Peanut Butter whiskey liquor launched at Aldi

At a mere £12.99, clever Aldi shoppers can save 43% when compared against the alternative brand Sheep Dog.

It will be available in Aldi stores from 29th June. The latest addition to Aldi’s award-winning line-up offers a unique and joyful take on an Irish classic. 

Boasting the comforting and delicious taste of peanut butter with the complex flavours of a classic aged whiskey, this is a deliciously nutty tipple that is both smooth and also sweet.

Smart shoppers might spot similarities to the popular Peanut Butter Whiskey brand, Sheep Dog. However, with savings of up to 43%, whiskey fans will be running, not walking to Aldi to stock up on their new favourite tipple!

Incidentally if you have never tried any peanut butter whiskey, may I suggest that you nip into your nearest Aldi branch and buy a bottle or two? Incidentally, my favourite way of drinking this is served over ice and with a strong ginger beer, such as Old Jamaica.

Co-op expands Goose Island partnership with launch of two frozen pizzas

The Co-op has announced it's set to expand its popular Goose Island frozen food range with the launch of two new exciting pizza flavours, taking the total number of products in the collaboration to a magnificent seven.

New additions to the bar snacks range include a Double Pepperoni Pizza (515g) and BBQ Cheese Feast Pizza (510g), which have both been developed with the bold American flavours from Goose Island’s IPA to enhance the takeaway style home dining experience with authentic Italian cooking methods.

A testimony to Co-op’s commitment to high-quality produce, the pizzas are actually made in the heart of Italy, hand-stretched with 24hr leavened dough and baked in a traditional wood-fired oven, thus ensuring a light and airy crust. 

Comprising of a deep pan pizza base topped with Goose Island IPA BBQ sauce, the Double Pepperoni Pizza is nicely finished off with mozzarella and pepperoni pieces whilst the Cheese Feast Pizza combines mozzarella, Emmental, provolone and Italian hard cheese.

Targeting foodie customers who are seeking out quick and easy dinner solutions, the new pizzas are an ideal match for the brewery’s beers which includes Goose Island IPA Single Can (330m) and Goose Island IPA Cans (4 x 330ml). The pizzas also join the existing line-up of Goose Island snacking SKUs which launched back in 2021 and are infused with the brewery’s iconic award winning IPA. The five “finger-food favourites” includes: onion rings, halloumi fries, mac ‘n’ cheese bites, chilli cheese bites and loaded fries.

Rebecca Oliver Mooney, who is the Head of Commercial at Co-op, said: “We’ve seen a phenomenal response to our bar snacks collaboration with Goose Island and the new pizzas are the perfect way to add innovation to the popular range as they continue the food and beer pairing.

“We are focused on providing our members and customers with convenient solutions, so we’re confident our members and customers will buy into the range even more so with these new additions which provide shoppers with a complete ‘fakeaway’ range to conveniently cook up at home."

Olivia Moore, Goose Island Brand Manager said: “We’re incredibly excited to be bringing this new addition, which gives consumers the opportunity to perfectly match their pizza and beer. The Goose Island IPA BBQ sauce is infused with our award winning IPA, the flavours from which bring something really special to the range.”

The pizzas are available now in the frozen food section across 816 Co-op stores and online at shop.coop.uk, priced at £3.75 each.

Taking Dad out for Father's Day? Here's an idea! A Wetherspoon lunch

Every Wetherspoon pub in the United Kingdom (852 of them!) will be having one very special item returned to the Wetherspoon menu only for Father's Day 18th June. 

The menu item is the Wetherspoon Brunch Burger. 

The Brunch Burger is made up of a three-ounce beef burger, American-style cheese, maple-cured bacon, free-range fried egg and topped with a hash brown.

With a soft drink it costs £7.15 and with an alcoholic drink the cost is £8.55.

Obviously other meals are available including steaks, curries, burgers, vegan burgers, salads, etc.

So, why not take Dad out to your local Wetherspoon pub for a Father's Day lunch?

By the way, this isn't a sponsored post. I'll probably be enjoying a Wetherspoon brunch burger myself, tomorrow!

Shopping at Waitrose just got a bit cheaper

Waitrose has reduced the prices on over 200 everyday, summer favourites as part of a £100m investment to lower customers’ bills. 

The new lower prices are to be found in every aisle and include cupboard staples like British butter and tomato ketchup to Fairtrade golden caster sugar, plus as British cocktail sausages, salads and ice cream for your summer barbecues and picnics.

Half of these products are now at least 10% cheaper than previously. The price cuts have been made without compromising on the usual exceptional quality or Waitrose values, which include sourcing higher welfare meat and commitments to our British farmers.

A spokesperson said: "This is the second time we’ve lowered hundreds of prices this year. In February, we cut prices on over 300 products at the start of a record £100m investment. This move has already attracted new customers to shop with us."

Charlotte Di Cello, Commercial Director for Waitrose, commented: “We’re investing millions in lowering the prices of everyday food across our aisles so our customers will benefit every time they shop with us. 

“But it’s summer, so our customers are telling us they also want delicious treats for picnics and barbecues to be more affordable, so we’ve lowered the prices of British double cream, ice cream, ice lollies, and meringues made with free range eggs.

“We’ve made these cuts with absolutely no compromise on the high quality, high welfare, and delicious recipes our customers expect from us. 

“We’ll still react to any drops in food inflation and pass on savings to our customers as soon as the prices we pay begin to fall, and we’ll continue to pay farmers a fair price for their products too.

"Besides our investment in prices, our Essential Waitrose range of over 900 products is the largest value range of any UK supermarket."

www.waitrose.com

Looking for Father's Day gifts? Asda has the answers!

For those looking for perfect Father’s Day gifts, Asda has revealed a series of wonderful products and deals, from confectionary to booze, and everything in between.

Finding a gift for the father-figure/s in your life can be a bit difficult, so Asda is offering deals including bargains on beer and whisky, a range of sweet treats and savings on your steak dinners.

Father’s Day Steak Deal

Until Thursday 22nd June, shoppers can treat dad to a steak dinner – rump, sirloin or ribeye - plus a Viaplay Sport Streaming Voucher, for just £8.00. Some of the delicious steaks included in the mouth-watering deal are the ASDA Flavoursome Beef Rump Steak, 255g at £4.75 each, ASDA Succulent Prime Beef Sirloin Steak, 227g at £4.60 each and ASDA Ribeye Steak, 227g, £5.20 – or 2 for £8.00.

Father’s Day Pizza

For Father’s Day, Asda's launched a special Father’s Day Pizza at its Pizza Counters too, until Sunday 18th June. The Detroit Base pizza with BBQ sauce, cheese, pepperoni, meatballs & spicy beef topped with jalapenos and a bourbon whisky BBQ drizzle costs only £5.00.

Amber Pepper, Product Development Manager at Asda, said: “We know our customers love an Asda Pizza Counter creation, and this is no different. This Father’s Day special is a great option to treat dad. If you’re lucky, he might even give you a slice!”

Gift of Booze

Whisky is a staple gift, with big savings up to £17.00, to be made on branded favourites until Wednesday 21st June 2023. Great deals include but aren’t limited to:

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, 70cl, £18.00 (WAS £26.00)

Jack Daniel's Tennessee Fire Whiskey, £17.00 (WAS £26.00)

Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky, 70cl, £20.00 (WAS £30.00)

Talisker Skye Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70cl, £25.00 (WAS £42.00)

Glenmorangie The Original Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70cl, £27.00 (WAS £37.00)

If Dad's more of a beer drinker, customers can pick up cases of Birra Moretti Premium Lager Beer Bottles, 18x330ml, for just £20.00 (WAS £23.00).

The supermarket is running 2 for £20 deal on selected favourites too, such as –

Corona Extra Premium Lager Beer Bottles, 12x330ml, £14.00 or 2 for £20 – a saving of £8.00

Magners Original Apple Irish Cider Cans, 18x440ml, £14.00 or 2 for £20 – a saving of £8.00

Stella Artois Unfiltered Lager Beer Bottles, 12x330ml, £14.00 or 2 for £20 – a saving of £10.00

Doom Bar Amber Ale, 10x440ml, £11.50 or 2 for £20 – a saving of £3.00 (ends 21st June 2023)

Sweet treats

For those father figure/s who’d prefer something sweet to nibble on, Asda has some delicious treats too. Toblerone Chocolate Large Bar, 360g, just £4.00 whilst Cadbury Roses Chocolate Carton, 290g, are £3.50 – both with 50p in Asda Rewards cash pots, too.

If dad prefers sweets over chocolate, then Barratt Wham with Sour Crystals, 300g, Barratt Liquorice Novelties Pick 'n' Mix Sweets Carton, 400g, are just £2.50 each (WAS £3.00 each.)

Some other fantastic deals on sweets include, previous sweet deals and the ones below run now until 18th June:

Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Pralines Gift Box 16 Pieces, 200g, £4.50 (WAS £5.75)

Toblerone Orange Twist Sharing Chocolate Bar, 360g, £4.00 plus 50p in Asda Rewards cash pot

Ferrero Rocher Chocolate Pralines Gift Box 24 Pieces, 300g, £6.50 (WAS £9.50) plus 50p in Asda Rewards cash pot

Cadbury Heroes Chocolate Carton, 290g, £3.50 plus 50p in Asda Rewards cash pot

NEW Guylian Temptations Mixed, 200g, £4.50 (WAS £6.00)

Toblerone White Sharing Chocolate Bar, 360g, £4.00 plus 50p in Asda Rewards cash pot

Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Large Gift Bar, 360g, £3.50 (WAS £4.00) plus 50p in Asda Rewards cash pot

Maltesers Chocolate Box, £2.50

NEW Guylian Seashells Dark 225g, £4.50

Terry's Chocolate Orange Milk, 157g, £1.50

Hundreds of products are Price Locked at Asda this summer until 31st August, providing customers with value for money on key summer favourites across chilled, frozen, produce, drinks and more. Price locked products include Asda 4 Strawberry & Vanilla Ice Cream Cones (£1.45), Asda Beef Burgers (£3.00) and Asda Juicy & Sweet Pineapple Chunks (£2.00). Find out more here - https://groceries.asda.com/cat/price-locked/1215686354018

Shop in store and online now for all your Father’s Day needs at www.asda.com/fathersday before 18th June.

Asda partners with Avery Berkel and Hanshow to promote refillable solutions for UK supermarket shopping

Asda is embarking on a strategic project to create their first sustainability trial store, and Avery Berkel, a long-standing partner and leading provider of retail scales, was obviously a natural choice for the collaboration. 

Avery Berkel's team and its digital labelling solution partner Hanshow worked very carefully and closely with Asda to develop a sustainable solution for the Middleton-based store, leveraging their expertise in retail scales and unwavering commitment to sustainability and innovation. 

The collaboration has resulted in a successful solution that will have the potential for a meaningful impact on the retail industry and the wider environment.

Although zero-waste stores are gaining popularity amongst independent retailers and smaller chains on our high streets, they're still viewed as a niche concept in the market of larger consumer stores. 

Asda recognised the significance of this trend and aimed to develop a solution that will assist customers in the initial stages of their sustainable shopping journey. The result is a truly remarkable achievement brought to fruition by the combined efforts of Asda, Avery Berkel, and Hanshow, marking a milestone in the pursuit of sustainability in the retail sector.

The Avery Berkel Solution.

To advance the zero-waste solution and cater to shopper's needs, Avery Berkel partnered with Asda to develop a bring-your-own-container solution. Drawing on their specialised knowledge and expertise, Avery Berkel's team developed a comprehensive solution which includes customised enhancements to meet Asda's specific requirements.

This holistic solution comprised of weighing solutions, Avery Berkel’s enterprise scale management system, and electronic shelf labels powered by Hanshow. 

All three components were designed to work seamlessly together, providing shoppers with an enriching refill experience. 

Compared to standard printed shelf and product labels, the total refill solution presented additional product information, such as refill instructions, ingredients, allergens, and storage details to name but a few.

The simple, intuitive shopper interface was accessible to customers who might not have previously engaged in this kind of technology. To further support the shopper experience and deliver reassurance messaging, Avery Berkel also created a sophisticated set of screen graphics that can be used to deliver messaging direct to the consumer and which would remind them of the effect of their behaviour change.

Asda's concept store in Middleton was the site of the initial consumer trials for their zero-waste solution, which received highly positive customer feedback following its installation in 2020. Within just over a year, three more stores were added to the green roster. Asda continues to support and develop these refill trials, using Avery Berkel technology, with the goal of reducing the amount of single use plastic their customers take home as part of their overarching ambition to become a net zero carbon emissions business by 2040.

(EDITOR: Personally I am excited in this opportunity to help protect our environment by how we shop.)

Don’t Forget About Dad on Father's Day

Give your Father a gift that he will absolutely love, if he is a foodie. Tickets to the Great British Food Festival. 

With a fantastical array of top chefs, artisanal bakers and musicians from across the whole of the UK, he'll have the time of his life!

From brownies to cheese, noodles to churros, they have it all at the Great British Food Festival.

They'll have hundreds of top artisan producers, street food stalls and bars (including vegan and gluten free options)

Choose from 6 beautiful UK locations, create some priceless memories and show your Dad some proper foodie fun! With up to 35% OFF on our website and delivery by email in less than a few minutes, it's a no brainer for your Fathers Day gift!

https://greatbritishfoodfestival.com/tickets.php

Locations are: Knebworth House, Hardwick Hall, Wentworth Woodside, Margam Park, Borde Hill and Arley Hall.

Ganley & Naish Wins Unique Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards 2023

The results are now in for this year's Sandford Orchards Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards and the 2023 gold winner is Ganley & Naish with silvers being awarded to Palmers Upland Cyder and Tinston Wines and Cider. 

The Sandford Orchards Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards, now in their third year, are truly remarkable awards that offer aspiring cider makers advice, guidance and guaranteed listings in the on and off trade and offering genuine support of the future of cider in the UK.

Barny Butterfield, who is the Chief Cidermaker at Sandford Orchards and founder of the awards comments: ”After the success of last year's competition, we were genuinely thrilled and pleased to see even more interest in the awards this year. 

"We had a total of 24 entries, from counties all across the UK, with all styles of cider represented. Naturally sweet to single variety, session ciders to bottle fermented ciders. The judges were so impressed with the quality of all of the ciders that were entered, which is a real compliment to the standard of cider now being produced all over the UK.”

The esteemed panel of judges included renowned drinks writer, Pete Brown, cider producer and director of The Cider House London, Mary Topp, 2020 Masterchef Professionals winner, Alex Webb, food and drink editor for Hearst Magazines, Emma Franklin and Sandford Orchards' very own Barny Butterfield.

Ganley & Naish's winning cider, Hell and High Water (ABV 5.5%) is a single variety, Browns apple cider in a 440ml can. A medium dry, sparkling cider that the judges described as unique, beautiful, impressive and drinkable. 

They described it as: “ This is a crisp and gently complex cider with a lovely sweetness to acid balance. Ridiculously moreish, light on the palate -fault free, an amazing single variety with an apple notoriously difficult to nail down! The branding is sensational, breaks the mould and brings a contemporary and classic feel to an amazing drink.”

Andy Jenkins at Ganley & Naish was delighted to receive the gold award and commented: “To get this cider out had been very trying; COVID, new packing type, new branding, new artwork, working with new people and building those relationships. So to win this award, with a product I'm incredibly proud of, has made it even more special and more rewarding.”

Ganley & Naish's impressive prize package includes a £500 Vigo voucher, a listing at their local Stable Pizza, a listing at The London Cider House, a Sandford Orchards collaboration limited edition cider and a visit by Sandford Orchards' cider makers to offer practical help and advice about setting up.

The gold and silver winners will all receive mentoring from Sandford Orchards' cider makers, a yearlong listing at Devon's Darts Farm and a listing on www.sandfordorchards.co.uk. In addition, the silver winners both receive a £200 voucher from Bag in Box Shop UK

Barny went on to say: “The Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards are nothing like any other cider competition. It's the competition I wish I could have entered and won when I was starting out. Without a budget, without much help and support it can be really daunting trying to get started in any career, let alone cider making!

"It feels great to be able to give something back to the industry that has given me so much. This is an award with the kind of bankable bonus that doesn't grow on trees! We're really keen to ensure all these cider makers go on to fulfil their part in our quest to bring the joy of cider to as many people as we possibly can!”

He went on to say: "Sandford Orchards would like to thank the generous sponsors of this year's competition: Vigo Ltd who are providing a £500 voucher for the gold winner, The Stable and The London Cider House who are giving the gold winner a listing and The Bag in Box Shop who are giving away £200 vouchers to the two silver winners.

"The Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards were launched by Sandford Orchards at the end of 2019 and aim to recognise and celebrate excellent quality whole juice ciders from around the UK. For further information on the Sandford Orchards Breakthrough Cider Maker Awards please visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk/cider-awards or follow Sandford Orchards on Twitter, Facebook and  Instagram. For more information on Ganely & Naish visit www.ganleyandnaish.co.uk

Major drinks firm London Cocktail Club backs down in trademark row with Brand Relations

Specialist food and drinks marketing company, Brand Relations has come out on top after a David v Goliath trademark battle with The London Cocktail Club (LCC).

The two firms went head-to-head over a 10-year-old trademark which has resulted in LCC withdrawing in an out-of-court agreement.

Richard Horwell, who is the CEO of Brand Relations launched his company, London Cocktail in 2012 in a joint venture with a former business partner.

They set out to create high-end ready-made cocktails, without the necessity for an extensive drink’s cabinet or the know-how and skills of a trained mixologist.

But the partners parted ways and it was only during a scroll through Companies House records last year that Richard discovered his former partner had dissolved the company they had created together.

After buying the name back from The Treasury, Richard found LCC had registered its trademark in three crucial categories (32, 33, 21) which gave them the option to trade in Ready to Drink (RTD) drinks under their name.

This meant London Cocktail, the very trademark Richard created would not be able to trade in the same categories under its company name.

A six-month legal battle ensued with LCC, a major player in the drinks industry which has the backing of chef Raymond Blanc and Dragon’s Den judge, Sarah Willingham (an investor in the Craft Gin Club, one of the largest alcohol delivery companies in the UK).

As a result, LCC has agreed to give up the three categories and will now not trade ready-made drinks or accessories under the LCC name.

Brand Relations has developed over 150 successful brands over the years and Richard says it is fitting that his original trademark for London Cocktail is now back under his own business umbrella in the year of the King’s Coronation.

“I launched the company during the year of the late Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond jubilee. It all started during a Royal celebration and it has now ended with a Royal celebration,” he said.

And he adds: “The timing is perfect now for the brand. The market for RTD cocktails is set to explode as the Hospitality Industry struggles to find staff to make high quality cocktails on site.

“But more importantly consumers are now looking for that high end Cocktail experience at home rather than paying excessive prices in cocktail bars.

“It’s very satisfying when the little guy wins but I have always believed that this brand will become one of the biggest RTD cocktail brands in the world.

“It’s an iconic brand, known and recognised across the globe and I am delighted to have it back.”

(Image courtesy of Rebecca Humann and Pixabay)

Naksha Recipe Kits Launch in Uk With Bold Flavours & Emerging Artist Pack Designs

Those of us who like cooking at home and making delicious homecooked meals will be seeking out the Naksha Recipe Kits which has taken its first strides into the UK by securing stardust listings of its delicious and beautifully-designed recipe kits at Whole Foods Market, Harrods and John Lewis.

 Naksha's UK-made range include both savoury and sweet (baking) dishes, encouraging users to discover and cook off-the-beaten-track cuisines in their own home kitchens.

First launched by Nisha Ramisetty and her husband Sam Williams in Dubai back in 2020, Naksha quickly gained traction by winning the prestigious Spinneys and Waitrose Local Business Incubator and has been listed in Spinneys and Waitrose stores in the UAE ever since.

Naksha's arrival in the UK in June 2023 is shaking up the cooking experience of UK home-chefs by redefining store-bought, shelf-stable recipe kits. With whole, small-batch ingredients, authentic local recipes, and original hand-drawn artwork by emerging artists, Naksha's kits prove simplicity and convenience are compatible with premium look-and-feel and gastronomic wow-factor. Kits suit weekdays, special occasions and gifting, too.

According to co-founder Nisha Ramisetty, Naksha is solving the problems of cooking inspiration and accessibility.

“Many people want to cook more often but can find themselves struggling to keep their menu varied,” she points out. “At the same time, many tempting cuisines are perceived to be far too complex, expensive or wasteful to cook at home. At Naksha we tackle these apparent problems by curating recipes from amazing places and giving customers the specialist ingredients they'll require to cook them without waste or fuss. UK consumers are hungry to cook food with engaging origin stories, and we're  here to feed that appetite.”

Arranged in regional collections, Naksha's recipe kits give customers an immersive cooking experience encompassing great flavours, thoughtful storytelling, stunning packaging, and simple cooking methodology. 

The recipe kits focus on cuisines with strong appeal but which currently suffer from limited visibility, looking beyond the predictable world of Mexican, Thai and Indian. Naksha's kits instead bring to life dishes from countries such as Cuba (Ropa Vieja), Singapore (Lemak Cili Padi), Turkey ((Dark chocolate fondant with Turkish coffee), Jamaica (Curried Goat) and Lebanon (Milk chocolate blondies with Lebanese tahini); meeting demand for international food which - according to a recent Waitrose & Partners report – is growing rapidly in the UK.

Naksha kits are also vegan-friendly as they don't include perishable ingredients. Instead, the shelf-stable products include easy recipe cards and specialist ingredients such as spice blends, herbs, grains, noodles, sauces and other extras. The fresh items (i.e. veg and protein) that a customer needs to complete the dish are easily obtainable as part of a normal weekly shop, maximising choice and flexibility. Customers aren't locked into costly commitments, yet, thanks to Naksha's diverse range, they can access a multitude of flavours. Most of Naksha's recipe kits are also gluten free and contain organic ingredients.

Naksha is based between London and Brighton and has manufacturing facilities in Derbyshire.

https://nakshacollections.com.