National Park charity brings Christmas to Ross Priory once again

Members and guests enjoyed an entertaining afternoon as Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, the independent conservation and heritage charity for the National Park area, held its Christmas Concert at Ross Priory, Gartocharn.

This year guests were welcomed once again by local piper, Douglas Owler, and were then entertained by the locally-based group Rannoch Trio, who first met whilst working professionally with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. They performed a wonderful and varied selection of their repertoire, playing both classical and seasonal music which was very much enjoyed by the audience of Friends members and guests. 

Those attending were also able to purchase gifts from the talented wood turner from Rosneath, Maggie Irving, who displayed the beautiful objects she creates from heritage wood. Some of Maggie’s work supports the fund-raising efforts of the volunteers who are restoring Loch Lomond’s paddle steamer Maid of the Loch and there was also Maid of the Loch merchandise for sale along with the Friends’ range of books, Christmas cards and other gifts.

Rosemary Wilson, a long-standing member of the Friends for many years was kind enough to draw the winning tickets at the raffle where there were many prizes to be won including vouchers kindly provided by trustees as well as local businesses and charities, most notably from The Oak Tree Inn, Steamship Sir Walter Scott Ltd, Ross Priory and The Loch Lomond Steamship Company.

Friends Chairman, John Urquhart said: “This has been another very successful Christmas event for the Friends, whose members and guests return each year knowing that they will enjoy a wonderful afternoon in the delightful 18th century surroundings of Ross Priory”.

“A sincere thanks to our young piper, the Rannoch Trio and the stallholders who came along on the day and sold their wares to help the Friends and also the Maid of the Loch.

“And a huge thank you to the University of Strathclyde and the Staff at Ross Priory for all their help and assistance in continuing to make this such a memorable event.”

https://www.lochlomondtrossachs.org.uk

Bearded Fishermen Mental Health Charity gets A new Chart entry single for Christmas with singer Cat Winter

Bearded Fishermen Charity are a UK based charity offering mental health support and suicide prevention. They have been running for four years and have saved lives all over the UK as well as supporting thousands of people with their mental health, Running a 24/7 call centre as well as offering peer support and counselling services for free.

A spokesman said: "This year we decided we would try and get the message out by producing a new single. We teamed up with SoundLINCS and University of Lincoln and approached Cat Winter to help. The song was written and sung by Cat with the help of local musicians and the choir from Lincoln university, It was produced by the students of the university in there own studios. The outcome was a collaboration of different people and has ended up an amazing song.

Called "Don't Be Silent Tonight" it has been sent to all the major music sites like Amazon, iTunes and Spotify and entered into the UK and United States charts.

The charity Chairman (Rick Roberts) and Vice-Chairman (Mick Leyland) said "We are really hoping it does well and gets noticed by a lot of people around the world as this will highlight the need to help people and be there for one another, especially at this time of year when it can be a very lonely time.

"This is the first time we have entered a song into the charts and we know this year is going to be hard going as so many worthy songs are coming out for Christmas and some very big names. We would love people to join in with this and help us to get the song out there.

"Our Charity would love the opportunity to get the song into the right places and to be able to make sure that people will know its out there to be heard."

https://www.beardedfishermen.org.uk

That's Food and Drink: Celebrate the UK’s beloved pubs with Food by Natio...

That's Food and Drink: Celebrate the UK’s beloved pubs with Food by Natio...: This winter, Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK) is toasting the nation’s locals, with a celebration of the UK’s beloved pubs, in all...

Sweet Spot: Islands Chocolate Launches Decadent Gifts in Fortnum & Mason and Liberty in Time for Christmas

Priding itself as a family-run company, Islands Chocolate stands out as one of the few chocolate brands with its own cocoa farms, located in the Caribbean. 

Embracing the spirit of ethical gifting, the company's employees not only earn considerably higher than the national living wage in St Vincent but also very considerably surpass the equivalent Fairtrade standard in Africa, from where most cocoa comes from.

Their chocolate is used in the kitchens of renowned chefs like Tom Kerridge, Phil Howard and Heston Blumenthal. The carefully crafted chocolate is designed to elevate both the art of baking and the joy of savouring each delectable bite.

Discover the perfect Christmas gift for the master baker or chocolate lover in your life with these beautifully designed 200g tins of heavenly delights:

75% Dark Chocolate - 200G

The 75% is the most versatile chocolate of the range, balancing a high cocoa percentage with well-rounded flavours. Aromas of jammy dried fruit and caramelised honey carry are accompanied with bursts of fresh citrus and ripe banana, notes of dark caramel and sweet spices with a warming finish. These are priced at £8.95.

55% Milk Chocolate - 200G

The 55% Dark Milk couples the sweet, creamy nostalgia of a milk chocolate with intensely flavourful St Vincent cocoa to curate a mature, versatile coating when used in baking. Aromas of toffee and malt develop further in the flavour, leading to an explosion of buttery caramel and rich creaminess, perfectly balanced by a light acidity and fruity banana notes. These are priced at £8.95.

37% White Chocolate Giant Button

Caribbean cocoa butter offers complex, chocolatey flavours and well balanced sweetness, combined with creamy whole milk and a hint of salt for a uniquely sophisticated white chocolate flavour. These are priced at £8.95.

55% Dark Flakes Hot Chocolate

The 55% Dark Flakes create an indulgent luxurious hot chocolate like no other. Notes of rich caramel and zesty orange are expertly complemented by deep cocoa flavours. This tin is specially crafted for the ultimate hot chocolate experience, available at Bayley & Sage, Real Eating Co and online. Launching early December These are priced at £8.95.

By buying a gift from Islands Chocolate this holiday season, you can not only bake with chocolate used by some of the UK's top chefs, you can make a stand against unethical practices in the cocoa supply chain. And these embossed, vibrantly coloured tins will look fantastic on your kitchen shelf!

Founder Wilf Marriott said: "Cheap, poor-quality chocolate tainted by slavery, child labour and deforestation is just not acceptable - people and our planet deserve better, especially this festive season. Islands Chocolate proudly leads the charge with a deliciously ethical alternative, with every bite telling a story of ethical indulgence.”

For more general information visit www.islandschocolate.com

Mangrove Welcomes Two New Japanese Whiskies Into World-Class Portfolio

Two prominent Japanese whiskies have joined forces with Mangrove Global's stellar portfolio of world whiskies. Brought to European markets by Whiskies du Monde, the Akashi and Yamazakura whiskies will bring a fresh and exciting new offering to UK world whisky lovers – and be the first Japanese whiskies in the Mangrove portfolio. 

The two independent brands will make the most of Mangrove's category and industry knowledge, to extend their reach across both the on and off-trade, competing with the bigger players in the UK whisky market.

Akashi has an impressive back story, coming from the White Oak, Eigashima distillery, which was the first in Japan to receive a whisky licence back in 1919. Today the distillery is quite experimental, innovating with different cask finishes, ranging from sake to red wine. Akashi is a popular whisky in Japan and is representative of the typical style enjoyed by Japanese whisky drinkers.

The spirit is already available in the UK through Waitrose, Amazon and selected bars, but Mangrove's aim will be to not only raise awareness of the quality liquid, but also to broaden distribution into specialised retail and the best of the on-trade.

The second whisky, Yamazakura Single Malt, is completely new to the UK and is the super-premium variety in the range, a selection of whiskies created at the Asaka distillery. The Asaka Distillery is the only one of its kind in Japan's Tohoku region, and benefits from the area's rich natural resources, including fresh water from one of the country's largest lakes. The distillery only produces for 150 days of the year, with a small team of four people - which means there are only 10 barrels produced of the single malt, annually.

Using precise and historic methods of Japanese whisky production, Yamazakura Single Malt is refined, elegant, and truly different from the standard Scotch and Irish varieties. Now owned by one of Japan's longest-standing spirits producers, Sasanokawa Shuzo, there is 200 years of expertise poured into the design of this exceptional small-batch drink.

Vincent Faesch, Area Manager for Europe at Whiskies du Monde, said: “Japanese whisky is an incredible genre of spirit and there is such care and attention going into each bottle, especially when it comes to export. UK whisky fans are becoming increasingly aware of how rewarding world whisky is as a category, and why the freedoms that international producers have create liquids that can be quite different from Scotch.

“Both Akashi and Yamazakura offer a wonderful drinking experience – and are must-have bottles within any whisky collection.”

Japanese whisky has successfully challenged the traditional Scotch market for many years, thanks to the precision and care taken by Japanese distillers. The timing for these brands to enter the UK market is ideal. Japanese whisky has entered an exciting new period of transparency, with the introduction of new classification rules which safeguard the quality of the liquids in the bottle. As well as this, here in the UK, the popularity of World Whisky is increasing exponentially.

Nick Gillett, Managing Director at leading UK spirits distributor Mangrove Global said: “At Mangrove, we've been championing world whiskies for a long time now, and no world whisky portfolio is complete without some quality Japanese spirits.

" Akashi and Yamazakura are two very different spirits, but together they authentically represent how whisky is enjoyed in Japan. Each delicious in their own right, we'll bring these two category leaders to a wider reach of customers, all while introducing world whisky lovers to the wonders of Japanese distilling.”

Discover more about Mangrove's portfolio of quality independent brands, including world whiskies, at mangroveuk.com.

Christmas Trend Alert: Try English Pink Wine With Your Turkey and Cranberry Sauce

Pink & Co co-founder Clem Yates is the only female Master of Wine based in the UK specialising in English rosé and has 20 years experience making wine for big brands such as Waitrose, Aldi, Sainsbury’s and Majestic Wine. She also has a degree in Chemistry and Oenology, which is the study and science of winemaking.

With her scientific background, Clem explains why their English Pink rosé is the perfect match for a traditional Christmas turkey with cranberry sauce: “Basically, you need to look at the pH scale measure of acidity which ranges from 1 to 14 - the lower the pH, the higher the acidity. Cranberry sauce is acidic with a pH around the 3.5 mark, and our English Pink wine matches up to that with a pH of 3.30.

“Acidic foods can be tricky to pair with wines because the acidity can actually make the wine taste bitter, sour or flat. However, if you choose a wine with a high acidity, like our English Pink rosé, it provides a counterbalance to foods like cranberry sauce. A high acid wine also cuts through rich, fatty foods, refreshing your palette - making this wine the perfect pairing for decadent Christmas fare.”

British rosé brand Pink & Co has created a luxurious dry rosé wine, English Pink - the perfect accompaniment to the ubiquitous cranberry sauce served alongside your traditional turkey.

The reason Pink & Co’s rosé has a high acidity is because of the cooler grape growing climate found in England. 

More information about English Pink:

Originating from vineyards in the South of England, English Pink is a vegan-friendly Provence-style rosé with a very pale pink colour and an alcohol volume of 12%. The tasting notes are; delicate strawberry fruit with a concentrated palate, lovely fresh acidity and great length.

Made in small batches from premium grape varieties such as Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir, the grapes are sourced according to the vintage conditions whilst maintaining a consistent colour and flavour profile every year.

Available on the Pink & Co website, English Pink rosé is priced at £22.95 per bottle, with a case of six available for £137.50.

To find out more, visit https://www.pinkandco.co.uk 

To us, this sounds like an excellent wine for Christmas feasting and drinking.

Celebrate a Luxurious But Alcohol-Free Christmas With Savyll

Elegant ready-to-serve brand Savyll welcomes everyone to celebrate a luxurious Christmas with its enticing array of non-alcoholic cocktails.

Perfect for a Christmas gift or as a festive party tipple, the four flavours are; an aromatic peach Bellini, a fresh and crisp Mojito, a zesty grapefruit Paloma and a fiery Moscow Mule.

Here's more about these delectable drinks:

Bellini: A sparkling Bellini flavoured cocktail crafted with a fusion of delicate floral white peach notes on the nose, and a pleasantly dry white wine finish. The Bellini has been given one-star by the Great Taste Awards.

Mojito: A sparkling Mojito flavoured cocktail with a balanced arrangement of citrus, sweet spearmint, rosemary and lime, combined with a spice aroma.

Paloma: A sparkling Paloma flavoured cocktail crafted with earthy agave and bittersweet grapefruit characteristics on the nose, crisp lime on the palate, and a pleasing acidic finish.

Moscow Mule: A sparkling Moscow Mule flavoured cocktail with a delicate balance of lime and ginger on the nose, with herbal notes on the palate, and a little heat on the finish. It was awarded Double Gold in the San Francisco Spirit Awards in 2023.

They are all vegan-friendly, gluten-free, crafted from natural ingredients, and contain less than 4g of sugar per 100ml. Each drink is available in a 250ml can and has an RRP of £2.40.

Savyll's created the perfect stocking filler gift this Christmas - their beautifully presented Collection Pack allows you to explore the full range of sophisticated flavours mentioned above.

Born in the melting-pot of London, Savyll was created by Avnish Babla. Avnish's vision was to create a range of premium non-alcoholic cocktails that drew inspiration from their traditional alcoholic counterparts. The brand has listings with the likes of Whole Foods, David Lloyd, Ocado and Warner Hotels.

Avnish said: "Mocktails have been around for quite some time, but they often come across as bright, loud, and full of sugar. We wanted to create a brand that conveyed classic sophistication, and appealed to a more discerning consumer.

“We have a significant number of customers who, due to health or cultural reasons, don't want to drink alcohol - but they want something more high-end and palatable than just a simple juice or soda. If you serve Savyll's range of cocktails to your AF guests this Christmas, they're sure to be wowed.”

The Savyll Collection Pack can be purchased on the website. It can either be bought as four 250ml cans for £10 or 12-can packs for £25. To find out more, visit www.savyll.com.