Food

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. 

Finding the right Christmas gift can always be challenging, but for those seeking an ideal spicy present for gourmet foodies need look no further. Chilli No. 5 has launched its spicy Christmas Box Gift Set, guaranteed to delight the most discerning gourmands this festive season.

The Christmas Box Gift Set is filled with a selection of Chilli No. 5's most iconic products offering a fantastic flight of hot sauces to spice up a variety of cuisines.

Dog owners who love to bond with their dogs and make them tasty homemade treats are invited to take part in the Great Doggy Bake Off competition. Inspired by Channel 4’s Great British Bake Off dog owners are being urged to create delicious doggy treats for their four legged friends.

Organised by doggy travel platform Dog Furiendly, the virtual competition inspires hundreds of dog owners across the UK to bake homemade treats for their furry best friends. 

New street food inspired brand Carnival Kitchen brought the carnival to central Birmingham, giving consumers the chance to try its new range first-hand.

Brindley Place, Birmingham was the third stop on the brand’s carnival on tour road trip, with Carnival Kitchen also making an appearance in London and Manchester this month. Its team arrive in style in a branded Tuk Tuk and was accompanied by a steel band and carnival dancers, to celebrate the recent launch into UK Waitrose and Asda stores.

The Queen is likely to be a surprise beneficiary of proposed tax cuts for sparkling wine, an expert has said.

Frank Mannion, the director of critically acclaimed documentary Sparkling: the Story of Champagne, starring polymath Stephen Fry and a who’s who from the world of the glamorous sparkling wine, also suggests that the Chancellor's proposed overhaul of alcohol duty is likely to support a burgeoning UK industry, allowing English sparkling wine to better compete against its French competitors.

Parmigiano Reggiano has joined the list of sponsors at the World Cheese Awards, taking place as part of the International Cheese Festival in Oviedo, Spain from 3 – 6 November 2021.

During the event, an online charity auction of a 21-year-old wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano – one of the oldest edible cheeses in the world – will be held.

Despite over half of Brits (55%) believing they are environmentally conscious, only a quarter of the UK consider the environment when it comes to their drinking habits, according to a new study. The survey commissioned by wine preservation experts Bermar, found that over five in ten (56%) have never thought about drinks waste and two thirds (67%) know nothing about it.