Timothy Taylor's Brewery Partners With Thornbridge Brewery for First Ever Collaboration Beer in Their 165-Year History

Famed brewery Timothy Taylor's has chosen to work with the Thornbridge brewery for the first collaboration beer in their 165-year history to create Artesian, a stunningly refreshing Elderflower and Gooseberry Pale Ale, which is utterly perfect for summer refreshment.

The two breweries have long admired each other's approach to cask and craft beers respectively, with Landlord and Jaipur both being widely regarded as the pioneers within their respective categories, and both having won more awards than any other beers.

The brewers' mutual knowledge and passion led them to brew a style of beer that could be showcased in the more traditional cask format for pubs, but also enjoyed in keg format for bars and restaurants and from cans for at home consumption. 

The Artesian collaboration with Thornbridge comes just five months after Timothy Taylor's Hopical Storm became its first beer to be launched in cans.

Said Rob Lovatt, Head Brewer at Thornbridge: “We're incredibly proud to be the first brewery to work alongside Timothy Taylor's for a collaboration.

“Almost everyone at Thornbridge regularly drinks Landlord, so to create a modern pale ale with them is a really exciting idea for the whole team!”

Andy Leman, Timothy Taylor's Head Brewer, went on to say: “It's been a real, genuine pleasure to work alongside Rob Lovatt and the entire brewing team at Thornbridge to produce Artesian Elderflower and Gooseberry Pale Ale. They have a great reputation for their partnerships, and share our uncompromising passion for quality and consistency, so were a natural choice for brewing our first collaboration ale

“Artesian is a fresh pale ale that just screams summer and was brewed using Crystal, Chinook and Amarillo hops, Pale Ale malt and wheat. It's packed with aroma and flavour from the addition of elderflowers and gooseberries, and we're eager to hear how our customers enjoy it over the next few several weeks.”

At 4.2%, Artesian is a light, quaffable pale ale, which is brewed for easy enjoyment with bountiful elderflowers and zingy gooseberries added to create a really vibrant mix of summery flavours. For beer lovers who are keen on the concept of food pairing, it's a good match for goat cheese and fig crostini.

Artesian will be launching at the Thornbridge's Peakender Festival in the heart of the Peak District over the weekend of 18-20 August, and it will be available to trade and consumers from 21 August for a limited time only, so do watch out for it!

https://www.peakender.co.uk

https://thornbridgebrewery.co.uk

https://www.timothytaylor.co.uk

Love fish and chips? So where are the best options for you?

If you’re a lover of fish and chips then you’re in for a treat, because a new study has unveiled which UK cities have the most mouth-watering fish and chip menu items, with Birmingham boasting the widest range of options.

It’s not a secret that fish and chips reign as one of the UK's best known delicacies, but new research by the team at Betway has revealed which cities come out on top for their fish and chips offerings.

Taking a seedlist of some of the most populated cities, as well as some of the most popular staycation destination spots in the UK, the team set out to learn which cities reign supreme as the best spots to enjoy a classic fish and chips to help hungry Brits plan their next trip around their favourite cuisine.

Whether you’re someone who always goes for a classic cod and chips when ordering your chippy tea, or maybe you're keen to push the boat out and order something different every time you visit, having an extensive menu to choose from is never something to complain about.

As part of the report, the team looked at the highest-rated chippy in each city and compared how many menu items they have on offer.

Birmingham claims the top spot for having the most menu items at their highest-rated chippy (Gabriel's), which boasts a total of 113 menu options to choose from. 

Coming in at a close second is Nottingham whose highest-rated chippy (Fish Xpress) has an impressive 110 menu items, followed by Exeter in third place with 102 mouth-watering menu items available at their highest-rated chippy (Smart Fish Bar).

Making up the top five is Leicester in fourth place with their highest-rated chippy, Billy's Fish Bar, boasting 87 menu items, and Bristol claiming fifth position with 83 options from Mario's Fish Bar.

See how the top 10 cities ranked overall in the report: 

City

Number of menu options

1

Birmingham

113

2

Nottingham

110

3

Exeter

102

4

Leicester

87

5

Bristol

83

6

Leeds

75

7

Newquay

73

8

Edinburgh

72

9

Bath

66

10

York

65

To learn more please visit https://blog.betway.com/casino/uk-chippy-capitals.

Why not plant fruit trees in your garden?

King's Seeds have a wide range of fruit trees available for sale.

These include Peach Peregrine Fruit Tree - 4.5Ltr Pot.

Apricot Flavorcot® Fruit Tree - 4.5ltr Pot.

Plum Opal Fruit Tree - 4.5ltr Pot.

A spokesman from King's Seeds said: "We have 3 new patio fruit trees, on offer for three weeks only."

They are ready for despatch, but you must order them by 9am on Thursday 31st August.

Each fruit tree costs £32.

To learn more and to place your orders please visit https://www.kingsseeds.com.

These would make ideal presents for the home gardeners in your life, but please do establish beforehand to make sure they have enough garden space and the right type of soil for the fruit trees concerned.

Kellogg UK Commits to Supporting Veterans and their Families with Armed Forces Covenant Pledge

Top UK breakfast cereal maker, Kellogg UK has made a special commitment to veterans, reservists, and their families by signing up for the Armed Forces Covenant.

The Covenant is a voluntary pledge which acknowledges by the organisation that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect.

Kellogg’s has a K-Vets and Supporters network at its HQ in MediaCity which is committed to incorporating top tier veteran talent into all levels of the organisation.

The cereal and snacks company actively supports the employment of veterans, recognising military skills and qualifications in its recruitment and selection process.

Chris Silcock, who is Kellogg UK MD said: “At Kellogg’s we believe everyone should have a place at the table. By signing the Armed Forces Covenant we hope to become a career destination for military veterans. We'll continue to actively support the employment of veterans, recognising military skills and qualifications in our recruitment and selection process.”

The company has a strong KVets programme in the USA which supports the 490 ex-military personnel working in Kellogg North America via its Battle Buddies and Military Mentorship Programme.

Chris Silcock was joined by Commander Judith Barnes Royal Navy Reserve, Air Employer Engagement Regional Officer and Colonel Darren Doherty yesterday at Kellogg’s MediaCity HQ to officially sign the Covenant.

Colonel Darren Doherty, Commander Army North West Region commented: “I'm delighted to witness a huge global company like Kelloggs, and one with roots that are firmly in the North West, publicly pledging their continued support to the Armed Forces community: serving regular, reserves, veterans and their families, by signing the Armed Forces Covenant. I look forward to supporting Kellogg’s in their next steps towards achieving award status as part of the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme.”

Kellogg’s donated 19,000 servings of food over the past year to charities across the UK who state their primary audience as being military personnel, veterans or their families. This includes residential settings, training centres, drop in and day centres.

Andrew Western MP said: “I’m delighted Kellogg’s has signed the Armed Forces Covenant Pledge. Our Armed Forces community obviously deserves to be treated with fairness, respect, and compassion; not just when serving, but as they transition back into civilian life.

Kellogg’s employs hundreds of people across its head office in Media City and its factory in Trafford Park, so I have no doubt that the service people and veterans living within my constituency of Stretford and Urmston will benefit from this.”

Kellogg’s also recently removed the requirement for job applicants to the company to have a degree as part of its drive to become a more inclusive employer.

https://www.kelloggs.co.uk/en_GB/home.html

(Image courtesy scan5353 and Pixabay)

That's Books and Entertainment: Aardvark Books the bookshop and café near the Wels...

That's Books and Entertainment: Aardvark Books the bookshop and café near the Wels...: Aardvark Books is a unique bookshop and café which is situated in the Shropshire village of Brampton Bryan, which is near Bucknell.  It'...

That's Christmas: Plan ahead for Christmas and save money!

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Violife the cheese alternative and more, besides

I'm neither a vegan or even a vegetarian, but I cannot eat dairy cheese for health reasons. 

Whilst we were discussing what to give up for Lent, my wife encouraged me to give up dairy cheese for Lent, which, to her -and my!- surprise I was able to do so.

Within weeks we noticed that my skin was now perfect, my hair stopped being greasy and my hair started to grow back, after years of receding. 

As a result cheese is now a very rare item in my diet. But I admit that after a lifetime of eating (too much?) cheese I am still missing it. Especially cream cheese for some reason!

Whilst browsing through the Morrison's "free from section" I found a tub of Violife spread. I added it to my shopping trolley and took it home.

It was the Creamy Original type and was nicely creamy and absolutely delicious. If someone had spread some on a cracker and handed it to me, I really do not think I could have told that it wasn't dairy cheese.

Next time I'm off to the shops I'll look out for Violife Creamy Garlic and Herbs and also Creamy Cheddar Flavour.

Violife also has a wide range of other vegan-friendly products including spread, blocks, sliced, grated and Vioblock which is designed for baking, cooking, etc. 

https://www.violife.com

Tesco announces major change to cut bills in its Tesco Express stores

Tesco has recently today an important and major overhaul to the range of products it stocks in its Express stores, as it reinforces its position as the UK’s best value convenience store chain.

The overhaul will see over 50 key everyday products replaced with even more keenly-priced alternatives, many of which are from its own-brand range, with some items less than one third of the price of the products they are replacing.

Across the in excess of 50 products included in the change, shoppers will find the own-brand alternatives are, on average, over 40% cheaper than the products they're to replace.

This move comes in response to the supermarket’s internal shopping data, which shows price-conscious customers are increasingly turning to own-brand products to get better value, whilst not compromising on quality. 

Among the own brand lines that are to be introduced are Tesco penne pasta (85p) and Tesco smooth peanut butter (£1.65), both of which will cost 50% of the price of the previous branded products that were stocked.

Bags of Tesco frozen garden peas (£1.65), being stocked in Express store freezers as part of the change, will be nearly 40% cheaper than the branded product they are to replace. Tesco basmati rice pouches (75p) will fill the space on the shelves left by a branded equivalent which costed 30% more.

Some branded lines, including toothpaste, are being replaced by a cheaper branded alternative at less than a third of the price. And to provide better value for parents, Tesco is reducing the price of some packs of branded nappies in Express stores by as much as 40%.

Tesco Convenience MD Sarah Lawler said: “We know customers are watching every penny at the moment, so it's our hope these helpful product swaps will bring down average food bills for even more families."

She went on to say: “Our Express stores offer unbeatable value on everything from essentials to fresh produce, thus making healthy food more accessible for the 2,000 communities we serve across the UK. And while our convenience stores don’t have the shelf space to carry the full range of our larger shops, by swapping these products, we’ve been able to make way for even more of our great-value own brand ranges.”

The new products will be delivered to stores over the coming couple of weeks, with the change-over complete by the end of the month, August.

A spokesman concluded: "This latest change is just another way Tesco is delivering great value for its Express customers, with Tesco Clubcard holders being able to take advantage of the supermarket’s Clubcard Prices discounts in Express stores too."

www.tesco.com

No cook chilled porridge

No cook chilled porridge is a dish I invented myself many years ago.

Very late one evening I was pouring some cold milk into a bowl of porridge oats. I realised that I wasn't hungry after all, so I placed the bowl in the fridge and went to bed.

The next morning I remembered the bowl of oats and I took it out and took a mouthful. The result was better than anything I had ever expected. 

The oats had perfectly melded with the milk and I had inadvertently created a bowl of utterly delicious cold porridge.

The recipe is simplicity in itself.

Take one bowl of porridge oats. 

Fill to the brim with the chilled milk of your choice, dairy or non-dairy.

You can add brown sugar, honey, etc to add sweetness if you wish.

Stirring in cinnamon or mixed spice with dried mixed fruit is a good idea, but do make certain any spices you add are properly mixed throughout. The dried mixed fruits will absorb the moisture from the milk and will plump up very nicely.

You can also add sliced or ground nuts.

When the bowl of porridge is ready, place it in your fridge and leave it overnight or throughout the day until it is ready for you to eat.

Actually, you could try oat alternatives if you want to give that a try. 

You can garnish with freshly cut fruits including bananas, strawberries, etc.

(Image courtesy of  Pictavio from Pixabay)

Sainsbury’s opens brand-new store in Ketley, Telford

Sainsbury’s has launched its newest store this week with the opening of Sainsbury’s Ketley Holyhead Road Local in Telford, Shropshire.

 Now open from 7am to 11pm seven days a week, the new store has created new jobs for local people and supporting regeneration in the neighbourhood, whilst providing more convenience and shopping choice for residents. 

Customers will now have the opportunity to enjoy Sainsbury’s latest convenience range, from fresh fruit and veg, healthy snacks and food-to-go to sweet, savoury and frozen staples. 

They'll also be able to choose from a delicious selection of freshly baked breads and pastries daily, as well as picking up Argos, Habitat and Tu Clothing products ordered online via the in-store Click and Collect service.

Conveniently based on Holyhead Road, the new store was built on the site of The White Lion pub. Sainsbury’s was originally due to lease the building from the owner of the former public house, but subsequently stepped in to purchase the site and build a new store following serious complications during the previous owner’s conversion. 

The new convenience store was sensitively designed in conjunction with the local planning authority, to reflect the look and feel of The White Lion and remain in keeping with the local area.

The colleagues that comprise the new store team will play an active role in the local community whilst also participating in Sainsbury’s national charitable schemes and programmes and initiatives. EG, through Sainsbury’s partnership with Neighbourly, the new Local store will work with local food donation partners including Telford Crisis Support to help ensure all surplus foods from the store will go to those who need it the most. 

Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s Property Director, said: “It’s been a pleasure to welcome Sainsbury’s Ketley Holyhead Local to our estate this week. We really pulled out all the stops to build the best store we could, working with the Council to agree on and incorporate various nods to the appearance of the original building. We’re delighted with the result and we think our customers will be too.” 

Adrian Harris, Sainsbury’s Ketley Holyhead Road Local Store Manager, said: “It was a privilege to join members of my new store team to cut the ribbon and declare our new Sainsbury’s Local open for the community. We know our neighbours have been looking forward to our arrival and we were really pleased to be able to welcome them for the first time today.”  

(EDITOR: It's interesting to recall that the original building dated back to at least the 16th century, it bore a plaque dated 1661, so the building was at least 362 years old.

This is what the White Lion looked like before it was demolished, the image is attributed to Gordon Cragg / The White Lion, Ketley / CC BY-SA 2.0.)