Kentish Oils and Condiments is a real winner

Kentish Oils and Condiments has received two wins in the recent Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards 2022.

They were awarded 1 Star for their Kentish Oils Original Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil and 1 Star for their Kentish Condiments Honey & Mustard Dressing.

This year, an amazing 14,000 products were entered into the world's largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme. 

The black and gold Great Taste Awards stickers are the hallmark of high quality, fine quality, and simply delicious, first class produce.

Laura Bounds, MBE, the owner of Kentish Oils and Condiments said: “I'm so proud to have achieved a double win this year at the Great Taste Awards. 

"This just shows the efforts of our amazing production team who put so much time, care, effort and love into each and every batch of our products."

To learn more about Kentish Oils and Condiments please visit them at https://kentishcondiments.com.

And to discover more great tastes, please check out The Guild of Fine Foods at https://gff.co.uk.

British Frozen Peas can help your budget and be tasty

As the cost-of-living rises, members of the UK public are looking for easy ways to make nutritious meals on a budget. And frozen peas offer nutrition, good value and low wastage, making them a crucial addition to any freezer.

Did you know that Britain is 90% self-sufficient in pea production? Eeach summer growers up and down Britain's East Coast harvest and freeze 2 billion portions of peas to feed the nation for a full year.

There are 35,000 hectares of peas grown in the UK annually, producing 160,000 tonnes of frozen peas.

In the six-week British harvesting season farmers work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week using viners to harvest, shell and transport the peas from field to frozen as quickly as possible.

Alongside your below feature, we thought it would be great to include some low-cost recipes in addition to energy saving tips!

We want to make peas the star of the dish rather than just a last-minute addition, and the following recipes do just that. These recipes, which can be credited to the Yes Peas! campaign, are a great way to feed your family on a budget, at under £1 per serving. We’ve done all the calculations for you below!

£0.76 P(EA) PER SERVING: CHICKPEA AND TURMERIC PANCAKES WITH CRUSHED PEAS, ROAST BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND TAHINI DRESSING

Vegan. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PANCAKES

100g chickpea (gram) flour

100g frozen peas, defrosted and crushed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp turmeric

½ tsp sea salt flakes & freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

FOR THE DRESSING

300g Greek yoghurt

1 tbsp tahini

4 heaped tbsp chopped fresh mint and coriander

1 garlic clove, crushed

Zest and juice of 1 lime

FOR THE SQUASH AND PEA FILLING

½ butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 2cm cubes

1 large red onion, peeled and cut into wedges

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp garam masala

½ tsp chilli flakes

250g frozen peas, cooked

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

To make the pancakes, put the flour, peas, oil, turmeric, salt and pepper into a bowl and whisk together. Add 150ml of cold water and whisk to make a smooth batter. Set aside for one hour.

Combine all the dressing ingredients together in a bowl, adding a little water to thin down and cover with cling film and put in the fridge to chill.

Spread the chopped squash and onion in a single layer in a baking tray. Drizzle over the oil, then sprinkle the cumin seeds, garam masala and chilli flakes over the squash and onion, seasoning with salt and a little pepper.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning the vegetables half way through until golden and tender. Take out of the oven and mix in the peas. Keep warm.

To cook the pancakes, heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat and add a little of the vegetable oil. Turn the heat down to a medium heat and pour a quarter of the batter into the pan, swirling the pan so that the batter covers the base. Cook until the pancake sets, this should take around a minute, toss the pancake and cook for about 10 seconds longer.

Transfer to a plate and keep warm by covering loosely with foil. Repeat with the remaining batter until you have 4 pancakes.

To serve, divide the roasted squash and red onion mixture between the pancakes and spoon over some dressing. Lightly fold the pancakes over and serve immediately.

£0.80 P(EA) PER SERVING: PEA, SWEET POTATO AND FETA TRAYBAKE WITH THYME AND LEMON

Vegetarian and Gluten Free. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

500g sweet potatoes, washed and cut into small chips

2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks

1 bunch spring onions, washed and trimmed

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried thyme

½ tsp dried red chilli flakes

Juice and rind of 1 lemon

300g frozen peas

400g Feta, broken into chunks

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 210C/190C Fan/Gas 7.

Place the sweet potato, red peppers and spring onions into a bowl and season with some salt and pepper. Toss in the olive oil along with the thyme, chilli flakes, lemon juice and rind.

Place on a large baking tray or ovenproof dish and roast for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are just cooked and slightly charred.

Remove from the oven stir in the peas, top with the chunks of Feta and return to the oven and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Serve immediately: delicious with bread, roast meats, or simply on its own.

TIP: You can replace the Feta with vegan Feta and top with toasted pine nuts.

 

How can we save on our shopping bills? don't worry! It's Sorted!

To help consumers reduce their food bills amidst the rising cost of living crisis, Sorted Food – the social media movement dedicated to cooking and inspiring millions of people to get joy from food, is launching the first weekly meal planning tool that will enable home-cooks to save at least 30% on their food bills and enjoy up to six delicious yet easy-to-make meals created by chefs. 

Research undertaken by Sorted Food learned that a staggering 93% of shoppers are spending more on food than they’d planned to and 70% of consumers feel their large food shops don’t stretch as far as they’d hoped. 

With food prices soaring and people’s lives busier than ever, the new tool is perfectly timed to take the stress out of cooking tasty meals on a budget.

The research also revealed over half of shoppers (52%) who are spending more on their food shop are annoyed but feel there’s nothing they can do about it, whilst a third of shoppers (35%) worry about how they will afford other items throughout the week. 

To help tackle this and support the growing number of home-cooks who want to enjoy delicious and nutritious food whilst on a tight budget, the YouTube stars have redeveloped their revolutionary meal planning app Sidekick, so users can now choose six meals per week for no additional fee (£4.99 per month, first month free). 

The first of its kind, Sidekick features the innovative ‘Recipe Pack’ tool. Each week it publishes a wide choice of ‘Recipe Packs’, that contain three awesome recipes, all cleverly designed to share ingredients between them and leave users with no food waste.

The team of Sorted Food chefs have designed smart recipes packed full of money-saving hacks to help take the strain out of everyday meal planning and shopping. 

Subscribers can now choose up to two Recipe Packs to add to their planner for the week ahead (previously it was one pack) and the App creates one simple combined shopping list, which helps users save over 20% on their food shop in the first month of using Sidekick, increasing to over 30% in subsequent months as their store cupboard grows, plus they learn new skills to help them ‘cook like a chef’.

Jamie Spafford, Sorted Food Co-Founder said “Even with the best meal planning intentions, when most of us go shopping we have a list of ingredients to buy that we use across individual dishes or recipes, but often this means we still end up with leftover food that ultimately ends up in the bin, from that half bag of spinach to the spoonful of sour cream, it just wastes our money, and that’s not to mention all the supermarket ‘special offers’ that tempt us into buying food we don’t need! 

"Our unique Recipe Packs help home-cooks plan each of their meals for the week ahead and ensure every perishable item they buy is completely used up, so not only can they eat delicious and nutritious food, but they also save on their grocery shopping by cutting out food waste.”

The meals in each Recipe Pack share fresh ingredients across each dish mixed with budget store cupboard ingredients found in most kitchen cupboards (ie olive oil, pasta, stock cubes), this allows users to get the most out of every ingredient they buy, helping them to save on their food bills and ensure none of the food they buy goes to waste. Once users have chosen their Recipe Packs for the week ahead, the App combines the six dishes to create a single shopping list of ingredients for them to buy and they choose where from - whether it be online, a convenience store or local farm shop.

Jamie went on to say, “We have been hearing lots from our community about how worried they are about rising food prices, how they’d like to learn how to shop smarter and how stressful cooking meals on a budget can be. 

"With lives busier than ever, we believe the solution is one simple tool to help people with their meal planning, shopping and cooking – helping us all to become awesome home cooks. We’ve created Sidekick to be like the ‘chef in your pocket’, helping everyone to be the hero of their kitchen no matter what their skill level or budget.”

The Sorted Food chefs have used their culinary expertise alongside feedback from their 2.6 million strong community, to create a range of recipes that use twists on classic dishes and seasonal favourites. Featuring classic comfort dishes, new inspiration from cuisines around the world and ingredients that change with the seasons so home cooks need never get stuck in a mealtime rut.

Sorted Food was launched by four school friends in 2010; it has grown to become one of the world’s largest online food communities with 2.6 million YouTube subscribers. The YouTube channel has had over 850 million views, with two to three new videos uploaded each week – from learning basic cooking techniques to investigating new food trends and taking on ultimate cooking challenges.

Sorted Food: https://sortedfood.com (usually £49.99 per year/£4.99 per month)

Sidekick users looking for a wide range of weekend treats, ultimate baking challenges and so much more can also or use their exclusive access to the Cookbook App which includes 500+ recipes from a range of unique titles - from ‘Cooking to the Beat’ to ‘Desserts in Duvets’, and the Feast Your Ears podcast library where the co-founders discuss and debate current food trends.

Energy bills are rapidly rising. That's Food and Drink would like to help our readers save energy & save money

Energy bills are rapidly rising. That's Food and Drink would like to help our readers save energy & save money so that you can spend more of their hard earned money on eating and drinking, obviously!

Fuel prices are skyrocketing so if you use gas, oil, electric or even solid fuel, you will be feeling the pinch.

That's Food and Drink has asked our friends in the industry for help in putting together a series of articles that will show you ways that you can save on fuel usage, to cut down on your fuel bills.

Please keep an eye out for these articles. You can bookmark Thats Food and Drink if you'd like.

Welsh Brand Expands It Range Even Further With Its Gorse Inspired Cardi Bay Vodka

Top Welsh brand the Eccentric Spirit Co has launched their first vodka, Cardi Bay Vodka.

Cardi Bay Vodka, infused with hints of vanilla and coconut, is inspired by the gorse growing along the Ceredigion coastline.

A 70cl bottle of Cardi Bay Vodka (40% vol) is priced at £32.

Eccentric Spirits, distilled at the award-winning In The Welsh Wind, has expanded its range with the launch of Cardi Bay Vodka, their first ever Welsh vodka product.

From the label colouring to the taste notes, this Welsh vodka is inspired by the gorse which grows along the Ceredigion coastline, with a flavour profile infused with hints of coconut and vanilla.

Cardi Bay Vodka was unveiled at this summer's Royal Welsh Agricultural Show and received massive positive feedback from those attending this iconic show. 

Ellen Wakelam, co-founder and director of In The Welsh Wind Distillery which makes the Eccentric Spirit range said: “After releasing our Black Batch Rum into our Eccentric Spirits range, we knew we wanted to launch different spirits within the range, which would include a flavoured vodka.”

Ellen went on to explain: “We wanted the vodka's botanical profile to celebrate Cardigan Bay, and were inspired by the gorse which stands sentinel along the Ceredigion coastline, which reminds me and co-founder Alex of our 1,000-mile walk around Wales before we opened the distillery.

“The aroma of gorse is full of vanilla and coconut, making it the perfect inspiration for Cardi Bay Vodka's flavour and label design.”

She added: “From the initial distillations and tasting sessions to approving the label design, this project has been a long time in the making, and we are thrilled to be launching Cardi Bay Vodka and are also over the moon with the positive feedback gathered so far!”

Cardi Bay Vodka takes the number of spirits in the Eccentric Spirits collection to eight. It features six gins including a trio of award winners – all inspired by Welsh botanicals, and dark rum.

All of the spirits, including Cardi Bay Vodka, can be purchased through the Eccentric Spirits website, the In The Welsh Wind website www.inthewelshwind.co.uk.

Bug Lives Matter. To all of us

Wildlife like earthworms, ladybirds and bees don't normally have a voice. But now they do, which is due to a new Change.org petition launched in advance of Organic September, which is asking the next Prime Minister of the UK to take action to save nature in their first 100 days in government.

On behalf of nature, the Organic Trade Board (OTB) is requesting the new PM to make a commitment to protecting wildlife in any policies that they implement and represents the UK at the vitally important UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in December.

Not only are insects a vital part of a balanced ecosystem, providing food for other animals and recycling nutrients, they also play an essential role in our global food system. One in three mouthfuls of food depends on pollinators and without pollinators we wouldn't have potatoes, strawberries, tomatoes, coffee, chocolate or cotton.

Popular children's author and illustrator, Kate Pankhurst, a relation of Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, was the first person to sign the petition. She has thrown her support behind the campaign, also creating an illustration to depict insects holding placards in protest against harmful pesticides and fertilisers that are often sprayed on crops,  which is leading to their decline. 

Said Kate: “As a mum of two, and an author and illustrator of children's books, I'm obviously passionate about preserving nature to ensure the next generations have a beautiful and thriving planet to enjoy in the future. 

"I hope other people around the UK will join me in signing this petition to help give nature a voice.”

The theme for this year's Organic September  is “Nature would choose organic”, which reflects that if wildlife such as bees, earthworms and ladybirds had a voice, they would want all farming to be organic to help keep the delicate ecosystem in balance.

Cristina Dimetto, General Manager of the Organic Trade Board (OTB), said: “Organic farming works with nature, not against it, encouraging natural predators like ladybirds and pollinators like bees and butterflies rather than spraying harmful pesticides. As a result, on average, plant, insect and bird life is 50% more abundant on organic farms. There are up to seven times more wild bees in organic grain fields. So if nature did have a voice - it would choose organic. 

“If pesticides were substituted for more sustainable farming practices (like organic), this could slow or reverse the decline in insects. The hope is that even tiny insect-sized steps can make a big difference when it comes to keeping nature's crucial keyworkers thriving.”

For more information visit www.GoOrganicUK.com and to sign the petition head to https://www.change.org/NatureProtest

That's Food and Drink has already signed the petition, we ask all of our lovely, kind and wonderful readers to sign it, too!

Hitachi Aims to Reduce Food Waste with Innovative 'Vacuum' Refrigerators

Hitachi's new Vacuum Compartment technology significantly extends the storage life of fresh food in your refrigerator, thus reducing food waste and saving you money, too.

Hitachi's new Vacuum Compartment technology will significantly extend the storage life of fresh food in your refrigerator, reducing food waste and saving you money, also.

Hitachi Europe has launched its latest technology in the battle to cut down on food waste and drive down household shopping bills, very important, especially at the moment.

How does it work? The innovative Hitachi Vacuum Compartment extracts air from a sealed food drawer to create a partial vacuum around fresh, chilled foods like vegetables, fruit, meat and fish.

Not only does this significantly increase food longevity through reduced oxygen levels, thus slowing the usual  oxidation/decomposition process, but it also helps keep meat and fish moist, helps to retain nutrients and colour in fruit and vegies, and maintains the flavour and texture of cheeses. 

Hitachi Vacuum Compartment is like 'vacuum packing' fresh food at home every time you close the fridge drawer. 

Combined with a low temperature in the compartment which is just above freezing, the result is much longer food storage times and greater retention of nutrients, flavour and moisture in the food.

Says Hitachi Europe's Head of Consumer, Richard Bass, "With almost a third of all food produced for human consumption currently going to waste, Hitachi is driving innovative solutions to reduce food waste globally. 

"In our homes, where most food waste occurs, our latest Vacuum Compartment technology offers one solution to reduce waste by keeping food fresher for longer. 

"The Vacuum Compartment can up to double the storage life and nutrient retention time of fresh foods, helping to reduce food waste and save money on food shopping bills."

Once shut, the Vacuum Compartment uses a miniature pump to withdraw air from the sealed drawer and maintain around 0.8 atm of air pressure. To open the drawer, you just lift the handle to release the vacuum seal, accompanied by a 'whoosh' of air returning to the compartment.

Independent tests at the Suranaree University of Technology in Thailand showed the Hitachi Vacuum Compartment retained 97% of the vital omega-3 fatty acid, DHA, in fresh fish (mackerel) after three days compared to just 93% in a standard chiller compartment.

In fresh fruit, vitamin levels can drop dramatically in the fridge, yet the Hitachi Vacuum Drawer retained 30% more vitamin C in pineapple than a typical refrigerator over the same three days. These benefits have a significant impact on nutrient retention in fresh food over even longer periods of storage, meaning less food is spoiled over time, less food waste or reduced cost in replacement.

The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) 2017 study into UK food waste showed that the UK bins almost 10 million tonnes of food every year, with household food waste accounting for 70% of the total. The study showed that the average UK household spends over £470 annually on binned food (@ 2017 prices).

Hitachi Vacuum Compartment technology has been launched on the flagship four-door R-WB640VGB1X refrigerator, the R-WB640VGB1, and the three-door R-MX700GVGB1 model.

Other features of the new range (depending on model) include removable water tanks that supply the integrated ice and water dispensers, Hitachi's Triple Power Filter for pure air and reduced cross-contamination of food odours, mould-proof door gaskets, easy clean tempered glass shelves, Quick Cooling, rapid Hybrid Freezing, energy efficient motors and frost-free operation across the range. 

Backing up Hitachi's 100+ year heritage in high-quality engineering, all the new Hitachi refrigerators come with a comprehensive 5-year guarantee as standard.

Hitachi refrigerators are available now from Euronics independent retailers across the UK.

More details can be found here https://www.homeappliances.hitachi.com/eu/eng/

To check out your nearest Euronics dealers please visit https://www.euronics.co.uk/

Businessman launches new diet plan

British businessman Paul Homewood has launched what he describes as "a revolutionary new way to lose weight, live better and stay healthy, a diet taking just 15 minutes a day."

The 15 Minute Diet is a subscription-based health regime aimed at helping its users who have previously struggled to shed the pounds or had difficulties finding the time to live better.

Scientific studies have shown even moderate exercise or short bursts of activity can be beneficial to general health and wellbeing.

Paul believes that he has harnessed a lifestyle product that will take just a quarter of an hour every day.

Paul went on to says: "The secret to the success of the 15 Minute Diet is our formula which creates enjoyable and beneficial weight loss and positive mindset habits for success in the long-term."

How does it work? The 15 Minute Diet works by providing an on-demand "Fitness" programme, an online "Diet Academy", “15 Minute Recipes” and endless motivation.

It will provide subscribers with support, tips and recipes and an opportunity to 'supercharge' success.

Paul added: " Dieting just became achievable with our new habit forming diet plan. We have capitalised on science to create a ground breaking product that combines the proven actions to lose weight into a daily routine that takes just 15 minutes a day to get results."

The 15 Minute Diet is a habit forming diet plan that takes just 15 minutes a day to achieve results.

To learn more please visit https://www.15minuteidet.com.

Blanco Niño Lead the Way With Recyclable Tortilla Chip Packaging

If you are like my wife and I, you will feel guilty that whilst you enjoy eating tasty snacks that the packets say "not currently recyclable."

But those wonderful folk at Blanco Niño, the premium corn tortilla and tortilla chip producer, will take that guilty feeling away from all of us as they have switched to fully recyclable packaging for its award-winning range of corn tortilla chips. 

And Blanco Niño is the first premium corn tortilla chip brand in the UK and Ireland to move to fully recyclable packaging.

A typical plastic crisp packet worryingly takes several hundreds of years to decompose. In the UK alone, six billion packets are consumed every year and only a fraction of these are capable of being recycled at present.

Blanco Niño's new packaging is made from a specially developed plastic resin called polypropylene 5 which is widely recycled. The innovative new design will keep the product fresher for longer, too. 

Blanco Niño Founder and CEO Philip Martin says: “I'm looking forward to unveiling our new recyclable packaging to our customers. It's a momentous step for Blanco Niño in reducing our impact on the environment. We saw an opportunity to develop fully recyclable packaging and I'm very proud to say that we're one of the first to do so.”

The packaging is a special bespoke design with a window, featuring eye-catching stylised landscapes representing key ingredients of each flavour. The product range itself remains unchanged and retains the premium quality the brand has become justifiably famed for. The range includes Lightly Salted, Blue Corn (formerly called Ancient Grain) and Chilli & Lime. 

Blanco Niño's Director of Community, Ruth Jenkins added: “We've been humbled by the great response to the bag design and I feel it stands out on the shelves. For Blanco Niño as a brand, sustainability and doing the right thing has always been a priority from the beginning.”

“Consumers are rightly demanding more sustainable products and we as a team are delighted to rise to this challenge. It was definitely not easy or particularly straightforward but our R&D staff and processes made it possible for us. I hope we can lead the way and that others will follow our lead.”

Blanco Niño Tortilla Chips earned five stars at the Great Taste Awards 2022. Double stars for their Lightly Salted and Blue Corn flavours and a star for Chilli & Lime. Judges noted “A superb texture and mouthfeel, truly wonderful. Perfectly salted and a joy to eat, and we feel that this is a great example of a traditional tortilla chip. They are light, delicate and so very well produced, and we applaud your process and creation here.”

The tortilla chips are naturally gluten-free, vegan friendly, kosher certified and are made using the finest ingredients, some of which are sourced from heritage farmers in Mexico itself. 

Blanco Niño Tortilla Chips retail at £3.50 RRP and can be found at Ocado, Daylesford, Booths, Eat 17 and numerous independent food stores.

To learn more visit https://www.blanco-nino.com. 

Affineur of the Year Competition Returns for 2023

The Academy of Cheese and Devon-based cheesemaker, Quicke's, are thrilled to be taking “Affineur of the Year” into its second year after its successful launch last year. 

The first ever Affineur of the Year competition was initially set up to help recognise and celebrate the age-old art of maturing cheese, or “affinage”.   

In March 2021, eight truckles of Quicke's cheddar were sent to the maturing rooms of cheesemongers and cheesemakers across the UK, where they remained under the watchful care of each competitor for the duration of the competition. 

Following 11 months of turning, tweaking and grading, the truckles were judged by a panel of industry experts at the final event, held in London on 27 April 2022, where the overall winner, Rennet & Rind, received the coveted award of Affineur of the Year 2022.

Building upon the success of this first year, and to widespread industry approval, the Academy of Cheese and Quicke's are delighted to be extending the competition to include four different cheeses, to encompass a larger spectrum of affinage techniques.  The cheeses have been selected, based on the Academy's Make / Post-Make model, and include:

Quicke's Cheddar – Hard

White Lake Solstice – Soft/Washed Rind

Cropwell Bishop Blue Stilton – Crumbly/Internal Mould-Ripened

Fen Farm Dairy Baron Bigod – Soft/External Mould-Ripened

The organisers are obviously pleased that many of last year's competitors will be taking part once again, as well as welcoming new competitors from all across the UK, including Northern Ireland.

They are all ready to take on the challenge. This highly respected line-up of cheesemongers and cheesemakers will bring their wealth of knowledge and experience to the fore, letting them to experiment and demonstrate a full range of affinage techniques that are specific to those cheese categories, including temperature and humidity levels and exposure to unique microflora. 

It's their opportunity to showcase the skill and artistry that is involved in guiding a cheese to its fullest potential.

Competitors will be called upon to record their techniques and progress throughout the process and will ultimately be judged on a variety of aspects including flavour, aroma, texture, appearance and innovation.

All of the cheeses will be presented and judged by a specially chosen committee of cheese industry experts at the live finals event which will take place in London, where a winner will be selected for each category and an overall winner will be crowned “Affineur of the Year 2023”.  

This event, which is open to both the trade and public, will be held at The China Exchange in London, on 14th June 2023.

What was originally acknowledged as an experiment seems set to become a regular fixture on the cheese industry's calendar of events.

To learn more please visit academyofcheese.org