Food

The Tesco mince pie van is back and it's delivering a very Hap-pie Christmas to people across Britain. To help customers get into the festive spirit, the retailer is once again delivering thousands of the little festive treats, free, to people's front doors over the next few weeks. Visiting the length and breadth of Britain, local residents in towns and cities will be surprised and delighted with a knock on the door as the Mince Pie Man looks to drop off over 18,000 packs of mince pies ranging from Tesco Finest* to Free From, and wishing them all a Merry Christmas.

City of Wolverhampton is celebrating its Fairtrade status with the launch of its own Fairtrade chocolate bar. The bar, designed and produced by the Meaningful Chocolate Company, was unveiled by City Fair Trade Partnership vice-chair, Barbara Gwinnett, at the Arena Theatre on Friday. The chocolate bars will be a great addition to organisations promoting Wolverhampton in the region and beyond.

When Christmas lunch is over, you're often left with a mountain of Turkey meat, not to mention the carcass, staring you in the face. You might be in a post-dinner food coma, but try not to just shove some cling film over the whole thing and heave it into the back of your fridge. Here are some tips from Michelin Starred Chef Steve Smith, Head Chef of Bohemia Restaurant in Jersey to make the most of the whole bird.

Creative young people have been rewarded after a competition was held to design commemorative cakes for a children’s charity. Staff from the Barnardo’s regional office in Halesowen marked the charity’s 150th anniversary with a Family Fun Day in September. Around 2,000 residents enjoyed the event, which included fairground rides, pony-rides, a climbing wall, circus skills, live music and dancing.

The nation's favourite coffee shop, Costa Coffee, today unveils its full-on festive new limited edition Christmas menu, now in-store. From stand-out scrumptious coffee options and utterly decadent hot chocolates to a brand new Christmas sarnie that will rival your mum's roast lunch and an amazing cake selection – Costa is serving up a festive feast!

Christmas is often a busy and stressful time. While 43% of people feel that buying presents is the main worry, cooking Christmas dinner comes second, along with family arguments! Cooking for more people than normal can mean having to handle different defrosting and cooking times for food, making sure that large amounts of food are stored safely, and ensuring that any leftovers don't go to waste.

Dolce by Ferrero Rocher, a pop-up dessert destination, is coming to the heart of London in Covent Garden for 10 days from 1st December. The first London dining experience of its kind by Ferrero Rocher will explore the layers of this iconic chocolate, offering dessert lovers the chance to rediscover Ferrero Rocher and its unique combination of tastes and textures. From its cocoa-roasted hazelnut heart to its glittering gold wrapper, guests will be taken on a delicious journey celebrating what makes Ferrero Rocher so special.

Real, authentic vodka should be smooth, characterful and soft on the palate, which is exactly how you would describe Wild Knight Ultra-Premium English Vodka. Using Norfolk's finest barley and the purest water from Eastern England, Norfolk's new Wild Knight English Vodka is both authentic and delicious and perfect for Christmas whether given as a gift, served at a party or mixed into a delicious festive cocktail.

Mr Black, the Australian cold-press coffee liqueur, has today become the first drink to insist prospective buyers sit an extensive written examination of their coffee knowledge – before even having the opportunity to purchase a bottle of their special edition ‘Panama Geisha’. Made using the world’s most expensive and rare Panama Geisha coffee, the £115 a bottle liqueur – which is one of only six available in the world – is only being made available to consumers discerning enough to appreciate the delicate flavour of the unique liquid inside.

Love Christmas? Love Pasties? Then you'll be delighted to know Warrens Bakery's Mince Pie Pasty, which was so good it went viral, is back after a hugely successful trial last Christmas. Renowned for their innovative and award-winning pasties, Warrens Bakery blew UK and international audiences away with their trial run of the Mince Pie Pasty last December and now it is set to return with festive flourish available both instore and online.

Following over 3,000 cheeses being judged in a single day at the World Cheese Awards 2016, this year's World Champion Cheese will be crowned at approximately 5:30pm on Wednesday 16 November. The much-anticipated announcement will be made as day one of the inaugural International Cheese Festival draws to a close, at the Kursaal Congress Centre in San Sebastián.

Food lovers around the UK are being asked to step up to the plate this Thanksgiving by hosting a dinner party with a difference, to raise vital funds for severely malnourished children. The Great Get Together, launched by Action Against Hunger UK, encourages people to get together with friends and family, share a tasty meal and make a donation in appreciation of their culinary prowess. The money raised will contribute to the charity's life-saving work in nearly 50 countries worldwide.

Following on from the success of the Harrogate BBC Good Food Show in Spring, Gordon Rhodes (GR), the Bradford based company, will once again be packing its culinary suitcase to attend the BBC Good Food Show, this time at the NEC in Birmingham this November.  GR's award-winning blends, including Jolly Fine Stuffings, Gluten Free Gourmet Sauce Mixes and Wicked Hot Rubs have taken the UK market by storm.

Ethical beverage company Cafeology has been recognised at a Europe-wide Awards scheme for its innovative Bird Friendly coffee initiative in Guatemala. Cafeology was named runner up in the Business & Diversity category within the European Business Awards for the Environment, which is given to a product or service that 'makes a significant contribution to halting biodiversity loss and supporting natural ecosystems'. 

Julius Meinl, the Viennese coffee roaster, is set to unveil its latest innovation which blends an artisanal experience with smart technology, allowing baristas to achieve perfection in every cup, every time. Launching to enhance worldwide coffee service, 1862 Premium New, which is the next generation of the existing 1862, has been built using state-of-the-art technology and design. Leveraging the latest coffee preparation technologies, it is a market-leading concept, which has been crafted in partnership with industry experts.

Birmingham steakhouse, Anderson’s Bar and Grill, has won Restaurant of the Year in The Food Awards England Midlands category for the second year running. The St Paul’s Square-based eatery was one of many top Midlands restaurants to be shortlisted in the category. The Food Awards England celebrate and reward the very best in English food hospitality; the servers, the specialists and suppliers.