It’s a sad state of affairs, but with global warming at an all-time high, studies show that bees are on the verge of extinction. Because of the importance of pollination, bees actually aid our existence on planet earth. It goes without saying that bees are essential species both for our planet as well as food crops – they are a vital part of the ecosystem and losing them entirely would have devastating effects.

With all of this in mind, creating a garden that is bee-friendly is absolutely vital to support their survival. But how exactly can you go about making your garden a safe space for the bee colony? How can we do our bit to save the bees?

For a start, you can take steps in making your garden bee-friendly by avoiding the use of pesticides and planting anything that attracts bees as these can be highly dangerous and poisonous. You should also consider putting out small bowls or containers of water to help keep them hydrated on hot days.

Why are Bees Important for Your Garden?

Because bees are natural pollinators, creating a bee-friendly garden means that you could potentially have access to delicious organic raw honey on tap. Another key factor as to why bees are important for your garden is because of their natural pollination abilities.

These remarkable abilities foster the growth of more plants and flowers in your garden, which can really help your garden to bloom into a colourful and exotic outdoor space. And what’s even better is that pollen and nectar are rich in nutrients, including sugar, which acts as an excellent energy source for the fluffy insects.

The sugar contained in the nectar is also used during the natural honey-making process, and then pollen from flowers is used as food by the rest of the bees in the hive. During the collection of the nectar, the bees move from one flower to another, allowing for cross-pollination to take place.

As a result, flowers produce more seeds, which increases the number of plants and flowers in your bee-friendly garden.

How Do Bees Make Honey?

One of the most common questions people ponder is, “where is honey from”? A worker honeybee collects pollen from the flowers on the plants when the temperatures rise favourably, especially during summer or spring, which is also known as foraging.

What is raw honey?

Also known as nectar, raw honey is collected by bees nearby to the hive, and once they have gathered enough, it is transported into the hive. During the collection of the nectar, bees secrete enzymes through glands in their mouths, which is mixed with the nectar to start the honey-making process.

At the beehive, nectar is collected and created into a honeycomb shape that is made out of wax that comes from the bees themselves. These interesting honeycombs have unique hexagonal shapes and provide storage for the collected nectar.

Fun fact: did you know that after the bee deposits the nectar, it flaps its wings vigorously?

This is because the nectar has a high-water percentage from the plants or flowers that it has been collected from and so the bee’s “fan” themselves to get rid of the excess water.

Best Plants to Have in Your Garden for Bees

There are several cheap gardening ideas that will inspire bees to come to your lovely garden. The use of pot plants and using organic fertilizers create a perfect haven for honeybees in your garden.

Some of the best plants to grow in your garden that attract bees (and butterflies) include:

Lilacs

Lilacs emit beautiful and natural fragrances that draw bees to your garden. These plants flourish best under sunlight and require space to grow. If you have a large space, lilacs are great options as they eventually grow into thick and luxurious bushes.

Lavender

Bees love lavender, and it looks excellent in pot plants and flowerbeds.

Oregano

Oregano is useful both at home and for the bees. Growing oregano in your garden aids pollination and can be used to create flavour in tasty meals.

Honeysuckle

The beautiful scent emitted by honeysuckle makes it very attractive to honeybees. Honeysuckle comes in different varieties and depending on the amount of space you have, you can choose from the bush or climber variety.

Clover

Clovers are large flowers that exquisitely blend into your garden and perfect for bee pollination activities.

Summer or Spring? When is the Best Time to Plant A Bee Friendly Garden?
Flowers and plants act as food sources for bees during all times of the year, but most importantly, during winter, when food is difficult to source. During the cold seasons, bees feed on the honey in the honeycombs.

But as the temperatures begin to rise in the summer months, bees get ready for the foraging process. To facilitate this process, you should consider planting flowers that bloom or produce flowers during early spring up to late fall.

Different flowers have different blooming times and having both varieties in your garden ensure that the bees have enough nectar sources before it gets cold again.

Finding Local Honey and Local Honey Beekeepers

Local honey is usually used as a treatment option for hay fever. But of course, there are many other benefits of raw honey, including cold and flu relief. Local honey does not have the pollen grains that activate allergic reactions. You can get the honey from a bee gardening centre near you, or you can convert your garden into a bee-friendly farm with our top tips listed above.

Bee-friendly gardens have become quite popular as people take up the initiative of saving bee populations. You can make your garden more bee-friendly by using organic fertilizers and avoiding heavy pesticides. Planting flowers that attract bees is easy as no special gardening techniques are needed.

Flowers or seeds can be bought from gardening centres nationwide. Alternatively, if you don’t have a garden or space to grow flowers and help bees to thrive, consider visiting a local honey farm near you and grab yourself a jar of organic raw honey.

Beautifully Delicate - Wendy Lamb
This honey was beautifully smooth with a delicate, subtle flavour. So much nicer than any others I've tried. It is a bit expensive for the size of the jar but well worth the price for something this delicious with all the health benefits of raw, unprocessed honey. I will be buying more!

English Meadows Honey - Great Taste Gold Award 2018

It's blackberry season! We went out and collected blackberries, and 2 hours later we had a delicious crumble!

For every 100 grams of fruit, for the crumble topping, you will need:

• 30g Plain flour
• 15g Caster sugar
• 15g unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces - additional sugar for the top
• Handful of oats

We used 400 grams of blackberries which made 6 servings:

1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Tip the plain flour and caster sugar into a large bowl
2. Add the unsalted butter, then rub into the flour using your fingertips to make a light breadcrumb texture. Do not overwork it or the crumble will become heavy
3. Add oats for extra texture and taste
4. Lay the washed fruit in an ovenproof dish, and sprinkle sugar (to taste) we recommend a teaspoon of every 100 grams of fruit
5. Top fruit in a dish with the crumble mix, and sprinkle additional sugar on top, and bake for around 30 minutes/ or until the crumble has turned brown
6. Serve hot with ice-cream or for a healthier option greek yoghurt. Enjoy!

This recipe is great because you can throw in any fruits that are in season! Traditional rhubarb is great as well as peaches.

Another alternative to consider is adding in a spoonful of organic fruit jam - instead of sugar to the fruit. We tried this with our peach and apricot jam and it worked out a treat!

'Summer in a jar: This is pure indulgence straight from the tree to the jar all-natural and no added sugar this is how jam should taste lovely on toasted pancakes and then Chateau Rouge and Seán the owner great company and quality service I will definitely be buying here again thanks'

A lovely review from Robert C. about our delicious Peach and Apricot Organic Fruit Jam!

The summer is finally here, and for the first time in a long time, the UK is blessed with scorching sunshine and glorious heat. So, what better time to have a picnic? Picnics are a perfect way of spending time with friends and loved ones and lets you all be a part of the great outdoors.

Still enjoyed by many today, picnics date back to the 19th century and were initially intimate family meetings or dates (we’ve all seen the romantic scenes from movies of a couple sitting by a lake enjoying a picnic!).

Over the years, picnics have grown in popularity and for many, are commonplace. A good picnic usually consists of a delightful picnic basket to house the goodies, sandwiches, refreshing drinks and tasty treats. Some picnics may even take the form of a BBQ and food can be enjoyed hot or cold…or both!

Where to Go for A Picnic?

Dining outdoor creates the ideal atmosphere for you and those you choose to picnic with. There are some incredible options that you can choose from when deciding where to go for a picnic near you.

Below are some inspirations that will help you choose the perfect picnic spot:

1. A Beautiful Waterfront

Lakesides or beach sides are ideal settings for picnics. The waterfront provides a captivating backdrop that lightens the mood and takes away the boredom of dining indoors. As a plus, you can also indulge in recreational activities such as boat riding, fishing, surfing, swimming, and so much more. Parks and Forests

2. Parks and forests are popular spots

Why? They offer plenty of space for large group meals and enough space for recreational activities and games. Parks and forests have sitting areas such as benches and tables where you can set up. Sitting underneath the trees and watching the wildlife and sun flicker through the leaves is a perfect way to enjoy a picnic.

3. Quirkier Locations

Parks and waterfronts are not always accessible to everyone. Instead, you may want to picnic somewhere a little quirkier such as a rooftop, in a city park, museum, balcony or even a local brewery (how cool!). There are multiple options available if you look close enough, especially if you want to have a picnic in the middle of the week, and the waterfront or lakeside is far away.

Best Food Picnic Ideas

Besides the picnic rugs and picnic baskets, you’ll need to think about the main event – the food! Prepping your picnic should be easy and quick – that’s the whole point after all. However, you must ensure that you pack enough for everyone and remember to consider the individual preferences of those in your group.

Drinks and refreshments may not be available readily wherever you choose to have your picnic, so ensure you take some along with you. The secret behind a successful summer picnic is the company you spend time with and of course, the content of the picnic basket.

Try not to pack too much food that will go to waste as the summer heat may cause the food to deteriorate quickly.

But what should you pack that will be a hit with everyone?

1. Salads

Pack a huge bowl of salad for everyone. Dress the salad as you prefer at home and cover it with clear cling foil to ensure that it remains fresh. Organic foods keep fresh longer. You could pack ice blocks alongside the salad to keep it cool and fresh.

2. Chilled Drinks

Chilled refreshments such as beers, wine, and juice for the kids or sodas are ideal for a hot summer afternoon. Again, ice packs or blocks are a great way of keeping cool drinks cold.

3. Important Supplies

Picnics are quite messy (if you are bringing kids along with you or you are hosting big gatherings). Pack napkins, wipes and bin bags. These will come in handy after the picnic is over. After all, you must lookout for the environment! Don’t forget the plastic cutlery and plates!

4. Sugar-free jam

Sugar-free jam is ideal picnic food. Jams are used as salad dressings. The low sugar content in certain jam ensures that you keep in check the sugar intake levels while enjoying a tasty sweet treat.

5. Cakes and biscuits

Cakes and chocolate biscuits do not easily deteriorate if stored well. Snacks are a good way to prevent everyone from getting peckish during a long summer afternoon before mealtime.

6. Iced Tea

Pack some chilled afternoon loose leaf tea or coffee in a thermos flask for the adults. Instead of sweetening the tea with sugar or artificial sweeteners, use honey for an added natural sweetness.

Top Picnic Tips: What to Bring and What to Leave at Home

Choosing the right packaging equipment ensures your food remains safe due to the hot temperatures. A cool box in good condition is handy for chilled food products. Pack plastics and enamel instead of glassware to minimize the risk of any breakages or accidents. If you do choose to take along a romantic bottle of wine or champagne, don’t forget the bottle opener!

Picnics are meant to be fun and exciting, but also easy. Therefore. pack only what you need – the essentials.

Pet-Friendly Picnic Ideas

Bringing your pet with you is a great way to include them in the fun and get them outdoors and enjoying the fresh air. Choose a setting that will allow your beloved pet to move around and exercise freely is essential. And remember to pack food for your pet as well as water to keep them hydrated in the sunshine.

A picnic is an amazing idea to while away a couple of hours with your loved ones. Packing the right items ensures that you have fun outdoors and create long-life memories.

The most important thing to do at a picnic is to relax and enjoy. Bon appetite!

Choosing the right gift for your vegan friend or a loved one isn't always easy. If you know any vegans, you'll understand firsthand that they have a zero-tolerance rule to any animal products at all.

With this in mind, it's essential to respect their views when buying them a vegan foodie gift, even though it can make the entire process very challenging.

While it's getting better through time, it's still not always straightforward buying vegan products in a supermarket or on the high street. No matter what you decide to buy your vegan pal, we've compiled some suggestions to help you out. But first and foremost, let’s take a further look into veganism and what it means.

What is a Vegan Food?

Vegan food is anything edible that excludes meat, poultry products and dairy products (this also includes food that doesn't have any animal extracts or ingredients in it or that has been processed by using animal derivatives).

Vegans only eat plant products, and nowadays, food vendors have developed vegan variations of different foods such as cheese and fake meat alternatives to meet the growing demand for vegetarian and organic meal options.

Food outlets have also adopted the ever-increasing trend of vegetarianism and many nowadays run as either fully vegan food outlets or have sections that solely serve vegan meals.

Health benefits of Veganism

Of course, cutting processed sugars and other harmful fats from your diet can have incredible benefits. Many vegans adopt this type of diet for ethical reasons, environmental benefits or even health concerns.

Veganism helps to reduce weight and control blood sugar levels, and vegans also have a lower chance of developing type 2 diabetes compared to non-vegans, which is due to their high intake of dietary fibre food components.

There are several other benefits attached to veganism, but much like anything in life, there are some disadvantages. Eating only plant-based meals could result in serious nutrient deficiencies in the body.

It is crucial to have a balance of good fats and other fibres to avoid deficiencies. Taking supplements can help the normal function of your body, especially if you're vegan, but may not always help 100%.

Where Do I Buy Vegan Food Gifts?

Vegan food gifts can be found in a supermarket or food shops across the UK. Online shops such as Amazon, for example, have vegan gift categories that offer a selection of ethical gifts from bamboo toothbrushes to delicious vegan snacks and everything in between.

Top 7 Ideas on What to Buy a Vegan

1. ‘Free From’ Hampers

Get your vegan friend a 'free from' hamper. These are packs made up of a range of ingredients and usually come with instructions on how to make your own vegan meal or desserts and even include snacks inside.

This is a perfect idea for vegan beginners who don’t know to prepare basic (and even some of the more complex) vegan meals at home. We're sure that they will thank you for a delicious hamper and for acknowledging their vegan status with a gift as good as this.

2. Vegan Chocolate

Vegan chocolate is readily available in supermarkets nationwide. Dark chocolate with no dairy or gluten is ideal for those with a vegan diet. Vegan chocolate is processed without adding any dairy products to it including milk and refined sugar, so is perfect for those who would rather their chocolate without.

Most vegan chocolate has more than 70% cacao inside and should also contain eschews palms or purely extracted cacao butter.

3. Raw Chocolate

Raw chocolate is a gift idea for vegans or those who are lactose intolerant. No dairy products are added to this type of chocolate during the manufacturing process.

Made from coconut sugar, raw chocolate is also processed under low temperatures ensuring that all the beneficial nutrients such as flavonoids are preserved during the processing.

Raw chocolate acts as a source for vital nutrients including iron, manganese, and magnesium necessary for the production of energy in the body. It’s a truly great gift for those vegan chocolate lovers.

4. Vegan Cakes

Celebrating a loved one’s birthday or your anniversary who just so happens to be vegan? Get them a vegan cake! After all, who doesn't love cake? Vegan cakes are free from any animal or poultry products.

Vegan cakes, however, still have high sugar content, and this means they're not always necessarily a ‘healthier’ option.

In this case, refined sugar is substituted with granulated sugar in equal measures. Maple syrup is another alternative used instead of pure sugar.

5. Vegan Sweets

Vegans love their sweets as much as non-vegans. A packet of vegan sweets with no animal products is a fantastic gift for a vegan friend or spouse. However, most sweets in the market are not 100% free from animal products.

Most contain trace amounts of dairy or poultry products, including gelatin, which gives the sweets their pleasing chewiness.

Gelatin is obtained from the connective tissues of animals, so to ensure that what you get at the store is vegan, check the ingredients listed out on the packaging for gelatin and E120 (which is carmine-a colourant obtained from insects).

6. Non-Food Ideas

There are also loads of non-food items that you can easily get in supermarkets and high-street stores. Some great gift ideas include natural kitchen utensils that are made purely from wood and free from plastic.

Other ideas include vegan candles, make-up sets, body washes and toiletries, and handbags or unisex bags that are made from hemp and other organic materials.

7. Honey and Vegan Tea

Is honey vegan? In a nutshell, no. Honey is made by bees for the human population and the bees themselves (they use the honey as food for the winter season).

On the other hand, all tea is vegan as well as coffee except kopi luwak or civet coffee. 100% Organic loose leaf tea is a common vegan gift idea, especially as it comes in a range of delicious flavours.

Socially Responsible Brands

The main focus of a brand shouldn't be to just make money from its customers. All companies have a social responsibility to commit itself to protect the environment by producing plastic-free products that are safe for humans, animals and the ecosystem in the long run.

Of course, this isn't always feasible. But there are loads of options out there when it comes to buying a vegan gift for your friend or loved one, so make their day today, and why not even try some of the vegan products mentioned above yourself?

Going back to the 15th century, the coffee bean is thought to have been first established in Ethiopia, starting first in Yemen, and later moving to Mecca and Cairo.

By the 16th century, it had made its way to the rest of the Middle East, including South India, Persia, Turkey, and Africa. A short while later, and after the benefits of its use was realised, coffee spread to the Balkans, Italy, and finally, to the rest of Europe and America.

Since its inception, coffee has been enjoyed in homes, and in many public coffee houses. These were formally known as qahveh khaneh, which were traditionally located in cities across the Near East.

Since the 15th century, coffee drinkers would frequent coffee houses to enjoy the hot beverage, engage in conversation. But not only that, much like today, these coffee drinkers would also listen to music, watch performers and play games such as chess while enjoying a hot beverage.

Italian Coffee Culture History

With coffee being discovered in Ethiopia, it’s interesting to many that through the years, it has become so popular in Italian culture. Coffee first arrived in Italy during the 16th century through the commercial routes of the Mediterranean Sea, and soon after, coffee shops began opening and coffee became the drink of the intellectuals and of social gatherings.

Venice was one of few first European ports to import coffee beans during the 16th century. During the 19th century, it was said that men in bowler hats met in Turin's coffee shops, planning the country's unification.

Italy emerged as the worldwide leader in coffee all because of Milanese inventor, Luigi Bezzera, who created the espresso in 1901. To this day, Italian coffee prevails with the health benefits of the miraculous drink still being celebrated by many.

First Coffee Machines in Italy

Coffee shops are everywhere nowadays and have well and truly taken the world by storm through the centuries with more appearing on the streets of our hometowns. The majority of these coffee shops are home to state-of-the-art espresso machines with added extras to heat milk and decal the finished product.

But where did it all start? In 1933, Italian engineer, Alfonso Bialetti. Introduced the Moka pot which he called the "Moka Express" – also known as an Italian coffee pot. This stove-top coffee maker was created to brew coffee by passing boiling water pressurised by steam through the ground coffee, producing a hot cup of delicious coffee.

While originating in Italy, the Moka pot is still most commonly used coffee pot across Europe today as well as in Latin America. The design has become iconic, and original versions of the pot can be found in modern industrial art and design museums.

While fancy, all singing, all dancing coffee machines appear to be taking the world by storm, the Moka pot remains a constant in homes across Europe and now owned by Bialetti Industries – the European leader of the Italian coffee machines.

The Creation of the Espresso

For many coffee drinkers, espresso is life (it does provide a boost of energy after all). This may be because the espresso is the purest distillation of the coffee bean and in a way, was also classified as the first instant coffee. Before the invention of the espresso, it could take a whopping five minutes for a cup of coffee to brew!

But what exactly is the espresso and how did it come about? While most earthlings are familiar with espresso due to big names such as Costa and Starbucks, there is often still some confusion over what it is. In a nutshell, the espresso is a method of preparation.

And more specifically, it’s a preparation method in which highly pressurised hot water is pushed through coffee grounds to produce a very concentrated coffee drink with a strong, deep and robust flavour.

The History of the Cappuccino Coffee

Soaring in popularity in America during the 1980s the cappuccino has actually been around a lot longer. In the late 1700s, the British and French had started filtering coffee beans from their coffee, and it was around this time that the term 'cappuccino' originated.

Although the cappuccino was first known as the 'Kapuziner' when it was first introduced in Vienna, the actual cappuccino was invented in Italy. It then began to grow popular in cafes and restaurants across the country, spreading to the rest of Europe and the UK in the 1900s.

But it wasn’t until after the second world war that the cappuccino underwent some improvements and simplifications in Italy. This was down to the better and widely available espresso machines, which introduced the ability to create crema on top of the coffee.

This is when the modern cappuccino was born and took the form of a good espresso shot, a balance of steamed and frothed milk and the presence of crema.

Where to Buy the Best Italian Coffee

Where to buy the best Italian coffee or even coffee beans all depends on where you are in the world. But you can be guaranteed to get a good, strong cup of authentic coffee at an Italian restaurant or coffee shop.

Yes, the big conglomerates such as Starbucks and Costa offer every coffee under the sun including mochas, macchiatos and everything in between, but locally owned and run places tend to have the highest quality coffee beans (including green coffee beans!).

You can get coffee beans from all over the world, but what are the best coffee beans? Well, it depends on what you’re after. Hawaiian and Jamaican beans are rated among some of the most popular for their authentic and rich flavour. If you’re looking to buy coffee on the go, Italian coffee beans tend to be best such as Lavazza or Illy.

But if you want to shop around for the best coffee beans in the UK, do your research online and choose wisely. And while you’re at it, why not stock up on some biscuits as let’s face it, nothing quite beats some tasty Italian biscuits with coffee, does it?

Yes, it can be good fun to get a little tipsy and enjoy a boozy cocktail (or two!), but if you’re trying to cut back on the alcohol or are completely teetotal and want some tasty alternatives to old classics, we’ve put together a list of some delicious hangover-free drinks that everyone can enjoy.

If you’re having a party or even just some friends around, it’s usually good conduct to get in a few beers or bottles of fizz (depending on who's coming over). But a great host should always remember to provide non-alcoholic options as well. From family-friendly punches that everyone can drink to mocktails and virgin cocktails, we’ve got it all.

Booze-Free Punch Bowls

If you are planning on entertaining a large group of people, there’s no easier way to provide drinks for all that by making a big delicious punch bowl. A big bowl of punch ensures everyone has a drink and allows them to help themselves. Punches are the secret to stress-free entertaining, and we’ve never met one we didn’t like.

While you may be hosting an alcohol-free event, it’s only polite to cater for those who do drink as well. Your options are to invite them to bring their own booze (also known as BYOB). Alternatively, you could buy a selection of miniature (think aeroplane sized) bottles of spirits for them to add to a fruit punch or to some mixer.

Punch Bowl Inspiration

Orange Slushy Punch – This concoction is refreshingly sweet with a tart, citrus twist. It’s a big-batch drink that takes a little prep time, but it will need to be frozen overnight to give it the slushy deliciousness it’s known for. While it will need about 12 hours to freeze, it’s well worth the wait!

Pineapple Sherbet Punch - If you thought sherbet was just a delicious sweetie from your childhood, think again. It can be a delightful tropical drink that can keep up to 24 people refreshed and happy. For that fun Caribbean twist, think about serving it with little cocktail umbrellas.

Sparkly Pear Punch - We’re all about small tricks that make a big impression, and using whole slices of pear can do just that. Use a mandolin slicer to cut your pear and mix with fizzy lemonade or sparkling water for a refreshing summer kick.

Alcohol-Free Sangria – Nothing quite says holiday in the sun like a sangria. So, if you don’t drink alcohol and want something similar, this one is totally unique. Instead of using wine, replace it with an alcohol-free wine or apple juice and garnish with pear, orange and even star fruit if you can get your hands on it.

Top Drink Tips

A party isn't really a party without a drink in hand. However, water is just too dull for a party and coke is massively overdone. Instead, there should also be an alcohol-free option for those who would instead not consume it. If you don’t fancy serving up mocktails or punchbowls at your next alcohol-free event, there are many other tasty beverages you can offer.

Alcohol-free beer is getting better in terms of tasty and as a result, more popularly. Available in most bars and supermarkets, alcohol-free beer is a fizzy alternative to something stronger. In addition, alcohol-free wine is also growing in popularity. No matter what alcohol-free drink you choose to serve at your own party or take to someone’s summer BBQ or event, there are a few top tips you must follow…

Prepare Your Drinks Properly

For drinks that feature fruit, it’s essential to factor in time to prepare the beverage on the day of the event. This prevents the fruit from going soggy and also ensures it keeps its vibrant colour and flavour.

If you’re short of time and preparations need to be done in advance, you can prepare the drink but leave the fruit until the day of the event. Alternatively, keeping the fruit in a clear fizzy liquid such as Sprite or lemon-lime soda will help to retain the colour. This will also keep the fruit’s flavour sweet which can be a delicious addition to any drink.

Make Non-Alcoholic an Option

Even if it’s only you that is avoiding alcohol or one gust, it’s important to provide at least one nice non-alcoholic drink that everyone can enjoy if they choose to avoid alcohol. Alternatively, you can provide a drink that’s easy to add alcohol too for those who prefer something a little stronger.

Just because a drink doesn’t have alcohol in it, doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. Non-alcoholic drinks can adorn as many accessories as alcoholic ones. It’s easy to garnish drinks – think about sprigs of mint, zesty pieces of fruit or even little decorative stirrers.

What’s Your Favourite Tipple?

When it comes to making mocktails or coming up with inventive ideas of alcohol-free beverages, it can be really fun to get creative. There’s so much you can do with many alcohol-free options out there nowadays.

Easy Alcohol-Free Drinks for Any Event

Alcohol-Free Mojito

Ingredients required - 1 tablespoon of sugar, a small bunch of mint, three juiced limes and soda water.

How to make - mix the sugar with leaves from the mint using a pestle and mortar. A small bowl and the end of a rolling pin or blunt object will also work. Put a handful of crushed ice into a tall glass and pour the lime juice into the glass with the mint mix. Add a straw and mix and top up with soda water. Enjoy!

Gin Free G&T

Ingredients required - five cardamom pods, half a cucumber, one chamomile tea bag, half bunch of mint leaves, one strip of lemon zest, five cloves, and half a bunch of rosemary, tonic water and ice.

How to make - bruise your cardamom seeds and slice the cucumber into chunks or slices. Mix them into a jug and add a chamomile organic tea bag, mint leaves, lemon zest, cloves and rosemary. Top up with 500ml of cold water. Leave in the fridge to infuse for up to four hours. When serving, strain the infused water and pour 50ml of it into glasses. Top up with tonic water and lots of ice for a refreshing drink.

Over the past 20 or so years, musical festivals have taken the world by storm with niche and unique outdoor events popping up all over the UK and further afield. However, while festivals are great, food festivals can be an even better and more enjoyable experience as they involve a little bit of everything.

We’ve compiled a list of some of the best food festivals of 2019 for you to get your teeth stuck into it. From Wales to Scotland, there’s a delectable food festival out there for everyone, no matter what your tastes are.

Pub in the Park – Throughout the UK

English Michelin-starred chef, Tom Kerridge, is bringing back Pub in the Park which will be returning to various locations around the country in 2019 from months May to September. This lovely, family-friendly festival is kicking off in Higginson Park in Marlow and finishing in Verulamium Park in St Albans.

This year’s music headliners include Razorlight, Jake Bugg, Kaiser Chiefs, Clean Bandit and Will Young. Besides, these musical talents will play alongside a stellar food line-up, insightful chef demonstrations, immersive masterclasses and much more for all the family. Tickets start at from £30 (£20 for children) and are available at pubintheparkuk.com.

The Big Feastival

Located in the stunning Cotswolds, The Big Feastival is taking place on 24-26 August 2019. This ultimate feel-good festival will feature music from artists such as Jess Glynne, Elbow and Rudimental.

When it comes to fine food, you won’t be disappointed – there will be demonstrations from top dogs in the food industry such as Candice Brown, Raymond Blanc OBE, and Daniel Clifford. Plus lots of new artisan food products to try and great to shop for fine food gifts. Check out the website to see a guide to last year’s festival to get a feel for what to expect at uk.thebigfeastival.com. Ludlow Spring Festival

What could be more impressive than a food festival set on the grounds of a beautiful castle? Not much! Set in the grounds of the gorgeous Ludlow Castle, Ludlow’s food festival is very unique.

The 2019 Spring Festival will happen place on 11-12 May, with this year’s focus being on beer, bread, bangers & classic cars. There is something for everyone! Brewers from some of the biggest breweries in the local region will be there with tasters and information, including Hobsons, Corvedale, Brecon Brewery, Wye Valley and Ludlow Brewery.

Not only will those who attend get the chance to sample the beers, but there will also be insights into their back-story and hints and tips of what makes the perfect beer. Likely to be one of the most beautiful places you’ve enjoyed a pint and a banger, you can find out more at foodfestival.co.uk.

Food Rocks

Created by superstar chef, Mark Hix, Food Rocks, located in Lyme Regis will see the best food and drink producers from around Dorset and the surrounding areas come together on 7-8 September in 2019. It's never too early to start looking for some ideas for Christmas - this is a perfect occasion to try some new artisan products to include in your luxury Christmas hampers this year!

The focus stage will showcase a diverse mix of interactive cookery demonstrations, talks and food tastings, as well as a line up featuring Mitch Tonks, Angela Harnett and Steven Lamb. You can find out more about this rockin’ food festival at hixrestaurants.co.uk.

Abergavenny Food Festival

Celebrating its 20th-anniversary last year, Abergavenny Food Festival is back in 2019 on 21-22 September. This staple on the summer food festival calendar is possibly one of the more high-brow festivals in the UK.

This unique and unusual event is known for bringing together chefs and food, but also businesses, journalists, farmers and food producers. This takes place in the beautiful Welsh countryside where attendees enjoy talks, demonstrations and, of course, lots of tasty food. Find out all there is to know - and more - about this great festival at abergavennyfoodfestival.com.

Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival

The unique Snape Maltings in Suffolk is home to the famous Aldeburgh Music festival in addition to the infamous Food and Drink festival which is highly regarded as one of the best foodie festivals in the country.

Next September it’s returning for its 14th year on 28-29 of the month, offering those who attend the opportunity to experience all of Suffolk’s best food and drink under one compact roof.

This festival is excellent and features a large indoor market, a selection of food stalls, exciting masterclasses, mini food events and engaging talks from well-known chefs. Those attending this year’s festival will see a line-up that includes Chetna Makan, Tommi Miers, Dan Doherty, Melissa Hemsley and Maunika Gowardhan.

If you’re in the area, this is one not to be missed, so head to aldeburghfoodanddrink.co.uk to find out more.

Falmouth Oyster Festival

If you love the oyster season and all things fishy, this is the festival for you. Falmouth Oyster Festival takes place on 10-13 October, and attendees will enjoy a jam-packed programme of cookery demonstrations, excellent live music and, of course, freshly shucked oysters – yum!

There will be cookery demonstrations by leading local chefs, fresh oysters, delicious seafood, and beautiful wine and local ale to enjoy. There is something for all the family with children’s shell painting and entertainment tailored to them.

There will also be sea shanties, a bright town parade, excellent live music, an oyster shucking competition, a Falmouth Working Boat race and many marquees brimming with Cornish delights.

It’s guaranteed to be a fun day out for all the family, and you can find out more at falmouthoysterfestival.co.uk.

Taste of London

On 19-23 June 2019, the Taste of London food festival will be in London – it’s the foodie event of the summer! It is without a doubt, the premier London food festival. Held in Regent’s Park, attendees can sample new street food, discover new food and drink, shop at the onsite market and learn from the experts through different food demos.

Cocktail and cookery masterclasses will be running all week. 2019’s the theme is ‘Wild in the City’ which involves exploring concepts of sustainability and championing craftsmanship in the culinary arts. The perfect place shop if you want to buy new unique edible gifts.

There will be notable appearances, the most famous from South African restaurant Wolfgat, crowned Restaurant of the Year at The World Restaurant Awards in 2019. Tickets start at £13 and are available from london.tastefestivals.com.

Body & Soul

If you’re going to be in Dublin between 21 and 23 June, you might want to think about spending the summer solstice at one of the best food festivals in Ireland. Dublin’s hidden gem, Ballinlough Castle, is a three-day event that brings a fantastic culinary line-up from some of the best local innovative and gourmet food and drink producers in Ireland.

Day tickets start at €70, and a weekend ticket comes in at €189.50. These and more information are available from ticketbooth.com.

A truly quintessential English tradition that is a way of life to many individuals all over the country is the infamous afternoon tea. From when times were difficult during the Second World War, British people would unite around a table in the afternoon, joining friends and family in times of need where they would enjoy an afternoon tea.

This joyous togetherness time consisted of platters of individually crafted petit fours (also known as a small bite-sized confectionery or savoury appetisers) placed on silver serving dishes, alongside precision-cut, finger sandwiches with an array of delicious fillings.

In addition, it has always been a tradition for the afternoon tea to consist of the finest clotted cream and jam filled freshly baked, buttery scones. And finally, we must not forget the hot and refreshing beverage that the afternoon delight is named after - traditional English breakfast tea which is poured with care and poise into the daintiest of fine bone-china teacups, served alongside elegant jugs of milk. However, none of this sounds remotely suitable for someone with a vegan diet and possibly only passes as acceptable for a vegetarian...

Tea Times Are A-Changing

With an array of health issues, dietary requirements and choice of lifestyle in terms of diets in this day and age, the traditional afternoon tea of days gone by (and still found in many café’s nowadays) are not for those with a vegan or alternative diet. Almost every option on the menu (the black tea without milk most likely to be the only exception) are certainly not vegan-friendly; there’s dairy in the baked goods, cane sugar in the jam, and sandwiches filled with fish, meat and eggs.

Nowadays, however, if you are vegan or are catering for someone who is, or of course gluten-free or vegetarian, an afternoon is entirely possible, and in fact, can be quite delectable and enjoyable.

You can create a delicious platter of vegan delights that includes dairy-free scones, mousse cakes and tartlets as well as an array of creatively-filled finger sandwiches with a twist. Beetroot and vegan cheese, rainbow salad or even olive and hummus are only some of the options of a delicious vegan sandwich filler. There is no more choice than ever...

A Twist on the Traditional Sweet Stuff

Maybe you’re known in your circle of friends as a cake connoisseur and have been dying to try a vegan afternoon tea to see how the vegan cakes fair up, well you have no reason not to now. Traditional afternoon tea typically consists of a selection of different cakes in different sizes with a whole load of different ingredients.

For a traditional afternoon tea, the essential (but not necessary) cake has undoubtedly got to be the infamous Victoria sponge. When it comes to a vegan afternoon tea, you don’t need to avoid the Victoria sponge.

Instead, you can use pure raspberry jam and vegan butter icing. If you want more of a selection, consider lemon drizzle, orange and almond, fruit cake, and coffee and walnut cakes – delicious! All of the sweets in your afternoon tea can easily be turned vegan with simple tweaks to your recipe.

Savoury Treats

Many prefer sweet to savoury but the savoury treats in an afternoon tea provide the sustenance and round the whole experience off nicely. Vegan ideas for finger sandwiches include coronation chickpea, meat-style slices with vegan mayonnaise, mustard and a selection of pickles, cream cheese with chives and cucumber or even a mushroom or vegetable pâté. Top it all off by removing their crusts, cut them lengthways and serve on a whole wheat loaf.

Sandwiches are only the beginning. Many modern-day afternoon tea platters feature a canape or savoury pastry to mix things up a bit. Even a tasty vegetable crisp can be an excellent addition to add a little bit of crunch to an otherwise soft lunch.

The Vegan Scone – A Showstopper

Making vegan scones is actually very simple. All you have to do is substitute butter with non-dairy vegan butter or even spread (a harder butter can be more effective than using vegetable oil as it gives a short and crumbly texture). Additionally, use soya milk or almond milk instead of buttermilk throughout the recipe and for glazing.

Scones are more than just your standard ‘scones’. They transform the humble afternoon tea by introducing a variety of different fruits, flavours and even vegetables (no, really!).

Think chocolate scones with marmalade or organic sugar-free jams to create a Jaffa Cake-style dessert, or simply add a dash of coconut flour and even delicious dried Caribbean fruit to savoury scones for a tropical twist on the classic recipe. In addition to the scone, it’s common to see vegan doughnuts on the menu when it comes to afternoon tea or even vegan cookies.

The Main Event – Tea, Tea and More Tea!

It’s all in the name…afternoon tea. Whether you like a Darjeeling, Earl Grey or prefer a simple English breakfast tea, there’s so many to choose from. This isn’t a new thing, but what is relatively recent is the option to choose organic tea to enjoy alongside the best vegan milk on the market (we’ll leave that decision up to you).

You can enjoy loose leaf or organic tea, un-dyed tea bags to sip alongside your tasty afternoon treats but it wouldn’t be an afternoon tea without the traditional china tea set including dainty teacup. It wouldn’t be a proper afternoon tea experience without it!

Limitless Options for Everyone’s Dietary Requirements

When it comes to veganism, dairy-free, gluten-free and everything diet in between, there are so many options out there nowadays. There are various dairy milk alternatives to enjoy in your tea and free-from alternatives to almost every type of food from pasta to sweet-treats.

Whether you’re vegan for weight loss, gluten-free for dietary requirements or vegetarian for health reasons, there are delicious recipes and products on the market for everyone. Even if you love to eat everything and anything, you should consider experimenting with some creative recipes – we’re sure you won’t be disappointed!

There’s an abundance of chocolate available on the market; white, dark, milk, praline, nutty, fruity, crispy and all the rest… but have you heard of ruby or red chocolate? If you’re on social media, chances are that you’ve heard of KitKat and their pink version of the famous chocolate made from ruby cocoa beans.

Ruby chocolate, also known as red or pink chocolate, took the UK by storm in 2018 and was the first new colour of chocolate to be introduced since white chocolate was brought out over 80 years ago. This was a fantastic revelation that really did take the UK by storm.

But what exactly is ruby chocolate and where does it come from? Introduced in 2017 and unveiled in Japan, ruby chocolate had been in development by a Belgian-Swiss cocoa company, Barry Callebaut since 2004. Barry Callebaut is famously one of the world's largest cocoa producers and grinders, known for their high-quality chocolate brands and delicious creations.

Ruby chocolate is famously made from what’s known as the ruby cocoa bean. These special and somewhat rare beans are existing botanicals and contain the right attributes to be processed into ruby chocolate with the taste being described as sweet yet sour. Obviously still tasty enough to eat! They are natural and grow like any other type of bean, but simply contain a little more colour than the rest.

What is Ruby Chocolate Made of?

As mentioned above, ruby chocolate is made from a very special type of cocoa bean that is currently only found in Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Brazil. The reason that it makes naturally pink confectionary is because of the powder that’s extracted when the rare bean is processed.

The reason that ruby beans are pretty rare is that regular chocolate that we all know and love is usually made up of different dyes – both chemical and natural – in order to achieve their colouring. While the ruby bean provides its distinctive colour without being modified in any way.

In terms of dietary requirements, the question on many people’s lips is, is ruby chocolate vegan? The ruby cocoa bean is a raw material and is completely natural, so as long as it’s used alongside other natural products, it can be used to create vegan foods.

When it comes to being dairy free, those looking to avoid milk may also be in luck. It is also possible to create confectionary from ruby chocolate that doesn’t contain milk, but this would be down to the individual manufacturer and the process that they use. It’s essentially the same as any other type of chocolate; if used without milk and with a dairy alternative, it’s dairy free.

So, What Exactly Does Ruby Chocolate Taste Like?

Of course, the best way to find the answer to this question would be to try some for yourself, but as many chocolate lovers are finding, this is easier said than done due to the difficulty involved in getting your hands on it. Especially after the rapid sales of the pink KitKat. In a nutshell, ruby chocolate is described as being sweet but sour in flavour.

However, the Switzerland based company that conceived ruby chocolate described the flavour as an entirely new taste experience, not bitter, milky, or sweet, but instead, a tension between berry-fruitiness and luscious smoothness. It may sound delicious to some, while to others, it could be a bit of an acquired taste. But ultimately, it must be tasted to be truly experienced.

And while the rare cocoa bean is behind the unique colouring and flavour, genetic modification has been denied by Barry Callebaut due to speculation within the chocolate industry that it is, in fact, unfermented cocoa beans are used to make ruby chocolate. There has been a lot of research into the ruby cocoa bean and no evidence that Barry Callebaut uses unfermented cocoa beans which means we can enjoy it for the unique taste that it is knowing how special the rare cocoa bean is.

The Lowdown on Nestlé’s Pink KitKat

You may remember it well, or you may have even got to try your own; launched at the beginning of 2018, Nestlé UK was the first company to introduce pink chocolate to the UK market in the form of a pink KitKat made using the elusive ruby bean. Incredibly, the UK was the first market in Europe to offer the new snack, which granted, was an exciting time for many chocolate lovers.

So much so that within hours of the new snack bar being offered in Tesco and Sainsbury’s, they sold out. This led to those looking to make a quick buck turning to eBay to sell the bars. Only cost a couple of pounds max in the shops, pink KitKat’s could be found on eBay for up to £200 in some cases. That’s just how exciting and rare the new chocolate snack was.

Do Ruby Cocoa Beans Reduce Sugar in Chocolate by as Much as 40%?

When it comes to new types of chocolate, continuous innovations can often take years due to the level of the complex structures and challenges involved in maintaining quality, texture, and taste.

However, scientists at Nestlé have amazingly found a way to reduce the amount of sugar that’s used in the chocolate making process by as much as 40% - a huge amount! Lots of snacks, chocolate bars and goodies currently claim to be sugar-free or contain less sugar than their competitors, but this usually means substituting the sugar with something else just as bad for the health of consumers.

While it’s estimated that this type of huge sugar reduction won’t be available in confectionery products until some time later this year, it’s a breakthrough that could change everything in the world of chocolate. Could ruby chocolate be the next superfood to sweep the nation? Quite possibly so, so watch this space, and remember, the next time pink chocolate is released in a UK store, get it before it sells out!

Have you tasted ruby chocolate? Tell us what you think?

Loved by millions worldwide, coffee has been in existence for thousands of years. Originally established as a hot drink back in 800 AD, over the years, we’ve discovered a range of interesting and unusual ways to use coffee – particularly when it comes to the grinds and all the great stuff they can be turned into.

There are so many different types of coffee on the market, and it can be difficult to decide which one is right for you. However, most of the coffee beans that we consume can be split into two main types – Arabica and Robusta.

• Arabica beans account for the majority of the speciality coffee that is currently produced and sold all over the world.
• Robusta beans are much stronger and bitter. These beans are most commonly used for a range of espressos based hot drinks or used to create a much stronger coffee. Often blended with Arabica and it is a much cheaper variety

Spoiled for Choice: Coffee Drinks

Where the most significant difference in coffee lies, is in the different types of coffee drinks. In this modern day and age, coffee has become somewhat of a trend, and now, there are many different brew methods to give coffee some of its most unique flavours. There are, of course, your standard coffee drinks, but there are also lots of weird and wonderful concoctions when it comes to coffee drinks.

• Black coffee
• Filtered or drip coffee
• French press coffee
• Percolated coffee
• Turkish coffee
• Cold brew coffee
• Iced coffee
• Espresso
• Caffe Americano
• Cafe Cubano
• Caffe cream
• Cappuccino
• Latte
• Flat white
• Macchiato
• Cafe au lait
• Egg coffee
• Chai Latte
• Liqueur coffee
• Irish coffee
• Mocha
• And believe it or not, so much more!

When it comes to how much coffee should be used per serving, there is a guideline called the ‘golden ratio’. This is simply one to two tablespoons of ground coffee to be added for every six ounces of water. Of course, this can be adjusted somewhat to suit individual tastes.

Best coffee grinds for each type of coffee

Depending on the type of coffee beans or granules you are using, the end result of the grinds will vary greatly. Let’s take a look at what each kind of coffee should be producing when it comes to grinds.

• French press grinds should be coarse. Almost a little bit like breadcrumbs.
• Pour over coffee should produce fine to medium grinds.
• A drip coffee maker should create medium grinds that are almost like beach sand.
• Espresso machines produce extra fine grinds.

Grinds can be a fantastic resource for a number of things. You can make face masks, body scrubs, garden fertiliser and even cleaning materials from coffee grinds.

Storing Your Coffee Beans

We all want the best from our coffee beans. Therefore, it is vital that they are stored and looked after properly. So that you get the most from your coffee beans and can enjoy the best cup of coffee, start by choosing quality beans, storing them properly to maximise freshness and flavour.    

• Keep beans airtight and cool to keep them fresh. It’s important to know that the greatest enemies of coffee beans are air, heat, light and moisture.
• To preserve the freshness of your all-important coffee beans and to keep that flavour for as long as possible, be sure to store them in an air-tight container at room temperature.
• To keep them fresh and delicious, keep coffee beans in a dark and cool location. Avoid anywhere too hot like next to the cooker or in direct sunlight. A cupboard or dark spot is perfect.
• Because coffees retail packaging is not really ideal for long-term storage. If feasible, invest in storage containers with an airtight seal.

Don’t Overbuy – You Can Always Get More

• Coffee can begin to lose its delicious freshness almost immediately after they are ground. Therefore, buy smaller batches of freshly roasted coffee more frequently and invest in a good coffee grinder. Simply grind the amount you need right before brewing
• Exposure to air is bad for your coffee beans. If you prefer to keep your beans in an accessible or even attractive container (and let's face it, who doesn’t!?), it can be a great idea to split your coffee supply into smaller portions, with the larger, unused portion in a sealed an airtight container.
• If you prefer buying ground coffee, its best to buy in smaller batches more frequently and use as soon as you open the bags. You don’t want them to have too much exposure to air.

What About Freezing Beans?

Freshness is critical when it comes to a delicious quality cup of coffee. Coffee experts and baristas worldwide agree that coffee should be consumed as quickly as possible after being roasted. This is particularly important once the packaging seal has been broken.

While there are varying views on whether coffee should be frozen or refrigerated or not, the important thing to keep in mind is that coffee absorbs moisture and odours from the air. While most home storage containers still let in small amounts of oxygen, if you do choose to refrigerate or freeze your beans, be sure to use a container that is as airtight as can be.

The Wonderful World of Coffee

The next time you ask for your flat white or Americano (or other coffee of choice), you will now have more of an insight into just how much goes into coffee, and how much there is yet to be learned about what we can do with it. It is, in fact, a very versatile drink that can be used in all sorts of wonderful concoctions. Some of these include alcohol, desserts, and cooking.

Coffee can be very interesting indeed, and quite often rather technical, so it may best to just enjoying that next sip of a deliciously warm cup of joe without thinking too much of how it made it to your mug.

Commonly served during the festive period in many parts of the world, Christmas cake is enjoyed by thousands, if not millions of people. This predominantly English tradition started out in the form of plum porridge in the 15th century.

People would traditionally eat the porridge made of plums on Christmas Eve to line their stomachs after a day of fasting. Over time, dried fruit, spices and even raw honey were added to the porridge mixture, which eventually resulted in it turning into Christmas pudding.

By the 16th century, the oatmeal was eventually removed from the recipe, and butter, wheat flour and eggs were added instead. These ingredients actually helped to hold the whole mixture together – the result was a boiled plum cake.

People that had money and therefore owned ovens, started making fruitcakes that included marzipan for Easter. At Christmas time, these families also made a similar cake, instead, using seasonal dried fruit and spices.

The variation of spices represented the exotic eastern spices that were believed to have been brought by the Wise Men. This is then what resulted in the Christmas cake that’s still enjoyed today. 

Today we all have ovens and can afford to buy our cakes. But most families take the occasion to indulge in a selection of the most delectable speciality gourmet gifts and fine foods from around the world. We love to treat ourselves for the holidays!

Christmas Cake vs Christmas Pudding: What’s the Difference?

Christmas cake is a rich fruit cake, baked in the oven and made with butter like many fruit cakes, covered with marzipan and icing. This type of cake is made up of brandy, flour, sugar, dried fruits, sultanas, raisins, currants, and mixed peel.
There is also Christmas pudding, but this is very different from the traditional fruity Christmas cake that we’ve grown to love.

Christmas pudding is a steamed pudding, cooked in a bowl above simmering water and doesn’t have a crumb to it. It’s usually served it with custard, white sauce or cream and brandy butter – yum!

Both the Christmas cake and Christmas pudding are delicious. However, you can only set one of them on fire and still want to eat it afterwards, and that’s the Christmas pudding.

All you need do is place the steamed pudding on a serving plate with a good-sized rim all around the edges to catch any excess alcohol. Get your alcohol hot by pouring 2-3 tablespoons of brandy, rum or whisky into a long-handled metal ladle or spoon and heat it over a flame. Then, light the spirit and immediately pour it over the pudding for a fiery, showstopping look.

Not All Christmas Cakes are the Same

While Christmas cake can be made in many ways, generally it’s a variation of the classic fruitcake which can be light, dark, moist, dry, heavy, spongy, leavened or even unleavened. The way that people choose to finish their Christmas cake also varies.

They can be:

• Different shapes
• Finished with frosting
• Glazed
• Coated with a dusting of sugar
• Or simply plain

Whisky Dundee Cake

In Scotland, the Christmas cake is known as the Whisky Dundee cake. This is very popular, particularly at Christmas. This type of fruitcake is lightly crumbled with currants, raisins, cherries, and of course, Scotch whisky.

In many parts of the UK and even the world, other types of Christmas cakes include an apple creme cake which is made with apples, other fruit, raisins, eggs, cream cheese and whipping cream.

The mincemeat Christmas cake is made with traditional mincemeat (vegetarian meat can be used), flour, eggs, and any other additions desired by the person making it. These types of cakes can also be steamed to be more like a Christmas pudding.

Preparing Christmas Cake

Everyone will make their own Christmas or fruit cake differently. But one thing that is the same no matter where you live or what type of Christmas cake you like – they are made in advance.

Because of their dense consistency and long shelf life, many people make their cakes at least a month before in November, keeping the cake upside down in an airtight container until it makes its big debut in December.

But what keeps the cake moist? Well, pouring a small amount of alcohol (this can be brandy, sherry or whisky) into holes in the cake every week until Christmas keeps the cake moist. This process is referred to as feeding the cake.

Japanese Christmas Cake

In Japanese culture, Christmas cake comes in the form of a frosted sponge cake with strawberries, luxury chocolates and festive seasonal fruit – an entirely different twist on the traditional western Christmas cake.

Another Asian country that likes to do the Christmas cake a little differently is the Philippines. They enjoy a yellow pound cake that features nuts. This delicious cake is soaked in brandy or rum, a palm sugar syrup and water to give it its intense sweet flavour.

Rosewater or orange flower scented water is usually added for an oriental twist. Much like traditional Christmas cakes seen predominantly in the UK, these cakes have a long shelf life and can last many months.

Festive Baking

The process of Christmas cake baking can be therapeutic for many. Making a good old traditional Christmas cake or even a simple fruit cake allows you to put your own personal touches on it.

There are so many additions to make each cake unique such as brandy and nuts, sugars and spices, and even different flavoured glazing.
The decorating of a Christmas cake can be a delightful affair and really bring the festive spirit to life.

However, when it comes to Christmas cake, there’s no one size fits all when it comes to the best fruitcake recipe. Everyone likes to do theirs a little differently, and that’s what makes each delicious cake unique.

Get into the Spirit of Christmas

Now is the time to get into the Christmas spirit and start to think about what you’ll need to get started:

• Your chosen recipe
• The right sized baking tin
• Alcohol of your choice (usually brandy, whisky or sherry)
• Any special tools for decorations

What to do if you don't have the time or patience to make a homemade Christmas cake, or just can’t decide on the best Christmas cake recipe? There’s no shame in buying a high-quality cake from the supermarket! There’s so much out there that there’s something for everyone so you will find the right one for you.

Happy baking…or buying!

Christmas traditions vary wherever you go, and nowhere is this more visible than in the dishes each nation chooses to eat at this very special time of year. In this blog, we'll explore the history behind some of these delectable foodie treats. Perhaps you'll even discover something new to spice up your own seasonal dinner table?

Japan: Christmas Fried Chicken

Celebrating the festive season with a meal at KFC might not sound like the most obvious choice, but in Japan, it's all the rage. This Yuletide tradition is so widespread that it's the food of choice for millions throughout the country every year – so much so that KFC outlets are a hectic place to have come December, and ordering from the official Christmas menu can involve booking weeks or even months ahead.

Curiously, dining at KFC is a relatively new development in Japan. The first venue in the country opened in 1970, and it's said that the festive tradition started with the forward-thinking manager of that first restaurant, Takeshi Okawara. Takeshi had a bright idea – selling a special Christmas-themed meal to attract customers. With a growing influx of Western expatriates and a gap in the Christmas market, the meal was soon marketed throughout Japan to both locals and newcomers alike, becoming wildly popular by 1974.

Christmas itself has no particular tradition in the country, so in many ways, KFC has helped fill the void by providing clear guidelines as to what and where to eat during this time of year.  Takeshi was rewarded for his pioneering efforts; working his way up through the ranks of the KFC brand for the next two decades.

Lithuania: Kucious

Lithuania is known for it's rich Christmas traditions, which involve full preparation and care. A Christmas Eve traditional festive table in Lithuania is known as Kucios, with dinners generally including food which contains no meat, eggs or dairy – and relies heavily on local produce.

There are many superstitions surrounding Christmas, with a desire to shed baggage (both emotional and physical) with a spring-clean to ready the home for visitors. Most of the food on offer will have been dried, preserved or stored away in safety thanks to the chilly weather in Lithuania providing little opportunity for the fresher fare!

The meal starts with a wafer which is very similar to a Holy Communion wafer. This will then be followed by twelve dishes including beetroot soup, herring, sauerkraut, a special Christmas bread and a variety of puddings made from oatmeal and cranberries.

Biscuits, nuts, apples and dried fruit are also traditional – as is abstaining from any form of alcohol during the meal. This old tradition is a world away from the more modern styling of the traditional Lithuanian Christmas Day dinner.

Israel: Latkes

This Israeli delicacy is a favourite over the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Crisp, tasty potato cakes which are fried and served with spices and dips, latkes are quick and easy to make, and famous not only throughout Israel but within Jewish households around the world.

Latkes accompany other fried food during Hanukkah commemorations and include ingredients such as shredded potato, salt, onion and eggs. Some recipes call for additional flour or breadcrumbs to help bind the mixture together, and herbs are regularly added for extra flavour.

Potatoes were an easily sourced ingredient for Jewish cooks in Eastern Europe, leading to the tradition becoming enshrined in Hanukkah. However, they can also be made using other ingredients like vegetables or sweet potatoes for a new take on an old classic.

The density of the potatoes used in this recipe differs wildly, with finer shredded potato producing a hash-brown style consistency and allowing the latke to absorb more of the oil during cooking for a crispier taste.

Germany: Christmas Goose

No traditional German Christmas is complete without plentiful, tasty food, including an array of sweet dishes and the ever-present roast goose for Christmas Day. For centuries, German families have gathered to enjoy some of the world's most delicious seasonal fare.

Spiced biscuits constitute a significant fixture and a tradition which has also made its way around the globe – but Christmas goose is the real tradition which most readily appeals across German society. Duck is another popular variation, but Germans are estimated to eat some 23 tonnes of goose over the festive season. Despite this immense popularity in Germany, there are many reasons why roast goose became the cuisine of choice in other European countries, too.

Some speculate that eating goose for Christmas originated in medieval England, and then spread further afield. Whatever the origins, goose makes for a fabulous addition to a festive dinner table – a moist yet crispy bird which can be easily seasoned with herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables to create an individualistic spin on tradition.

Italy: Panettone

Italy is a nation known for a love of food, and the country's passion for Panettone is one key reason why. A form of sweetened bread loaf, the dish is prepared for enjoying during Christmas and New Year celebrations, and the trend has spread out far further than it's original origins, with people in countries such as France, Spain and throughout the continent of Africa also tucking into this delicious dish.

The most common preparation of Panettone is a lengthy one, with proofing taking several days to provide a distinctive texture.

Fruit is then added, including orange, lemon zest and raisins, with added varieties sometimes using chocolate for an added kick. Panettone is sliced for serving, and Italians like to combine this dessert with wine and hot drinks for warming, tasty seasonal treat.

Costa Rica: Tamales

The way tamales are created and presented differs wildly depending on personal taste. Formed with a corn-based, starchy dough and wrapped in a banana leaf or a corn husk, these tasty treats are filled with an array of delicious meats, cheese, chillies or even fruit and vegetables, making them flexible as well as traditional.

While some people choose to remove the banana leaf exterior from the tamale before serving, others keep it as a handy cover to the dish. Tamales have been prepared for centuries and were considered a convenient portable foodstuff by the ancient Aztec and Mayan civilisations.

Where once they were used as a way of stocking up on calories while hunting or travelling, today they are a staple of seasonal cooking in Costa Rica. Sweet tamales are particularly famous here, though they can also be found throughout South America, Mexico and the US.

Some households choose to make their own, while others take advantage of this popularity and consider them a yummy, ready-made way to celebrate the festive season.

England: Christmas Pudding

Christmas pudding is a mainstay on festive dinner tables throughout Britain, though England has a particular fondness for this sweet treat. This dessert has a very long history, dating all the way back to the medieval era when it's early variations were known as plum pudding – despite the recipe being entirely plum free, and thought to instead refer to an old description of raisins – one of the key ingredients in a memorable Christmas pudding.

This pudding is so famous that there are many heritage recipes passed down through the generations, yet all tend to contain the same essential ingredients. Suet is mixed with dark sugar and treacle to give a vibrant colour and texture, alongside citrus fruit, brandy and other alcoholic beverages like port and stout.

There is a lengthy preparation time for Christmas pudding, with most prepared at least a month in advance. Most Christmas puddings are served with brandy butter, cream, ice cream of custard – and they are eaten most frequently on Christmas Day as the perfect end to a seasonal feast. It's not just Christmas pudding which appeals to English diners, however.

No seasonal festivities are complete without adding mince pies to the mix – and throughout December these begin cropping up on supermarket shelves everywhere!

For those of you with less of a sweet tooth, a cheeseboard will sometimes make a great substitute as a Christmas snack - with Stilton a firm British tradition and very popular as a tasty way to end a meal.

Australia/South Africa: Christmas BBQ

Many of us automatically associate Christmas with the winter, but for Australia and South Africa, Christmas-time is a slightly different affair. Christmas arrives in the heat of the summer, and these warm countries make the most of the season by heading outdoors for the time-honoured tradition of a festive barbecue.

This is one of the aspects of living in the Southern Hemisphere – though both countries also continue to indulge in other Christmas traditions which will be more familiar, regardless of where you live. Christmas Trees are still very common in both countries, as is Santa Claus.

Christmas Crackers are a key feature, and other than a delicious barbecue, families tend to head out into the summer sun and go swimming or exploring, before enjoying Christmas carols and spending time with loved ones.

France: Buche de Noel

The Buche de Noel is essentially the French version of the ever-popular Yule log. Made from delicious sponge cake and covered in decorations, Yule logs make a stunning centrepiece to French Christmas dinner tables, known for creating quite a stir.

Traditionally, the French variety of a Yule log is decorated with sugar to help replicate the look of snow – and some chefs decide to add an extra flourish with wintry scenes for a more original look.

This can be achieved with sugar-crafted creations adorning the Buche de Noel. When prepared well, the Buche De Noel is a highly photogenic dish, and sure to impress if added to your festive creations.

Poland: Seasonal Fish Dishes

In Poland, the main meal of the festive season takes place on Christmas Eve. With many Catholic, Jewish and Christian families in the country, this dinner, sometimes known as Wigilia, begins with Christmas wafers which are shared amongst all the family, broken and exchanged while wishing one another health and prosperity in the coming year.

In Polish tradition, there are twelve dishes on offer – signifying the twelve Apostles and the twelve months in the calendar year. The dinner begins most frequently with beetroot soup, prepared in advance and fermented for added flavour.

Dried mushrooms are also sometimes used in Polish Christmas soups, alongside noodles. Fish soup is another popular choice, with carp an in-demand fish in Poland for over 700 years. However, this love of carp was first solidified in Polish festive culinary traditions in the late 1940s.

Carp is prepared not only in soup but also alongside sauerkraut, vegetable salads and potatoes. Poland has many exciting recipes which place carp front and centre, putting it in sauces or alongside cream, as well as stuffing the fish with herbs. Herring is another of Poland's favourite dishes, famous throughout the year but particularly dominant at Christmas.

Herring fillets are frequently served in oil, or alongside dishes such as chopped onion and cream. The traditional Christmas Eve dinner will often end with a delicious poppy seed cake, served with fruit and honey for added sweetness.

We all love a culinary treat, and deliciously thick Spanish hot chocolate could be just the ticket for getting you through these cold winter evenings. Add some yummy traditional churros, and you'll be well on track towards a tasty and comforting snack. In this blog, we'll be exploring everything you've ever wanted to know about Spanish hot chocolate and churros...as well as showing you how to whip a batch up for yourself.

What is Spanish Hot Chocolate?

Spanish hot chocolate is distinguished from the type many of us favour in Britain by both it's taste, and it's consistency. While most Brits consider hot chocolate to be an occasional treat, hot chocolate is not out of place on a Spanish breakfast table, with the consistency so thick that it's possible to stand a churro upright in the mixture, yet still thin enough to enjoy as a drink.

The richness of Spanish-style chocolate often comes as a surprise to Brits, as it's a million miles from our love of somewhat thinner chocolate drinks. This alternate take on hot chocolate has a density which could come as a particular surprise – albeit a welcome one – to those of us who have become accustomed to the distinctly less-chocolatey taste of many varieties of hot chocolate...

History of Spanish Hot Chocolate

Chocolate and chocolate-based food have been popular in Spain ever since the Spanish first 'discovered' cocoa around 500 years ago in the New World. Chocolate rapidly developed a following amongst the movers and shakers of Spanish Royalty and the Spanish court, making it fashionable, and leading to comparisons between the Spanish love of chocolate and the English love of tea.

It's impossible to really discuss culinary traditions in Spain without paying tribute to the role of chocolate – cocoa became a major import and export for Spain following the conquest of Mexico, with regular trade routes established from the 17th century onwards.

Cocoa was originally sweetened with sugar cane, though later experiments fused a combination of sweet, spicy and bitter flavours. Interestingly, the wild popularity of chocolate meant that coffee was never quite able to gain the same foothold here as it did in other European countries like Italy, France and the United Kingdom – chocolate remains the supreme drink of choice.

How to Make Spanish Hot Chocolate

To make this Spanish hot chocolate recipe and whip up your own batch of delicious creamy Spanish-style hot chocolate, you will need:

• 2 heaped teaspoons cornflour
• 5 generous teaspoons high-quality cocoa
• 500ml milk
• 120g dark chocolate, grated
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Method:

1. Mix the cornflour with a little fresh milk to form a light paste, heating the remainder of the milk until hot – avoid boiling. Remove the milk from the heat.
2. Whisk the cornflour paste, the grated chocolate and the cocoa together, stirring until the chocolate has melted.
3. Return the mixture to low heat, allowing it to thicken. Add sugar (optional) to taste.
4. Decant into mugs and serve – with churros if you're going for a more authentic feel.

What are Churros?

These sweet snacks are ever-popular in Spain, and it's not hard to see why! A tasty street food classic made of fried dough and with the appealing taste of sugar and cinnamon, they add a little-added spice to the sweetness of the chocolate.

Churros are a very traditional dish, eaten widely not only in Spain but in the Philippines, France and the United States as a result of Spanish-speaking immigration creating a boom in demand.

How to Make Churros

Rustling up your own churros to go with your own hot chocolate is more straightforward than you might think. All you need is:

• 250ml water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 litres oil (for frying mix) - olive or sunflower
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons caster sugar
• 125g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
• Additional caster sugar to taste

Method:

1. Mix the water, sugar, salt and vegetable oil together in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then remove from the stove.
2. Stir flour until you have formed a ball.
3. Heat oil in a deep fat fryer or frying pan, set to 190c. Use a pastry bag to pipe strips of dough into the hot oil.
4. Fry until golden brown, and drain using kitchen paper.
5. Combine the sugar and cinnamon, rolling warm churros in the mixture and setting aside.
6. Plate up the churros and your hot chocolate for a truly yummy combination.

Where can I buy Spanish hot chocolate?

To make your own Spanish chocolate, you need to ensure you have some high-quality cocoa and follow the recipe provided above. However, you can mimic the taste of Spanish hot chocolate by buying a high-end drinking chocolate mix such as the 1657 Artisinal Drinking Chocolate, which creates a deliciously pure flavour by combining a blend of single origin chocolate from the Columbian Republic with pure Valrhona cocoa powder.

While inspired by the historic chocolate houses of the 17th century rather than Spanish chocolate-drinking tradition, you will nonetheless achieve a similar richness without needing to start from scratch.

Can I make Spanish hot chocolate vegan?

To make your hot chocolate vegan, remove the milk from the recipe. This will create a slightly more bitter taste and alter the consistency a little – but you can always substitute the milk for a vegan alternative such as oat milk, soya milk or almond milk.

How about sugar-free Churros?

You can remove the sugar from the recipe and replace with sweetener or abstain from sweetening ingredients altogether. Removing the dark chocolate and simply using strong cocoa is another excellent way to make this tasty recipe sugar-free

2.

3.

4.

5.

Green coffee beans have become one of the latest foodie fads, promising an array of great health benefits. Yet there's also a lot of misinformation surrounding this mysterious new way of drinking coffee. In this blog, we'll take a closer look at what green coffee beans are – and why you should be adding them to your own healthy diet...

What is 'green coffee'

Green coffee beans are simply coffee beans which have not yet gone through the roasting process. Roasting coffee beans reduces the naturally occurring chlorogenic acid, leaving green coffee with more of this acid when compared to conventional coffee varieties.

There are many reasons why green coffee is so desirable amongst fans of healthy living, including its purported benefits for aiding weight loss and burning fat. Not only does caffeine boost metabolism, but it's thought that the chlorogenic acid in green coffee acts as an appetite depressant.

Green coffee has also been cited as a handy tool for helping to treat health conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes and even Alzheimer's disease.

Where to buy green coffee beans online

Buying pure green coffee might seem a little tricky, but thankfully there are a few great places to buy green coffee beans online as well as at gourmet food stores. We recommend checking the origin and quantities carefully to ensure you get the best deal – and you'll soon be on your way to delicious fresh coffee.

The Coffee Bean Shop sells a wide range of green coffee beans – or if you'd rather get straight to brewing, Chateau Rouge has a delicious selection of gourmet coffees from around the world to choose from.

How to roast coffee at home

Roasting your own coffee requires that you get your hands on some tasty green coffee beans. The finished cup promises to be every bit as delicious as the beans you begin with, so aim for a quality brew right from the very start for the best results. For a yield of a pound of roasted coffee, you'll need to start with around two pounds of unroasted green beans - it looses about 50% of its weight during roasting.

What you don't need to invest in, however, is high-end industrial equipment. All you need is a simple popcorn maker which will allow you to let the beans to reach the necessary temperature. There are also a variety of at-home coffee roasters on the market, perfect for cooking up small batches as and when they're needed.

Ways to roast coffee beans

To get roasting, place your raw beans in your heating kit, and watch as they begin to change colour. You'll observe the beans go from green to yellow, to light brown – by which point you should also begin hearing a cracking noise a little like the sound of popcorn popping.

This initial crack indicates the chaff is separating from the raw bean; these can be removed from the top of your mixture. Once the beans have stopped roasting, it's time to stop.

The point at which you finish the roasting process depends on your flavour preference. If you light a lighter coffee, stop early. If you prefer a darker cup, leave it a while – but be careful not to let the coffee darken too much, as not only will it lose all taste, but you could risk fire in your mixing machine.

To cool the beans, you'll need to place them on a sheet of baking paper for a few hours. Be careful not to burn yourself – and once they're ready, store them in an airtight container before you're ready to brew.

How to drink green coffee

A great way to glean the benefits of green coffee beans is to boil the beans after giving them a quick rinse. Add three cups of water for every cup of beans (3:1), and bring to the boil. Simmer on medium heat for around fifteen minutes.

Turn off the heat and strain the extract, which should now be ready to drink. Consider storing the beans ready for steeping once more by refrigerating them, but be sure to discard within a week. There are also some green coffee powders available on the market.

Is green coffee good for weight loss

The health benefits of coffee have been championed and debated for many years, yet caffeine (a major component of coffee, and what draws many to indulge in a cup or two per day) is known for boosting the metabolism.

Where green coffee beans are different is that they still contain the full power of chlorogenic acid, which many believe has some antioxidant effects as well as helping to suppress appetite. A recent study showed that green coffee extract helped to improve weight-loss, though more research is required to prove the full benefits.

As with any health plan, you're unlikely to see results without also changing other habits – meaning that while green coffee may assist with achieving your weight loss goals, it's by no means the quick fix which some may believe. It is, however, a natural way to help support existing dietary and behavioural changes.

Green coffee side effects

The potential side effects of green coffee are no different to those of drinking 'regular' coffee since the main irritant to those with sensitivity to coffee products is the same – caffeine. These raw coffee beans are no more or less of an irritant, though side effects of caffeine include:

• Insomnia 
• Headaches
• Anxiety
• Irregular heartbeat
• Nausea

Thankfully, however, these are rare symptoms when coffee is consumed in manageable doses. It's certainly best not to go on a marathon of coffee drinking, or you could find yourself feeling very ill indeed.

Best time to drink green coffee

There's no need to go into coffee overload to get the benefits that green coffee brings. Just a couple of cups a day is perfect for helping to suppress your appetite and unleash all that antioxidant power!

Green coffee makes for a great breakfast drink but is not recommended for consumption at mealtimes if you want to get the best results. To really boost weight-loss efforts, it's also recommended you stay clear of sweeteners like sugar and honey as well as an artificial sweetener. The standard recommended consumption for green coffee is 2-3 times a day.

The great British love of tea means there are lots of ways to gift this in-demand beverage, this year and every year. Whether you want to indulge a loved one with a lavish afternoon tea, gift a deserving teacher with some of our award-winning blends, or are simply looking for the most luxurious tea gifts at an affordable price point, we’ve got you covered.

Gifting an Afternoon Tea

Of all the gifts for tea lovers, there’s no better way to show you care than giving them the wonderful experience of an authentic afternoon tea. This popular tradition has undergone a boom in recent years, with new varieties on an old classic providing added customisation.

Choosing the perfect afternoon tea

Getting an afternoon tea right is much more about knowing what appeals to the person the gift is for than it is about knowing lots about tea types and different venues. Maybe your recipient will be impressed by a traditional high-end experience at Fortnum and Mason’s Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, tucking into signature tea blends and a range of delicious sweet treats in lavish surroundings.

Perhaps their perfect afternoon tea is one which also allows them to take in the sights, like the River Thames Afternoon Tea Cruise. If you want to treat them to an unusual tea gift, you might prefer the Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea, giving Alice in Wonderland fans an experience they’ll never forget. You could even opt to buy your own afternoon tea hamper gift and create the afternoon tea experience at home with a tea party.

Where should I go for a great afternoon tea?

Consider how far you’re willing to travel for the experience. Perhaps your afternoon tea gift can be combined with a day trip somewhere fantastic – popular destinations include Central London and the great British countryside, where areas such as the home counties offer plentiful options for tea enthusiasts.

Country houses are also fantastic places to search – many have tea rooms serving exclusive brews and delicious sandwiches and cake, and you can explore the opulent surroundings once you’ve finished your tea!

The historic Chatsworth House, stunning former royal residence Osborne House and remarkable Blenheim Palace all offer their own spin on afternoon tea tradition.

When is the best time to go for afternoon tea?

Afternoon tea is traditionally taken between 3:30pm and 4:30pm, but since it’s re-emergence of popularity, many venues will serve tea throughout the afternoon. Most venues will also continue to serve afternoon tea throughout the year, but do check if booking somewhere which is mostly reliant on outside seating – during the colder months, they may decide to close.

Tea Gifts for Teachers

Teaching can be pretty stressful, so a cup of relaxing yet invigorating tea is often welcome! That’s what makes tea gifts such a great way to show you appreciate all their hard work. There are plenty of ways to incorporate tea into your present, and decorative tins are always a popular way to make a big impact.

We would recommend sticking to classic tea varieties like a great English Breakfast Blend. Not only is this variety the one which it took us two years to perfect, but we also won a Great Taste Award in the process. With an organic Assam tea base, large leaf Ceylon and delicate Rwandan tea, this is a tasty way to say thanks to a fab teacher, all year round.

Loose Leaf Tea Sets

There’s something innately luxurious about loose leaf tea. It requires a little more effort than just popping a tea bag in a mug, but for true tea lovers, that’s part of the joy! We stock a wide range of superb loose leaf teas from around the world, blended to create a flavourful cup each and every time you brew. Why not mix and match a few different flavours to create a tea gift set?

How to Make Your Own Tea Gift

Sometimes there’s nothing quite as thoughtful as a homemade gift, and tea can be a fabulous addition. At Chateau Rouge, we’re particularly enthusiastic about the trend for creating your own hamper filled with delicious treats.

Online retailers such as Amazon make a great starting point for finding the right hamper for your needs – and online food and drink boutiques will allow you to maximise on luxury.

You could stick to tea, or maybe add some edibles to accompany – the choice is yours. This gift is fully scalable so you can buy a lot or a little, and still be providing a thoughtful and tailor-made gift.

Best Tea Gifts For Him  

For the men in your life, we recommend opting for a combined gift which is both practical and flavoursome. Finding an attractive mug and teaming it with our breakfast tea is a great way to show you care – and this award-winning tea comes in its own stylish tin which will look great on anyone’s kitchen countertop.

Best Tea Gifts For Her

Whether buying for a wife or girlfriend, relative or friend – we recommend researching the tastiest herbal teas and green teas, combining a delicious flavour with a high-end feel.

Our top recommendation is the Midsummer Dream loose leaf fruit tea, made with a blend of fragrant hibiscus blossom, rose hip and fresh, dried summer fruits – perfect for recreating summer in a cup, even during the wintry weather.

Luxury Tea Gifts Under £20

For a true tea-lovers paradise, we recommend a trip to London – sure to help you maximise on quality without breaking the bank. From delicate jasmine to punch peppermint, Chateau Rouge stocks a wide range of luxurious organic tea gifts, available below the £20 price point.

Where would we be without Halloween? This yearly celebration of all things ghostly and gruesome has deep historical roots and gives us a chance to let out our inner ghoul and enjoy the drama of it all.

For many, it also offers ample opportunity to enjoy some deliciously indulgent Halloween sweets. In this blog, we’ll be exploring how and why we eat them at this time of year and show you how to rustle up some Halloween treats of your very own…

A Brief History of Trick or Treating

There are few things which say Halloween quite so clearly as the tradition of Trick or Treating. Every year, enthusiastic children (and quite a few adults, too) dress up in costumes and go from house-to-house, asking for a treat with the phrase, ‘Trick or Treat’.

While the threat of a trick is usually benign and rarely acted on, the treats are very real –, and many homeowners leave Halloween decorations out to indicate they’re open to being visited by trick or treaters.

The USA is considered to be the originator of modern Trick or Treating. The tradition first became popular during the late 1920s. However, throughout the UK and Ireland, the tradition of wearing costumes and going door-to-door collecting tasty food goes back to the 16^thcentury and is thought to have crossed over to the United States as a result, growing in popularity with waves of UK and Irish immigration and morphing into its current form.

Early ‘trick or treaters’ in the Middle Ages would perform short dramatic scenes in exchange for their food – much like the tradition of carol singing, albeit with a Halloween twist. The first time the term trick or treat was used in print seems to have been 1927 and continues right up to the present day.

Stocking up on Halloween sweets?

We know how it is. Trick or Treaters are circling, and you need to stockpile delicious Halloween fare before crowds of hungry children descend on your door. Thankfully, there are plenty of places you can buy Halloween sweets in bulk.

For cheap themed treats, be sure to check your local supermarket, where you’re likely to find the likes of Haribo Halloween treats at discount prices. If you’re committed to getting a great deal, then you could also try a wholesaler and grab some Halloween sweets wholesale – with a bulk order discount to boot.

Buying sweets online present even more opportunities, particularly if you plan your Halloween sweets far in advance.

Top Cupcake Ideas for Halloween

Halloween is a fantastic time to enjoy some seasonal baking, with rich flavours and sweet treats everywhere you look. While some Halloween baking can get quite elaborate, whipping up some Halloween cupcakes a simple way to present friends, family, co-workers or trick or treaters with something a little extra special this year – here’s our pick of the best cupcake ideas for a delicious Halloween!

Have a Healthy Halloween…

If you’re planning on sticking to a healthy eating plan over Halloween, don’t despair – there’s no need to miss out on all the fun. With more and more people going vegan or sugar-free, new recipes are springing up all the time.

Halloween staple pumpkin is rather healthy, packed with beta-carotene and other essential nutrients to help prevent damage from free radicals. After carving, the pulp from your pumpkin can be used to make delicious autumnal treats like pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, and spicy pumpkin bread.

In addition, yummy treats can be created using other healthy ingredients, like the following recipe for tasty stuffed Halloween peppers:

How To Serve Your Halloween Treats

This delicious, ghoulish celebration is partly about showmanship – so let your imagination run wild! Whether choosing a simple decorative bowl or opting for something a little more elaborate, we’re happy to offer you some spooky inspiration.

Consider Halloween props as valuable tools to help set the scene; witches hats can store plenty of Halloween sweets, and wicker baskets can be decorated to look more ghoulish and impress trick or treaters. 

While most of us use it as a breakfast condiment, raw honey is known for its excellent benefits and qualities across the globe; it can alleviate allergies, boost memory, and even treat wounds and burns. But did you know that honey can work wonders on the health of your hair? Well, it can!

A honey hair mask for hair growth can deeply nourish your hair, promoting an overall healthy glow. There are many ways in which you can add honey into your hair care regime, and it may just be easier than you think!

Can Honey Make Your Hair Grow?

In a nutshell, merely putting honey on your hair doesn’t miraculously make your hair grow. However, if you use honey as part of your hair care routine, then the benefits of the essential vitamins and minerals can promote healthy hair growth.

Because honey is an emollient (a moisturising substance), this means that it seals the moisture in your hair, ensuring it’s conditioned, reduces breakage and can even speed up growth. There are some other incredible benefits of honey for hair loss listed below.

• Because of the rich antioxidant properties of honey, your hair will endure less damage, keeping your scalp and hair healthy.
• Honey strengthens the hair follicles meaning that less hair will fall out.
• Honey is made up of a range of naturally antibacterial and antiseptic qualities which prevent scalp infections and soothes common problems like dandruff, eczema, and psoriasis.
• Honey works to get to the roots of the scalp, getting rid of impurities and dirt which reduces clogging and promotes growth.

How to Make an Egg and Honey Hair Mask for Hair Growth

There are so many weird and incredible hair growth products on the market nowadays that it can be challenging to choose the right products for your hair. However, there are some really great at home masks you can create in the comfort of your own bathroom or kitchen that will work wonders for your hair and save you money at the same time. A great deep conditioning mask that can put life back into all hair types is the egg and honey hair mask for hair growth – and it couldn’t be easier to make!

All you need are three simple ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of raw or unpasteurized honey
• 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil

Then, all you need to do is:

• Mix the eggs with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add in the honey, mixing together until it becomes creamy
• Put the mixture on your hands and smooth it through our hair from the roots to the ends of your hair until completely covered
• To allow it to soak in, cover your hair with a plastic wrap or shower cap and leave for 1 hour
• Rinse your hair with water and shampoo and use conditioner if necessary

Note that your hair will only be sticky until all the mixture is rinsed out. If you apply this homemade mask at least once a week, you will have smooth and healthy hair in no time.

Can Olive Oil Grow Hair Faster?

The speed of hair growth is determined by how healthy your scalp is. If your pores are clogged, and your scalp is generally not well looked after, it may seem as though your hair doesn’t grow at all. There are so many expensive products on the market that claim to support hair growth and rejuvenate your scalp. However, if you want to save money and improve the health of your scalp for quick hair growth rates, olive oil can work wonders.

Olive oil is an excellent source of antioxidants that are great for scalp and skin health. By simply massaging olive oil into your scalp will improve your blood flow. This means that hair follicles are stimulated and are likely to grow thicker strands of hair more quickly. You can use any type of olive oil for your scalp, but it’s often best to choose one that’s organic or 100% olive oil with no extras or additives.

Honey and Olive Oil Hair Mask

You honestly don’t need to splash out on expensive hair products that end up drying out your hair. Instead, you can make your own nourishing and moisturising hair mask at home with a few simple everyday ingredients that you may already have in the cupboard, or you can pick up quickly enough.

One of the best honey treatments for dry and damaged hair is so easy to make. All you need are three simple ingredients:

• Half cup natural honey (you can use raw honey, unpasteurised honey or manuka honey)
• 1/4th cup olive oil
• 1/4th cup buttermilk (this is optional but is a nice addition for extra moisture)

Then, all you need to do is:

• Mix the honey and olive oil and microwave for 30 seconds to allow it to blend together
• Once cooled, add the buttermilk and stir thoroughly
• Apply the mixture to your hair
• Leave the homemade hair mask on for around 30 minutes
• To prevent dripping, wear a shower cap or use clingfilm
• Rinse out the mask and shampoo and condition as normal

This process should take around 30 minutes only, and if carried out 2 to 4 times a month, you’ll begin to notice a significant improvement. Your hair growth rate should increase, and your scalp will be clean and dirt free.

What’s the Best Vegan Hair Mask?

There are loads of great vitamins for hair growth, but if you’re vegan or prefer to use only the most natural of products when it comes to your beauty routine or hair care regime, there are lots of delightful masks you can make that will nourish your hair in no time. These are easy, quick, and 100% natural.

Feed your hair and use food for hair growth. One of the most significant benefits of DIY hair care is that it can save you a small fortune. Create your own fresh honey and coconut oil hair mask by mixing together honey and coconut oil for growth. Simply:

• Measure 1 tablespoon of coconut milk
• Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil
• Use warm water to mix all ingredients
• Rake the mixture into hair leave in for 5 -10 minutes, allowing your hair to absorb the moisture

The fact of the matter is, you don’t need to spend lots of money on hair growth shampoo or hair growth oil, you can easily select moisturising and rejuvenating masks at home.

Honey is one of the natural world’s most important and celebrated beauty secrets, with benefits which have been known for centuries. However, it’s only recently that the full picture of honey’s marvellous skincare and haircare properties have genuinely started to make headlines – and thanks to the accessibility of this wonder ingredient, it’s ideal for giving DIY beauty treatments a try.

Honey’s Health Benefits

The benefits of including honey in your diet are almost limitless, and the same goes for your beauty routine. Honey can help fight against many common skin complaints as well as helping fight against illness and diseases such as cancer, with pure its proving particularly beneficial. Whether you want to turbo-charge your beauty rituals without breaking the bank or just prefer to avoid expensive, pre-packaged alternatives, here are our top picks for how to use honey in your beauty regime…

Whip up a honey face mask

Honey face masks are essential if you want to give your skin a treat. Thanks to the simplicity of this beauty trick, it’s accessible to everyone – and yet you’ll definitely feel well and truly pampered. Honey helps keep your skin moisturised and leaves it soft and smooth, as well as providing anti-oxidant qualities which can protect against the damage of UV rays. To get the best effect, opt for darker honey or super-powerful manuka honey.

DIY Honey Face Mask:

• Before applying the honey, be sure to thoroughly cleanse your face with warm water, removing all make-up and cosmetics.
• Pat skin dry and apply your chosen honey directly to your face – there’s no need to mix it with other ingredients. You may find it useful to lie down, so the honey doesn’t run everywhere, and be sure to keep a towel handy to catch any excess!
• Leave for 25-30 minutes for maximum effects. After this time, gently remove with a cloth, and splash your face with water to remove the remnants. Finish with a moisturiser to keep skin soft. Voila, smooth, nourished skin.

Battle scar tissue

A benefit many people may not know about when it comes to honey while is its incredible properties for battling against scar tissue. It is best to use local raw honey for this, so it retains much of its superpower.

Manuka honey, with its wonderful anti-inflammatory properties, is also great for fresher scars and wounds. As a natural moisturiser, honey can help your skin regenerate and stop the excess collagen production which causes unsightly scars to form.

Scar Prevention:

• Ensure you have the purest natural honey you can find, and take a small teaspoon full.
• Apply the honey to the scar you want to treat and rub thoroughly for around 5-10 minutes.
• Leave the area for approximately one hour, and then rinse with lukewarm water.

Treat troublesome acne

Honey can be used to treat acne by either ingesting it or applying topically. If you don’t feel like using honey itself, there are various products on the market which help fight acne by using honey as one of its major ingredients.

The reason why honey works so well for treating problem skin comes down to it’s many antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Honey is also a natural antiseptic, helping to sooth and kill bacteria which contributes to skin complaints.

It can also help to control sebum production on the skin, locking in moisture while leaving skin beautifully hydrated. If you choose to use honey topically, then give our honey face mask a try – only use organic raw honey as processed alternatives could lead to further skin problems.

Nourish cuticles

There are many things which can damage cuticles, particularly during the colder months. Thankfully honey’s fantastically softening properties will help soothe and restore condition, with superb moisturising properties. Beeswax is one of the best natural moisturisers there is, and there are also many milk and honey varieties of cuticle saving products on the market.

Create an effective hair conditioner

Is it any wonder, so many commercial hair shampoos and conditioners use honey in their formulas? The conditioning power of honey goes far beyond benefits just for skin – and can help to preserve the moisture balance in your hair to prevent breakages and increase shine.

When your hair is feeling dry and damaged, give it a little extra TLC with our fantastic home recipe which combines honey and olive oil for great-feeling, healthy hair.

Combat chapped skin with honey lip balm

Lip balm can be a real lifesaver, preventing chapped lips all year round. Yet there’s no need to rush out and buy a lip balm – a fantastic home-made variety can be crafted using this simple recipe.

Make Natural Honey Lip Balm

For this recipe, you will need half a teaspoon of raw honey, and three teaspoons of coconut oil. Add a dash of sweet almond oil to add extra conditioning! You will also need a container or lip balm tube – small tins work brilliantly for storing this mixture.

• Melt the coconut oil and honey together, adding the almond oil towards the end of the melting process.
• Pour the mixture into your container.
• Let the lip balm set – try placing somewhere cold like the fridge – and soon you’ll have your very own lip-saver ready to use!

Conclusion

As you can see, there’s no need to be intimidated by making your own beauty products – honey makes it quick and simple. Just make sure you always use the best, freshest high-quality ingredients - it makes everything much easier!

The gift of chocolate is one of the best, tried-and-tested ways to impress a wide variety of different audiences – perfect for every occasion. Here at Chateau Rouge, we specialise in fantastic gifts for foodies, so here’s our guide to unleashing your inner chocoholic in search of the ideal present for that special someone…

Luxury Chocolate Gifts

Quality chocolate speaks for itself, and with the addition of luxe packaging and presentation, a chocolate-themed gift can be just the ticket! Plenty of high-end chocolate brands put a great deal of effort into ensuring their chocolate is beautifully presented for an upscale market, so opting for something in this category is a certain way to appeal to even the most discerning chocolate lover.

Consider going for something a little out of the ordinary, such as the gift of chocolate with a favourite wine or liquor. Prosecco and chocolate gifts are all the rage at the moment, as are dark chocolate gifts which create a more unconventional taste profile for chocolate fans to enjoy, as well as lots of luxurious flair.

Novelty Chocolate Gifts

The ideal novelty chocolate gift will be sure to amuse and entertain without compromising on taste. Quality is paramount, so be sure to do plenty of research before settling on your choice!

Lots of novelty chocolate gifts are available, and they make great gifts for co-workers or close friends – particular for birthdays or informal gatherings. When selecting yours, look for a trusted brand and check the variety of chocolate suits your intended recipient as much as the novelty aspect itself – this will ensure a gift which is gratefully received and enjoyed, and not just for it’s novelty value!

Think in terms of chocolate-adorned decorations and ‘trees’, chocolates which spell out the recipient’s name, and chocolate shaped in fun novelty shapes. You will also find lots of novelty sweet treats with an added retro edge, and these can be fantastic gifts for appealing to a sense of nostalgia.

Some large department stores and smaller specialist outlets have plenty of embellished and artfully packaged chocolates which are also delicious.

Christmas Chocolate Gifts

For chocoholics, Christmas is one of the most exciting times of the year! There’s plenty of unusual chocolate gifts in store, and it seems that almost everywhere you look from Autumn onwards, you can find a chocolate-themed surprise with a special Christmas edge!

Christmas chocolate gifts tend to focus on either extreme decoration or keeping you cosy during the colder months of the year. Think in terms of hot chocolate Christmas gifts or chocolates shaped in Christmas-themed shapes, such as Christmas trees or snowmen.

There are some delightful white chocolate gifts which are around at this time of year, adding an extra gleam to your chocolate gift giving and making the most of the festive season.

For real traditionalists, you could invest in a stunning chocolate advent calendar and present this at the start of December – ensuring your chocolate Christmas gift will last right through the month.

1657 - 70% Dark Hot Chocolate

Vegan Hot Chocolate - Chocolate Flakes

Hot Chocolate Gifts

Staying warm and snug is a major preoccupation as the nights draw in and the days get shorter – so what better way to show you care than with some delicious hot chocolate?

There are a few great methods to consider when you need to ensure this present is even more special, including checking for the highest quality hot chocolate available, and making sure you gift your hot chocolate in beautiful packaging.

In addition, you might like to try giving some hot chocolate with a twist, such as unexpected flavours added into the mix!

At Chateau Rouge, we have a selection of the world’s finest hot chocolate – perfect for real chocoholics to enjoy on a chilly winter evening. Our varieties include everything from delicious white chocolate drinking chocolate, to drinking chocolate with 70% cocoa for a uniquely rich taste, and even a sumptuous combination of sea salt and caramel added into the mixture.

For the finishing touch, they are all presented in a stunning decorative tin.

Corporate Chocolate Gifts

For the perfect gift for co-workers and corporate events, look no further than choosing chocolate! There are many great benefits to this strategy – there are very few people who will turn down the gift of chocolate, making it a great one-size-fits-all approach to gift giving, particularly when you are unsure of the recipient’s own preferences.

To appeal to dietary constraints, you could even opt for a diabetic or vegan chocolate – available in a wide variety of different flavours and beautiful varieties, showing that these factors needn’t prevent you from still getting a chocolate-centric gift for a corporate audience.

Chocolate is also a great way to congratulate your workforce for doing a great job – and can really help to bring people together.

Tips for choosing the ideal chocolate gift

As you can see, there’s plenty of options out there for chocolate fans to choose from – so how do you make sure you get the right chocolate gift?

• Consider who you’re buying for – do you know if they have a favourite chocolate?
• Think about the presentation aspect – is the gift you’re buying decorative enough?
• What’s the occasion? Think of any seasonal factors you need to consider, such as Christmas or Easter.

When diving into a world of chocolate for your next gift-giving venture, be bold – it shows you’ve really put a lot of effort into your choice.

Loose leaf tea is rapidly growing in popularity as an alternative to tea bags, and for a nation of tea lovers like Britain, it’s understandable this trend should have already taken hold. However, preparing a great cup of loose leaf takes a little more work than the convenience and immediacy of tea bags…here’s how to get it right, first time around.

The modern-day tea party –impress your friends with loose leaf tea

Entertaining at home can be great fun, and there’s something extraordinary about taking the time to make friends and family a delicious cup of tea. If you feel like really impressing, ditch the tea bags in favour of loose leaf next time you issue those invites! Why not organise a right tea-party and show people how easy it is to make loose leaf tea themselves?

Which loose leaf tea should I choose?

Thanks to the number of new tea brands online, there’s a whole world of tea variety at your fingertips. From loose leaf green tea to loose leaf decaf tea or rooibos loose leaf tea, peppermint loose leaf tea or loose leaf earl grey – each of these delicious flavours is now readily available to buy online. Choosing the right one for you comes down to a few key factors, including:

• Your own tea preferences
• Tea preferences of your intended tea-drinker (friends, visitors)
• Whether you feel like experimenting with new flavour profiles

It might take a little while to find the perfect loose leaf tea for you, but whether opting for a straightforward loose leaf or going organic, check for freshness and trustworthiness of your supplier to ensure the tastiest cup and best value for money. Popular tea varieties range from black tea to green tea and everything in-between, now available in loose leaf varieties to give you much more to choose from when you next pop the kettle on.

Organic VS regular loose leaf tea – which is better?

Choosing loose leaf tea in general makes for a healthier cup, but without doubt, opting for an organic loose leaf tea helps to maximise on these benefits. Loose leaf teas are able to circulate in a way which leads to a more flavourful cup, but choosing organic teas provide additional benefits for your health thanks to being packed with natural antioxidants in higher concentration than non-organic varieties.

Prince of Earl Grey Loose Leaf Tin

Organic Earl Grey Loose Leaf Tea

Why is loose-leaf tea extra special?

There are plenty of reasons why dedicated tea drinkers are increasingly turning to loose leaf. Not only is the process of making a delicious loose leaf tea something to be savoured, but the resulting taste and flavour lend an additional sense of specialness sure to appeal. Whether you’re making tea for yourself or treating someone special, there’s a certain sense of luxury which goes along with choosing loose leaf tea, and thanks to the variety on offer and the possibilities for more flavour per cup, it’s the cost-effective choice, too.

Making a great cup of loose leaf tea 

The amount of tea to use varies depending on how many people you’re making tea for, and the method you’re using. One scoop or teaspoon per cup should be sufficient per person, and the process you use may vary drastically depending on your own personal preferences. Some people prefer to use a loose-leaf tea strainer, pouring the tea through when serving in cups or mugs to avoid any of the tea leaves making their way to the cup. Others prefer to leave them intact, particularly in the case of some of the more beautiful and elaborate teas available.

To make a great cup of loose leaf tea, simply:

1. Boil your kettle, and while it boils get your teapot (or mugs if pouring directly) ready for use.
2. Add your tea leaves to the pot, using a teaspoon for a single serving.
3. Pour your boiling water over the leaves, filling the teapot.
4. Allow the tea to stand for a few minutes. The length of time you brew will vary depending on your personal taste and experimentation.
5. Once ready, pour into cups – either through a tea strainer or directly.

How do I store loose leaf tea?

Not only is loose leaf tea a little extra special, but it also needs some extra TLC when it comes to storage. To maintain flavour and texture, follow these simple steps:

• Keep your tea away from sources of moisture, heat and direct sunlight
• Store in a dark, dry, cool location
• Keep different flavoured teas separate to avoid flavour ‘bleed.’

You might want to purchase a tin or non-plastic container or opt for a brand of loose leaf tea which comes with its own tin to simplify the process. As an added bonus, many of these tins are also stunning to look at, meaning you can double up on storage and decoration.

Best loose leaf accessories

Loose Leaf Glass Teapot

Swissgold - Loose Leaf Tea Infuser

No matter the occasion, finding the right coffee gifts ideas is always challenging. For coffee-lovers, there are many fantastic options on the market, ranging from the inexpensive to the more elaborate. In this blog, we’ll be taking a closer look at some of the most popular coffee-based gifts, to help you find the right one for you…

Gourmet coffee Gift Sets

Buying a coffee gift hamper or taster set is a great way to impress the most enthusiastic coffee fan. As with many other coffee-based gifts, emphasise quality and taste. If you know your recipient has a favourite coffee blend, this would be a great time to seek out a set which ties in with this specific brand or style of roasted coffee beans. Alternatively, you can also create your own coffee gift set or a taster set with some different kinds – mixing and matching products in a decorative packaging of your choice.

Coffee Gift Card

A simple gift, but a classic! Coffee gift cards to places such as Costa and Starbucks have been around for quite a while – but are sure to put a smile on the face of anyone who enjoys popping into their local coffee shop. To ensure you get the right coffee gift card, look at what it will actually be offering the recipient. Will they get just one coffee with the card or several? Is it an ongoing coffee subscription or a once-off gift? Are there any additional perks to purchasing this card? Crucially, is the store you’ve chosen one of your recipient’s favourite places to drink coffee?

Coffee Bean Gifts

Irish Coffee Gift Set

An Irish Coffee Gift Set provides the opportunity to give something a little extra-special and is ideal for genuinely wowing your recipient. If the set is damaged in transit or just doesn’t suit your needs, you want to be sure you can return it, fuss-free. Many Irish Coffee Gift Sets come with all the trimmings needed to make a delicious Irish Coffee, including coffee, whisky and chocolate – but the presentation is vital. This is one gift where the packaging is likely to play an integral part in your decision-making!

Coffee Subscription Service

Having freshly roasted coffee regularly delivered to the front door will be a dream for most devoted coffee fans or espresso lover, but just like every other coffee gift on this list, you need to check the terms of your sale very carefully. How long is the subscription for, and what does it include? Check for reviews from prior customers to ensure there is no drop in quality over the lifetime of the subscription, or this wonderful gift could ultimately become lacklustre after a few months.

Chateau Rouge Coffee Beans Gifts Sets

Roasted Coffee Beans

A simple and straightforward gift for the true coffee connoisseur, buying coffee beans is a great way to show both your knowledge of coffee and emphasise the recipient’s coffee know-how at the same time. For this gift to work, it’s best to seek out the highest-quality coffee beans you can find.

Think in terms of fair-trade and organic as a minimum standard; adding in an extra quirk or novelty such as a prestigious region of origin for the beans themselves, or a particularly well-respected manufacturer, are ways to take this gift to the very next level. Or for the most devout coffee lover (with their own roasting machine) you can buy a selection of green beans!

Ground Coffee

Gifting your recipient ground coffee is another way of keeping it simple, but as with the gift of coffee beans, the real impact is in the details. Presentation and quality are essential, as of course are checking the taste of the coffee is something the recipients are likely to enjoy. Buying a well presented luxury coffee tin is an excellent idea - most department stores stock these or can be found online or on Amazon websites.

Carefully assess the flavour profile of your chosen ground coffee, as well as choosing between different consistencies such as coarse ground and smoother varieties. Consider how the recipient likes to drink their coffee; are they a fan of cold-brewing (which is best achieved with coarse-ground coffee) or do they brew their coffee hot?

To round off a ground coffee gift set you may add a convenient single mug coffee filter to your gift, such as the Swissgold reusable coffee cup filter, which can double as a stylish travel drip coffee filter.

Lastly, if they use coffee pods you could always look for a Nespresso gift hamper. Or one of the many other new pods brands that are Nespresso compatible.

Quirky coffee gifts

While buying a funny coffee gift set may not be the ideal present for a coffee snob, almost everyone except the most ardent 'tea only drinkers' would appreciate it. Practically all food gifting sections in supermarkets, garden centres or any other traditional gift shop would stock a variety of funny printed mug plus a coffee. For example - the perfect Dad's coffee or gardeners wake up with fresh coffee. The options are endless, and you can easily make your own cost-effectively, with regular supermarket coffee and a funny printed mug.

Choosing the right coffee lover gifts

Selecting the right coffee gift takes time and dedication, paying close attention to the recipient and the occasion. Popular options include not only coffee gift boxes and gift sets but also the likes of coffee-based gift baskets and coffee mug sets. At Chateau Rouge, we sell a range of speciality and gourmet coffee bean gifts, ideal for any real coffee lover.

The popularity of glass teapots is on the rise amongst devoted tea connoisseurs for many reasons. Distinctive looking yet minimalist, a glass teapot provides an attractive way of brewing tea which is sure to be a real conversation starter. Made of 100% food-safe, heatproof borosilicate glass, many glass teapots with infuser come in a set including a cup as well as the teapot – and make great gifts. The ability to watch dried tea leaves expand and release their flavour is a major draw for tea fans - in this blog, we’ll be answering the top five questions about glass teapots…

Is a glass teapot better for loose leaf tea?

Glass teapots are particularly popular with fans of loose leaf tea -and there some fascinating reasons why. Firstly, a glass teapot is ideal for use with flowering teas, allowing them to be fully appreciated. Many also come complete with an integral tea strainer, so they are great for every type of loose leaf tea while still producing a ‘clean’ cup of tea upon pouring.

How do I clean a glass teapot?

Cleaning your glass teapot is quick and easy:

• Empty remaining tea residue and rinse the teapot interior.
• Wipe down the body of the teapot with a damp cloth.
• Hand-wash all the teapot; just plain soap and water or gentle detergent are great for this task.
• Rinse thoroughly to remove all soap residue.

How do I use a glass teapot?

Using a glass teapot is the same as using a traditional teapot, with the addition of a few extra steps. The glass teapot is more fragile than other tea pot varieties and follows a somewhat unique process for loose leaf tea, as we’ll explore in the next question. There are some precautions you need to be aware of, such as only using on the stove with low heat (and just if your instructions state it is safe).

How do I make loose leaf tea in a glass teapot?

To make a delicious pot of loose leaf tea, merely follow these handy steps: 

• Warm your glass teapot by adding some warm water to the teapot. Allow to sit for a few moments. Glass teapots made of durable borosilicate can withstand sudden temperature changes, but it is still safest to warm the teapot a little before use.
• Pour out the water designed to warm the tea pot glass, and add the teapot infuser with tea as instructed by the packaging or your personal preferences. The more tea you add, the stronger the taste, and vice versa - don't over infuse your tea, just add more tea if you like it stronger. If your glass teapot doesn’t contain a filter, place the leaves at the bottom of the pot.
• Pour boiling water over the loose leaves, filling the pot almost to the top.
• Place the lid back on the teapot and allow to brew for the optimum time. For loose leaf teas, around five minutes should allow enough time to extract all the delicious flavour.
• Now you can start pouring the tea into individual cups. Many glass teapots come equipped with at least one corresponding glass cup. If your teapot doesn’t contain a trainer, you might like to strain the tea as you pour, but this is not essential. Be careful as the glass teapot will be very warm while you are pouring the tea.

Where can I buy a glass teapot?

Ready to start your glass teapot adventure? Getting a high-quality version is essential to help avoid breakages and keep your glass teapot safer for longer. Always research carefully and be prepared to pay extra for superior build and materials if necessary.

Britain is a nation of tea-lovers, filled with fans of all varieties of tea imaginable. Yet a few select favourites have managed to carve their way into the national consciousness more than some, and English Breakfast Tea is one such beverage!

In this blog, we’ll look at the origins and history of English Breakfast Tea, as well as the way to make sure you brew the perfect cup!

Origins of English Breakfast Tea

As you might expect for a country so obsessed with tea, the history of English breakfast tea goes back a very long way. Drinking blended black teas has been a custom in Britain for centuries, but despite its name, the blend we now know as English Breakfast Tea is thought to have in fact been developed by a Scottish tea master, and the name itself seems to have originated in the United States rather than England itself.

Many accounts dated the blend to around 1843 when a US tea merchant named Richard Davies began selling the tea in New York City. By 1884, the tea had developed quite a following, with US publications documenting the export of the tea blend to the UK market.

Over the years, it became more and more popular, with a distinctive taste which is ideally suited to, as the name suggests, enjoying over a leisurely breakfast.

Why is breakfast tea called builders tea

Builders tea, also known as a builder’s brew, is a traditional term for a strong cup of tea. It initially takes the name from inexpensive supermarket tea commonly drunk by workers or labourers taking a tea break. A builder's tea is typically brewed in a mug with a teabag (as opposed to loose tea leaves in a teapot) - left to infuse for as long as possible and squashed against the side of the mug for extra strength, with milk and lots of sugar.

How to make the Best English Breakfast Tea

English Breakfast Tea is a blend of teas from the regions of Assam, Ceylon and Kenya. As a black tea, it is known for it’s full-bodied and robust taste. The exact blends vary, mainly according to price, with some more expensive brands opting to adopt the mix more extensively than others. To make a traditional English Breakfast Tea, you'll need a strong black tea, freshly boiled water, milk and some sugar if you like.

Leave to steep for about 3-5 minutes before serving. Stir before serving to ensure the flavours are evenly distributed. Add a little milk into each cup before pouring the tea through a strainer if necessary, and sweeten with a spoon or two of sugar as required.

While its relatively easy to make, when travelling the breadth and width of England you'll soon learn that everyone has their own particular way of making a good cuppa tea. And everyone will attest to their style being the 'best way' to make tea. Afterall, England is a nation of tea experts.

English Breakfast Tea Benefits

• The tea is very rich in antioxidants, so it’s a great way to stay hydrated while also boosting your health, particularly for your cardiovascular system.
• English Breakfast Tea is a source of fluoride so your teeth will thank you for indulging!
• Zero calories in tea, mean you can get all these benefits without piling on the pounds. (Any calories come from what you add to the tea, like milk, sugar but not from the tea itself).
• Research has found that English Breakfast Tea may speed up your metabolism, which is excellent for your health and particularly handy if you’re working towards specific weight loss goals.
• The high caffeine content of English Breakfast Tea is noted for boosting alertness, but there’s much more to this blend than that!

Can you drink English Breakfast Tea when pregnant?

It’s safe to drink Breakfast Tea, though it’s advisable to be cautious about your caffeine intake during pregnancy, so tea of all kinds should be consumed with care. English Breakfast Tea contains a little more caffeine than many other teas thanks to its unique blend, so remembering this will help ensure you stay on the right track.

How many calories in English Breakfast Tea

A cup of English Breakfast Tea (without milk and sugar) is one of the healthiest teas there is, offering zero calories per cup. When the tea is blended with milk and sugar, it remains relatively healthy.

The caffeine hit of the tea is, however, higher than many comparable tea blends, so be aware if trying to curb your caffeine consumption! Where four cups of tea a day may be standard, some nutritionists suggest opting for two of English Breakfast Tea.

English Breakfast Tea Gifts for tea lovers

A tin of English Breakfast Tea makes the perfect gift for tea lovers, offering a fantastic way of demonstrating your own tea knowledge as well as giving a thoughtful, decorative and delicious treat to someone who truly loves a brew!

At Chateau Rouge, we offer beautifully presented English Breakfast Tea in both loose leaf and tea bags so you can adapt the gift to suit the recipient and their own unique tea preferences.

Coffee aficionadi around the world have long sought new ways to enjoy their favourite drink, and cold-brewed coffee is the latest in a long line of trends to make headlines.

But what does the term ‘cold brewed coffee’ even mean, and how can you make your own using a simple French press?

What is cold brewed coffee

Simply put, cold brew or cold brewed coffee is the result of steeping coffee grounds in cold water (or room temperature water) before drinking. Often this process takes several hours, leading many to opt to cold-brew their coffee overnight or store it in a fridge or cupboard away from sources of heat and light.

Whilst most are used to brewing coffee hot, this alternate process is growing in popularity as a way of achieving a distinctive taste, as the absence of heat and lengthy brewing time achieves a very different drink to hot-water methods.

Following brewing, the coffee grounds can be added to many different drinks or consumed as they are.

When was cold brew coffee invented

The earliest recorded cold brew coffee methods stem from Japan and dates from the 1600s. Kyoto-style coffee, so named due to its high popularity in the Kyoto region, has unclear origins, with some suggesting the Japanese may have discovered it after interaction with Dutch traders, who cold-brewed coffee for preservation on lengthy sea voyages.

As with following cold-brew methods, Kyoto-style coffee involved quite an elaborate process, including an even lengthier process than cold-brew coffees of today, with water fed onto coffee grounds drop by drop. There has been a resurgence of this laborious process amongst some coffee mixologists in recent years, adding a sense of drama to the drink.

Cold brew coffee healthier than usual coffee

Cold brew coffee enthusiasts often make some suggestions as to the relative health of the drink versus other brewing methods. This is because brewing coffee cold over a 12-24 hour period (versus a more low-maintenance hot brew) changes the structure of the nutrients which are drawn from the coffee grounds.

First and foremost, the coffee will be less acidic - though this does not necessarily mean it will be healthier. There are few studies which have yet been carried out comparing conventional hot brew coffee and cold brew coffee, though cold brewing has been seen to decrease the antioxidant content of your cup, so there’s a chance hot coffee still has a slight edge over cold-brewing. For more antioxidants, opt for hot brewing – for less acid content, and therefore less harmful to your teeth, go for a cold brew.

How do I make cold brew coffee with a French press

There’s no need to buy a dedicated cold brewed coffee maker. Making cold brew needn’t be a laborious process. If you have a French press at home and regularly buy your own coffee beans, it’s something you can certainly try for yourself.

To make your cold-brew coffee, grind 2/3 of a cup of coffee beans and place them in your French press. Next, add three cups of water, preferably at room temperature. Stir the grinds into the water, then put the French press in your fridge for at least 12 hours

Delicious Cold Brewed Iced Coffee Recipe

Looking for the ideal drink to enjoy on summer days when you still need that caffeine fix? Then this simple cold-brewed iced coffee recipe is just the ticket!

Cold Brewed Coffee and Alcohol Recipe Ideas

Why not mix your strained, cold-brewed coffee with alcohol for an extra-special treat? Great combinations include gin, beer and vodka – simply partner your tipple of choice with your coffee and your favourite mixer or tonic water for a refreshing beverage ideal for sharing.

Trends in cold-brew coffee

Cold brew coffee has taken off in a big way in the UK, with trendy coffee houses offering their own spin on the drink and stores up and down the country serving the coffee in artistically designed bottles which emphasise the specialness of the drink. Some companies also sell their own jugs designed precisely for making cold brew coffee. No matter what method you use to make sure you always buy the best coffee beans you can afford. Having the best quality ingredients increases the likelihood of you being able to replicate the best coffees you normally have only been able to enjoy at more expensive coffee shops.

Salted caramel is a confectionary flavour which is added to many of the most delicious sweet treats across the world, but few people know much about where it first originated – and how to incorporate it into their own cooking.

In this blog, we’ll be taking a closer look at salted caramel and how to make it, identify it and store it…

Who invented salted caramel?

As with any long-standing confectionary, the origins of salted caramel go back quite some time have been forgotten by many. Offering both salty and sweet flavours, salted caramel is particularly popular in the US, but is growing in popularity across the UK.

The earliest roots of salted caramel can be traced to Brittany in France, where a chocolatier named Henri Le Roux pioneered the art form. Hailing from a family in the patisserie trade, Le Roux worked as an apprentice in the family business before relocating to Switzerland and studying to be a chocolatier at what was then the world’s only confectionary school.

Salted caramel’s invention and popularity boom

Returning to France in 1965, Le Roux took over management of the family shop the same year, selling it in 1977 and opening another shop in Brittany, an area famed for producing vast quantities of salted butter.

The birth of salted caramel stemmed from an attempt to differentiate his products from the many patisseries in the local area, whilst still incorporating such a famous export of the region.

Following extensive testing, Le Roux created a salted butter caramel, which swiftly became a bestseller and put his shop on the culinary map. In 1980, Le Roux won the ‘Best Sweet in France’ award from the Salon International De La Confiserie, a famed Parisian bureau of excellence in food production. Today, there are many Henri Le Roux shops across France where visitors can try this early spin on salted caramel for themselves.

Why is salted caramel so tasty?

The combination of sweet and salty foods makes for an appealing treat for the taste buds, with the sweetness mingling with flavour-enhancing salt to create a flavour which is both unique and appetising.

The trick to getting salted caramel right lies in the ratios. Too much salt and the balance is completely thrown, and too much sweetness and it becomes sickly. A simple dash of salt is enough to trigger a positive reaction.

Can salted caramel be frozen?

Of course. There is no reason whatsoever why you can’t freeze salted caramel, in fact when considering the dishes it is sometimes used in, such as delicious salted caramel ice cream, you will see that this is downright expected.

However, it’s important to ensure you keep your salted caramel protected. The best way to do this is to wrap your caramel in wax paper and place in a freezer bag. This should help to prevent condensation and allow you to enjoy your frozen caramel for around six months after freezing.

The simple salted caramel recipe

Making great salted caramel sauce can be surprisingly simple and straightforward. Just follow these steps…

The great thing about this sauce is how flexible it is, usable in any number of different recipes to help add a little extra flavour!

Salted caramel hot chocolate

Hot chocolate and salted caramel are a natural partnership, adding a salty kick to this otherwise overpoweringly sweet drink. Particularly popular during the chillier months of the year, this simple homemade salted caramel hot chocolate recipe for one will help keep you warm and toasty no matter what the weather brings!

Top Salted Caramel Recipes

It’s not only hot chocolate which has proven a popular combination with the addition of salted caramel. Other favourites include salted caramel chocolate, salted caramel ice cream, and salted caramel fudge, alongside the likes of salted caramel brittle.

A well-known baking staple amongst those with a sweet tooth, adding salted caramel can also help make a homemade baked gift even more impressive!

You love coffee, but there’s that nagging question you feel silly asking…

Coffee shops can be intimidating places, and even the most devoted coffee drinker could be forgiven for feeling a little confused at some of the barista speak! Let’s look at some of the key coffee questions you’ve always been too afraid to ask.

How should I store my coffee?

Some specialist coffee houses also sell unique blends of some of their best offerings…

As a rule of thumb, the closer the coffee is to room temperature, the better.

Is caffeine a drug?

Caffeine is classed as a drug, yes. Like any other drug, if consumed in vast quantities over a small period, it can be harmful. It is, however, safe to consume – just try not to have ten espressos within an hour, and you’ll be fine. Reasonable consumption of coffee and caffeinated drinks can help boost productivity, concentration and alertness – so you have nothing to fear from your love of coffee!

What’s the difference between a latte and a flat white?

Both are coffee shop staples, but understanding what each of them is can be a little tricky…

Small nuances form the only real differences between these two popular coffee types.

Can I buy decaffeinated coffee beans?

Absolutely! Coffee beans can be decaffeinated in a process referred to as decaffeination. Simply put, it involves soaking the coffee beans in water, which helps to dissolve all traces of caffeine. Decaf coffee still keeps its taste, so can be a great option for those who would rather avoid the caffeine ‘high’.

Does it matter which milk I use?

The quantity of milk is often discussed when making a coffee…but rarely the type of milk itself…

Experiment with different flavour profiles until you find the perfect milk for your perfect coffee.

What’s the difference between a cappuccino and a caffé latte?

How to differentiate between two coffee shop favourites…

Cappuccino uses frothy milk foam for its top layer, while caffe latte uses plenty of steamed milk.

What is a ‘light roast’ and a ‘dark roast’?

Coffee shop lingo can be cryptic! (This applies equally to when you shop online for speciality coffee brands and coffee bean gifts).

Dark roasted beans are roasted to a higher temperature and for a longer time.

Why should you drink loose leaf tea?

For those of us who love tea, this is a fantastic time to be alive! From indulging in the traditions of tea-straining to the simplicity of a tea bag, the ancient art of tea-drinking provides ample opportunities to customise the experience – and the taste – to suit your unique preferences. In this blog, we’ll be taking a closer look at the reasons why loose-leaf tea might be right for you…

What is loose leaf tea?

Simply put, loose leaf is tea without the fuss (and processing) of adapting the delicious leaves into a tea bag format. Steeping a cup of loose leaf tea allows the leaves to expand, and for the water to flow by extracting all the goodness, aroma and taste which is stored in your tea of choice.

The heavy processing of tea bags loses much of this, limiting the infusion to only the size of the tea bag itself.

The art of the switch – how to change from tea bags to loose-leaf

Making a nice cup of tea is one of life’s simple pleasures for millions every day. While many of us opt for a tea bag, the convenience of this method is by no means the only way to get your tea fix! The popularity of loose leaf tea is on the rise, but why?

Devotees talk a great deal about the health benefits of switching to loose leaf over tea bags, and there is some real truth to many of these assertions, as we’ll explore a little later in this blog. Yet the first thing to consider is the actual ritual of tea-making itself.

If you’re used to simply boiling the kettle and popping a tea bag in a mug, then the idea of dealing with tea leaves and tea strainers before you’ve had your first cuppa of the day might seem like a lot of bother.

Yet there’s something soothing and relaxing about switching to a more deliberate, mindful way of tea-drinking – and savouring the added flavour of each cup is certainly worth waiting for.

Real cost-benefit of loose leaf tea

A big barrier preventing people from switching to loose leaf is often the perceived higher cost of loose leaf over tea bags, yet tea bags themselves are frequently a false economy.

A carton of high-quality loose leaf tea has much more staying power than a box of tea bags – allowing you to eek out the flavour for a lot longer at a fraction of the price! Loose leaf also offers a much broader range of tastes as the tea hasn’t been standardised for the mass market.

Finding a loose leaf tea you genuinely love is sure to take you on a journey of tea-exploration, but it won’t break the bank. Making a healthier choice with loose leaf tea It’s not only cost reduction, variety and taste which are drawing more and more tea drinkers to loose leaf; there’s also the possibility to switch to a healthier alternative than tea bags.

Tea is packed with health-boosting antioxidants

Larger leaves make for more healthy attributes, so opting for loose leaf invariably provides a healthier cup. Freshness is another area where loose leaf tea wins the overall competition, as the ingredients in tea bags are often months (or even years) past optimum strength.

The best tea should be enjoyed within the first six-to-eight months after harvesting, and there’s a much stronger chance of this with loose leaf. Whether helping to prevent a whole host of cancers, lowering your blood pressure or helping with weight loss, loose leaf tea – from green through to earl grey – provides a tasty way of keeping you healthy.

The best loose-leaf teas on the market

So, you’ve decided to give drinking organic loose-leaf tea a go; but how do you choose the very best? At Chateau Rouge, we have sourced some of the finest teas from around the globe for you to try. We’re trusted retailers with over 15 years experience importing teas, meaning you can be assured of premium quality and taste no matter which type of loose leaf you opt for.

Our organic English Breakfast tea is quite literally award-winning, scooping the Great Taste Award for its smoothness, carefully crafted using a blend of Assam tea and large leaf Ceylon with a delicate dash of Rwandan tea for good measure. If you’re in the mood for something a little different, then the Wiedouw Rooibos organic herbal tea blend might be just the ticket.

Naturally caffeine-free and produced on a single farm in South Africa, the dark-red Rooibos is handpicked and sun-cured for optimum freshness. Other great options include a delicious mug of loose leaf Earl Grey with a French vanilla twist, or a cup of Peppermint loose leaf tea, ideal as an after-dinner treat.

As with all loose leaf teas, these are best enjoyed the traditional way, taking your time and using a loose leaf tea strainer and loose leaf tea infuser to help bring the flavour to the fore. What’s your favourite loose leaf tea? Let us know in the comments below!

Few joys in life beat a really excellent cup of coffee. Whether you are leisurely sipping an espresso in a piazza on holiday or grabbing a latte on the go in the morning - coffee is an integral part of modern day living.

We’re lucky in today’s modern world in that all we have to do is to walk into a local store and buy a packet of fresh coffee beans. When you’re looking for something different, however, you can always choose to buy your speciality arabica coffee and get the best coffee beans online and have it delivered straight to your door.

With the convenience of trying different types of coffee using a wide range of readily available coffee makers at home.

If you’ve ever been confused about the different types of beans or the strength ratings of coffee, you’re not alone. To help you out, here’s our comprehensive guide to arabica coffee beans and what makes the perfect cup of joe and where coffee comes from.

What is arabica coffee?

Pick up many packets of coffee or coffee beans, and you’ll see the term arabica. It was actually the first type of coffee to be used as a drink, and it makes up over two-thirds of the current world production.

The scientific name is Coffea arabica and it’s grown on plantations in areas like Ethiopia and Indonesia but more often in Latin American countries like Brazil. The beans have a subtle difference in taste and quality depending on where they are grown. That flavour can also vary because of the time the coffee berries are harvested and the roasting process used.

In general, arabica coffee has a slightly sweet taste with a subtle underlying bitterness. You may also notice chocolatey or nutty flavours depending on the brand. While arabica coffee is the most popularly grown plant around the world, it can be mixed with beans from different locations and varieties.

A brief history of arabica coffee

The origins of arabica coffee are thought to be in Ethiopia where it was first used ground and mixed with fat as a stimulant by local tribespeople. When these Ethiopians traded with surrounding nations, coffee migrated to Arabia at some time around the 7^th century.

In an area that is now modern-day Yemen, it was first used to make a drink – this time by scholars who had become aware of its stimulating properties.

From there, trade brought coffee to the Turks and beyond to Europe. By the end of the 17^th century, it was being grown in other areas besides Ethiopia, including Indonesia. Today, there are many regions of the world that produce coffee for global consumption.

Arabica vs robusta coffee beans

When it comes to types of beans, most coffee enthusiasts can name arabica and robusta. Some interesting differences between this two effect the kind of drink that ends up in your cup:

• The big difference, of course, is in the taste. Robusta is a lot harsher and really is an acquired taste. That’s often put down to the higher caffeine content which is almost twice that found in Arabica.
• There are different varieties of arabica including typical, bourbon and caturra. The coffee, has over the years, been mutated so that it grows in new areas and produces different flavours.
• If you’ve wondered why you would drink a more grainy coffee, it all comes down to a matter of taste and texture. Robusta is often used in espressos because it creates that tell-tale creamy froth on top which arabica doesn’t deliver.
• Compared to arabica, robusta can be grown at lower levels and is less prone to fungus and other diseases. Arabica needs an actively controlled environment at altitude to develop correctly.
• The individual beans look different. Arabica beans are more oval and have a crease down the centre. They also tend to be bigger. Robusta beans are rounder and slightly paler.
• The cost of growing and making coffee from robusta beans is cheaper than for arabica.

Coffea arabica in more detail

While coffea arabica was first found in the hills of Ethiopia and later in Yemen, it’s a plant that has managed to cross borders quite efficiently over the years. It is now grown in areas such as Latin America, particularly Brazil, Kenya and even some islands in the Caribbean.

The Arabica coffee plant is fairly delicate and grows to around 40 feet. Its flowers are small and white and develop into drupes or small fruits that contain two seeds which eventually become the coffee beans.

The reason it is more expensive than the cheaper robusta is not just down to one plant being hardier than another. It takes around 7 years for an arabica plant to reach maturity.

While it can be grown at lower levels, it’s best cultivated at heights between 1,300 and 1,500m. The plant is also susceptible to frost and requires fairly temperate environments with regular but moderate rainfall.

Cultivation - how to grow Arabica coffee

Yield for arabica plants has to be carefully controlled. Too many berries on a tree can produce lower quality coffee, so regular pruning is a significant factor in production.

The berries also have to be picked at precisely the right time – doing it too early or too late can have implications for quality. When it’s time to harvest, the berries are generally picked by hand so that only the ripe ones are chosen.

You may have noticed on your coffee packet that beans are roasted to bring out their authentic flavour. You can get light, medium and dark roasts which have subtle differences in taste.

Dark roasting is generally used if the beans are slightly substandard and the coffee is characterised by being darker in colour and having less nuance in the flavour. Light roasts, however, have much more taste and usually apply to the high-end beans that are picked at just the right moment.

World coffee prices and future demand

Coffee prices are a significant factor in commodity trading around the world and like sugar or oil, an indicator of the health of the economy. The cost of a pound of coffee beans has varied between $0.50 in 1975 but has risen to as high as $3.50.

It currently stands at just over $1 a pound. A bad season for one of the major producers can cause a quick change in their value. Note: this is the world commodity prices.

Most high-end speciality coffee brands like Chateau Rouge, import direct from small producers and cooperatives whose prices are determined independently of commodity markets.

We want to work with and support our growers for years to come, so we prefer to treat them as part of our family, paying an above average fair price that not only helps support their livelihood and family but also invests back into ensuring we consistently have healthy coffee plants that produce the best quality fruit - and beans.

The price of beans and ground coffee you find in the stores has remained reasonably constant over the last few years. If you are buying a standard coffee, you should expect to spend between £3.00 and £4.00 for a reasonably decent quality brew.

Gourmet coffees on the other hand, which are of much higher quality, can cost you between £15 and £20. Better technology is enabling coffee producers to refine their techniques and produce even better tasting beans. The availability of new brands online is already benefiting consumer who want a better cup of coffee.

While many of us enjoy a morning cup of arabica coffee to start the day off, however, there may be a few clouds on the horizon for the industry and it’s not all good news.

Global warming may be having a bigger impact on coffee production around the world than we initially thought. There is also some concern that rising demand is leading to deforestation in many parts of the globe and careful management is becoming increasingly vital.

Promotion of greener practices and sustainable farming will hopefully help mitigate the impact on the environment but as demand grows so does pressure to produce more coffee.

Buying Arabica Coffee Online

There’s no doubt that a great cup of coffee requires a high quality arabica bean. If you’d like to explore the world of gourmet coffees, we invite you to sample our selection of coffee beans and ground coffee.

The Incredible World of White Chocolate. What is it made of?

Its true the world over, that there are few truly affordable luxuries in the modern world that compare to chocolate. Often imbued with semi-mystical qualities that reach far beyond its actual taste, it’s one of the few foods that has universal appeal.

If you’re looking for something a little different, however, it might be time to try a bite or two of white chocolate to get your taste buds tingling. Often dismissed as dark chocolate’s hapless relative, white chocolate is being used more and more in modern cooking.

What is white chocolate?

If you’re a purist, you may be more than a little annoyed that this is called chocolate at all. It contains none of the cocoa solids that give dark chocolate and even milk chocolate their distinctive taste.

Instead, what chocolate is manufactured just from the fat or butter of the cocoa beans and then condensed, or powdered milk is added along with sugar. It has a different texture to traditional chocolate and certainly carries with it slightly higher calories than its darker counterpart.

The truth: It's a fact that cocoa butter doesn't actually taste very good on its own, so we add milk solids, milk fat, sugar, and vanilla to turn it into the white chocolate we all know. Like with all the best fine gourmet foods, the quality of the cocoa butter — and how the cocoa beans and nibs were processed — is the most important factor in the final quality of white chocolate.

Are milk chocolate and white chocolate the same thing?

If you are lucky enough to be given a box of Belgian chocolates, you are likely to be treated to a mix of dark, milk and white chocolate goodies. These are virtually all derived in some part from the cocoa bean but are considered different types of chocolate each with their own unique taste:

• Dark chocolate doesn’t have any milk added and has a more significant percentage of cocoa solids ranging from about 30% to as much as 80%. It has a distinct taste and drier texture compared to other varieties. To purists, it’s ‘real’ chocolate, and nothing else compares.
• Milk chocolate has cocoa solids but milk as well. This is the kind of product we associate with chocolate bars in the UK, but it can vary in texture and taste depending on where it comes from. Belgian milk chocolate, for example, tastes a lot different to American or even English chocolate.
• White chocolate has no cocoa solids and has a slightly fattier and sweeter taste - as it contains more cane sugar. Traditionally it has been consumed less on its own but is used in a wide range of sweets and also drinking chocolate.

How was white chocolate invented?

White chocolate was first created in the 1930's in Switzerland and shortly after became a staple in Europe with the launching of Nestle's Milky Bar. It originally came about because manufacturers wanted to do something with the leftover cocoa butter after making dark or milk chocolate.

When you consider that over half of a cocoa bean is comprised of cocoa butter, you can understand why people were looking to do something with it.

The creation of white chocolate has, however, caused no small amount of snobbery. In Europe, for instance, white chocolate is still not considered real chocolate at all, but that seems to be changing as it becomes fashionable again. Since 2004, for a product to be allowed to be marketed as white chocolate, it must (by weight) contain at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% total milk solids, and 3.5% milk fat. Also in the USA, they have set limits on the amount of sugar it may contain.

How is milk chocolate made?

Milk chocolate and white chocolate have fairly similar manufacturing processes. The only real difference is that milk chocolate has more cocoa beans or solid added which gives it that distinctive colour and taste.

Milk and other ingredients are mixed with a chocolate liquor and cocoa powder. This creates a slightly crumbly mix that forms a powder. The key to making great milk chocolate is in the mixing process which follows, called ‘conching’.

This determines the colour, smoothness, taste and texture of the chocolate and, in the hands of a master chocolatier, can produce something really memorable.

How to melt white chocolate

White chocolate is slightly more difficult to melt than darker varieties as it can quickly turn lumpy be difficult to manage if direct heat is applied. The usual practice is to create a ‘protective’ barrier which means putting your chocolate in a bowl and then placing that in a saucepan of hot water, and taking slow.

Another option is to put the bowl in a microwave. You need to have your device on a medium level heat and give it short bursts to avoid overcooking it, but this is often a lot quicker and easier than the traditional method (though not quite so satisfying if you love your chocolate).

Can you make a luxury white hot chocolate drink?

The answer is yes and it’s really simple. Coffee outlets like Starbucks today offer white hot chocolate and it’s also easy to make at home.

• The first step is to choose a really good quality white chocolate. In this case, that means a product that has few additives. It’s easier to melt and produces a richer tasting drink.
• You will need to heat a cup full of milk in one pan until it is close to boiling point and melt about 50g of white chocolate either in your microwave or using the bowl method above.
• Once the chocolate is just melted, you need to add it to the hot milk and stir until both are mixed together. Then pour this into your cup.
• You can opt to add a few extras such as sprinkling cocoa powder over the top or adding a little-whipped cream.

You don’t need to add any sugar as the drink will be sweet enough as it is. Some recipes also use a little vanilla essence in the milk to add some more flavour.

If you fancy a luxury drink that really hits the mark, try our 1930 - Artisanal 30% White Hot Chocolate which is blended with Madagascan vanilla.

The nutritional value of white vs dark chocolate

White chocolate tends to contain a few more calories than dark chocolate but the difference isn’t major. A lot always depends on the quality of the chocolate you choose in the first place. Cheaper products also tend to have more additives.

Milk and white chocolate have slightly more saturated fat and more calcium than dark but both contain around a gram of protein at the most. Dark chocolate has been associated with health properties over the years as it’s quite rich in antioxidants and has been linked to good cholesterol and may even help promote weight loss when taken in small amounts.

Is white chocolate bad for you?

Because it doesn’t contain the cocoa solids from the beans, white chocolate also doesn’t include many of the health benefits of dark chocolate. However, scientists are now discovering there are also benefits to eating white chocolate.

Generally, it does tend to have higher levels of sugar and fat, including cholesterol, so shouldn’t be eaten or drunk in large amounts. Unless you are buying more premium quality, that uses very high percentages of cocoa fast and less sugar.

As with anything though, a little of what you fancy can undoubtedly be right for you. If you imagine a luxury hot chocolate once in a while, then there’s no harm in adding white chocolate to your diet. It’s also great for a wide range of different recipes.

Other uses for white chocolate:

White chocolate is very widely used in cooking, and there are some excellent recipes to try. Here are just a few that have caught our eye recently:

• This White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe on BBC Goodfood is simply divine and takes less than 30 minutes. We love it!
• White Chocolate Ganache - Perfect for any sponge cake and not as sweet as butter icing
• White Chocolate Mousse - Like traditional chocolate moose but way creamier
• White Chocolate Brownies - Same recipe as dark chocolate but only substitute with white chocolate
• White chocolate is especially delicious in all recipes that combine with berries: raspberry, blueberries or strawberries
• Lastly don't forget the marshmallows, they go really well together!
• The list is literally endless...

If you just fancy a white chocolate hot chocolate drink or looking to buy something special for a friend or loved one, you can try our range of award-winning artisanal hot chocolate gift sets.