Gees Restaurant & Bar Brings Back Express Lunch Menu!

Gees Restaurant & Bar is absolutely thrilled to announce the return of their highly anticipated Express Lunch Menu which started earlier this week, on Monday 4th September. The new menu is available weekdays, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays), from 12:00 to 6:00 pm.

Served alongside their All Day Menu, this new menu addition offers a lighter dining option catering for those who are seeking out a quick lunch break, casual midday indulgences, and energising business meals.

After a brief hiatus due to a stunning refurbishment that took place last year, Head Chef Lee Parsons and his dedicated team are obviously delighted and excited to revive this tradition, one that has contributed to Gees' well-deserved reputation as a beloved neighbourhood gem, embraced by both locals and visitors.

"The return of the Express Lunch Menu is an exciting moment for all of us, here at Gees. It's a chance for us to weave together the diverse tastes of the Mediterranean into a concise, simple and delicious dining experience.

It's the kind of lunch you'll want to sneak away from work for, and honestly, we're just excited to share it with you again." says Head Chef Lee.

Like Quod, its sister restaurant also by The Oxford Collection, Gees’ new offering features an enticing two or three-course selection for a set price: two courses for £23.50 or three courses for £27.50.

The re-launch on Monday the 4th of September showcases Gees’ signature Mediterranean style with dishes inspired by the regions of Spain and Italy throughout the year. Expect a celebration of flavours, an homage to the seasons, and a warm invitation to savour something exceptional.

A few opening dishes include…

Figure 1 ‘Artichoke, fig and prosciutto pizzetta'

Figure 2 'Grilled red mullet, new potatoes and romesco'

Figure 3 'Churros with chocolate sauce'

Reservations for the Express Lunch menu are now open and can be booked online or by phone on 01865 553540.

With its rich history and newly enhanced setting, Gees Restaurant & Bar invites everyone to come and enjoy an unforgettable lunchtime experience be it in their Victorian glasshouse or the new ‘Secret Garden’ while the sun lingers!

Telephone number: 01865 553540

Website: https://www.geesrestaurant.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/geesrestaurant

Instagram: www.instagram.com/geesrestaurant

Twitter: www.twitter.com/GeesRestaurant

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/geesrestaurant

Tired of bland snacks? The Sainsbury's and CRAVE have got great news for you!

Challenger brand CRAVE has secured listings in selected Sainsbury's stores for its recently re-launched snacks: Pickled Onion Noughties and Hot & Spicy Hot Dawgs. Both are vegan and free from allergens, but they insist on not compromising on taste.   

Crave's tongue-in-cheek approach and fun, playful attitudes have resulted in some cheeky stunts which have proven to be highly effective, including an e-van outside Sainsburys HQ which read; “Dear Sainsbury's, We got sued, please stock us so we can pay our legal fees. Thanks, Love Crave x”

Created and launched by food consultant and former chef Rob Brice, Crave has developed products which are for everyone to enjoy, whether you're vegan, have an allergy or not.

“We are overjoyed to have Sainsbury's on board in our quest to banish blandness! For those with allergies or a preference for a vegan diet, the days of searching for tasty snacks are over.” explains Rob.  

CRAVE's journey this year hasn't been boring; to say the very least! A cease and desist order was issued from some big multinationals which led to CRAVE having to re-launch some of its named products.

In truth, it's It been a tumultuous several months, but this new backing from Sainsbury's shows hard work and perseverance pays off and the free-from and vegan market is very much in demand.

PRODUCT: CRAVE Pickled Onion Noughties Sharing Bag

DESCRIPTION: Pickled Onion flavour maize snack. Free from milk and gluten. Suitable for a vegan diet.

PRICE: from £2.00 for an 80g bag.

LISTING: Available in 198 Sainsbury's stores and online from 10th September 2023

PRODUCT: CRAVE Hot & Spicy Hot Dawgs Sharing Bag

DESCRIPTION: Hot & Spicy flavour maize snack. Free from milk and gluten. Suitable for a vegan diet.

PRICE: from £2.00 for an 80g bag.

LISTING: Available in 198 Sainsbury's stores and online from 10th September 2023

Want to join the Crave revolution and become a stockist? Please email hello@cravenomore.co.uk 

That's Christmas: 7 Top Tips for a Festive European Cheeseboard Che...

That's Christmas: 7 Top Tips for a Festive European Cheeseboard Che...: All over Europe and indeed beyond, a cheeseboard is a popular way to celebrate time together and the Christmas holiday period always present...

The Complete Airfryer by Sam & Dom Milner

Once or twice a month I visit the offices of my main employer in Liverpool. In the staff kitchen there is an airfryer. I have never used it so far because, to be honest, I don't know how to and I haven't gotten around to asking for advice on how to use it from my colleagues.

But there's a fantastic new cookery book out, published by White Lion Publishing (publication date 21st September) called The Complete Airfryer by Sam & Dom Milner that will help everyone become airfrying experts.

Sam and Dom are the air fryer experts, so this handy book is your comprehensive go-to resource, with something for every day, every meal and every taste, too.

Whether you're a busy parent, a budget-conscious student, a healthy eating-focused home cook or just cooking for one, an air fryer is the perfect choice for your kitchen.

It's got a lot going for it, really. It's eco-friendly as it's energy efficient, uses a minimal amount of fat and creates crispy, flavourful food, often in half the time of a traditional oven. 

The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook delivers all the recipes and know-how that you will require to make the most of this genuinely game-changing appliance.

Authors Sam and Dom Milner have lived and breathed air-fryer cooking for over a decade. As the creators of the highly successful website RecipeThis.com, they offer exactly the recipes you are looking for, along with excellent tips on how to get the most delicious of results.

This beginner-friendly book contains 140 recipes for every meal, from breakfasts and baking right through to family roasts and healthy (and budget-friendly) alternatives to takeaways. 

The delicious recipes include: Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs. Simple Minted Lamb Steaks, Rainbow Salmon Bowls, Perfect Halloumi Fajitas, The Ultimate Roast Chicken Dinner and Chocolate Cake, too.

On top of that, key step-by-step recipes, like how to make the perfect roast chicken and air fry vegetables, share their expert techniques which you can apply to a whole range of dishes.

Both metric and imperial measurements are included throughout the book, plus dedicated advice and instructions for a wide range of different machines.

The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook is your one-stop shop for tasty, fuss-free food.

So how did it all begin? Sam Milner and her chef husband Dom fell in love with the air fryer after buying their first machine back in 2012. 

After three years of daily air frying, they launched Recipethis.com, the first food blog dedicated to kitchen gadgets. 

RecipeThis is visited by over a million people every month, with users from all over the world sharing a common interest in making mealtimes easier and stress free. Sam, Dom and their children live in Yorkshire, with their huge collection of kitchen gadgets.

https://www.facebook.com/recipethis

https://twitter.com/Recipe_This

https://www.youtube.com/c/Recipethisnow

https://www.tiktok.com/@recipe_this

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/recipethisblog/

That's Food and Drink thinks that this book will make a great Christmas present for the home chefs in your life.

However, it's unlikely we'll be buying an airfryer because as we have pet birds we can't have kitchen gadgets with non-stick components as they are very toxic to birds.

Calbee Harvest Snaps

In the snack bowl in our kitchen are several bags of some Calbee Harvest Snaps.

They bill themselves as being "baked not fried" and they are crunchy lentil rings.  The flavour we have is Sour Cream and Chives and I have to say that I am very impressed with them.

They are modestly sized baked lentil rings and although they are crunchy they are not too crunchy.

What do they taste like? They taste good, there's definitely a sour cream vibe going on and there's  delicious notes of chives, too, which is just as you would expect.

They are 100% OK for vegans and as they are guaranteed to be gluten free they are safe for coeliacs, too.

With only 75kcal per page they'll fit nicely with a calory controlled diet.

The ingredients include lentils, rice, rapeseed oil, sour cream and chive seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, some potato, paprika extract and some parsley.

They have crunchy Lentil Rings, Crispy Pea Snaps, Crispy Lentil Puffs and Crunchy Chickpea Sticks available as part of their range.

You can learn more about them here www.harvestsnaps.co.uk or call them on 0800 591114, which is their customer care line. 

They are currently available in Waitrose, Ocado and Sainbury's.

Aldi lets loose with its fruit and veg

But it's all in a good cause! Because Aldi is set to trial four new loose fruit and vegetable lines in a bid to further cut plastic waste.

Beginning this week, items including garlic, limes, lemons and oranges will be introduced as loose in select Aldi stores all over the country.

Specially chosen Aldi branches in the North East, Cumbria, Yorkshire, South East, and London will start offering loose garlic and limes, while shoppers in the East of England, East Midlands and London will be able to purchase loose garlic, limes, oranges and lemons.

If rolled out across all its branches, this move will see Aldi remove a further 94 tonnes of plastic packaging every year.

Luke Emery, Plastics and Packaging Director at Aldi, said: “At Aldi we're firmly committed to removing plastic packaging wherever we possibly can and we are constantly reviewing ways to make a real difference.

“By trialling these packaging-free produce lines, we hope to help our customers cut back on unnecessary plastic when shopping at Aldi.”

Aldi already offers loose produce options on a number of ranges, including potatoes, peppers and avocadoes.

Waitrose first supermarket to announce leading animal welfare standards across Italian continental meat

Waitrose is held to be the number one supermarket for animal welfare across the UK and its latest move puts it in the supermarket in the top spot for Italian charcuterie welfare standards.

All it's own brand Italian continental meat suppliers meet Compassion in World Farming prestigious Good Pig Award standards.

Waitrose hopes that its progress will urge other retailers to raise the bar on welfare for continental meats.

In an industry leading move, Waitrose has announced all of its own brand Italian continental meat is now produced to the highest of animal welfare standards, beating all other supermarkets.

So this means that those shopping at Waitrose can now enjoy Waitrose Parma ham, Mortadella or Prosciutto knowing that the Italian animals lived a life free from confinement, with more room to roam and socialise and with deep straw bedding to root around in. 

Traditionally, animal welfare standards for continental meat have, sadly, lagged behind those of British meats. 

But a long-term partnership between Waitrose and its supplier, The Compleat Food Group means Waiotrose was the first Italian meat producer to win a Good Pig Award back in 2016, and now they have rolled out their high standards across all Italian producers.

Jake Pickering, who is the Senior Manager for Agriculture at Waitrose, said: “We’re already the number one supermarket for animal welfare in the world and are delighted this move helps us raise the bar even further. 

“We're confinement free in UK farming, and have a 2025 commitment for all of our continental meat. This represents a huge step forward for the welfare standards within our Italian breeding, growing and finishing supply chains and means well over 50% of our continental meat sales will now come from higher welfare pigs. 

“We have worked with our Italian suppliers to improve standards significantly and they have the backing of Compassion in World Farming’s Good Pig Award.”

Louise Valducci, Head of Food Business (Europe), Compassion in World Farming, said: “We're encouraged by the steps Waitrose is taking to improve the welfare of pigs in its continental meat supply. 

"It highlights the importance of working closely with producers, giving them the confidence and support to invest in cage-free systems, to ensure a successful transition across the business. 

“Consumers are increasingly concerned about animal welfare and any company committing to cage-free production is sending a good, powerful signal to the market that it's not only the compassionate choice, but also achievable at scale.”

In 2017 Waitrose was awarded the ‘Cage Free Award’ by Compassion in World Farming. This was in recognition of their work to remove the use of cages for farm animals. In 2001 they stopped selling eggs from caged hens, and they only retails outdoor-bred or free range British pork. 

They also pledged to improve the welfare standards within their continental meat supply chain by 2025 by removing all confinement. 

In support of Waitrose's Cage Free award from Compassion in World Farming, all their Continental pigs will be free from confinement including prohibiting sow stalls and farrowing crates by 2025. 

They will continue making progress on welfare in our other continental meat supply chains to hit our 2025 target. They have issued a call to encourage other retailers to follow their lead to ensure British shoppers can enjoy delicious and ethically sourced charcuterie.

https://www.waitrose.com

September heatwave? Aldi's got you covered with 50% or better price cuts on ice cream!

The reduced prices are available now in Aldi stores across the UK, so nip down now for a cooling, tasty bargain is the advice of That's Food and Drink!

With temperatures set to soar to up to 30 degrees across the UK this week, shoppers can now enjoy massive savings of up to 57% on Aldi’s best-selling ice creams.

This includes the creamy Gianni’s Mini Viennese Vanilla Ice Creams (now a mere 99p) and the refreshingly fruity Specially Selected Lollies in Coconut, Valencia Orange, or Raspberry (down 35% to just £1.29).

Gianni’s Milk Lollies were £1.15 and are now only £0.49, a 57% cut!

The supermarket provides affordable and delicious alternatives to rival the popular brands, and with a vast selection to choose from, the whole family can keep cool and enjoy their favourite frozen treats for less this week.

www.facebook.com/AldiUK 

www.twitter.com/AldiUK 

www.instagram.com/AldiUk   

Another first for Asda. It's the first supermarket to stock 'vertical salads'

Asda has announced it's the first UK supermarket group to stock a range of bagged salads nationally and also online which have been grown in ‘vertical farms,’ which significantly reduces the amount of energy and water required to grow them.

A new British salad range brand, Homegrown, is being launched in Asda stores this week. The range includes three SKUs: 80g Mixed Salad, 60g Rocket and 80g Hot & Peppery Cress.

Grown using 90% less water than traditional farming, and powered with 100% renewable energy, the products grown all year round in Gloucestershire will be available nationally online and in 270 Asda stores nationwide from now onwards. 

The plants are grown in trays, stacked vertically, and are exposed to optimum growing conditions. They are fed nutrient-rich solutions, and by using temperature control and artificial lighting, Homegrown can achieve year-round crop production whilst also reducing water, chemicals used and land use.

Asda is continuously looking to offer its customers sustainable healthy options when they visit their stores and reduce its overall environmental impact. 

Asda recently published its ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) report for 2022, and this year marks 10 years of the Asda Supplier Sustainability Exchange, helping suppliers share knowledge and improve their own environmental impact.

Dom Edwards, who is Asda's Produce Director said: “We’re delighted to be the first British retailer supplying a vertically farmed bagged salad range at this kind of scale, enabling customers to buy nationally and online. As well as clear sustainability benefits, the salad leaves aren’t subject to adverse weather – resulting in better availability and more consistent quality for our customers.”

www.asda.com

It's the largest in the world. Lidl's Luton-based RDC

Lidl GB has officially launched its new Luton-based £300m RDC, the world's largest Lidl warehouse, marking Lidl's continued commitment to expansion across the whole of Great Britain.

The 1.2 million square foot RDC, which is half a kilometre in length and could fit three of Lidl’s existing warehouses inside it, is located in Houghton Regis, Luton, and will be delivering over 9,400 pallets a day to 150 stores. This compares to its existing distribution centres, which service between approximately 60-80 stores.

It will be the first Lidl GB warehouse that features automation, helping the company to store more goods and increase capacity at the distribution centre, which in turn is helping to create more jobs. 

It’s also been designed with sustainability in mind. It features solar panels set to generate 2,000,000 kWH’s of electricity every year. In fact, at certain times throughout the year the warehouse will run fully on its own generated solar power. As an eco-bonus, all its delivery fleet vehicles are fuelled by biogas which is created from food waste, supporting Lidl's firm commitment to have 100% of its fleet diesel free within the next seven years.

This milestone development comes as Lidl doubles down on its commitment to further strengthen its infrastructure as it caters for growing numbers of customers up and down the UK. 

In 2022 Lidl opened over 50 new stores, that's more than any other supermarket in the UK. It also Great opened a further 19 stores at the beginning of this year.

The warehouse will create up to 1,500 jobs for the local community. Warehouse colleagues will benefit from working at the highest paying supermarket after hourly wages increased this month to £11.40 from £11.00, with the potential to rise to £12.30 with length of service. Benefits also include life assurance and optional health and dental insurance schemes, plus enhanced holiday entitlement, and 10% discount in stores.

The opening is being marked with a ribbon cutting and parade featuring local performers from Luton, allowing Lidl colleagues to celebrate along with local community stakeholders.

Richard Taylor, Chief Development Officer at Lidl GB, said: “The opening of this new RDC in Luton is a seminal moment for Lidl GB. Demand for Lidl has never been higher, and we are seeing an increasing number of people walk through our doors to make savings on every shop. 

"The fact Lidl's largest RDC in the world is here in Britain speaks for itself not only in terms of us needing to meet the growing demand from customers, but also in terms of our ambition to grow that demand in the future. 

"Its a spectacular state-of-the-art site that our team has worked incredibly hard on to get to where we are today. It has the capacity to service 150 stores, nearly triple the amount of some of our existing warehouses, demonstrating the true scale of our ambition and growth potential.”

Jennifer Davidson, Lidl’s Regional Director responsible for the new distribution centre added: “In my 26 years at Lidl I’ve had the chance to work on some really incredible projects, but none of which I'm prouder of than this. To see the culmination of all the work that went into it and knowing the boost it’s giving the local economy, including the 1,500 jobs, is truly something. We have an exceptional team here, and I’m excited about what the future has in store for us, and Lidl in general.”

Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “It’s fantastic to see Lidl investing in the UK and creating thousands more well-paid jobs. As our plan to halve inflation this year and grow the economy bears fruit, businesses can be confident that investing in the UK is the right decision.”

The multi-million pound investment builds on momentum already made this year. In April, Lidl announced it was recruiting for 400 roles as it submitted a planning application at a 38-acre site in Gildersome, Leeds. This followed the recent opening of four RDCs including Motherwell, Peterborough, Doncaster and a second site in Belvedere.

(EDITOR: We know several people employed by Lidl and they speak very highly of the company, especially in one instance the health and dental insurance schemes which they were particularly impressed with. To learn more about careers with Lidl check them out here https://careers.lidl.co.uk)