Co-op's The Apiary secures nationwide listing for Manchester's Northern Quarter-based dessert café, Black Milk

Manchester's Northern Quarter-based café, Black Milk, has secured a listing for its products in Co-op stores all over the UK after working with the convenience retailer’s accelerated support scheme for suppliers, known as the Apiary.

Located at 88 Oldham Street, Manchester, Black Milk will see products including its award winning Hazelnut Cream; Pistachio Cream and, White Chocolate sweet spreads stocked in approaching 300 Co-op stores nation-wide, including stores in the North West located in Manchester; Oldham, Ashton, Stockport, Bolton and Rochdale.

Co-op’s Apiary programme searches for new purpose-led small businesses with a unique point of difference. Successful applicants receive valuable tailored support, mentoring and advice on all aspects of the product journey towards gaining a listing in store.

Oliver Taylor who founded Black Milk said: “We're obviously really pleased to work closely with Co-op, especially as a fellow ethical Manchester-based business. This listing sees our spreads stocked in more communities than we have ever been in before, including here in Manchester and across the North West, and it has the potential to significantly raise awareness of our products.

“Since March 2015, our secret sauces and spreads have been developed in our café at the heart of the Northern Quarter, Manchester. These spreads have always been the most popular part of our menu. One day, whilst serving our luxury hazelnut milkshakes a customer asked for an extra shake jar filled with only our hazelnut cream – and we knew then that we had the perfect product to sell. Made with the finest of nuts, these spreads are truly memorable indulgences, we suggest serving them on top of bread, crumpets or croissants, baked into treats or even just eaten off the spoon.”

Kelly Orme, who is the Co-op Community Buying Manager for Local, World Foods & the Apiary, said: “We are really delighted to work with Black Milk, as the dessert café has developed an impressive reputation and following from its Northern Quarter base, and through our Apiary programme we have been able to spend time with owners Andy and Oliver and work closely with them to bring their sweet nut spreads into our stores. 

"We are thrilled to reach this key milestone where the product is now on our shelves - we believe these spreads offer a real point of difference to interest, enthuse and excite Co-op Members and customers in our communities.”

For more information about Black Milk and, to find your local store selling its sweet spreads, visit: blackmilkcereal.com

New Apple and Caramel Mousse from Bonne Maman

Introducing the utterly superb and new Apple and Caramel Mousse, a delicious addition to the Bonne Maman chilled desserts range.

It's a fantastic and mouth-watering and indulgent everyday treat, the new Bonne Maman Apple and Caramel Mousse contains generous pieces of apple which are delicately mixed with a light vanilla mousse and topped with a delectable, smooth caramel crème.

Bonne Maman offers a wide range of extremely popular mousse desserts, all following simple recipes and all using natural ingredients. The range includes five single flavour varieties, Chocolate, Strawberry, Clementine, Rhubarb and Blackcurrant, plus two layered, flavour combination desserts of Pear & Chocolate Mousse and now Caramel and Apple Mousse.

They are carefully presented in packs of two x 90g pots, new Apple and Caramel Mousse are available in the chilled dessert cabinets at Sainsbury’s and Waitrose & Partners stores nationwide at a rrp of £2.20.

Cocoba Chocolate Introduces “The Best of British” Summer Picnic Treats

Kent's Cocoba, the chocolate company famed for producing irresistible chocolate and hot chocolate treats and gifts, has launched a fantastic range of quintessentially British chocolate bars.

Inspired by favourite and popular British desserts the Cocoba “Best of British Chocolate Bars”, all priced at £4.50 individually or in a pack at £18, make a superb addition to any summer picnic.  

“The Best of British Chocolate Bar Selection,” is created using only the highest-quality Belgian chocolate, include something for everyone from sticky toffee pudding, apple crumble, Eaton mess and lemon meringue flavours.

Tasting just like the real desert, is the new and indulgent “Sticky Toffee Pudding Chocolate Bar” topped with white chocolate drizzle, crunchy salted caramel balls and toffee pieces, an ideal picnic treat for those with a sweet tooth.

Want something to tantalise the taste buds? Then “The Apple Crumble Chocolate Bar” is ideal. As it's topped with white chocolate drizzle, apple pieces, and shortbread crumble. This deliciously sweet concoction is a chocolate bar and one of the best British desserts, all in one glorious package!

Well, it just wouldn't be a very British picnic without a traditional strawberry theme, would it? And “The Eton Mess Chocolate Bar” fits the bill absolutely perfectly.  A Belgian milk chocolate bar is topped with white chocolate drizzle, freeze-dried strawberries, meringue pieces, and strawberry flavoured crunchy balls, all to create a British classic.

Finally, to add a zingy sweetness “The Lemon Meringue Chocolate Bar” is infused with lemon oil, and is topped with white chocolate drizzle, white meringue pieces, and lemon sugar drops. This sweet and sherberty concoction is a winning combination to complete a very British picnic.

Since the launch in 2012 Cocoba Chocolate ensure that each product is specially made with the highest quality, great tasting ingredients.

Please visit Cocoba Chocolate's website for more information including the hot chocolate bombes, spoons and vegan product range at www.CocobaChocolate.com.

What else is there? Cocoba's chocolate products include Belgian hot chocolate, chocolate bars and lollipops, truffles and buttons, and a growing range of vegan chocolates, too.

Cocoba's range is available from www.CocobaChocolate.com as well as Cocoba's flagship chocolate café at the Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent, independent farm shops, delis, John Lewis, Selfridges and more.  All products are handmade in Kent.

Do not forget the barbecue deserts! Carnation shows us how!

With all the meat to cook, the salads, dips and savoury snacks to prepare, it is all too easy to forget that those with a sweet tooth might feel a bit marginalised and forgotten about at the barbecue. But there's no fear of that happening if you follow these recipes, very helpfully created in the kitchens of Carnation Milk!

Low Fat Strawberry Cheesecake Pots

Recipe

Serves 6

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Chilling time: 1 hour

Recipe

85g (3oz) light digestive biscuits

150g tub 0%fat Greek yogurt

150g (5½oz) extra light cream cheese

200g (7oz) Carnation Condensed Milk Light

Zest and juice 1 lemon                                                                                                                                                   

250g (9oz) fresh strawberries

3tbsp strawberry jam

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1.    Crumble 75g (3oz) light digestive biscuits into a bowl, not too fine.  Divide the crumbs between 6 wine glasses or small tumblers. 

2.    Place 200g (7oz) Carnation Condensed Milk Light (half a can) into a bowl and add the zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1tsp vanilla extract (optional).  Stir together until the mixture has thickened.

3.    Whisk 150g (5½oz) extra light cream cheese and 150g tub 0%fat Greek yogurt in a small bowl until smooth then fold into the thickened condensed milk, don’t over beat.  Spoon the creamy mixture over the biscuits.  Chill for at least 30minutes to 1 hour.

4.    Chop 250g (9oz) fresh strawberries, mix with 3tbsp strawberry jam and top the cheesecakes with the fruit to serve.

Or how about this gorgeous recipe?

Lime and Coconut Cake

Recipe:

Serves 12

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 55-65 minutes

Cake:

175g (6oz) butter, softened

3 large eggs, beaten

250g (7oz) Carnation Condensed Milk

55g (2oz) desiccated coconut

finely grated zest and juice 1 lime

175g (6oz) self-raising flour

1tsp baking powder

Icing:

100g (3½oz) icing sugar

Long strands lime zest and juice 1 lime

Method

1.    Preheat the oven to 170°C, (150°C for fan ovens), Gas Mark 3.

2.    Grease and base line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with baking parchment.

3.    Place all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat using an electric hand whisk until just smooth and pale. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for 55-65 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.  If the top becomes too brown near the end of the cooking time, cover with a piece of parchment.  Leave the cake to cool slightly then remove from the tin and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

4.    For the icing – simply mix the lime juice into the icing sugar until you have a thick pouring consistency – drizzle over the cake and finish with strands of lime zest.

Cooks tip

Using Carnation Condensed Milk will help the creaming process, combining the eggs, flour and butter for a super smooth batter and a moist sponge finish.

Further tips

For a super fresh taste – microwave a slice of cake for 10 seconds to have that warm from the oven effect!

If you have any cake left over make an exotic simple trifle – lay pieces of the cake at the bottom of a dish and sprinkle over some orange juice or sherry, top with tropical fruits such as mango and pineapple, then top with Greek yogurt sweetened with condensed milk and finish with some toasted desiccated coconut.