12 Day real ale festival is on at all Wetherspoon pubs

The Wetherspoon spring real-ale festival makes a very welcome return, with the 12-day event launched yesterday, Wednesday 30 March.

There's a fantastic selection of a quarter century (that's 25!) of fantastic different festival ales and beers, at all Wetherspoon pubs, until Sunday 10 April.

The festival’s beers will feature 19 very special types, which are brand new to Wetherspoon, having never before featured nationally in their pubs. Besides which, 18 of the festival’s ales are brand new or occasional brews which have been produced again especially for this event

Vegan and vegetarians are also catered for, plus people who have coeliac disease can enjoy special gluten-free beers.

There are also special ales from three international breweries. All three international brewers have featured at past events and are among the most popular festival visitors.

This will be the third occasion for which Young Henrys Real Ale (4.0% ABV) has been brewed for their bi-annual event and the fourth time that Young Henrys has featured, while the ale Terrapin Jazz (5.5% ABV) is new to Wetherspoon, although this is Terrapin’s fourth festival brew.

In their autumn 2016 real-ale festival, Birrificio Foglie d’Erba Hot Night at the Village (5.0% ABV) was voted ‘beer of the festival’. This supremely popular ale makes up the trio of international brews this time around. 

There are two speciality beers among the 25 festival ales:

Daleside Morocco Ale (5.5% ABV) is brewed with spices, while Mauldons Cherry Porter (4.8% ABV) is produced using cherries and is also a gluten-free ale.

Others to look out for are Jersey-based Liberation’s The Jester (4.8% ABV), a new beer from a very popular festival brewer, as well as the vegan-friendly stout

Dragonhead (4.0% ABV) from Orkney Brewery.

Also definitely among those beers to check out are Otter Brewery’s Hawthorn (4.0% ABV), Oakham Triple Beam (5.0% ABV) and Nine Tenths Below (5.9% ABV) – the strongest festival ale, from Titanic Brewery. All of the festival ales will be available to order via the Wetherspoon app, as well as at the bar.

Our special third-of-a-pint glasses will again be available, helping you to sample many of the fantastic festival ales – with three for the price of a festival pint. So you can taste the ales without getting under the weather!

Don’t miss this spectacular and eagerly anticipated spring showcase at the world’s biggest real-ale festival – across Wetherspoon’s pubs.

I shall be visiting my nearest Wetherspoon pub to enjoy the festival and also a meal, too, pretty soon.

Supermarkets stop selling disposable BBQs. Expert reveals why and suggests Alternatives

With supermarket chains Waitrose and Aldi banning the sale of disposable barbecues this summer, Barbeque loving Brits are looking for alternative ways to cook their meal whilst outdoors.

Disposable barbecues have long been a staple of many people’s summers. But the ban on the sale of disposable barbeques has sound "green" reasons behind it. After all over, one million of these single-use grills ending up in landfills each year. And they can cause wildfires or burn injuries if not properly used or adequately disposed of.

The team at the online campsite booking site Pitchup agree that our time spent in the outdoors must be sustainable.

Alex Russell, Head of Sales at Pitchup shares his insight on the importance of no longer using disposable barbecues and has suggested five of the best sustainable alternatives.

“We're aware of the increase in searches for ways to camp safely and with eco-friendly camping products - which includes the way people cook their food whilst they are camping.

“It is understandable that as the weather starts warming up, Brits will want to get outdoors with one of the most popular activities being cooking up something on a barbecue.

“But single-use disposable barbecues that can be easily bought in supermarkets can have an massive damaging impact on the environment and also on local wildlife.

“An immediate danger with disposable barbecues is they can produce a quantity of carbon monoxide, with fumes emitted during cooking and long after the flames are extinguished.

“Incidentally, should you ever use a disposable barbecue and find yourself feeling symptoms such as feeling sick, dizzy, or having difficulty breathing, this could be a sign of carbon monoxide poisoning."

He went on to say: “Also, these disposable barbeques usually contain charcoal and it's an unfortunate fact that it's most likely that it wasn't sustainably sourced. So every disposable barbecue will already  have had a negative impact on the environment. Even before you put a match to it."

Alex also raises some other important issues surrounding safety. He said: “Not everyone who use these disposable barbeques use them safely. For example, if a person places a disposable barbecue directly on the ground, it can completely destroy the ground beneath it and creates a risk of fire spreading."

 (EDITOR My wife and I have witnessed the result of what happened when someone had placed a disposable barbeque on a picnic table at a beauty spot. Unfortunately although the table was made to look like wood it was constructed of plastic and the disposable barbeque melted the surface of the table and ruined it for other visitors.) 

“Disposable barbecues can't be recycled and they can't be composted, so many millions of them end up in UK landfills each year.

“While disposable barbecues only last for around one and a half to two hours during their use, it can take the aluminium or iron they are made from approximately 200 years to fully decompose once they are thrown into a landfill."

Are there any alternatives? Yes. According to Alex there are, so those who can't cope without a sizzle on their campsite or in their back garden will not have to go without. 

What Alternatives Are Out There?

Portable barbecues make life easier for people who find themselves without a garden, or one with little outdoor space. They're also pretty nifty for people who like to spend their summers making regular trips to campsites in Cornwall, Wales Scotland or anywhere else.

The bonus is that the fact they're reusable makes them more economically and environmentally friendly. Also there are plenty of different types to choose from.

IKEA Korpon Portable Charcoal Barbecue

It is hard to believe a portable barbecue that ticks so many boxes is available for such a modest price. For under £20 this portable barbecue is lightweight, more eco-friendly than disposables and suitable to use almost anywhere.

Its legs easily fold up, so storage and transportation isn't a problem. It also comes with a strong carrying handle.

The specially designed grill plate, with smaller ventilation holes than more traditional barbecue griddles means you're less likely to lose food to the hot coals.

This barbecue is available for £19 directly from IKEA and also online from them. www.ikea.com.

Landmann Piccolino Portable Charcoal Barbecue

This unbelievably lightweight barbecue makes it the perfect pick for avid barbecuers who tend to move about.

It is exceptionally small and easy to pack away, so you can fit it in your car boot, in a cupboard at home, or maybe under your patio furniture or in your garden shed?

This barbecue is widely available. It is priced at £47.03 on Amazon.

Cobb Barbecue Cooking System

This futuristic design doesn't look like any barbecue you've used before, but it will still deliver the same great barbequed foods. You can also use it to smoke foods, cook roasts and even cook pizzas!

It has the advantage of using a minimum amount of charcoal, so is a greener option. And the Teflon cooking plate also makes it easy to clean, too!

With its padded shoulder bag, it's really easy to carry so is even a safer, green option for hikers. 

It costs £139.99 on Amazon.

Berghoff Table Top Barbecue

This compact barbecue has a sustainable cork lid that doubles as a heatproof mat that can be placed almost anywhere. (EDITOR: Probably not plastic tables no matter how good the wood grain effect is!)

Once lit, the lid also functions as a vent.

The strong carrying strap also makes it easy to carry. This is another unit that's ideal for hikers.

Also available for £139.99 on Amazon.

BioLite Base Camp Barbecue and Pizza Oven

This all-rounder is one of the more expensive portable barbecues, but it's lightweight and is a stunning camp stove and grill combo which can not only barbeque, but also cooks pizzas, too.

It also features a USB charger which generates electricity from the heat generated, plus an LED light, making this a very handy camping cooker. And, in my opinion, very eco-friendly indeed! 

The BaseCamp converts heat into usable electricity for large-format cooking and charging. It's designed to use only fallen branches or small pieces of firewood, so cooks wood-fired meals and charge devices all at the same time. 

They point out "It's a smarter alternative to fossil-fuelled stoves, creating an elevated cooking fire that burns smarter than any fire you're used to."

This barbecue is available for £399 directly from BioLite. https://row.bioliteenergy.com/

Many thanks to Alex and the people at Pitchup for their excellent help in putting this feature together.

https://www.pitchup.com/campsites/England/South_West/Cornwall/.

Over three quarters of British businesses still unaware of Plastic Packaging Tax

This story is for mainly aimed at our friends in the food and drink industry. 

With mere hours to go until its implementation, waste management and recycling experts Veolia state that 77% of British retail and manufacturing businesses are still completely unaware of the new Plastic Packaging Tax.

Research conducted by Veolia, examined the views of British-based senior decision makers across retail and manufacturing businesses on the upcoming Plastic Packaging Tax. 

The tax places a £200 per tonne levy on producers or importers of plastic packaging if they fail to include at least 30% recycled content and will come into force tomorrow,  1 April 2022.

The survey reveals that only a fifth (22%) of the manufacturing and retail businesses asked had already started using recycled content in their packaging. 

To reach the UK’s Net Zero goals, many more businesses must reduce their reliance on new or virgin materials. 

Most British retail and manufacturing businesses also support an escalator in percentage of recycled content threshold (63%) and cost charge (50%) as an incentive to use recycled content.

Veolia Northern Europe Zone Senior Executive Vice President, Gavin Graveson, said: “The UK’s Plastic Packaging Tax is the right way to start getting businesses to push sustainability up the agenda, but it really must go further. 

"A tax escalator would make choosing to incorporate recycled content in packaging economically and environmentally preferable to the use of virgin materials.

“Not only could the UK save up to 2.89 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually if all plastic packaging included 30% recycled content, it would also bring about incentives for investment in domestic infrastructure which could make the UK a world leader in plastics recycling.”

The British retail and manufacturing businesses who had made changes to their plastic packaging reported:

Two thirds (66%) have reduced the amount of unnecessary or avoidable plastic packaging

Over half (58%) now use recycled content

54% have changed the packaging design to make it more recyclable

39% have chosen alternative materials to plastic for their packaging

Working from three specialist sites in London, Essex and the Midlands, Veolia operates a full process to recycle plastic materials from homes and businesses, and turn them back into plastic pellets ready to be used to manufacture new plastic items. 

This can process over 100 different grades of plastic from consumer, commercial and industrial sources, and pass these materials back into the supply chain for further reuse. 

Backing the operations is the support team that can ensure compliance with the complex legislation involved in the reprocessing of these materials, and Veolia’s own Sustainable Packaging Academy.

Worldwide, it's Veolia's aim to recycle 610,000 tonnes of plastic waste annually within two years. That's equivalent to 16,944 million 4 pint milk bottles.

Incidentally, Veolia is part of the international cross value chain Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), currently made up of nearly thirty member companies, and this has committed over $1.0 billion to develop large scale solutions that will minimise and manage plastic waste and promote solutions for used plastics.

Food and drink manufacturers and retailers who need to investigate how this law will potentially impact on their business can learn more here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-need-to-register-for-plastic-packaging-tax and here https://www.veolia.com/en/solution/plastics-recycling-major-environmental-issue.

(Image courtesy of  adnovak and Pixabay)

Salcombe Brewery Co. Re-Launches Brewery Tours

The Salcombe Brewery Co. is "thrilled" to announce they are re-launching their highly popular brewery tours and are keen to once again to share their knowledge and award-winning beers with visitors. 

Brewery tour bookings and vouchers cost £20 and can be nought at www.salcombebrewery.com.

Head Brewer, Sam Beaman, said: “Brewery tours have always been a strong highlight for us. We really love showing visitors around our site, sharing our brewing expertise and knowledge and giving them an insight into our beers at not to mention the  extended tasting sessions!

"COVID restrictions meant we weren't able to run these for almost two years. We are really thrilled and pleased that we can now re-launch our tours and welcome visitors both old and new."

The tours which are 90 minutes in duration are to take place from April 2022. Visitors will get a welcome in the taproom, which includes a glass of beer. 

After this you'll tour the brewhouse and have an opportunity to question the experts on any beer-related topics. 

The tour ends back in the taproom, where you'll enjoy a flight of Salcombe beers. Brewery tours cost £20 and can be bought online at www.salcombebrewery.com. 

Brewery tour vouchers can also be purchased for £20. These are valid for one year and can be used to book tours within that period. All brewery tours must be booked in advance.

Salcombe Brewery's range of beers is available nationally in pubs and hospitality venues, plus as various retail outlets and online from www.salcombebrewery.com. For further information on Salcombe Brewery Co. please visit www.salcombebrewery.com follow Salcombe Brewery Co. on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.  

You'll find the brewery at 

Estuary View

Ledstone

Kingsbridge 

TQ7 4BL

Customers want more green retailers

According to a Mood Media survey, 67% of shoppers say it's important the brands they shop at are committed to being greener and environmentally friendly. 

Almost the same number, 66%, agree stores where they shop need to be environmentally friendly. Consumers aged between 35 and 44 feel especially strongly about brands and shops sharing their sustainability values.

While the COVID pandemic and successive lockdowns put a hold on green issues and sustainability, it's again top of brand agendas. 

When it comes to in-store sustainability in the retail industry, including food retailers, there's a clear sense shoppers feel unimpressed by the pace of change as they pay close attention to the sustainability initiatives of the retailers they engage with on a day-to-day basis.

“Our role is to help brands create an emotional experience with their customers. This includes evaluating and setting up solutions and processes to support them in reducing the environmental impact of their points of sale and to assess how to improve their efficiency and optimise their technological solutions,” says Jonathan Wharrad, VP Global Retail Brand Experience at Mood Media.

“Finally, it’s about supporting them through the life cycle of their technical solutions. All of this is to ensure the best in-store experience for their customers.”

Mood Media is working with Design Conformity to advise retailers on how to reduce their carbon footprints and implement greener retail designs.

Adam Hamilton-Fletcher, who is the MD at Design Conformity added: “At Design Conformity we’ve been championing carbon assessment for a number of years, but recently we’ve seen a genuine change in the industry. 

"Europe's leading the way and pushing their companies to provide accurate, verified carbon efficacy data which they can report to customers and shareholders. 

"We're working with global brands, retailers and interior specialists such as Mood Media to provide Life Cycle and Carbon Assessment to ISO standards, so companies can report improvements. In the past, sustainability was a ‘nice to have.’ Now carbon is becoming a currency.” 

Partnerships with quality manufacturers, including Bose, Samsung and LG, allow Mood to ensure components are chosen carefully and last longer, reducing the environmental impact of having to replace equipment. Furthermore the company has developed Mood HarmonyTM, a point-of-sale content management platform designed with energy efficiency in mind, using fewer than 10 watts of power with few in-person updates necessary.

When equipment does need to be replaced, a further partnership with CHG ensures it can be recycled, further reducing the installation’s impact.

“For retail to recover, stores cannot ignore consumers and their desire to reward companies going beyond words on sustainability and taking effective action,” concludes Jonathan Wharrad.

For more information on sustainability in retail, download Mood Media’s White Paper: https://moodmedia.com/gb/resources-gb/sustainability-in-retail/

Speaking from a personal point of view the major chain coffee shop that my wife and I prefer is a greener and more sustainable and uses rain water for toilet flushing. 

It's one of the Eco Pod premises that Costa is rolling out over the country.

This is what Costa says about them:-

"A special frame made from sustainably sourced FSC timber, which replaces the typical steel frame and so reduces each building’s carbon footprint

"Super-insulation, which keeps the stores warm in winter and cool in summer

"Intelligent positioning of the buildings, designed to make the most of the sun’s heat and so reduce the amount of energy needed to keep them warm and rooftop solar panels."

https://www.costa.co.uk/behind-the-beans/planet/reducing-our-footprint

(Image courtesy of knight07/Pixabay) 

Rock Rose Premium Scottish Gin

Rock Rose Premium Scottish Gin has created a masterpiece, well, a series of four different but equally brilliant masterpieces, with their excellent Seasons Collection.

When I opened the box I found myself humming Vivaldi's Four Seasons, because the Rock Rose Premium Scottish Gin Four Seasons collection features four gins called Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

Let's start my review with Spring. the scent of the gin, or the bouquet, if you'd rather be technical, evokes fresh meadows, newly opened flowers and Spring sunshine.

The flavour is nice and crisp and the finish is both smooth and very long. I don't always take my gin with tonic, but I found that a bottle of high quality Indian Tonic Water brought the tastes of the Scottish botanicals out very nicely.

But then we move on to Summer. This is different again. Smooth, but with a refreshingly nice edge to it. There are citrus notes that come bubbling to the surface, but not overly so, as the experts at Rock Rose Premium Scottish Gin have managed to balance the citrus notes with the botanicals. This is for long, iced drinks on the lawn or in the conservatory. Delicious!

Now we find ourselves moving into the next season which is Autumn. Or Fall if you are in America. The original name used in Britain before Autumn became popular. But I digress.

This is ideal for the Autumn. A great gin for those of us determined to squeeze the last bit of warmth from the Autumnal sunshine. It's a more robust gin which has a satisfying warming bite to it, with a smattering of Autumn berries. Gently spiced. I think I detected a slight hint of pepper? 

I think this would make a great base for some wonderful cocktails after you have harvested the last of your garden's fruits. Haven't got a garden? No matter. Rock Rose Premium Scottish Gin's Autumn Gin is probably all you need!

And now we reach the last season, Rock Rose Premium Scottish Gin's Winter. Wow! What a belter of a gin! 

Taste the juniper berries! The tasting notes describe it as an "earthy" gin and I can't argue with that. It's evocative of walks through muddy paths, drizzly misty days, of being sat in your conservatory and watching the snowflakes whirl and dance down whilst you drink your Rock Rose Winter gin. I like this with a premium ginger ale, which makes a perfect Christmas season drink. 

To learn more and to order your gins please visit https://www.dunnetbaydistillers.co.uk.

Wickedly Welsh Chocolate and Bryn the Dragon Egg

One of the best things to come out of Wales are dragons and chocolate from the Wickedly Welsh Chocolate Company.

Combine the two and you have Bryn The Dragon Egg!

Crack open the very substantial chocolate egg and you will find a very cute sleeping Welsh Dragon. 

"He is a very handsome Y Ddraig Gymreig!" said my wife, who is a fluent Welsh speaker.

Here is the story as told by the Wickedly Welsh Chocolate Company:-

They have been entrusted with the last real life Dragons Egg which, for millennia, was kept has buried deep in a Welsh hillside hidden from the world until now. 

The artisan chocolatiers at the Wickedly Welsh Chocolate Company have employed their considerable skills to have lovingly and carefully exact chocolate replicas of this uniquely Welsh treasurer.

You can carefully break open the egg and free baby dragon. And before you ask, yes, it's very edible hand made using delicious white chocolate. But you'll see from my photograph that Bryn looks golden? This is because Bryn is carefully and lovingly brushed with an attractive golden shimmer. (Sorry about the quality of the picture, but I'm a writer not a photographer!) 

What is inside Bryn? A very tasty salted caramel truffle. Yum! 

Incidentally the top section of the egg is very easy to crack open (but do it carefully!) and to reveal Bryn.

The side of the egg which houses Bryn is smaller but also much heavier than 'normal' non-Dragon Easter eggs. Well, that's obviously because it's a Dragon's egg! The weight is a very respectable 180g (minimum) and will make a great Easter treat for any chocolate lover and Welsh Dragon lover, no matter what their age or sex.

Bryn's adoption fee is a very reasonable £8.99. To add to the excitement Bryn comes in a box that is either green, yellow or purple. But Bryn will choose the colour for you, so it'll come as a pleasant surprise. 

To order please click on this link:- https://www.wickedlywelsh.co.uk/products/bryn-the-dragon-easter-egg

Incidentally Wickedly Welsh Chocolate is based in Haverfordwest, which is where some of my Welsh ancestors came from.

Mother and Daughter Food Workshop

Would you like to take your mother to a food  workshop with one of the world's leading experts in Italian cooking?

This would make a stunning Mothering Sunday/Mother's Day gift to both you and your mother, helping you to bond over some fresh pasta that you and your mother have just learned to cook.

Mother and Daughter Workshop

£297.00

This Is A 1-2-1 Class

La Pasta Fresca – Fresh Pasta & Sauce Making:

You decide on what pasta you and your mother wish to to learn to make! 

This is a Special Offer to readers of That's Food and Drink for a personalised class at £297.

10% of the profit will be going to help Ukraine refugees #cookforukraine project

Alessandra was born and raised in Sicily to a very large family of artisans.

She worked as a social worker and project manager for many years before re-focussing in 2014 to become a cook, host and events organiser.

Alessandra then trained as a professional Pasta Maker in Italy, Padua and Bologna, before launching her own pasta venture.

After several years selling out delicious food experiences and workshops both in London, Italy and Lisbon, she is now also sharing her knowledge through e-learning courses and virtual online classes with The Pasta Studio, as well as providing consultancy for restaurants around the globe.

To learn more please visit 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamalessandralauria/

Website: https://www.alessandralauria.com/

Teachable: https://the-pastastudio.teachable.com/

Say oats? No. Say Flahavan’s!

If you like oats, you will absolutely love Flahavan’s Oats.

The Flahavan family have been milling oats in  Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford for well over 200 years. And in that time they have, of course, become experts in selecting the best oats and have developed methods of milling that are second to none.

They source all of the oats they mill from their own local area of Ireland, South East Ireland, where the land has a special micro-climate with the perfect balance of sunshine and gentle rainfall that helps grow highest quality and tasty oats that Flahavan's use to produce their world beating oats.

My late mother always insisted that, when I did her shopping for her that I only buy Flahavan's Oats which, knowing how good they are, I was more than happy to oblige. 

What is available? They produce a wide range of oats including Progress Oatlets/Rolled Oats, Quick Oats, Jumbo Oats, Pinhead/Steel Cut Oats.

Want to make good, old fashioned porridge, that people of my grandfather's generation only had with salt and not sugar? Want some oats to use in your cooking and baking? Do you have a hankering for some real, tasty porridge, but know that as the bus to work leaves from the stop just round the corner in under 15 minutes? Then Flahavan's Quick Oats are ready in the microwave within two minutes!

I love the speed and ease of cooking of their Irish Quick Oats, plus they sell them in very handy packs of eight sachets. These are available in original flavour, red berry flavour and my favourite, apple and cinnamon flavour. Delicious! 

To learn about all of the different varieties of oats that are available you can go to https://www.flahavans.co.uk.

Oat lovers in the USA can visit https://www.flahavans.com, consumers in Ireland can visit https://www.flahavans.ie. 

You can buy direct from Flahavan's or they are stocked by major retailers.

You'll also find a range of delightful recipes both sweet and savoury.   

And they have recently introduced some oat drinks, too!

Hilltop Natural Energy

You will probably have heard of Hilltop Honey, which, in my opinion, is one of the best exports from Powys, Wales. My personal favourite is their organic blossom variety.

However, it's quite possible that you might not have heard of Hilltop Energy, another great product from Hilltop Honey.

You probably know an occasion when you are feeling low on energy. Perhaps you are running to get your stamina back up, or to help you drop a bit of extra weight. Or working in a professional gym or a home gym?

Either way, you'll know what happens when you suddenly feel a rather nasty energy drop. Hilltop Energy Gels are here for you.

You can take a great tasting gel sachet before, during or after exercise which is guaranteed to give you an energy boost of between 20 to 30 minutes, right when you need it.

The gel sachets are 99.2% real Hilltop Honey and 0.8% sea salt to help make certain your sodium levels are kept at optimum. 

You can have plain flavoured or Blueberry flavoured, which has a slightly different formula, 95.2% real Hilltop Honey, 4% Blueberry juice concentrate and 0.8% sea salt. 

There's also strawberry flavour available, which is 97.7% real Hilltop Honey, Strawberry juice contrate, 1.5% and 0.8% sea salt. 

To learn more visit https://hilltop-energy.com you can buy direct from Hilltop. 12 x30g gel packs cost £12, or you can buy a 6 x 30g taster pack at £9.

To find out about Hilltop Honey, please visit https://lovehilltop.com.

Tequila Rose

What is Tequila Rose? It's that interestingly shaped bottle that you'll see on the shelf behind the bartenders at any Wetherspoon pub and other establishments that are known for their decent range of cocktails.

So, what exactly is Tequila Rose? Tequila Rose is the first and original strawberry cream liqueur which was launched a couple of decades ago.

For many years the only cream liqueurs available combined Irish whiskey with cream. And those are great drinks, but what if there was something else combing cream with a different alcohol base? But what?

Then someone thought: "What would happen if we combined cream with a different type of spirit? What would happen if we combined cream, strawberries and tequila?"

They worked on the recipe for a while until they were able to produce the perfected recipe which is called Tequila Rose. And a legend was born.

What does it taste like? Strawberries, cream and a hint of fire added by the fine quality tequila that they use.

How can it be served? By itself, or with ice, which is my preference, to be honest. Or you can use it as the basis for a wide range of very sophisticated tasting cocktails. 

These are some cocktails that the makers of Tequila Rose recommend:-

Desert Rose

2 oz Tequila Rose

1 oz Irish Cream Liqueur

0.5 oz Grenadine

HOW TO MIX

Add Tequila Rose, Irish cream liqueur, and ice to a blender

Blend until smooth

Pour into a glass

Top with grenadine

Strawberry Bananarita

0.5 oz Tequila Rose

1 oz Tequila

1.5 oz Orange Liqueur

Fresh Lime Juice

1 Banana

4 Strawberries

HOW TO MIX

Add ice, banana, strawberries, Tequila Rose, tequila, orange liqueur, and fresh lime juice into a blender

Blend until smooth

Pour into a sugar rimmed margarita glass

Garnish with a fresh strawberry and a banana slice

Or what about using Tequila Rose in your cooking?

Tequila Rose Cake

0.5 oz Tequila Rose

1 oz Tequila

1.5 oz Orange Liqueur

Fresh Lime Juice

1 Banana

4 Strawberries

HOW TO MIX

Add ice, banana, strawberries, Tequila Rose, tequila, orange liqueur, and fresh lime juice into a blender

Blend until smooth

Pour into a sugar rimmed margarita glass

Garnish with a fresh strawberry and a banana slice

You can learn more about mixing Tequila Rose cocktails and dishes, including ice lollies, that you can create here:-

https://tequilarose.com/cocktails.

No matter how you take yours, you are going to absolutely love it. Though it is best served chilled.

Where can you buy Tequila Rose? All good wine and spirit merchants, via Amazon, at Morrisons, Sainsbury's and other retailers at about £12 a bottle. 

Bullards Coastal Gin

I admit that I had not previously heard of Bullards Norwich gin distillery. Even though they have been carefully crafting gins since 1837. Which means that Bullards have been producing highest quality gins for 185 years. Which is a just a shade away from 200 years.

My wife and I are drinking a bottle of Bullards Coastal Gin. 

The first thing my wife noticed was the bottle. She said "That looks just like sea glass!" which greatly impressed her. 

I think this is a deliberate concept by Bullards and it does add to the general coastal ambiance of the gin. After all, what's not to like about something that brings back memories of smoothed, lustrous sea glass found on the beach during a family holiday?

It was my intention when we opened the bottle to try some of the cocktails that Bullards suggested. 

Such as:-

St. Clements

50ml Bullards Coastal Gin⁠

30ml Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice⁠

10ml Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice⁠

Indian Tonic Water⁠

Lemon and Mint to Garnish⁠

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the gin, orange, and lemon juice. Shake well.⁠

In a tall glass, add ice and half the tonic water. Strain the mix into the glass and top up with the rest of the tonic.⁠

Garnish with a twist of lemon and a sprig of mint and enjoy!

or 

Salty Dog

50ml Coastal Gin

100ml Fresh Grapefruit Juice

Coarse Salt

Lemon or Lime Wedge to Garnish

Rim a double rocks glass with salt: Rub a lemon or lime wedge around the rim, then roll it in a shallow dish of coarse salt.

Fill a rocks glass or tumbler with crushed ice and add the gin and juice. Stir well to combine. Garnish with a lemon or lime wedge if desired.

However, my wife will not be making any Bullards Coastal Gin cocktails. Because, as she said, "you are not putting anything in my gin! You can make a cocktail if you want, but I prefer my Bullards Coastal Gin neat! And without ice, too, thank you!" And that was me told!

Since my wife caught COVID her sense of smell and taste has been greatly impaired and one of the things she lost was her ability to taste her favourite gins. Which was a great pity because my wife was famed for her gin cocktails. Her Gin and Orange Cocktail is famed throughout several counties. The ingredients are simple, yet potentially devastating for the unwary. Two parts gin and one part orange juice is her recipe. 

The bottle does look like sea glass and the taste of the gin is exquisite. It's as smooth as a very calm sea. It is carefully handcrafted with special botanical ingredients that are foraged on the coast of Norfolk. 

This is what Bullards has to say about this gin: "Inspired by the Norfolk coastline, Coastal gin has a delicate, salty influence complemented by bright citrus flavours. Refreshing hand foraged sea purslane, marsh samphire, sea aster and the rich woodiness of Douglas fir dance on your palate and bring a sense of the seaside."

When I tasted it I wasn't sure if it was my imagination but I did think I detected a little hint of saltiness in it. But after several more tastes (a man has to be dedicated to his job!) I realised that the saltiness that I tasted was not my imagination, that Bullards Coastal Gin really does have a delightful salty tang to it. 

There are also hints of pine and other gentle, pervasive flavours that reminded me of holidays on the coast when I was a child.

Bullards are not only keen on producing some of the best gins that you are ever likely to taste, they are also keen on helping to be good stewards of the environment, too.

The gin costs £40 a bottle but for £35 you can receive an eco-friendly refill pack that you can refill your bottle with. How do you dispose of the refill pack? Just pop it into the post free of charge and Bullards will take care of that for you.

Bullards also produce other gins such as London Dry Gin, Old Tom Gin and Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin. Over time I dare say my wife and I will be trying those other gins, too! Although I think that I'll be favouring the idea of Strawberry & Black Pepper, as that sounds like an ideal combination to me.

You can order your Bullards gins direct at https://bullardsspirits.co.uk/product-category/gins. 

However, they also sell special glass and barware, hampers, gift cards and mixers ideally suited to your Bullards Gins.

Best gifts for your Mother on Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day? Bacardi has the answer!

Yes, these are some of the best gifts for your Mother on Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day! And they are all from those lovely people at Bacardi!

Is your mother a classic mum? Then may we suggest a nice bottle of Bombay Sapphire gin? £23 a bottle? Looks good to me!

Is your mom more of a cool mom? Well in that case, I'd go for the Expresso Martini Cocktail kit. At under £40, this is a great gift.

Or maybe your mother doesn't dig alcoholic refreshments? Then there's the ideal treat for her, too! The Wise Mama option has her covered for under £20!

If your mother is a fashionista then The Fashionista Madre option is the one to go for. The St-Germain Elderflower gift kit will really please her! £20 is a good price for this gift, I think.

If yours is a Yummy Mummy, then the trio of Bacardi specially aged rums will be ideal for her to indulge her passions. All those for £23? Good job! Yes!

Or what about Afternoon Tea for Two at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery in Hampshire?

RRP £35

Sunday 27th March

Slots are between 12-4:30pm

You can celebrate Mother’s Day with a quintessential afternoon tea with delicious finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam,  locally baked Juniper infused ‘Sapphire’ doughnuts, mini cheese cakes, mixed berries and a hot drink of your choice.

Each ticket includes an experience for two.

Booking is essential. 

To book please visit https://www.bombaysapphire.com/distillery/tours-experiences/afternoon-tea/

The distillery is at Laverstoke Mill, Whitchurch, Hampshire, RG28 7NR. Call 01256 890090 for details.

Krispy Kreme doughnuts for a special Mothering Sunday!

This year, Krispy Kreme is helping you treat your mother to a Mothering Sunday treat. With a fantastic selection of treats and special offers.

Between 26th to 27th March only, Krispy Kreme’s limited-time only Mother’s Day range is available . 

It features a range of Lemon Raspberry Heart, Strawberry Ring, and Lotus Biscoff doughnuts that are certain to have your mum smiling this Mothering Sunday weekend. 

Spoil your mums, grandmums and everyone else in the family (or yourself!) with this this beautifully iced selection:

Lemon Raspberry Heart Single (£2.45) – With its delightfully yummy sweet lemon icing, and jamlicious raspberry filling, this heart shaped doughnut will be bring a smile to your mum’s face. Available in-store and across UK supermarket stockists.

3 Pack & 6 Pack (£6.35) – Gift the ultimate in luxury care packages with a trio or 6 pack of Lemon Raspberry Hearts, ring doughnuts glazed with pink strawberry icing and topped with edible pearls, and firm favourite Lotus Biscoff. Available in-store and across UK supermarkets.

Mother’s Day Half Dozen (£10.45 + P&P) – Say ‘Love you Mum’ with this half dozen including two hand-piped Original Glazed, two Lemon Raspberry Hearts, and two pink pearl ring doughnuts.  

This is exclusively available from the Krispy Kreme online store with national delivery.

PLUS all Mothering Sunday weekend, why not take advantage of a limited time only in-store offer.

 From March 25th -27th take your pick of any Krispy Kreme doughnut and wash it down with a cup of our Signature Roast coffee for just £2.95.

To order online visit https://www.krispykreme.co.uk.

 

Spice Kitchen gets you cooking with real Indian spices

My wife's family originated in India and she cooks the most amazing Indian dishes. 

She tells stories of how her father would travel 30 to 40 miles to the nearest large city with a sizeable Indian community every month or so and he would return with his tiffin tin packed to the brim with Indian spices, snacks and sweets.

Her mother told her that her father was cooking food that "children don't like." One day she begged a sample of some of the food that "children don't like" and found it to be absolutely delicious!

Afterward it became a running joke in the family that my wife would like "some of the food that children don't like!"

When I told my wife that we were receiving an Indian Spice Tin from The Spice Kitchen she said with great confidence: "If it's a real Indian spice tin it'll come wrapped in sari fabric!"

When I opened the box my wife was thrilled to see that it was wrapped in some really attractive sari fabric. "Wow! I like this very much!" she said with a broad smile.

She then added "It smells like home, just like when my dad was cooking one of his family recipes!" 

What do you get? The metal spice tin is very, very well presented. It has a clear lid meaning that you can see all of the spices which come in absolutely charming individual metal containers with the spices themselves sealed in little zip locked bags.

There are nine very fragrant spices. 20g of Garam Masala,  20g of Chilli Powder, 20g of Cumin Seeds, 20g of ground Coriander, 20g of Turmeric Powder, 20g of Mustard Seeds, 5g of Cassia, 2g of Cardamom and 1g of Cloves.

There's also a very handy Indian recipe guide which contains some wonderful recipes. You'll be able to make, with great confidence, if you follow these recipes, Dal Makhani, aka Black Dal, Tandori Chicken, Rajasthani Lamb Curry, Kerala Beef Pepper Fry, Smoky Aubergine Crush, Chicken Biryani, Lamb Keema with Peas, Bengali Potato Curry, Punjabi Chickpeas, Goan Pork Curry and Date and Tamarind Chutney. 

Not long ago my wife gave me the instructions to make some paneer which worked very well in one of her family recipes. I think that I'll make some more paneer and put in a plea to my wife to make some Paneer Makhani using the spices and the recipe in the tin!

I'm certain that my wife has a very similar recipe for the Dal Makhani recipe in the recipe booklet. However, the recipes my wife uses are not written down. My wife and her sister cook them from memory. I'm really going to have to get them to write them down at some point.

But let's get back to the matter in hand, the Indian Spice Tin. The Spice Tin we are reviewing costs £30 and it is worth every penny. Delivery throughout the UK is free, too.

But! There's more! So much more! On their website https://www.spicekitchenuk.com you will find World Spice Tins, Middle Eastern and African Spice Tins, Chilli Spice Tins, Moroccan Spice Tins, Gin Botanical Tins, Salt Spice Tins (including the delicious Anglesey Halen Môn sea salt!) Baby Spice Tins designed to introduce your children to spices and there are Tea Tins, too.

There are also spices sold individually, a very special range of gifts including cookery books and gift cards, drinks and cookware. And there is also a wide variety of very nifty recipes on their website for you to try at home.

Want some special wedding or party favours? Then The Spice Kitchen will be able to assist you put together a really first class event!

You'll be please to know that The Spice Kitchen isn't a major multinational company posing as a small,. family business because The Spice Kitchen is the real deal. It's a mother and son family business owned by Sanjay and Shashi Aggarwal. It began over the family's kitchen table and is based on the cooking expertise of Shashi who has five decades of cookery knowhow and experience.

They clearly enjoy what they do and do everything with a sense of fun and panache. When you buy your first Spice Tin from them, just check out their barcode to see what I mean. It's the first time I have ever seen any company, large or small, do this and I'm not going to tell you what it is. I'm going to let that come as a pleasant surprise to you! 

You can follow them on social media including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

 

Bioglan Superfoods

Bioglan Superfoods was brought into being over four decades ago in Sydney, Australia. Thankfully they are also available in the UK, too.

What are Bioglan Superfoods? They are absolutely stunning nutritional products that are packed full of fantastic vitamins and minerals. They are skilfully formulated and carefully produced to give you the exact boosts that your body requires so that you can live the best life that you can live!

But they are not merely smoothies, although they do make excellent smoothies. They are designed so that you can add them to water, put them in smoothies and use them in your own recipes and cooking.

They are, however, carefully designed to provide you with the optimum nutrition that your body needs. For example their Superberries blend provides you with immune support, the Cacao Boost gives you energy support, the Super Protein is an "adaptogenic blend powered with protein" and offers your body hormonal balance and energy.

The Bioglan Supergreens is a nourishing superfood powder that is aimed to offering you body and mind revitalisation.  

Not only do they do what they say on the tin (well, on the packet in the case of Bioglan Superfoods!) they also taste pretty nice, too! For example the Cacao Boost with its organic cacao, lucuma, hemp and maca powder comes with a delicious malty caramel flavour.

Supergreens has a nifty apple flavour. They promise even though it's full of healthy grasses that it doesn't taste like grass!

The products are vegan friendly so they are suitable for everyone in the family.

However, Bioglan produces a host of other products designed to help keep you healthy and well, which you can learn about here https://bioglansuperfoods.co.uk/

Bioglan products are available at Holland & Barrett, Tesco, Boots, Amazon, Superdrug, myvitamins and Chemist Direct.

Worthington Bitter

This afternoon after a couple of appointments in town I found myself feeling somewhat thirsty. So I decided to pop in to our town's Wethersoon pub for a refreshing pint of beer.

The pub was doing a very good trade in food and drink and when I went up to the bar I saw a sign pointing out that they had several new drinks on draught. 

I read the notice and saw that Worthington's Bitter was one of these new draught drinks. It had replaced John Smith's in December, I recalled.

Rather than my usual choice of a pint of Shipyard IPA, Punk IPA, Guinness or Abbot Ale, I decided to have my first pint of Worthington's in several years.

After settling in the pint glass it looked nice and bright and when I tasted it I noticed that it had a very pleasing malty taste, with a gently. hoppy undertaste.

The mouthfeel was very good and the aftertaste was sweet almost to the point of having a mild, honey taste to it.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to indulge in a second pint, but as Arnie said: "I'll be back!" 

Searcys can help you make Mothering Sunday really special this year.

Your Mother deserves the best and no matter if you are going out for a suitable feast, or staying in for one, Searcys will ensure that Mothering Sunday 2022 will be one for the entire family to remember with fondness, but especially your Mother!

At 116 Pall Mall, St. James's, London, SW1Y 5ED you can treat your Mother to a super indulgent Sunday roast with Searcys Champagne this Mother’s Day because as the elite116 Pall Mall will open specially for Mothering Sunday, offering a classic two or three-course Sunday roast. 

Set within the opulent Carlton Brasserie, you can raise a glass, or two, with your mum over a special menu.

You can opt for a choice of sirloin or chicken roast complete with cauliflower cheese, seasonal vegetables, roasted potatoes and gravy, priced from £40 per person, all paired with a delicious glass of Searcys Selected Cuvée Rosé Champagne.

Or make special memories over a Sunday tea with the Mother’s Day Confectioners Afternoon Tea from 2pm with a glass of fizz. 

Even learn the art of floristry at 116 Pall Mall with a flower workshop from Tubes Floral. Taking place at 1pm, receive an expert step-by-step tutorial and create your own bouquet with a wide selection of the best seasonal flowers for £45 per person. Bookings are now available. www.116pallmall.com  

Or what about a Mothering Sunday Special Lunch with Champagne at St Pancras by Searcys?

St Pancras International, London, N1C 4QL 

Make Mum feel extra special this Mother’s Day at The Brasserie at St Pancras. Treat her to a three-course Sunday lunch, priced at £45 per person (£54 if you opt for a glass of Drappier Carte d'Or Brut Champagne). 

Commence your meal with Game terrine served with a black fig chutney and toasted walnut bread, Chargrilled chicken served with aromatic couscous, confit lemon and black garlic purée, and finish with the indulgent Lemon tart with raspberry and crème fraiche.

For larger family gatherings of up to 20, the Glass Room is the perfect space for semi-private dining. The bar will also be on hand with an extensive selection of champagnes and English sparkling wines by the glass and bottle. Bookings are now available. www.stpancrasbysearcys.co.uk 

Or why not enjoy a sky-high Lunch at Searcys at the Gherkin? It's at 30 St Mary Axe, London, EC3A 8EP.

Let your mother know she is the top Mom by  taking her to the very top of London’s most iconic skyscraper with a set lunch menu with Champagne from Searcys at the Gherkin. 

Priced at £75, enjoy a wonderful selection of canapés and Moët & Chandon Champagne arrival, followed by a delicious three-course meal featuring delights such as hot smoked salmon tortellini topped with lemon and chive beurre blanc, Pan-fried cod fillet with Hispi cabbage, pancetta lardons and English pea velouté and a decadent Apple and plum crumble, served with cinnamon ice cream. 

Make the day even more of a special treat with A Rose For… perfume by Floris – the perfect gift for every mum. Bookings are now available. www.searcysatthegherkin.co.uk.

Not every Mum is going to be able to go to Searcys. But Searcys can go to your Mom! Please check out the Searcys Gift Collection at https://searcys.giftpro.co.uk.

You can present your mum with something very special from the Searcys’ luxury gift collection. 

Celebrate Mothering Sunday with a beautifully packaged bottle of Searcys own specially Selected Cuvée Brut Champagne, paired with a gift set of Searcy's iconic Champagne flutes (£69 for a gift set).

Or for something even more special, why not look at Searcys tea sets, which are beautifully decorated with elegant Searcys honeycomb pattern (£80 for set of two teacups and saucers). 

To celebrate its 175th anniversary, Searcys have partnered with renowned perfume brand Floris and for the month of March all Champagne bottles, flute glasses and tea gift sets will include a beautiful 10ml bottle of A Rose For... perfume. 

Place your order by 12.00 on Wednesday 23 March for Mother’s Day delivery. Alternatively, choose from Searcys’ gift vouchers for dining experiences, from afternoon tea to a three-course lunch or dinner, available across all their exclusive venues.

You want to make it a special occasion for your special Mother, so let Searcys help you. After all, they do have 175 years of high excellence service! 

https://searcys.co.uk/.

Bonne Maman can make Mothering Sunday even more special

You can treat your own special Maman to homemade, beautifully fragrant, beauty essentials for a spa-at-home experience by upcycling  your empty Bonne Maman jars. 

A gift set containing luxurious ‘Pomegranate Rose Sugar Body Scrub’, ‘Eucalyptus Fresh Mint Foot Soak’ and ‘Coconut Lemongrass lip balm’ that are simple to make and housed in Bonne Maman Compote, Conserve and Mini jars. 

Add a personal touch by tying a thoughtful note to your Mum around the top and present in a gift bag. Joyeuse Fête des Mères.

Every Mum will be thrilled by a delicious breakfast in bed. Put together a breakfast tray of golden croissants, warm sourdough or sweet muffins with Bonne Maman Conserves and new Hazelnut Chocolate Spread. For an extra special Mother’s Day treat, a glass of champagne never goes a miss! 

Bake with love and try out some very delectable Thumbprint Shortcakes using new Bonne Maman Hazelnut Chocolate Spread. 

Stack together, tie together with a ribbon and present in a gift box with a jar of Hazelnut Chocolate Spread. For an alternative to chocolate, these Zesty Lemon, Thyme & Mirabelle Mini cakes filled with luscious spring-time flavours make a sweet, thoughtful and absolutely delicious Mother’s Day Gift. Tie with a ribbon, attach a gift tag et violà!

You will find that recipe, and many others, here https://www.bonnemaman.co.uk/recipes/.

Award-Winning Cheese Maker launches new Snack Net in Time for Jubilee Street Parties

One of the UKs top cheese making experts, Ilchester, has announced a new treat just in time for Jubilee street parties.

It's a new net of snacking cheeses that are now available to buy from UK trade and bulk-buy supermarket, Costco.

Ilchester, which produces a range of award-winning specialty cheeses and some of the UKs favourite plant-based cheezes, has introduced the special Trio of Cheeses net, especially for the membership-based warehouse club retailer.

The trio of cheeses includes 24 portions of Ilchester Mature, Edam and Ilchester Red Leicester - three of the most popular cheeses in the cheese category.

Lisa Harrison, who has the very enviable job of  Marketing Manager for Ilchester, said: "We're thrilled to be establishing a strong working relationship with Costco in the UK. 

"As the days get warmer and we venture outdoors, Ilchester's popular snacking nets will be ideal for lunchboxes and picnics. 

"Our snacking nets are always a sure hit in the spring and summer months and are an easy way to have a snack on the go, or to add to a barbecue or picnic event. 

"And they are particularly popular with mums and dads looking for healthy snack options for their kids' school lunchboxes too, so our snacking nets are really popular all-year round."

Lisa went on to say: "And each portion of cheese is under 100 calories, so they're ideal for cheese lovers who are counting the calories but still want to get their cheese fix"

"Also, with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations taking place in June, our Trio of Cheese snacking nets are the perfect street party food!"

The Ilchester Cheese Trio Snacking Net is now available in select Costco stores. Its RRP is £4.59.

You can learn more about Ilchester-based Ilchester Cheeses at http://www.ilchester.co.uk/

And you can find your nearest Costco Store at https://www.costco.co.uk/store-finder.

Brain activity while cooking resembles early-stage Alzheimer’s, says new research

Image courtesy tommyvideo/Pixabay.com

Exposure to nanoparticles during cooking can bring about changes to brain activity that is similar to those seen in early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, finds new research from Nazarbayev University School of Engineering and Digital Sciences (NU SEDS).

Mehdi Amouei Torkmahalleh, who is the Assistant Professor at NU SEDS, and colleagues investigated the brain activity of individuals before, during, and after exposure to ultrafine particles from cooking. 

Ultrafine particles, which can be found in cooking fumes, are very minute small and can penetrate the human body.

Participants were present during the frying of a chicken drumstick on a gas stove and were exposed to cooking ultrafine particles. 

Brain activity was recorded using an EEG before cooking, at the end of cooking, and 30 minutes after cooking. Ultrafine particle concentrations in the air were continually constantly. These reached peak levels during frying.

They found beta waves of the brain decreased during exposure to the ultrafine particles, similar to people with neurodegenerative diseases. Also, theta/beta wave ratio of the brain increased during and after exposure, similar to that observed in early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. Brain activity for most participants returned to normal within half-an-hour.

Professor Torkmahalleh said: “Brain responses after long-term exposure may deteriorate with time and, after sufficient long-term exposure, never revert to pre-exposure levels leading to a similar status to neurodegenerative disease. This is a novel hypothesis for our current and future research studies. This suggests people chronically exposed to cooking aerosol might progress towards Alzheimer’s.”

The changes to brain wave patterns during and shortly after exposure could be due to the ultrafine particles from the cooking fumes reaching the brain through the nose. The researchers suggest using respirators or sufficient ventilation during cooking to reduce potential risk of neurodegenerative disease.

These findings were published in Indoor Air Journal.

Urban Rajah. Born in Britain, Spiced by India.

Urban Rajah. Born in Britain, Spiced by India.

My wife and I were recently privileged to dine on Burotis from The Urban Rajah.

There were two flavours we tried. Smashed Onion Bhaji and Chickpea. And the Hari Hari Chicken Boroti. 

The first combines a Sabzi salad with a smashed onion bahji and a chickpea chaat, mango chutney and baby spinach within a beetroot tortilla.

The mix of flavours were a true delight with the onion bahji and the sabzi salad working together really well with the chickpeas, the mango chutney and the baby spinach. 

The beetroot tortilla is a delicate shade of beetroot and is also very tasty.

The other Buroti we tried was their Hari Hari Chicken.

Sabzi salad, with a green herb masala chicken and yoghurt mix. Plus a different chutney, a date and tamarind chutney, with baby spinach and fresh coriander. All served within a very tasty corn tortilla.

Wow. Just wow. I liked the Smashed Onion Bhaji and Chickpea Buroti very much. But the Hari Hari Chicken Buroti was really amongst the best chicken masalas that I have ever tried.

After her first bite into her Hari Hari Buroti my wife said: "This is what real Indian food is all about. A fantastic mixture of spices, herbs and ingredients but without having everything overpowered by too many chillies! This has a nice chilli bite to it, but it's more in line with my family's own recipes."

My wife, like Ivor Peters, who is the founder of Urban Rajah, is of Indian extraction, too, so does know her stuff when it comes to Indian cooking.

And how much do these really filling Indian Street Kitchen delights cost? A very healthy £3.50! 

What are burotis? Burotis are Indian roti style wraps packed with the flavours of India.

They are produced with the Samworth Brothers Group.

To learn more and to check out a large number of recipes that you can try at home please visit www.urbanrajah.com and https://www.samworthbrothers.co.uk/

You'll be pleased to know that Urban Rajah works with charity groups around the world, including organisations battling modern slavery. 

Wine that is fit for a Queen

As Barbaresco is deservedly known as “the queen of wines” it is very fitting that it has decided to help celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee with this trio of top-class, Decanter Medal-winners. 

70 years on the throne is very impressive, and the fact the Queen is the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee makes this event even more exciting. 

So, what better way to celebrate this magnificent and significant milestone than with a memorable gift set of three award-winning Barbaresco wines? 

Each one of these wines has been awarded a medal by the Decanter World Wine Awards. Possibly the most reputable wine competition in the world, it highlights the very best wines that are selected chosen from tens of thousands of contenders from all over the world.

This gift set includes three Decanter Medal-winning Barbaresco wines and is only available exclusive from Independent Wine for next day delivery nationwide. Carefully packaged in a sustainably sourced wooden box, the set will make a perfect gift for loved ones, work colleagues, or a valuable addition to your own wine cellar. Though the wines can be enjoyed for immediate consumption, they can also be laid down to mature for many years to come. 

Wines included are:-

Francone Barbaresco Gallina 2017 – Decanter Silver Medal. Featured in The Independent as an “Indy Best Buy” organic wine, this rich and complex wine has pronounced aromas of fresh strawberry and raspberry as well as a savoury touch of almonds and liquorice. The grapes are grown in the historic vineyard of L'Ciaciaret, in Neive's Gallina MGA (cru).

Demarie Barbaresco 2016 – Decanter Silver Medal. This award-winning Barbaresco offers elegant flavours of red fruits as well as powerful tannins. It spent two years ageing in oak, but all the nuanced aromas of Nebbiolo are still bright and fresh. 2016 was possibly the best year for Nebbiolo in Langhe in the last decade, making this wine even more special.

Francone Barbaresco Riserva 2015 – Decanter Silver Medal. UK-exclusive, old vine Barbaresco Riserva. Bold flavours of dried strawberry, cloves and vanilla. This Barbaresco Riserva wine is made in the classic style of Neive, showing the full power of Nebbiolo's tannins. It is designed to develop more complex flavours and appreciate slowly over 15 years or so.

This premium trilogy of Barbaresco wine is presented in a special wooden box, finished with a dark matt varnish. It's stamped with the Independent Wine insignia, and closes with a metal latch. Made from timber sourced exclusively from sustainable producers, each box is certified by The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and stamped with their logo.

The trio of regal wines will cost £131.00 and is available from https://www.independent.wine. 

Platinum Jubilee Popcorn Bottle is launched by Popcorn Kitchen

Popcorn Kitchen founders Louise & Andy both recall the wonderful Silver Jubilee with very fond childhood memories.

Street parties with roads totally closed to all traffic, with table after table of home-produced foods all washed down with squash. And with everyone feeling good!

Says co-founder Andy Valentine, "We fervently and strongly believe that our gigantic plastic bottles of popcorn taps into the British communal spirit of coming together and sharing, courtesy of our classic Sweet & Salty fill that appeals to 'popcorn purists' of all ages BUT both sides of the sweet & savoury flavour debate."

And what's more after you have finished off the delicious popcorn contents of the bottle, you can turn it inot a giant money-box!

Each bottle contains 550g of highest quality gourmet popcorn for £22.99.

They will be available from 14 March 2022.

Visit www.Popcornkichen.co.uk.

Cinnamon & Black Pepper Tea

As part of our Tea Festival, That's Food and drink brings you Cinnamon & Black Pepper Tea from Nature Boutique of London.

It's not a blend my wife and I were aware of, but once we tried it, we were hooked.

There's the hot, warming bite of the spicy Cinnamon but which is raised by the addition of the black pepper, which adds a piquant and quite delicious kick all of its own.

It is easy to make. One tea bag per cup, add boiling water and leave it to steep for about 10 minutes and you will have a most agreeable and most delicious tea drinking experience.

There are only two ingredients in this superlative tea, cinnamon and black pepper.

However, my wife has asked me to point out that this is not a tea to be drunk just before bed, because its invigorating and vitalising kick is much more appropriate to the start of your day, rather than at the end!

But this tea is free of caffeine and other stimulants.

When you serve it, don't add milk, but you can serve it with sugar or honey if you wish to add sweetness to it.

You can buy it from directly www.natureboutique.co.uk  or from independent health stores throughout the country.

A box of 20 teabags will cost £3.49, or six boxes will cost £20.94.

"We recommend you drink no more than one cup a day. DO NOT use if pregnant or breastfeeding. Large intake of pepper has been linked to miscarriage. Consult your doctor before use if suffering from a medical condition, including diabetes, or taking medication or about to undergo surgery. See packs for other health contradictions."