Thursday, 3 October 2013

Toast Christmas with Tanqueray Gin

An enduring classic, Tanqueray® London Dry Gin is loved by cocktail lovers and gin aficionados across the globe. With a truly extra smooth taste, it has an elegance that sets it apart from the rest and a flavour that shines in sophisticated cocktails and vibrant gin and tonics.

Tanqueray is made with the finest botanicals including refreshing juniper, peppery coriander, aromatic angelica and sweet liquorice and its smooth yet bold flavour means it has become one of the world’s most awarded gins, making a luxurious and classic gift.
 
There’s no better way to enjoy Tanqueray than with tonic, fresh lime and lots of ice in one of the signature green stem and black base copa glasses. This oversize copa glass evokes the golden age of gin cocktails and its shape allows for the aromas of Tanqueray’s key botanicals to circulate for full appreciation of the drink’s flavour.
 
Tanqueray London Dry Gin comes in a striking and iconic green bottle inspired by the traditional three-piece cocktail shaker. Stockist suggestions: Tanqueray London Dry Gin £26.60 (1L bottle) at Waitrose or £22.50 (70cl bottle) gift boxed at Alexander and James Tanqueray Copa Glass £12.00 at Alexander and James.

(EDITOR: My wife will not allow Tanqueray Gin to be used in cocktails. “Too precious for that,” she tells me!)

Give them a Christmas gift that's 1,050 metres long!

Gear up for a Christmas gift to remember at Capital Karts – the UK’s longest Go Karting track!

With a track of 1,050m, three times the length of a regular karting track experience speeds of up to 45mph on the 80m straight along the track and be the first in the country to drive RIMO Alpha Go Karts, the premium brand used at Michael Schumacher‘s centres in Germany.

A great gift for the whole family – with Go Karts for everyone – from single adult karts through to two seater Go Karts for beginners or those with less confidence, or the disabled, this truly is a gift which everyone can enjoy.

Compete against friends and family to find out who will earn bragging rights by celebrating on top of the podium.

Only 15 minutes from central London, Capital Karts is easy to get to for anyone based in the capital, or outside.

Prices start from £32.99 per person for 30 minutes of driving.
PRICE LIST:
Individual
Twinsprint - 30 minutes (2 x 15mins) = £32.99 per person (weekdays before 4.30pm)
Twinsprint - 30 minutes (2x 15mins) = £42.99 (weekdays after 4.30pm and weekends)
Grand Prix -50 minutes (10 mins qualifying and 40 mins race) = £54.99

Team Event
Le Mans Team event (2-4 drivers per kart) - 100 mins race = £99.99 per kart (weekdays)
Le Mans Team event (2-4 drivers per kart) - 100 mins race = £129.99 per kart (weekend)

Group
Exclusive track hire -
1 hour track hire (16-50 drivers) £57.60 per driver
2 hour track hire (51 - 75 drivers) £51.60 per driver
3 hour track hire (76 - 100 drivers) £47.99 per driver
To book and for more information visit: www.capitalkarts.com


Festive Recipe Ideas for Luxury Christmas Pâtés from Castle MacLellan

Following a fantastic response last year, Castle MacLellan will once again release its exceptionally tasty seasonal range of delicious limited edition premium pâtés, a must for this year’s Christmas menu.
 
To celebrate the return of the range, which complements its core selection of luxury Scottish pâtés, the company has developed a number of tasty recipes. The collection includes mouth-watering meals and canapés that demonstrate how the much-loved product can be used to make show stopping festive treats, as well as being the perfect topping for oatcakes, crackers and blinis.
 
The recipes include Mini Duck, Port and Plum Chutney Pies with a delicious ham hock and pâté centre encompassed in a golden pastry crust; crispy Chicken Parcels with cranberry sauce; and gourmet Salmon Cakes with a warming pinch of nutmeg.

The convenient Christmas pack is designed to allow the pâté to be easily turned out onto a plate as part of an elegant buffet spread. Made from the finest Scottish ingredients, the seasonal range comes in three delicious varieties:
 
Chicken Pâté with Brandy - soft, indulgent and enriched with butter cream and brandy, delicately finished with hints of thyme and sweet notes from the Galloway Bramley apple jelly.
Duck Pâté with Port - a smooth, rich, decadent and very “moreish” duck liver pâté with hints of sweet ruby port.

Smoked Salmon Terrine - a luxurious blend of smoked and poached salmon, cream cheese and crème fraiche, delicately flavoured with horseradish and lemon.

Castle MacLellan has been making the finest fresh luxury pâtés since 1982 and is dedicated to sourcing the very best local ingredients from small, independent companies rooted in Scottish heritage and provenance. The company remains an established and trusted brand, working with a number of local suppliers, which include Rannoch Smokery and The Orkney Fisherman’s Society.
 
Castle MacLellan Christmas pâtés range is available in supermarkets and independent stores throughout the UK from the end of November, priced around £2.99.
 
Mini Duck, Port and Plum Chutney Pies
Makes 8 pies
 
Ingredients:
1 Pack of Castle MacLennan Duck Pâté with Port
500g Packet Short Crust Pastry
200g Packet of ham hock
100g of Plum Chutney

Method:
1.    Preheat the oven to 200oC.
2.    Roll out the pastry to the thickness of a pound coin. Cut out 8x9cm circles of pastry for the base and 8x7cm circles for the top of the pie.  
3.    Take a muffin tray and brush the moulds with a little oil. Push the pastry base into the muffin case.
4.    Drop a tablespoon of the ham hock into the base of each pie, you want it to be about ½ full.
5.    Spread a thin layer of the Castle MacLellan Duck Pâté on top using about a tsp on each pie. Then drop the same amount of chutney onto top. 
6.    Brush the outer edge with milk/egg and add a pastry lid. Pinch the sides to seal and make a small hole in the top.
7.    Cook for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
8.    Enjoy.
 
Chicken and Cranberry Parcels
Makes 4 parcels
 
Ingredients:
1 Pack of Castle MacLellan Chicken Pâté with Brandy
4 Sheets of Ready Roll Filo Pastry
20g of Cranberry Sauce
10g of Melted Butter
Flour
 
Method:
1.    Preheat the oven to 200’C
2.    Scoop the pack of Castle MacLellan Chicken Pâté with Brandy into a mixing bowl and stir in the cranberry sauce.
3.    Lay a sheet of filo pastry on a lightly floured surface and brush with melted butter. Work quickly as the pastry will start to dry out.
4.    Place a quarter of the pate mix in the centre and pull the diagonal corner to the middle to form a parcel.
5.     Pinch the pastry in around the pate and let the top fall over.
6.    Brush the parcels with butter again and place in a small muffin tin.
7.    Repeat steps 2-4 until you have used up all the pastry sheets and the pate mix.
8.    Bake the parcels for 10 minutes or until pastry is crispy and golden.
9.     Once removed from the oven place on a piece of kitchen paper to absorb any excess butter.
10.  Serve and enjoy.

Salmon Cakes
Makes 2 Salmon Cakes
 
Ingredients:
1 Pack of Castle MacLellan Smoked Salmon Terrine
1/2 Spring Onion
Pinch of Nutmeg
35g Breadcrumbs
1tbsp of Flour
1tbsp of Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

Method:
1.    Finely chop the spring onion.
2.    Scoop the pack of Castle MacLellan Smoked Salmon Terrine into a mixing bowl.
3.    Add the spring onion and mix well. 
4.    Drop a pinch of nutmeg and breadcrumbs into the bowl and mix to combine all the ingredients.
5.    Divide mixture into 2 and shape into flat cakes.
6.    Sprinkle with flour and chill the salmon cakes in the fridge for 30 minutes.
7.    Coat bottom of frying pan with olive oil and fry the cakes over a medium/high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
8.    Serve immediately with lemon wedges and sweet chilli sauce.

Get Funkin Cocktails for your Christmas and New Year Parties!

Fancy a cheeky cocktail? Then the Funkin Cocktail range is just right!

The new 750ml  funkin cocktail mixer range includes funkin Brazilian®, funkin Strawberry Daiquiri and funkin Mojito (RRP £2.99)

The 1l funkin cocktail mixer range comprises funkin Brazilian®, funkin Strawberry Daiquiri, funkin Mojito Funkin Sour Mix, funkin Cosmopolitan, funkin Strawberry Woo Woo and funkin Margarita (RRP £3.99)

Funkin cocktail mixers are also available in a variety of flavours in single serve 120g pouches, including funkin Bellini, funkin Bramble, funkin Cosmopolitan, Funkin Margarita, funkin Mojito, funkin Pina Colada, funkin Raspberry Mojito, funkin Strawberry Daiquiri and funkin Strawberry Woo Woo (RRP £0.99)

The full funkin range is available nationwide at Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose, Co-op, Ocado, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Majestic Wine, Harrods, Amazon and www.funkin.co.uk

Keep up to date with the latest party tips and cocktail recipes at www.facebook.com/funkincocktails and www.twitter.com/funkincocktails http://www.twitter.com/funkincocktails

Here's one you can try
Funkin Winter Punch
 25 ml Absolut Vanilla
75 ml Funkin Strawberry Daiquiri cocktail mixer
Sparkling Wine
Orange Peel (to garnish)

Method
Fill a tall glass with ice and leave to cool. Then fill a cocktail shaker with the vodka and Funkin Strawberry Daiquiri cocktail mixer and shake to mix up. Pour the mixture into the glass and top with sparkling wine and orange peel to garnish. Enjoy!

Buy your smoker a SKYCIG Freedom gift set for Christmas

If you have a smoker in your life, isn't it time they went electronic for the New Year? And what better way to do this then by purchasing them the gift of a SKCIG giftbox this Christmas?

It's designed to simulate the act of smoking but by taking away the nasty cocktail of 4,000 chemicals in the smoke from normal cigarettes! And cleverly only leaving a metered and measured dose of pure nicotine, delivered in water vapour and not clouds of choking smoke!

SKYCIG employs special 'push-to-charge' technology which means more 'smokes' as it has longer-lasting batteries. In fact, the freedom pack from SKYCIG conveniently lets users charge whilst their on the go, and with much more simple charging methods.

SKYCIG has seven great flavours to choose from: Crown Tobacco, Tobacco Gold, Crown Menthol, Vanilla, Crown Cherry, Cinnamon and Classic Tobacco.

SKCYIG e-cigarettes allow them to enjoy the physical act of smoking, without the obvious health implications associated with smoking tobacco, they contain nicotine, delivered in the form of water vapour.

They are said to be the most realistic smoking experience available, and are designed to be enjoyed virtually anywhere they see a ‘no smoking’ sign.

With a range of products now available, from the newly launched White Pack, the original Freedom Pack and the brand new, berry flavoured, nicotine free NRG Pack, there is an e-cigarette to suit their needs.

What’s more,  SKYCIG e-cigarettes costs up to 80% less than traditional cigarettes, leaving them with more money to enjoy the finer things in life!

SKYCIG Freedom are available in three strengths, Bold, Regular and Light.

The SKYCIG Freedom  comes with everything they'll need:
A Rechargeable Case containing 2 batteries on the right and 5 empty slots for cartridges 5 on the left
2 Cigarette Batteries (1 is a spare)
5 Cartridges in assorted flavours (equivalent to more than 7 packs of traditional cigarettes)
A USB battery charger with a Mains Adaptor

The SKYCIG Freedom  is priced at £49.99 and is available to buy on www.skycig.co.uk

Go nuts for Christmas, with Cambrook Nuts

You'd almost think it was the result of an ancient law, the fact that, every Christmas, almost every family in Britain buys a large bag of nuts from the supermarket or the fruit and veg stall and places them on the coffee table or the sideboard... and there they sit, unloved and uneaten due to their musty, stale taste, until someone decides to throw them out for the wild birds. And is it a coincidence that soon after they Christen  the washing on the line? Probably not!

But it doesn't have to be like this! Abandon the stale and the mundane and treat you, your family and your Christmas guests to some really delicious Christmas nuts this year! And they make great presents for foodies, too!
 
Because whether you’re mad about macadamias, crazy for cashews, or passionate about peanuts, artisan nut lovers everywhere will be delighted to find a bag of deliciously moreish caramelised nuts from Cambrook in their stocking this Christmas, or in a bowl on the coffee table or sideboard. But don't expect them to stay there for long!
 
Because, using traditional artisan techniques in Cambrook’s Hampshire factory, each nut is coated in a beautiful fine golden glaze and has a distinctive crunchy texture with a hint of salt, making it the perfect gift for foodie friends or a gloriously luxurious snack when you’re feeling a little bit peckish. Whichever one you choose, each and every bag brings an explosion of honeyed, nutty goodness that is hard to resist.
 
Cambook caramelised nuts are the brainchild of Dormen’s founders Michael Brooks and Angus Cameron, who perfected the recipe in a shed at the bottom of Angus’s garden using a French copper roasting pan. “We borrowed artisan methods used on the Continent and set out to create our own distinctive brand of caramelised nuts, and it seems our recipe of a fine layer of sugar and honey with a pinch of salt has been a great success,” says Angus. “We are delighted to be able to say that we are now stocked in some of the best fine food retailers across the country.”
 
The new Cambrook caramelised nut range includes Cashews, Sesame Peanuts, Macadamias and Mixed Nuts, and costs from £1.79 RRP to £2.99 per 80g bag; available at delis, farm shops and speciality food stores, including Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols and Wholefoods.
 
For further information, visit www.cambrookfoods.co.uk

Thursday, 19 September 2013

Christmas is coming!

Yes, Christmas is on the way!

And, as every year for the past decade, That's Christmas will bring you news of what foods and drinks will be available, including for those on special diets, great recipes for you to try and new gifts to suit every budget!

Please check back frequently to learn all you need to learn about how to make your Christmas a great and joyous event. And which might not cost you as much as you feared!

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Thursday, 27 December 2012

Record number of unwanted gifts sold over Christmas

A record number of unwanted Christmas gifts have been sold this year, says Europe’s top “decluttering for cash” website, www.musicMagpie.co.uk.
 
Statistics released by the website this morning reveal 1,011,246 rejected presents were sold on Christmas Day, followed by a further 1,341,685 on Boxing Day.
 
As the rest of the nation tucked into cold turkey and trimmings, over 450,000 savvy consumers turned to musicMagpie to convert presents which failed to hit the mark, into quick, easy cash. Ranging from CDs, DVDs and games, to clothes, hair straighteners, iPods and laptops, the gifts which topped the reject list include Adele and One Direction CDs, Topshop dresses and Twilight DVDs.
 
The site saw 164,517 pairs of jeans, 28,749 iPods and 841,852 CDs sold, including Emeli Sande and Ed Sheeran.
 
Top 10 unwanted Christmas gifts for 2012…
 
TOP 10 UNWANTED GIFTS        NO. OF ITEMS   SOLD
Adele: 21              47,315
Emeli Sande: Our Version of Events              41,038
One Direction: Up All Night              37,846
Twilight DVD              36,217
The Dark Knight DVD              35,461
Ed Sheeran: +              34,731
Casino Royale DVD              31,902
Topshop dresses              30,529
Diesel jeans              30,148
Nintendo Wii              29,974
 
 
Eren Ozagir, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer of musicMagpie, says: “The period between Christmas and New Year is always our busiest time of year, as people don’t want to hang onto presents they have no use for - making a little extra money is a far better way of using these dud gifts! It’s a sad fact that many of the items sold, our own research shows, are those given by Mum and Dad!”

In anticipation of the busy period, the company provided over 10,000 mince pies to its hard working staff on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, as customers flocked to trade items.

Eren continues: “Now people can sell a massive range of clothes like Diesel jeans and Topshop dresses, electronic products like iPods, games consoles and hair straighteners, as well as DVDs, CDs and games, we have seen our busiest year yet. We anticipate an equally busy January as people continue to struggle with cash flow and look to make some easy money from their unwanted items.”
 
musicMagpie’s customers are able to make hundreds of pounds by selling unwanted items from around the home using the 100% free service (including postage). Customers can receive instant prices for the items that they want to sell using musicMagpie’s unique Valuation Engine nicknamed, of course, “Val”. For those on the go, musicMagpie’s iPhone and Android apps allow users to scan in products to make cash quicker than ever before.

(EDITOR: That's Christmas would like to thank musicMagpie for providing us with this article and the information within it.)