The UK’s first specially-blended aphrodisiac COFFEE, which combines a rare Indian coffee bean with essence of oyster, went on sale today – and shoppers are limited to just one cup due to the blend’s amorous intonations.

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.

These clever little (no waste) spice kits from Spicentice, give you all the spicy know-how to create an authentic and great tasting dish for four, in no time at all – and as easy as 1,2,3…

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.

Alara Wholefoods are undoubtedly one of the most environmentally friendly and forward thinking food companies in the UK, having become the first food company in the country to go ‘zero waste’. They were also the first cereal company in the world to be certified organic, the first to be licensed for gluten-free production and the first to make Fairtrade mueslis.

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

It’s official, despite the nation’s love affair with cooking, recent research conducted by Nielsen-Massey Vanillas has revealed that 2 in 5 adults do not know the difference between vanilla extract and vanilla essence. Granted, in some cases, mixing up the two, could be a slip of the tongue. However, even when prompted, most people found it difficult to explain the difference, which is odd, because the difference is very simple – one is real vanilla and the other is not!

Nielsen-Massey conducted this research to highlight that vanilla extract is made from real vanilla, extracted straight from the vanilla plant. In contrast, vanilla essence is in fact a synthetic artificial flavouring (mainly made with chemicals) – certainly not something that we’d want to mix into our cupcakes.

Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extract is made from the finest Madagascan vanilla beans. The best beans are hand-picked, cured and put through a cold extraction process, which slowly and gently draws the vanilla from the bean, preserving the delicate flavour to create one of the finest pure vanilla extracts in the world.

So next time your recipe requires vanilla, make sure you choose the real thing, and choose the best to guarantee both quality and taste. Interestingly the brand pictured is the one I have in my cupboard; I just never considered the producer – Nielsen-Massey.

Glastonbury Abbey is delighted to have been awarded Supreme Cider Champion at this year’s Royal Bath & West Show, beating over 360 other entries including Gaymers and Perrys to take the Champions Cup. The prize-winning cider apples are grown on the site of the original 14th century orchard in the shadow of one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval kitchens at Glastonbury Abbey.

‘The Award of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers’ Cup for the Supreme Champion Cider’ is the most prestigious prize given to Cider, and was selected by senior judges, including, Nick Bradstock, President of European Wine and Cider Association, and food writer, Tom Parker Bowles.

The orchard at Glastonbury Abbey has its roots in the medieval ages. Records reveal that apple trees were kept by Glastonbury Monks to make cider. Today the orchard sits at the same spot, at the heart of the Abbey’s 36 acres of atmospheric parkland.

Julian Temperley of the Somerset Cider Brandy Company who pressed the cider said, ‘Over the past 700 years cider apples have been harvested at Glastonbury Abbey. We are delighted to continue this age-old tradition and be part of the ongoing history of this delightful orchard set within the sacred walls of the Abbey. Today we celebrate the humble apple and it’s delicious, honest flavour – it is wonderful to be part of this story.’

Katherine Gorbing, Director of Glastonbury Abbey, said: ‘It is a tremendous honour to receive this award and it’s a tribute to the traditional skills of Julian Temperley and his team who have turned our apples into award winning cider. We are proud to uphold the county traditions and be part of the best that Somerset has to offer.’

‘This year Glastonbury Abbey visitors seeking an oasis of calm can buy an award winning cider to take home as a delicious treat from one of England’s most spiritual sites.’

Over 3,000 bottles of the award winning cider have been produced and are on sale at the Abbey’s gift shop.