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."

Birthday cake? So last year! This year, give them a Birthday Cheesecake!

Birthday cake? So last year! This year, give them a Birthday Cheesecake!

Everyone knows that when British people want to celebrate a momentous occasion, Christening, new job, retiring or a birthday no celebration is a real celebration without a nice cake.

However, cake lovers will be pleased to know that the  English Cheesecake Company has taken the classic birthday cake concept one level higher with the launch of their Funfetti Cheesecake. 

It combines layers of creamy vanilla cheesecake, tangy raspberry jam, vanilla cake sponge and jazzy sugar sprinkles on top of a crunchy digestive biscuit base.

The Funfetti cheesecake will be a breath-taking and mouth-watering centrepiece at any birthday party. Well, the centre piece of any party or celebration, really.

Your Funfetti Cheesecake (£39.50) will arrive frozen and is pre-portioned into 14 slices for your convenience. 

Just defrost  it before serving. And why not add whipped cream, ice cream and even more sprinkles? 

And do remember, all of the English Cheesecake Company's cheesecakes can be customised with a personalised chocolate disc, a gift card and luxury gift wrap, plus optional extras such as candles, sparklers and balloons to provide the perfect present delivered straight to the recipients' door. Free standard delivery is available.

For further information and to place your order please visit www.englishcheesecake.com.

Cotswolds English Single Malt Whisky

With supplies running a little low, my wife suggested that on our next shopping mission to Tesco that we should buy a bottle of Single Malt Whisky.

And so it was, last Saturday, found us looking at the shelves of whiskies at our nearest large Tesco store. 

Suddenly my attention was drawn to a very attractive box that bore the name Cotswold Single Malt Whisky. 

I thought "That sounds very English?" It was then that I noticed it said "Product of England" on it and I realised that I was looking at a bottle of English whisky!

I bought a bottle and took it home to try my first bottle of English Whisky. 

First thing I noticed was that it's not as clear as some whiskies I have seen. It turns out that this is because it has a natural, golden colour, a result of the fact that it is non-chilled filtered.

It is made using 100% locally grown Cotswolds barley and is doubled distilled in proper copper pot stills, matured in premium sourced casks and blended and bottled in the distillery.

So, Okay, it looks good, but what does it taste like? It's fairly complex, rich and fruity? Yes! Fruity. But there's a little something else that comes through, also. Vanilla? Yeah, notes of vanilla and some spice there, too.

It's very different from other Single Malts that I have tried but in a very good way. 

I can heartily recommend Cotswolds Single Malt to everyone.

It's £39, but if you are a Tesco Clubcard member, you can get a few Pounds knocked off the price.

There are other spirits that are available from the Cotswolds Distillery, so I suggest you check them out here https://www.cotswoldsdistillery.com/.

As it's nearly my wife's birthday, I think the next purchase could well be a bottle of Cotswolds gin!