Wednesday, 28 September 2022
That's Food and Drink: Cheese of the Month - October - Sharpham Cheese Ca...
Mason's Yorkshire Gin for Christmas
James Bell, Head of Marketing, Masons of Yorkshire spearheaded the campaign.
James said: “We are Yorkshire's original gin, the first in fact, and we're proud to be based here and live and breathe all things Yorkshire.
"This campaign isn't just a celebration of our region but to highlight our credentials as the best reviewed and one of the most loved gins in the country with 3,000 reviews on Trustpilot and in excess of 125 international awards, and counting, and we're hoping to get even more glowing reviews and positive feedback face-to-face in the last week of September around Leeds. It's time to put Masons on the map!”
Masons is targeting over 100,000 samples in just a single week via the on-trade bars in Leeds alongside a prime sampling spot at Leeds Trinity over the weekend of 30th September: locals will spot an impressive stand next to M&S where they can sample the range, plus a full OOH Banner takeover of the whole Trinity Arcade and surrounding shopping areas and ringroad.
Influencers will be supporting the campaign over Youtube, Instagram and Facebook with hashtags, #MakeItAMasons #MasonsOfYorkshire #NotAllGinsAreCreatedEqual.
Masons of Yorkshire are also hosting a Cocktail Competition at Pastel Leeds on the 29th September, in which some of the best bartenders in the North will use Masons The Original Gin to create new concoctions to celebrate all things gin, an opportunity to hero Yorkshire talent and promote local trade. https://www.masonsofyorkshire.com/blogs/news/cocktail-star-of-the-north-masons-of-yorkshire-launches-late-summer-gincredible-competition
This has been an incredible year for Masons with multiple award wins across the whole portfolio of brilliant gins and British vodka of the highest pedigree, securing listings in Tesco, Sainsburys, Morrisons, Ocado, Waitrose Cellar , Booths & Fenwicks. The Distillery is based in Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire. This new campaign is part of a long term goal to build national awareness for Masons as being the UK's most richly decorated Gin producer.
You can learn more at the Mason's Gin website here https://www.masonsofyorkshire.com.
Mason's Yorkshire Gin is superb and ideal for your Christmas drinks, either over ice, with a fine tonic water (Double Dutch is ideal, we find) or as the base for some good, Christmas cocktails.
That's Food and Drink: Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and His Team Explain W...
Pumpkin Spiced Swiss Roll With Cornish Clotted Cream
That's Christmas would like to thank Trewithen Dairy for their help in providing this recipe.
Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove combined in a fluffy sponge, rolled up with rich Cornish clotted cream. It's so light, you'll want to go back for seconds - or thirds!
Pumpkin Spiced Swiss Roll with Cornish Clotted Cream
Ingredients
200g Caster Sugar
100g Plain Flour
½ tsp Fine Salt
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground Ginger
¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
½ tsp Ground Cloves
3 Eggs
150g Pumpkin Puree
200g Trewithen Dairy Cornish Clotted Cream
100g Mascarpone
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Icing Sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 180c. Line a 35 x 25cm Swiss roll tin with baking paper.
In a large bowl, combine all the dried ingredients - sugar, flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and spices.
In a stand mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar together for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Then gently stir through the dried ingredients.
Spread into the prepared baking tin and bake for 12-15 minutes until cooked through.
While still warm, turn the cake out onto a clean tea towel and gently peel off the baking paper. Score a slight indentation across one of the short sides, then very carefully roll the cake into a tight log, taking the tea towel along with it. Allow to cool in the rolled position.
In a large bowl, combine the Cornish clotted cream, mascarpone and vanilla extract until smooth.
When the cake is completely cool, gently unroll and spread with a thick layer of the cream filling. Carefully roll it back up and place seam-side down. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
To check out the dairy please visit them here https://www.trewithendairy.co.uk.
Superb Christmas Drinks for Every Occasion from Hattiers Rum
Specialising in sourcing fine blended aged rums from around the world, which they blend using sustainable techniques in Devon, their unique rums include Egremont Premium Reserve Rum, Eminence Blended Aged White Rum and Resolute Navy Strength Rum.
Not only do Hattiers' rums taste absolutely delicious, with six awards from the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) to prove it, they're also sustainable, plastic free and committed to carbon neutrality.
It's the supreme Christmas gift for the rum connoisseur in your life, premium sipping rum Egremont Premium Reserve Rum, is a blend of four cask aged rums hand selected from across the Caribbean and Central America and gently paired with pure soft spring water from the Dartmoor hills.
Filtered by layer on layer of ancient granite, Dartmoor spring water balances the alcoholic strength of the base rums to a more accessible level and helps produce a long, creamy finish.
A fragrant, medium bodied rum that's complex yet accessible, Egremont is perfect in Hattiers' original Hot Hattiers and The King's Hat Christmas cocktails. £42.00, 40% ABV, 70 cl.
With a fruity but not sweet taste, gentle nutty pineapple aftertaste and long cream finish, Eminence Blended Aged White Rum is the perfect gift for cocktail loving family, friends or colleagues. Divine served with mixers too, Eminence is crafted using cask rums from Barbados, Australia, Trinidad and Jamaica and is smooth, light-medium bodied with a great depth of flavour and character.
With light and attractive soft fruit notes and a vanilla pod, creamy fudge and ripe pineapple aroma, it has been carefully carbon filtered to remove the colour while maintaining the impact of the barrel. £37.50, 42% ABV, 70cl.
Guaranteed to pack some punch and sure to make Christmas parties go off with a bang, Hattiers Rums' Resolute Navy Strength Rum is a blended aged navy strength rum, made using rums from Barbados, Australia, Guyana and Jamaica.
With a toasted brown sugar and charred oak aroma followed by warm banana, on the palate it has an intensity of fruit with pineapple, apple, banana, mango and a buttery pastry taste with darker notes of liquorice which linger. Wafts of coal smoke drift in on the finish, with a dominance of banana cream. £56.00, 54.5% ABV, 70cl.
Treat party guests to an exquisite Christmas inspired Hot Hattiers or The King's Hat, or both, at your next festive celebration.
What about some nice, Christmas cocktails to try?
Hot Hattiers
Combining sweet cider with sugar, spice and all things nice, Hot Hattiers is a delicious winter warmer that makes all that wind and rain worthwhile. So, embrace the season, close the curtains, light a fire and invite friends and loved ones around for Christmas carols, mince pies and hot rum and cider. After all, Hot Hattiers is best enjoyed shared!
Ingredients
70ml Hattiers Egremont Premium Reserve Rum
500 ml sweet cider
100g Demerara Sugar
One apple - finely sliced
Two allspice berries
Dash of vanilla essence
Three drops of Angostura Bitters
Method
Combine all of the ingredients and mix well in a large saucepan.
Warm gently over a medium heat, stirring occasionally and being careful not to boil.
Use a sieve or strainer to pour the mixture into a glass and serve hot.
The King's Hat Ingredients
25ml Hattiers Egremont Premium Reserve Rum
25ml The King's Ginger
25ml Dry Vermouth
25ml Fresh Lemon Juice
15ml Sugar Syrup (also known as simple syrup or gomme)
Unwaxed Orange
Method
Build all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake vigorously.
Strain into a pre-chilled coupe glass.
Garnish with a twist of orange.
Hattiers Rum is available from hattiers.com as well as Waitrose & Partners, Harvey Nichols, Master of Malt, Fortnum & Mason, The Whisky Exchange, Enotria & Coe, Drink Finder and Daylesford Organic.
Tuesday, 27 September 2022
Christmas Chutney Rolls
It uses Festive Fig & Port Chutney
Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 30 minutes Serves: 12
Ingredients
• 320g ready roll puff pastry
• 400g turkey mince
• 4 streaky rashers, chopped up small
• 75g dried stuffing mix
• 1 egg, beaten
• Handful chopped fresh sage
• Cracked black pepper
• 4tbsp Cottage Delight festive fig & port chutney
• 150g stilton
• Gravy, optional dip
• 1 egg for egg wash
Method
• Preheat your oven to 200ºC/ 180ºC fan/gas 6 . Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
• In a bowl mix together your turkey, bacon, stuffing, egg, sage and pepper until well combined.
• Roll out your ready roll puff pastry and cut in half into two long strips.
• Down the centre of each strip spread on the Festive Fig & Port Chutney.
• Mould your turkey mix into two long rolls then place down the centre of each of your pastry sections on top of the chutney.
• Place some thinly slice stilton on top of the turkey.
• Brush one side on the pastry on each strip with some egg wash
• Fold pastry over and seal the edges with a fork. Repeat with your other section.
• Place on to your baking tray leaving enough space between them to expand.
• Egg wash each roll and then cut slits.
• Bake for 30 mins until golden.
• Cut into how many portions you wish. We recommend 12.
• Leave to cool for a few minutes then tuck in! Dip into gravy for Christmas heaven.
To learn more please visit our friends at Cottage Delight at https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk.
Innovative gifting for Christmas with Colleague box
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