Food

Families will be given support to help improve the diets of their children through a new campaign as the new statistics reveal the number of parents giving unhealthy snacks to their children has increased during the pandemic. The multimedia Better Health campaign has been launched to encourage families to eat better and includes a new ‘scan, swipe and swap’ feature for the NHS Food Scanner App, which provides a simple solution to help families maintain a healthier diet.

With growing calls to go greener due to the current climate crisis, Brits are being encouraged to make their lifestyle as green as possible where they can. With nearly nine in ten Brits (88%) saying they are environmentally conscious, this call to action is simple to act upon, even when dining out this holiday season.

Pie, chips and gravy. It’s a British institution and one that a Tipton pie factory believes no-one should miss out on.

And, thanks to their latest innovation, which offers a meat-free alternative to a British classic, their vegan customers won’t have to.

McDonald’s is proud to announce the national roll-out of its plant-based offering, the McPlant, to all restaurants across the UK and Ireland from Wednesday 5^th January 2022, following a successful trial at over 250 restaurants last year.

The impressive McPlant, which took over three years to develop, features a patty co-developed with Beyond Meat and has already proved hugely successful with McDonald’s customers.

The plant-based alternative to the UK's number one smoky cheese will form part of the filling of Tortilla's vegan quesadilla*, which will also feature Tortilla's signature vegan chilli no carne and grilled veggies, a side of tortilla chips, fresh salsa verde and a pot of the restaurant group's famous hand-smashed guacamole.

Applewood Vegan is the first plant-based cheese alternative to be trialled by Tortilla, which is the UK's largest fast-casual Mexican restaurant brand with a fully customisable and authentic California-style Mexican menu. 

The iconic rainbow plant-based burger concept Flower Burger has launched a limited-edition Earth Burger, to tie in with Veganuary.

The Vegan hot spot in both London and Brighton mixes a triumph of natural flavours with an art conscious appeal to reel all foodies into the store to join the pledge to be meat free for one month.

With just three days until the big day, a Worcestershire based food retailer has come to the rescue to save Christmas for families who had Christmas dinner orders cancelled as a result of the recent collapse of Farmdrop. 

After the news broke last week that the farm-to-table company was to permanently close, thousands of customers, some of whom were relying on deliveries due to being in isolation, were left without their crucial festive food shops.

It might be a New Year's resolution. It might be a health kick. Whatever the reason for taking part in Dry January, Lucky Saint is on hand to make sure you can enjoy the reward of a drink, without skipping your favourite social occasions.  

Bringing you delicious beer with none of the sacrifice, Lucky Saint is the UK's official beer of Dry January, in partnership with Alcohol Change UK – the charity behind the cultural phenomenon. 

Yorkshire chef and MasterChef: The Professionals contestant, Michaela Hanna has launched her immersive food and activity experiences in the UK. With M's countryside retreats offer an immersive getaway experience with activities such as cycling, running, and walking – guided by professional coaches.

As well as eating and learning about delicious food to expand your culinary knowledge and cooking skills. Based in North Yorkshire, With M also offers private and group cooking lessons, bespoke events and retreats, corporate away days, masterclasses, and demonstrations.

The UK’s favourite curry restaurants, as nominated for by the British Public, were announced at the trailblazing and foremost celebration of the industry, British Curry Awards in association with Just Eat, as it returned for its 17th year after the pandemic challenges. The finest curry restaurateurs from across the UK descended on the capital in the hope of being recognised as the best restaurant in their region and honoured with a jewel in the crown of the UK curry restaurant industry award sector at the prestigious ceremony.

Award-winning online vegan and gluten-free cake brand Positive Bakes, which was started during lockdown by a husband and wife whose son had a dairy allergy, has launched its biggest ever range of bakes, delivered in 100% plastic-free and compostable cardboard packaging.

The Christmas range of delicacies is their biggest new product development range to date, with 13 new products on offer, including 'buttery' Shortbread (original and chocolate), Mint Choc Brownies, Mince Pie Slices and Chocolate Orange Mini Loaf Cakes.

A UK-based whisky brokerage has successfully shipped the largest single consignment of rare whisky casks from Sweden to Britain. New world whisky specialists Cask World recently announced the arrival of the 34 casks, holding thousands of litres of premium single malt from the renowned BOX Distillery, with the spirit - valued at approximately £1.2m - now continuing to mature in its new English home.

Whilst this shipment is significant in showing that trade with the EU can still be buoyant in the post-Brexit pandemic era, it also exemplifies growing global interest in non-Scotch whisky, with the spirit now increasingly in-bound to UK shores.

Paladar has revealed its Festive Menus, which will bring a distinctive Latin American flavour to any Christmas celebration. The popular Elephant & Castle restaurant will be offering the menus until 30th December, and has additionally created a special tasting menu for New Year's Eve.

The Festive Sharing Feast, available at lunch and dinner at £45 per person, is a banquet of Latin American party dishes created by chef Jose Rubio Guevara. Served for the whole table for groups of four or more, among the four starters are Shredded turkey criollo-corn empanadas with cranberry & chipotle jam and Seared coconut-chilli prawns on blue corn tortilla.

Iceland promises a turkey in time for Christmas Day to every Brit, by launching its Turkey Insurance. To guarantee their festive feast with a turkey this Christmas, shoppers simply needed to choose their preferred turkey via the reservation form and select their online delivery slot.

Iceland is reassuring its customers with a guarantee, preventing any unnecessary uncertainty about whether they will be able to get their hands on a turkey this year.

McDonald’s launched the DC Comics Happy Meal, across the UK, from yesterday (November 17). The limited-edition promotion celebrates some of the most iconic superheroes from the past 84 years such as Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman. Each Happy Meal comes in a DC comics themed box, with 10 powerful plush toys and two brilliant books available.

From fruit and spice infused liqueurs and cordials through to mustards, chutneys and of course Christmas mincemeat, learn how to make your own festive preserves to serve at Christmas, or gift to friends and family, with leading expert, Rosie Jameson. Rosie is the founder of Rosie's Preserving School, the UK's first and only online cookery school dedicated to preserving.