Dalla Costa Christmas Pasta Flavoured Tomato & Spinach 500g

Yes, indeed! Here is a very special pasta for Christmas produced by https://www.atlanteuk.co.uk for Dalla Costa.

Dalla Costa Christmas Pasta Flavoured Tomato & Spinach which comes in 500g bags at £3.99 per bag.

What's Christmassy about it? It's a delicious pasta that is a Christmas tricoloured festive pasta shapes: Christmas gifts, candles, holly and trees.

The Christmas Pasta is made with wheat semolina flour , dehydrated Tomato 1,5%, dehydrated Spinach 1.5%.

So, why not try some Italian Christmas recipes with your Dalla Costa Christmas Pasta Flavoured Tomato & Spinach?

That's Christmas has found some resources of Italian Christmas recipes https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/italian-christmas-dinner-recipes.

However, as well as Italian recipes, why not try adding Dalla Costa Christmas Pasta Flavoured Tomato & Spinach as a side dish for traditional British Christmas meals? Maybe a bowl of these nifty pasta shapes to help support the roast potatoes, roast parsnips, turkey, beef, lamb or pork?

You can purchase the pasta here https://www.realfoods.co.uk/product/41379/christmas-pasta-flavoured-tomato-and-spinach.

Fa-Ra-Ra Boom-De-Ay!

Fa-Ra-Ra Boom-De-Ay! is a great fun read of a book written by mother-and-daughter author team Ann McLauchlin and Jill Law, with some stunning, colourful and absolutely gorgeous illustrations by Emily Walker-Vaughan. 

The book is described as a flower girl fairytale. Farrah is a bit of a dream girl, always enjoying daydreams. 

Farrah's mummy is about to get married again and Farrah is going to be her mummy's very own flower girl. This is making Farrah a little bit nervous. But she's excited to visit the boutique with her mummy for the dress fitting. 

The ship is so beautiful, the dresses all look to be properly magical and Farrah, of course, decides to go for a bit of a wander and learns that Miss Singh's boutique is really a very magical and most wonderful place!

Farrah meets with many magical creatures including fairies and a unicorn that she gets to ride on through the air, taking her on a whole host of magical adventures before she returns, just in time, for the fitting. But what did Miss Singh really know about Farrah's magical adventure?

And what new magical adventure would happen later?

This book is a rhyming delight of a book and is aimed directly at moms and their daughters, especially if they are, have been, or will soon be a flower girl, aged six 'til nine. It's designed to be shared, maybe over mugs of hot chocolate, all wrapped up in dressing gowns?

It's published by Troubador at £10.00 and will make an ideal Christmas present for all little girls, even those who aren't going to be a flower girl. Well, at least not yet! 

This is their debut work, hopefully we will see more from them in the near future.

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More Christmas treats from Livia's with their Million Squares

Livia's Million Squares are absolutely mouth-watering and utterly delicious little squares of joy, which are ideal for Christmas gifting and Christmas chomping!

We checked out Livia's Salted Caramel Million Squares and also Livia's Million Squares Chocolate Orange Million Squares.

They are both delicious but there's a difference between Livia's and other people's chocolate orange. Please let me explain why. With Livia's the orange taste is definitely there, but it is a subtle, natural flavour of orange that plays gently on the tongue and really works well with the chocolate flavour.

The Salted Caramel Million Squares were also a real joy. It's utterly irresistible, fully natural and an interesting tasty twist on the classic millionaire shortbread.

Livia's Salted Caramel Million Squares combine layers of gooey date caramel, oat biscuit and wears a dark chocolate topping with more than a little swagger.

The idea of using dates to produce the caramel is a very good one and it works extremely well. 

They'll make a great purchase for Christmas as they are perfect for Christmas stocking fillers, will make ideal treats between meals (even over the Christmas holiday period) and they'll be okay for everyone to eat, as they are 100% vegan plus they are dairy free and gluten free, so are good for coeliacs to chomp along with the rest of their family, so nobody need feel left out. Which at Christmas is a pretty good feeling to have.

You can order them direct from Livia's online emporium at https://livias.co.uk or you can find them at good retailers. Actually, if you are a good retailer who likes to supply your customers with nice, natural nibbles you can make enquires at https://livias.co.uk/pages/contact-us.

Incidentally Livia's has really worked hard on ensuring that they are as eco-friendly as possible. For example, two years ago they took the decision to stop using plastic trays.  In 2020 they switched their plastic Million Square trays for recyclable, uncoated cardboard trays, cutting their annual use of plastic by over 3 tonnes!  They slashed the amount of plastic in their Million Square sharing packs by a staggering 84%!

How you can fund a School Bag for Christmas

This Christmas, for £20 you can fund a SchoolBag and give the gift of education to an underprivileged child around the world.

School in a Bag is a small charity based in the county of Somerset and a £20 SchoolBag is a totally personal gift (and an ideal alternative to Christmas cards). 

School in a Bag is a UK registered charity, born out of the Piers Simon Appeal, a charity set up in memory of the founder and CEO’s brother who died in the Indian Ocean Tsunami on Boxing Day in 2004. 

School in a Bag distributes SchoolBags to poor, orphaned, disadvantaged and disaster-affected children around the world.

To date over 132,000 SchoolBags have been handed out to children in 54 countries. Every SchoolBag is new, individually numbered and trackable on the School in a Bag website. More often than not, donors are able to learn details and see an image of the beneficiary of their SchoolBag.

Each SchoolBag is filled with essential resources that will enable a child to write, draw, colour, calculate, express themselves, eat, drink and above all, learn. 

A typical SchoolBag contains: pencils, biros, colouring pencils, a maths set, ruler, pencil case, 6 exercise books, a water bottle, a LunchBox with Spork and a hygiene kit which includes a flannel, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and a face mask. 

With some of their projects, a LifeStraw is also included. This is an amazing bit of reusable kit which changes even the dirtiest of water to drinkable water and it lasts for years!  

A SchoolBag can be purchased through the School in a Bag website. And you can buy on behalf of a family member or a close friend. Thinking about it, it would also make an ideal Secret Santa present for someone who has a social conscience. 

It's just £20 to fund a numbered, trackable SchoolBag. Purchasers will receive their own SchoolBag Gift Card (digital or paper) containing the number/s of the SchoolBag/s they have funded. 

As just pointed out, a SchoolBag can also be funded in someone else’s name, making it an ideal present. With the Gift Card option, there’s still something to put under the tree to be opened on Christmas Day, or in email format, it can be sent to anyone in the world, from anywhere.

www.schoolinabag.org. 

SIAB was launched in 2009 and to date in excess of 134,000 SchoolBags have been distributed to 54 different countries all over the world. 

In 2018, the charity reached its fundraising milestone total of £2 million and are well on the way to raising its 3rd million.

Looking for a great Christmas gift? Then you need Poetry for Neanderthals!

Poetry for Neanderthals is a great game for all members of the family and for wild and willing friends, too!

It's aimed at anyone from ages seven and upward (including any Neanderthals you might still have in your family) and is suitable for play by two players or more.

How does it work? You play the part of a Neanderthal poet who has to get your primitive family members and friends to guess a word employing only words of one syllable. 

For example, if you have the card with the word "campfire" on it, you might use the phrase "hot place where you roast soft white cube."

If your team makes a correct guess, then you win points! (Cool!)

But what if you do not get it right? For example, if you inadvertently employ a word that is more than one syllable, for example "marshmallow", then the other team gets to belt you a traditional Neanderthal hit with the NO! stick and they get to remove your points for themselves! 

There's a great deal of fun as you attempt to get your team to guess as many words as possible before your time runs out to become King (or Queen) of the Neanderthal poets!

Included in the game is the inflatable NO! stick, the timer, Grok's cards, the poetry cards and full instructions to make sure you have a head hittingly good time!

It's a fun, wild game that's sure to bring out the Robert "Neanderthal" Burns in the best of us!

It actually encourages innovative use of language as it demands we explain complicated concepts using simple words. Which is probably pretty close to how Neanderthals communicated, at least at first.

It's produced by the Exploding Kittens folks. To learn more about the game or to buy your very own copy please visit https://www.explodingkittens.com. It will cost £20.

Livia's Nugglets for your Christmas treats

You know the bowls of chocolate and sweets that you'll be placing in the usual places around your homes this Christmas?

We at That's Christmas feel that you should fill these bowls up (and refill them from time-to-time!) with Livia's splendid Nugglets.

They'll also make great Christmas stocking fillers and great Christmas party favours, too.

They come in two tantalisingly awesome flavours, Raw Cookie Dough which is crafted using date paste, gluten free oats, raw chocolate,  maple syrup, Himalayan pink salt and coconut sugar.

The combination of tastes is incredibly moreish and very yummy. 

The other variety is the Choc Brownie variety. This is made with date paste, raw chocolate, maple syrup, gluten free oats, cacao powder and Himalayan pink salt.

A slightly less strong flavour that the raw cookie dough variety, but they both actually taste very Christmassy to me. Maybe it is the date paste? Perhaps it is. You'll be able to see what I mean when you order your packets and taste test them. Obviously you'll need to buy extra for your guests!

To learn more and to order some, please visit them at www.livias.co.uk.

You can pick them up at Holland and Barrett stores, too.

Purely Plantain Chips for your Christmas parties

At some point within the next few weeks (yes, Christmas is closer than we think!) you will need to start thinking about what snacks you will be purchasing for your Christmas party tables.

There will be nuts, dates, crisps and Plantain Chips. Plantain chips? Yes, plantain chips! 

You might have heard of plantains, they are a somewhat more savoury relatives to the banana plant.

However, this might be the first time that you have heard of Purely Plantain Chips. 

They come in three varieties, Nice & Spicy, Sea Salt and Wild Garlic. 

My wife and I were fortunate enough to try their Sea Salt and Nice & Spicy varieties. Both of which were are utterly delicious, however my wife has expressed a preference for the Nice & Spicy variety which she says is exactly what it says on the packet "nice & spicy!"

The sea salt crisps are, to my mind, very tasty. Some sea salt flavoured comestibles are a little too salty, but Purely Plantain Chips have a very well-balanced sea salt flavour.

Not only will your guests praise you based on their flavours alone, they'll also be pleased that all each bag contains are thinly sliced circles of plantains, cooked to perfection, plus some salt, a little bit of sunflower oil and, in the instance of the Nice & Spicy variety, some rather tasty spices.

They also come in an intriguing Wild Garlic variety, too! 

The plantain chips are kettle cooked and the only plantains that are allowed in the kettles to be cooked to perfection are sustainably farmed plantain, grown in the rich and fecund soils of Ecuador.

To learn more please visit www.welovepurely.com.

Ho, Ho, Ho! Marry Christmas with the UK's First Eco Coffee Pod Advent Calendar!

Blue Goose Coffee is taking festive coffee gifting into a new greener, more eco-friendly dimension this Christmas by launching the UK’s first Eco Coffee Pod Advent Calendar that’s entirely plastic free.

Key Features include:

Ethically-sourced and organic coffee pods for Nespresso® machines that are plastic and aluminium-free, featuring compelling environmental and people stories.

The coffees include the world's first coffee pod filled with Sail Ship coffee and the world's first Bird Friendly® coffee in a Nespresso-compatible pod.

Vegan and vegetarian friendly

The first entirely aluminium and plastic-free coffee pod Advent calendar of its kind, it's made using sustainably sourced board, printed using vegetable inks with no glue used making it 100% plastic free, kerbside recyclable and home compostable, too!

Packed by hand by Devon Disability Collective, a Social Enterprise based in the city of Exeter which provides quality employment and training for people with disabilities and those furthest from the labour market.

A selection of calendars will even include hidden 'Golden Goose Eggs' that unlock prizes, from free coffee subscriptions to Nespresso machines! 

Each coffee is certified 100% Organic, which helps maximise biodiversity in the field and eliminating highly damaging man-made fertilisers, and features compelling environmental and people stories. For example: 

The World’s First Sail Ship Coffee Pod with caramel and hazelnut tasting notes. Filled with organic, Fairtrade coffee which is grown by four indigenous communities in Colombia's Sierra Nevada region, this coffee was transported to Europe on a 1920s sail ship, saving 3483kg of CO2 versus a container ship. 

It's the World’s First Bird Friendly certified Coffee Pod with honey, orange and hazelnut tasting notes. Columbian Clave De Sol coffee is helping preserve critical habitat for birds and wildlife, fight climate change, protect biodiversity and helps support farmers committed to conservation and sustainable farming too.

3x coffees are grown by women-owned and operated coffee cooperatives. Women represent over 70% of the labour force in the fields, harvesting and sorting beans but only 10% business or land owners so increasing the income of women producers has a direct, positive impact on the education of children and family livelihoods.

The Calendar includes eight organic, fruity, chocolatey and full-bodied coffees in fully compostable eco pods to be enjoyed throughout the 24 days leading up to Christmas. 

So if you’re looking for an exceptional tasting festive coffee gift that really does tick all the ethical & eco boxes this Christmas and actually reflects the true meaning of the spirit Christmas,  then look no further bluegoose.coffee/advent (pre-order for delivery in the first week of November 2022 onwards).

In the Welsh Wind's Award-Winning Gins to Launch in Luxury Store Harvey Nichols

It's a natural fit, really. Wales' top gin distillery and the UKs top retailer are joining forces.

Because Gold medal Signature Style and Master winner Palo Cortado Cask Aged gins now in Harvey Nichols' UK department stores. And just in time for Christmas gifting, too!

This is the first significant retail deal for the Cardigan-based In the Welsh Wind distillery

Plus as a bonus to Harvey Nichols' clientele, the distillery will also host special in-store tasting events across Harvey Nichols' UK stores.

In the Welsh Wind distillery has struck an very important deal with luxury department store Harvey Nichols to stock two of its award-winning craft gins.

It is the first major partnership with a UK retailer for Cardigan-based In the Welsh Wind, which has been proactively seeking new avenues to market its distinctive spirits.

The west Wales distillery will supply its premium-brand Signature Style gin (RRP £49 / 43% Vol / 70cl) and its limited-edition Palo Cortado Cask-Aged gin (RRP £52 / 43% Vol / 70cl) to Harvey Nichols stores in Knightsbridge, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester and Bristol.

The partnership also includes In the Welsh Wind delivering a series of in-store tasting days beginning with Harvey Nichols' Birmingham Mailbox store on Saturday October 15th.

Ellen Wakelam, co-founder and director of In the Welsh Wind Distillery, said: “It's hugely exciting for us to be stocked in such a high-profile retail outlet. We're looking forward to taking part in tastings with Harvey Nichols' shoppers and introducing our gins to new audiences outside of Wales.”

Nick Bell, beer & spirits senior buyer at Harvey Nichols said: “I am a huge fan of what the team at In the Welsh Wind are doing, making truly great gin with a real sense of place. The story is wonderful, the bottles look fantastic and more importantly, the gin itself is a real treat. I look forward to seeing what they launch in the coming years.”

Discover the In the Welsh Wind range

Signature Style Gin was awarded a Gold Medal at the 2021 Global Spirits Masters. It is asmooth oil-rich gin with a botanical profile of oranges, cinnamon, clove, ginger and tea-soaked currants. 

The limited-edition Palo Cortado Cask-Aged Gin was awarded Gin Master status at the 2021 Global Spirit Masters. It is a beautiful marriage of the Signature Style gin, which is rested in Palo Cortado sherry barrels for up to six months and delivers flavours of rich spice, dried stone fruit, juniper and citrus.

In the Welsh Wind has established a strong reputation and presence in Wales and has secured several industry accolades for the business and its spirits since being founded in 2018. 

https://inthewelshwind.co.uk

UKs top Plant-Based Cake Brand Launches Luxury Christmas Range

Award-winning and fully vegan and gluten-free cake brand Positive Bakes has launched its most comprehensive range of Christmas hampers since the brand was founded in 2020.

The Christmas range of delicious and scrummy delicacies is their biggest new product development range so far. And their are hampers designed to suit all tastes and all budgets.

Positive Bakes was launched by husband and wife team Aatin and Helen Anadkat, after their son was diagnosed with a dairy allergy. 

Their mission? To produce the most delicious, free-from, natural bakes which would also have a minimal environmental impact. All their baked goods are delivered to your door in guarenteed 100% compostable, plastic-free packaging.

From sweet treats like Christmas Pudding Brownie Bites, Gingerbread Blondie Bites, Festive Scones, Luxury Mincemeat and Christmas Mince Pie Slices to savoury delicacies such as Sea Salt & Rosemary Biscuits and Smoked Paprika Biscuits, Mushroom Pate and luxury Speculoos Biscuits, the hampers are a foodie's dream come to very positive and enchanting life.

Says an obviously delighted Co-founder Aatin Anadkat: “This is our most ambitious range of new products to date and I am proud of what we have developed. 

"Each gift set and hamper is very carefully crafted to suit different budgets and different tastes. Positive Bakes has grown beyond our wildest dreams since early 2020, but we have never allowed ourselves to lose sight of our original mission, which is to deliver beautiful and delectable vegan and gluten-free cakes with minimal impact on the environment.”

To place your orders for Christmas please follow this link to enter their online shopping emporium https://positivebakes.com/online-gifts/christmas.

Make your Christmas a Devon Hamper Christmas

Filled with delicious produce sourced from the West Country's finest artisan suppliers, Devon Hampers has a fantastic choice of Christmas hampers for this year's festive season.

All prices shown include free standard delivery. The last date for Christmas delivery is December 22. All Christmas hampers have a 10% discount if delivered by December 1. Use code DHXMAS10

Devon Hampers is open between Christmas and New Year for those missed presents, thank you gifts and for New Year gifts. 

Here is a selection of our favourite hampers and for the full range visit www.devonhampers.com.

Create Your Own Hamper with Devon Hampers

Create your own wonderful parcel of joy this Christmas and fill it to the brim with wonderful treats (and love!) handpick by you.

This unique gift for family, friends, colleagues or valued clients will be even more meaningful with your hand-picked items showing how much you care.

There are so many products to choose from across a wide range of carefully selected products, all hand made in Devon and Cornwall by the West Country's brilliant artisan producers.

Make your selection from chocolates, biscuits, preserves, wine, champagne, Prosecco, wine, beer and much more until you've curated the perfect hamper for the special person or people in your life.

It's so easy to get started. First, pick your hamper. Classic carton, printed box or wicker hamper, and then select your products.

With a few clicks of your keypad, you'll have created a wonderful gift they'll remember for ever.

For more information on creating your own hamper visit here https://www.devonhampers.com/create-your-own-hamper/

Gifts Under £500

The Christmas Extravaganza Hamper - the ultimate indulgence (£495.00)

Guaranteed to provide the WOW factor, Devon Hampers Christmas Extravaganza Hamper is created with the very best festive treats that are decadent, indulgent and delicious.

Included are the finest French wines such as Chablis Saint Martin Domaine Laroche 2018/2019, Nuits St Georges Louis Labour 2014/15, Pol Roger Brut Reserve, Taylors 2015 Vintage Port, Salcombe Gin, Devon Rum, and a sumptuous range of gourmet cheeses, biscuits and chocolate that will delight any recipient.

This fabulous hamper is the perfect treat for that special person in your life, and it's great for valued clients and employees too.

Christmas Extravaganza Hamper 

Wicker Hamper £495.00

GIFTS UNDER £250

The Spectacular Christmas Hamper - for a dazzling Christmas surprise (from £189.95)

Devon Hampers Spectacular Christmas Hamper is filled with the loveliest treats that are sure to make friends, loved ones or valued clients and employees feel thrilled with their festive surprise.

Included are two bottles each of the finest French red and white wines, a bottle of champagne and a bottle of port to round off celebrations. There's also a sumptuous range of gourmet cheeses, biscuits and chocolate that will delight any recipient.

The Spectacular Christmas Hamper 

Classic Box £189.95

Wicker Hamper £224.95

GIFTS UNDER £125

The Devon and Cornish Hamper - bringing you the joyous tastes of the West Country (from £99.00)

Celebrate the very best of Devon and Cornwall produce with a luxury hamper filled with the most delicious treats and made by the West Country's most renowned artisan producers.

This hamper is packed with scrumptious delights that ooze with the tastes and flavours of Devon and Cornwall's landscapes.

Just some of the delights included are mouth-watering chocolate made by Willie's Cacao in Exeter; Hogs Bottom Jam, handmade in Lifton; Dartmoor Jail Ale, brewed in the shadow of the moorland's famous prison at Princetown, Earl Grey made by Devonshire Tea; Rattler Original Cornish Cider; and Padstow-based Buttermilk's rum and raisin fudge. This impressive hamper has it all and is the ultimate hamper to give to someone who loves the West Country and its wonderful food.

The Devon and Cornish Hamper 

Classic box £99.00

Wicker Hamper £125.00

GIFTS UNDER £100

The Caring Package - for that special person in your life (from £89.95)

This wonderful hamper will show that special person in your life that you really care about this Christmas with its carefully curated array of treats that will make them feel spoiled, cherished and loved.

They'll enjoy the sublime tastes of fudge, chocolate, biscuits and popcorn, all made by carefully selected artisan producers from Devon and Cornwall, and the incredible flavours of Tarquin Cornish Dry Gin mixed with Fevertree Tonic Water. 

Put a spring in the step and make them feel they really do matter with The Caring Package this Christmas.

CONTENTS 

Cornish Tea Smugglers Brew 40 bags 

Fevertree Tonic Water 20cl 

Foxcombe Bakehouse Chocolate Chip Butter Shortbread 

Handmade Devon Vanilla Fudge

Kernow Hot Chocolate Caramel & Sea Salt Spoon 

Kernow Milk Chocolate Cornish Pasty

Caramel Sea Salt Popcorn From The Popcorn Shed 

Slimline Fevertree Tonic Water 20cl

Tarquin's Cornish Dry Gin 70cl

The Cornish Coffee co 227g

Willie's Cacao Lime & Milk Chocolate

Willie's Cacao Milk Of Stars 

Classic Box £89.95

Printed Box £93.95

Wicker Hamper £97.95

Gifts £50 and under

Chocolate Indulgence Hamper - for the chocoholic in your life (from £44.95)

Indulge the chocolate lover in your life this Christmas with a hamper full of the most exquisite chocolate.

Delicious, decadent, and selected from the West Country's finest chocolatiers, this hamper will have the recipient starry eyed and grateful as they nibble on the many eclectic flavours.

From Kernow Creme Brulé to Willie's Cacao Ginger and Lime this hamper will bring a whole new chocolate tasting sensation this Christmas.

Chocolate Indulgence Hamper

Classic box £44.95

Printed Box £52.95

Wicker Hamper £62.95

Jingle Bells Jail Ale Hamper - bring the pub to your home (from £45.50)

Bring the pub to your home this Christmas with the Jingle Bells Jail Ale Hamper. It's all singing, all dancing and full to the brim with delicious snacks and sweet treats as well as two bottles of Jail Ale from the Dartmoor brewery. What more could your friends, family or work colleagues want this Christmas?

Contents:

2 x Dartmoor Brewery Jail Ale 500ml Bottles: A full-bodied, golden-brown beer with a well-rounded flavour and a rich aftertaste.

Butterscotch Popcorn - Popcorn Shed: A sweet, buttery, smooth classic flavour popcorn with a hint of sea salt.

Mr Filbert's Mexican Sweet Chilli Mixed Nuts: The perfect fusion of sweet and spicy. Peanuts, almonds and cashews with red chillies and hints of fennel and garlic.

Mr Filbert's Chilli and Black Pepper Olive Snack: Greek Halkidiki Olives marinated with Chilli and Black Pepper.

Kernow Chilli Dark Chocolate: Rich and velvety dark chocolate infused with chilli powder.

Cornish Charcuterie Pulled Pork: This succulent and delicious pulled pork is finished with honey, pimenton and garlic salt.

Popti Multi Seed Crackers: A rich, buttery cracker accented with a flavourful crunchy mix of seeds. 

Devon Handmade Strawberry & Cream Fudge 150g - Handmade to the finest quality this incredibly tasty fudge simply melts in the mouth. 

2 X Taste of Game Wild Boar & Apple flavour potato crisps: Made with 100% British potatoes, sliced with their skins on and batch-cooked to produce very tasty crisps.

Jingle Bells Jail Ale Hamper

Classic Box £45.50

Printed Box £49.50

Wicker Hamper £74.50

Elves Christmas Hamper - luxury West Country Delights (from £44.50)

The divine Elves Christmas Hamper from Devon Hampers features exquisite gifts that have been created by West County artisan producers. They've been carefully selected to delight the recipient on Christmas Day.

Each hamper contains Devon Handmade Prosecco and Strawberry Fudge; Burts Crisps Thai Sweet Chilli, Luxury Deep Brandy Mince Pies, Milk Chocolate Coated Cranberry Biscuits, Mini Cheesy Bites with Chilli, Mr Filbert's Dry Roasted Peanuts, Red Chocolate Hearts, Waqi Malbec and Whiskey Cream Christmas Pudding.

Elves Christmas Hamper 

Classic Box £44.50

Printed Box £53.50

Wicker Hamper £62.50

Dartmoor Legend Ale, Cheese and Chutney Hamper (from £27.00)

Give a proper taste of Devon this Christmas with a Dartmoor Legend Ale, Cheese and Chutney Hamper. This hamper offers the perfect combination for beer lovers with two bottles of Dartmoor Brewery Legend Ale, a classic cask-conditioned beer which is smooth and balanced, providing a great taste and aroma to accompany the Cave Aged Traditional Cheddar. 

The cheese is matured in the historic caves of Wooky Hole to give it a delicious rich and tangy taste. With the Jail Ale Chutney and Popti biscuits its the perfect combination on a cold winter's night.

Cave Aged Traditional Cheddar

2 x Dartmoor Brewery Legend Ale

Hogs Bottom Jail Ale Chutney

Popti Cracked Black Pepper Crackers

Classic Box £27.50

Printed box £35.00

Wicker Hamper £43.00

Gifts £25 and under / Stocking Fillers / Letterbox Gifts

Devon Cream Tea For Two Hamper (from £13.95)

Come rain or shine, winter or summer, the Devon Cream For Two Hamper is a real winner whatever time of year and this Christmas a classic taste of the countryside is sure to delight. This hamper is made with locally sourced ingredients and award winning scones. 

It's the perfect treat for a couple, and delivered right from the heart of Devon to your doorstep.

The hamper does contain fresh ingredients, so please ensure that these are removed from the hamper and stored in the fridge. 

CONTENTS 

2 x Large Fresh Baked Scones 

Hogs Bottom Strawberry Jam 227g 

Langage Farm Clotted Cream 113g 

Classic Box £13.95

Printed Box £18.26

Wicker Hamper £23.80

The Kernow Chocolate Sweet Treats Stocking Filler - proper Cornish chocolate (from £9.95)

The perfect little gift for those who love Cornwall, the Kernow Chocolate Sweet Treat Stocking Filler, is a nod to Cornwall with three bars of Kernow Chocolate - Bakewell Tart, Creme Brulé Chocolate and Cream Tea Milk Chocolate

Classic Box £9.95

Printed Box £15.95

Wicker Hamper £22.95

Devon Chocolate and Fudge Letter Box Gift - its fits through the letter box 

Devon Hampers Devon Chocolate and Fudge Letter Box Gift is the perfect gift to surprise a loved one as it fits right through the letter box, just remember, the last day to order to ensure delivery is in time for Christmas is December 22.

Delivered in a printed box, it contains the tastiest Devon sweet treats that are made by artisan producers and guaranteed to delight the recipient.

Willie's Cacao Venezuelan Milk Chocolate

Willie's Cacao Strawberries and Cream

Willie's Cacao White Chocolate

Devon Fudge Handmade Ginger Fudge

Devon Fudge Handmade Chocolate Fudge

Devon Chocolate and Fudge Letterbox Gift 

Printed Box £19.50

Cornish Chocolate Letterbox - its fits through the letter box 

Devon Hampers Cornish Chocolate Letter Box Gift is the perfect gift to surprise a loved one who loves Cornwall as it fits right through the letter box. Just remember, the last day to post to order to ensure delivery is December 22.

Delivered in a printed box, it contains six bars of delicious Cornish chocolate made by Kernow Chocolate - Honeycomb Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate and Organ Milk Chocolate - that are guaranteed to delight the recipient.

Cornish Chocolate Letter Box 

Classic box £18.95

Gin and Fudge Letter Box Gift

Surprise your loved one this Christmas and let them know you are thinking about them with a Gin and Fudge Letter Box gift.  Two miniature bottles of Wrecking Coast Gin, a unique gin that is distilled with Rodda's clotted cream, and a Devon Gin Fudge, a crumbly and indulgent treat, are sure to delight this Christmas.

Gin and Fudge Letter Box Gift £20.50

Devon Hampers gives the choice of in excess of 100 hampers, delivered direct to your door, ir the door of a loved one, with a popular Create Your Own Hamper option too.

Vegan gluten free and low sugar options are available and there are a choice of three packages - classic cardboard box, printed box and a traditional wicker hamper.

Devon Hampers works with more than 30 local artisan suppliers and offers over 2000 products to ensure it supports other thriving local businesses.

It was founded in 2014 by its CEO Adam Fox-Edwards, starting in a small building at his family's hotel on the Devon/Cornwall border before moving, in 2020,  to much larger premises at Milford Farm near Lifton in Devon.

Sustainability plays a big part in the Devon Hampers ethos with electricity coming from PV panels on the roof, water from a borehole. All cardboard is recycled and the bubble wrap used is decompostable.

Devon Hampers founder Adam Fox-Edwards, 60, is an ex RAF Tornado fighter pilot and flying instructor who served for 20 years including during the Gulf War.

When he left the RAF, he moved to London and joined PriceWaterhouseCoopers as a management consultant which gave him a great business background.

In 2008 he took over running he Arundell Arms at Lifton following the retirement of his mother Anne Voss-Bark.

The hotel was initially purchased in 1961, with 17 rooms and three bathrooms but it had 15 miles of the best fishing rivers which proved the perfect starting point to transform it into a  leading country sports hotel.

The hotel was sold in 2020, with Adam focusing on his burgeoning hamper business. Which was a wise decision as the business is a thriving and growing concern.

 

Bags of gifts from Fiorelli

Fiorelli is a non-leather accessories brand and they are justifiability proud that they don't use animal products. 

It's their belief that a Fiorelli handbag isn't a mere accessory, it’s the finishing touch to an outfit and a trusty companion to carry your essentials in style. Fusing fashion with function to elevate your everyday style is what Fiorelli does.

So if you have someone in your life who would look good with a Fiorelli bag this Christmas, please take a look here!

The Agatha is a recent addition to their range. It's  our a hero grab bag. It features an origami fold detailing at the corners.

It's a spacious grab bag which is separated into three compartments offering optimal organisation capabilities.

The central compartment provides extra security with a zipped top and the front of the handbag has a handy zipped pocket adorned with a beautiful pull. 

This classic black bag suits any occasion. It can be worn on the shoulder using the detachable strap when you're on the go or as an elegant top handle work bag. £79

Fiorelli’s iconic and popular Anna backpack has been refreshed for this season with some brand new colour mix options. The Anna can be worn as a work backpack or carried by the top grab handle. 

The multi-functional bag with discreet side and back pockets will fit a laptop (or a Chromebook. Or is that just me?) in the main compartment plus all your daily essentials. Practical and elevated, the Anna is their favourite everyday commuter, work or school bag. £75

Or if the crossbody style of this Rami bag is more to your liking, then there is Fiorelli's newest crossbody. It  features padded detailing, their embossed logo and a functional front pocket. 

When you want to travel light, this black crossbody bag with two interior slip pockets and  one interior zip pocket will keep your valuables organised and secure. £45.

This is an interesting design. It's stylish, yet also "slouchy". It's in a heavy grain fashion and eminently practical. 

It's a timeless design with one main compartment which has a funky zip top closure which is perfect for keeping your essential bits and bobs safe and secure. 

It has soft pleats and is, of course, crafted with non leather materials. It's perfect for when you are on the go. £75.

And if the person you are looking to buy a Christmas present for needs a nice new purse, then the Finley will be ideal for them. Or you, too, should you need a purse.

It's an integral part of their iconic Finley range, this purse in enchanted forest is a stand-out style. The Finley purse has two note compartments, a back slip pocket for your travel card, a wristlet strap and a zipped coin pocket. 

It's an absolute must for the Christmas party season, slip this handy purse into your handbag or carry as a wristlet. The Finley makes a great, fun gift. £29.

Visit www.Fiorelli.com to order or to learn more.

Preparing the Ultimate Butter Board for Christmas

This is something I wasn't aware of, and I'd liked to thank Trewithen Dairy for bringing this to my attention. 

What am I talking about? The new phenomena of Butter Boards!

Butter boards, topped with vibrant, delicious delights are sweeping the nation. If you haven't already seen this trend on TikTok, a butter board is all about fresh butter being spread onto a board, before being decorated with an assortment of toppings, served with bread for dipping. 

These sharing platters are perfect for gatherings and a novel way of serving bread, especially at Christmas time, we at That's Christmas feel.

As butter is the star of the show, it's worth sourcing the good stuff. Trewithen Dairy's Salted Butter is luxuriously smooth textured with a silky richness. It's the high butterfat content in the Cornish cream that gives it such an exceptional mouthfeel and transforms a hunk of bread into something very special indeed.

Trewithen's butter is enhanced further with the addition of Cornish Sea Salt, which is hand-harvested from the ocean waters west of the Tamar. The salt's unique, concentrated flavour enhances anything it is paired with. It is this rich, complexity of flavour that brings Trewithen Dairy butter to life.

How to make a butter board

Soften a block of butter so it is spreadable but still firm

Take your favourite wooden board or sharing platter and spread the butter onto the board

Using a spoon, create ripples and grooves in the butter to fill with your toppings

Top with an assortment of delicious delights

Serve with a cut-up french loaf for dipping

Butter board flavour ideas 

Savoury

Chilli flakes, anchovies, rosemary, lemon zest, crispy bacon

Olive tapenade, sun dried tomatoes, red onion slices, fresh basil, olive oil

Chutney, walnuts, crispy sage, balsamic glaze, orange zest

Sweet

Banana slices, caramel sauce, digestive biscuits

Caramelised figs, orange zest, maple syrup

Raspberry jam, crumbled shortcakes and desiccated coconut

Trewithen Dairy Salted Butter

Raspberry jam

Fresh raspberries

Orange Zest

Maple syrup

Croissants for dipping

The Appetiser Butter Board

Trewithen Dairy Salted Butter

Gordal olives

Marinaded red pepper

Crispy sage leaves

Toasted pine nuts

Olive oil for drizzling

The Sunday Brunch Butter Board

Trewithen Dairy Salted Butter

Nutella

Toasted hazelnuts

Slices of banana

Toasted french bread

A Trewly Cornish Christmas by Trewithen Dairy

Those great folks at Cornwall's Trewithen Dairy has created a collection of recipes for the festive period, with each dish featuring a uniquely Cornish twist.

Their 'A Trewly Cornish Christmas by Trewithen Dairy' collection presents dishes that all share a deep rooted sense of Cornish regional identity, with foundations of tradition and seasonality. 

With showstopping centrepieces, prep-ahead party dishes and irresistible side dishes, the recipes contain everything you need to create the perfect Christmas feast. 

The Trewithen Dairy website contains further festive recipes including edible gifts, crowd-pleasing leftovers and traditional favourites. These unique dishes are sure to help you find the magic along the way.

Francis Clarke, MD at Trewithen Dairy says: “I'm really proud of our 'Trewly Cornish Christmas' collection. Each dish celebrates the sense of belonging and pride we feel for Cornish culture and I'm sure you will love these dishes as much as we do.”

The main event

Try your hand at a Red Onion Tarte Tatin with Blue Cheese and Cornish Clotted Cream. Layers of flaky pastry topped with buttery, caramelised onions makes the perfect vegetarian Christmas dinner or a great Boxing Day buffet centrepiece. Crowned with rich blue cheese and Cornish Clotted Cream for a luxuriously festive finish.

The all-important sides

No Christmas dinner would be complete without the requisite Brussels sprout dish, so we've come up with a Creamy Brussels Sprout Gratin with Cornish Gouda. The humble sprout comes alive when swathed in a rich and velvety sauce of Cornish clotted cream, Cornish Gouda and a generous twang of mustard. This wooly blanket of a dish is the perfect winter antidote - perfect served simply with crusty bread or as a festive side dish for the main event.

This year it's all about the Saffron Bun Stuffing. This Cornish twist on a classic stuffing is bound to steal the show this Christmas. Plump dried fruit and the golden glow of saffron makes Cornwall's famous treat, the saffron bun, a terrific alternative to bread for a very special festive stuffing. Combine with salty bacon, onion and hardy herbs for a flavoursome side to your main event - don't forget to make extra so there's plenty for the ultimate left-overs sandwich!

And for pud 

Get ahead this Christmas with a Festive Meringue Wreath with Cornish Clotted Cream, Spiced Apple, Fudge and Salted Caramel. It can be made in advance and simply constructed on the day - saving your kitchen from mess and washing up. This delicious dessert centrepiece is a fun alternative to traditional Christmas pudding and sure to impress your guests. Decadent Cornish Clotted Cream marries perfectly with spiced apples, salted caramel and is topped with crumbly fudge that's sure to put a smile on everyone's face.

Finally, the ideal dessert for handing out at parties - introducing Cornish Mead Christmas Jellies with Cornish Clotted Cream. Festive fruit, honeyed mead and warming spices combine in these Christmas jellies. This easy, no-bake dessert is perfect for making in advance and serving at gatherings - complete with a spoonful of unctuous Cornish Clotted Cream and a twist of orange. 

Visit www.trewithendairy.co.uk/recipes for A Trewly Cornish Christmas collection and their entire recipe catalogue.

The image is credited to Kate Whitaker. Recipes by Harry Hook for Trewithen Dairy.

 

Heavenly Devon-Baked Flapjacks Delivered to Your Door For This Christmas

Carol Myott and Sally Jenkin, founders

Flapjacks are the best ever treats, and perfect for polishing off a festive Christmas meal, or even starting the festive days. (Flapjacks for breakfast? Yep. I'm good with that!)

Packed full of the best British ingredients, gluten free and delicious, and delivered to your door in a recyclable box, Flapjackery have elevated these humble treats to the most decadent status and their selection of Christmas gifts are sure to have their recipients licking their lips in joy.

The full range of Flapjackery Christmas gifts are available here (https://www.flapjackery.co.uk) and we've selected some of the most popular ones.

Create your own Flapjackery box and add a special message!

Flapjacks are one of the most treasured sweet treats around the world. Thrill your loved ones and create a bespoke flapjack box full of delicious flavours and add a personal message written in white chocolate on a giant Millionaire's flapjack.

There's a huge selection of gluten free flapjacks to choose from that are handmade in Devon using the finest British oats and locally sourced ingredients.

This delicious and thoughtful gift adds decadence and status to a humble household favourite and is sure to tantalise the taste buds.

Millionaire's Message Plaque with 4 Additional Flapjacks £34

Millionaire's Message Plaque with 8 Additional Flapjacks £50 

Add £2.50 for gift wrapping

Shipping is £6.50

Santa's Favourites Flapjack Box

Flapjacks are one of the most treasured flapjacks around the world and Santa's Favourite Flapjack Box is a delicious and thoughtful gift.

Flapjackery adds decadence and status to a humble household favourite and is sure to tantalise the Tate buds. 

Santa's Favourites Flapjack Box contains three giant pieces of gluten free flapjack, made with the finest British ingredients, and each individually wrapped with a shelf life of three months and suitable for freezing.

Box of 3 £12.00

(Dark Chocolate Orange, clotted cream & Granola)

Box of 6 £24.00

(Dark Chocolate Orange, Clotted Cream, Granola,  Raspberry Millionaires, Chocolate Fudge & Millionaires)

Add £2.50 for gift wrapping

Shipping is £6.50.

Christmas Flapjack Family Sharing Box

Flapjackery's 12 Piece Christmas Family Sharing Box is filled with the most decadent and delicious flavours, hand-made using British oats and topped with mouth-watering flavours. There's something to suit everyone's taste so grab your family, snuggle up together and delve in, or pull on your warm, woolly jumpers and coats, and fuel an outdoor winter adventure with flapjacks.

The 12 gluten-free flavours are individually wrapped with a shelf life of three months and suitable for freezing.

Box of 12 £48.00

(Millionaire's, Chocolate Fudge, Raspberry Millionaires, Granola, Clotted Cream, milk Chocolate Orange, Caramel Latte, Dark choc salted caramel, Florentine, raspberry millionaires, Mince Pie & creamy hazelnut)

Christmas Taster Flapjack Box £35.00

Give your loved ones the gift of experiencing Flapjackery's delicious award-winning flapjacks with this brilliant flapjack selection box pack full with 16 amazing flavours. From decadent Ginger & Dark Chocolate Flapjack to the classic Clotted Cream Fudge Flapjack, each flapjack is handmade in Devon with British oats, locally sourced West Country butter and fairtrade brown sugar. The flapjacks are all gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians. They come individually wrapped and are suitable for home freezing.

Christmas Taster Flapjack Box £35.00 16 half pieces of flapjack

All these wonderful Flapjackery flapjacks are available in the Christmas Taster Flapjack Box.

Dark Millionaire's Flapjack

Golden Millionaire's Flapjack

Caramel Latte Flapjack

Chocolate Fudge Flapjack

Granola Flapjack

Chocolate Orange Flapjack

Clotted Cream Fudge Flapjack

Creamy Hazelnut Chocolate Flapjack

Florentine Flapjack

Ginger & Dark Chocolate Flapjack

Millionaires Flapjack

Mince Pie Flapjack

Ruby Millionaires Flapjack

Salted Caramel Fudge Flapjack

Traditional Flapjack

Raspberry Millionaire's Flapjack

 

Sleigh this year’s Christmas gift giving with ARRAN Sense of Scotland

Gift a slice of Scottish island life this Christmas and put a smile on the face of your loved one with a sumptuous range of self-care products from ARRAN Sense of Scotland.

The countdown is on to Christmas 2022 and soon the gifting season will be in full swing. According to Retail Week, health and beauty is one of the only sectors expected to be in growth during the festive season as people look for indulgent gifts, stocking fillers and host gifts as Christmas parties and events return with a bang. 

Available from as little as £10, discover gorgeous gifts and stocking fillers for every member of the family. From luxurious wellness products and popular home scents to travel must-haves and bath and body care, there’s something to delight everyone on Christmas morning. Plus, ARRAN's relaxing range of high-quality cruelty-free products will ensure that even your eco-conscious and notoriously difficult to buy for recipients are impressed.

Gifts for her

Treat her to a little luxury in her own home this Christmas with ARRAN’s signature scents of After the Rain, Glen Rosa and Glenashdale. 

Glen Rosa’s velvety fragrance combines the warmth of ripe, honeyed fig with the freshness of crushed green leaves. ARRAN’s soothing glen rosa body care gift set is the perfect gift for your loved one. Presented in a beautiful ARRAN Gift Box proudly inspired by their island home, with fully recyclable gift presentation boxes.

Always on the go? ARRAN’s After the Rain Wash Bag is perfect for those travel lovers. Made from durable cotton canvas with a water-resistant inner, this expertly crafted Female Wash Bag contains a full-sized Bath & Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Hydrating Hand Cream and Eau De Parfum in ARRAN’s most-loved fragrance, After the Rain.

Looking for stocking filler ideas? ARRAN has a selection of hand creams, rollerballs and body mists across their scent ranges including Glenashdale. Invigorate your senses with the energising zest of rasped lemons, oil of grapefruit, uplifted with the fresh, citrus notes of bergamot. 

Glen Rosa Body Care Gift Set, £30; After the Rain Female Wash Bag, £60; Glenashdale Body Mist, £15; Glenashdale Hydrating Hand Cream (40ml), £12

Treat a lucky lady in your life to ARRAN’s gorgeous gift sets such as the Hydrating hand cream set  everything you need for nourished, hydrated hands all in one collection. Featuring ARRAN’s most popular fragrances, After the Rain, Glenashdale & Glen Rosa. 

Looking for something simple? Introduce her to the citrus notes of Glenashdale with ARRAN’s Glenashdale Discovery Set. An awakening blend of grapefruit and green leaf. Each Set includes a 30ml Bath & Shower Gel, Shampoo, Body Lotion and Soap.

Hydrating Hand Cream Gift Set, £30; Glenashdale Grapefruit Discovery Set, £10

Gifts for him

Indulge him in the scents of Lochranza. A delicate fragrance from ARRAN Sense of Scotland, combining patchouli and anise to create a spicy base note, peppered with aromas of a warmer floral scent. The Lochranza Eau de Toilette is a great gift from ARRAN’s best-selling range, guaranteed to put a smile on his face. 

For avid travellers, the Lochranza Wash Bag is a great option this Christmas. The stylish grey carrier will keep bathrooms clutter-free, and he can enjoy a full-sized Bath and Shower Gel, After Shave Balm, Shave Gel and Soap Bar in this warm earthy fragrance.

Lochranza Men’s Eau de Toilette (100ml), £42.50; Lochranza Men’s Wash Bag, £45

Create an ARRAN shaving experience for that special man in your life with ARRAN’s Machrie collection. A clean, crisp scent, designed for men, Machrie combines essential oils of sea salt, labdanum, myrrh, clary, sage, patchouli and rockrose. An awakening and refreshing fragrance, ideal to set him up for the day ahead.

Can’t decide? Introduce your loved ones to the spicy warmth of Lochranza or the mineral freshness of Machrie with the new ARRAN Mens Discovery Set. Includes Lochranza 30ml Shower Gel & 30ml Shave Gel and a Machrie 30ml Shower Gel & 30ml Shave Gel.

Machrie Mens Shave Stone & Soap, £25; Machrie Mens Shave Cream (100ml), £16; Machrie Mens Shave Gel (100ml), £16; Machrie Mens Shower & Shave Gel Discovery Set, £10

Gifts for them

ARRAN Sense of Scotland offers a gorgeous unisex Apothecary range, inspired by the ancient crafts of alchemists. The three scents in this range are tried and trusted, the perfect antidote to modern living with cleansing, restorative, and healing properties.

Apothecary Seaweed and Sage Discovery Gift Set, £10; Apothecary Seaweed & Sage Body Lotion (200ml), £14

Or give them the full luxury experience with ARRAN’s Home Fragrance Gift Set in their signature After the Rain fragrance. Bringing the beautiful aroma of rose, sandalwood and lime to the front room, ARRAN’s reed diffuser uses essential oils to provide an awakening and enlightening scent to the home.  

After the Rain Home Fragrance Gift Set, £40

Transport them to the south of the island with ARRAN’s newest fragrance, Kildonan.  A blend of sweet and delicate violet warmed with the glow of velvety orris. Encapsulating the tranquillity of Kildonan basking in the later, summer sun. Escape to paradise with ARRAN’s Kildonan Hand Wash, Bath & Shower gel and Hand Cream products. 

Kildonan Hand Cream (300ml), £16; Kildonan Bath & Shower Gel (300ml), £16; Kildonan Hand Wash (300ml); £16

Looking to create your own ARRAN gift bundle? Try out ARRAN’s gift builder. Choose your products and ARRAN will wrap everything up in their personalised gift boxes, perfect for creating a unique ARRAN scent experience for that someone special this Christmas.

You can shop ARRAN Sense of Scotland’s full collection at www.arran.com.

Find ARRAN’s gift builder here: https://arran.com/collections/personalised-gift-builder 

Get in the Festive Spirit This Winter With Double Dutch Christmas Cocktails

As we move ever more quickly into the Festive season and get ready for those colder winter nights, it's time to spice up our go to cocktails and discover new Christmas flavours and tasty winter warmers. 

See you later summer fruits, it's time to welcome ginger, cinnamon and cranberry back into our cosy homes and taste the most wonderful time of the year with this range of new cocktail recipes from female-founded Double Dutch. (The real meaning of Girl Power as far as That's Christmas is concerned!) 

Double Dutch is the award-winning producer of some delicious premium tonics and mixers that are first-class, fabulous and eminently flavoursome. 

Led by twin founders, Raissa and Joyce de Haas, the brand's range of refreshing soft drinks are the perfect pair to any event, or sister serve to any spirit. 

A favourite amongst bartenders, their drinks take inspiration from the world of natural flavours, and are double the fun with unique, bold and unexpected flavour pairings, made with high quality ingredients and no artificial flavouring, colours or preservatives. 

To try the Double Dutch range, but also try some of the season's most festive cocktail recipes, turn your hand to these easy to make delicious cocktails perfect for making at home for Christmas parties and family gatherings.

Double Dutch European Highball 

INGREDIENTS 

Double Dutch Ginger Ale 

50ml Irish Whiskey

Dried Orange Wheel 

Ice

METHOD 

Pour 50ml of Irish whiskey into an ice filled highball glass. 

Top with Double Dutch Ginger Ale. 

Stir gently to combine.

Garnish with a dried orange wheel.   

Double Dutch Limoncherry 

INGREDIENTS

Double Dutch Cucumber & Watermelon 

50ml Limoncello  

Maraschino Cherry 

Long Lemon Twist 

Ice

METHOD 

Pour 50ml of Limoncello into an ice filled wine glass. 

Top with Double Dutch Cucumber & Watermelon. 

Stir gently to combine. 

Garnish with maraschino cherry and long lemon twist.  

Double Dutch Gin Pom Pom 

INGREDIENTS 

Double Dutch Pomegranate & Basil 

50ml Dry Gin 

50ml Fresh Pomegranate Juice

Fresh Basil 

Slice of Lime 

Pomegranate Seeds 

Ice 

METHOD 

Pour your dry gin and fresh pomegranate juice into an ice filled highball glass. 

Top with Double Dutch Pomegranate & Basil. 

Stir gently to combine.  

Garnish with a sprig of basil, a slice of lime and a few pomegranate seeds. 

Double Dutch Blood Orange Gin-ger Spritz 

INGREDIENTS 

Double Dutch Ginger Beer 

50ml Blood Orange Gin

Blood Orange Slice 

Cinnamon Stick 

Ice

METHOD 

Pour your blood orange gin into an ice filled highball glass. 

Top with Double Dutch Ginger Beer. 

Stir gently to combine. 

Garnish with a fresh orange slice and a stick of cinnamon. 

Double Dutch Paloma Negra 

INGREDIENTS 

Double Dutch Pink Grapefruit Soda 

30ml Coffee Liqueur 

25ml Mezcal or Tequila 

Pink Himalayan Salt 

Grapefruit Half Moon 

Ice

METHOD

Salt the rim of a highball glass with pink himalayan salt and fill the glass with ice. 

Pour your coffee liqueur and tequila or mezcal into the glass. 

Top with Double Dutch Pink Grapefruit Soda.  

Stir gently to combine. 

Garnish with a grapefruit half moon. 

Double Dutch Winter Tonic (alcohol free) 

INGREDIENTS 

Double Dutch Cranberry & Ginger 

50ml Fresh Apple Juice 

Cranberries 

Slice of fresh Apple or Pear 

Ice

METHOD 

Pour your fresh apple juice into an ice filled wine glass. 

Top with Double Dutch Cranberry & Ginger.  

Stir gently to combine. 

Garnish with cranberries. 

The full range of Double Dutch flavours are available via the Double Dutch website, with some of the brand's mixers available at Waitrose or Ocado as well being available to purchase via Amazon.

https://doubledutchdrinks.com.

Looking for a good gift idea? Nip down to Lidl!

My wife is a gardener, RHA trained, so she knows her stuff.

She has been sorting out our gardens, front and back, and has decided that the gardens required some new bulbs.

She had decided that the garden requires some new bulbs for the spring and she looked at several nearby garden centres and on line and could not find quite what she wanted.

After several days of searching, visiting and thinking, she suddenly said: "I think a trip to our local Lidl branch is called for to see what they have available as someone told me they have some bulbs available."

This morning my wife visited our nearest Lidl branch and returned with a whole shopping bag filled with a wide variety of bulbs.

There are Iris hollandica mixes, Narcissus mixes, Black Parrot Tulipia (which look awesome!) some Tulipa Triumph 'Seadov", some lovely alliums, some Tulipa Crispa Mix and so on.

Available bulbs include Crocus, Narcissus and Hyacinths and cost £1.29 per bag of bulbs. Others cost £1.49 a packet. "A vast difference to the £16 a packet other places are charging!" she has just informed me. 

My wife points out that the bulbs are all of very good appearance and cost a fraction of the price of bulbs from places where she would usually buy bulbs from.

Which set me to thinking. If you have someone with a small garden, or who has a flat with a balcony, why not get yourself off to Lidl, buy some bulbs and plant them in suitable compost (also available in Lidl) and give them out as unique and very acceptable Christmas presents?

If you want to learn more about what's available at your nearest branch of Lidl you can check out where your nearest branch is at https://www.lidl.co.uk.

They also have, at the moment, a special range of indoor and outdoor plants which are on a "when it's gone, it's gone" basis, so worth while hurrying down there ASAP!

It's also worth checking out Lidl's rival retailer, Aldi, to see what they have. You can visit Aldi here https://www.aldi.co.uk.

Incidentally this isn't a feature officially sanctioned by Lidl or Aldi, I saw the large bag of bulbs bought at a very decent price and thought they'd make nifty Christmas presents!

Just in time for Christmas! Double Dutch New Pink Grapefruit Soda Launches in Waitrose

Double Dutch, the skilled, expert producers of award-winning premium tonics and mixers, have announced that its new Pink Grapefruit soda is now available in Waitrose stores around the UK. 

The brand-new utterly zesty flavour is now available instore and online via Waitrose, with the 150ml cans ready to be paired with Tequila, which has been dominating the spirits sector throughout this year, as well as with Mezcal or other white spirits, allowing you to level up at-home cocktail creations, just in time for Christmas and the New Year. 

(That's Christmas suggests you buy some spirits along with the Double Dutch Pink Grapefruit soda from Waitrose to run some cocktail making experiments before you unleash your newly developed cocktail making skills on friends and family this Christmas!)

Double Dutch's Pink Grapefruit soda follows the distinctive dual flavour style of the Double Dutch range, making for a flamboyant, fresh drink. 

It was developed in response to the burgeoning consumer-led demand for citrus-flavoured non-alcoholic beverages, attracting the attention of Waitrose, which has seen online searches for grapefruit soda increase by an astonishing 400%! 

The Pink Grapefruit soda begins with an intensely rich grapefruit flavour which then slides beautifully into the luscious tastes of Persian lime (yum!) creating a well-rounded mixer that offers a blend of sweetness and depth that's utterly delicious on its own, or paired with white spirits. 

For the signature Paloma serve, you can pair the Pink Grapefruit mixer with tequila, and fresh lime, and serve in a Pink Himalayan salt-rimmed highball glass. The new mixer is a simple, yet effective way to crack the perfect Paloma at home, a rising cocktail trend set to rival the popularity of the classic margarita this year. 

The Pink Grapefruit soda joins the Double Dutch portfolio of innovative and flavourful mixers like Cucumber & Watermelon, Pomegranate & Basil, Cranberry & Ginger Tonic as well as a premium Skinny Tonic Water, Ginger Ale and Ginger Beer. 

Double Dutch is committed to continually innovating in the category, identifying flavourful spirit mixers which make for easy and consistent cocktails at home, as well as being a bartenders' favourite and the exclusive tonic brand for Soho House globally. True to their mission, the brand launched two Cocktail Sodas in 2020, the unique Bloody Mary Soda and spicy Margarita Soda.

Co-founder of Double Dutch Raissa de Haas said on the launch, “We couldn't be more excited to launch our Pink Grapefruit soda to make every Double Dutch party that bit better! 

"A Paloma is one of mine and Joyce's favourite cocktails and we've developed a delicious, zesty recipe to ensure each, and every Paloma made with our Pink Grapefruit soda is the quintessential taste for every season!” 

Double Dutch is the award-winning producer of premium tonics and mixers that are first-class, fabulous and flavoursome. Led by twin founders, Raissa and Joyce de Haas the brand's range of refreshing soft drinks are the perfect pair to any event, or sister serve to any spirit.

The range now contains thirteen delicious flavour variations, bringing the energy to any event, at any time, in any place – whether that's Sunday brunch or a Tuesday evening. All the products are naturally vegan and gluten free, and as part of the twin founders mission to do business the right way, the brand is now proudly Carbon Neutral. 

Double Dutch Pink Grapefruit soda is now available exclusively at Waitrose or the Double Dutch website, £3.50 for 6 x 150ml cans. 

To stock Double Dutch Pink Grapefruit soda, email sales@doubledutchdrinks.com 

To order online visit www.doubledutchdrinks.com.

Mince Pie Bundt Cake

Mince Pie Bundt Cake, using Cottage Delight's delicious Luxury Tipsy Mincemeat

Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 1 hour Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 250g unsalted butter

• 220g golden caster sugar

• 200g light muscovado sugar

• 4 large eggs

• 350g plain yoghurt

• 2tsp mixed spice

• 1 jar Cottage Delight Luxury Tipsy Mincemeat 

• 320g plain flour

• 2tsp bicarbonate of soda

• Tiny pinch of salt

• 1tsp ground cinnamon

For decoration

• 170g icing sugar 

• 1 egg white at room temperature

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 

• Thinly sliced orange or frozen berries (preference)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 175ºC/150ºC fan/gas 3.

• Grease the bundt pan with melted butter and dust with flour.

• In a stand mixer, mix the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy.

• Add the eggs one at a time and mix together.

• Mix the plain yoghurt and Luxury Tipsy Mincemeat together and add to the mixer.

• In a separate bowl, measure and sieve out the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and all the ground spices.

• Sieve in the flour gradually and stop when the flour is evenly mixed in.

• Pour the mix into a greased and floured tin and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean.

• The cake will pull away from the edge of the tin when it is ready.

• Leave the cake to cool fully before removing from the tin. While waiting to cool, make your icing sugar drip. Place icing sugar, egg white and lemon juice into your mixer. Beat on med-high for around 5-7 minutes until it forms soft peaks and is loose enough to drizzle. Pour over and allow to cool/set. Finish with sliced oranges or frozen festive berries (your own preference!).

To learn more about Cottage Delight and to put in some pre-Christmas orders please visit them on https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk.

That's Books and Entertainment: Failed Redemption

That's Books and Entertainment: Failed Redemption: Failed Redemption is a new novel from author R. A. Jordan's John England  series of books. At the beginning of the story we find John En...

Uh Oh Milo! The Excited Elf

In Uh Oh Milo! The Excited Elf Kate Wogan and Helen Faulkner have produced a very good Christmas present for the little ones in your life.

They will learn all about The Excited Elf. The Excited Elf has a very important job. Before Santa arrives and glides down the family's chimney, the children of the house must be sound asleep. 

But who helps them fall asleep on Christmas Eve? The Excited Elf, that's who!

But unfortunately The Excited Elf is far too excited about his exciting job to be able to perform his elfly duties to make certain the children are asleep.

So, what will happen to The Excited Elf? What will happen to the children Milo and Mary if they are too excited to go to sleep?

This has all the hallmarks of turning into a bit of a disaster. But what if their Granny stepped in and offered her expert help and guidance to get The Excited Elf to calm down, just enough, to get his important Christmas task completed and help Milo and Mary to fall asleep before Santa arrives to go down their chimney?

The simple and compelling words of Kate is beautifully complemented by the vibrant and awesome illustrations provided by Helen.

This book, along with the other three books in the Uh Oh Milo! series of books, The Impolite Imps, The Tantrum Trolls and The Beastly Bogels are must haves for the four-year-olds in your life.

They are £7.99 each and, in our opinions, worth every penny.

You can buy them, and other fantastic books and gifts at https://uhohmilo.com.

Pumpkin season - but for your face!

Organic Shop Pumpkin Honey Serum

Organic Shop Pore Minimizing Face Serum for oily skin Pumpkin and Honey (30ml) £4.99

https://amzn.eu/d/59hBtjq

With Organic Pumpkin Oil and Honey for oily skin

This face serum is everything you'll require when it comes to minimising the appearance of pores. It's formulated for all oily skin.

Formula, based on organic pumpkin oil and honey, helps control skin oiliness, and provides it with nourishment.

Made with 99% natural origin ingredients.

Certified COSMOS Natural by BDIH.

Organic Shop Balancing Face Mask for oily skin Pumpkin and Honey (75ml) £4.99

https://amzn.eu/d/bdQUjL7

This mask helps balance out moisture and control excess sebum production.

Formula, based on organic pumpkin oil and honey, helps control skin oiliness, and provides it with nourishment.

Made with 99% natural origin ingredients.

Certified COSMOS Natural by BDIH.

Organic Shop Mattifying Face Cream for oily skin Pumpkin and Honey (50ml) £4.99

https://amzn.eu/d/1fpHpJL

Try this cream to help restore skin natural balance and leave it with a matte finish.

Formula, based on organic pumpkin oil and honey, helps control skin oiliness, and provides it with nourishment.

Made with 99% natural origin ingredients.

Certified COSMOS Natural by BDIH.

These will be ideal Christmas presents for the organic skin care fans in your life.

BiGDUG launches a Ltd Edition ‘Christmas Mega Deal’

What's included in this Christmas Mega Deal? A whole host of items including:- 

Garage Shelving Unit

Garage Corner Shelving Unit

Garage Shed Workbench

15x Plastic Storage Boxes

24x Plastic Parts Bins

If you have a husband, wife, aunt, uncle, cousin or best friend who needs some new stuff for their home workshop, their garden shed or their garage, then BigDUG has exactly what you need to buy them for Christmas 2022.

So, this Christmas, forget the worrying about a stocking filler when you can gift your loved one/s a whole garage filler, thanks to the Christmas Mega Deal from Storage Solutions specialist BiGDUG.

This limited-edition, festive-red bundle includes everything they will ever need to organise their garage or shed – and they’ll love you snow much for it!

The BiGDUG Christmas Mega Deal features two adjustable steel shelving units – with one being a handy corner unit that fits nice and snug while utilising space, a matching powder-coated red workbench, 15 lidded storage boxes and 24 plastic part bins for the ultimate storage solution.

Sleigh the gift-giving game and treat the special person in your life with the Christmas Mega Deal for just £194.46 from Christmas Mega Deal Shelving BiGDUG. Christmas are decorations not included, you'll need to supply them yourself!

BiGDUG saves you time, space and money by offering the best storage solutions, to bring order and efficiency to your space. Or the space of your loved ones!

BIGDUG offers everything from shelving and racking to workplace products and packing and will provide customers with the best quality products at the best prices.

BiGDUG was founded in 2004 and is now part of the global business equipment group, TAKKT. It already sells storage products to over 250,000 customers and continues to welcome them each day to its trust, customer-focused business.

For more information or to make your Christmas purchases, visit: https://www.bigdug.co.uk.

New Vegetarian Box - Quicke's Letterbox Range

Quicke's Letterbox Range

Quicke's Vegetarian box is the latest addition to their Letterbox range, the perfect way to enjoy the delicious taste of Quicke's traditional clothbound cheeses, delivered straight through your letterbox. 

We at That's Christmas feel that these would make ideal Christmas presents for the vegetarian cheese lovers in your life.

The New Vegetarian Box is perfect for the turophile (that's a lover of cheeses!) in your life. The recyclable box contains all five of the Quicke's vegetarian clothbound cheeses - Goat's Milk Cheese, Oak Smoked Goat's Milk Cheese, Elderflower Cheese, Double Devonshire Cheese and Devonshire Red Cheese.

Each cheese has been carefully handcrafted using milk from their very own grass-fed cows or locally sourced goat's milk, before being clothbound only using vegetable oil and left to mature in the cool, quiet of their Cheese Cathedral. This box also contains tasting notes, each with its own flavour wheels and pairing suggestions. Available at quickes.co.uk : £24

Postage is included in the cost for all UK mainland postcodes.

These convenient packs are also available in three different variations; Cheese and Chocolate, The Cheese Taster and The Cheese Picnic. 

Quicke's Goats Cheese, Honey and Thyme Pizza

Enjoy Quicke's take on a bianca pizza, with the creamy nutty goats cheese, freshness of thyme and a hint of sweetness from the honey.

Serves 4 - Prep time: 15 mins - Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

X 4 Sourdough Pizza Balls 

300g Quicke's Goats Cheese grated 

Honey 

Sprigs of Thyme

Method:

Take the dough balls out from the freezer. Defrost overnight (at least 12 hours) in a refrigerator covered with a clean cloth or cling wrap to prevent drying out.  

Remove 2 hours prior to use and bring up to room temperature allow to double in size.  

On a floured surface, either hand stretch or roll out using a rolling pin to your required size.  

Place in a pre-oiled pizza pan and spread grated Goats cheese evenly across the base sprinkle on the thyme and bake for 8 – 10 minutes until crisp. 

Remove from oven and drizzle over a bit of honey and serve.

Incidentally, I have learned something new. Apparently I, as a confirmed lover of cheese, am a turophile! And I'm cool with that.