoholic drinks

From the James White company, the Cornelius range is described by the company as: "The 'Great Uncle' to all their brands."

Take a stroll back through time. Not to yesterday, when soft drinks had become chemical concoctions that gave children garishly coloured lips and tongues and hyper-active mad-ups due to the propensity of soft drink makers to shove dubious chemicals into their soft drinks.

We would rather you step back a good deal further, back to a time when soft drinks were made using real fruits, real sugar, some water and nothing else.

Take that step back and you will find yourself in the time of The Great Uncle Cornelius range of James White.

You'll be able to try their Lemon Refresher, which is cloudy because of the fruit juices contained therein, not due to any nasty E number nonsense!

Or try the new Rhubarb Refresher!

Rhubarb is known for its exceptionally tart taste, but combined with just the right amount of apple juice, it makes for a lovely and utterly refreshing drink.

But for those of you who like their drinks a little hotter, why not try Uncle Cornelius' Famous Spiced Ginger?

Enjoy it cold over ice (if you want to add ice, that is?) or why not try it warm?

It makes a perfect Whisky Mac, so add the Scotch (or Irish Whiskey or Welsh whisky) of your choice and you'll soon be in a Celtic heaven!

Or if you are feeling under the weather, add honey to it to make a perfect hot toddy.

Or why not try the James White Organic Ginger Zinger Shot?

It will give you a really good boost, just when you need it and it's free from any horrible additives!

You can buy the James White range of drinks at https://goo.gl/ipT2id

Primula Cheeses. First class, as always

Primula cream cheeses are first class, as they always have been.

When we first tried Primula cheeses back when I was a small child, my favourite was -as it still is- Primula cream cheese with ham.

It actually made perfect party food, with a carefully squeezed amount on Ritz crackers or other similar biscuits, they always looked about as good as they tasted.

And if you wanted to be a little more posh than usual, making Primula Cheese sandwiches (crusts removed and then cut into shapes using small pasty shapes) and your party was the talk of the town. Well, at least the talk of the neighbourhood!

But there's so much more to Primula Cream Cheese than as a nifty and quick party food.

You can use them with jacket potatoes, with new potatoes, as part of an innovative salad dressing, on sandwiches, with pork pies, mixed into mashed potatoes, combined with corned beef hash, or used ot liven up some bubble and squeak, used with with meat pies and even employed to enliven a cheesecake. (Obviously not the savoury flavours, though!)

There's so much that you can do with Primula, that the clever folk at Primula have created a large fund of tasty and innovative recipes for you to make something just that little bit different with your Primula. Well, that's supposing that your family will leave your Primula alone for long enough so that you can have any left to use in your cooking!

You can find the recipes at www.primula.co.uk/recipes.html

Primula is available in the following flavours: Original Cheese, Cheese With Chives, Light Cheese, Cheese With Prawns and Cheese With Ham.

As well as coming in tubes you can also get them in spreadable tubs and there's a range of dips, too.

Weetabix promoting new Weetabix Protein cereal

The most popular British breakfast cereal, Weetabix, is ensuring that it continues to be at the top of it's game, with a massive £2.2 million investment in its new product, Weetabix Protein.

It's running a major TV campaign to promote Weetabix Protein, over the next couple of months.

Global advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty is behind the TV commercial aimed at maximising reach to a mass audience over a period of eight weeks and driving awareness to the latest Weetabix product innovation – Weetabix Protein.

Weetabix Brand Manager Caroline La Niece, said: “New and popular trends are driving the cereal category into fresh avenues and protein is just one of the trends that Weetabix have launched in to.

"The advertising campaign is just another part of our commitment to the new product and a way of telling consumers we've made it simpler to get a high protein, tasty and nutritious breakfast that helps keep them powered throughout the morning."

There are also money off promotions in some retailers.

So, what, exactly, is Weetabix Protein like?

The smart chefs and food researchers employed by Weetabix have made certain that it's pretty much exactly like ordinary Weetabix biscuits (which for us Weetabix fans is a good thing, obviously!) but you can identify that there are rather nice crunchy segments of extra wheat protein within the Weetabix breakfast biscuits.

Can we recommend new Weetabix Protein to our readers? Yes, we can.

It's actually another neat product from Weetabix, which That's Food and Drink is pretty confident you'll enjoy.

And we felt a little bit of a tug at the heartstrings when we watched the video advert, as it's very well done.

Jack Daniel's BBQ marinades

I'll level with you, my wife is not a natural Bourbon drinker (her spirit of choice is Ardbeg Scotch or Bombay Sapphire Gin and that's about it, for her, as far as spirits are concerned!) so she was a little unsure about the Jack Daniels marinades that we were due to review.

But she gamely stepped up to the plate (see what I did, there?) and decided to check them out in our (I beg her pardon, her) kitchen and introduce them to some steaks, some chicken breasts and some pork over a period of several days.

What happened was that my wife is now a compete convert to the Jack Daniels marinades!

And I think they'll be the flavour to make our meats savour throughout this BBQ season and well beyond, too. Will we have Jack Daniels marinades with our turkey next Christmas? Well, let's just say if that happened, I would not be all that surprised!

What really excited my wife was the new Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee Honey™ Barbecue Glaze.

According to the chefs who created this epic product: "It combines with the soft flavours of the popular Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee Honey™ Liqueur, the Tennessee Honey™ Barbecue Glaze has a delicious hint of honey and a smooth flavour, perfect for luxuriously sticky, sweet ribs and glistening chicken wings or simply to use as a dip with a difference for wedges or veggies."

My wife was not too keen on the Extra Hot Habanero Barbecue Sauce, but as I liked that, I guess that's going to be my bottle of choice this BBQ season!

The new Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee Honey™ Barbecue Glaze joins the existing range that includes the Jack Daniel’s® Hot Pepper Steak Sauce, Extra Hot Habanero Barbecue Sauce, Smokey Sweet Barbecue Glaze, Smooth Original Barbecue Sauce and Full Flavor Smokey Barbecue Sauce.

The Jack Daniel’s® Tennessee Honey™ Barbecue Glaze is available now in Tesco stores at a nifty £1.99. The Jack Daniel’s® Extra Hot Habanero is available in Nisa Stores; the Hot Pepper Steak Sauce is available in Tesco, Booths and Nisa stores; the Smokey Sweet Barbecue Glaze is available in Tesco and Nisa stores and the Jack Daniel’s® Smooth Original and Full Flavor Smokey Barbecue Sauces can be found in most major supermarkets across the UK, RRP £2.19.

To learn more just visit http://jackdanielsbbqsauces.com.

Walter and Monty a new charcoal grilling experience in London

There's an absolutely stunning new charcoal restaurant that has opened in the heart of  the City of London.

Walter and Monty is its name, and it is a joint enterprise between Alex Kaye and Nick Ross.

It has its origins and roots in the highly acclaimed Night Tales and Summer Tales in East London, with Alex Kaye's highly acclaimed street food.

This is a perfect way for people to get into the BBQ season, even in the heart of London!

It's open from Monday to Friday 11.30am — 2.30pm, though you should keep an eye open for their great plans to include breakfast and dinner opening times, too!

Look out for the justifiably famed BBQ boneless butterflied leg of lamb, which is one of Alex's best known dishes.

To learn more visit http://www.walterandmonty.com/

You'll find them (next to the Gherkin) in the City of London, in Bury Court, EC3A 7BA, call 020 7283 6666 for details.

You should eat In the Nood!

Yes, you really should eat In The Nood!

Because In the Nood is an absolutely fantastic and incredibly innovative food for those of us who care about what we are consuming.

What is In the Nood? It's a special pouch of absolutely delicious goodness.

The pouch is filled with highly tasty raw ingredients that together combine to create something that's good for everyone, but especially for those who have dietary restrictions.

You can take the mix out and roll it into balls which you can chill, and then eat at your leisure.

These are new products and That's Food and Drink are proud to be amongst the first people to taste test them.

They are created by two incredibly clever people, Alex and Sam Lai.

They are designed to allow you to roll your own energy ball food snack.

The idea is to enable people who need an energy boost, especially if you have an energy deficiency in the mid-afternoon period.

They are also ideal for breakfast, for a picnic snack or for a tasty desert after a BBQ. And kids and adults just love them.

I am a Type 2 Diabetic and rather than gulping down sugar I much prefer to be able to use something like In the Nood, which, although it can give me a carb boost, has no added sugar.

They are also pretty keen as snacks before or after a good work out session.

 ihave created a 'roll your own energy ball' (yes, there's the USP!) to stop those mid-week, mid-afternoon cravings and add a healthy dose of the good stuff, instead of the usual sweet treats - great for summer picnics, BBS, to keep the kids and adults happy!

They come in three delicious flavours: Orange and Cacao, Simpy Cacao, and Crunchy Cacao.

They say: "In the Nood are healthy snacks with nothing to hide. They come in a pack with fully mixed dates, coconut, cacao and other amazing ingredients so you can roll your own energy ball. With three flavours available we've created something that's nutritious and customisable for folks' own recipes, and with NO ADDED SUGAR, they are a great pre or post work out snack, or a snack on the run, or, if you fancy it you can eat it from the bag! Kids will love them too - a whole host of creativity at their fingertips with them making their own recipes and creating fun cookie cutter shapes!"

"The In the Nood energy ball mix is just full of good stuff such as antioxidants, fibre and minerals and no added nasties. It's all about being able to 'roll your own energy ball' to stop those cravings and add a healthy dose of what's great, instead of reaching for the usual naughty sweet treats."

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

Each 175g pack costs £7.99.

Yushoi tastes great and is good for you, too

Yushoi tastes great and is good for you, too.

The That's Food and Drink testing team were introduced to the joys of a snack that, despite being one of the most tasty we have tried in a very long time, is actually rather good for you, too!

The recipe of Yushoi Snapea rice sticks calls for them to be made out of green peas and rice.

It's not fried, but rather it is properly baked to seal all those delicious flavours in.

Each 21g serving contains a very pleasing 96 calories and, if that weren't enough, it's high in fibre and is a good protein source, too.

Looking out for someone who has a nut or dairy allergy? Then this product is ideal for them as it is not only nut and dairy free, it is produced in a bakery where nut products are never used.

It's also great for vegans and vegetarians and it has no artificial nasties or MSG.

Flavours that are available are Soy and Balsamic Vinegar, Smoked Salt and Szechuan Pepper and Sweet Chilli and Lemon, plus Lightly Salted.

My wife's favourite is the Smoked Salt and Szechuan Pepper, whilst my favourite was the Soy and Balsamic Vinegar. Other testers preferred the Light Salted variety and the Sweet Chilli and Lemon which carries a heck of a potent punch!

They come in a variety of pack sizes, 21g single serving, 6 x 21g multipacks or a 105g re-sealable sharing bag, so they are idea for whatever you have in mind, be it as part of a healthy lunch, a mid-morning snack, or nibbles for a party.

You should be able to find them in The Cooperative, WH Smith, Whole Foods Market, Selfridge's and Morrisons. You can also buy them on line at either Amazon or Ocado.

The price of a 105g sharing pack is an amazingly low £1.99.

They are produced by Calbee UK, a subsidiary of Calbee Inc., the largest producer of savoury snack foods in Japan.

The product has been designed by top nutritionists working with health experts to make certain that these snacks comply with government criteria to encourage better eating habits and reduce obesity.

www.yushoi.co.uk

There's a new Sauvignon Blanc available. It's from Eisberg

Need to reduce your calorific intake or you can't or won't drink alcohol?

Miss your favourite white wine, miss the taste of Sauvignon Blanc wine?

You do not have to miss it any longer, as Eisberg has introduced a very taste-filled Sauvignon Blanc wine, which has no alcohol and reduced calories.

The alcohol content is never more than 0.05% and one 125ml serving contains only 28 calories. Whilst a standard glass of Sauvignon Blanc wine has something on the order of 104 calories. That's quite a saving.

But you might be thinking: "Well, that's all well and good. It does you good, but does it taste good, too?"

In this instance, it not only has the potential to do you good, it also tastes pretty good, too.

What, exactly, does it taste like?

It has the classic Sauvignon Blanc wine bouquet. Summer fruits and hedgerow fruits are definitely on the nose.

The taste is interesting. There's none of the bite you might expect -no alcohol- but this raises other points of interest. The nose of this wine also follows through to the taste.

This  Sauvignon Blanc wine has a taste of summer fruits, of preserves lovingly  made from wild hedgerow fruits, but with a more exotic undernote, too. What is it? Peaches? Perhaps a combination of peaches and apples?

It is also mouthwatering  and at only £3.50 from Waitrose or Co-op stores all over the country, this is a wine that you simply can't buy by the single bottle. I'd recommend buying them in multiples of three at the very least!

Freeganism lite, or how to save money safely

For those who do not like the idea of grubbing through bins for free food outside the rear of supermarkets and risk getting arrested as a thief, or perhaps even run the risk of catching an unpleasant disease (food and bins are not a good combination) there is always the option of waiting for the short dated bargains.

Please let me explain. Almost all supermarkets have sections in the store where items are sold off at very cheap prices. They are either items that are remaindered or have cosmetically damaged packaging. They are sometimes known, quaintly, as the "bent bargains" section!

There are also usually a refrigerated bargain section where, towards the end of the day, you can find bargain refrigerated items. For example today my wife and I found four pizzas that were normally £2.00 each for the very reasonable price of 37p each!

These are now safely stowed away in our freezer for later consumption.

You can often obtain bargain cooked meats, bargain fresh meats, cheaply priced cheeses, cut price sandwiches and the like.

Bargain bread and cakes are often nearer to the baked goods section.

There will also be a section devoted to cheaper vegetables and fruits, too.

You need to scope out your favourite supermarket and mark down the location of any likely bargains. And work out the best times to get there,

For example, arrive at spot on 5.30pm and you'll fill your basket or trolley with bargains.

But arrive at 5.40pm and all that is left is a howling wasteland bereft of any bargains whatsoever!

You'll have fun finding the bargains, sometimes staff are very helpful to patient, friendly and chatty regular bargain hunters. And if that's you? You will be quids in, as the saying puts it!

So, happy bargain hunting folks!

Eggs are perfect. Especially the Crackin Eggs!

Yes, eggs are the perfect food.

And here's why!:-

½ Dozen Crackin’ Egg Facts
1. Eggs are a superfood and are rich in vitamins and minerals including Vitamins A, D, B12, B2 (Riboflavin), Folate, Biotin, Pantothenic acid, Phosphorous, Iodine and Selenium

2. Contrary to popular belief, eggs contain HDL cholesterol which is good for you and actually removes excess cholesterol from the rest of the body and transports it back to the liver

3. Eggs have a low energy density so make you feel fuller for longer and are very good for energy levels, metabolism and concentration

4. 12.6% of the edible portion of an egg is protein which is one of the highest you can get and is used as a reference standard against which all other foods are assessed

5. Egg protein is a rich source of the essential amino acid leucine, which is important in modulating the use of glucose by skeletal muscle and in facilitating muscle recovery after exercise

6. Eggs are good for your bones, muscles, liver, eye sight, thyroid gland, immune system, red blood cell formation, nervous system function, hair, skin and nails

So what exactly are "Crackin Eggs?"

 The eggs are free-range hard-boiled eggs which come in twin packs with special seasoning sachets (salt & black pepper, sweet chilli or sour cream & chive).

They are also particularly handy as the eggs last up to 4 weeks outside of the fridge due to their special coloured wax coating – which is also a fun addition to any picnic hamper!

The eggs are really affordable - a twin-pack with seasoning costs just £1.59 at Ocado.

Visit  http://crackineggco.co.uk/ for details.

Want pulled pork? Then turn to Santa Maria

It has been said that patience was the secret ingredient for perfect pulled meat.

Well, that's not necessarily the case, because now Santa Maria’s Pulled Pork Dinner Kit and Pulled Chicken Dinner Kit create tender and fully-flavoured delicious  meat in just 90 minutes. And now there's no need for overnight marinating or lengthy slow-cooking.

Santa Maria’s Taste Developers, who are renowned experts in world flavours, have taken inspiration from the highly popular US trend for sweet, smoky and sticky meats and have crafted a meal kit with all the essential ingredients for this US street food sensation. So we now no longer have to take a flight over to the USA to taste this truly awesome speciality dish.

Both kits, the Santa Maria Pulled Pork Dinner Kit and Santa Maria Pulled Chicken Dinner Kit, come complete with a special seasoning mix sachet created (it's a different but equally special blend for pork or chicken, a special oven proof cookery bag for the infusion of all of the flavours, a sachet of barbecue sauce, a sachet of red onion seasoning and a pack of eight mini flour tortillas, too!

You need only five minutes of preparation time to season a pork joint like a shoulder cut or a whole chicken.

Put your selected piece of meat inside the special cooking bag and 90 minutes later the meat will be juicy and jam packed full of authentic barbecue flavours.

But not only that, the meat will be so tender it will be easily shredded with a fork.

Pile taco shells or seeded brioche buns with pulled meat and serve with homemade red onion slaw, fries (or chips!) and grilled corn on the cob.

Or for an extra special treat, use the kit’s mini tortillas to make Mexican canapés for dinner party entertaining or just because you want to!

Are you a seasoned grill-pro looking to bring the BBQ indoors for a winter treat? Or perhaps you are a novice chef with a real jones for some American-style cooking, Santa Maria Pulled Pork Dinner Kit and Santa Maria Pulled Chicken Dinner Kit guarantee the flavours of the U.S.A., but free of any fuss.

Santa Maria Pulled Pork Dinner Kit and Santa Maria Pulled Chicken Dinner Kit should be available from Morrisons at a price of £3.99.

Visit http://www.santamariaworld.co.uk for details

Hari Ghotra’s Curry Kits for authentic cooking by you

You can spice up your life and the lives of your loved ones with a Hari Ghotra’s Curry Kit.

You can find these on sale at www.harighotra.co.uk for what Hari describes as: "a 'bargainous' £3.50!"

These tantalising and tasty kits make it easier to cook authentic Indian food providing exact quantities of the handpicked spices from the expert herself.

Each kit includes special individually numbered bags for every stage of cooking and easy to follow instructions. In addition, the kits include a video link to cook along with Hari.

Experience exciting spices, unique ingredients and different cooking styles by selecting from curry classics such as Korma, Tikka Masala and Biryani. Or lesser known dishes from the creamy yet spicy Makhani and the South Indian Xacuti, which incorporates coconut and Kashmiri chillies.

(EDITOR: You get the joy of knowing that you have cooked a delicious and authentic meal yourself, under the expert guidance of top chef Hari Ghotra.)

Information:

Hari Ghotra’s Curry Kits £3.50

Hari Ghotra’s Curry Kit set of six £18.00

Hari Ghotra’s Curry Kit set of twelve £36.00

Hari Ghotra’s Spice Tin – Six Spices £25.00

Hari specialises in North Indian cuisine with the aim to simplify recipes without losing authenticity. As well her upcoming appointment as Chef of Tamarind's new restaurant, Tamarind Kitchen, she is a regular contributor to Great British Chefs http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/contributors/hari-ghotra.

Check out Hari’s new and improved website to find recipes, videos and the online shop to purchase curry kits.

Please check out see the summer recipe links below:

Asparagus with Indian Spices (Asparagus season is April-June)

http://www.harighotra.co.uk/asparagus-with-indian-spices-recipe

Kedgeree (Spicy Smoked Fish Rice)

http://www.harighotra.co.uk/kedgeree-recipe

Lamb Burgers

http://www.harighotra.co.uk/lamb-burgers-recipe

Chicken Tikka Skewers

http://www.harighotra.co.uk/chicken-tikka-recipe

Tandoori prawns Skewers

http://www.harighotra.co.uk/tandoori-prawn-skewers-recipe

Almondy cakes. They tate so good, who knew they were gluten free?

Yes it is perfectly true. One of the best exports from Sweden has to be the Almondy Cake.

But did you know that they are gluten free?

Well, they most certainly are! Almondy Cakes are gluten free Swedish cakes.

They come in two utterly decadent and utterly delicious flavours, Toblerone topped and Daim topped.

Almondy cakes are baked in the company’s bakery which is just  outside Gothenburg, Sweden.

The trademark almond bases are made to an original Swedish recipe that dates back from the 1890s.

You'll locate them in the freezer aisle of many of the UK's major supermarkets.

They offer a simple, yet very effective solution to your dessert needs.

They are great as an after dinner desert, but equally good as an afternoon treat with a pot of tea or coffee.

You can serve them plain or why not try serving them with fresh cream or some whipped Greek Yoghurt or ice cream? Perhaps topped off with some fresh berries? Perfection every time!

The Almondy Daim combines the irresistible signature almond base with a golden cream and crunchy almond caramel, deliciously coated with smooth milk chocolate.

Almondy Toblerone combines the almond base with rich chocolate cream and smooth milk chocolate.  On top is a generous layer of Toblerone pieces all covered with smooth milk chocolate.

A 400g cakes costs around £3.00 from Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Budgens.

They defrost in under 30 minutes so are great in a desert emergency!

If you are unsure which type to buy, buy both for a mere £6.00! Who knows? You might be able to keep one in the freezer, or will you get both out at once and really impress your guests?



   

TrueStart Coffee

 What is TrueStart Coffee?

It's probably one of the only genuine innovations in the world of instant coffee in several years. Because it is not sold as a simple coffee.

It's recently been launched and is the world’s only 100% natural caffeine controlled coffee.

It's designed for you to take half an hour before you work out and the results are said to be "really good."

So, what is it for?

TrueStart Coffee, is the world’s only 100% natural caffeine controlled coffee, ensuring that drinkers can optimise their physical and mental performance.

The caffeine content of your normal cup or mug of coffee can vary wildly from 10mg to 250mg but TrueStart offers the world’s only caffeine balanced drink which guarantees 95mg of caffeine per 2g serving.

TrueStart allows people to take caffeine control into their own hands, meaning that you know exactly what’s being put into your body.

TrueStart is a completely natural product made 100% from the finest Columbian Arabica beans, ensuring it’s free from synthetics and sugars. This has the benefit of providing sustained energy release and premium taste, too. (EDITOR: It does taste good, but then it is made from top quality Columbian Arabica coffee beans!)

It retails for £6.99 for a 40 scoop pack (and you must keep in mind the fact that it costs 20 times less per serving than other energy supplements) and is now available in Tescos, Nutri Centres, Holland and Barrett (from 23 March), www.wiggle.com and at http://www.truestartcoffee.com or at http://goo.gl/mhYAG1.

Easter and Summer cocktails at a fraction of the usual price with the magic of Aldi

You will be able to prepare some pretty mean cocktails this year for your Easter and Summer parties and barbecues when you nip down to Aldi and source your requirements from their stupendous range of spirit drinks, wines, fruit juices and the like.

Want to serve Champagne? Using Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut (£10.99) which is a delicious crisp Champagne embodied with the flavour of baked apples. This is now well within the budget of many people. So long, of course, as they shop in Aldi!

Why not try a delicious Champagne and Amaretto cocktail? Using Aldi's delicious Bellucci Amaretto Liqueur, £ 4.29  a bottle, of course!

1 shot amaretto
2 shots orange juice
Champagne

Or if you wish you could use the very special  floral Belletti Prosecco, instead. That's about £8.00 a bottle.

Or there's the tasty Dry London Gin. You can serve it with a bottle of tonic water some ice cubes an gash of lime juice (stir well!) and a wedge of lime as the garnish. You can use as much or as little gin as you desire, though 50ml is the suggested amount.

And if you like Irish coffee, you'll love it made with some of Aldi's Ballycastle Irish Country Cream (£3.75 – 70cl). Just add a spoonful of coffee, top up with some hot -not boiling!- water and stir well. You can add a bit of Aldi's fresh cream if you want to make it even more special.

There's a great range of wines at Aldi and you can even buy these buy the case for home delivery. https://www.aldi.co.uk and check out the range and their stunning prices.

WELLY A new name for top quality cooked meat

As we head deeper into 2016 and our purses seem to get even tighter, many of us turn our lunchtime attention to boring salads and listless soups.

WELLY, which is a new British made cooked meat brand, has come to the rescue of families and individual mealtimes across the UK as it has launched a tasty new range of premium sliced meats.

Tired of the boring same old same old lunches? Sick of eating a pointless salad made from what your grandparents would have dismissed as a bowl of old weeds? Like a colleague who ended up with a scratched throat when the sharp stem of some weed, sorry, delicious salad ingredient, stabbed her as she swallowed it down?

But now there is a new, classy act that is hitting select chiller counters around the country, WELLY prepared meats.

They offer a range of cooked hams and chicken slices that are like the meats you remember from years ago, but which are available today.

They taste good, but what is the difference between WELLY and other purveyors of cooked meats?

Could it be the fact that WELLY meats are only ever sourced from select farms that WELLY knows and trusts to supply quality meats?

This means that parents can send their children off to school knowing that their lunch is a proper, balanced meal and that the meat is fully traceable, too.

With many cooked meat brands sadly falling short of the mark when it comes to offering us good quality and affordable product, WELLY is launching to provide British ham and chicken to those who care about where their food comes from.

The hams come in a delicious array of flavours. You'll be tempted to try their delicious honey roast ham, cooked or wafer thin. Or perhaps their truly scrumptious British Roast Chicken is more to your liking?

WELLY meats can be found in Waitrose stores and NISA stores.

Prices are:
Honey Roast Ham, 115g, 9 slices.  RRP £1.19
Cooked Ham, 115g, 9 slices.  RRP £1.19
Wafer Thin Honey Roast Ham, 300g, RRP £2.00
Lean Breaded Ham, 300g, 13 slices. RRP £3.00
Wafer Thin Roast Chicken, 300g, RRP £2.00

(EDITOR: In sandwiches, with sandwich thins, on open rolls or even used as the basis for a new and exciting curry dish invented by my wife (roast chicken curry) WELLY will really give your meals some WELLY!)

BFree can help you lead a healthy and tasty lifestyle

Living a healthier lifestyle is something that is more than ever at the forefront of our minds.

There are lifestyle shows and cookery shows that are now starting to emphasise the need for a more health lifestyle.

That's even more important for those of us who struggle to find "free from" style foods that are not only tasty but that will n ot trigger off food allergies and the like.

At one time you had to search through obscure health food in dingy back streets where you would be shown food that looked and tasted ias if it were made from woodchips and old straw. And get dubious advice. One assistant in a health food shop advised me not to use the recipes that were free to take from the counter because she felt sure they had passed their use by date!

But all that is a thing of the past, thanks to BFree Foods, which is Ireland's leading free from brand, as it offers a delicious and nutritious alternative to baked goods, they are ideal for the coeliac and the health-conscious alike.

A growing number of people are taking the decision to avoid gluten food as part of a more healthy diet.

And BFree is catering for their needs, having managed to develop a variety of flavourful baked goods to delight the gluten-free foodies across the UK and Ireland.

BFreee uses ‘must-have’ health ingredients like quinoa, flaxseeds and poppy seeds in their range of products, BFree’s products are a great choice for anyone in search of healthier alternative breads.

You do not have to come to find BFreee poducts, BFree products are coming to you. Or rather, to a shop near you.

You'll find them in Morrisons stores UK-wide (EDITOR: That's where my wife and I get them!) plus Asda, Sainsbury’s Tesco and Ocado,

BFree’s Fajita Kit, Quinoa & Chia Seed Wraps and Multigrain Wraps are available in Morrisons with a RRP of £3.50 for each of the wraps and £5.00 for the Fajita Kit. (EDITOR: We stuffed ours with some delicious homemade chicken in ginger!)

For more information, recipe ideas please visit www.Bfreefoods.com or find them on Facebook or Twitter @BFreeFoods. You can buy some BFreeFoods at http://goo.gl/mhYAG1.

MOMA! that's some real porridge!

MOMA, that's Making Oats More Awesome, do exactly that. They make oats (much) more awesome!

MOMA has introduced a new totally awesome twist to this tasty breakfast treat, the New Coconut and Chia Porridge Pot.

Although it is deliciously creamy, it's gluten free and dairy free and vegan's can eat it safe in the knowledge that it is a truly vegan friendly porridge. That also tastes good, too.

Unusually for something that is this healthy and good for you it is also freshly prepared by you in a matter of mere moments.

The recipe calls for a blend of jumbo and fine oats, chia seeds and coconut milk powder. But there's one ingredient that you will not find that you will not miss, added sugar!

But it is jam-packed with vitamins and minerals, designed to keep you going throughout the day, and whilst it is gluten free, dairy free and vegan friendly, it still has MOMA’s signature creamy taste and chunky texture.

There are three simple stages to the preparation of MOMA Coconut and Chia Porridge Pot.

1) Add hot water

2) Stir

3) Eat!

So, why chia seeds? Why coconut milk?

Chia seeds are full of antioxidants that fight free radicals, give us a well-needed (but vegan friendly!) boost from Omega 3, ideal for healthy heart and nerve function and rich in protein which is important as it helps kick-start your metabolism and staves off hunger cravings after you have eaten.

Coconut milk contains phosphorus which is vital for strengthening bones. It also enjoys a high concentration of fibre which helps keep you feeling fuller for longer.

It's available at £1.30 a pot to buy online from momafoods.co.uk and Ocado from January and in Waitrose stores, now. Or you can purchase the range at http://goo.gl/mhYAG1

MOMA Porridge is available nationwide in pot and sachet format, in five additional flavours - Plain, Plain - no added sugar, Cranberry and Raisin, Golden Syrup and Super Seeds.

Tom Mercer, Founder of MOMA Foods said, “We want everyone to be able to enjoy delicious MOMA porridge for breakfast but we know more and more people are cutting down on dairy in their diets for allergy and health reasons, and turning to plant-based foods instead. 

"That’s why we've launched MOMA’s new Coconut and Chia Porridge Pot - the slow release energy from the oats, and calcium and omega 3 from the chia seeds, make this a really healthy and satisfying breakfast”.

Belvoir Fruit Farms ‘Light’ the Way to healthy drinking

Since I was diagnosed as having Type 2 Diabetes, I have had to be careful about the amount of sugar that I consume.

So you can imagine how pleased I was when I heard about two new ‘Light’ varieties from Belvoir Fruit Farms; zingy Raspberry Lemonade Light and fragrant and very tasteful Elderflower & Rose Pressé Light, welcome companions to the popular Elderflower Pressé Light and already available on supermarket shelves.

The ‘Light’ range contains 30% less sugar than the original versions of the drinks.

 People still love Belvoir’s classic Cordials and Pressés made using only natural ingredients with no artificial preservatives or sweeteners, but there is a new consumer who wants less sugar.  The ‘Light’ range enables this different audience to enjoy the delights of Belvoir’s gently sparkling Pressés too.

Like all Belvoir’s drinks, the Light Range is hand made at Belvoir using real pressed fruit juices and freshly picked flowers so that despite the reduction in sugar there is no reduction in flavour.

Ther'es the new Raspberry Lemonade Light (75cl):  this mouth-watering tipple still has the zingy taste of real raspberries and lemons but is just a little lighter on calories than the original recipe – a 250ml serving has 55 calories compared to 107 calories.   Serve chilled for a naturally lovely taste of summer all year round – listen carefully and you might hear the distant thwack of leather on willow, or is it just the bubbles bursting in the glass?

And the new Elderflower & Rose Pressé Light (75cl): conjuring up images of thatched cottages and white picket fences, this classic British drink has the same delicately floral taste as the original recipe by virtue of the freshly picked flowers, fresh lemon juice and hint of rose petal extract, but 30 percent less sugar and 28 fewer calories (when compared like for like in a 250ml glass serving).  A lightly refreshing, fragrant drink which is delicious served over ice – close your eyes and you could hear the buzz of summer bumble bees too!

They join Elderflower Pressé Light (75cl):  launched in January 2014 this lighter version of Belvoir’s regular Elderflower Pressé has proved hugely popular in its own right.  It is more delicate in taste than the original Pressé but has the same heady, floral aromas of freshly picked Elderflowers from the Belvoir plantations, tangy citrus from pressed lemon juice and gentle bubbles – just a little lighter on calories.

(EDITOR: In my case my main concern is not os much calories, but the amount of sugar. Which, at 30% less, is certainly a step in the right direction for me to keep my over all sugar intake down.)

Belvoir’s Light Range shows that lower calorie doesn’t have to mean less taste, or style!

All three varieties in the Belvoir Light range are available from Tesco and Ocado for around £2.39 per 75cl bottle.

James White introduces his unique Organic Ginger Zinger

James White's Organic Ginger Zinger is a really unique ginger drink.

Each 7cl bottle is stuffed full of ginger goodness. 26% crushed ginger juice, 57% apple juice and 17% water and that's it!

It's great for ginger lovers -there's a real ginger kick right there, in each bottle.

It gives you a tasty, gingery, fruity boost, but without the annoying caffeine you find in the vast majority of so-called energy drinks.

It has no artificial preservatives, no artificial colours and no mystery flavourings, so it is guaranteed to be 100% natural.

And better still, it receives the Soil Association certification proving that it is, indeed, fully organic.

It is safe, there's nothing harmful or nasty in it and it's organic.

But what does it taste like?

It has a refreshing taste of apple juice, but there's a pungent and earthy aroma that you only get with real ginger.

But the real bonus is the hot and punchy ginger flavour that wows your senses and really ensures that you are awake and ready for whatever life intends to throw your way!

Or you can take it with you for a boost later on in the day.

You can expect to pay £1.49 for a bottle at Planet Organic or it can be purchased at  this online retailer http://goo.gl/ZxiswR.

For more details please visit http://www.jameswhite.co.uk/ginger_zinger.

And for an article on the general benefits of ginger in one's diet, please visit http://healthnfitnesshops.com/health-benefits-of-ginger.html.

Charlie Bigham's meals. Once tried, never forgotten

My wife and I had a plan for Valentine's Day, just gone.

We would have a meal at home with a bottle of wine and something tasty served with vegetables and mashed potatoes.

We chose two Charlie Bigham's Steak and Ale Pies. And we both promptly fell ill with a rather nasty flu bug that really knocked us for six. Even though we had both had the flu shot!

So the two Charlie Bigham's Steak and Ale Pies languished in the freezer until such time as we actually felt like eating a substantial meal.

The first thing that we noticed was that the pies come in nice individual ceramic ramekins. (Which Charlie wants you to donate to a charity shop as they can easily get a couple of Pounds for them.)

The second thing that we noticed is that they actually looked like real, proper pies. (Those of you who have seen some pies on sale in the local supermarket will understand that some pies on sale do not look like proper pies. At all.)

We cooked the pies in our convection oven and soon were overcome by the absolutely delicious aroma that began to waft from the oven.

When it came time to serve the pies we found the to be utterly delicious. The vegetables were just right and the meat was absolutely perfect. Melt in the mouth is the nearest description to the perfection of each piece of carefully selected beef.

And the ale gravy? This was the best ale gravy that I had tasted in, well, ever, really.

The vast majority of steak and ale pies it is not possible to notice any ale in the gravy at all.

But with Charlie Bigham's Steak and Ale Pies you can enjoy a delicious flavouring of the good, high quality ale that is used in the recipe.

And as for the pastry? My wife is an expert pastry cook and she described it as faultless and utterly delicious.

You should be able to find them in Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Ocado, Booths and Budgens.

They should cost £7.00 for two pies.