SCI-MX has a wide range of premium quality nutritional supplements

UK-based SCI-MX offers a wide range of premium quality nutrition supplements at affordable prices.

SCI-MX was launched back in 2007 to help nurture, support and inspire sportsmanship in everyone. 

Based on their latest research, the products are developed in-house by its team of fully-qualified nutritionists.

SCI-MX focus on three aspects: Developing sports performance, enhancing physical appearance, and positively aiding health and well-being.

SCI-MX has a whole range of protein powders including diet protein:

Diet protein

Diet Protein (£39.99): https://sci-mx.co.uk/collections/protein-powders/products/diet-protein-1

 22g protein per serving

110 calories per serving

Low sugar

Unique blend of vitamins and minerals.

Balanced nutrition

With Green Tea, CLA and L-Carnitine

This is a diet-targeted lean protein shake formulated with added vitamins and minerals for many health benefits. The Diet Protein has the ideal balance of protein, fat, and carbs for people on a calorie-restricted diet and a health exercise regime. Available in strawberry and chocolate 

Diet Shake Meal Replacement

Diet Shake Meal Replacement (£29.99): https://sci-mx.co.uk/products/diet-shake-meal-replacement?_pos=1&_sid=4948de201&_ss=r 

25g protein per serving 

204 calories per serving 

Supports weight loss by replacing higher calorie meals 

Nutritionally balanced formula for weight loss

Provides 24 essential micronutrients 

High in Calcium and Zinc 

The Nutritionally balanced, high protein meal replacement shake is designed to contribute to weight loss and contains 25g protein, only 203 calories per serving and 24 essential micronutrients. Available in three delicious flavours: chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. 

Incidentally, one key point you should remember is not only do they work well, they also taste exceptionally good, too and so are very pleasant to use.

Top tomato brand Mutti hunts for UKs top tomato cooks!

Top Italian tomato brand, Mutti, is delighted to launch its 2023 edition of the Golden Tomato Cook Competition.

This amazing yearly culinary event is aimed at celebrating all things tomato and the exceptional quality and taste of its Italian tomato products. 

To launch the search for the UK’s best tomato cook, Mutti has revealed the fascinating results from its chef survey, shedding light on their perceptions, and preferences when it comes to tomato-based ingredients. 

The eye-opening facts challenge common beliefs about tomatoes but also highlight the importance of quality, taste, and sustainable practices in the culinary world.

Kirsty Beckman, who is the Brand Manager UK for Mutti says: “It's an exciting time of year for Mutti where we begin our yearly search for our next Golden Tomato Cook. 

"To celebrate this, we thought it was a great chance to see what chefs in the UK think about tomatoes. We've unveiled some really surprising results from the survey, including tomato myths and insightful preferences. 

"We’re now calling all tomato enthusiasts to unearth the chef within them and join Mutti's Golden Tomato Cook Competition, 2023. 

"We're calling on them to show us their creative flair and craft a spectacular three-course menu featuring our Polpa Finely Chopped Tomatoes, Peeled Tomatoes, Passata, and Double Concentrated Tomato Puree. 

"With esteemed judges and remarkable prizes, this is their chance to shine. Enter now at cooking competition entry page and let your passion for great food and cooking take the spotlight!"

Tomatoes are the Indispensable Ingredient

The survey uncovered the essential ingredients chefs simply can't live without, and unsurprisingly, tomatoes and/or tomato products secured the top spot at 44%. This reaffirms the integral role Mutti's tomatoes play in elevating dishes to new heights. Salt and/or Pepper, and Olive Oil came second and third respectively.

The Fruit That Masquerades as a Vegetable

Surprisingly, 55% of chefs confessed to misidentifying tomatoes as vegetables, when in fact, they are really  fruits. This stunning admission shows even amongst chefs there's still much to learn and love about the not-so-humble tomatoes.

The survey further showcased that whilst 44% of chefs acknowledged the centuries-old (over 500 years in fact) heritage of Italian tomatoes, only half of them were aware the famous San Marzano tomatoes exclusively hail from the Campania region, adding a delightful layer of historical context to the chef's staple.

Also, 51% of chefs correctly recognised the presence of lycopene in tomatoes, known for its considerable and important health benefits; a powerful antioxidant that can help protect cells from damage. This highlights the importance of not only taste but also the nutritional value of ingredients in modern culinary creations.

Tomato Quality is Key!

When it comes to tomato-based ingredients, the top three factors that matter the most to chefs are quality (42%), product size (36%), and flavour and/or great taste (35%). This indicates that Mutti's commitment to providing premium quality tomatoes is aligned with the priorities of culinary professionals, who value excellence in ingredients above all else.

The Global Tomato Perspective

Another fascinating insight revealed the top countries perceived by chefs to produce the best quality tomatoes include Italy, India, and the USA. Italy's inclusion in the top three enhances the Golden Tomato Cook Competition, as Mutti is proud to showcase the unrivalled quality of its tomato products, made using only the highest quality 100% Italian tomatoes, as well as the products’ unique flavour profile and taste.

The Conscientious Chef

The survey also delved into ethical considerations of chefs when selecting ingredients. Over half of the chefs surveyed (51%) stressed the importance of responsibly and fairly sourced ingredients, with 57% emphasising the need for ingredients from reputable and known brands. 

This aligns with Mutti's dedicated commitment to sustainable working practices including protecting the diversity and vitality of the environment to ensure long term sustainability, which Mutti continues to educate on the importance of, for longevity and the best tomato product. Mutti also focuses on long term relationships with their farmers, paying an average 10% higher than the market average to ensure mutually beneficial relationships.

But what's more, 55% of chefs agreed ingredients must be of the best quality, something Mutti has been uncompromising on for over 120 years. The fact that 54% of chefs emphasised the significance of great taste and/or flavour reaffirms one of the central focuses of the Golden Tomato Cook Competition.

The search of the UK’s Golden Tomato Cook is now on!

Mutti's 3rd Golden Tomato Cook Competition is here, paying homage to the revered Pomodorino d'oro, where Mutti rewards the farmer who supplies the highest quality produce whilst also using sustainable and responsible practices.

Mutti's cooking contest celebrates sustainable excellence and invites home cooks to craft the ultimate three-course menu with Mutti Essentials - Polpa Finely Chopped Tomatoes, Peeled Tomatoes, Passata, and Double Concentrated Tomato Puree.

Enter with a starter, main, and bonus dish of your choice, with each recipe highlighting a different Mutti Essential and its unique characteristics. The esteemed judging panel, which includes top chefs Carlo Casoni, Nigel Barden, Ben Tish, and Gabriella Margiotta, will assess dishes based on taste, presentation, and above all, making tomatoes the hero. 

Public vote shortlists five menus, and the final three compete in a live cook off at Sauce, by The Langham in London on 19th October 2023. The grand prize is an exclusive foodie trip to Parma, Italy,  the home of Mutti, along with mentorship from Chef Ben Tish. 2nd prize is a virtual cooking class with Mutti head chef, Carlo, and the 3rd prize is a 3-course meal for 2 at Eataly restaurants. 4th and 5th place winners will receive a produce hamper from Mutti.

Contestants have until 23:59 on 26th September 2023 to create and submit their menus online, so there is no time to lose, get creating and get your entries in. To enter, visit https://mutti-parma.com/en/golden-tomato-cook-2023-entry/ where you'll be able to discover recipe inspiration and tips too. Terms and conditions apply.

(Pictures: provided by Mutti)

https://mutti-parma.com

Home frozen bananas make an excellent treat

Home frozen bananas make a nutritious, tasty and cooling treat for those hot summer days. And I offer my thanks to my wife, Anni, for coming up with this idea.

Peel your bananas, place then in a suitable freezer proof container, perhaps employing freezer boxes or freezer bags and then place them in your freezer.

Leave them in your freezer for a suitable period of time (at least several hours) and then taken them out and enjoy them as a very tasty, frozen treat.

Yes, we admit to being inspired by the folks over at Pukpip who produce very tasty chocolate dipped banana lollies. You can read about them, here https://thatsfoodanddrink.blogspot.com/2023/07/pukpip-on-path-to-rapid-growth.html.

However, my wife does have a chocolate allergy so her idea of non-dipped frozen bananas is very helpful to herself and anyone else who has a chocolate allergy. 

Frozen bananas will make an excellent sweet but low sugar snack for any time of the year and I feel they'll make a great treat for Christmas, perhaps especially if served with typical Christmas sweet spices such as ginger, all spice, cinnamon, etc. That is if you can stop people from eating them as soon as they are frozen!) 

(Image courtesy of Guilherme Machado from Pixabay)

That's Christmas: Why Not Try Crafting for Christmas?

That's Christmas: Why Not Try Crafting for Christmas?: Why not try your hand at crafting for Christmas this year? It’s a great way of learning new skills or honing old ones.  And you will be able...

Feast for a Fiver as Waitrose ‘wraps’ up your lunchtimes with a new meal deal

Waitrose customers will be able to get a sandwich, a wrap, salad or sushi, plus a snack and a drink for a Fiver.

And what's more, the Waitrose Food to Go range is made without compromising quality and also adhering to high animal welfare standards.

The new Waitrose meal deal will launch on 30th August. For £5 customers can opt from over 300 products and can decide on one of their sandwiches, wraps or salads, or sushi (from a special selected range), alongside a choice of snacks from a curated selection of cereal bars, crisps and snack pots, plus a drink. 

Options available within the offer include customer faves like their Essential Waitrose Cheese & Onion sandwich, PlantLiving No Duck Hoisin Wrap, Waitrose Prawn Mayo sandwich, Waitrose Chicken & Bacon Caesar wrap, Waitrose PlantLiving VLT, Waitrose Chicken, Tomato & Basil Pasta, Taiko Crispy Duck Rolls, Waitrose Flapjack, Waitrose LoveLife Nuts, Fruit & Seeds, Deliciously Ella Cashew Cranberry Fruit Nut & Seed Bar, Waitrose Pineapple Fingers (120g), Waitrose Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice and Waitrose Strawberry & Banana Smoothie. 

Jennifer Moscardini, who is Waitrose's Food to Go Buyer, said: “We’re a nation of sandwich lovers. Sales are up almost 40% over the past three years. More people are returning to work from their offices again, and travelling more, so obviously they're looking for a fantastic meal deal option. 

“This lunchtime deal means our customers will be able to get a great quality sandwich, wrap, salad or sushi, plus a snack and a drink for £5, and if they have a myWaitrose loyalty card, and a reusable cup they can get a free cup of coffee at the same time!"

She went on to say: "And we haven't compromised on our standards, either. We use British higher welfare chicken, pork & beef in all our sandwiches, MSC prawns and salmon, and all our eggs come from free range hens. 

“This year we’ve introduced more meal deals than ever before to help our customers with the cost of living crisis, plus investing £100m in new lower prices across our aisles, too.

"Our best-selling sandwich over the last ten years has been prawn mayonnaise, followed by Egg Mayonnaise and the Classic BLT - but now wraps have become increasingly popular with one in four people buying a wrap instead."

List of top ten best-selling sandwiches 10 years ago:

Waitrose Prawn mayonnaise

Waitrose Egg mayonnaise and cress

Waitrose Classic BLT

Essential Waitrose Tuna Mayo 

Waitrose Smoked Ham & Cheese

Essential Waitrose Egg Mayonnaise

Essential Waitrose cheese & onion

Waitrose Salmon & Cucumber

Waitrose Salmon & Cream Cheese

Waitrose Chicken & Bacon 

List of top ten best-selling sandwiches/wraps today:

Waitrose Prawn mayonnaise sandwich 

Waitrose Essential Cheese and Onion

Waitrose Essential Egg mayonnaise sandwich 

Waitrose Steak & caramelised onion chutney sandwich

Waitrose Hoisin duck wrap 

Waitrose Chicken & Bacon Caesar wrap 

Waitrose Essential Tuna mayonnaise sandwich 

Waitrose Salt Beef & Mustard Mayonnaise sandwich 

Waitrose Salmon & Cream Cheese sandwich 

Waitrose Classic BLT 

waitrose.co.uk

East Horsley store relaunched as new Sainsbury’s Local

Sainsbury’s has recently opened its first store in East Horsley. This follows weeks of renovations and upgrade works to convert the premises on the corner of Kingston Avenue and Ockham Road South into a brand-new Sainsbury’s Local.

Sainsbury's has joined forces with North Guildford Food Bank as its local food donation partner, thus ensuring donations and excess food from the shop will go to local people in the community who need it the most. 

The charity joined Sainsbury’s colleagues, around half of whom are new to the store with the other half transferring from the previous store, to cut the ribbon and celebrate the opening morning.

Conveniently located at the end of Ockham Road South’s popular shopping parade, the new 2,000 sq. ft Sainsbury’s will serve and help customers between the hours of 7am and 11pm, daily.

The opening will bring a carefully curated selection of Sainsbury’s great value, high-quality foods, drinks, plus general merchandise within easier reach of East Horsley residents, whose nearest Sainsbury’s store was over six miles away in Fetcham until now. 

Offering everything from fresh bread and cakes baked daily in-store to delicious fresh fruit and veg, meat, fish and meal solutions, the new store is specially designed to bring more convenience and choice to customers.

As well as a dedicated Costa Coffee machine, customers can also take advantage of a new Click & Collect service in the store, conveniently which enables them to order online from Sainsbury’s much-loved Argos, Habitat and Tu Clothing brands for collection whilst they pick up their groceries.

Patrick Dunne, who is Sainsbury’s Property Director, said: “It’s always a genuine pleasure to bring Sainsbury’s to a new community for the first time and we’re really pleased to have completed work on this fresh Local in East Horsley.

"I hope our customers in the village will enjoy their new-look convenience store, both for the fantastic colleague service and the high-quality Sainsbury’s products now on offer in the same convenient location.”

Ryan Thompson, who is Sainsbury’s East Horsley Local Store Manager, said: “I’d like to thank everyone in the community for all the fantastic support we’ve received leading up to our opening, particularly the colleagues that make up my new team in-store. 

"I’m really proud of how we’ve come together to make the store’s launch a success. I’d also like to thank our customers for bearing with us whilst we transformed the store, it’s great to now be welcoming everyone to experience it for themselves.”

(EDITOR: My wife and I plan on making a visit to our new Sainsbury's local store which is a short distance from our home.)

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk

Lidl predicts jump in ice cream sales, despite gloomy weather

Lidl GB has announced its opening hours for today,  August Bank Holiday Monday.

Despite a somewhat varied, mixed weather forecast, Lidl is still predicting a rise in sales of its ice creams and lollies, after it saw sales of its frozen range surge during recent a recent spell of wet weather.

Shoppers are guaranteed to bag a bank holiday Monday bargain after Lidl GB was crowned cheapest supermarket for seven months in a row by the Manchester Evening News newspaper, whilst being named the cheapest supermarket for BBQ essentials by Which? magazine.

Despite the mixed weather forecast, with temperatures set to drop again this bank holiday, Lidl GB is predicting a surge in ice cream sales, after seeing an 8.1% in sales of its frozen range during the recent rainy period.

The update comes as Lidl GB confirms its bank holiday opening times, while sharing the quietest times to shop as customers gear up for the bank holiday.

On the Bank Holiday Monday, today, stores across England and Wales will open between 8am and 8pm, whilst Scotish branches will remain open as normal. Some store opening times could vary, so customers are advised to check the store finder on Lidl’s website for details on their local Lidl branches.

Customers planning to stock up on frozen treats can get their hands on wide range of ice creams and lollies, including its Gelatelli Classic Ice Creams (£2.65) that recently received the Which? Best Buy accolade in June 2023. 

https://www.lidl.co.uk

You can find your nearest Lidl store, here:

https://www.lidl.co.uk/c/store-finder/s10023098

Aldi expects to sell a bottle of fizz nearly every second

Aldi is predicting sales of its fizz range will jump 35%, as we Brits celebrate despite a lack of sunshine.

Shoppers can pick up a bottle of Aldi's popular Specially Selected Valdobbiadene Prosecco for a mere £7.99 a bottle, obviously available while stocks last.

Multiple Retailer of the Year, Aldi, is expecting bumper sales of its award-winning fizz range this Bank Holiday weekend, including today.

Despite a lack of sunny weather conditions, Aldi expects sales to jump 35% week on week, as we Brits celebrate our extra day off work.

Revellers are set to consume almost two million glasses of fizzy wines, that’s nearly a bottle of bubbly flying off Aldi’s shelves every second of the day.

So shoppers will be absolutely delighted to learn that Aldi's slashed the cost of its popular Specially Selected Valdobbiadene Prosecco (75cl) across stores all over the country.

Reduced to £7.99 a bottle from the original £8.49, this quality Italian sparkling wine is favoured for its light, creamy flavour and it delicate floral touches. Making a refreshing and aesthetically pleasing bottle of bubbles, perfect for raising a toast to the Bank Holiday weekend. No matter what the great British weather throws at us!

Aldi’s Specially Selected Valdobbiadene Prosecco is available in stores now, whilst stocks last.

You can check on the opening times of your nearest Aldi store here https://www.aldi.co.uk/opening-times/bank-holiday.

https://www.aldi.co.uk

Asda announces 425 branded and own-label price cuts

Asda has  announced price reductions on 425 branded and own-label products. This is part of its continued support for families who are impacted by the continuing cost of living crisis.

It's investing £23m to reduce prices by an average of 11% on some of the most popular products bought by customers on a weekly basis. This includes nappies, infant follow on milk, bread, cheese, cereals, pasta, fish fingers, sausages and chicken breasts.

These reductions follow on a £13m investment last month to cut prices on over 200 own-label products by an average of 9%.

Asda is increasing support for its customers as its latest Income Tracker shows family budgets remain under pressure from rising living costs. Despite the CPI inflation rate easing last month, family disposable incomes remain much lower than before the cost-of-living crisis, down by over £100 per month for the average household compared against July 2021.

Kris Comerford, who is Asda’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “While the headline inflation rate may have eased slightly last month, our own figures show us many customers continue to struggle with rising living costs. 

"So we've targeted this latest price investment on products our customers buy week-in and week-out, to help their shopping budgets stretch a bit further. We’re also continuing to work closely with our suppliers and whenever there's a chance to pass on commodity price savings to customers we'll do this.” 

The price reductions are already effective in all stores that stock those products and online.

Asda's also continuing to offer support to families by extending its hugely popular ‘Kids Eat for £1’ café meal offer for the rest of this year. Since launching this initiative in July 2022, Asda has served 2m meals from its cafes and invested £1.3m to keep the meal prices pegged at £1.

www.asda.com

Bumper British melon crop harvested

Lovers of watermelons (EDITOR: This includes my wife and I!) will be in for a treat this year, because  there's a record-breaking bumper UK-grown crop on the way.

Shoppers will be able to judge for themselves when the predicted 11,000 UK-grown watermelons, the biggest crop ever produced and harvested in Britain, -exclusively hit Tesco shelves this coming week.

The fruit has been produced by the UK’s biggest watermelon grower, Oakley Farms which is based in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, under the careful guidance of melon growing expert James Cackett.

James, who is as a fruit technical manager for Tesco, has spent the last 15 years working with both seed houses and British growers on developing varieties that are perfect for the UK climate and soil.

James said: “This is an absolutely  massive achievement by Oakley Farms as their previous production record was around 5,500 watermelons a few years ago so to double that inside two years is a fantastic achievement.

“The growing of watermelons in Britain is still a small and developing industry with only a handful of producers scattered all over the UK.

“When we first started selling them, in very small quantity, about 10 years back, Tesco customers were curious as to whether such an exotic looking fruit could ever be grown over here in the UK.

“But they're now very popular with shoppers firmly committed to supporting British growers and each year demand gets stronger, so it doesn’t take very long for the entire crop to sell out.”

Oakley Farms and Tesco have worked together on watermelon production for seven years and while the rainy July certainly slowed production somewhat, lesson learned from previous years has still resulted in a record-breaking year in terms of volume of production.

The farm is also the UK’s biggest producer of pumpkins and also grows courgettes and pumpkins and courgettes are both members of the cucurbit family, as are watermelons.

Oakley Farms manager Nick Molesworth added: “We began growing them after Tesco approached us and offered to work with us on the project and we felt that it made good sense as the crop would fit in perfectly between production of courgettes in late spring and pumpkins in the early autumn months.

“We've tried several different methods of growing the watermelons and are now getting more fruit per plant so the hard work is beginning to pay off for us.

“However, I have to say that they're not that easy to grow and the British climate can also be a bit of a challenge,  but we’re very pleased with this year’s crop. We believe that growing watermelons is a natural evolution for our business.”

The water melons are set to go on sale in x Tesco stores and will cost £3.49 each for the standard size and £2.50 for the mini size.

www.tesco.com