Wednesday, 5 October 2022

That's Christmas: Mince Pie Bundt Cake

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That's Christmas: New Vegetarian Box - Quicke's Letterbox Range

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BBQ on a Budget

Since we’re all doubling up on jumpers this year, there’s no better excuse to clutch mulled drinks and hug a Kamado Joe.

Watching the pennies doesn’t mean you should have to sacrifice flavour in your food. 

Traditionally, comfort food is the stuff we all crave when we need a pick me up - the generous bowl food that warms us with a hearty hug. Slow heat, simple ingredients, cheaper cuts and soily veg, plus a little extra cooking time can transform ingredients into something new and infinitely more delicious. 

BBQ is the best way to transform humble food into something magical. Well-insulated Kamado Joe ceramic grills are kings of low’n’slow cooking - perfect for those tougher cuts of meat that have the fat and fibres to melt down over a long period of time.  

Ben Forte’s top tips for BBQ on a budget

Go for thighs over breast - when it comes to chicken, that is. A whole chicken goes further still - you can always freeze the epic smokey stock in ice-cube trays and use them later to whack flavour into sauces and soups.

Fillets are out, hanger is in. Look for chuck, flank, brisket and leg - all beef cuts that need a little extra love but worth it for the deeper flavour.

Buy bone in cuts, remove them yourself if you wish. 

Cheap charcoal is a false economy. Buy the good stuff and you’ll never look back. Kamado Joe Big Block Charcoal is exactly that - large chunks that will take a long time to break down. A handful will cook for at least 10 hours - and see you through a second cook.

When using all-natural lumpwood charcoal you don’t have to wait until your charcoal turns white before cooking on it - that’s an old wives tale. If there’s heat coming off the charcoal, you can use it. 

When you’re deciding what to cook, also make a plan for the residual heat of the BBQ. Perhaps a tray of brownies, a quick stew or simply throw in a couple of spuds for the best baked potatoes you’ve ever tasted. 

Make epic left-overs. Finely chop up any red meat / sausages for an incredible ragu or chilli that can blip away in the residual heat for hours. If you’ve made pizza, the remaining dough can be turned into focaccia or a loaf of bread.

Good slow food takes a while to reveal itself, so make enough so you can eat today, tomorrow and later on in the week. 

BBQ doesn’t just have to be about the Desperate Dan sized cuts. Good quality mince has never gone out of fashion. It's ideal for burgers, koftes and cottage pies. It stores neatly in the freezer and makes food go further round for all!

What are Kamado Joe's?

Kamado Joe's red ceramic grills is an ever-expanding range of the world's best grills, tools and accessories. Building on the success of their classic kamado, they have developed new sizes and advances that have inspired both grillers and competition within the ceramic grill market.

Kamado Joe sparked a revolution with the kamado category's first-ever slide-out ash drawer, the game changing 'divide and conquer' flexible cooking system, they pioneered a truly airtight grilling chamber with a fiberglass gasket and stainless steel latch, complete with a breakthrough piston-assisted articulating dome hinge.

Kamado Joes start at RRP £499 for Kamado Joe Junior. 

You can learn about them and purchase them here:- https://uk.kamadojoe.com.

Incidentally, we feel that a Kamado Joe would make an excellent purchase for Christmas. Just imagine using your Kamado Joe at Christmas, BBQing some turkey meat? Yum!


 

Tuesday, 4 October 2022

New report: the impact of lab-based vs food-based imagery on consumer perception of cultured meat

ProVeg International looks at the impact of images, both lab-based and food-based, on consumer perceptions of cultured meat.

The way cultured meat is portrayed in the media can have a large influence on consumer acceptance and perception of the new food, a report out this week from food awareness organisation, ProVeg International, shows. 

The report, called "The role of images in consumer perceptions of cultured meat", is based on a survey conducted by Proveg of 750 people in the UK and looks into consumer attitudes and understanding of cultured meat, based on exposure to different images.

The report also provides clear recommendations to brands and media alike on presenting cellular agriculture products to the public. 

Key findings in the report: 

There is a strong likelihood of trying and purchasing cultured meat in the UK, regardless of the image presented. 62% of respondents who were shown lab-based images and 62% of respondents who were shown food-based images said that they were likely or very likely to try cultured meat. 

Food-based pictures of cultured meat led to more positive sentiments compared to lab-based images. When presented with food-based images of cultured meat, 54% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that cultured meat is nutritious and 47% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that cultured meat is tasty. By comparison, when presented with lab-based images of cultured meat, only 51% thought cultured meat was nutritious and only 35.5% of people thought it would be tasty.

In line with previous research, the ProVeg survey indicates that a majority of respondents have a poor understanding of cultured meat. 57% of the 750 participants surveyed showed no understanding at all of cultured meat, while 15% had an incorrect understanding of the term, for example stating that it was “plant-based” 

“Consumers frequently see lab-based images associated with cultured meat across different media. However, the existing photos tagged as cultured or lab-grown meat on stock photo sites are usually images of conventionally produced meat placed in petri dishes. We encourage journalists and companies to use pictures of final products that give the public a more accurate idea of what cultured meat looks like.” Mathilde Alexandre, Cell-Ag Project Coordinator, said.

Download the ‘The role of imagery in consumer perceptions of cultured meat’ report here https://tinyurl.com/mu2tfucf.

In addition to this report, ProVeg has put together a communication guide to provide an understanding of who the potential consumers of cultured meat are and which communication strategies have the potential to lead to greater acceptance. The data contained in the report will help companies more effectively target their audience as and when cultured meat receives regulatory approval in the major markets across the world.  So far, only Singapore has approved a cultured meat product for the open market.

The report, called “Communicating about cultured meat - a definitive industry guide”, can also be downloaded here https://tinyurl.com/4ajba7w4.

Register for the webinar explaining the results of the reports followed by a panel discussion with David Kay, Communication Director at Upside Foods, Nick Lin-Hi, Professor of Business and Ethics at the University of Vechta, and Mathilde Alexandre, Senior Project Manager at ProVeg International.

You’ll come away from this webinar with a better view of early adopters of cultured meat, the impact of imagery on consumer attitudes towards cultured meat, and strategies to increase acceptance levels.

Date & Time: 13 October 2022, 6 pm - 7 pm CET


 

That's Christmas: Magical Mulled Wine Jam Trifle

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Devon's Finest Celebrate at the Food Drink Devon Awards

Devon's exciting, vibrant and highly talented food and drink scene was alive at Monday (3rd October) night's 11th Food Drink Devon Awards.

Over 330 individuals from the county's finest food and drink producers, hospitality and catering businesses and speciality retail establishments celebrated in fine style at the esteemed awards' ceremony, held at prestigious Crowne Plaza Plymouth with its breath-taking views overlooking Plymouth Sound. 

The ceremony was hosted by Tony Hawks, the Devon-based singer, song writer, comedian, film maker, author and food lover who regularly appears on BBC Radio Four panel shows 'Have I Got News For You', 'Just A Minute' and 'I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue'.

Launched at, and in partnership with, the Met Office to celebrate sustainability and shine a light on businesses going that extra mile in their endeavours to be environmentally friendly, Food Drink Devon's new 'Sustainability Pioneer Award' received a staggering 27 entries in its first year.

'Hospitality Sustainability Pioneer' was awarded to ethical organic pub, The Bull Inn, Totnes owned by Geetie Singh-Watson, with carbon neutral dairy farm, Langage Farm near Smithaleigh who are famed for their delicious dairy products, named 'Producer Sustainability Pioneer'.

Elly Wentworth, head chef at The Angel, Dartmouth and contestant on the BBC's Great British Menu was the first winner of Food Drink Devon's 'Chef of the Year' award. The award acknowledges the explosion of talented chefs in the region who have been driving innovation, championing local produce and producing exceptional quality food. 

After sampling Elly's creations, judges' described her as 'a truly exceptional talent producing immaculate, attractive and cleverly presented dishes, all cooked to perfection'.

Competition was fierce in the 'Taste of Devon Product Awards' with a staggering 270 product entries, resulting for the first time in the awards' history, the prestigious 'Product of the Year' category having to be split into 'Food Product of the Year' and 'Drink Product of the Year'. 

The 'Food Product of the Year' accolade went to Granny Gothards for their Strawberries & Cream ice cream. Utopian Brewing fought off stiff competition to claim 'Drink Product of the year' for their Doppelbock strong larger.

From the 270 product entries, all of which were blind-tasted by independent judges, 10 really impressed achieving a stunning faultless score of 100% and a 'Platinum' award. Deserving producers and their products were Andrew King Chocolates and their Signature Eighteen, Blakewell Smokehouse for their Devon Hot Smoked Salmon, Bell & Loxton for their Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil, Butter Bike Co's Honey Roast Peanut Butter, Chocella and their Out of this World, Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium's Three C's Bar, Salcombe Dairy and their luxurious Evening Star Hot Chocolate, WILD Gelato and their Plant-Based Chocolate gelato as well as Granny Gothards and Utopian Brewing for both of their 'Product of the Year'. Products in the 'Taste of Devon Product Awards' achieving a score of 90-99% were awarded 'Gold' awards of which there were 112, with a further 83 obtaining 'Silver' awards for scoring 85-89%.

This year's highly prestigious 'Best Fine Dining Restaurant' award was presented to Twenty Seven in Kingsbridge, commenting on Jamie Rogers' restaurant, judges said 'the whole dining experience was truly exceptional' and 'a destination restaurant with standout dishes that seriously impressed'. The 'Best Restaurant' award went to Plymouth's exceptional The Fig Tree @36 with judges' 'loving the buzzy atmosphere and delicious food in the intimate restaurant'. The Tors, in Belstone near Okehampton, was the proud winner of the 'Best Pub' category with judges commending them for their 'appetising food and happy, helpful and pleasant staff'.

For the second consecutive year Lynmouth Bay Cafe took home the accolade for 'Best Café', judges raved about the 'delicious food, scrumptious cakes and very friendly staff who went the extra mile'. Serving delicious homemade pizzas from their converted vintage horse box, The Pizza Garden in Exmouth was the successful winner of 'Best Takeaway' with judges particularly commending their Neapolitan pizza.

In the 'Retail Awards' 'Best Online Retailer' went to Bratton Clovelly's Eversfield Organic, with judges highly rating the overall experience and describing the packaging and service as 'exceptional'. The Kitchen @25, Crediton triumphed in the 'Best Retailer' category, impressing judges with their 'range of Devon produce and knowledgeable and friendly staff'.

A special thank you goes to the sponsors of the awards Partners&, Bays Brewery, Caterfood, M&B Edible Oils,

Westcountry Fruit Sales, Bishop Fleming, Impact Design & Marketing, Vale Labels, Stephens Scown, inkREADible Labels, Hedgerow Print and official media partner Taste Buds.

The evening's canapés and three-course dinner were created by Food Drink Devon board director and Master Chef of Great Britain, Peter Gorton and Ted Ruewell, head chef of Crowne Plaza Plymouth. The menu featured fabulous local produce from members and food and drink sponsors including Bays Brewery, Salcombe Gin, New London Light, Luscombe Drinks, Sandridge Barton, Lyme Bay Winery, Veyseys Butchers, Stone's Honey, Crab Shed Salcombe, Ebb Tides, Blakewell Smokehouse, Sharpham Cheese, Aune Valley Meat, Granny Gothards, The Curator Coffee Roasters, Devonia Spring Water, Salcombe Dairy and Westcountry Fruit Sales.

Commenting on the awards, the Chair of Food Drink Devon, Greg Parsons, said: “Covering food production, preparation, retailing, cooking and service, the Food Drink Devon Awards honour businesses demonstrating a consistent commitment to quality, sustainability, provenance, excellent customer service and support for their local communities and other local businesses. Myself and the board of directors wish to congratulate all of this year's deserved winners and shortlisted entrants.”

Every year judging for the awards is undertaken by a panel of independent and unbiased experts including a number of celebrity names from within he region. All results and winners are verified by an independent adjudicator, with entrants receiving the important chance to benefit from invaluable feedback provided by the panel.

Food Drink Devon is committed to increasing the county's profile, both nationally and internationally and represents a membership of Devon's leading food and drink producers, speciality retailers, hospitality and catering businesses.

Through working with like-minded businesses, together they showcase Devon as a county where the use of fantastic quality, seasonal and local produce is standard. The organisation and its members share a commitment to enjoy, inspire and discover more about food and drink. Look out for their green heart logo which is carried by over 350 producers and businesses all across the county of Devon.

For more information on Food Drink Devon visit fooddrinkdevon.co.uk and follow @FoodDrinkDevon on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. A full list of all the winners can be found at www.fooddrinkdevon.co.uk/awards.

And who are the winners of the Food Drink Devon 2022 Awards? 

Producer Award Winners

'Food Product of the Year' - Granny Gothards Strawberries & Cream Artisan Ice Cream (Willand)

'Drink Product of the Year' - Utopian Brewing Doppelbock (Crediton)

'Platinum Producers Awards'

Andrew King Chocolates (North Tawton) - Signature Eighteen

Bell & Loxton (Kingsbridge) - Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil

Blakewell Smokehouse (Barnstaple) - Devon Hot Smoked Salmon

Butter Bike Co (Exeter) - Honey Roast Peanut Butter

Chocella (Brixham) - Out of this World

Granny Gothards Artisan Ice Cream (Willand) - Strawberries & Cream Artisan Ice Cream

Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium (Ilfracombe) - Three C's Bar

Salcombe Dairy (Salcombe) - Evening Star Hot Chocolate

Utopian Brewing (Crediton) - Doppelbock

WILD Gelato (Torquay) - Plant-Based Chocolate

Hospitality Award Winners

Chef of the Year - Elly Wentworth, The Angel (Dartmouth)

Best Fine Dining Restaurant - Twenty Seven (Kingsbridge)

Best Restaurant - The Fig Tree @36 (Plymouth)

Best Pub - The Tors (Belstone, Okehampton)

Best Café - Lynmouth Bay Café (Lynmouth)

Best Takeaway - The Pizza Garden (Exmouth)

Retail Award Winners

Best Retailer - The Kitchen @25 (Crediton)

Best Online Retailer - Eversfield Organic (Bratton Clovelly)

Sustainability Pioneer Award

Producer - Langage Farm (Smithaleigh, Plymouth)

Hospitality - The Bull Inn (Totnes)

For further information or photography, please contact:

As we are heading towards the Christmas and New Year period, we are sure that these producers and venues will likely to be super busy so if you want to put in a Christmas order or two, may we suggest that you act sooner rather than later?

And if you are a retailer or food and drink provider may we suggest you consider putting in Christmas orders from Food Drink Devon suppliers to make sure your customers and guests are well served this Christmas?

New Executive Head Chef & Á La Carte Menu at Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa

If you are within reach of the Formby Hall Golf Resort and Spa, you will like to check out their restaurant. 

Why? Because their recently appointed Executive Head Chef Paul Feery, has carefully designed a new à la carte menu with Head Chef Graham Alley and his team of staff.

Available at the resort's Fairway Grill Restaurant, Paul and his people present a menu of seasonal, modern British classics with an exciting twist. 

You'll be able to expect popular favourites such as beef fillet with peppercorn sauce, plus some modern fusion dishes like monkfish tail with katsu curry sauce, sweet potato and onion bhaji.

To start your meal, a selection of tasty appetizers are sure to whet the appetite; try bocconcini mozzarella with red chilli, olive oil and baby basil, or paprika and chilli squid with lime and coriander.

Eight delicious starters await with a little something for everyone in your party, including the inventive creation of the full chef brigade; sesame seeded cheddar croquettes with a red chili jam. It's joined by Persian spiced lamb koftas with mint salsa, pan-fried scallops with cauliflower and raisin vinaigrette and a classic asparagus, poached egg and hollandaise sauce.

A selection of meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes are available for your main course including the restaurant's signature grill with a stand-out chateaubriand for two and a menu of premium British and Argentinian steak cuts, sauce accompaniments and sides.

Seasonal mains include Paul's signature scallion encrusted cod loin with braised chili, garlic bok choy and mango salsa, and a fresh twist on bone-in chicken supreme, served with parmentier potato, wild mushroom, and leek fricassee with a red wine jus. Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will absolutely adore the Sicilian braised aubergine ragu with rigatoni, salted ricotta and baby basil, all finished off with a dusting of parmesan cheese.

Sweet tooth? You'll be spoiled for choice! Warm chocolate brownie, freshly baked to order is set to be an instant crowd pleaser, accompanied with a compote of raspberries and raspberry sorbet for a touch of sharpness. 

Guests can also indulge in a twist on the traditional Bakewell, with a roasted plum and almond Bakewell tart served with vanilla bean ice cream.

Paul Feery, the new Executive Head Chef says, “We're all really very proud of our new menu. It's been a collective effort with input and ideas coming from the whole team. The dishes are classical yet contemporary, and we use modern techniques for a fresh twist which we feel sure will surprise and delight our guests.”

Paul adds, “Where possible, we use sustainable and locally produced products from growers, artisans, butchers, fishmongers and other suppliers in the Northwest region We'll refresh our menu seasonally, but you'll continue to see our most popular dishes throughout the entire year.”

Paul heads up the F&B operation at Formby Hall with Graham Alley, who is the Head Chef, running the kitchen and brigade day-to-day. Paul was previously Individual Restaurants' Opening Head Chef, for restaurants including Piccolino and Restaurant Bar & Grill in Liverpool. He was formerly Group Executive Chef for the New Moon Company and Executive Head Chef at Liverpool's Radisson Blu.

The contemporary design of The Fairway Grill Restaurant & Bar has a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere overlooking the tranquility of the golf course. It is open for breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner for residential guests and visitors alike. To book, go online or call reservations on +44 (0)1704 875 699. The full menu can be found here https://www.formbyhallgolfresort.co.uk/food-drink/restaurant.

You'll find them here Formby Hall Golf Resort & Spa, Southport Old Road, Formby, Southport L37 0AB.

And don't forget to book a table and perhaps a hotel room for their extra special and very indulgent Christmas and New Year menus. 

Monday, 3 October 2022

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