Aldi is removing ‘Use By’ dates from its fresh milk to help reduce food waste

Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket will instead begin using ‘Best Before’ dates on milk bottles,  but excluding filtered milk, across its English and Welsh stores to prevent milk from being thrown away unnecessarily. The changes will start rolling out in stores by year's end.

According to leading waste reduction charity WRAP, almost 300,000 tonnes of milk is wasted by UK households annually, with half of households stating the reason for pouring it away is due to it not being consumed by the Use By date.

As milk can be safe to use past its Best Before date, provided it's been stored properly and doesn’t smell off, Aldi will encourage shoppers to perform a ‘sniff test’ to determine whether their milk is still fine to use.

Said Liz Fox, who is Aldi UK's sustainability Director at Aldi UK: “We're constantly striving and working  hard to be a more sustainable retailer and we're dedicated to preventing food waste wherever we possibly can, both in our stores and helping customers throw away less food at their homes.

“We hope shoppers will embrace this change and look, smell, and taste their milk to see if it’s still fine to use, so together we'll be able to reduce the effect food waste has on the environment.”

The removal of Use By Dates is Aldi's latest move to reduce its food waste, as it works towards its goal of halving this by 2030.

Aldi's already removed Best Before dates from some 60 fresh fruit and vegetable lines, including apples and pears, citrus fruits, potatoes, carrots and onions, and earlier this year rolled out its partnership with food surplus app Too Good To Go nationwide. Customers can purchase a Too Good To Go ‘magic bag’ of food that is approaching the end of its shelf life for £3.30, with each bag containing at least £10 of groceries.

Aldi also recently introduced clear caps on its milk bottles to improve recyclability.

Warning: "You could lose your Co-op store due to criminal gangs"

Criminal gangs with an apparent ‘freedom to loot’ are driving spiralling store crime and out of control levels of crime could deprive communities of their local stores, the Co-op warns.

Retail crime surges to absolutely record levels with repeat offenders and criminal gangs operating exempt from consequences, new data released by Co-op reveals yesterday on Thursday, 27 July.

The Co-op has recorded the highest ever levels of retail crime, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour with almost 1,000 incidents every day in the six months to June (2023), a 35% YOY increase.

Unfortunately many Police forces are refusing to prioritise retail crime with FOI revealing average 71% of serious retail crime not responded to by the Police.

The Co-op argues that criminals have an apparent ‘freedom to loot’ with rampant levels of out-of-control crime predominantly committed by repeat and prolific offenders, with drug or alcohol addictions and, local organised crime gangs, among the main drivers of offending.

The Co-op has issued calls for "urgent changes" in Police response and for all Police Forces to target repeat and prolific offenders to reverse the existing environment in many cities where crime gangs operate, exempt from any consequences.

Retail crime surges to record levels with repeat offenders and criminal gangs operating exempt from consequences, new data released by Co-op reveals.

Co-op stores have seen crime, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour surge upwards by 35% year-on-year, with in excess of 175,000 incidents recorded in the first six months of this year. That's nearly 1,000 incidents each and every day.

With one inner city London store ‘looted’ three times in a just one single day, Co-op warns this level of out-of-control crime is unsustainable and could even see some communities become no-go areas for local stores. 

The Co-op calls on all police forces and crime commissioners to target prolific offenders and local organised criminal gangs to reverse the existing environment in many cities where they operate without fear of being caught or charged.

Reports show nearly two-thirds (63%) of crime is driven by repeat and prolific offenders, with drug or alcohol addictions and, local organised crime gangs, among the main drivers of offending. 

But worryingly a Freedom of Information request by Co-op has highlighted that Police forces, worryingly, failed to respond in 71% of serious retail crimes reported. With some, according to their own data, not responding to nine in ten serious incidents reported.

With crime often the flashpoint for attacks, assault, abuse and anti-social behaviour, Co-op rrevealed that front-line store workers have seen physical assaults increase year-on-year by almost one-third (30%) and, anti-social behaviour and verbal abuse rising by a fifth (20%).

Said Matt Hood, who is the Co-op Food MD: “We know retail crime is driven by repeat and prolific offenders and also organised crime gangs. 

"It's a difficult ongoing challenge for all retailers, and in the worst instances can even be described as ‘looting’. 

"I've seen some really, truly horrific incidents of brazen and violent theft in our stores, where my store colleagues felt scared and threatened. I see first-hand how this criminal behaviour also erodes the very fabric of our communities, it’s hard to over-emphasise how important urgent change is. Co-op has invested significantly in keeping colleagues and stores safe, but we need the police to play their part. All too often, Police forces simply fail to respond to desperate calls by our store teams, and criminals are operating in communities without any fear of consequences.”

Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) CEO James Lowman, said: “Our members are at the sharp end, seeing crime in their communities steadily worsening. Shop theft is rising because repeat offenders and organised crime gangs are targeting local shops to steal goods to resell. 

"This organised criminal activity exploits vulnerable people by getting them to steal to order in exchange for their next fix, funds the illegal drug trade, and harms businesses that provide essential services to communities. 

"The police must have to face up to theft, violence and anti-social behaviour in and around local shops. We believe that cracking down on the criminals who account for the majority of this crime against our members would be the most effective way to make our communities safer.”

Paddy Lillis, Usdaw's General Secretary says: “Evidence is mounting that retail crime is increasing, added to this Co-op report is a 24% uplift in official police recorded incidents of shoplifting. This is very concerning for our members in retail, because shoplifting is not a victimless crime. 

"Theft from shops has long been a major flashpoint for violence and abuse against shopworkers and, as the Co-op rightly says, it's often linked to organised criminal gangs. Having to deal with repeated and persistent shoplifters can cause issues beyond the theft itself like anxiety, fear and in some cases physical harm to retail workers. 

"There really must be better coordination to ensure that government, retail employers, police and the courts work together to help protect shopworkers, giving them the respect they deserve.”

Phillip Davies, who is the Conservative MP for Shipley and the Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Customer Service, added: “This patchy record of Police forces uncovered by the Co-op is simply not good enough. 

"Our frontline workers deserve far, far better. It's no good having stricter laws in place to punish offenders if the Police aren't properly investigating these crimes and ensure perpetrators are punished. Those Police forces with the worst records must find out what those with the best record what they are doing and ensure they bring themselves up to the same standards.”

Where clear co-operation around this issue exists it's really seen to be making a difference. The Co-op works closely with a number of forces including Nottinghamshire who have been effective in tackling persistent and prolific offenders. 

But the issues run deeper than policing alone. For example in Nottinghamshire, this year, 17 prolific offenders were removed from the streets, with a combined 5.6 years of custodial sentences, and a further 13 repeat offenders given a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) or rehabilitation orders.

Says Police Inspector Oliver Vale of Nottinghamshire Police: “The collaborative work that's taken place between Nottinghamshire Police and our partners in Co-Op, Mitie and NBCS has provided us with a fantastic chance to identify those not only committing the most harm in our retail communities but to our communities as a whole. 

"Retail crime is something we recognise within Nottinghamshire Police as being an issue that must be proactively tackled but we simply can't do this alone and the information sharing model Op Synergy has developed has allowed for us to collaboratively secure significant convictions and prohibitive orders on some of our most prolific retail offenders by working closely with the Co-op.”

The Co-op has invested over £200M in recent years in colleague and community safety to counter criminal behaviour. Per store this equates to four times the average sector spend on security and safety measures.

Co-op uses a wide range of targeted measures to deter criminal behaviour. Such as: interactive and remote monitored CCTV; body-worn cameras; communication headsets for frontline colleagues; covert and non-covert guarding and security; Smartwater; GPS tracked security cases and, ‘dummy’ packaging on shelves, which Co-op believes will become a more prevalent and familiar sight in retailing.

The convenience retailer also successfully campaigned for stricter sentencing in law for violent incident against retail workers viat its Safer Colleagues, Safer Communities campaign - with the new law.

That's Food and Drink is concerned that, if convenience store chains and independently owned convenience stores are forced to shut down or severely curtail opening hours many vulnerable people within the locality of the shop will have nowhere to buy food and vegetables, etc, without having to make long journeys to distant supermarkets. 

Image used courtesy of Francis MacDonald from Pixabay)

Take a sneak peek at Asda's Christmas food offering

Whilst it's perfectly true that the school summer holidays might just be starting, but Asda is reveal a sneak preview of what customers can expect to see this Christmas. 

Asda's spent the last eighteen months working very hard on its product development for Christmas 2023, tasting literally thousands of products to curate a top-quality offering, at prices people can afford, no matter what their budget might be.

Asda’s Christmas range will provide something for everyone and for every occasion, big or little. From eating the first mince pie whilst watching festive films and putting up the Christmas tree, to the main event itself and right through to the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

A focus on amasing taste at excellent value is the foundations of this year’s range. When it comes to the big day, the retailer is launching Extra Special Porchetta, providing indulgent centrepieces at affordable prices. 

With a rise in the grazing trend, customers can create really showstopping party tables without the price tag with Extra Special Speciality Cheeseboard which comes ready to serve on a slate board and Extra Special Charcuterie Ultimate Grazing Platter. Not forgetting desserts, Asda’s Extra Special Chocolate & Honeycomb Avalanche Dessert creates theatre to wow guests right from the freezer.

All dietary requirements have been well catered for with 57 new vegan and 35 new Free From products launching for this Christmas. For the first time, the Vegan Society approved OMV! range will have a very special festive makeover. New innovations will include OMV! Whole No Turkey, OMV! Mushroom Pigs in Smoky Aubergine Bacon and OMV! Strawberry Trifle.

Asda’s Signature Flavour Christmas 2023 trends and flavours

For Christmas 2023, Asda is excited to launch its first signature flavour, Brown Butter and Spiced Dark Rum. This has come from extensive trend tracking and hunting by the Asda Innovation Team, led by Senior Director of Trends and Innovation, Jonathan Moore. 

The team noticed an abundance of brown butter being used globally across patisseries. Brown butter is created by cooking the butter slightly past its melting point, just long enough to toast the milk solids in the butter. By doing this, butter magic is formulated by releasing a deliciously nutty flavour profile.

After the celebration of all things gin, the team was on the hunt for the next ‘it’ trending spirit. They arrived at spiced dark rum after seeing the growth in use by mixologists across the globe. Spiced dark rum has a deep and instantly recognisable flavour from the use of warming spices, which instantly compliments winter foods. By combining these two key flavours, Asda’s 2023 winter signature flavour was born and infused across a selection of hero products.

This year’s signature flavour will be brought to life in various products throughout the range, with Extra Special Brown Butter & Spiced Dark Rum Mince Pies and centrepiece, Extra Special Slow Cooked Turkey with Signature Spiced Dark Rum & Brown Butter Stuffing offering a sweet and warming flavour.

As well as the signature flavour, customers will see a return of the retro favourite, Black Forest, appear in a series of sweet treats. Extra Special Black Forest Yule Log, Extra Special Black Forest Stollen Bites and a showstopping Extra Special Black Forest Woodland Cake are filled with the memorable rich chocolate and sour cherry flavour.

Sam Dickson, who is Asda's Interim Chief Customer Officer, said: “The festive season is a time for joy, comfort, and a sprinkle of indulgence! There's no better way to celebrate Christmas with loved ones than sharing delicious food and drinks.

"This year, our really incredible colleagues have been busy innovating, sourcing, and creating our most impressive and extensive range to date. Whilst 2023 has been a tough year for everyone across the UK, we want to ensure we can provide lots of opportunities for great tasting food and drink, and our customers don’t have to compromise on quality. We have hundreds of innovative new products as well as improved favourites meaning even more Christmas magic for your dinner table or party spread.

"I'm really thrilled with the improvement we've made in our quality this year, whilst keeping customers and value at the forefront of our minds. There is a tendency to think that to get the tastiest food you must spend more - but at Asda, that simply isn’t true.

"We believe that amazing, tasty food and drink is a pleasure everyone should be able to enjoy. Asda, that’s more like it”.

Hero Lines and Festive Favourites at Asda include:

Extra Special Cured Salmon Edged in Signature Pastrami Spice Bend

Asda's Scottish salmon is cured with a traditional salt and sugar blend. Hand garnished with a signature spice blend including hints of cracked black pepper, smoked paprika, star anise, cinnamon, and ginger.

Extra Special Sundried Tomato Stuffed Monkfish wrapped in Prosciutto

Looking for something a little different to serve to your guests? This meaty British monkfish tail is infused with a tangy sundried tomato and lemon stuffing. Wrapped in prosciutto and complimented with rosemary and sage basting butters. A spectacular centrepiece to impress guests.

Extra Special Porchetta

Made using expertly butchered British, Yorkshire bred pigs. In true Italian style, the meat is hand rolled in a bespoke seasoning of fennel, garlic, olive oil and lemon zest for a deliciously succulent roast with a perfect crackling top.

Extra Special Ruby Port Drenched Sirloin

A luxurious option for your Christmas dinner centrepiece, our 21-day matured sirloin is soaked in Ruby port for 9 days and accompanied with a port drizzling sauce for extra juiciness.

Extra Special Chocolate & Orange Panettone

Our panettone is made at a second generation, family-run bakery in the Piedmont region of Italy with an all-butter recipe, made with a mother dough nurtured since 1964. This Italian sweet bread is made with Belgian milk chocolate chunks, candied orange peel, butter and injected with a chocolate and orange sauce. Finally, the dessert is topped with dark chocolate and decorated with milk and dark chocolate flakes.

OMV! Strawberry Trifle

A great alternative to a dairy based trifle that does not compromise on flavour.

A tangy strawberry compote is made from whole strawberries. Topped with hand placed egg free sponge then a dairy free custard. Finished with a lentil and coconut cream.

Extra Special Chocolate & Honeycomb Avalanche Dessert

This frozen dessert is a real showstopper! Salted caramel semi freddo filled with salted caramel sauce, milk chocolate shavings and honeycomb pieces. Finished with milk chocolate sauce and hand placed honeycomb pieces. Customers are invited to remove the collar at the table allowing the sauce to flow down the dessert, creating a real talking point.

Extra Special Chocolate Espresso Martini Cream Liqueur

Cold Brew South American Arabica coffee is combined with triple distilled vodka, double cream, cocoa bean extract and sugar syrup. Shake over ice for 30 seconds and pour into a chilled Martini glass to create the most luxurious crema foam top.

To find out more information and view our look book visit: https://asda-pr.co.uk/ASDA-Christmas-2023/flipbook.html

(Only six months to go!)

Tiktok Mum shows £1 per meal is all it takes to feed a family. If you shop at Aldi

Social media influencer @budgetingmum reveals five summer holiday dinners for the whole family made with under £20 of ingredients. Wow! That’s less than £1 per meal!

The budgeting expert has also shared her top 10 hacks to lower the cost of the weekly shop during the holidays

The post has boasted plenty of praise, with one follower declaring: “this will really help reduce the cost of my food shop!”

Social media budgeting guru @budgetingmum has revealed her five go-to recipes for keeping the whole family fed during the school summer holidays and they all come in at under £1 per meal.   

Beth Turbutt-Rogers, known by her 185k loyal social media following for her innovative budgeting hacks and handy parenting tips, has unveiled she uses less than £20 worth of Aldi ingredients to create five tasty dinner recipes that the whole family enjoy whilst the little ones are off school.

The video shows Beth whizzing together five dinners including an uber-healthy three bean chilli and a mouth-watering Wagamama inspired katsu curry, complete with hidden veggies for fussy little ones, all for under £20 at Aldi.

The handy recipe guide has already proved popular with her followers, gaining likes and comments in their thousands. One follower stated “this will really help reduce the cost of my food shop!” and another said, “get me to Aldi – now!”

Beth, who lives with her husband and two youngsters,  commended her Aldi shopping experience saying: “Aldi is the best place to get everything you need without breaking your bank.”

Beth also went on to say: “As the summer holidays arrive, lots of families will feel the pinch when it comes to food shopping. Having the children at home might mean routines are completely different and for this reason you might start to see a rise in the weekly cost.  But don’t fret! With a little planning and opting for low-cost ingredients, you can get through the summer holidays on a budget and still enjoy tasty, nutritious meals.”

As well as putting together this helpful school holiday dinner guide, Beth's also shared her top 10 hacks when budgeting for the weekly shop during the school summer holidays:

Overlap: Plan meals with overlapping ingredients. EG, if you’re buying potatoes, buy a larger pack which you can use to make jacket potatoes one night and a potato pie the next. Or if you’re buying bacon lardons, buy a two pack which you can use for two meals! 

Meal plan: This is a guaranteed way to save you money as you’ll have well thought out meal ideas for the week. This is especially relevant during the holidays when the food shop needs to feed the whole family all day, every day!

Go frozen or tinned: Consider buying frozen or tinned vegetables for a great way to inject nutrients to food on a budget.

Go plant based: Swapping to plant-based alternatives can often be cheaper than meat products, and more sustainable too.

Buy in bulk: Bulk buying certain items, EG, buying a larger pack of toilet roll, will work out cheaper in the long run. This is especially vital during the school holidays when we seem to go through household items far more quickly than usual.

Cook from scratch: Cooking from scratch – learning how to make things like sauces from basic ingredients such as milk, butter and flour can save you money. This is a great one to pick up during the holidays when we’re not so time poor!

Divide and conquer: Try buying a whole chicken and dividing the meat into several meals throughout the week to make it go further.

Batch cook: Batch cooking can not only save you time, but it can also save money if planned properly. This means more time to spend playing with little ones during the holidays!

Freeze it: Using your freezer to ensure food doesn’t go off before you have time to eat it can reduce food waste and save you money, too.

Enjoy family time: Eat together as a family! Doing separate meals for children can be costly, so make meals that are suitable for all the family will help cut your costs, too. Particularly during the holidays, this is a great time to make the best of having everyone at home and enjoy eating together.

Beth’s innovative dinner recipes have been created to please fussy children while ensuring parents get something delicious and nutritious for dinner, too. The full shopping list for these dinners comes in at less than £20 – so that’s £1 per meal for a family of four:

Recipe 1: Cheeseburger pasta bake with vegetarian mince

Recipe 2: Cheese and bacon potato pie with beans 

Recipe 3: Three bean chilli with rice 

Recipe 4: Katsu chicken curry and rice

Recipe 5: Bacon potato bake with egg and beans

Full step-by-step guides on how to create these tasty recipes can be found via Beth’s blog.

Aldi shopping list:

Nature’s Pick Brown Onions (£0.95, 3 pack)

Oakhurst Smoked Bacon Lardons (£1.99, 200g)

Nature’s Pick Spring Onions (£0.50, 100g)

Nature’s Pick Salad Tomatoes (£0.85, 6 pack)

Ashfields Breaded Chicken Steaks (£2.99, 505g)

Everyday Essentials Penne Pasta (£0.41, 500g)

Four Seasons Taco Mixed Beans (£0.72, 395g)

Everyday Essentials Chopped Tomatoes x2 (£0.35, 400g)

Everyday Essentials Baked Beans x2 (£0.56, 420g)

Asia Specialities Chinese Style Curry Sauce (£0.99, 500g)

Emporium Mature Grated Cheddar Cheese (£1.99, 250g)

Ready, Set…Cook! Chilli Powder (£0.59, 40g)

Plant Menu Meat Free Mince (£1.35, 400g)

Everyday Essentials Long Grain Rice (£0.52,1kg)

Merevale British Medium Free-Range Eggs (£1.29, 6 pack)

Nature’s Pick Marris Piper Potatoes (£1.59, 2.5kg)

Four Seasons Mixed Vegetables (£0.99, 1kg)

Four Seasons Black Beans in Water (£0.59, 390g)

Total: £19.57 (approx. 97p per meal, based on five meals for a family of four).

To shop Aldi’s full range of affordable groceries, shoppers can head to stores now or browse the Aldi website for Click & Collect options. https://groceries.aldi.co.uk/en-GB/

Check out Budgetmum here https://www.budgetingmum.co.uk/

Sustainable and delicious. New Cocktail ideas

Now, more than ever, sustainability is at the forefront of the minds of many of us, especially in the kitchen, and as the cost of living crisis continues to put a strain on our finances, many of us are looking to reduce our food waste and squeeze out the most of our weekly shopping trips. 

But! There are many tips and tricks for utilising your leftover food scraps including turning them into delicious cocktail ingredients. (What? Cocktail ingredients? Yes, cocktail ingredients. We'll explain more, here.)

The team of top drink experts at online drinks retailer, The Bottle Club, have put together some handy tips for utilising your leftovers and transforming them into tasty summer beverages.

Blend fruit pulp, peels and zest into syrup

Adding a fruity syrup to your homemade cocktails in an ingenious way to add a delightfully delicious extra fruity dimension to your drink, whilst simultaneously reducing your food wastage. 

Leftover fruit pulp, peels, and zest can all be used to create a sweet and delicious syrup. Making the syrup is simple, all you need do is add the fruit pulp, peels, or zest into equal parts water and sugar, simmering in a pan until the solution resembles a syrup-like texture. 

Use your leftover fruit as garnish 

A great alternative to using leftover fruit in syrup is to use them as garnish for your summer cocktails. Dehydrating your leftover fruit is an ideal way to make them last longer, as they can last up to a full year when stored properly in a proper airtight container. 

If you don’t own a dehydrator or an air fryer, this can also be achieved by oven-cooking your fruits for 30 minutes. Leftover orange peels go well in a classic Old Fashioned, whilst grapefruit peel is the perfect addition to the iconic Negroni cocktail.

Create syrups with leftover herb stems

If you’re a kitchen whizz, you’re probably no stranger to cooking with herbs. But herbs aren’t just used to add a little extra flavour to your dishes, they can also be used in your drinks, too. 

The leftover stems of your everyday herbs like parsley, thyme, and basil can also be brewed into a syrup that will add a nifty extra kick to your summer cocktails. 

Start by simmering your herb stems in equal parts of sugar and water. Simply allow the solution to cool in the fridge and then add to your cocktails. To maximise the flavours, leave the solution to chill in the fridge for several weeks. 

Herbal syrups are particularly effective when used in gin and vodka-based drinks. 

Save coffee grounds to be used in coffee-based cocktails 

If you’re partial to a coffee-flavoured cocktail, try saving your leftover coffee grounds to make a delicious after-dinner drink. From a classic Espresso Martini to a Calypso cocktail, there’s plenty of delicious cocktails for coffee lovers to indulge themselves in. 

To create a coffee liqueur to be used in cocktails, just add 100 grams of coffee grounds, 4 tablespoons of white granulated sugar and 2 parts of spirit (preferably vodka!) to a sealed container. Leave this to mix for around 24 hours before you start crafting your homemade cocktails.

Use leftover mint stems to add a refreshing kick

When using mint leaves to add extra flavour to your cooking, you probably throw out the leftover stems. However, mint stems can be used as the perfect garnish for cocktails like the class Mojito and Mint Julep, to give a real minty kick to these cocktails. 

Spearmint is the most common type of mint used to craft these delicious and refreshing cocktails to be enjoyed on a summer's day. 

Create an infusion with your leftovers 

There is a wealth of possibilities and combinations when it comes to infusing alcohol with leftover fruits, spices, and herbs. Light-coloured spirits like gin and vodka are the most common spirits used, as the mild flavours will infuse more easily than darker spirits like rum and whiskey. 

When you are creating an alcohol infusion at home, add the chosen ingredients to an airtight container along with your chosen alcohol, shake it up and let it sit. Leave the solution to settle for 24 hours to give the flavours time to infuse and strain before drinking.

Popular infusion combinations include: 

Grapefruit, rosemary and vodka

Apples and gin 

Pineapples and whiskey 

Coconut rum 

Lemongrass, ginger and tequila

To learn more visit https://www.thebottleclub.com/blogs/thedrinksjournal/cocktails-to-make-the-most-of-fresh-seasonal-produce

(Image courtesy of Radosław Kulupa from Pixabay)

Callum Graham's Summer Fruit Tart

Callum Graham is the Head Chef at Jersey restaurant, Bohemia. And he has created a Summer Fruit Tart recipe.

Serving size: Individual tart – serves 1 (Adjust quantities to serve more diners.) 

Overall prep and cooking time: approximately one hour.

Prep for pastry/ tart case: 10 minutes

Cooking time for pastry/ tart case: 15 – 20 minutes and then allow to cool for a further 20 minutes whilst making the lemon curd

Ingredients for the pastry:

225g plain flour

110g butter, cut into cubes

80g caster sugar

1 large free-range egg

Method:

Crumb together the plain flour and the diced cold butter, once a fine crumb has been produced, mix in the sugar. Next, fold in the egg. If the dough feels too dry, merely add a tablespoon of water.

Cover the dough in cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for an hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees centigrade. 

After the dough has rested, roll it out on a flour dusted work surface until it is about half a cm in thickness. Place over a greased tart mould then place in the fridge for a further 10 mins.

Next, remove the pastry from the fridge and place it on a sheet of baking parchment inside it, then cover with rice (for blind baking).

Place it in the oven for 15 mins. Remove from the oven and carefully remove the baking parchment and rice.

Turn the oven up to 180 degrees and then egg wash the bottom of the tart case. Bake for a further 6-8 mins until the pastry is golden brown.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool, totally.

Ingredients for the lemon curd:

4 large lemons - juiced

4 large lemons - zested

200g fine caster sugar

100g unsalted butter

3 free-range eggs and 1 egg yolk

Method:

Mix the lemon juice, zest, sugar, and eggs together and place into a small saucepan.

Dice your butter into small cubes and have on the side (you will need this at the end).

Take a whisk and start to whisk the mixture together, then place onto the heat and keep whisking until the mixture starts to thicken (this will take 5-6 mins and it is very important to whisk vigorously) 

Once the mixture starts to form soft peaks, take off the heat and slowly whisk in the diced butter.

Mix well until fully combined and then pour into the cooled tart case.

 Place in fridge and leave to set for at least 2 hours.

Finish off the tart by decorating with whatever fresh fruit you have at home,  Callum says "I love to use an abundance of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. It’s the most refreshing summer treat."

To learn more about the restaurant and hotel visit https://www.bohemiajersey.com.

SKIPPY® Peanut Butter Choc Chip Swirl Pots

(Uses 6 Small Ramekins)

Ingredients

130g SKIPPY® Peanut Butter Choc Chip Swirl 

300ml fresh whipping cream

1 tablespoon sifted icing sugar

Half teaspoon vanilla extract

Extra 2 tablespoons SKIPPY® Choc Chip Swirl Peanut Butter to drizzle

Directions

Spoon the SKIPPY® Peanut Butter Choc Chip Swirl into a small bowl.

Pour the whipping cream into a medium sized mixing bowl and whisk the cream until it begins to thicken but is still somewhat loose. At this point, stir in the vanilla essence if you are using vanilla. (Why wouldn't you use vanilla?)

Using a fork gradually work a spoonful of the SKIPPY® Peanut Butter Choc Chip Swirl into the double cream until it's combined, repeat with the rest of the Peanut Butter until it's all blended. At this point, it should have the texture of a mousse.

Next, gently fold in the icing sugar.

Spoon the mixture into the ramekin dishes and level each one off.

Put the extra SKIPPY® Peanut Butter into a small bowl and blast for 10 seconds in a microwave on the lowest setting then drizzle on top of the mousse and then chill.

New Crème Desserts from Bonne Maman

Europe's leading desert experts Bonne Maman has introduced two new exciting crème desserts featuring a luscious topping of whipped Chantilly cream.       

Inspired by the traditional French dessert: Liégeois, new Bonne Maman Coffee Crème dessert is a sumptuous, aromatic creamy café au lait style dessert with a rich and creamy coffee crème, generously topped with a light Chantilly cream.  

Bonne Maman Dark Chocolate Crème dessert is made with the finest quality dark chocolate, simply blended with cream and milk to make a delicious and silky smooth crème with a contrasting top layer of lightly whipped Chantilly cream.

Enticing and utterly, absolutely delicious, both the new Bonne Maman crème desserts offer a truly and intensely satisfying finale to a lunch or dinner at home. And, indeed, make a wonderful treat for chocoholics and coffee lovers at any time of the day. No matter where they are! (Actually, I can picture my wife and I taking these with us in a cool bag as part of a nice picnic.) 

Bonne Maman Desserts are made with simple, all natural ingredients and contain no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners whatsoever. 

They are presented in packs of 2 x 90g pots, the new Dark Chocolate Crème and Coffee Crème Desserts are available, at least initially, at Sainsbury’s and Waitrose stores nationwide at a recommended retail price of £2.55.  Also suitable for vegetarians. Packaging can be widely recycled. 

For further information, tips and recipes see www.bonnemaman.co.uk, like on Facebook @BonneMamanUK and follow on Instagram @bonnemaman_uk

(Image is copyright Bonne Maman UK)

Lizi's Granola Cheesecake

Tasty and delicious sweet treats don’t have to be laden with sugar and fat! This decadently creamy cheesecake recipe is perfect for indulging in and is packed chock full of protein rich ingredients and a large helping of Lizi’s original granola. (yummy!)

Ingredients

For the creamed cheese topping

500g quark or 250g fat free cream cheese combined with 250g fat free Greek yoghurt

100g vanilla protein powder

1 serving of gelatine

For the biscuit base

200g Lizi’s original granola

25g coconut oil

50g apple sauce 

To garnish

2 teaspoons cinnamon 

1 tablespoon butter

50g apple sauce

Method

Prepare your ingredients and set ingredients for the cream cheese filling and garnish to one side

Using a wooden spoon and a large mixing bowl combine the quark (or alternative filling) with vanilla protein powder and a serving of gelatine.

Take 200g of Lizi’s original granola and whizz for 30 second intervals in a food processor until it's  completely ground

Add 25g coconut oil and 50g apple sauce to the ground granola mixture in a separate bowl and combine into a pastry base

Pack the base into a lightly greased cake tin ensuring this is evenly distributed throughout 

Spoon the protein mixture on top and pop it into the fridge whilst you prepare the topping

Whilst this is setting, chop up an apple and fry lightly in two teaspoons of cinnamon and one tablespoon of butter gently stirring in 50g of apple sauce to the mixture

Once this has cooled down enough, spread over the top of the cheesecake and then place it back into the fridge again for a further 2-3 hours or until you are ready to serve them.

Time

Preparation time 15 minutes, Setting time 2-3 hours.

https://www.lizis.co.uk.

Incidentally, it's possible that vegans could try to swap the gelatine for the vegan-friendly equivalents that are available in most free from sections in supermarkets, health shops, etc. 

This is really the cherry on the top from Driscoll's!

Yes, folks, British cherry season is here, and to mark this year’s extra-flavourful crop, Driscoll's, the UK’s foremost supplier of berries, have created a selection of absolutely delicious new recipes, which we are featuring below. 

‘Pickled Cherry Bruschetta’ - an Italian twist packed with healthy vitamins and bursting with flavour!

‘Cherry French Toast Sandwich’ - a quick and easy take on the more traditional French toast.

‘Cherry and Cacao Fro-yo’ - a super refreshing, healthier alternative to ice cream

Please find a link to hi-res imagery here/full recipes below.. 

Recipe 1: Pickled Cherry Bruschetta

A jar of jam and food on a white surface

This Pickled Cherry Bruschetta is packed full with healthy vitamins and uses ricotta, walnuts and olive oil to provide a source of protein, calcium, fibre and healthy fats.

This year’s British cherry harvest is extra sweet, making for a delicious contrast with the tart pickling and creamy ricotta.

The dish contains 250g of fresh cherries, full of nutrients, with 3% of your daily requirement of iron, 7% of your daily requirement of copper, and 8% of your daily requirement of vitamin C. 

Serves: 8-10. 

Makes 2 x 250g jars of 1 x 500g jar of pickled cherries

Time: 30 minutes prep plus pickling time.

Ingredients for the pickled cherries:

100ml white wine vinegar

85ml water

50g caster sugar

2 bay leaves

250g fresh British cherries, de-stalked and pitted

2 crushed juniper berries

5 peppercorns

Ingredients for the bruschetta:

1 ciabatta loaf, sliced

200g ricotta or a plant based alternative 

50g walnuts

Fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp olive oil for brushing and 1 tsp for the walnuts

Method for pickling:

Firstly, start with pickling your cherries. It is best to do this around a week in advance at least, and once made they will keep in sterilised sealed jars for months – meaning you can hang on to cherry season for even longer! (Once opened, store in your fridge).

To sterilise your jars, wash with hot soapy water then put in a low oven for around 10-15 minutes.

Pour the white wine vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, juniper berries, caster sugar and water into a pan and simmer for around 10 minutes.

Whilst this is cooking, de stalk and pit your cherries. Pack the cherries into the sterilised jar/s and pour over the vinegar mix, ensuring all cherries are covered. Tightly seal and leave in a cool dark place for at least a week.

Method for making the bruschetta:

First, preheat the oven to around 180c.

Spread the walnuts out on a tray lined with baking paper.

Toss in a tsp of olive oil and toast for around 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Next, slice your ciabatta at a slight angle, into 1cm slices. Lightly brush with olive oil on each side and place under a hot grill until evenly golden.

Put the ricotta in a bowl with a pinch of salt and whisk until light and fluffy. 

Spread a teaspoon over each of the ciabatta toasts and top with the pickled cherries, crumbled walnuts, fresh thyme and black pepper.

***

Recipe 2: Cherry French Toast Sandwich 

This Cherry French Toast is a quick and easy brunch recipe that makes the most out of fresh juicy British cherries and is a healthier take on the breakfast classic.

With lots of extra sweet cherries available this season, there is no better time to add an extra flavourful punch to your french toast this summer. 

This recipe can be also made with any bread or milk you choose, so you can give it your own individual twist. 

Serves: 1.

Time: 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread (stale bread works especially well)

1 egg or a vegan egg alternative 

50ml milk or plant based milk

5-6 British cherries, de stalked and stoned

1 tsp brown sugar

2 tbsp lighter Crème Fraîche or a  plant based alternative 

1 tbsp agave

Spray of oil for cooking

Method: 

Roughly chop your cherries and add to a pan with a teaspoon of brown sugar.

Briefly stir and heat on a medium heat for around ten minutes until they are broken down and syrupy.

Allow to cool slightly.

In a shallow bowl, crack in your egg and pour in the milk.

Whisk well and dip each side of your bread in the egg mix.

In a separate small bowl add your Crème Fraîche and agave syrup and stir in the cherries.

Heat a pan over a medium heat and cover with a little spray oil

In the heated pan, lay down one slice of the bread before topping evenly with the cherry mix and placing the second slice on top, and pressing down gently.

Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip the bread over and repeat. 

Remove from the heat and enjoy!

***

Recipe 3: Cherry Cacao Fro-Yo

Our Cherry and Cacao Fro-yo is a delicious, yet healthier summer treat that you don’t need an ice cream maker to produce!

The sweetness of the cherries with the smooth acidity of the yoghurt creates a perfectly balanced alternative to ice-cream.

You can even improvise with a cake or la oaf tin to freeze in, so there’s no fancy equipment necessary and minimal prep time, too!

All you need is freeze time!

Serves: 10.

Time: 50 mins - 1 hour prep time, 3-4 hours freezing time.

Ingredients:

175g British cherries, de-stalked, pitted and roughly chopped

1 tsp brown sugar

Juice of half a lemon

750g natural or Greek yoghurt, or a plant based yoghurt 

125ml milk or plant based milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

30g sugar (this can also be substituted for the equivalent in stevia for an even healthier treat)

1-2 tbsp cacao nibs for sprinkling

You will also need a small loaf tin or 7-8 inch cake tin

Method:

Put your loaf tin or cake tin into the freezer.

In a medium bowl add your yoghurt, milk, sugar or stevia, vanilla and stir well.

Chill in the freezer whilst you complete the next steps.

Empty your cherries and brown sugar into a pan and simmer on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the juice of half a lemon and leave to cool.

Remove the tin and yoghurt mix from the freezer and pour the yoghurt into the tin.

Stir every 20-30 minutes and when it’s starting to thicken considerably, swirl through your cherry mix.

Leave to freeze for at least 3-4 hours before serving

Sprinkle your fro-yo with cacao nibs for a crunchy topping!

https://www.driscolls.eu