As you sip cider with a slice of delicious and unique Farmhouse Cheddar, let your senses transport you to the idyllic, tranquil and rural landscape of Somerset. Look down from Glastonbury Tor to the flourishing green meadows below where the Clapp family has been farming at Brue Valley Farms since the 11th Century.

Farmhouse Cheddar is traditionally made by the Clapp family and their team, from the milk from Brue Valley’s own dairy herd. Making the cheese requires a combination of art, skill and science with the cheese makers relying on skills and practises handed down from generation to generation. Employing these traditional methods results in a cheese that delivers powerful, complex flavours – a must have on any cheese connoisseur’s cheeseboard.

To celebrate supplying one of Britain’s best loved supermarket, Marks and Spencer’s, for the past twenty five years, a delicious new recipe Farmhouse Cheddar has been specially created exclusively for the store. This new recipe shows off the quality and flavour of this specialist cheese and has a slightly softer flavour than previous blends, aiming to appeal both to purists as well as those trying a stronger cheese for the first time. Perfect for those seeking a stimulating gourmet treat to satisfy their savoury taste buds, this cheese is best enjoyed on a chunk of warm crusty bread or with a glass of fruity red wine as an after dinner treat.

Give your cheeseboard and your cooking some good old fashioned farmhouse flavour with this delicious and delightfully full flavoured cheese. The new Farmhouse cheddar is a bespoke recipe that has been developed with M&S and Dairy Crest to broaden the appeal of farmhouse cheddar by introducing a slightly softer flavour while still delivering a mature, savoury taste with a lingering finish. Partner with Somerset cider, chutney and crusty bread

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The new super seduction blend – De’Longhi’s Amore del Caffé – has been created for De’Longhi by Huddersfield coffee connoisseur David Cooper and is being offered to shoppers at luxury lingerie store Rigby & Peller in central London. Makers De’Longhi are taking no chances that it will have an immediate affect by enforcing a one-cup-only rule.

Coffee, especially in espresso form, is a powerful aphrodisiac and more commonly used in the UK for a morning pick me up than a date night treat. Cooper, who is the founder and managing director of Cooper’s Coffee, joined forces with De’Longhi, the Italian coffee experts in 2008 to create Caffe Raro – the world’s most expensive coffee. He has now teamed up with De’Longhi again to launch De’Longhi’s Amore del Caffé – the first specially blended aphrodisiac coffee.

De’Longhi’s Amore del Caffé infuses a rare and unique coffee bean, Indian Monsooned Malabar, with luxurious oyster essence from the seas of South East Asia. Monsooned beans are very rare – left out during the monsoon season the beans benefit from the moist rain soaked air which circulates through the beans giving them a smooth unique flavour with a rich body and long toffee finish.

To create the amorous blend the beans are carefully roasted to a rich dark mahogany then – while still warm – the oyster essence is infused into the beans creating a seductive blend unlike any that have been created before.

Kate Rolton De’Longhi UK said, “With our Italian heritage we pride ourselves on being experts in coffee and felt with this unique blend we are able to bring some tips on Italian romance and passion to UK shores. De’Longhi’s Amore del Caffé is a rich and dark coffee with the slightest hint of exquisiteness with each sip – it would be impossible not to fall in love with it.”

David Cooper said: “This is one of the most difficult blends I have ever worked on but also one of the most interesting. The difficulty arose from trying to infuse the coffee beans without the taste of oysters dominating the overall taste. Our quest to find a suitable oyster extract took us around the globe and we tried three different products including dried oyster powder from Asia.

“In the end we settled on a very expensive liquid oyster essence from Indonesia which proved the perfect way of infusing the beans without spoiling the taste. The resulting coffee is exquisite with a well-balanced, deep flavour and body. It really is truly irresistible.”

Nicky Clayton, Creative Director at Rigby & Peller, added: “The one cup limit is a very good idea as we expect De’Longhi’s Amore del Caffé to live up to its name – we hope the coffee will prove irresistible in its own right and raise money for a great cause.”

Available for a limited period De’Longhi’s Amore del Caffé is now available in London at Rigby & Peller stores in Mayfair, Knightsbridge & Chelsea for £39 per 100g package and all proceeds will go towards Macmillan Cancer Supports World’s Biggest Coffee Morning.

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Anna is thrilled about her most recent awards and says it is an important endorsement for her products. “It’s fantastic news! Winning in the Taste of the West Awards is a great measure of quality and it’s a wonderful feeling to know that my pigs and my products are appreciated so much. I have enormous pride in what I do and I always strive for perfection, so it’s very rewarding to get such positive feedback from this prestigious organisation.”

The Bringing Home the Bacon Dry Cured Unsmoked Back Bacon and Dry Cured Traditional Oak Smoked Back Bacon both won Gold awards, whilst the Traditional Old English Breakfast Sausages and Sage & Caramelized Red Onion Sausages both won Silver medals.

This latest news comes hot on the trotters of Bringing Home the Bacon’s recent One Gold Star award for its Unsmoked Back Bacon at this year’s Great Taste Awards, organised by The Guild of Fine Food. Bringing Home the Bacon has also won a number of other awards in recent years, including 2009 Taste of the West Silver Award for its Natural Oak Smoked Back Bacon and Streaky Bacon, and 2009 Taste of the West Bronze Award for its Unsmoked Dry Cured Back Bacon and Streaky Bacon.

Based in Donyatt, near Ilminster, Bringing Home the Bacon produces high quality bacon and sausages from free range, ‘home reared’ pigs, resulting in cured and smoked meats with the finest flavours and tastes. The focus is on quality and provenance, and the range has SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval) accreditation.

The prestigious Taste of the West Awards is one of the most highly respected in the food and drink industry, established seventeen years ago. The awards highlight successful and high quality businesses across food and drink production, hospitality and food retail.

Bringing Home the Bacon’s range of bacon and sausages, as well as special combination packs, are available online at www.bringing-home-the-bacon.co.uk and from specialist delis nationwide.

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Step 1 – choose your recipe from one of 16 Indian spice kits, then check out the handy shopping list on the back of pack which lists everything you need to cook the dish.
Step 2 – at home just follow the simple recipe inside the pack.
Step 3 – serve and enjoy with family and friends.

A selection of SpicenTice spice kits will be on sale at Sainsburys, Asda and many independent stores, as well as Ocado online.

The range features dishes inspired from regions and cultures of India, including Kashmiri, Goan, Bengali and Gujarat.

The kits are made from 100% pure herbs and spices such as Fengugreek Leaves, Cassia Bark, Garam Masala, Cardamom, Coriander and Mustard Seeds which ensure an authentic taste and flavour to your dish – and no additives, preservatives or colourings are used.

In 1994 when Spicentice founder Ketan Varu was a hungry student, Manjula (Ketan’s mum) sent him recipes and spices to make real Indian curries that would remind him of home. Pretty soon all his university friends where hooked on these clever little spice kits and the idea for Spicentice was born.

Of all the recipes that Manjula cooks for her family, her favourites include Lamb Rogan Josh – an aromatic dish, brought to India by the Moghuls, Bombay potatoes and Chickpea Curry – both from the hot, dry climate of the Gujarat and Chicken Jalfrezi a traditional Bengal curry – delicious with SpicenTice Pilau Rice and Mango Chutney. Goan Prawn Curry is a traditional fish curry from Southern India, and just needs some Naan bread to mop up all the lovely curry juices. If you prefer a mild curry try the creamy Chicken Korma which has its roots in the Mughlai cuisine of North India.

On the Spicentice website www.spicentice.com you can see the full range of 16 Indian spice kits (prices are from £1.59 to £2.99) and there’s no minimum order, if all you want is one curry – that’s no problem.

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Available in a 250g tin of round coffee (£60) as well as a 250g pack of roasted beans (£50) this is the perfect gift for all coffee lover’s out there, or as a decadent self-indulgent treat.

Delight your senses with aromas of mandarin orange, jasmine and redcurrants which excitedly mingle with deliciously sweet, transparently clean and vibrantly citrusy flavours. Indulge yourself with a cup of Esmeralda Special coffee that is elegant, silky, magnificently balanced and finishes dreamily.

The coffee estate is Rainforest Alliance Certified, and under the management and guidance of third generation farmers, the Peterson family, who continue to strive for excellence in coffee, careful maintenance of the land and support of both the workers and their respective families.

Darren Williams, Coffee Buyer for Fortnum & Mason says, “We are extremely passionate about quality coffee and the new Panama Esmeralda Special is a fine example of the best of the best. Importantly, the superior flavour is matched with a commitment to environmental and social sustainability that we are proud to have associated with Fortnum & Mason.”

The new Panama Esmeralda Special will be available online at www.fortnumandmason.com as well as in store from 1st September.

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“Our Entrecote Steak is just the eye muscle of the sirloin, so has no layer of visible fat. Tender, juicy and full of flavour. Serve with a simple red wine sauce (with caramelised onions) for a real treat! Our red ruby beef has a wonderful depth of flavour. Why? Because it has been bread on its native Exmoor and then grown slowly to natural maturity on the Somerset Levels. This gives a well-marbled, fine-grained texture which reaches perfection when we hang it on the bone for a month. Boneless Rib is just one of our well-loved roasts, and our perfectly trimmed Mince or our superb Grilling Steaks are just two mouth-watering ideas for everyday eating.”

Five individually packed single portions. (Free flow pack of 5. Take only what you want and freeze the rest for later.) retails for £36.99. Just one item from an impressive range that takes in lamb, chicken, bacon, sausages and even ready made meals.

“We started Pipers Farm 20 years ago, when our sons, Ed and Will, were very young. Our goal was to produce healthy meat that we as a family could enjoy eating with complete confidence. Today Pipers Farm helps to sustain 30 farming families who have natured the countryside for generations. We passionatly believe in offering our customers the best and healthiest meat they can buy, always a pleasure to cook, sensational to eat and excellent value. Peter and Henrieta Greig”

Pipers Farm offer their range via their internet site in addition to operating a shop in Magdalen Road, Exeter.

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Award-winning ice cream maker Yummy Yorkshire has used traditional dishes and foods from the county including Yorkshire pudding to create four different sweet and savoury ice cream flavours.

The ice cream makers which is based on the outskirts of Huddersfield say its four course ice cream meal is ‘a taste of Yorkshire in a lick’.

Unusually, the ‘starter’ ice cream on the menu is Yorkshire Pudding, Gravy and Womersley Raspberry Vinegar ice cream. Yummy Yorkshire created the flavour in support of a campaign by fruit and herb vinegar producer Womersley to see the dish returned to its traditional place at the head of Sunday lunch. The campaign is being supported by several high profile Yorkshire chefs including Michelin- Starred Andrew Pern, Tim Bilton and Stephanie Moon.

Further flavours on Yummy Yorkshire’s menu include Green Pea ice cream, Beef & Horseradish and Old Yorkshire Trifle, based on the recipe of Brenda Batty, a customer who recently entered a competition to create a new flavour for Yummy Yorkshire. The recipe, which is over 70 years old, belonged to her mother-in-law Elsie Maxfield and consists of sponge, custard, raspberry jam, cream and sherry.

Speaking about her four course ice cream menu, Louise Holmes of Yummy Yorkshire says: “To celebrate Yorkshire Day we wanted to show our appreciation of the county in the way we know best – through ice cream. Some of the flavours may sound odd but they are surprisingly tasty – especially the Green pea ice cream which really brings out the sweet taste you get from fresh peas.

“The Yorkshire Pudding flavour has had a very mixed reaction – some love it and some absolutely hate it. It’s a mess with your mind ice cream!

“The Roast beef and horseradish ice cream is a killer combination as you have all the taste of the horseradish without the heat. The beef has been shredded and rippled through the ice cream making it look like a crumbled up flake, which again can confuse your mind a little bit.

“Our dessert flavour, the Old Yorkshire Trifle, is gorgeous and we are confident that this will prove extremely popular. The ice cream leaves you with a lingering taste of sherry and custard just like the real thing!

“We hope that people come and give the flavours a try – who knows, they may become a new staple in the Yorkshire diet!”

It is the first time that Yummy Yorkshire has produced savoury ice cream flavours; the ice cream producer is known for its distinctive flavours such as Lou’s Liquorice but Louise believes the new flavours are some of their most adventurous yet.

The flavours will be launched on Yorkshire Day, Sunday 1 August, at Yummy Yorkshire’s farm and ice cream parlour located on the edge of the Pennines between Huddersfield and Penistone.

In celebration of the event, the ice cream producer is also putting on a free bouncy castle on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for its customers. For directions visit www.yummyyorkshire.co.uk

[Image caption: Louise and Jeremy Holmes of Yummy Yorkshire with their Yorkshire Day Ice cream menu. Jeremy holds Yorkshire Pudding, Gravy & Womersley Raspberry Vinegar Ice cream and Green Pea Ice Cream, Louise holds Beef & Horseradish Ice Cream and Old Yorkshire Trifle Ice cream.]

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CoCo-Jack No Added Sugar, from the importers of Coconoil, is a natural wholegrain oat flapjack made with coconut oil. Containing no hydrogenated fats and no trans fats, they are high in fibre and give a slow release of energy. They are a convenient way to introduce the healthy properties of oats and Coconoil to the whole family.

CoCo-Jacks are ideal for school packed lunches, as an energy-boosting snack, as part of a healthy lunch or picnic, for commuters, sportspeople, fitness enthusiasts, walkers, cyclists – in fact anyone on the go.

This all natural oat flapjack is low GL, low GI, is suitable for those following a vegetarian or vegan diet, is dairy free, salt free and wheat free. It contains no hydrogenated fats and no trans fats.

CoCo-Jack No Added Sugar are sweetened with Sweet Freedom – a brand new natural sweetener, made from 100% fruit; apples grapes, carob and nothing else. It has won four Gold Stars at the recent Great Taste Awards with customers such as Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir, and according to the Daily Mail it ‘tastes as good as sugar’.

Oats are a natural form of energy and contain soluble fibre, as well as iron and B vitamins.

Coconoil is a pure certified virgin coconut oil from Sri Lanka. It contains no pesticides or GMO ingredients and is not hydrogenated, bleached, refined or deodorised. Certified virgin coconut oil is cholesterol free and the triglicerides it contains are transferred into energy, not fat. Its thermogenic properties increase the body’s metabolism, increasing energy levels and weight loss, and it contains fewer calories than many other oils and fats.

A study of the south pacific islands near New Zealand in the 1960s – before the islands were exposed to refined food – showed that the inhabitants were healthy with ideal weight to height ratios. Digestive problems were rare; constipation almost unknown. The people ate only natural foods – and coconut was a staple food. Compared with those of us in rich Western countries who consume 40% of our calories as fats, the indigenous islanders consumed 60% of their diet as fats – almost entirely from coconuts.

Garry Stiven, Director of Coconoil the company that supplies virgin coconut oil to Premiership rugby and football clubs, as well as sports clubs and gyms around the country, states “As part of an overall healthy lifestyle and diet, it can certainly enhance performance and energy.”

CoCo-Jack No Added Sugar flapjacks are available from healthfood stores, or can be ordered on-line at www.coconoil.co.uk or by telephone on 0161 439 9988 – one box of 12 x 65 gramme bars costs £15.87, which includes free post and packing in the UK.

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Over the last five years they have developed numerous organic garden projects at their factory site at Kings Cross; including an orchard, a vineyard and a demonstration Permaculture forest garden, as well recently as winning prestigious awards recently including Fast Growth Green Business of the Year, Small Food Manufacturer of the Year and Resource Management Company of the Year

They now hope that by re-branding their entire product range they can encourage customers to share their values and vision for a greener planet.

Alara’s motto is to ‘Welcome the Sun’, which is a shorthand way of signifying the profound move from an unsustainable society relying on fossil fuels to a sustainable one using solar energy – and this is the message they hope to spread through the new branding.

“Over the 35 years we’ve been around we’ve introduced numerous ranges to the Alara brand with the result that, at the moment for instance we have four different logos in the market. We feel that to move Alara forward we have to bring these ranges together under a common message. Given that enhancing the environment is our passion it makes sense to utilise this within the new branding; we also hope it will help our sales effort.

Research confirms that consumers do want that bit more from an organic and natural brand and like to see what we’re doing behind the scenes to enhance the environment – that we’re walking the walk as well as talking the talk. Our marketing last year focused on our green work, and whilst the organic sector saw a drop in sales our own brand saw an increase of 20% turnover; so along with our good prices this seems to be a worthwhile message. We believe the new brand will both reflect what we’ve been doing, act as a continuation of it, and through our ‘Welcoming the Sun’ message allow us to influence those in contact with the company to move, if only a step or two, in the same direction.”- Alex Smith MD and founder

The new branding, which utilises the image of a sun rise is also packaged in recyclable card and film and includes links to the Alara website which has hints and tips on how to become more sustainable as well as green competitions and an environmental blog.

The newly branded products include the ‘Everyday’, ‘Into the Garden’ and ‘OT’ ranges, bringing a total of 17 products to market, all with the same sustainable message – to ‘Welcome the Sun’

Alex Smith also says –

‘This rebrand is building on the experience and volumes we produce which enable us to offer a fantastic range of organic, Fairtrade and gluten free products at prices similar to ordinary run of the mill muesli. In short these are products that allow customers to maintain their values without making a financial sacrifice.’

The new branded products are now available and for more information or to stock visit www.alara.co.uk

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The lucky winner and a friend will be flown to Dublin and put up at a luxurious hotel for two nights. They will be wined and dined each night and treated to an exclusive private tour of the legendary Cooley distillery. At the end of the tour they will even receive a personalised bottle of Tyrconnell malt whiskey as well as a bottle of the newly released Kilbeggan Distillery Reserve to take home.

There is no limit to the number of entries per person, with one free entry being given out with every single full-sized (70cl) bottle of Cooley Whiskey bought from www.masterofmalt.com. Don’t hang around though, because there are only 250 chances to enter.

The limited number of entries (just 250) means that anyone who enters will have an unusually high chance of winning and, unlike most competitions, even if more people enter, that chance doesn’t reduce. Because of this, the draw is likely to be fully subscribed long before the closing date.

Master of Malt are an award-winning Online Retailer and Independent Bottler of Whisky and other fine spirits. The Cooley whiskey competition forms part of Master of Malt’s 25th birthday celebrations and it will feature an exclusive private tour of Ireland’s only independent, Irish-owned whiskey distillery. The tour will culminate in a whiskey tasting and the winner will even receive a very special personalised bottle of Tyrconnell whiskey and a bottle of the newly released Kilbeggan whiskey – two malts which are held in high esteem amongst Irish whiskey connoisseurs.

The Cooley whiskey distillery has become well-known for its production of a number of Ireland’s most critically-acclaimed whiskeys; malts from the Tyrconnell range regularly score upwards of 94 points in the Jim Murray Whisky Bible (Jim describes whiskeys in this bracket as being “Superstar whiskies that give us all reason to live”!) In 2010, the Cooley distillery was even declared “Distillery of the Year” by Malt Advocate’s John Hansell who commented on the quality and variety of whiskeys made at the distillery, “In an era where hundreds of small distilleries are starting up across the globe, Cooley can be an inspiration to them all”.

To enter the Cooley competition, all participants must do is buy any full-sized (70cl) bottle of Cooley whiskey from Master of Malt before 6pm the 1st of August 2010 arrives or the 250 chances to win run out. The lucky winner will be named on of before the 7th August 2010.

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