Wednesday, 2 August 2023

Natural Beekeeping workshop raises funds for Hope Spring

An unusual and very exciting fundraiser was held in aid of Hope Spring, a clean water advocacy charity on Friday the 28th of July, 2023. 

The event, a natural beekeeping workshop, took place at The Hive in Much Birch village, which is in south Herefordshire. 

The workshop was the ideas of Worcestershire natural beekeeper Sara Steward It was facilitated by Hope Spring trustee and natural beekeeper Temi Odurinde and Andrew Collinson.

The event saw the six natural beekeepers compare notes and exchanging ideas, on various beekeeping topics ranging from ideas for total beginners like opting fora bee friendly hive to finding and catching your first swarm of bees. 

The workshop began with Andres Collison, a natural beekeeper with over two decades of experience discussing “The bein of the hive” a holistic look at the life of a colony of bees. 

After their lunch break, the beekeeper returned to discuss swarm catching, dealing with the problems caused by the varroa mite and the best shrubs and trees to plant for bees.

The event raised approximately £300 for Hope Spring. Speaking about the fundraiser Temi Odurinde said “we had a lovely time at the workshop, every participant had a knowledge of one technique or another to share. 

"We all went home better natural beekeepers than we were before the workshop.”

Temi went on to say: “Hope Spring is grateful for the donation each participant made, the proceeds will go to the new borehole project we're working on in Agege which is in Nigeria. I'm also very pleased to have contributed to the fundraiser in my own little way."

Hope Spring raises money to fund their clean water project directly from their supporters, particularly those who support their annual best charity Christmas e-cards campaign. The natural beekeeping fundraiser was a special one-off event. But raising funds with the natural beekeeping community in the future hasn't been ruled out.

You can learn more about Hope Spring clean water projects on their website and social media pages. You can also find out more information about natural beekeeping on the website of natural beekeeping trust.

http://www.hopespring.org.uk

To learn more about natural beekeeping please visit https://www.naturalbeekeepingtrust.org.

International students immersed into French gourmet food industry at NEOMA Business School

Commencing 10th and running to 21st July, NEOMA Business School based in France collaborated with Ecole Fauchon, the school launched by the renowned French brand of gastronomy, to deliver a summer camp to international students on management and the gourmet food industry.

Practical courses were hosted at Ecole Fauchon at NEOMA’s Rouen campus, including classes on CSR and the economy of the French wine sector. Students also had the exciting opportunity to visit producers at the Marché d’Intérêt National (France’s second largest produce market) and the Fauchon hotel.

“Learning to prepare gourmet food under the guidance of skilled chefs during the private cooking classes at Fauchon was a marvellous experience that I'll cherish forever. It not only expanded my culinary knowledge but also ignited a passion for gastronomy within me” said Fadzai Mutingwende, who is studying at the Manchester Metropolitan University.

In the second week, students moved to NEOMA’s Paris campus, to attend a series of conferences on Marketing French Excellence and Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainability topics.

Lectures involved insights from proven industry professionals at Fauchon and NEOMA alumni. The final day finished with group projects.

Teaching was delivered in English to open opportunities for international students to gain insights on the French gastronomy sector. Nine students from the UK enrolled in the programme from Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Strathclyde.

“The second week of the summer school, featuring insightful lectures from industry experts, highlighted the importance of preserving and promoting France’s culinary heritage on a global scale and considering innovative ways to contribute positively to the food industry. 

"I came to understand that culinary excellence and sustainability are not mutually exclusive but rather are interconnected pillars that can drive positive change in the world,” says Orla McConville, who is a student at the University of Strathclyde.

The summer camp further builds upon the strong partnership between NEOMA and Ecole Fauchon. Both institutions already cooperate to deliver a Bachelor’s in Service Management – Gastronomy programme.

(Image courtesy of Paola Baldacci from Pixabay)


Tuesday, 1 August 2023

'Eggstra' help from Tesco for UK egg farmers

Tesco has revealed it is providing a further £10 million in extra backing for the UK egg industry as it continues its commitment to sourcing all its shell eggs from the UK. 

£6 million of the support will be provided from this month, August, until March 2024. This is on the heels of Tesco’s investment of £27.5m in the sector across 2022/23.

In a further boost to producers and customers, Tesco is lifting its buying restrictions on shell eggs. The restrictions, which mean customers can only buy three packs of eggs at a time, were introduced in November 2022 to ease pressure on a supply chain adversely impacted by price increases in key inputs like feedstuff and energy prices, further impacted by the avian flu outbreak. 

The support package will be paid to suppliers to cover the cost of handling, processing and egg production, including increases in feed for farmers. Tesco will continue to work with suppliers to ensure the extra investment will be passed on to farmers as soon as possible.

Tesco will also continue operating its industry-topping poultry feed model. Poultry feed represents up to 70% of the cost of production on egg and poultry farms. 

The model adjusts to price changes in the market, providing producers with the cost protection and security they require when they are purchasing feedstuffs.

Dominic Morrey, who is the Tesco Commercial Director for Fresh said: “We’re obviously very pleased to be able to provide a further package of financial support to our UK egg suppliers and producers.

"Over the past 18 months the sector has faced some very tough conditions, including increases to inputs like energy and feed, plus the avian flu outbreak, so we hope this support will alleviate some of these challenges.

“As conditions begin to ease, we’re also now able to remove the buying restrictions we’ve had in place on shell eggs since November last year. Customers can be reassured we also remain 100% British on all our shell eggs, with our five-year contracts with our suppliers now well underway.”

Tesco and its suppliers are committed to high welfare standards and together are working towards the retailer’s aim of 100% cage free eggs by 2025. It is hoped the new long-term contracts will help achieve the commitment.

www.tesco.com

Great Taste 3 Stars for Hive Mind Wye Valley Traditional Mead

The Hive Mind Mead & Brew Co has been awarded the highest three-star Great Taste award rating for its Wye Valley Traditional Mead.

The Guild of Fine Food rates three star products as “extraordinarily tasty food and drink” and only 2% of the thousands of products submitted for Great Taste judging every year achieves three stars.

Hive Mind brews meads and beers at its meadery in Caldicot using only natural ingredients and honey from its own local hives, where its beekeeping supports habitat conservation and important pollinator populations.

Hive Mind’s Traditional Mead reflects the flavours from the hills, meadows, hedgerows and woodlands of the Wye Valley through the honey that's harvested each and every season. To make the honey which goes into every bottle, the bees will have pollinated more than 1.7 million flowers and flown in excess of 70,000 miles.

The Great Taste accreditations celebrate the UK’s finest artisanal food and drink and are blind-tasted by a panel including celebrity chefs, Michelin-starred restaurateurs, food critics, buyers, retailers and writers. 

Three-star products will then go on to compete for the Great Taste’s Golden Fork Awards, given to the best products in each nation and region next October.

The judges’ comments described the Mead’ as: “Altogether beautifully crafted and thoroughly enjoyable…This is an absolute joy to imbibe and we loved it.”

Judges’ tasting notes included: “A lovely complexity to this mead - well balanced throughout with woody and toasted notes and a soft sweetness rolling into a soft lemony acidity with a long finish”; “Smooth and silken on the palate with lingering floral notes on the finish. A really delightful and delicious mead with both fragrance and floral complexity”; and “A delightful, promising nose with a heady, blossomed fragrance to this gorgeous pale yellow mead. Softly sweet and nuanced, rounded and complex and deeply floral.”

This year, to help reduce food waste and prevent honey left over after the judging process being discarded, Hive Mind will be working with the Guild of Fine Food to collect the honey and brew a new ‘Great Taste’ mead.

Hive Mind’s tasting notes describe the Mead as sweet, rich and moreish with rich floral and heather notes. Hive Mind Traditional Mead is sold in classic cork-stopped 70cl bottles in numbered batches and is 14.5% ABV.

Hive Mind sells direct to consumers online and from its wonderful Caldicot tap house. It's also available through independent delis, farm shops, bars and restaurants all over the UK through specialist distributors including Pig’s Ears, Cotswold Fayre, Hammonds of Knutsford, Craft Drinks Co and Blas ar Fwyd.

The Traditional Mead, along with the special whiskey barrel-aged version, has recently been added to the shelves of Selfridges and is used by Michelin-starred restaurants including Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck and James Sommerin’s Home, following an appearance earlier this year on a TV series with the Hairy Bikers focused on small artisan producers.

Hive Mind co-founder Kit Newell said: “We describe our Traditional Mead as a distillation of the local landscape - it’s a well-balanced flavour that showcases the seasonality and all the floral notes from our carefully selected local honey, not just its sweetness. 

"It’s a great example of how we’re working to modernise the perception of what mead can offer and how well it works as an alternative to sweet wines, spirits or ciders. It is also a fantastic after-dinner drink and pairs beautifully with tasty blue cheeses.”

“We’ve seen a huge surge in interest in mead in the US off the back of the growth in the craft beer market as people search out new and interesting flavours. And we’re delighted to be growing the profile and availability of mead in the UK through recognition by the Great Taste judges and the growing number of specialist distributors, artisan retailers and high-profile chefs supporting Hive Mind,” he pointed out.

Hive Mind has recently launched a range of specialist flavoured session-strength Sparkling Mead (4%, 330ml cans). Other Hive Mind products include Oak Whiskey Barrel-Aged Traditional Mead (20%, 500ml) and honey beers including honey pilsner, Nectar (440ml 4.5%), smoked honey porter (750ml 7.0%), Citra IPA (330ml 5.7%) and golden ale (330ml 4.5%).

https://hivemindmead.com/

It's Results Day for Great Taste 2023!

Today,1,000s of artisan producers from all over the world will learn if their products are among the tastiest in the world with the wildly anticipated results and judges' feedback for Great Taste 2023, the highest taste recognition of its kind.

Across 89 judging days in Dorset and London, a group in excess of 500 judges conducted comprehensive blind taste tests on the 14,195 entries which were submitted from a staggering 109 different countries all over the world. 

Each producer will receive highly valuable feedback on their submissions from an array of food experts and find out if they've earned Great Taste 1-, 2-, or 3-star award.

This year, only 5,904 products of the total products entered received an award (41.6%) and of the 2,516 winning companies, 1,837 (73%) are based in the UK and 679 (27%) span all corners of the globe.

Says John Farrand, who is the MD at the Guild of Fine Food: “It's always incredibly exciting to be able to share fantastic tasting food and drink from across the world after so many judging days. We have witnessed an outstanding year of exceptional quality, innovation, and creativity once again. 

"High-quality, straight forward food and drink including meat, fish and dairy products continue to stand out, and highly impressive ingredients, from fermented sauces to spices carry on making their mark. Often simple does best, it's been absolutely brilliant to hear our judges discover the delicious tastes of really well-made ice creams, coffees, chocolate and sourdough bread.

“What's truly remarkable is to see the Great Taste entrants continue to thrive amid one of the toughest economic and social periods, it's nothing short of inspirational. It takes courage and perseverance to establish or grow a food or drink business, and these producers have done an exceptional job. 

"From adhering to strict standards and policies to mastering marketing and sales, not to mention achieving excellent taste and flavour. We want to thank them for their continued passion and skill and look forward to seeing more gold and black Great Taste stickers on shelves around the world over the next year.” Farrand concludes.

So, who are the Great Taste 2023 3-star winners?

To achieve a Great Taste star rating of any level is a really significant achievement. With the highest rating being a Great Taste 3-star, determined by over 65 expert palates collectively during the final judging days, products of this calibre are sought out by food lovers across the nation. This year, just 248 (1.8% of entries) products have been awarded this top accreditation.

Of the 3-star winners, 139 have come from the UK and 109 from international producers, including oak honeys from Greece and Spain, cold brew tea from Germany, Lebanese chilli sea salt, Cambodian flower sugar and cheeses from Hungary, France, Norway, Bulgaria, and Spain, among many other interesting and innovative products.

There were 248 Great Taste 3-star winners this year, including:

VOG Jackson's Black Oyster Shell IPA from Vale of Glamorgan Brewery, one of Wales' oldest microbreweries, who have been brewing in Barry since 2005 and have no plans to stop any time soon! https://www.vogbrewery.co.uk/

Chocolatia, which is a Scottish business set up by former Gleneagles chef Chloe Oswald as a creative outlet during lockdown, impressed judges with a grand total of three 3-stars for their Hazelnut Latte Bonbon, Pecan Pie Bonbon and Sea Salt Caramel Filled Bar. https://www.chocolatia.co.uk/

Hannan Meats, which is one of Northern Ireland's leading butchers and previous Supreme Champion winner continued their winning streak with 3-star for both their Buttermilk Pork Chop and Koji Pork Chop. https://www.hannanmeats.com/

Sarah Churchill from The Artisan Kitchen achieved the highest number of 3-stars from any one company with a staggering 8 x 3-stars for her jams and marmalades produced in Gloucester. https://www.theartisankitchen.co.uk/

A Croatian mint cordial from small family company Imanje Kapronca delighted judges with its “green, verdant freshness”. https://www.imanjekapronca.hr/

Scúp Gelato, an Irish family business and Golden Fork winner from 2022, carried their success into 2023, winning a second 3-star for one of their sorbets, this time for their Natural Yogurt & Blackcurrant Sorbet. https://scupgelato.com/

Anchoas Hazas won another 3 x 3-stars for their anchovy products. A family business in Asturias in Northern Spain, anchovies are often preserved for 26 months before every part of the fish is meticulously used to ensure nothing goes to waste. Sadly no longer able to import to the UK due to Brexit, Anchoas Hazas is a multiple Great Taste winner. https://anchoashazas.com/

A relative newcomer to Great Taste, Finnish distillery Kyrö is awared a 3-star for its Kyrö Rye Malt Whisky, produced in an old dairy in Isokyrö. https://www.kyrodistillery.co.uk/

Taiwanese tea company, Archome Ent. Int'l Co., entered for the first time and came away with 3 x 3-stars for their Oriental Beauty, Sunrise Hike and Spring Blossom teas. https://yoosheetea.com/

The distinguished judging panel consisting of over 500 food & drink experts, included chefs, critics, recipe developers, buyers, journalists, retailers, broadcasters, and reputable industry professionals. The Great Taste 2023 judging line-up included senior buyers and coordinators from Selfridges, Whole Foods Market, Fortnum & Mason, Harrods, Waitrose and Westmorland Family. 

MasterChef 2022 winner Eddie Scott, olive oil sommelier and author Irini Tzortzoglou, food writer and owner of Violet Cakes Claire Ptak, chef and co-founder of Island Social Club Marie Mitchell, chef turned farmer Julius Roberts, pastry chef and author Ravneet Gill, restaurateur and producer Amy Poon from Poon's, baker and author Kitty Tait - the youngest and newest judge to join this year. Finally, broadcasters and journalists Nigel Barden and Lotte Duncan (BBC), Andy Clarke and Juliet Sear (ITV), Felicity Cloake (The Guardian), Xanthe Clay (Telegraph) and Joanna Blythman were involved this year, among many others.

What happens next?

These Great Taste award-winners can now proudly display the iconic black and gold Great Taste logo as a badge of honour on their award-winning products. The logo states whether the product was awarded 1-, 2- or 3- stars and that it was awarded in 2023, so make sure to look out for them in your local stockist!

Past winners have stated that displaying a Great Taste sticker has increased sales by as much as 50%, as consumers from around the world are enthused to taste the best food and drink products available each year. In the UK, 55% of all adults are familiar with the Great Taste logo, with 80% saying an award would make them consider a product, according to YouGov research from December 2022 (sample size: 2,021).

Great Taste Golden Fork ceremony

The excitement of Great Taste 2023 doesn't stop here, for the highest scoring winners it's just the beginning. All 3-star winning products were tasted and judged again by the knowledgeable judging panel to crown the Golden Fork trophy winners and the 2023 Supreme Champion – the highest accolade of all.

The Golden Fork ceremony celebrates the best of the best from producers around the world, awarding them with a Golden Fork trophy. Further Golden Fork trophies are given for various categories, including the Guild of Fine Food Lifetime Achievement award, the Great Taste Startisan of the Year award and Nigel Barden's Heritage Award.

All will be announced at the Great Taste Golden Fork Ceremony on Monday 11 September 2023 at the Battersea Arts Centre (trade only event).

What is Great Taste?

Recognised as a stamp of excellence and actively sought out by food lovers and retailers alike, Great Taste, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, values taste above all else. All products in the line-up for judging are blind tasted: every product is removed from its packaging so it cannot be identified, before entering a robust, layered judging process.

New for this year and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Great Taste, the Guild of Fine Food offered 50 micro producers the chance to put one new product in front of its expert panel of Great Taste judges for free. The bursary was aimed at micro producers who have never entered Great Taste before or have a new product, which has never been entered before. The bursary panel, which consisted of Adrian Boswell, buyer at Selfridges, industry commentator and food entrepreneur Mallika Basu, and PR & marketing expert AJ Sharp, selected the 50 most eligible entries.

2023 saw 21 products entered through the bursary scheme win a Great Taste award including Karobi's Ghee from Karobi's (3-star), New Alt from Antur Brew Co. (3-star), Shoogle Junniperous Scottish Navy Strength Gin from Shoogle Spirits (2-star) and Traditional Napa Cabbage Kimchi from The Ferm (1-star).

Food & Drink Wales is the headline sponsor of Great Taste 2023.  Great Taste Golden Fork trophy sponsors include: Andrew Ingredients, Bord Bia, Food & Drink Wales, Invest NI, Italian Trade Agency, Maltby & Greek, Mevalco, Partridges, Scotland Food and Drink, ShireFoods, and Speciality and Fine Food Fair.  Great Taste is supported by Henderson Group, Horgans, and Peter Green Chilled.

For the full list of this year's winners and where to buy them, head to www.greattasteawards.co.uk from 2pm today where you will also find a wide range of the award-winning products available to buy in delis, farm shops and independent retail outlets across the country.

Keep up to date on socials: @guildoffinefood #ISpyGreatTaste

Visit – https://gff.co.uk

Plan ahead for Halloween with Trewithen Dairy

Serve your ghouls and goblins trick or treat scones this Halloween with a Trewithen Dairy twist on the classic cream tea. These trick or treat scones are the perfect mix of spooky and surprisingly scrumptious - if you are a fan of yeast extract!

Ingredients

For 6 scones

350g Self-raising flour, sieved

Pinch of salt

100g Trewithen Dairy unsalted butter

110ml Trewithen Dairy whole milk

Black food paste

Trick topping - quantity per scone

1 tbsp Yeast extract

1 tbsp Cornish clotted cream

Drizzle of honey

Sprinkle of chilli flakes

Treat topping - quantity per scone

1 tbsp Blackberry jam

1 tbsp Cornish clotted cream

1 Blackberry

Method

Start with the scones. Preheat the oven to 190c. Grease and line two baking trays.

Using your fingertips only, rub the butter into the flour to create fine breadcrumbs. Mix the black food paste in with the milk and stir until fully combined. Now, stream the black milk in slowly to the breadcrumbs, using a knife to gently mix until it just forms a dough. Wrap in cling film and chill for 20 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to a thickness of 2cm and cut into rounds with a cutter. Don't twist them out of the cutter, otherwise they will warp in the oven.

Place on the baking trays (you don't need to egg or milk wash these scones) and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

For the trick scones - break the scone in half and spread a layer of yeast extract over the surface. Top with a big spoonful of Cornish clotted cream, before drizzling with honey and sprinkling with some chilli flakes.

For the treat scones - simply split the scone in two and dollop blackberry jam over one side. Pull a generous scoop of Cornish clotted cream and place on top of the jam. Finish with a blackberry.

https://www.trewithendairy.co.uk/

Schnapps! Flävar Vodka Schnapps Announces 3 Million Shots Sold in 12 Months of Trading

“To make the good times taste amazing” is the mission statement of the flavour-first brand that wants to shake up the shots category, with a clear liquid which provides an alternative to traditional higher ABV spirits styles.

Founder, Rolf Munding's Swedish heritage inspired the concept of Flävar: schnapps has always been associated with celebratory moments throughout Europe and the goal was to bring more flavour and flair to spirit drinking occasions. 

With its  bold, vibrant colourful packaging, a bottle neck emblazoned with the Swedish flag, Flävar's standout back-bar presence and vibrant online presence has contributed to the equivalent of 3 million shots being sold, with customers also using the liquid as a cocktail ingredient. 

Rolf Munding is also owner of the Market Taverns Group and this gave the perfect chance for valuable customer insight into what people were after post-covid. It's this feedback and insight that inspired further flavour developments. 

Flävar is a delicious 'spirit to be savoured' - delivering on both the celebratory shot drinking occasion, but also as a spirit to be enjoyed at a slower, more relaxed pace, with a mixer on as a valuable cocktail ingredient.

Rolf says, “Our pubs have been a great test-bed for new spirit innovation. Talking with customers at the bar is the best market research you can get. There seems to be more of an adventurous, considerate element to what people are looking for in these modern days. And a rise in the demand for sweeter, more indulgent tasting spirits. We first started considering the concept of a lower-ABV 'flavour-first' spirit post-covid, after identifying this trend. The timing has been great as the shot market is ripe for invigoration! 

I understand the 'instagram appeal' of the bright coloured liquids and of course you'll always have the age-old favourites like tequila, but there are few options for high-quality, lower-ABV spirits that just taste great. 

"We wanted to be able to supply a smooth, delicious, clear-liquid spirit. So we decide to create it! Strawberry & Lime flavour has been the top seller on-trade on-line since it was launched. But this has recently been overtaken by our newest Flävar: Blueberry & Lemon.”

And Rolf's personal suggested serve?

“Recently I've been pleasantly surprised with how good it tastes with prosecco. A single measure of strawberry and lime with 100ml of  Prosecco makes for a delightful summer drink, (now selling as the 'Flävecco' in the Market Porter, Borough, London). And as a neat shot, Lemon Pie is my personal favourite.

Over the next year Flävar has an exciting NPD strategy lined up, and a possible foray into RTDs. “We've got plenty of imaginative ideas lined up. There's a lot of room for innovation with Flävar.”


Monday, 31 July 2023

Embrace the Essence of Summer With Salcombe Distilling co.'s stunning Victuallers Special Edition 'Liquore Citrodora' Limoncello Liqueur

Everyone loves Limoncello. (Well, everyone meaning me, that is... But who doesn't love Limoncello?)

But what if there was the best ever Limoncello just waiting for you to taste it? 

Because it's already happened! Salcombe Distilling Co. has unveiled their latest truly stunning seasonal small batch release, Victuallers Special Edition 'Liquore Citrodora' Limoncello Liqueur. 

Taking you to the Med with every sip, this complex and layered liqueur is utterly bursting with the vibrant flavours of sherbet lemon and lemon balm. 

Available in a 50cl bottle, with a RRP £40, ABV 35% from salcombegin.com and Salcombe Distilling Co.'s Victuallers flagship stores in Salcombe and also in Dartmouth.

Derived from the Italian word for liqueur, 'liquore' and the Latin name for Lemon Verbena, 'Citrodora' which gives the spirit it'svery special  main flavour as well as colour, Victuallers Special Edition 'Liquore Citrodora' is unlike most other limoncello liqueurs that are available today.

Why? Because for a start, it's actually handcrafted on the water's edge at their stunning waterside home in South Devon, one of the world's only distilleries directly accessible by boat, Salcombe Distilling Co. first distil a base gin with botanicals including juniper, fresh lemon peel and lemon balm picked from their head distiller's very own, very special gardens. 

With near-obsessive care, attention and passion, next they steep lemon verbena, chamomile flowers and Szechuan and black peppercorns with only fresh lemon peel, before finally blending with soft Dartmoor water making it ready for bottling.

The finished result, a bright sherbet lemon and subtle herbal flavours on the nose with fresh zesty lemon on the palette and buttery background flavours of chamomile, giving a nicely smooth mouthfeel alongside a refreshing layered citrus finish.

Absolute exquisite served over plenty of fresh ice, topped up with Mediterranean tonic water and a slice of lemon, or why not indulge in a 'Ciao Bella' cocktail using the recipe below?

'CIAO BELLA'

Victuallers Special Edition 'Liquore Citrodora' was distilled especially to complement Salcombe Gin's Mediterranean dry rosé gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie' in the distillery's most popular cocktail the 'Ciao Bella'.

INGREDIENTS

25ml Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie'

15ml Knightor Rosé Vermouth

15ml Victuallers Special Edition 'Liquore Citrodora'

Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic water

Orange bitters

Orange

Sprig of thyme

METHOD

Fill a large gin glass with ice

Add the Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie', Knightor Rosé Vermouth and Victuallers Special Edition

'Liquore Citrodora' to the glass

Top up with the Mediterranean tonic water and add three dashes of orange bitters

Gently stir and garnish with a slice of orange and a sprig of thyme

Victuallers Special Edition 'Liquore Citrodora' joins Salcombe Distilling Co.'s award-winning line-up of Salcombe Gin 'Start Point', Salcombe Gin 'Rosé Sainte Marie', the Voyager Series, Salcombe Rum and New London Light non-alcoholic spirits and aperitifs.

For further information on Salcombe Distilling Co., visit www.salcombegin.com, follow SalcombeGin on Instagram and Facebook, and SalcombeDCo on Twitter.

Devon's Top Food and Drink Experiences to Enjoy This Summer

Want to learn more about your favourite Devon food and drink, meet the producers, taste their creations, make your own and learn some new skills?

Whatever your favourite tipple or your favourite pastime, there's a masterclass or guided tasting to suit everyone. 

Dip into chocolate making. Explore the spirit world. Get hands-on in the kitchen with some seriously good cookery skills. Dust down and scrub your BBQ and learn how to cook on fire or spend a family day planting seeds and exploring nature.

Food Drink Devon, which has a membership of over 350 food and drink producers, hospitality and retailer members, suggests some of the highlights from Devon for you to enjoy this summer.

For wine lovers

Most, if not all, vineyards will be thrilled and delighted to show you around their small or not-so-small patch of heaven and even give you a guided tasting through their vines and wines.

Huxbear Vineyard which is in Chudleigh offers a walking tour where the owner, Lucy, will talk you through the story of Huxbear, their vineyard calendar and winemaking processes. 

You'll learn heaps in about 90 minutes, followed, of course, by a free tasting. Non-walking tours are also available on request and are suitable for people with limited mobility, so should be accessible to everyone in your family or group.

Torview Vineyard, which isn't very far from Beaworthy, goes a a little bit further as it lets visitors get hands-on during their Winemaking Days. 

They run a Red and a Sparking version and your experience is spread over several days, several months apart, depending, of course,  on the wine type.. This year's Red Winemaking experience is almost sold out, but there's space on the upcoming Sparkling, so do look out for that, if sparkling wine's your thing.

Heron Farm Vineyard close to Honiton runs Vineyard Tours which also take in their impressive orchards, to learn about apple juice making, and their Kitchen Garden and Gin Orchard, topped off with a tasting back at the Heron Farm Kitchen & Café.

Sandridge Barton Wines, home of award-winning Sharpham Wine, close to Stoke Gabriel offers several different varieties of tasting experiences, from a casual self-guided options to in-depth guided tastings and tours for those who want to learn more about the processes they employ in their sustainable vineyard and winery.

Lyme Bay Winery near Axminster offers private guided tasting sessions in their Cellar Door, where you'll be talked through each wine, where the grapes are grown, how it's made and they'll even offer you a few all important wine buying tips. You'll leave for home with Winemaker's Notes on each of the wines you've sampled.

More beautiful vineyards with tours and tasting sessions to visit and experience…

Venn Valley Vineyard, near Barnstaple

Alder Vineyard, near Okehampton

Old Walls Vineyard, near Bishopsteignton

Wishing to delve a little deeper into wine? South West Wine School brings together the best wine educators in the south west to run Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) training courses at Darts Farm, near Topsham. Whether learning about different grapes for the first time or analysing a wine in a blind tasting, South West Wine School will take you on that voyage of discovery.

Beer and cider tours and tastings

Explore the world of brewing and fermenting

Sandford Orchards, near Crediton. You'll be able to look behind the scenes at the Cider Works,which boasts that it is the oldest working cider mill in the country, and see how award-winning Sandford Orchards cider is made. Round off the experience with a Q&A session and a cider tasting flight and pizza included in the price.

Salcombe Brewery If you have a desire to learn about beer and brewing, Salcombe Brewery is the place for you. Take yourself and fellow-beer lovers down to Salcombe Brewery. Their tours include a welcome drink in the Taproom, a tour of the Brewhouse with one of their knowledgeable brewers, who'll be more than happy (hoppy, even? Sorry!) to answer your questions, and you'll finish with a beer flight tasting back in the Taproom.

Other beer and cider tours and tastings to consider…

Hanlons Brewery, Newton St Cyres

Hunts Cider, Stoke Gabriel

Red Rock Brewery, Bishopsteignton

Rum experiences

Learn about the art of blending and rum distilling…

Devon Rum Co. Join the team at their waterside venue in Salcombe for a Rum Tasting Experience, complete with a very welcome drink, behind-the-scenes tour of their Blending House. You'll be able to try your hand at bottling rum, then enjoy an in-depth tasting of their four award-winning artisan rums. Ideal for rum fans and groups of friends to enjoy.

Two Drifters Distillery, near Exeter. Want to see a working rum distillery in action? Two Drifters were the first distillery to make rum from scratch in the UK. They'll fix you a drink, then gibe you a fascinating tour of the carbon-negative distillery. Smell the deliciously tempting scent of the genuine molasses and learn how they turn this high-quality material into finest quality rum. And then, it's a welcome return to the Rum Bar for a tasting flight.

Salcombe Rum School A visit here gives you the wonderful chance to craft your own rum and take it home with you. Learn about distillation and rum production, collect your botanicals, and create your own recipe and your own bottle label. Maybe leave the car at home as at least three rum cocktails feature in this experience!

Other recommended tours and tastings include 

Devon Distillery, Dartington

Hattiers Rum, Mothecombe, South Devon

Gin adventures

Go behind the scenes and make your own signature serve

Quayside Distillery, Exeter Quay. Join the gin experts in the lab for a wonderful 90-minute experience learning about the fundamentals of a well-balanced gin whilst you are learning and creating your own unique gin recipe. Or opt for a 60-minute experience with a master distiller where you'll taste your way through their flagship range.

Salcombe Gin School Take charge of a beautiful mini copper pot still to develop and distil your own 70cl signature bottle. Learn how they produce Salcombe Gin and what it takes to produce a balanced and harmonious gin whilst enjoying a 'Salcombe & Tonic'.

Gotland Gin, Beaworthy This novel experience begins in their outside bar with a G&T or soft drink before heading into the nano-distillery to see how Gotland Gin is produced. Next meet their flock of Gotland sheep and lambs during lambing season, then relax back in the bar and learn all about the botanicals while enjoying a few more tasters.

A few more to explore

Devon Distillery Gin School, Dartington

Sidmouth Gin School

Cocktail time

Time to mix, muddle and shake your way to a great time

Devon Rum Co. Cocktail Masterclass. Head to Salcombe to mix, muddle, and shake your way through a hands-on cocktail making session. You'll take charge of your very own and fully stocked cocktail station, have an introduction to mixology, then make (and drink) up to four unique rum-based cocktails. Might be best to not use your car to visit them!

Devon Cove Cocktail Masterclasses. Perfect for a fun night out with family members or friends or to celebrate a very special occasion. Hosted by an expert mixologist, you'll be able to learn how to make a range of delicious cocktails in the Kingsbridge Tasting Room. Try their award-winning spirits, learn the history of cocktails and play a few games, too!

Bar Buoy 'Cocktail Compass'. A one-off Tour, Talk and Tasting Event at the home of Bar Buoy handcrafted, ready mixed cocktails in Exmouth. Thursday, September 21, 7-9:00pm.

Coffee

Take your barista skills to the next level

Owens Coffee, Ivybridge. Latte Art Essentials Workshop. A two-hour course to awaken your inner barista and take your love of coffee to a higher level. However, it's important to realise that this is not your average coffee class, it's a vital experience that's all about having fun, unleashing your creativity, and elevating your coffee game, too. Several other coffee tasting, brewing and barista courses are on offer at Owens, too.

Learn cookery, fire and baking skills

From learning the right way to chop your onions, to how to cook over coals, to baking  the perfect sourdough

High Grange, Axminister Learn lots to apply in your own garden at this bespoke barbecue school which covers the full gambit of outdoor cookery. At Fire School you'll cover a variety of outdoor fire cooking and barbecue techniques and butchery with chef and food writer, Luke MacKay. Enjoy what you've just cooked, around the big oak table for lunch. Other masterclasses are available too.

Ashburton Cookery School is one of the UK's top cookery schools offering inspirational cookery courses taught by a team of keen and very expert chefs. With over 40 cookery courses to choose from, designed to suit beginners as well as the more advanced home cooks amongst our readers, they'll teach you to cook with imagination, passion and enjoyment… and how to chop an onion properly, too, as we just mentioned!

One Mile Bakery Boudicca Woodland runs One Mile Bakery in Exeter, making and delivering delicious and utterly delightful homemade bread, soups and preserves by bike within one mile of home mile, BUT she also teaches sourdough and other breadmaking classes in her Breadshed Microbakery. Her classes fill up rapidly, so do get in quick!

Sweet treats

Chocolate heaven for big and little ones…

Ilfracombe Chocolate Emporium Introduction to Chocolate Making. This lovely workshop session includes a talk on chocolate, learn the entire process of turning a bean into the chocolate you recognise whilst the chocolatier demonstrates how to hand-craft, hand-dip and properly decorate chocolates. They also run a 'Short & Sweet Tutorial' ideal for children and parents.

Salcombe Dairy Chocolate Factory Experience the sights, sounds and aromas of bean-to-bar chocolate being made and packaged onsite thanks to full height glass dividing walls between the factory and the shop.

Flapjackery Barbican Trail Pop into Flapjackery on Southside Street to pick up a free children's trail which takes you around the sights and sounds of Plymouth's historic Barbican. Chocolate treats for children who complete the Barbican Trail.

Growing and foraging

Learn more about working with nature to produce food more sustainably…

The Husbandry School near Ashburton. If you are interested in growing more of the food you eat and wish to do so in a natural, fully sustainable way, then Husbandry Skills courses are ideal for you. Or you'll be able to take your family and spend the day exploring nature and picking great things to eat on the way round.

Taw Valley Microgreens Lunch & Learn, a hands-on introduction to growing your own microgreens. Learn about producing food sustainably, enjoy a tasty lunch, walk in the meadow and return home with a freshly picked microgreen punnet. (That's Food and Drink love growing microgreens in our conservatory.)

The Pig at Combe Dig a little deeper into THE PIG's 'plot to plate' ethos with their free Kitchen Garden tours every last Friday of the month.

Broomhill Estate From photography to foraging, metalwork to music lessons, cookery to art appreciation, Broomhill Estate near Barnstaple is 103 acres of imagination and creativity. Sounds great!

Ebb Tides Seaweed, Sidmouth Seaweed Foraging and Pressing. One-off event on Sunday 17th September 1-5pm

The Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth. Sowing with Donkeys. One-off event on Monday, September 18, 3-6pm.

For more information on any of these experiences visit the individual member's website or for information on Food Drink Devon visit www.fooddrinkdevon.co.uk and follow @FoodDrinkDevon on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Worried about driving to and from the venues? Then you might like to check out suitable high quality hotels with the Devon Hotels and Restaurants Association website https://www.devonhotels.com.

(Incidentally, please mention our food and drink blog, That's Food and Drink, when you make a booking at any of the above food and drink venues)

Looking for a job in food retail? Then Aldi could help you

Aldi, which is the fourth-largest supermarket in the country already employs some 40,000 people over its 990+ branches.

And it's committed to creating over 800 jobs in new stores across the UK between now and Christmas. And they aren't just temporary jobs, either. 

Because Aldi is opening new branches in towns and cities like Oldham, Flitwick and Coventry plus many others up and down the country.

Beginning pay for Store Assistants at Aldi is £11.40 per hour nationally, and £12.85 per hour inside the M25, with the supermarket also paying for breaks, too.

Roles available include managerial roles, caretakers and cleaners, plus Store Apprentices.

Kelly Stokes, who is the Recruitment Director at Aldi UK, said: “As we continue to invest in new branches, we are seeking out hundreds of extra colleagues to join our incredible teams all over the country.

“Working at Aldi offers a great working environment, plus real opportunities to advance within the business and we look forward to welcoming even more people to be a part of our success in the future.”

Those interested in applying for a career with Aldi should visit www.aldirecruitment.co.uk as soon as they can.