Housebites is a service that allows people to enjoy a brand new dining experience and meet new people in a home-cooked dinner-party environment. Customers can search housebites for locations, food types, budgets and even the kind of people they would like to dine with. It’s perfect for anyone that enjoys eating out and socialising.

How often do you go to a restaurant and chat to the people on the other tables?

At Housebites that’s exactly what happens! Whatsmore there’s no waiter rushing you to finish and there’s no extortionate bill at the end.

Anyone can attend a Housebite and any keen cook can host one.

Housebites was created by a team of food enthusiasts, who all cook regularly. Encouraged by the current underground dining scene they wanted to create a service that took the best bits from dining-in and eating-out and turn them into a unique unprecedented dining experience. It’s also the same team that brought you Bebo, SpeedDater and Birthday Alarm

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.

Seen this amazingly good advert for Cadbury Spots V Stripes? All part of the marketing push for a new bar of chocolate. You may scoff but it’s a fun idea!

The advert is great; so is the chocolate incidentally!

We think games are great. They get people playing, they bring people together and sometimes they even reveal an undiscovered talent. That’s why, with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games around the corner, we’re launching Spots v Stripes.

We’re asking the nation to choose sides and split into Spots or Stripes in order to play, what’s quite possibly, the biggest, longest game ever.

Footy, cricket, bike races, online games, games you’ve made up like full-contact tiddlywinks or even a simple game of ‘tag’. You can play pretty much any game you can imagine.

So how do you take part? First, pick the side you want to play for – Spots or Stripes. Then whenever you play a game against someone from the opposing side, the winner scores a point for his/her side. All the points will be logged right here and updated live on our Score’o’tron. Score enough points and you could even become one of your side’s all-star heroes.

Plus we’ll be laying down weird and wonderful challenges to the nation with big prizes up for grabs. We’ll be stopping the traffic with big city takeovers and we’re bringing Spots v Stripes to local events everywhere.

The Spots v Stripes website allows you to record the scores, there is a running update on the two teams, and plenty of ideas to boot.

This year’s exquisite Panama Esmeralda Special, widely regarded as the best coffee in the world, is a unique combination of rare Giesha Arabica, immaculate cultivation and processing practices, delivering a coffee of unsurpassed aroma and flavour. It is exclusive to Fortnum & Mason.

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.

This handsome chunk of meat hails from award winning Pipers Farm. Specifically it is a 4 week hung Red Ruby Entrecote Steak, cut, sealed and frozen in the perfect size for one.

“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.