DESTINATION DELICIOUS - FOOD AND DRINK

Crosta & Mollica - Look no further for delicious Italian bakery products

24/2/2019

best UK food blog 2019 - Destination Delicious - Crosta & Mollica food product review

Crosta & Mollica, which means 'crust and crumb' in Italian, produces a tasty range of authentic fine Italian baked goods made with simple ingredients. Think traditional piadinas, breads, savoury biscuits and seasonal products such as pannetone and pandoros.

We loved the tarallini (Italian snacks with the texture of a breadstick) and also their piadina (Italian flatbread, which looks and tastes a bit like a tortilla). To get the best flavour out of the piadina, we baked it in the oven for the recommended five minutes, and they came out warm, lovely and flaky. We used ours like tortillas and found they were great for making a wide variety of sandwiches and even as an alternative to tortilla shells for tacos. The verdict - we'll definitely be switching our tortillas out for piadinas moving forward as they're so much tastier!

top UK food blog 2019 - Destination Delicious - Crosta & Mollica food product review

London food bloggers - Destination Delicious - Crosta & Mollica food product review

best UK food blog 2019 - Destination Delicious - Crosta & Mollica food product review

best UK food blog 2019 - Destination Delicious - Crosta & Mollica food product review

Crosta & Mollica products can be found across the UK at variety of stockists including Waitrose, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Whole Foods and Booths.

Ashley Miln

Introducing Doisy & Dam chocolates

21/12/2018

Doisy and Dam vegan chocolate

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.

vegan and gluten free chocolate

best vegan chocolate

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

The most fabulous gifts for foodies - Foodie Christmas gift guide

29/11/2018

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

Destination Delicious Christmas gift guide for foodies - cheese hamper from Paxton & Whitfield

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

Best organic teas - Joe's Tea Co

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.

Best truffle oil - Fine Food Specialist black truffle oil

Best award-winning gin - Rock Rose Gin

TRUFFLE OIL
There's nothing more decadent than truffle oil, especially when it's drizzled over your favourite dishes. Given that black truffle oil has a more herby, garlic flavour than white truffle oil, it can e used on a variety of dishes.

We love ours drizzled over a heaping bowl of fresh pasta, as a finishing oil on top of pizzas or even drizzled lightly over scrambled eggs.

With it's cute imagery of a truffle hunting dog, it makes a lovely gift and will look great proudly displayed on the kitchen counter.

Available from Fine Food Specialist for £8.50 (100ml).

GIN
Gin is the perfect Christmas cocktail staple. Whether you're planning on serving a traditional G&T or a more festive concoction such as a Bramble, you can't go wrong with giving a bottle of gin.

We recently disovered Rock Rose Gin, a fabulous award-winning premium Scottish gin made with hand-foraged botanicals.

For those of you who want to go extra Christmasey, Rock Rose Gin has launched a limited edition Winter Edition Rock Rose Gin, with earthy spruce tips as the dominant botanical. Hello Christmas tree gin! Rock Rose Gin (£34.00 for 700ml) and Rock Rose Gin - Winter Edition (£37.50 for 700ml) are available from dunnetbaydistillers.co.uk.

HOT CHOCOLATE
Is there anything more relaxing than sitting by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate in hand? We love this of luxury hot chocolates trio by Cartwright & Butler, which boasts three indulgent flavours including salted caramel, chocolate orange, and milk chocolate.

This gift set and other marvellous foodie gifts are available from the RNLI (the charity that saves lives at sea) at shop.RNLI.org. They currently have a 10% discount on hampers, so now's the time to splurge!

|Highbullen Country Club, North Devon afternoon tea

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.

Ashley Miln

Introducing the Diforti Christmas hamper - The ultimate hamper for the Italian loving foodie

27/11/2018

Give a taste of la dolce vita this Christmas

The best gifts for foodies - The Diforti Italian Christmas hamper

The best gifts for foodies - The Diforti Italian Christmas hamper

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.

The best Christmas hampers - Diforti Italian hamper

Ashley Miln

Introducing Tyne Bank Brewery: A range of innovative new beers lovingly brewed in Newcastle

25/8/2018

UK food and lifestyle blog Destination Delicious discovers Tyne Bank Brewery, a range of new beers brewed in Newcastle

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

Introducing The Sweet Beet - A range of seriously tasty condiments to tantalise your tastebuds

20/8/2018

Top UK food blog: Destination Delicious food product reviews - The Sweet Beet

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

Make this summer the summer of sake

26/4/2018

John Guantner sake expert top tips

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.

sake food pairings top tips

Foods to pair with sake

Oysters
Many types of sake have a creamy, rice-tinged flavour, making them perfect for showcasing the taste and texture of fleshy oysters. The acidity of the sake cleanses and refreshes the palate, readying it for the next mouthful, and a subtlety sweet sake will also embrace the salinity found in many oysters.

Calamari
Fried calamari is perfect with a chilled sparkling sake. Varieties with enough acidity will balance the oil of the fried squid and combine with the light umani of the fish to create complex flavours.

Prosciutto and cheese
A rich, sweet sake will lure out the savoury flavours of the strong saltiness of the ham, while an aged sake that offers a full, nutty aroma deepens the flavour of cheeses such as mature cheddar, Parmesan and blue cheese.

Bitter vegetables
Sake also matches surprisingly well with vegetables that have a slight bitterness - such as asparagus, Brussels sprouts or arugula.

The only foods to avoid with sake are spicy food, strong sauces or overly rich and fatty dishes, which tend to overpower the subtle favours in sake.

So, the next time you find yourself ordering oysters in a restaurant, impress your friends by asking for a glass of sake!

Introducing MIA – Luxurious Madagascan chocolate

15/4/2018

MIA luxurious Madagascan chocolate

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

A day in the kitchen at Daylesford Cookery School, Cotswolds

2/3/2018

Daylesford Cookery School courses review Destination Delicious

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.

During the cookery course, guests spend the day whipping up a smorgasbord of delicious dishes under the tutelage of Daylesford's team of chefs.

The calendar of courses itself is a sight to behold, covering almost anything one could possibly want to learn in a kitchen; which makes selecting your preferred course the most difficult task. From cheese-making and artisan breadmaking, to nose-to-tail butchery or masterclasses on how to throw the perfect dinner party, visitors to the Cookery School have the benefit of learning not only from Daylesford’s team of chefs but an experienced faculty of bakers, cheesemakers, butchers, foragers, market gardeners and even an in-house sustainability expert.

Daylesford Cookery School courses review Destination Delicious

Daylesford Cookery School courses review Destination Delicious

With the shop and restaurant relatively quiet given the early hour, I headed to the cookery school ready to don chef’s whites for the 'Eat to be Healthy' workshop, which focuses on Daylesford’s passion and dedication to growing, producing and cooking real food, organically.

Celebrating delicious, seasonal recipes that are naturally free from refined sugars, dairy and wheat flour, Eat to be Healthy explores fast, simple recipes that utilise fresh ingredients and pack a big punch on taste with minimal effort. Led by chefs James Hearfield and Jason Christie, the day began with a bowl of homemade pistachios, orange and cardamom granola and coconut yoghurt, a delectable blend of nuts and seeds, toasted with just a smidgen of maple syrup and a thousand times more delicious than anything found in a shop.

With the day’s menu comprising a warming winter soup, sprouting salad with Bagna Cauda, Keralan fish curry with cauliflower rice and a grand finale of an Earl grey winter tea jelly finished with charred blood orange, roasted pistachios and cashew cream, one would be forgiven for thinking such a feast would require hours of slaving over a hot stove. Quite the contrary; each of our given recipes was as speedy to create as it was to devour (almost…) and after in-depth tutorials from our chefs, a wealth of shared tips - from the secret to the perfect stock to how to season properly - and plenty of vibrant conversation about the topic in hand, the day flew by and six hours felt more like two.

Daylesford Cookery School courses review Destination Delicious

While every recipe was something of a taste sensation, it was the Keralan fish curry that really struck a chord. In fact, since my day at Daylesford a mere three weeks ago, I've already made it twice, making it a firm new favourite!

As well as learning an arsenal of recipes to overhaul my eating habits, the course certainly set the cogs in motion in terms of thinking outside the box. While I love to cook, living alone and lacking in time means I often don't make the effort to cook and I end up stuck in a rut. Inspired by the course, I’ve already stocked up my spice cupboard with a plethora of spices to inject fabulous flavours into the delicious new dishes I'll soon be preparing.

The details
The next Eat to be Healthy course takes place on 10 March. Price is £185 with 20% off full day courses until 31 March. For a full calendar of events throughout the year and to book, visit www.daylesford.com/cookeryschool.

Getting there
Kingham Train Station is located just 3 miles from Daylesford. There are regular connections to all major UK cities. Visit WWW.NATIONALRAIL.CO.UK for timetables and information.

Laurel Waldron
*During my visit, I was hosted by the lovely team at Daylesford Cookery School. All views, words and images are my own.

Eating London Tours - London Old Docks

19/12/2017

Eating London Food Tours London Old Docks Destination Delicious

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.

Eating London Food Tours London Old Docks Destination Delicious

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