Innovative gifting for Christmas with Colleague box

An award-winning business which is based in Derbyshire, Colleague Box, has revealed its newest innovation a converted former horse trailer that's now available for on-site gifting experiences, celebrations, festivals and events.

The trailer, which was specially adapted for the Derby business by Bespoke Conversions; a family-run company based over in Cheshire, is fitted out with a fully-stocked bar, plus a triple fridge to keep stock at its perfect temperature. It's been dubbed 'Tilly' by the Colleague Box team.

Colleague Box, recently awarded a five-star food hygiene rating by Derby City Council, have teamed up with local firms including healthy drinks business So Good Kombucha and Project D doughnuts, who can provide personalised doughnuts for any event.

Tilly's first outing was a wellbeing event for Lister House Surgery Derby before she was taken to Sort Group, whose conveyancing business is based at Derby Conference Centre.

CEO and co-founder Natalie Bamford said: “We're really very excited about Tilly and the different direction that she can take our business in.

“Whilst we have seen a lot of interest in corporate events, ideal for those whose workforce has returned to the office after working from home during the pandemic, it's also perfect for occasions like weddings, baby showers, birthdays, gender reveal parties and big Christmas parties. Tilly's decorated and stocked accordingly to suit each event. It's so exciting for us to be able to do this!

“Our first couple of events were very popular well received. Sort Group have been clients of ours for a while and they loved the idea of having Tilly visit their offices in Derby.

“Each employee received a Colleague Box, which was covered by a customised Sort Group sleeve. Inside were personalised gifts like water bottles and notepads. They also received a drink of their choice and a delicious Project D doughnut decorated with the company logo, too.”

Added COO Adam Bamford: “Tilly has been a good few months in the making and it's been all hands on deck to get her ready for the first few events, But we're really pleased with the results.

“We've had very positive feedback and Tilly is booked for all sorts of events, from business breakfasts where merchandise can be branded to celebrations, Halloween-themed corporate events, even World Cup parties, where we'll be serving pizza, beer and Prosecco from our serving hatch.”

Emma Brown, Head of Marketing at Sort Group, is a big fan of Tilly the Trailer. She said: “We have been working with Colleague Box for a while now and just love the idea of rewarding employees for their hard work.

“We have also used Colleague Box when sending gifts to clients, and for our employee reward scheme.

“The event has gone down so well; everyone returning back to their desks after collecting their Colleague Box has a smile on their faces. The motto 'Delivering Happiness' really is true.”

To enquire about hosting Tilly the Trailer at your next event, visit tillythetrailer.co.uk.

Or visit their man website at https://www.colleaguebox.co.uk.

We feel Tilly the Trailer would make a great visitor for company Christmas parties, so if you are looking to give your employees a good, but very different company Chirstmas Party, or you want to host a corporate Christmas party for your contractors, customers or clients, please give them a call or visit their website to learn more. 

Don't forget they have a lot more ideas for Christmas corporate gifting, too! 

How can you contact them?

Call 01332 955745

Enquiries: hello@colleaguebox.co.uk

Sales: sales@colleaguebox.co.uk

Support: customersupport@colleaguebox.co.uk

Buy some Everleaf for this Christmas

What, you might ask, is Everleaf?

Everleaf is an award-winning non-alcoholic aperitif, first introduced by bartender and conservation biologist Paul Mathew, in January 2019. 

Paul was aiming to create and craft a wonderfully intricate and layered flavour while recreating alcohol’s unique silky texture. so he did what any conservation biologist with a passion for bartending would do, Paul turned to nature. 

The result is a of his years of experience and experimentation is a vibrant yet non-alcoholic aperitif that delivers on the rich sensory experience of a spirit, which rivals some of the top alcoholic brands that are currently on the market.

Everleaf works wonderfully with light tonic waters, which enables you to create a light and refreshing spritz, ideal for your Christmas drinks. 

One of the bestselling non-alcoholic brands in the UK, Everleaf originally launched with Forest, and later introduced Mountain and Marine blends in November 2020. In Spring 2022, Everleaf expanded its portfolio with the launch of what is its signature serve, the Everleaf Spritz into ready-to-drink cans. Everleaf’s products are firmly anchored to different parts of the natural world, which act as both inspiration for flavour profiles and sources for its  key botanicals.

Everleaf Forest: It's complex and bittersweet. The original Everleaf; Forest is an intricate blend of 14 bittersweet botanicals including sweet orange blossom and Madagascan vanilla, bitter gentian and golden saffron, earthy vetiver, and spicy cassia bark, inspired by forest layers, from the canopy to the understory.

Suggested serve The Forest Spritz: One-part Everleaf Forest and three parts light tonic, garnished with a wedge of orange and served over ice,

Everleaf Mountain: It's vibrant and aromatic. Mountain is an elegant blend of 12 aromatic botanicals, leading with fragrant cherry blossom, alongside bittersweet rosehip, wild strawberry, sweet and spicy myrtle, juniper, and a touch of everlasting, inspired, interestingly, by a mountain climb, from blossom-filled woods, to fresh rocky peaks.

Suggested serve The Mountain Spritz: One-part Everleaf Mountain and three parts light tonic, served with strawberry slices and some ice.

Everleaf Marine: crisp and refreshing Marine is a crisp blend of 16 refreshing botanicals with a core of piney juniper and bergamot to reference gin botanicals, followed by tropical sea buckthorn, savoury dulse and kelp seaweeds, along with a hint of bitter olive leaf and intensely aromatic labdanum, inspired by sea swims before resting for a while on the beach, surrounded by the aromas of olive and citrus groves.

Suggested serve The Marine & Tonic: One-part Everleaf Marine and three parts tonic, garnished with lime slices and ice.

Everleaf is the product of Paul Mathew’s background as a conservation biologist, plus his time working a both bartender and bar owner, having opened The Hide, The Arbitrager, and Demon, Wise & Partners in London. 

As a bartender, Paul was obviously surrounded by some of the best spirits that the world has to offer. He learned what made them great and why this was the case.

However, if someone approached Paul asking for his best non-alcoholic recommendation, the answer wasn’t as easy as you might think.

How could Paul create a non-alcoholic aperitif with all the depth and complexity of the finest drinks behind his bar? 

He quickly realised that nature would hold the key to this conundrum. 

It took over a year of research and dedicasted experimentation to develop Everleaf. Paul researched plants, sustainable sourcing, dehydrating samples, macerating, and extracting to get the perfect blend of complementary but surprising flavours.

But then there's also the texture. Some people who have created otherwise decent non-alcoholic drinks had forgotten about the texture or mouthfeel of their drink. Alcohol’s unique viscosity is usually missing from such non-alcoholic drinks. 

What solutions could the natural world offer to create something similar? Again, Paul discovered the answer on both land and sea from plants like acacia trees and types of seaweeds.

What began life as a fairly simple question is now a passion that combines Paul’s unique understanding of nature and his experiences behind the bar and managing the bar. 

Everleaf is described as complex, captivating, and is truly seen as nature’s answer to the perfect non-alcoholic aperitif. Which is thus ideal for your Christmas and New Year's Even party and dinner plans. 

To learn more or to place an order for Christmas (and beyond!) please visit Everleaf at https://www.everleafdrinks.com.

At 50cl bottle costs £19.00, though (and we think this would make an interesting stocking filler of a Christmas gift) three 5cl bottles of each flavour costs £12.

Three mixed 50cl bottles costs £54.

Incidentally 12 cans of ready-mixed Everleaf (all three flavours are available) will cost £30.00.

You can also find Everleaf at Marks and Spencer and via Amazon.

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Steenbergs for funky greener, tastier Christmas gifts

Are you seeking out a full range of proper sustainable, environmentally friendly Christmas gifts?

Then you should pop along to gifts Steenbergs. 

Their catalogue is jammed full of the choicest and best in organic spices and teas, all hand blended in North Yorkshire and all guaranteed to 100% in plastic free. They come in fully recyclable packaging, and there are gifts for every budget and all tastes.

A spokesperson said: "At Steenbergs we take sustainability very seriously indeed. We have recently achieved the rigorous B Corp certification for both the Steenbergs and Old Hamlet brands, joining over 700 UK businesses who opted voluntarily to be held accountable to higher standards of social and environmental performance.

"Both the packaging of our products and the packaging used to transport them are plastic free and fully recyclable and we have been carbon neutral since 2020.

All our products are available for purchase online at www.steenbergs.co.uk and many are also stocked in independent retailers all over the UK."

What kind of ideal Christmas gifts can you find there? 

Mulled Wine Spice Pouchettes 4 muslin spice bundles packaged in a colourful box, each one enough for one bottle of wine or fruit juice if buying for someone who doesn't drink wine.

There are also home compostable spice bundles, blended and packed here in the UK, and please remember, they come in recyclable packaging and are plastic free.

Ideal for Stocking fillers, Christmas tree baubles.

What about the Mulling Spice Envelopes? These are also perfect Christmas stocking fillers and perfect to send off in the post to distant family or friends! 

Many are Fairtrade, blended in the UK in small batches to traditional recipes, also plastic free,

Christmas Chai Spices. A splendid fusion between mulled wine and tea but also a great spice blend for your festive bakes! They're organic, vegan, sugar free, salt free and plastic free.

Great for: Bakers or tea drinkers looking for a festive tipple that doesn't contain alcohol. 

What about Mini Candle Gift Box.  Four festive mini candles in Kraft gift box with fresh, botanical, citrus flavours to fragrance the kitchen. Hand poured in north Yorkshire, come with recycled ribbon, Kraft recyclable box, plastic free, too.

Great for: Keen cooks and bakers who want to make the kitchen smell wonderfully Christmassy.

What about this? The Essential Spices Gift Box Four of Steenberg's most popular spices and flavourings, salt, curry powder, black peppercorns and vegetable bouillon. Organic, hand blended in North Yorkshire, recycled ribbon, Kraft recyclable box, plastic free, naturally.

These are perfect for: Teenagers, students, first homers.

Loose Leaf Christmas Tea, a festive blend of loose-leaf tea with cinnamon, ginger, clove, cardamom and orange & lemon peel. Organic, Fairtrade, salt & sugar free, plastic free, obviously! 

Great for: Everyone who wants a festive pick-me-up!

Christmas Drinks Gift Bag - A jute shopper filled with organic tea, tisane, mulling spices and a Steenbergs mug. Organic, reusable shopper, recyclable packaging and plastic as you'd expect.

Great for: If you can’t decide which gifts to go for then this bag has it all!

https://steenbergs.co.uk/

Babbico has neat Christmas gifts for the little ones in your life

If you’re planning top buy some nice Christmas gifts, then you really need to check out Babbico.

Because Babbico has some absolutely wonderful and utterly gorgeous gift boxes that you really need to buy for the special little people in your lives.

What about Esme The Elephant Plush Beige Toy & Elephant Print Blanket Baby Gift Set? 

Esme needs a good home for Christmas, so at £36.99 Esme will be a good addition to the Christmas gift list for your special little person!

Or if you haven't room for an elephant, what about a delightful bunny rabbit?

Another option for the little children in your life from Babbico is Bertie The Bunny Plush Grey Toy & Star Blanket Baby Gift Set (Gift box included in the price, which is also £36.99.)

Or how about this one (my favourite, but please don't tell Esme or Bertie!) is Zizi The Zebra Stripe Toy & Grey Star Blanket Baby Gift Set (Gift box included in the price which is also £36.99.

The final wonderful Christmas plush toy is Giselle The Giraffe Plush Toy & Beige Star Blanket Baby Gift Set (Gift box included in the price, which is also £6.99.)

But that's not all that Babbico has to offer. There are soft toys, comforters, clothing, blankets, a whole host of other gifts and accessories that you can choose from for the idea Christmas gifts for the little ones in your life. Including some really funky sunglasses! (£6.99)

To learn more and to order Christmas gifts please visit Babbico at https://babbico.co.uk.

Brie & Pickle Pastry Wreath

Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 15 minutes Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 320g ready roll puff pastry

• 6tbsp Cottage Delight Perfect Party Pickle (320g jar)

• 200g brie cheese, sliced

• 2 tbsp pistachio nuts roughly chopped

• 1 egg, beaten

Method

• Pre-heat your oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas 6 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Roll the pastry and cut a large circle out of the pastry.

• Lay the large pastry circle on the prepared baking sheet.

• Mark an inner circle with a medium-sized bowl, but please do not press all the way through the pastry.

• Cut four cuts into the centre circle, this will create 8 triangles.

• Spread the Perfect Party Pickle around the outer circle then top with the brie and pistachios.

• From the four cuts, bring one triangle of the centre outwards over the filling as well as bringing the outer edge of pastry inwards. Press the two together and continue all the way around with the remaining 7 triangles until you have a wreath.

• Brush with beaten egg then place in the oven and allow to bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

• Remove from your oven, allow it to rest for 5 minutes then slice and serve.

That's Christmas and That's Food and Drink would like to offer our sincere thanks to Cottage Delight for providing us with this recipe. 

Please check out Cottage Delight here https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk.

Boxing Day Pickle Pie

Prep: 20 minutes Cook : 1 hour Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

2 x sheets of pre-rolled shortcrust pastry

1 x 320g jar Cottage Delight Perfect Party Pickle 

8 slices of leftover Christmas ham

300g cooked Christmas Turkey

300g leftover pork stuffing (or 1 packet mix, made according to the instructions on the packet)

250g mature cheddar, grated

1 egg, whisked

Method

• Preheat your oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/gas 6

• Grease and flour a deep, round 18cm, loose bottomed or a spring form pie tin. 

• Line the tin with one sheet of shortcrust pastry and spread ½ jar of Perfect Party Pickle across the base.

• Fill with layers of ham, Perfect Party Pickle, turkey, stuffing and cheese, until the tin is full. Ensure you firmly pack in the layers, pressing them into the pie as you go along.

• Cut a lid, using the pie tin as a guide, place this on the top of the pie and crimp around the edges.

• Cut festive decorations out with the pastry off-cuts and arrange these on top of your pie.

• Glaze the top (generously!) with an egg wash and cut a hole in the top.

• Bake in the oven an 1 hour, (check and add tin foil over top if catching after 40 minutes) until golden brown.

• Allow to cool inside the tin and serve hot or cold for your Boxing Day lunch.

That's Christmas and That's Food and Drink would like to offer our sincere thanks to Cottage Delight for providing us with this recipe. 

Please check out Cottage Delight here https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk