That's Food and Drink: Sandford Orchards Collaborates With Moons Cider to...

That's Food and Drink: Sandford Orchards Collaborates With Moons Cider to...: Devon's Sandford Orchards, is thrilled to launch, in partnership with Moons Cider, Orchard Moon (ABV 6.5%), a collaboration cider celebr...

Salcombe Brewery Co. Pub in a Box

A Salcombe Brewery Co. 'Pub in a Box' is the perfect Chirstmas gift for any beer lover and includes everything they need for a quiet night in. 

There are three different options in the range, including a gluten-free set. Each contains some of Salcombe Brewery Co.'s fabulous beer, tasty snacks from the west country, branded glasses, beer mats and bar towels and is available for nationwide delivery from www.salcombebrewery.com.

Worried over what wines to pair with Christmas dinner? Wickhams has the answers!

Preparing the perfect feast for your Christmas day takes a great deal of thought and knowing the right wines to pair with each element can be tricky, the food has a big impact on how the wines taste. 

But don't worry, Wickhams has it covered with this comprehensive guide!

All wines listed are available to order until Wednesday 20th December from wickhamwine.co.uk for pre-Christmas delivery.

Fizz:

First, let's talk about fizz! Some people even like to start the day with a little breakfast Buck's Fizz. If that's you then Filare Italia Prosecco Extra Dry is an excellent all rounder. Later in the day, if you want to toast Christmas using something made using the Champagne method but without the price tag, then Cave de Turckheim “Mayerling” Brut is an elegant option from Alsace. This sparkling Pinot Blanc will cut through the fattiness of smoked salmon blinis or compliment a creamy baked brie. 

Seafood:

If you want to go for the real thing, perhaps to pair with some oysters or seafood, then AR Lenoble Brut Intense NV is from one of the few remaining family owned Champagne houses. An English sparkling wine is a patriotic alternative, Henners Brut NV has the elegance to make this pairing sing. 

For the traditionalist who prefers prawn cocktails over oysters, then we recommend Vouvray Deniché 2021. The gentle sweetness of prawns combines perfectly with this medium-dry wine made from Chenin Blanc and has the balance of acidity and sweetness to carry this pairing off.

Turkey:

Now to the main event. There's the turkey, of course, various stuffings, sauces, vegetables, potatoes, and pigs in blankets. Finding one wine to match everything seems difficult, nigh on impossible, but Wickhams is here to help.

Pinot Noir is a good choice as it pairs with many flavours, Louis Père et Fils Mercurey "L'Or Rouge" 2019 is classic Burgundy. Cru Beaujolais is a more value conscious proposition, made using Gamay it shares similarities with Pinot Noir. Clos du Vieux Bourg "Javernières" Morgon 2020 is an excellent example which would pair equally well with goose or duck.

When looking for a white the perfect match is a ripe, lightly oaked Chardonnay. Burgundy is the obvious place to look, Florent Rouve Saint Véran En Crêches 2020 has everything you want from white Burgundy. 

Those seeking a solid value option need look no further than De Wetshof Estate Bon Vallon "Sur Lie" Chardonnay 2022 from South Africa. South African wines are proving excellent value for money at the moment because of the exchange rate with the Rand. 

Roast beef:

Prefer beef rather over turkey? Then a bold red is an easy partner. Anything from the Peter Falke range will work, PF Ruby 2017 is my personal favourite, these Stellenbosch wines are serious wines for serious food. 

The south of France has plenty of options whose tannins will soften thanks to the interplay of meat and wine. Le Lion de Cicéron 2019 is an organic wine from Corbières which fits the bill.

Pudding:

Christmas lunch, of course, isn't really complete without a flaming, fruit packed, boozy pudding. Borges Tawny Reserva Port NV has the depth and sweetness to seize the day.

If Yule Log is more your thing, pair it with Cline Cellars Late Harvest Mourvèdre 2017. Luxuriously sweet and divinely tempting you'll be reaching for another glass.

Cheese:

If you have any room left then you can round off the Christmas feast with a cheese plate, which is ripe for wine pairing. We definitely recommend a vintage Port. This big, fortified wine is an unrivalled partner to strong, salty, creamy, blue cheeses like Stilton, Roquefort or Gorgonzola. Krohn Vintage Port 2003 is drinking well now.

For pungent soft cheeses, think Brie or Camembert, will pair well with an aromatic Viognier. Try Le Versant Viognier 2021 from the south of France. Real Cheddar, from Somerset, needs an equally robust red to match. Syrah (or Syrah based blends) have the oomph to work. Smalltown Vineyards "Knock Knock" Shiraz 2020 from Australia's Barossa Valley is a great choice.

Semi-hard cheeses like Cornish Yarg or Emmental need a wine with acidity. English wines are often defined by their strident acidity, Sharpham Estate Selection 2021 will provide a nice counterpoint to the inherent fattiness of the cheese.

Now all that's needed is to dig out those board games!

(That's Christmas would like to thank Wickhams for their help in preparing this feature.)

Get fruity with your loved one this Christmas!

Get fruity with your loved one this Christmas with the help of Sandford Orchards.

Treat them to award-winning Sandford Orchards' Fabulous Fruits Hamper, full of lovingly crafted cider and snacks from Devon.

 A treat for any cider-lover, it includes a bottle of Fanny's Bramble, Berry Lane, Old Blossom and Wilde Cherry. To enjoy with the artisan cider, there are two scrumptious bars of Willie's Cacao chocolate and, for the perfect pour, there's a Sandford Orchards branded glass too.

For further information on Sandford Orchards and to see their full range of gifts for Christmas and the rest if the year please visit www.sandfordorchards.co.uk, follow Sandford Orchards on X, Facebook and Instagram. 

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...