Eat, Drink and Be Merry With a Luxury Christmas Hamper from DukesHill

Justifiably famed for stupendously awesome artisanal luxury hampers including its hamper like no other, the Truly Magnificent, priced at £895, DukesHill has a standout collection available for this Christmas.

Filled to the very brim with the finest artisan food and drink, DukesHill's luxury hamper collection celebrates the very best of Britain's artisan producers - including their own expertly cured hams that carry a Royal Warrant awarded by Queen Elizabeth II, creating hampers of quality, taste and exceptional provenance to gift or enjoy this Christmas.

Christmas Hamper Highlights

Truly Magnificent Hamper - £895

39 items, 2 x 20” wicker hampers with leather straps

The Truly Magnificent Hamper certainly does live up to its luxurious name. Thirty nine individual items are nestled across not one but two wicker hampers creating a Christmas classic. 

At its very heart is a boneless Large St George's Ham, cured by DukesHill's experts and baked with a spiced orange, cinnamon, mace and clove glaze, closely followed by a whole sliced side of superior oak traditionally Smoked Salmon. 

Included is a fine selection of artisan cheeses, chutneys, crackers, sables and a duck liver pâté with Cointreau along with a Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, crafted and baked exclusively for DukesHill.

There are, of course, some delightful sweet treats, including DukesHill's Extra Large Christmas Pudding and a selection of handmade artisan mince pies unique to DukesHill: St Clements, Classic and Almond-topped flavours to add to your feast.  

You'll also discover Peaches in Brandy, handmade Scottish Shortbread direct from Loch Lomond, Turkish Delight, and for chocolate lovers, Blonde Chocolate Coffee & Caramelised Hazelnut Mendiants, Dark Chocolate Roasted Almond & Ginger Mendiants, an Extra Large Chocolate Selection box, Chocolate Covered Pecans and Milk Chocolate Covered Honeycomb that's made in small batches using real honey and the finest Colombian milk chocolate. A selection of fine wines and champagne complete this gourmet journey in a hamper.

It's A Wonderful Life - £195

14 items, 20” wicker hamper with leather straps

A carefully curated selection of the very best that's available from of DukesHill, It's A Wonderful Life pulls out all the stops this season with DukesHill's legendary boneless Wiltshire Ham and signature traditional Oak Smoked Salmon.  

Seasonal savouries include Isle of Mull Cheddar, Cote Hill Blue Cheese, Boxing Day Chutney, Scottish Oatcakes, Parmesan & Pistachio Sables and DukesHill's exclusive Pork Rillettes, made by slowly cooking pork belly with peppers, spices and Espelette pepper. A Family Christmas Pudding, Classic Mince Pies, handmade Scottish Shortbread, Milk Chocolate Honeycomb and Grandad's Light Fruit Cake Loaf made with almonds, butter, cherries, vine fruits and mixed spice are the sweet picks on offer, alongside a bottle of Tanners creamy, biscuity Cava Brut to toast the season.

Bah! Humbug - £95

12 items, 14” wicker hamper with leather straps

However, please rest assured that there's certainly nothing Scrooge-like about the Bah! Humbug hamper with its Honey Baked Baby Ham cured by DukesHill's very own experts, Sliced Oak Smoked Salmon and Pork Rillettes, exclusive to DukesHill and made by slowly cooking pork belly with peppers, spices and Espelette pepper. 

Also included is Barbers Black Waxed Cheddar to try with a spoonful of Fig Chutney, a jar of Cocktail Nuts, DukesHill's moist and rich Christmas Pudding, a mini classic Panettone, handmade Scottish shortbread from Loch Lomond, Milk Chocolate Crunchy Biscuit & Caramelised Pecan Mendiants, Milk Chocolate Honeycomb and a festive Gingerbread Blonde Chocolate bar.

The Chocolatier's Collection Hamper - £95

7 Items • 14” Wicker Basket with Leather Straps

Exquisitely and beautifully presented, this chocolate lover's dream contains an ingenious hot chocolate shaker to enjoy the most velvety smooth hot chocolate at home, along with three bags of artisan chocolate; milk chocolate drops, indulgent dark chocolate orange flakes and delicious blonde chocolate flakes. 

This exceptional collection also boasts a box of 16 beautifully hand decorated special Christmas truffles produced by artisan chocolatiers, alongside two bars of luxury-tasting chocolate in the most delicious flavours: Pistachio & Cranberry Chocolate and Marmalade Dark Chocolate.

Deck The Halls Hamper - £60 

7 Items • 14” Wicker basket with leather straps

A DukesHill artisan tasting experience in a hamper, this contains a carefully selected collection of the very best handmade and British produced products including a delicious Fig Chutney, Parmesan & Pistachio Sablés, Classic Panettone, a tin of melt-in-the-mouth Scottish Shortbread handmade in Loch Lomond, a festive tasting Gingerbread Blonde Chocolate Bar, DukesHill's family recipe Christmas Pudding, and a 75cl bottle of a biscuit, creamy cava Brut from Tanners.

(EDITOR: This reminds me. My wife and I need to pop in to Tanners to sort out our Christmas wine order, as Tanners are our local wine merchants.)

To learn more and to place your orders please visit DukesHill's website https://www.dukeshillham.co.uk

Luxury Christmas Gifting from DukesHill

Seeking out highest-quality gifts for friends and family this Christmas? Then look no further! Because luxury artisan food supplier and Royal Warrant holder DukesHill has Christmas gifting wrapped up for all fine food lovers.

Highlights for the festive season include two new indulgent chocolate products, Luxury Christmas Truffles and the Luxury Hot Chocolate Gift Box containing the secret to making the smoothest, most velvety hot chocolate, and DukesHill's Whisky Cask Cider Savoury Hamper, the perfect companion on a bracing Boxing Day or New Year's Day walk this winter. 

Full of the finest food and flavours, DukesHill's Christmas collection celebrates the very best artisan producers creating gifts of quality, taste and exceptional provenance.

Whisky Cask Cider Savoury Hamper - £70

10 items 14” wicker hamper with leather straps 

The perfect gift for all whisky, cider and cheese lovers, this hamper is beautifully presented in a leather-strapped DukesHill wicker basket. In it you'll find the very best savoury selection from Isle of Mull cheddar cheese to the finest charcuterie including bresaola, sliced lomo, porchetta and pastrami, Fig Chutney, Multi Seed Crackers and three bottles of Whisky Cask Cider. Matured for six months in single malt scotch whisky casks, this smooth, dry cider is handcrafted in small batches using real fruit that produces warm notes of vanilla, oak and honey.

Luxury Hot Chocolate Gift Box - £45

The Luxury Hot Chocolate Gift Box is a stylish Christmas gift, containing delicious artisan chocolate and an ingenious Hot Chocolate Shaker - the secret to making the smoothest, most velvety hot chocolate. Shaking creates the right amount of friction to perfectly bind chocolate to warm milk or water which can't be achieved with stirring alone. By shaking a hot liquid in an airtight container, the air inside the container heats and expands, causing a hot chocolate taste explosion. This ingenious, can't-live-without hot chocolate shaker has a lid that pops to accommodate the increased pressure as the air expands. A chic gift box to give, it also contains two bags of artisan chocolates, Milk Chocolate Drops and Dark Chocolate Orange, for the very best tasting hot chocolate.

Luxury Christmas Truffles - £25 (160g)

Box of 16 truffles

Beautifully presented in a box tied with a striking red ribbon, this selection of handmade artisan chocolate truffles come in stylish Christmas colours of red, white and green. Delicious and decadent, they're made fresh using milk, dark and white chocolate, cream, butter, real fruits, herbs and spices.

Port & Stilton Gift Box - £50 

A classic combination, this elegant DukesHill gift box has the finest handmade Blue Stilton Cheese from Cropwell Bishop Creamery, potted in a striking cream and red ceramic jar. It's paired with a 75ml bottle of Tanners Patrono Fine Ruby Port Fonesca.

Traditional Scottish Shortbread - £14.50 (475g), £21 (725g)

Presented in a beautiful floral keepsake tin and handmade in Loch Lomond exclusively for DukesHill, this traditional all-butter Scottish Shortbread uses the finest possible ingredients resulting in a delicious melt-in-the-mouth, crumbly texture.  A delicious and thoughtful gift idea when visiting family or friends this Christmas.

The DukesHill Christmas gift range will be available from 31st September at: dukeshill.co.uk 

An advance preview of the DukesHill Christmas brochure 2023 will be available to view from 14th September. 

Instagram: @dukeshill

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Craft Gin Club Launches Gin Advent Calendar to Welcome in Christmas 2023

The Craft Gin Club (www.craftginclub.co.uk) is to launch its fabulously festive Craft Gin Advent Calendar for 2023 at a price of £94.95 from 1st September (pre-sale) and on general sale from 1st October on the Craft Gin Club online shop.

The calendar features 25 miniature bottles, each containing a double shot (50ml) of craft gin, so you'll get to enjoy a special G&T on Christmas Day, also!

All the craft gins are new to the calendar for this year, and the selection includes seven exclusive gins created just for Craft Gin Club by master distilleries from all over the UK

For example, the massively popular Cornish craft distiller, Tarquin's, has created an exclusive Mince Pie Gin recipe. This gin can't be purchased anywhere else.

The gins come from the finest craft distillers from around the UK and also from across the globe.

Featuring a fun and fabulously retro hand-drawn design, the calendar will take pride of place in any festive gin-lover's living room!

The advent calendar also has three tasty cocktail serving suggestions to try at home: a 'Claus-mopolitan', a 'Festive Snowball' and a 'Sloe Gin Negroni'

The back of the calendar also outlines a suggested mixer and garnish to pair with each individual gin, as chosen by Craft Gin Club's in-house mixologist, so you can enjoy the perfect G&T with each and every door opening; a 'pairing bundle' of mixers will be available on the online shop to accompany the advent calendar from September.

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Celebrate Christmas With Codorníu

Codorníu is utterly thrilled to present the perfect Christmas gifts for wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike. Introducing the extraordinary Codorníu Ars Collecta Bottle which is an exquisite addition to any celebratory occasion!

Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, the Codorníu Ars Collecta bottle is elegant and sophisticated. It's encased in an opulent, hand-blown glass bottle, the deep amber hues evoking warmth and festivity, while the unique design is a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Spain and the artistic legacy of famous architect Gaudí. The bottle showcases a distinct shape that echoes his masterpieces' organic curves and intricate patterns, like Barcelona's Sagrada Familia and Park Güell.

But you should note that the Codorníu Ars Collecta Bottles aren't just a gift, but an unforgettable experience carefully designed to create lasting memories this Christmas season. Whether shared among loved ones around a crackling fireplace or presented as a token of appreciation to esteemed colleagues and friends, this gorgeous bottle will elevate every festive gathering and add an element of genuine luxury to any occasion. 

Should there be any vegans present at your Christmas dinner, you and your guests will be delighted to be able to sip in confidence. Codorníu Ars Collecta is proud of its vegan-friendly status, as no animal-derived ingredients are used at any stage of its production.

Ars Collecta Grand Rosé Reserva

Fine bubbles and intense aromas of raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry.

The red fruit notes stand out on the palate, typical of the Pinot Noir variety. An

excellent accompaniment to gourmet appetisers or perfect with salmon

sashimi, sushi, carpaccio, or tartar.

Codorníu Ars Collecta Rosé 75cl | Vinissimus (vinissimus.co.uk) £24.65

Ars Collecta Blanc de Blancs

Fine bubbles and delicate toasted notes with a touch of peach, nectarine,

brioche, and nuts aromas resulting from a long ageing in the bottle. Broad,

complex, balanced, and creamy on the palate. Perfectly paired with

seafood, sushi, or smoked cod.

Codorníu Ars Collecta Blanc de Blancs 75cl | Ocado £18

Make sure you're on this year's nice list by leaving out a glass of Codorníu Cava for Santa and his Reindeers!

https://www.codorniu.com/

Q Catering Launches Christmas 2023 Brochure

Q Catering, the South East of England's premier independent foodservice wholesaler has launched its 2023 Christmas brochure early, offering a helping hand to hospitality owners who are feeling the strain as the festive season appears on the horizon. And it'll be here sooner than we might expect!

The growing wholesale distributor offers a wide range of quality ambient, chilled, and frozen food products to over 830 businesses across the South East of England, including pubs, restaurant, schools and cafés.     

The beautifully created brochure boasts all the festive favourites, from mince pies to turkeys and even a range of items to help dress the table, too. 

To reduce food waste and create a more sustainable greener Christmas, the brochure suggests ways that customers can enhance existing, core products that are ordered all year round, to give them a newer, festive twist and avoid the risk of being left with heavily themed Christmas products in January. This interchangeability of the products and paired serving suggestions, captures Q Catering's passion for both reducing food waste and saving money for all of its clients. 

There's something something for everyone!

Q Catering caters to everyone, and the Christmas period is no exception. Their 2023 festive offering includes a huge range of vegan and vegetarian products too, including Buffalo Cauliflower Bites, Individual Luxury Chestnut Roasts, and Chocolate Chip Orange Puddings. 

This selection not only highlights a strive for inclusivity, but also shows businesses stressing about providing vegan and vegetarian options is now no longer an issue.

Exclusive Partnerships  

This Christmas, Q Catering is proud to be working exclusively with Kent based company, The Finest Cake Company, by offering their delicious, sweet treats and bakes to its customers. The Finest Cake selection range includes Sticky Toffee Apple Traybakes, Biscoff Blondie Traybakes, Salted Caramel Brownie Traybakes and much more, besides. 

Also on offer are two enticing cheeseboards exclusive to Q Catering during the festive period, the Kent & Sussex Cheeseboard, and the British Cheeseboard, each made up of an assortment of five cheeses. Both will showcase some of the best cheeses that are available from the South East and the whole country.  

Steve Clarke, who is the MD at Q Catering says: “It's really never too early to start preparing for Christmas and we're obviously delighted to have released our first ever Christmas brochure so early in the year. 

"We're obviously well aware of  how important the festive season is to our customers and how stress can arise during this time, so we've taken the decision to launch our Christmas catalogue earlier than ever before. 

"Of course, our warehouse expansion which we undertook last year will come into great use during this time, as this expanded facility lets us offer even more of a comprehensive range of core products during this busy time. Not to mention how it allows us to keep stocking new products in line with demand and trends as we move toward the festive season.”   

He went on to say: “At the start of the year, we extended our telesales hours so orders can be placed up to 10pm on Monday to Thursday and we've also introduced a Sunday telesales service from 5-10pm. We understand the challenges that come with the festive season and our team's committed to ensuring all our customers are fully catered for.” 

Q Catering is committed to investing in all of its customers and providing them with quality products, impeccable customer service, and modernised experiences that meet businesses evolving and growing requirements.

To stay up to date with the latest news from Q Catering, sign up the newsletter here: https://www.qcatering.co.uk/newsletter/   

For more information, please visit Q Catering's website at https://www.qcatering.co.uk