We love any excuse to try new chocolate, so when the team at Doisy and Dam asked us to give  their delicious vegan and gluten-free chocolate range a whirl, we couldn't wait to give them a taste test!  The high cocoa content of these single-origin Colombian chocolates ensures intense flavour in each and every bar.

The chocolates are available in two formats: 'Snaps', which are grab bags filled with snapped off bits of snacking chocolate, or mini chocolate bars. We personally loved the snaps option, but be warned, once you start, it's nearly impossible to stop as they are so tasty!

We love the stylish packaging and the unique dark chocolate flavour combinations: maca, vanilla and cacao nibs; goji and orange; coconut and lucuma; maple, toasted rice and pink salt (our personal favourite). They also have two varieties of milk chocolate: Date & Himalayan Pink Salt Organic and Crunchy Almond Butter Single-Origin. With so many scrumptious flavours and ethical creds to boot, we're hooked.

Grab yours at www.daisyanddam.com.

Ashley Miln

Everyone has a foodie on their list that loves to indulge in the best food and drink products to be had. With this in mind, we've compiled our Christmas gift guide for foodies. Enjoy!

A CHEESE HAMPER

Who doesn't love cheese? Apart from the lactose intolerant, of course!  We for one LOVE cheese and we're big fans of London cheesemonger Paxton & Whitfield, which in our opinion, has the best range of gourmet cheeses.   Their Glorious Gluten Free Hamper, is perfect for the gluten-free foodie on your list.  This fab hamper includes: A fig ball, Cote de Duras red, Cote de Duras white, multi-seed and pepper cracker bakes, apricot, date and sunflower cracker bakes, cheddar pounder, caramalised onion chutney, stilton waxed min and Celtic soft. If this won't impress your foodie friends, we don't know what will.

​ORGANIC TEA

Everyone loves curling up with a good book and a cup of tea when the temperatures start to plummet and we're no exception.  We love the range of innovative, award-winning teas from Joe's Tea Co.   Bursting with flavour, they're perfect for warming the cockles on a dreary day and the beautiful packaging makes them a great option for a stocking stuffer or a Christmas hamper gift. 

The range includes a variety of playfully named black teas, white teas, green tea, caffeine free tea, classic teas and organic and herbal fruit infusions. Our two favourite caffeine-free teas within the range included: Feisty Turmeric Guru (a fiery ginger flavoured turmeric) and a very trendy tea at the minute for those of you who like to post your tea pics on Instagram, and the Rest-Repeat Rooibos (a rich, smooth full-bodied organic rooibos). Available from Joe's Tea Co.  priced from £4.25.

A FOODIE ESCAPE
For the foodie who deserves an extra special treat, you can't go wrong with a visit to the new Laura Ashley Tea Room at Highbullen, Hotel Golf and Country Club.  Located in North Devon, Highbullen Hotel enjoys panoramic views across North Devon’s Exmoor and Mole Valley, an oasis of tranquillity with manicured lawns and meadows that stretch out to the edges of this 128-acre estate. In the heart of this beautiful countryside, Laura Ashley the Tea Room brings together the timelessness of afternoon tea and elegant country living.

The menu offers a traditional Devon cream tea as well as full afternoon teas and Laura Ashley’s own special tea blend – all featuring an array of locally sourced produce, home-made sandwiches and jams, buttermilk scones, cakes and other sweet treats. There is also a savoury afternoon tea for those without a sweet tooth, and finger sandwiches, chocolate treats and candyfloss for children.

We love all things Italian, so when we discovered this gorgeous savoury hamper from online Italian deli Diforti, we fell in love!

Containing all of the staples you need to create a tasty Italian party platter, the 14" wicker hamper includes a bevvy of beautiful Italian goodies:
1x Carnaroli rice (500g)
1 x gluten free penne rigate (400g)
1 x sweet red peppers stuffed with cheese (215g)
1x Nundja spread jar (190g)
1x Taralli with extra virgin olive oil (200g)
1x tuna loins in oil (200g)
1x truffle oil (250ml)
1x salamino Toscano (125g)
1x jar of Sicilian pesto (180g)

With so many tasty delights , it's certain to be a hit with any foodie on your Christmas list. Better yet, buy it for yourself and you'll be prepared for any unexpected guests that drop by for drinks and nibbles during the Christmas party season!

The small savoury hamper is available from Diforti for £50.00. 

We recently came across Tyne Bank Brewery, a Newcastle-based brewery that produces a range of unique beers including everything from a selection of pale ales to a lager and a milk stout.  The brewery brews an impressive 20,000 pints a week, which brewers work 12 hours a day to produce.  Visitors have the opportunity to go on a tour of the brewery and enjoy tasting sessions every weekend.

The range
Products include: 

• Mocha Milk Stout: An award-winning stout made with Brazilian chocolate and Madagascan vanilla pods
• Summer Breeze:  A pale ale brewed with Asian root ginger and lemongrass
• American IPA:  A hoppy, American style IPA
• Helix: A Czech style lager
• Strawberries & Cream:  A pale ale with hints of English strawberries
• Mango IPA: An Indian pale ale with hints of mango
• Silver Dollar: An award-winning pale ale brewed with American Centennial and Amarillo hops
• Rhubarb & Custard: A pale ale brewed with Yorkshire rhubarb

Our verdict
If your flavour preference leans towards seriously fruity ciders, then the flavours within this range may be too subtle for your liking, but if you're looking for an interesting new beer that deviates from the usual offerings you can find anywhere, then it's worth giving it a whirl.  With the Bank Holiday in full swing, now's the perfect opportunity to try something new. 

The details
A selection of beers within the range can be found at Booths supermarkets across the Northwest of England.

www.tynebankbrewery.co.uk

Ashley Miln

We're a big fan of condiments as they have the power to liven up a variety of dishes quickly and easily.  So, we were excited to hear about the launch of The Sweet Beet, a range of innovative condiments that are certain to jazz up your recipes! Founded by Lizzy Hodcroft, a Texas-raised chef turned restaurant manager and now food entrepreneur, the range takes its inspiration from the bold flavours of Texan cuisine.

The range includes five scrumptious variants including Texas Beer Jelly, Oak Smoaked Apple Butter, Maple Bacon Jam, Strawberry Chipotle BBQ and our personal favourite, Habanero Lime Jelly (a bit like sweet chilli sauce but thicker) and it tastes amazing on baked salmon, fresh tuna tacos or burgers.  The clever cats at The Sweet Beet have even developed a Texas Beer Jelly Margarita, which we can't wait to try during the upcoming Bank Holiday weekend!

The Sweet Beet is available www.thesweetbeet.co.uk (RRP £4.50-£4.95).

Ashley Miln

Japan’s national drink is more versatile than people might think. An increasingly popular alternative to wine, sake is turning business around for Japan’s 1,800 sake breweries.  

​John Gauntner, the world’s leading non-Japanese sake expert, shares his top tips on how to choose a sake and his recommendations for the best food pairings with sake.

How to select a sake
Selecting sake is like selecting wine; every sake is different. Sake is made from rice, so the more finely milled it is, the more refined it will be. Sake is fairly priced in that the more you pay, the better the sake – at least technically.
 
There are two words to look for when choosing sake:

• Ginjo - This indicates the sake was made with highly milled rice and craft-laden methods
• Daiginjo’ – This is a subclass of ginjo and is basically ‘ginjo to die for'

When serving sake, most premium sake is better slightly chilled, like a white wine. But there are exceptions to this, and the world of warmed premium sake is one of endless fun and satisfaction. With so many options to hand, the best way to educate your palette is to try a variety of sake brands and grades to see what you like best.

We love quality chocolate (who doesn’t?), so we were excited to hear about the launch of MIA, a range of luxurious Madagascan single-origin chocolate bars ‘Made In Africa’.

Set up by a group of foodies with a shared passion for the continent, its people, wildlife and natural ingredients, each MIA product is crafted from start to finish in Madagascar with 1% of MIA sales donated to development projects in Africa.
 
The Criollo, Amelonado and Trinitario cocoa used is sourced directly from independent farmers in the Sambirano Valley of northwest Madagascar. The range includes six delicious variants:

• 100% Cocoa
• 75% Dark Chocolate 
• Candied Orange
• Coconut
• Almond & Coconut
• Hazelnut & Cranberry 

We tried the intense 100% cocoa, the slightly milder 75% cocoa and the candied orange chocolate bar, which contained candied orange pieces. All were mouth-wateringly delicious and we loved the gorgeous gold-embossed packaging they came in, which made each bar feel like a special treat as you unwrapped its goodness. With their intense flavours and stunning aesthetics,  they're the perfect gift for any chocolate aficionado.
 
MIA chocolates are available from BoroughBox (www.boroughbox.com) and Cocoa Runners (www.cocoarunners.com) for £4.00 (for a 75g pack). 

Ashley Miln

Trundling through the verdant English countryside on a train headed for the Cotswolds is always a welcome escape from London, but when it's married with an invitation to cook up a storm at the Daylesford Cookery School, it makes the journey all the more worthwhile. 

Pulling up to Daylesford’s Cotswolds estate, one gets an inherent feeling that an enjoyable time will be had. From the moment I visited on a drizzly grey February morning, I was sold on the Daylesford life. The estate is comforting, homely and wholesome.

From its beginnings as a family farm in Staffordshire and then the Cotswolds more than 40 years ago, today the Daylesford empire encompasses the organic farm with its on-site shop - packed to the rafters with everything from fresh produce and handmade cheeses to a beautifully-crafted lifestyle range - as well as a stunning restaurant, a year-round calendar of hands-on workshops, the luxuriously indulgent Bamford Haybarn Spa, on-site accommodation in the form of the Daylesford cottages and, of course, the eponymous Cookery School, which was established in 2010.

Since all I care to do when I arrive in a city is eat my way round it, Eating London Tours - which can also be found in Rome, Florence, Amsterdam and Prague -  is my kind of tour.
 
During the 4-hour tour of the London Old Docks, knowledgeable and spirited tour guides lead intimate groups off the beaten track of London’s tourist trail to eat and drink as the locals do and have done for hundreds of years. It’s an immersive experience full of conversation, stories, laughter and discovery, making it the most agreeable way to to learn more about London’s rich culture and fascinating history.
 
The Mayflower Pub, Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe, which was once a bustling trading hub of London. was the perfect place to start our tour of London’s docks, the now eerily quiet streets a far cry from its dramatic and chequered past. We headed to the iconic Mayflower pub, where we raised a pint of aptly named ‘Scurvy’ ale and dug into bangers, mash, black pudding and gravy alongside passionate locals.

As we dined, we learnt of the history of Brunel’s Rotherhithe Tunnel and how when it opened in 1843 millions flocked to what was referred to as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’. It certainly made our short tube journey through it to get to our next watering hole more interesting!
 
The Prospect of Whitby, Wapping
The Prospect of Whitby in Wapping had a sinister past - its deck still bears an ominously suspended noose from the days of public hangings, and there are rumours that it's haunted - food for thought over good old fashioned fish, chips and mushy peas all washed down with Truman’s craft beer.
 
Turners Old Star
After a leisurely stroll along the canals, we found ourselves in the charming Turners Old Star, one of the longest standing traditional East End taverns, which was converted by painter Joseph Turner in the 1830s for his then mistress.  What else would the landlady whip us up but a hearty steak and ale pie with a London Pride chaser?!

​The Captain Kidd
This riverside pub offered us great old-school pork scratchings, a Samuel Smith’s Porter rich with molasses, a gorgeous view and the perfect setting where we were told tales about the ‘mudlarks’ who scavenged the banks of the Thames. 

After our time at the Captain Kidd, we set off on a picturesque riverside walk to head to the Dickens Inn, our final destination on the tour.
 
Dickens Inn
This flower-adorned 18th century warehouse in the regenerated St Katherine’s Dock Marina was the perfect pit stop for a cheeseboard and a refreshing cider - a great end to the day after exploring one of London's most fascinating yet overlooked neighbourhoods.

So, if you're looking for a marvellous day out that will fill your stomach and put a smile on your face, you can't go wrong with this unique tour.

Luci Lyne

Quality starts with stringent standards
 
It doesn’t just start with the curing process, though - the pigs have to meet exacting breeding and feeding standards before they can go through the remaining processes that earn them the PDO Guijuelo stamp. For starters, they must be 100% or 75% Iberian breed.
 
The stringent requirements that the ham must meet to earn the PDO certification continue after the salting period. Once the hams have been washed to remove the salt from its exterior, they’re left in climate-controlled conditions for two to three months to help draw the salt well into the flesh. They’re then hung for between 18 and 24 months, exposed to the unique conditions of the Guijuleo region to cure naturally, before being transferred to a cellar to age for at least 12 months or more often an average of 18 months.
 
There are around 70 family businesses (many of which are fourth and fifth generation producers) within the PDO region. Within this designated territory, which includes Castile Leon, Extremadura, Castile-La Mancha and Andalusia, the pigs snuffle about freely, munching on meadow grasses and, during the October-March season, enjoying flavourful, nutrient-rich acorns.
 
We’re all familiar with the importance of ‘free range’ and most of us probably also know that, even aside from animal welfare concerns, “free to roam” animals just taste better. In the case of these Iberian pigs, their wandering lifestyle means that their muscles develop and the fat from their diet works its way deep into their flesh, which is what gives the ham its ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ marbling, flavour and silkiness. 

What to look for before buying Iberian ham
 
Next time you’re looking to buy an Iberian ham, look out for the different coloured labels, each of which gives further insights into the provenance and diet of the pig. Black and red labels both denote that the pigs have been acorn fed and that the hams are, respectively, 100% and 75% Iberian, while a green label means that the ham is no less than 75% Iberian and that it has been fed on “cebo de campo’ (cereal and legumes) and natural grasses.