Food News – August 2013

We have been trying out 2 new drinks from Gran Steads Ginger Co this week, who are based in Sussex. First we sampled the Still Lemonade with a Zing of Ginger. This tastes just like fresh homemade lemonade and we loved the kick of ginger! Light and refreshing this really is a joy to drink. Next we sampled Blackcurrant with Zing which will be launched this autumn. Again the blackcurrant juice blended perfectly with the ginger for an added depth of flavour. If I had to pick a favourite I couldn’t as they were both really easy to drink and very thirst quenching in this hot weather. They make an ideal alternative to alcohol and can be used in alcohol-free cocktails, added to a winter punch or used as a mixer with fruit juice to add an extra kick. Both products contain no artificial preservatives, flavourings or sweeteners.

These drinks  retail for around £2.25 which I think is very reasonable for such a quality product. For more information and where to buy head to Gran Steads web site.

When “Sent with a Loving Kiss” wrote to me asking if I’d like to try one of their luxury tins of chocolate which are handmade by British chocolatiers, who was I to refuse! I chose their Daisy Delights tin which contained:  Milk Chocolate daisy ‘With love xxx’ Bar 95g, Cornet of Dark Chocolate Pearls 60g, Bag of White Chocolate Bars 35g and Milk Chocolate Disc studded with white hearts 35g.

There was no shortage of helpers to sample these delightful chocolates which were very creamy and delicious. My personal favourites I think were the Dark Chocolate Pearls which were beautifully rich in flavour and which just melted in the mouth. These tins are meant as a gift and you get to choose a message to write on the tin – I hope you like the one I chose “Fab Food 4 All – does what it says on the tin”! So whether someone has had a baby or it’s their birthday or anniversary I think this tin would make a lovely gift (there’s a whole range). I’m not a lover of flowers as they die so quickly and would much rather receive a gift like this in the post. The chocolate arrived on one of the hottest days of the year and as you can see did not suffer any ill effect.

This tin is priced at £22.95 and you can see the full range over at Sent with a Loving Kiss.

I was sent this bottle of Blanc de Noirs Champagne by Sainsburys to celebrate it winning gold at the 2013 International Wine Challenge. It took some time to find a reason to open it but when I won the local Parish Day jam contest I couldn’t think of  a better excuse! I have given up drinking wine in recent times as it all seems to give me a terrible headache so I was a little apprehensive on opening this bottle. I needn’t have worried though, I drank half a bottle (my husband had the other) with absolutely no ill effect and it tasted fabulous. I drank responsibly on a full stomach and was pleasantly happy for a couple of hours! The next morning I felt as fresh as a daisy too which certainly wouldn’t have happened if I’d drunk plain old wine. I can thoroughly recommend this champagne for both taste and no unpleasant side effects.

Retails at £21.99 and you can read about more of their award winning wines here.

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Since discovering spelt I have become a huge of this wondrous little grain!  So when I was offered the chance to sample the new Sharpham Park Morning Multi Flakes I couldn’t resist. They contain the goodness of crispy light rice flakes and are blended with spelt bran, barley and oats. They are naturally high in fibre, low in sugar and contain no added salt which makes a nice change! Before I even had a chance to sample them my husband beat me to it and gave them 10 out of 10! I’m not sure I’d go that high but they had a lovely unique taste and texture which completely set them apart from other cereals. The box didn’t last long in our house, looks like I’ll have to go and buy some more!

Morning Multi Flakes retail for £2.68 and are available in selected Waitrose stores, Asda and online at Sharpham Park.

Due to the recent hot weather these Divine Fairtrade pouches of chocolates were a little delayed in being sent but were well worth the wait. The Divine Milk & Dark Chocolate mixed Nuts variant contains “fresh brazil nuts and roasted cashews enrobed in seriously smooth milk chocolate, with crunchy caramelised almonds in rich 70% dark chocolate.” The quality of the chocolate and the nuts made this product totally outstanding and was enjoyed by the whole family.

The Divine White Chocolate mixed Berries are described as “luscious blackcurrants, raspberries and strawberries, all enrobed in gloriously creamy white chocolate”. I found these chocolates out of this world and although I’m not usually a big fan of white chocolate the wonderful dried whole fruits inside made for a heavenly match. The strawberries were so very sweet and delicious as were the blackcurrants and raspberries. Again the whole family loved these chocolates and if I had to choose between them then I would say that these were my favourite.

Both variants are available from August and form part of Divine’s Christmas range (I know I’d like to find them under my tree) rrp £4.50.