Christmas really isn’t Christmas without at least one box of chocolates; a fail-safe gift or a little private indulgence for you alone. This seasonal selection from Hotel Chocolat is £22 or 2 for £40. Pick up in store or order online – still plenty of time for delivery before Christmas Day itself! Billionaire Shortbread anyone? Or perhaps a Christmas Mess followed by a Cinnamon Praline?

Brimming with sparkling seasonal cheer and the gorgeous flavours of the season – in melt-away pralines and soft caramels, truffles with warming chilli and creamy coconut, cherry florentines, gingerbread, cinnamon and more. There’s something inside to make everyone feel Christmassy all over.

a

The Foodie List - Foodie stuff from around the UK

Flowers, right? Damn fine flowers admittedly but that is all that Interflora deals with, right?

Well no, as it happens. Interflora offers a whole gamut of products including plants such as a £22.99 Poinsettia with chocolate or a £27.99 Yuletide basket. There is also a range of Gifts for Her from a £19.99 single red rose with vase to £29.99 Personalised Heart Biscuits.

There is also a range of rather delightful Christmas Hampers. These range in price from a Christmas Tray at £29.99 right up to a £200 Christmas Ottoman Trunk. Pictured is the Taste of Christmas Basket at £100. This contains a mix of savoury and sweet food products plus two bottles of wine and a small bottle of port –

• Border red berry rascals 175g
• Border Biscuits Blackberry & Apple crumbles
• Grandma Wild’s Milk chocolate coated cranberry cookies 200g
• The Original Cake Company 5.5″ round cherry & almond drizzle cake 600g
• Lily O’Briens chocolates 190g
• Bromley’s spiced peach chutney 200g
• Paddy & Scott’s after dinner coffee 56g
• Just fudge cranberry fudge 125g
• Orchard preserves raspberry jam 227g
• Orchard preserves marmalade 227g
• Walkers 6 Luxury mincemeat tarts 372g
• The Dormen Chilli & lime cashews 130g
• Olives Et Al Moorish olives with Cumin, coriander & cardamom 150g
• Bromley’s Cranberry sauce 200g
• Twinings winter edition mulled spiced tea – x 20 40g
• Matthew Walker Christmas pudding 454g

a

The Foodie List - Foodie stuff from around the UK

Turkey too traditional? Drumsticks too humdrum? Give our yuletide feathered friend the day off and entertain your friends and family with the finest organic lamb and mutton in the country this Christmas from Langley Chase Organic Farm.

They have created a new Christmas meat box that provides a fantastic range of dishes perfect for Christmas and the New Year and also provide the recipes and the required fresh herbs with every order. This box of tasty delights also makes a great gift – you can even include a personalised note.

Each box contains:
• One 375gram stick of Langley Chase chorizo picante salami – with smoked paprika, spices and chilli, this unusual and tasty lamb and mutton Salami is so good we sell out every time we make it. Great for canapés, starters, rough diced for cassoulets or finely sliced with plum chutney, cheese and a glass of red wine.
• One lamb shoulder – perfect for slow roasting with onion sauce, roasted vegetables, and makes wonderful cuts when cold.
• Two 500gram packs of diced Mutton – enjoy this fantastic meat as a tagine; cooked with lemon, saffron and cinnamon for the perfect festive fragrance.
• 12 Rosemary and Garlic Lamb sausages (two packs of six) – quite possibly the best bangers for a New Year’s Day breakfast. Also excellent as part of a main course and cooking up quickly for hungry children.

Prices: Pick up from the farm: £75.00. Delivered direct to any UK address: £88.50. Click here to order

a

The Foodie List - Foodie stuff from around the UK

Tucked inside Ocado’s new Organic Fruit, Vegetable and Salad Boxes you’ll find the freshest ingredients – everything from rainbow carrots and red Robinta potatoes to succulent Conference pears and juicy apples, all available to order now from just £17.99.

Ocado is passionate about organic produce and is working with a family-owned organic produce business, based in the South East, to bring you a selection of the highest quality, and most readily available, seasonal groceries.

Ocado’s Veg and Salad Box includes 11 healthy vegetables and salad ingredients that will feed your household’s weekly ‘five-a-day’ needs for just £17.99. Even hungrier households can opt for Ocado’s bumper Fruit, Veg and Salad Box, offering 13 of the freshest fruits, vegetables and salad items for £24.99.

All of Ocado’s produce, grown to strict Soil Association standards, has been personally selected and packed to perfection. Upon ordering, Ocado’s friendly drivers will whisk them straight to your kitchen table in a handy one-hour time slot.

Visit Ocado’s website to find out which delicious weekly items are up for grabs in each organic box, and to take a sneak-peak at what’s expected inside the following week’s offerings too.

a

The Foodie List - Foodie stuff from around the UK

Start or indulge a passion for artisan baking this Christmas with all the baking essentials needed for a truly authentic Panettone from online specialists, www.BakeryBits.co.uk.

Add a twist to this traditional Italian sweetened celebratory cake with BakeryBits’ special Aroma Panettone essence. The essence contains the exquisite Fiori di Sicilia but adds to it further flavours and aromas suited specifically to Panettone dough – like candied fruit, vanilla, honey and spices – so that the quantity of those ingredients can be kept lower. The benefit of using the authentic essence is to avoid these ingredients slowing or even stopping the fermentation, this ensures a cake which is dark on the outside yet moist and fluffy on the inside.

By adding essential oil that contains these flavours the texture of the Panettone crumb will stay very light and open. Supplied in a 100ml dropper bottle, the essence can be used in Panettone, custards and puddings. Recommended usage is 1-2 tsp per kilo of dough.

To bake your special Panettone, BakeryBits offers a variety of cases for individual Panettone. The special tubular Panettone cases range from 70mm diameter suitable for approximately 100g or 4oz dough, to 170mm diameter suitable for approximately 1kg of dough and are designed to free-stand in the oven while the Panettone bakes, and for presentation of the baked cake.

Panettone cases (known in Italy as Pitrottini) originated in Milan. A homemade Panettone, using a good recipe that follows the authentic long proving and contains quality ingredients is incomparable with the supermarket versions.

Available from www.BakeryBits.co.uk, the Aroma Panettone is priced at £6.99, plus a delivery charge of £2.95 + VAT. Panettone cases are priced from £2.99 for a pack of 25, (100g or 70mm) to £4.49 for a pack of 25, (1kg or 170mm).

Orders can be made online up to the 22 December for next-day delivery. Delivery is available anywhere worldwide.

a

The Foodie List - Foodie stuff from around the UK

Artisan smokehouse, Coln Valley, has launched the Trio of Gravadlax in time for Christmas.

With three varieties of gravadlax including beetroot, pesto and lemon & pepper, Coln Valley’s latest creation is expected to be a hit within the foodservice sector for its diverse range of flavours and ability to provide hotels and restaurants with a convenient luxury menu item.

Mark Osborne, Coln Valley’s Managing Director, comments: “As an artisan producer, we aim to provide the industry with a choice of contemporary flavours that push the boundaries of traditional products. We want to create food that inspires chefs and appeals to those who appreciate fine food. The Trio caters for both audiences and is likely to be a hit throughout the festive season and beyond.”

Cured using traditional techniques that have made the smokehouse one of the UK’s most well-respected traditional artisan producers, Coln Valley’s expanding gravadlax range is generating acclaim throughout the UK and abroad.

The Trio of Gravadlax launch follows the success of Coln Valley’s summer flavour, the Pimms Gravadlax, which first appeared at Wimbledon in 2010 and is now widely available following popular demand.

Respected by many world-class chefs for its flagship kiln-baked salmon, Coln Valley’s customers include premium London food halls and delicatessens throughout the UK. Online the Trio is listed at £14.50.

For more information please visit www.simplysalmon.co.uk

a

The Foodie List - Foodie stuff from around the UK

Whoever thought an independent food company couldn’t match the major supermarkets on price hasn’t read the latest statistics from Riverford Organic. The organic grower, which delivers vegetables and other farm produce through its nationwide network of franchisees, recently weighed in at an average 19.3 percent cheaper than Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s, topping them by 8, 18 and 32 percent respectively – with their best value boxes outstripping the supermarket equivalent by over 40 percent for the second month running.

Says Guy Watson, Riverford’s founder: “We’re genuinely proud of that fact that we can get good organic food to peoples’ doorsteps 20 percent cheaper than the supermarkets without compromising on flavour & freshness, our principles, or how we treat our growers. It’s what we set out to do more than 20 years ago, and we’re realising that vision”

”It’s always been a fundamental principle to make organic food as affordable and accessible as possible. We’re delighted that our farming methods, our minimal approach to packaging (aiming to use boxes up to 10 times), and our model of regional farms to reduce food miles brings our veg in so much cheaper than the supermarket model. With a fine autumn and some bumper harvests we expect to remain very competitive”.

He adds: “I’ve always hated waste – and there is an awful lot of waste in the whole supermarket model. We are sensible about specifications and don’t discriminate against a perfectly good carrot just because it’s wonky. Ultimately we’re about sound ethics, good health and great flavour rather than cosmetic perfection. Because of our approach, our farmers get a better yield out of the same area than they would if they were supplying one of the big players, which helps reduce costs, and keep prices down”.

Riverford’s wider figures also compare favourably to a declining national trend in organic food sales. According to Kantar Worldpanel, national organic food sales were down 5.8 percent in the 52 weeks leading up to May 2011, while in the same year to April, Riverford Organic reported sales of £39.5million – up 2.4 percent on the previous year.

Says Riverford’s Managing Director, Rob Haward: “It’s a positive time for our company, and clearly demonstrates that innovation in logistics combined with strong marketing and a dedicated network of independent franchisees can drive growth – even through harsh economic times. Customers want to be reassured about value, but they also value the convenience of free delivery and the way a weekly vegbox reduces supermarket trips (with all the time and unplanned spending involved). Customers are always telling us how unthinkingly they will throw away stuff they buy at the supermarket, but they really value what they get in the veg boxes – they never want to waste a single onion. It’s something to do with the connection they feel with the farm – and the proof of that is that more than 5,500 of them turned out for our farm Pumpkin days last weekend’.

http://www.riverford.co.uk/

a

The Foodie List - Foodie stuff from around the UK

What’s your favourite coffee? And I don’t mean which brand of freeze dried granules, or generic ‘fresh’ option which tells you little more than what country it’s from. Is it a heart-thumping Indonesian number or perhaps an earthy African brew?

Like wine, coffee has a characteristic taste and aroma depending on where it’s grown, by who, and how it’s roasted. There’s a world of irresistible coffee out there yet many of us don’t know about it, relying on the limited (and often poor) choice of the supermarket or coffee house chain.

But not any more. Inspiring the coffee-crazy* nation on how to best discover the sensuous secrets of its second favourite hot drink is Kopi – delivering gourmet coffee directly through your letter box every month.
Launched October 2011, this perky new concept in coffee drinking offers subscribers a convenient way to try a different ‘posh’ roast every month, broadening their foodie horizons from the bog standard supermarket blend.

Kopi’s coffee:
• Chosen by experts from world-class estates– collectively the Kopi team has over 150 years’ expertise
• Discover one new top-notch coffee every month
• Ultimate in convenience – delivered through your letterbox
• Single-origin coffee – the best beans from just one region; no blends
• Coffee you just can’t get in a supermarket

Kopi’s coffee arrives ground – or for real connoisseurs – as whole beans; you choose. And in a chic, cleverly designed box that slips easily through your letterbox. Inside, the freshly roasted coffee is foil-wrapped for freshness in a nifty re-sealable bag that stands up by itself. Alongside the coffee is a beautiful booklet featuring fun, fuss-free knowledge on its unique characteristics and provenance.

Members also have access to an exclusive area on Kopi.co.uk, which provides brimfuls of fresh knowledge about each month’s specially selected coffee; from fascinating facts about where it grows and how it gets its unique taste to handy hints on how to serve the perfect cup.

This isn’t the domain of the jargon-spouting coffee geek however/ Kopi wants the nation to enjoy a genuinely better cup of coffee, with information presented in simple language and visuals that everyone can understand and be inspired by.

Elevate the breakfast buzz to a taste bud sensation, wow at parties with your sophisticated after dinner drinks and knowledge, or provide the perfect gift to anyone who cares about the quality of their beverage.

Subscriptions start from just £7 a month. Orders are now being accepted at www.kopi.co.uk/join1, with the first October batch of corking coffee limited to a few hundred people.

a

The Foodie List - Foodie stuff from around the UK

An online chocolatier is offering the perfect present for those who appreciate the finer things in life – a year’s supply of choccies. The Chocolate Moon believes the sumptuous product is the only chocolate gift of its kind available in the UK.

Lucky recipients of the Year of Chocolate will receive a box of luxury choccies in exquisite packaging delivered to their door once a month for a year.

Susie Pack, founder of The Chocolate Moon, said: “We think the Year of Chocolate product is unique. It will prove irresistible for anyone who is turned on by truffles or seduced by soft centres. We also think it is perfect for those who are really hard to buy for at Christmas and for the person who has everything. The idea for it actually came about from our customers requesting such a service. We’ve arranged for chocolates to be sent out monthly for a number of customers in the past but it’s never been a formal service. We then carried out some research and came to the conclusion that no-one else was currently offering such a product, so we saw the gap in the market.”

The Chocolate Moon launched in 2006 and since then the Hull-based team has successfully grown the online business and it is gaining a reputation for offering some of the world’s most delicious chocolate delicacies.

The Year of Chocolate will cost £99 for 12 standard size boxes and will be sent on a monthly basis to the recipient. There are also a few variations to the yearly product: six bi-monthly standard boxes at £55; 12 monthly deluxe size boxes at £149; six bi-monthly deluxe size boxes £89.

The Chocolate Moon has also launched other festive-themed delicacies including Mulled Wine Truffles, Port and Cranberry Truffles and the Chocolate Brownie Squares. Prices start from £8.45, which includes delivery.

a

The Foodie List - Foodie stuff from around the UK

The La Cloche Baking Dome, easy to use with superb results, makes an ideal gift for baking lovers.

Supplied by baking equipment specialists BakeryBits.co.uk, the fantastic La Cloche Baking Dome mimics a wood-fired oven in your conventional oven for a truly artisan baking treat.

The bell-shaped dish and lid traps the steam and maintains an even baking temperature to give you moist bread with a mouth-watering evenly golden and crackly crust. The easy to use La Cloche measures 30cm in diameter with an overall height of 17cm giving plenty of room for a 1kg loaf while fitting perfectly on your oven shelf. Based on ancient Greek and Roman baking traditions, the La Cloche is made from Superstone, a natural stoneware, fired over 1000°C. It is oven and freezer proof and easy to clean, requiring only to be soaked in warm water so that any baked on food can be scraped off.

Available from www.BakeryBits.co.uk, the La Cloche Baking Dome is priced at £42.99, plus a delivery charge of £2.95 + VAT.

Orders can be made online or next-day delivery. Delivery is available anywhere worldwide.

a

The Foodie List - Foodie stuff from around the UK