Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's New River Cottage Kitchen & Store Launches

The new River Cottage Kitchen & Store has officially launched.

A stone's throw from the River Cottage Farmhouse (aka River Cottage HQ) on the Devon/Dorset border, the casual eatery gives people the chance to taste the amazing food River Cottage has to offer, even if they're not taking part in a course or attending an event.

The River Cottage Kitchen & Store menu champions organic, local and seasonal food with a farm to fork ethos.

Depending on the season and availability of produce, expect delicious dishes such as:

Hot smoked onions, roast mushroom, organic mozzarella, River Cottage spicy kraut and beetchup on seeded sourdough  £9

Organic English lentil, squash and cauliflower patties with citrusy hummus, salsa verde and dukka  £15

Organic chorizo meatballs, spicy tomato and bean sauce, herby bashed celeriac and spuds  £16

“OffShore” rope grown mussels lightly curried with leeks, River Cottage Cider, apples and cream with seeded sourdough  £17

(As seen on the latest TV series; River Cottage Reunited)

Chelsea bun and organic sun-dried apricot bread and butter pudding with organic vanilla ice cream  £7.90

Pear, apple and ginger fumble  £7.90

Organic chocolate, beetroot and Somerset cider brandy torte, roast plum compote, sunflower seed cream  £7.90

The new menu has been developed by Gelf Alderson, Culinary Director of River Cottage for more than 10 years. 

The River Cottage Kitchen & Store is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty within East Devon's rolling hills. It is only a few miles away from the Jurassic Coast, which remains the first and only natural World Heritage Site in England. The Kitchen & Store has a large outdoor terrace where diners can enjoy stunning views across the valley, and there's plenty of parking available.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall said: “I'm very excited about our brand new Kitchen & Store at River Cottage HQ which is now open. It's a casual space for breakfast, lunch, drinks and cakes as well as a store where you can buy our River Cottage products and books. We're not currently taking bookings so you – and your dogs! – can simply drop in to check it out and see the beautiful views across the valley.

“It's a beautiful space in a beautiful location – at the top of the hill from the farm, but not on the farm itself - and I hope to see some of you here soon.”

Formerly based in Axminster's town centre, the new Kitchen & Store brings the River Cottage experience together into one helpful foodie hub. 

In keeping with River Cottage's environmentally conscious ethos, materials, fixtures and fittings from the Axminster site were upcycled or recycled. Where new materials proved to be necessary, they were selected for their very high environmental standards.

Visitors can also purchase a wide range of products from the store, including some of the many fantastic cookbooks written by Hugh and the team, local food and drink, and homeware. Also on offer will be the River Cottage Organic range of products which now includes; ketchup, kombucha, vegetable stock, cider, beer, sparkling wine, award-winning yoghurt, kefir as well as soaps and balms - made in conjunction with local producers. 

Open 9am-5pm, seven days a week, with breakfast served 9am-11.30am and lunch served 12pm-3pm, the casual, dog-friendly space is the perfect spot to drop by for a bite to eat and enjoy incredible views. The Kitchen & Store is found at the top of the hill by the spacious car park.

If you want to extend your stay past lunch, there is stunning bed and breakfast accommodation available at The Farmhouse, with a twin room starting at £95 a night, and a double room starting at £125 a night. Or discover other nearby accommodation.

For a little taste of Gelf's wonderful cooking in your own home ahead of visiting, try this recipe.

Recipe: Fennel, celery and apple salad with creamy almond dressing, by Gelf Alderson

Hold on to the last hints of summer sunshine with this fabulous fennel, celery and apple salad with creamy almond dressing, found in Gelf Alderson's new cookbook, River Cottage Great Salads (£20, published by Bloomsbury). Crispy and creamy all in one, it's a serving of summer on a plate.

Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side

Ingredients

50g almonds (skin on), roughly chopped

2 crisp eating apples, such as Gala or Cox

2 fennel bulbs

5 celery sticks

A handful of pea shoots (about 40g)

For the almond dressing:

100g almonds (skin on)

150ml almond milk or water

1 orange

60ml extra virgin olive oil

30ml cider vinegar

1 small garlic clove, peeled

Sea salt and black pepper

Obviously this will make a very useful source for your Christmas gifting for those in your life who love good, organic food and drink. And also for your Christmas dining experiences!

http://www.rivercottage.net.

New Christmas launch from Cottage Delight

Cottage Delight has launched the perfect Christmas range for cooking, gifting, and celebrating this festive season.

Speciality food experts Cottage Delight have launched their Christmas 2022 range of hand-crafted jams, chutneys, pickles and more besides. All are 100% perfect for making all kinds of delicious festive food and giving as presents in special gift boxes and hampers.

You can buy the range online and in specialist independent retailers such as farm shops, garden centres, delicatessens and speciality stores all over the UK. 

These fabulously eye-catching products are bursting with delicious new festive flavours and presented in show-stopping packaging that perfectly encompass the warmth and comfort of Christmas. And all with the added touch of luxury.

Are you looking for inspirations for your Christmas recipes? Seeking the finishing touches to Christmas dishes? Or maybe you are looking for the perfect Christmas gifts for loved ones, this new range from Cottage Delight has got you (and them!) covered and will make your Christmas celebration really sparkle.

You can check out Cottage Delight and place your orders here https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk.

Try this season's must have new limited-edition launches

From the Perfect Party Pickle to Magical Mulled Wine Jam here are eight of the latest new flavour-trend launches which are set to become best sellers this Christmas.

1.     Perfect Party Pickle 105g (RRP £2.39) / 320g (RRP £3.99) https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk/product/perfect-party-pickle

2.     Magical Mulled Wine Jam 113g (RRP £2.39) / 340g (RRP £3.99) https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk/product/magical-mulled-wine-jam-2

3.     Luxury Tipsy Mincemeat 340g (£3.99) https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk/product/luxury-tipsy-mincemeat-2

4.     Bucks Fizz Thin Cut Marmalade 113g (RRP £2.39) / 340g (£3.99) https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk/product/bucks-fizz-thin-cut-marmalade

5.     Mulled Orange All Butter Curd 105g (RRP £2.39) / 305g (£4.29) https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk/product/mulled-orange-all-butter-curd-2

6.     Winter Warming Thin Cut Marmalade 113g (RRP £2.30) / 340g (£3.99) https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk/product/winter-warming-thin-cut-marmalade

7.     Festive Fig & Port Chutney 325g (£3.99) https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk/product/festive-fig-port-chutney

8.     Classic Cranberry Sauce 105g (£2.39) / 225g (£2.99) https://www.cottagedelight.co.uk/product/classic-cranberry-sauce-3

Sarah Williams, who has the very enviable position as Marketing Director at Cottage Delight. “We’ve taken traditional nostalgic festive flavours and given them a sparkling makeover for Christmas 2022. 

"Our brand-new collection is wrapped in gold and dressed with rich, jewel coloured ‘mop tops’. Each limited-edition flavour includes a QR code which links shoppers to a whole host of festive recipes to create a showstopper for their Christmas table, including Mulled Orange Curd Cheesecake and Perfect Party Pickle Boxing Day Pie. Plus, we have some incredible gift sets, with something for everyone, so we really have got Christmas covered this year.”

Cottage Delight has been creating great tasting food in the Staffordshire Moorlands for over four delectable and delicious decades. Celebrating flavour and bringing inspiration to your table is their passion, because great taste means great times.  

Their carefully and lovingly developed range brings people together through exciting flavour adventures, including tempting treats for those following vegetarian, vegan and gluten free diets. 

They have been dedicated to traditional methods and quality ingredients for nearly 50 years and are justifiably proud owners of 210 Great Taste Awards. 

It’s not just their ingredients that they select and source with care and attention. Their glass jars and bottles are made from 100% recycled glass and we have worked with Peak Waste for over 25 years, achieving 0% to landfill, minimising our impact on the environment.  

Healthier Comfort Food, An ideal Christmas gift

Healthier Comfort Food, is an ideal Christmas gift for the person in your life who loves good food and who might be thinking about lower calory versions of their traditional feel-good recipes.

It's published by those wonderful folks over at the Dairy Diary.

There are 175 pages of recipes and important information such as how to have a well-balanced diet, how to add colour to your home cooking, how to judge portion sizes, how to fill your kitchen with suitable goodies, some quicky and easy meal ideas, some nifty snack ideas,.

It's filled with a wide range of meals including hearty lunches, some comforting main courses, how to prepare and cook your own tasty take-away meals, and some very indulgent (but healthier!) sweet treats and desserts.

The book proves that it is quite possible to have healthy meals that are not dull and uninspiring, are not bland and low in both taste as well as being low in calories, but actually taste brilliant!

The book is written by Emily Davenport and Katy Hackforth. Amazon has it listed at £10.50, it should also be available at other book retailers.

Check out Dairy Diary at https://www.dairydiary.co.uk 

Online shopping this Christmas? Take care say the experts

People are worrying about the financial risks of online scams as the cost of living crisis grows, according to a new social media poll run by Menlo Security, a leader in cloud security. 

When asked what their biggest fear is about online scammers, over half of respondents (55%) are concerned about their money being stolen, compared to less than a quarter who are concerned about their identity being stolen.

The poll explores the degree of trust consumers have in their digital lives as the number of online scams continues to rise during increasingly challenging economic times. 

Figures from UK Finance show that more than £1.3bn was stolen from victims tricked into authorised push payment fraud (APP) in 2021, with the number of incidents up 27% on the previous year. APP fraud involves criminals impersonating organisations such as the NHS, banks and government departments via calls, texts, emails, fake websites and social media posts to trick people into handing over personal and financial information, which is then used to convince account holders to make a payment.

Spending online, which often involves entering confidential financial details, is of particular concern as many face the prospect of a struggle to make ends meet. Online shopping fraud dominates the list of scams, with 44% of respondents worrying about this the most, ahead of phishing emails (27%), social media scams (17%) and catfishing and online dating (13%).

When asked about the most recent scam message they'd received, 40% of respondents say it appeared to be from a postal or delivery company, whilst over a third (37%) say it appeared to be from a public sector source, like HMRC, the Government or the NHS. These fraudulent sources were more frequent than banks or utility providers (16%), or friends and family (7%).

It is perhaps not surprising that people trust friends and family (51%) more than anyone else for online security advice. More so than work colleagues (21%) and news sources (15%). Official sources like the Government and other authorities are the least trusted, with a mere 13% of votes.

Tom McVey, Solution Architect at Menlo Security, said: “It’s human instinct to warn others about dangers, especially if a friend or family member has been the target of an attack themselves – and many of us have been. 

"Perhaps this is the reason we trust friends and family over any other authority when it comes to security advice. With threat actors trying any tactic that exploits the trust we hold in the services or businesses that they impersonate this caution is understandable. But as individuals, we also need to be taking greater prevention steps to secure ourselves in the first place.”

Reassuringly, the survey found nearly a third of us now use two factor authentication as the main way of protecting themselves online. This may be due to the vast majority of banks and retailers now requiring a second form of authorisation like a passcode and are driving this uptake. 

But the other results were split almost equally, with around a quarter using other forms of protection, including deleting suspicious links, using virus protection and creating strong passwords.

Tom McVey added: “Prevention tactics are an important way of stopping attacks in their tracks before they have an opportunity to reach you. Password security and virus protection can help, but they don’t stop you from being a target. A far more effective method is through isolation technology, which essentially wraps a secure bubble around you whilst using any web browser.

“Cybercrime continues to rise in nearly every guise. Phishing attacks happen regularly, they are only getting more sophisticated, and they are profitable. It’s clear that whilst our trust in the internet and those that serve us online is being tested, we need to arm ourselves with the knowledge and tools to ensure that spending time online is as safe and secure as possible.”

Menlo Security’s Tom McVey also shares the following top tips:

- When being asked for your details, take time to stop and think before sharing your information. Question why they need your information and don’t be afraid to challenge them on this. It’s ok to reject or refuse to give your details away.

- Make sure to have individual passwords for every account, this helps to limit the damage if an attacker does get hold of a password. Inexpensive tools called password managers can help you keep track of many different passwords without the need to remember them all.

- Never share the short multi-factor authentication code with anyone. Fraudsters looking to ‘phish’ details from you will try any means; whether that be email links or over the phone. Be extra vigilant to phone calls from people representing the companies or banks you use.

- Keep your devices and apps up to date. Updating to the latest software will apply any fixes to known bugs or security vulnerabilities; allowing you to surf more safely and protect your data.

- If you have been the unfortunate victim of online fraud, be sure to report it to the necessary authorities. This includes your bank or building society and Action Fraud. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is also a UK government organisation that has the power to investigate and take down scam email addresses and websites.

*Drawing 10,384 responses, the Menlo Security Twitter poll was conducted week of 3 October 2022.

Menlo Security is based out of Mountain View, California. www.menlosecurity.com.

GoGo squeez teams up with Disney for great fun for everyone

GoGo squeeZ has joined forces with Disney Classics to give families the opportunity to win a stay at Disneyland Paris plus other goodies such as lunch boxes, pencil cases and backpacks with every promo pack that's purchased. 

What’s more, there’s absolutely wonderful unlimited digital downloadable gifts for every entrant such as colouring pages, quizzes, games, and puzzles to keep the kids entertained throughout the half term break. So, everyone is a winner!

This stunning offer will give readers a chance to get their hands on freebies from Disney Classics – ideal for the half term break coming up with many parents looking for cost effective ways to keep the kids entertained!

Promo ends 31.10.22.

The GoGo squeeZ fruit pouches are:

Made from 100% fruit

1 of your 5 a day

A source of fibre

No added sugars, no artificial colours and no preservatives

Available in two flavours: Apple Strawberry, Apple Mango

Available in Tesco, Morrisons and on Amazon RRP £2.55.

These will make great gifts for Christmas, too!

Christmas Pasta from Sainsbury's

This Christmas you, your family and guests can enjoy special Christmas pasta from Sainsbury's supermarkets all over the country.

It's pasta that is made from duram wheat semolina and dehydrated spinach powder and tomato powder.

The fun comes when you notice that the pasta pieces all come in delightfully zany special Christmas shapes!

You can use these Christmas pasta shapes to add a bit of festive zing to your meals throughout the Christmas period. 

Why not try them with shredded turkey and turkey gravy on the days following your main Christmas meal? Or why not have it as an interesting side dish to support your main Christmas dinner on the big day itself.

Or how about using it as the basis for a tasty and warming soup on the drizzly and cold days we often have during the Christmas season?

And you can find 190 hits for pasta recipes on the Sainsbury's website, here as inspiration for what you can do with your box of Sainsbury's Christmas Pasta:- 

https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/recipes/SearchResults/pasta.

A 100g box will cost £1.50, so add this to your Christmas grocery list and get Christmas off to a different, fun start, which Children with love as a quirky, fun treat!

Christmas GIN-Spiration from Henley Gin

For those readers of That's Christmas who come to us looking for that perfect Christmas gift for the gin lover in your life, we have exactly the right thing for you. Because Henley Gin has Christmas gifting completely covered.

Are you looking for a gin with something a little bit more fruity, spicy than the usual? Or a classic style of gin? Then the gin experts at Henley Gin have an award-winning gin type to suit. 

Or for a truly, genuinely 100% unique gin, you can opt for a Henley Gin Experience which invites gin enthusiasts along to the home of Henley Gin, The Henley Distillery, recently awarded New Distillery of the Year 2022, -to create their very own bespoke gin. Wow! How about that for a really original Christmas present? 

There are three Henley Gins to choose from, all are small-batch, single-shot, artisan sipping gins and each bottle is hand-filled, hand-labelled, hand-numbered and sealed with genuine pride. Personalised labels are also available, too. 

You can choose the multiple award-winning Henley Gin Classic Dry for a contemporary twist on a London Dry gin style. This signature gin elegantly builds on the familiar juniper foundation with citrus flavours of orange peel, kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass blossoming through. 

A flicker of warmth is introduced courtesy of bold Szechuan peppercorns before mellowing with the deep, rich notes of cardamom and vanilla-flavoured tonka beans, creating a deliciously smooth, refined balance. Enjoy simply with ice and tonic. Price: £40 (70cl, 42% ABV).

Awards: Winner of the Best London Dry Gin in England at the World Gin Awards 2022; Best New Traditional Gin in The Gin Guide Awards 2022; Gold Medal winner in the 'Ultra Premium' category at The Spirits Business Gin Masters 2021.

The Henley Gin Oriental Spiced is a complex blend of rich spices inspired by the famed and historical Silk Road, combining long pepper and cubeb (it's a type of pepper) with tingly and fiery ginger and a hint of lemon zest. Enjoy with ice and tonic for the perfect serve or for something different, you can add vermouth rosso and Campari for a Spiced Negroni. Price: £40 (70cl, 42% ABV).

Awards: Best New Spiced Gin in The Gin Guide Awards 2022; MASTER medal winner, the highest accolade possible, in the 'London Dry ' category at The Spirits Business Global Gin Masters 2022.

Sporting a delicate pink hue, the Henley Gin Rhubarb & Orange artisan gin is layered with fresh hand-peeled orange zest and tart English rhubarb to create an elegant, yet utterly refreshing gin. Best served simply with ice, tonic and orange peel, or add some ginger ale, lemon juice and Agave syrup for a Henley take on the classic Collins. Price: £40 (70cl, 42% ABV).

Awards: MASTER medal winner, the highest accolade possible, in the 'Pink Gin' category at The Spirits Business Gin Masters 2021.

For the indecisive gift buyer, there is a miniatures selection pack available, containing the trio of Henley Gins: Classic Dry, Oriental Spiced and Rhubarb & Orange.  Price: £20 (3 x 5cl, 42% ABV).

For something very special you can gift your loved ones who are gin fanatics with a Henley Gin Experience voucher.  

Gin connoisseurs will learn the art of distilling from the creators of England's Best London Dry Gin, producing their very own bottle of gin during an afternoon spent at The Henley Distillery which recently picked up New Distillery of the Year (worldwide) at The Gin Guide Awards 2022. 

This is a genuine celebration of gin, where visitors will learn about the history of gin, taste several of the gins made there, and observe the working distillery in action. 

Then it's over to the fully immersive Gin School to create a bottle of genuinely 100% bespoke gin under the guidance of award-winning Master Distiller, Jacob Wilson.  

Each guest has their own mini copper still and can tailor the gin to their own palate, choosing from a library of over 100 botanicals! There are plenty of G&Ts offered along the way too! The price is £100 per person (gift cards are available in a range of denominations).

The Henley Distillery is one of the UKs newest and most exciting distilleries. Based at a restored threshing barn just outside Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, the Distillery was established in the summer of 2021 by Jacob Wilson himself, who is credited with being one of the youngest Master Distillers in the entire country. 

The Henley Distillery produces the award-winning Henley Gin range alongside contract distilling for other brands. All their gins are hand-crafted, flame distilled and non-chill filtered. 

For more information on Henley Gin and The Henley Distillery, visit www.thehenleydistillery.co.uk or give them a call on 07511 208490.