Food

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. 

From planning recipes for Christmas day and festive parties to thinking up the perfect gift idea, the buzz of Christmas planning can sometimes be a little overwhelming. But this December, the Edinburgh New Town Cookery School (ENTCS) has a feast of festive foodie courses to help keep that buzz at a pleasant simmer. From 'Christmas Baking' to 'Easy Entertaining' and 'Children's Baking', these courses are designed to inspire festive flavours, add some Christmas sparkle to a party, or simply distract the kids while Christmas shopping gets completed.

The BBC Good Food Show has named Squisito Deli in Northamptonshire the Midlands Best DELI, following an extensive nomination and judging process. Squisito Deli impressed the judging panel with its wonderful range of local produce, including homemade sausages, meat and, in particular, their cheeses and passion for their food. The BBC Good Food Show judging team felt that the amount of nominations, excellent customer service, incredible quality of produce and their obvious passion for getting involved in the community and engaging with their customers, made this deli stand out from the rest.

International Culinary Consultant Alan Coxon is delighted to announce that not only will he be hosting / chairing and speaking at the “World Chefs Summit” to be held at the prestigious Monte Carlo Grimaldi Forum, but he has also been invited to produce a canapé for the inaugural cocktail event where “Le Chef magazine ” will be announcing the “ 2017 World ranking 100 Chefs”.