Festive Food For All Budgets At Aldi

Whatever your budget, Aldi has everything you need for your Christmas Day festive feast. From traditional fresh British turkey to melt-in-the-mouth mince pies, you're guaranteed to impress your guests with the quality of your dishes - and all at the lowest possible price.
Don't forget, Aldi Special Buys are only available as long as stocks last, so don't miss out!

Luxury at Aldi...

NEW! Four Bird Roast - 1.48kg, £9.99

A new twist on one of Aldi's most famous Christmas dishes, the handmade Four Bird Roast includes turkey, goose and duck breast meat layered with a pork, sage and onion stuffing, all wrapped in a basted chicken breast. This delicious dish also includes a marmalade glaze, specially created by TV chef Phil Vickery.


Frozen Whole Stuffed Duck - £8.99, 1.4kg

This whole, deboned, stuffed duck is perfectly prepared to make serving guests easy and is also a great addition to turkey come Christmas Day.

This product is a Special Buy, on sale 30th November and available as long as stock lasts.

(Awaiting image from McCann)

Frozen Whole Goose - £19.99, 4.8kg

A traditional Christmas meat, goose is making a comeback to the season's festivities. Aldi's delicious and succulent Whole Goose is great value at £19.99. Serve with roast potatoes, fresh vegetables and piping hot gravy.

This product is a Special Buy, on sale 30th November and available as long as stock lasts.

Specially Selected Roast Potatoes in Goose Fat - £1.39, 1kg

These roast potatoes with a soft, fluffy centre and crispy golden coating are a firm favourite with families.

Phil Vickery says: "These are always a winner with me and my family; the potatoes are perfectly sized, cook really well and taste delicious."

This is a seasonal product, on sale from 5th October 2011 throughout the Christmas period.


New! Specially Selected Yorkshire Puddings - 99p, Pack of 4

Try these delicious Specially Selected Yorkshire Puddings - a bargain at 99p.

Phil Vickery says: "These are very good indeed; they look homemade and are perfect for a family Christmas dinner."

This is a seasonal product, on sale from 5th October 2011 throughout the Christmas period.



New! Specially Selected Lobster Tails - £11.99 each

Add a real touch of class to Christmas starters with Aldi's luscious Specially Selected Lobster Tails. A new addition to Aldi's seasonal range, these easy to cook lobster tails taste really great. Each pack contains two tails.

This product is a Special Buy, on sale from 30th November for as long as stocks last.

Specially Selected Christmas Pudding - £3.49, 454g

This decadent Christmas pudding is made with the finest vine fruits, crunchy almonds, glacé cherries and pecans. It is generously laced with sherry and Cognac, with a good helping of candied peel and mixed fruit to add a little festive zing. Matured for a minimum of six months for a rich flavour, it is perfect served with brandy cream.

This is a seasonal product, on sale from 31st October 2011 throughout the Christmas period.

New and Improved! Luxury All Over Iced Christmas Cake - £6.99, 1.2kg

This Luxury All Over Iced Christmas Cake is new and improved for 2011 and is set to give fruit cake fans a real treat. Made from only the finest natural ingredients, including juicy sultanas marinated in French Brandy, natural coloured cherries and fragrant lemon zest, it is jam-packed with festive flavour.

This is a seasonal product, on sale from 28th November 2011 throughout the Christmas period.

Specially Selected Mince Pies - £1.69, Pack of 6

The epitome of Christmas, no dinner table is complete without an abundance of mince pies. Aldi's Specially Selected Mince Pies are filled with the finest Mediterranean fruit, which has been dried naturally in the Mediterranean sun, then laced with French Brandy and a hint of mixed spice for a festive kick. The luxurious filling is wrapped in an all-butter pastry and oven baked until golden brown.

This is a seasonal product, on sale from 18th September 2011 throughout the Christmas period.

Extra Thick Brandy Cream with Courvoisier VS Cognac - £1.49, 250ml

At Aldi you will find everything you need for the festive season, including the ideal dessert accompaniment - a decadent double cream combined with Courvoisier VS Cognac and French Brandy. Jazz up a warm mince pie or add a touch of sophistication to Christmas pudding with this indulgent brandy cream.

This is a Special Buy product, on sale from 5th December 2011 for as long as stocks last.


Veuve Monsigny Premier Cru Champagne - £15.99, 75cl

An ideal pre-dinner treat, Veuve Monsigny Premier Cru Champagne hails from a village in the Champagne region of France which is highly rated for the quality of its wines. With subtle aromas of brioche and pear and a delicate flavour of honey and bright fruits, this elegant Champagne is a must-have buy for the Christmas celebrations.

This product is a Special Buy, on sale from 4th December for as long as stocks last.

On a Budget at Aldi...

Holly Lane Mince Pies - £0.99, Pack of 6

If you are on a strict budget this Christmas, you can still keep the cupboards well stocked with some of Aldi's great value festive treats. You will find these bargain buys at just 99p for six. (EDITOR: But these value products from Aldi taste as good as some retailer's 'quality' ranges! )


60 Piece Snack Selection - £4.00, 1.2 kg

The ultimate saviour for Boxing Day buffets, this 60-piece snack selection is all you'll need to impress guests who are bored with turkey. Available in Chinese or Indian, at just £4 each you could serve up both.

This product is a Special Buy, on sale 30th November and available as long as stock last.


Duck Spring Rolls - £1.00, 144g, pack of 8

Keep these stocked up for either a Christmas Eve celebration or a Boxing Day buffet. Available in packs of 8, these tasty Duck Spring Rolls will add some oriental flair to the season and make your guests think you've spent a small fortune. They are a must-have for the perfect host.

This product is a Special Buy, on sale 30th November and available as long as stock lasts.


Filo Prawns - £2.00, 192g, pack of 16

Available in packs of 16, Aldi's Filo Prawns are an ideal starter for Christmas dinner. They are fuss-free and easy to cook, so you'll have time to concentrate on perfecting your main course.

This product is a Special Buy, on sale 30th November and available as long as stock lasts.

Bramwells Cranberry Sauce - 59p, 200g

This classic cranberry sauce is a must-have with a delicious Christmas dinner and all the trimmings. The mouth-watering condiment is packed with juicy cranberries, and its re-sealable packaging will make it last well beyond the festive season.

Gateau - £1.99, 630g/ 600g

Spoil your guests with Aldi's delicious gateau, available in three indulgent flavours: chocolate, strawberry or Black Forest.

This product is a Special Buy, on sale 30th November and available as long as stock lasts.


Philippe Michel Crémant du Jura Sparkling Chardonnay - £6.99, 75cl

A multi-award winning wine, Philippe Michel Crémant du Jura is a decadent sparkling Chardonnay, worthy of any festive celebration.

Available in stores all year round.

And don't forget the Festive Drinks offering from Aldi!

Picking the perfect party aperitif or finding the ideal wine for a festive dinner doesn't have to break the Christmas budget this year. With Aldi, there's a great-value top tipple for every occasion.

Grandi Mori Prosecco Spumante Magnum - £12.99, 1.5 litres

This product is a Special Buy on sale from 4th December for as long as stocks last.

Christmas parties call for a glass of fizz, and with this Grandi Mori Prosecco Spumante Magnum, which is twice the size of the average bottle, there's more than enough to keep a gaggle of guests happy. The bubbles in this light and refreshing Prosecco make way for attractive autumn fruits and delicate floral touches. At just £12.99 per bottle, this is an extra-large treat, without the extra-large price tag.

Philippe Michel Crémant du Jura Sparkling Chardonnay - £6.99, 75cl

Available in stores all year round.

A multi-award winner, Philippe Michel Crémant du Jura Sparkling Chardonnay is produced in the same way as Champagne. Made from 100% Chardonnay grapes grown on the slopes of the Jura Mountains, its second fermentation, which creates the sparkle, is carried out in the bottle. This refreshingly dry vintage has crisp citrus notes and a pleasing length, meaning that it would be well-matched with light starters, such as seafood.

Philippe Michel Crémant du Jura Sparkling Chardonnay has scooped an array of awards, including Silver International Wine Challenge 2011, Bronze International Wine & Spirit Challenge 2011 and Quality Drink Awards Finalist 2011.

Freeman's Bay Sauvignon Blanc - £5.49, 75cl

Available in stores all year round.

Looking for a white wine to wow dinner guests? Then look no further than Aldi's well-respected Freeman's Bay Sauvignon Blanc, which is a stunning match for fish and seafood. Zesty, refreshing and packed with ripe gooseberries, this wine from New Zealand's Marlborough region is a superb vintage with a surprising length for such a young wine.

Freeman's Bay Sauvignon Blanc received a Bronze award in the International Wine Challenge 2011.

New! Baron Amarillo Rioja Reserva 2006 - £5.99, 75cl

Available in stores all year round.

Aldi's latest wine is a full-bodied, classic Rioja Reserva, which has been carefully aged in oak casks for three years and has intense red fruits leading to hints of blackcurrant and cherry. Add to this the perfectly balanced festive flavours of fine vanilla and oak spices, and you have the perfect accompaniment to Christmas roast meat dishes.

Bushland Premium Estate Barossa Valley Shiraz - £4.99, 75cl

Available in stores all year round.

Full-bodied with a soft, earthy and spicy style, this festive tipple has rich black cherry and creamy chocolate flavours. Carefully picked from a selection of Southern Australia's finest wine estates, this stylish, classic Barossa Shiraz is an ideal partner to a wide variety of rich Christmas meat dishes.

Specially Selected Irish Cream Liqueur - £5.99, 70cl

This is a Seasonal Product on sale from 30th October for as long as stocks last.

A festive classic with a smooth, mellow finish, Specially Selected Irish Cream Liqueur is perfect for a Christmas nightcap or an indulgent addition to after-dinner coffee. Made with Aldi's exclusive blend of fresh cream and Irish whiskey and priced at just £5.99, it also makes a fantastic-value gift for Mum or Grandma with no compromise on quality.

An award winning product, Specially Selected Irish Cream Liqueur won a Bronze award in the International Spirits Challenge 2011.

Taylor's Ports

Taylor Fladgate and Yeatman joined together to start making Port wine in 1692. In that time nations have been founded, have grown, crumbled and faded away, wars have been fought but Taylor's Port continues to be made by the same families who created their Port wine dynasty near 320 years ago.

Taylor's 10 Year Old Tawny Port is aged for 10 years in wooden casks and is then carefully bottled. And it should then be carefully drunk, to ensure that the warm, rich tastes of a combination of fruits is not wasted.

My wife and I have a special Christmas tradition. Every year just before Christmas we like to take some Stilton cheese, some mince pies  and some Taylor's 10 Year Old Tawny Port and settle down to some festive feasting whilst watching the 1951 version of Scrooge. Sometimes we also watch the George C. Scott version, filmed in Shrewsbury, too.

If we do not have any Taylor's 10 Year Old Tawny Port to hand, we instead will replace this with an extremely good substitute, some Taylor's Late Bottled  Vintage Port, which being younger that the Taylor's 10 Year old Tawny Port, has a different range of equally appealing fruity flavours, but is a little less well-developed.

This year my wife and I were both suffering from colds. My wife remarked: "Are you starting to feel better?" I had to acknowledge that I was starting to feel a  little warmed and that my cold was now nowhere near as oppressive as it had been, before I had started to drink the Port.

My wife took another sip of her Taylor's, smiled, and said in tones of extreme satisfaction: "No wonder doctors used to prescribe Port!"

Taylor's 10 Year Old Tawny Port costs from £19.99 and is available from E. H. Booths, Majestic, Morrison's, Sainsbury, Selfridges, Teso, Wholefoods Market and Waitrose.

Taylors Late Bottled Vintage Port should cost you from £13.99 a bottle and is widely available.

BBC Good Food Show

It is the BBC Good Food Show at the NEC this week, with the launch today. I will be there today.

That's Food and Drink and That's Christmas will be reporting on what is available at the Good Food Show over the next week or so.

The perfect Free-Range Christmas Turkey Box with Streaky Bacon from field&flower

City boy James Mansfield (28) and farmer's son James Flower (25) - the pair behind premium online meat delivery company field&flower - have unveiled their limited edition Free-range Christmas Turkey Box with Streaky Bacon.

field&flower (www.fieldandflower.co.uk)offers a variety of premium Somerset meat all year round, delivered monthly from Home Farm in the Gordano Valley.

field&flower Christmas Free-Range Turkey Box with Streaky Bacon

£85 including free delivery

The box contains a fantastic free-range bronze or British white bird that has been raised and slow grown outside on a local Somerset farm. This box also contains 3 packs of free range streaky bacon.

Welfare – Outside reared from 6 weeks, handled by our stockman and left free to roam in extensive paddocks when weather permits
Diet - Fed on natural vegetation found within the paddocks and cereals
Age – Fully matured birds between 6 – 7 months in age.
Production – Free range birds from one traditional farmer. Dry plucked.

Set minimum weight per bird is 6.5 kg+ (14lb 5oz) which provides 12 – 14 servings, oven size guide: 37cm (L) x 22cm (W) x 20cm (H).

Delivery date: Choose from Thursday 22nd or Friday 23rd December.

Each customer/delivery will receive a 20% New Year discount voucher, to be used in January 2012.

field&flower Christmas Gift Box:

£55 with free delivery

field&flower have also put together a special Christmas Gift Box, the perfect gift for any meat-lover this Christmas. The limited edition box is available to be delivered up until 23rd December 2011, just in time for the Big Day.

Somerset Smoked Salmon, 200g
Traditional Gammon, 1.3kg
4 Week Hung Beef Topside or Silverside, 1.3kg
Free Range Pork Chipolatas, 8 pack
Traditional Thick Cut Free Range Back Bacon, 6 pack
12 Free range Mini Chipolatas wrapped in Streaky Bacon

Choose your delivery date: Wednesday 21st, Thursday 22nd or Friday 23rd.

FACTFILE:
field&flower rear and butcher their own traditional breed cattle on Home Farm in North Somers where the Flower family has been farming for five generations. They also carefully and ethically source the very best pork, lamb and organic chicken from neighbouring farms.

Their easy-to-use website allows customers to create their own monthly meat box from just £55, delivered straight to their door. It is also possible to change the content of the box on a monthly basis for ultimate flexibility. Customers can also place one-off orders from the website.

Fantastic! Caskmarque launches Real Ale Trail Caskfinder App!

The popular CaskFinder smartphone application has launched the World’s Biggest Ale Trail.

Available for iPhone and Android, the World's Biggest Ale Trail offers customers the chance to use their phone's camera to scan QR codes placed on Cask Marque certificates in accredited pubs. There are 7,500 Cask Marque pubs and bars across the UK to choose from to take part in the World’s Biggest Ale Trail.

The app records the number of pubs visited and rewards prizes for milestones of 25, 50 and 100 pubs. Once you have scanned 100 pub barcodes you become a Cask Marque ambassador, which includes the opportunity to spend the day with an assessor, visiting a number of pubs to see how Cask Marque ensure a quality pint.

Real ale is helping to save the great British institution of the pub - the recent Cask Report found cask drinkers are more than twice more likely to visit pubs on a regular basis than non-cask drinkers. With the opportunity to try before you buy, cask is recruiting new drinkers – 10% of drinkers tried it for the first time in the last 12 months.

Cask Marque Director, Paul Nunny, who is responsible for the quality of ale in pubs said: “Cask ale is a British institution which should be celebrated by everyone up and down the country. The CaskFinder app helps customers get the most out of their pub visits and rate their favourite beers, sharing tried and tested favourites with other app users.”

Download the upgraded version of CaskFinder straightaway to start your very own World’s Biggest Ale Trail.

For any further information please contact Anna Jones or Sarah Stevenson at Seal on 0121 616 5800 or sarahstevenson@seal.uk.com

FACTFILE:

CaskFinder is designed to help consumers enjoy and appreciate Cask Ale wherever they may be in the UK! Combining data from the Cask Marque pub quality inspection scheme and the Cyclops® beer standardisation initiative, both industry sponsored bodies, CaskFinder has a host of features to aid customers in the pursuit of ale drinking.

On top of the NEW World’s Biggest Ale trail, CaskFinder has a range of features for any beer enthusiast:

• CaskFinder uses the location-awareness of the smartphone to show customers their nearest Cask Marque award winning pubs – 7,500 to choose from
• Details of the cask beers on sale in each pub
• Description of over 1,000 beers from 250 brewers using Cyclops Beer database
• Rate beers to help other ale fans
• Find similar beers
• Beer Festivals – a complete list with contact details, admission prices and maps
• Beer Blog – from award winning writer, Pete Brown, that gives you an inside track on the beer industry
• Beer of the Week – a featured beer of interest
• New Bar code reader for bottled beers – try it on your Tiger beer to get the full Cyclops descriptors and suggested beers for you to try

Cask Marque was set up in 1998 to promote cask ale but in particular beer quality.

The 7,500 award winning Cask Marque pubs receive 2 unannounced visits a year and the qualified assessors check up to six beers on the bar for temperature, taste, appearance and aroma. Any adverse consumer feedback triggers a mystery drinker visit.

The app allows consumers to keep a pub guide in their pocket with stacks of useful information. Currently 46% of consumers who drink cask ale recognise the Cask Marque plaque (NOP survey)

Scottish Win for Costa Coffee's Barista of the Year's Speciality Drink

Costa Coffee's (www.costa.co.uk) Winner of Best Speciality Drink at this year's Barista of the Year Awards was Boyd Murdock from Scotland with his Cranachan Affogato, an espresso based coffee. He fought off tough competition which was open to all 25,000 barista's worldwide and ended with a final twelve baristas from India, Asia and Europe, after weeks of perfecting the final recipes.

The Winning Drink - A Cranachan Affogato

1 teaspoon Honey
1 small scoop of vanilla icecream
3 teaspoons raspberry coulis
Raspberry syrup
1 teaspoon toasted pin head oatmeal
1 shot of Costa mocha Italia coffee

Layer ingredients into the glass. First add the honey, next the icecream and raspberry coulis. Then sprinkle the oatmeal over the top and drizzle a little of the syrup. At the last minute, add the shot of hot Costa coffee. Serve immediately and enjoy. In this way the coffee stays hot and the icecream doesn’t melt.

Flying the flag for Scotland, Boyd who works at the Ayr Central Costa Coffee store, wanted to prove that great coffee can be found just as easily in a quiet seaside town as it can in a bustling metropolis.

(PICTURED: Boyd Murdoch experimenting with ingredients)

The Blue Nun Sparkling Gold ... For Life’s Golden Moments

It may be a little early for some, but the party season is just around the corner and that means plenty of sparkle and a glass or two of fizz! (EDITOR: Never too early for a bit of fizz!)

 

For all those celebrations and family get togethers, Blue Nun has released a new sparkling Gold Edition white wine, complete with distinctive fine flecks of delicate 22 carat gold leaf!

Designed with all the glitz and glamour of the party season in mind, the iconic brand, owned by Langguth Wines in Germany, has used their passion, heritage and expertise to create a delicate, subtle quality sparkling white wine with a lovely light fruitiness (alc 11.00%). 

Blue Nun has crafted the Gold Edition with a full, rounded flavour, this light and elegant style wine has the exciting addition of gold flecks to highlight the natural effervescence of sparkling white wine.

The Gold Edition is ideal as an aperitif or to accompany light bites and hors d’oevres so it’s well suited for the party season, special occasions, celebrations or just for fun!

Blue Nun Sparkling Gold Edition is priced at £6.99 per 75cl bottle and is available to buy on-line from www.drinks2home.co.uk. or   www.drinksdirect.co.uk

The Blue Nun Sparkling will also be available to buy at the BBC Good Food Show at the NEC Birmingham which runs from 23-27^th November 2011, stand number U70.

(EDITOR: OK, some will say this is a gimmick.  All my wife and I know is that when we gently (VERY gently!) inverted the bottle and put it upright again, the flecks of genuine gold danced and shimmered in the light from our Christmas candles as they slowly fluttered down to the bottom of the bottle.

As for the taste? Absolutely gorgeous. It is not too dry, nor is it too sweet, it has a fruity and pleasing taste and it has just the right amount of bubbles. It is one of the nicest sparkling white wines of any type that we have ever tried. Getting some in for Christmas? At £6.99 a bottle? I should think so!)

Redwood Food voted 'most ethical'

The Redwood Wholefood Company is the most ethical vegetarian food firm in the UK, says The Good Shopping Guide.

Every year, the consumer handbook reveals ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ of the country’s companies and brands, giving each an ethical score out of 100 based on factors such as animal welfare, the environment and workers’ rights.

This year Corby-based Redwood, which produces over 50 different cruelty-free foods under the Cheatin’, Cheezly and Vegideli brand name, scores 96%, the highest rating of any vegetarian food company included.

Others brands featured are Linda McCartney which scores 75%, Realeat (75%), Cauldron (71%), Quorn (71%), Fry’s (67%), Wicken Fen (67%), Dalepak (63%) and Tivall (54%).

“While some are undoubtedly cashing in on a well-meaning but time-poor veggie community, others are producing genuinely innovative vegetarian and vegan products,” reports the guide. “One such company is Redwood Wholefoods.”

Commenting on the rating, Nigel Phillips, Redwood’s managing director, said: “I am delighted to be heading up such an ethical company. Although we are at the top of the class we are not going to sit back but continue to move forward with the aim of getting that 100% spot.”

All Redwood foods are made from 100% natural plant-based ingredients and free from animal products/derivatives, cholesterol, artificial colours/preservatives, lactose, hydrogenated fats and GMOs. They are also kosher certified.

You’ll find them in good health food stores including Holland and Barrett, selected supermarkets and online at
www.redwoodfoods.co.uk.

FACTFILE:
(www.redwoodfoods.co.uk)

Owned by charity campaigner Heather Mills, Redwood is the leading supplier of vegan foods to the health trade and 100% British. Rated the UK’s most ethical vegetarian foods supplier by The Ethical Company Organisation, Redwood produces more than 50 different foods under the Vegideli, Cheatin’ and Cheezly brand names at its animal-free factory in Corby, Northamptonshire.

Everything in its range is made from 100% natural plant-based ingredients so free from animal products and derivatives as well as cholesterol, artificial colours/preservatives, lactose, hydrogenated fats and GMOs, making them suitable for vegetarians and vegans as well as those looking for healthier and more ethical lifestyles. Widely recognised as one of the most innovative and inspirational vegetarian food companies in the UK, Redwood is renowned for being at the cutting edge of food manufacturing and exports to 18 countries worldwide.

That's Health: Antioxidant-Packed Winter Drinks Recipes

That's Health: Antioxidant-Packed Winter Drinks Recipes: AOk Drinks is the perfect drink to serve at parties during the festive season: with or without alcohol www.aokdrinks.com AOk Winter Warm...

New range of delicious British pies from Walkers

A brand new line of quintessentially British pies is being launched into stores this month (November) by Walkers. This traditional brand, known for its authentically British pies, is undertaking a complete re-launch and branching into the hot pie sector. The new hot pie range is designed to appeal to those looking for premium produce that stands out from the crowd.

The new range of Walkers pies includes three different varieties of two-pie packs; Supreme Steak & Stilton, Sumptuous Steak and Classic Chicken, White Wine & Mushroom (2 x 250g) and a single Glorious Chicken & Chorizo Pie (250g). These mouth-watering, impeccably flavoured pies are perfect for foodies seeking high quality wholesome British produce.

The year 2012 will bring a host of prestigious events to the UK and what better way to celebrate than with a perfectly British pie. Embracing the brand’s love for all things British, the packaging comprises a bright and bold Union Jack design. These pies are ideal for dinner parties with a difference and as a hot gastronomic treat for friends and family.
Walkers uses only the best quality British meats in its pies. Superbly flavoured with herbs, spices and complementary ingredients such as Stilton and Chorizo, each pie is skilfully encased in a rich and crisp short crust pastry.

With a distinct heritage in pie making, Walkers was born from Walker & Son, founded in Leicester in 1824. The brand has grown over the years and as well as launching the new hot-pie range, now also offers the re-branded Walkers Pork Pie, which will also include the new Union Jack themed branding.

The hot pie range is available from 14th November in Waitrose supermarkets. The single pie retails at the RRP of £2.79 and the two-pack pies at £4.99.

Walkers also has a cold pie range, consisting of The Picnic Pie (148g), The Crispy Classic (300g) and The Original (440g) available in The Co-operative, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Waitrose and retailing between £0.95 - £2.99 respectively.

For more information on Walkers and its range of pies, please see www.walkerspies.co.uk