NICE Wine Are Hoping to Bring Some Wine Cheer to London

NICE wine (www.nice-drinks.co.uk) are hoping to bring some cheer to London tomorrow, they will be sending out the NICE Club Dance Mob on Thursday, 1st September to give away £10,000 worth of wine at five locations around London. 

Led by comedian, Katerina Robinson AKA London's answer to Samantha Jones, the dancers and Katerina will be donning NICE wine's classic uniform, the pink jumpsuit, they'll be dancing their way around Leicester Square (11:30am), Oxford Circus (12pm) (near big Topshop, RIP), St Paul's Cathedral (1:30pm), Stratford Westfield (4:30pm) and Liverpool Street (6pm). 

Look out for the signature pink outfits, pink NICE megaphone, playing some classic disco songs, and some very nice comments coming your way. Scan the NICE QR code for a free delivery of a box of three cans of red, white and rosé NICE wine, if you enjoy the wine, you'll also receive 25% your first order. A teaser of the

The London-based start-up makes great tasting wine from wineries they love. The female-led team is innovating with formats, hoping to make wine more inclusive and less intimidating. Whether you're after a perfectly portioned canned wine for the train even a stocking filler, or boxed wine for your summer celebrations or Christmas parties, they make it for whenever you want it.

THE WINES

NICE Sauvignon Blanc (11.5% ABV)

o   Dry, crisp, with a wink of peach: a classic French white from the Cotes de Gascogne region

NICE Pale Rosé (12% ABV) 

o   A crisp, dry and proudly pale rosé from just outside Montpellier

NICE Malbec (13.5% ABV)

o   Juicy, darkly fruity and smoothly Argentinian, this medium bodied wine hails from Mendoza in the foothills of the Andes

WINE, IN A CAN

NICE are now putting their favourite Sauvignon Blanc, Pale Rosé and Argentinian Malbec in 250ml cans (RRP £3). Each of the wines is vegan and the cans are light, fast-chilling and 100% recyclable, forever. Prefer to shop indie? NICE is the fastest growing canned wine brand in the UK and the largest independent brand in still canned wine, find it at over 4000 outlets around the country. 

NICE BOXED WINE

Find the NICE trio in a new Boxed Wine format (RRP £21.50); equal to three bottles, nine cans, or 18 small glasses of wine, which lasts longer in a box (as it won't oxidise and go iffy) staying fresh for six weeks after opening. The box and bag are fully recyclable, so pop it in the recycling and give it the chance of a brand-new life.

Find NICE at Sainsbury's, Ocado, Amazon and WHSmith, as well as sports stadiums, music venues, airlines, theatres, cinemas, and restaurants. 

Smart Mums go to Iceland to buy Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream Cones

If you are a lover of Lotus Biscoff ice cream sticks, get ready to indulge in a brand-new crunchy, caramelised frozen treat with the launch of Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream Cones!

Reaching Iceland stores across the country from today, 31st August, the new cones (4x115ml) combine real dairy ice cream with swirls of yummy Lotus Biscoff spread and a generous topping of crushed Lotus Biscoff biscuits. 

A gourmet coating of real and utterly delicious Belgian chocolate puts the finishing touch to the crunchy wafer cone.

This latest ice cream masterpiece provides the perfect fusion of flavours synonymous with the famous little red biscuist in a refreshing new cornet format that has been adored by the nation for years.

The latest launch will add to Lotus’ growing selection of frozen treats which also include Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream Cake (650ml), Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream Tubs (460ml), Lotus Biscoff Mini Ice Cream Tubs (4x80ml), Lotus Biscoff Ice Cream Sticks (3x90ml), Lotus Biscoff Mini Ice Cream Sticks (6x60ml), Lotus Biscoff White Ice Cream Sticks (3x90ml) and Lotus Biscoff Mini Mix Ice Cream Sticks (6x60ml).

EDITOR: I think I feel a visit to Iceland coming on!

Gary Barlow Organic Wine

 

As well as being a popular singer and song writer, Gary Barlow OBE is also very heavily and personally involved in creating Gary Barlow Organic Wine.

Gary is so passionate and confidant about his wines that he has proudly given it his own name. 

The Gary Barlow Organic Red Wine is priced at £7.99 and is currently on offer, so do look out for that. 

The wine is produced in Spain, a country that is very close to Gary’s heart and he has chosen the Castilla region to source the grapes for his 100% organic debut wine offering. 

The grapes are sourced from small holdings all over the Castilla region,  where vines are older (30 years or so) and produce a small volume of expressive juice. 

This means that the resultant wines are character-filled, but of equal importance this move by Gary ensures that the owners of these small holdings have a livelihood to look forward to. And it's one they are totally reliant on.

It's an organic red blend from Spain’s Central Castille. It's a juicy, unoaked wine, which has aromas of red wild berries with hints of chocolate and of rosemary. 

Would make an ideal accompaniment to Garlic & Oregano Roast Lamb pair with a Chorizo and chickpea stew.

The label is specially designed to mark Gary's award-winning 33 year musical career.

To learn more visit https://garybarlowwines.com.

Other organic wines are available with in store or from Gary's own site.

Also, available from http://www.thebottleclub.com.

A wonderful new recipe from Peter Gorton

Peter Gorton's Galette of Scallops and Courgettes With a Red Pepper, Chocolate and Vanilla Dressing

Creating delicious dishes for the environment, LittlePod and Peter Gorton have created a series of recipes using LittlePod's real vanilla.

LittlePod Natural Vanilla Paste 100ml is vegan, kosher and gluten free, available from littlepod.co.uk. RRP £15.

LittlePod is on a mission to save the vanilla pod from the very real threat of extinction. With 97% of vanillin used in the west being artificial, the vanilla pod was at risk of being lost within one generation. 

Most vanilla is grown in Madagascar, which puts it at high-risk due to environmental factors such as storms and drought. Having won a Queen's Award for Sustainable Development, LittlePod created the 'Campaign for Real Vanilla' and its products produced are a vehicle to allow the company to work on community projects in Madagascar and Indonesia, supporting farmers and families in these areas.

Peter Gorton - Vice Chair of the Master Chefs of Great Britain. Having been awarded many national awards including a Michelin Star, Peter is a well known face in the media. A regular contributor to food magazines with three published books, Peter opened a hospitality academy in Plymouth and now runs a hospitality consultancy business.

Serves 4 - Cook/Prep Time 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

12 scallops

1 large courgette (blanched for 2 minutes)

225g puff pastry

For the red pepper, chocolate and vanilla dressing

1 sweet red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tbsp chopped shallots

1 tbsp pitted and chopped nicoise olives (optional)

2 tbsp of peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes

1 tbsp LittlePod natural vanilla paste

2 tsp LittlePod pure chocolate extract

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method:

Combine all ingredients, but not  the olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Whisk in the olive oil very slowly so that the mixture will emulsify into a smooth blend, and season to taste.

Puff Pastry Disks – Preheat oven to 375F /190c /fan assisted oven 180°c/gas 5

Roll out the puff pastry into a square shape as thin as possible, place between two heavy baking sheets and cook in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown, remove from the oven.

Use a cutter to cut out a circle of about 3-4 inches in diameter.

Repeat three times and set aside the pastry disks and allow to cool.

Assembling the Pastry Disks

Place the four disks onto a baking tray, slice the scallops and courgettes into equal rounds.

Place a scallop on the pastry disc and then a courgette and continue to overlap the courgette and scallops until each disk is completely covered.

Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over a little olive oil.

Place under a hot grill for 4 minutes or until the scallops are just cooked.

How To Serve

Place cooked scallop and courgette pastry disc on warmed starter plates.

Spoon some of the pepper dressing around each galette and place a small pile of mixed salad leaves or king prawns in the middle of the galette.

Cooking Tip from Peter Gorton - This dressing will keep for several days refrigerated in a covered jar.

Wake Up! and Smell the Coffee This Organic September, with Owens Coffee

Discover other delicious organic products to try and win the ultimate organic getaway

Award-winning Owens Coffee are encouraging shoppers to make some small changes in their shopping habits this Organic September, like choosing to buy 100% organic and Fairtrade coffee beans.

If you're not already an organic shopper, this September is the perfect opportunity to try the wonderful array of organic products produced in the UK. Owens Coffee's entire range of beans is certified organic by the Soil Association, the organisers behind Organic September.

Organic September is a campaign designed to raise awareness of the incredible benefits of organic food and farming, including supporting biodiversity and wildlife, helping to combat climate change, reducing exposure to pesticides, and promoting the highest standards of animal welfare.

Devonshire's Owens Coffee has been certified organic and Fairtrade for more than a decade, and sustainability has been at the heart of the business from day one. This includes protecting the people and communities involved in producing the coffee they roast, as well as protecting the environment.

“In the UK, we drink 95 million cups of coffee a day. That makes a huge impact,” says Owens Coffee managing director, Lorraine Bridden. “By choosing to support an organic roastery, we know this means no nasty chemicals or pesticides, which is important for the environment, for those who buy and drink our coffee, and for those people who are involved in farming our beans and their wider communities. 

“When we set out in 2010, there were very few roasters, and even fewer who had sustainability high on their list of values. We are fortunate to live and work in an area of outstanding natural beauty, and this was the starting point which encouraged us to factor environmental issues into our business. Being named Muddy Stilettos' 'Best Sustainable Business of 2022' in Devon (which is voted for by the general public) is very important to us and it's equally as important to our customers,” Bridden adds.

Before awarding certification, the Soil Association monitors the product all the way to the cup, from farming to the roasting process. Owens Coffee goes the extra mile to ensure their coffee is 'clean-roasted'. They recently replaced their roasting equipment, with the new eco-roaster using 80% less energy and reducing greenhouse gases during every roasting.  

Owens Coffee to try this Organic September

Gara: Ideal for both espresso and filter. It's a bold and fruity, medium-dark roasted blend from Central America. The most popular espresso blend in Owens' range, the beans are roasted slightly darker to bring out notes of fruit, smoke and earth. These beans won 'Best Organic Coffee' at the Soil Association's BOOM Awards in 2019.

Bantham: A smooth and chocolatey, medium-roasted blend from South America and Indonesia. Winner of a 2019 Great Taste Award.

Dart: A mellow and sweet, dark-roasted blend from South America and Africa. Winner of a 2020 Great Taste Award.

Decaf: Refined and chemical-free, dark-roasted blend from Latin America, decaffeinated using the Swiss Water method. Commended at the Taste of the West Awards 2019.

To shop the full range of organic coffees or for further information about Owens Coffee, please visit owenscoffee.com or call 01752 897124.

To find out how to enter Owens' 'Ultimate Organic Getaway' giveaway, and to be kept up to date, like and follow Owens Coffee on Instagram: owenscoffee_, Facebook: @OwensCoffee and Twitter: @OwensCoffee. One lucky winner will receive a bundle of organic prizes, including an Owens' Coffee Brewing and Tasting Experience (worth £95.00) and a Discovery pack of Owens Coffee (worth £12.99).

Owens Coffee's Top Organic September Picks

 If you're looking to try more than just coffee this Organic September, here are Owens Coffee's top organic products and places to try.

Grab a ReRooted Cold Brew Oat Latte: If you're an iced-coffee-all-year-round kind of person, this is the one for you. Available from The Roastery at Owens' HQ in Ivybridge and nationwide through Riverford's veg boxes deliveries, it's a brilliant blend of ReRooted oat plant milk combined with Owens Coffee. Smooth and luxurious – plus, if you're not an iced-coffee-all-year-rounder, you can warm it up. £2.40 500ml/£4.00 1 litre

Say cheers with Luscombe Wild Elderflower Bubbly: Hold on to the taste of summer with Luscombe Wild Elderflower Bubbly. This fabulously refreshing tipple is packed with elderflower hand-picked in the June sunshine. The gentle sparkle lifts the floral notes for an elegant and sophisticated drink. Add some frozen berries and a twist of lemon to take it to the next level. 12 x 27cl bottles £21.30

Drink a Boo Chi 'Fresh Mint to Revive' kombucha: We can't get enough of kombucha right now. Infused with fresh mint, the calming and soothing super herb, it cuts through the acidity of the kombucha to give a slightly sweet, bright, extremely refreshing taste that'll leave you wanting more. Mint is high in antioxidants and great for the tummy, just like kombucha. This delicious product has just won a 2022 two-star Great Taste Award. 12 x 300ml bottles £38

Start the day right with an Açaí & Co smoothie: Stock up on this fabulous superfruit, and never have a boring breakfast again. For an authentic Brazilian açaí experience, add this thick, nutritious, organic and delicious whole food to your smoothies or smoothie bowls. With no added sugar or other fillers, it's just pure purple açaí in every pouch. 28 pouches of 400g (11.2kg) £125

Eat Eversfield Organic 28 day aged beef rib eye steaks: A multi-award winner, Eversfield Organic's rib eye steaks are produced from the Devon-based organic farm's own free-to-roam herd of native Aberdeen Angus cattle, fed on a 100% pasture diet, never grain. Perfect grilled and served rare, this cut is taken from the forequarter of beef next to the sirloin. From £9.50 per 220g steak

Relax in a Great Fibres organic cotton terry towelling bath robe: A medium-weight, medium-length kimono-style unisex bath robe made from 100% organic cotton terry material. It's versatile, being fluffy enough to wrap into after a bath at home, but not so voluminous it won't fit into your suitcase or beach bag. Available in graphite, loch blue, natural (undyed) and olive colours. £86.60

Enjoy an organic stay at The Bull Inn, Totnes: After a year of ecologically-driven renovations, The Bull Inn opened its doors in December 2019, with nine contemporary, eclectically-designed and stylish bedrooms, a self-catered, four-bed apartment and a supplier-led organic restaurant. From the organic beer on draught to the eco paint on the walls, everything – down to the very last detail – has been thought about from an organic and ecologically-minded perspective. Rooms from £85 for a single or £140 for a double king.

https://owenscoffee.com.

Malvern Autumn Show 2022

Backdropped by Worcestershire's breathtaking Malvern Hills, the three-day spectacular even promises to celebrate the very best of the season, from giant crops and floral art to shopping, local ciders and tasty treats.

A real highlight is, as always, the RHS Flower Show, which showcases the UK's best nurseries and growers and their spectrum of specialist blooms, as they compete for the coveted gold medal from the RHS judges.

Plus, there's a chance to start planning next year's spring pots and borders, with every kind of bulb, tuber and corm for sale, alongside expert advice to help you ensure your garden flourishes.

Green-fingered visitors will enjoy the Grow Zone and Harvest Zone, where they will discover visual floral feasts and sales, trade secrets and tips from famed experts, and a celebration of the great British harvest highlighting the finest from the Three Counties' orchards and hopyards. 

Not forgetting the CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship, a world of gigantic legumes and enormous fruits. Last year alone, four new world records were broken for the heaviest marrow, aubergine and broad bean pod, and longest leek.

Whilst over on the Family Green, there will be lots to entertain visitors both young and old, including free have-a-go activities such as pedal tractors and circus and bushcraft skills, a mini harvest festival, and animals aplenty, from wonderful dog displays in the Top Dogs Arena to the popular World of Animals featuring giant rabbits, alpacas, horses and more.

Special guests set to draw in crowds across the weekend include Gardener's World's own Arit Anderson, award-winning food writer Mark Diacono, floristry extraordinaire Jonathan Moseley, archeologist and TV presenter Jules Hudson and landscape designer and television favourite, Adam Frost.

Fans of nostalgia can head back in time and relive the glory days in the Vintage Village and Rural Pursuits zones, where they will find vintage machinery displays, forgotten skills and rural crafts. Plus, a traditional tearoom serving up delights from the 40s and 50s era.

Jane Edwards, Shows Manager, said: “The Malvern Autumn Show is a celebration of one of the most exciting and vibrant British seasons. We are delighted to bring back an amazing array of flowers, plants, experts, traditional skills, animals and food and drink from across our three counties – promising something for the whole family to enjoy.

“The show really is a plantsman's paradise, so whether you're looking for inspiration for your own garden or allotment, or simply want to soak up the beautiful blooms, the Three Counties Showground is the place to be this September.”

Breakfast, lunch, dinner – and of course tasty treats – are all on offer, courtesy of a huge range of outstanding local suppliers in the Food & Drink Village. Plus, the Kitchen Theatre, the Gin Show sponsored by Ludlow Gin, Festival of Perry and Westons Cider Garden.

All this, and so much more, promising an unforgettable family day out, with tickets costing just £18.85 per person, £17.85 for members and free of charge for children under 16. Book tickets online in advance to save at www.malvernautumn.co.uk or call 01684 584900 for more information.

   

Great news for Shmoo lovers! Shmoo Develops New Vending Machine Blends

Top food and drink distributor Aimia Foods are delighted to announce a new range of Shmoo milkshake powders which are specially developed for running through cold or chilled vending machines.

Available in four of Shmoo's most popular flavours, Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry and Banana, Shmoo vending powders boast a unique, school compliant formula, which in seconds, transforms into a delicious shake when processed through a cold/chilled vending machine.

Karen Green, who is the  Marketing Manager at Aimia Foods, said: "When mixed through a cold/chilled vending machine, Shmoo vending powders share the same creamy texture that blended Shmoo shakes are renowned for, with just the addition of water , so the vending machine virtually takes care of the entire Shmoo shake making process automatically.

"And customers can enjoy their favourite Shmoo shake simply by pressing the appropriate button or screen on the machine.”

As with all blendable Shmoo powders, each flavour in the Shmoo Vending Powder range is suitable for customers following a gluten-free or vegetarian diet.

To learn more about Shmoo Vending Powders, or for advice on compatible machines, you can call Aimia Foods on 01942 4086000 or visit them at www.aimiafoods.com.

 

Ovolo Hotels Add Caffeine Boost to Negroni Week

To help celebrate Campari's Negroni Week (12-18 September), Ovolo Hotels have created 'The Decadent Count', a specially curated cocktail which will be available exclusively for just one week.

During this forthcoming Negroni Week, Negroni fans will discover the new creation on the menu at Ovolo Hotels' venues across their 11 restaurants and bars all over the world.

Blending two well-loved classics to create the ultimate classic. Partnering with St Remio Coffee in Australia and Hong Kong, and Tanamera coffee in Bali, Ovolo's drinks specialists have taken the globally loved Negroni recipe and added a kick of caffeine to create 'The Decadent Count', which they've taken to the next level with a garnish of Campari infused cacao nibs.

“Negroni Week is just as fun as it is important philanthropically', said Creative Beverage Director Andrea Gauldi. “We had the creative challenge to curate our own Campari Negroni and decided to mix two iconic drinks together - the Negroni and Espresso Martini - to create a velvety and luxe combination. We know that our customers will be excited by the new offering and hope they all get the chance to enjoy it within the week that it is exclusively available for”.

As part of Negroni Week, bars around the world will be mixing Negronis for a good cause. Upon signing up to the initiative venues donate an initial $25, and commit to donating $1 from every Negroni purchase to Slow Food. Slow Food is a global, grassroots organisation that champions cultural and biological diversity, promoting food education and advocating for more just and equitable food policies.

“Negroni week is an awesome initiative that we are happy to be a part of', said Group Marketing Director Stephen Howard. “It's amazing we can work with such bright talent such as Andrea to create a unique offering at all our bars and restaurants around the world and support a good cause at the same time.”

Sip over a good cause with a Decadent Count, available in Australia (£13), Bali (£9) and Hong Kong (£13).

https://ovolohotels.com/negroni-week.

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