EatingBritain.com » Beverages

Cracking the Christmas cocktail

Sarah Cabral — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 10:30:52 +0000

The festive period is already in full swing and as the drinks begin to flow during the ultimate party season, how can you be sure that your Christmas party shines brighter than the rest? Throwing the perfect party and making sure your guests have a good time is always stressful but worry not because help is at hand to make sure your Christmas do is that little bit different.

Mixologist and cocktail expert Ben Reed is giving top advice on preparing the perfect tipple, in this live webchat. Wondering which liqueurs go well with a mince pie or what cocktails are best to serve during winter? Well this is your chance to have your questions answered live by the master.

Forget Grandma’s old sherry, spice up your winter warmer with a cocktail list to make even Tom Cruise jealous. Log on and find out how to make your guests’ taste bud tingle make your yuletide bash a night to remember!

Mixologist Ben Reed will be live online, on Thursday 4th December for tips on making the perfect cocktails for the Christmas period.

Click here to submit questions before the chat

For more information visit www.firstdrinks.co.uk

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MP’s are calling for booze price increase

Sarah Cabral — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:00:30 +0000

I do fully understand their worries about binge drinking, policing problems and the ’state’ of the nation but I can’t help but agree with one lady who was interviewed for BBC Newsbeat, who felt that if people were determined to drink, a couple more pounds wouldn’t put them off and putting prices up would only punish sensible drinkers.

Still, I can’t help but feel a little suspicious about the reasoning behind the MP’s argument for increasing alcohol prices. One of the results of this credit crunch is that people are staying at home rather than eating out and partying, and the hospitality industry is suffering as a result. I can’t help thinking that these calls by the MP’s are in reality a way to force people out to spend money again.

Do you think I’m being too cynical? Do you think the MP’s really have best intentions at heart? I really don’t know and I’d love to know what you think.

Source

Newsbeat

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An Accidental Masterstroke

Sarah Cabral — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:40:06 +0000

Ice lollies, potato chips and even the humble sandwich are all popular foods that were discovered or invented by mistake and one of the most popular wines in the UK today was also discovered thanks to an accidental masterstroke.

Thirty years ago, at a time when Sauvignon Blanc was known only as a French grape variety, pioneering winemakers planted the first Sauvignon Blanc grapes in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. However, in what would turn out to be an accidental masterstroke and contrary to accepted practice, Montana planted their vineyard rows west to east rather than north to south. Surprisingly, this gave the winemakers a broader range of grapes to blend from, creating a unique approach to grape growing and resulting in a vibrant flavour never experienced before.

This fortuitous discovery raised the profile of New Zealand wines in the UK and created a huge demand for them. It put New Zealand on the map as a hub for wine excellence, in turn boosting their economy and tourism industries. Today, Montana is the world’s number one New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and continues to win awards the world over.

To find out more about the journey from grape to glass, have your wine related questions answered and take part in this exciting wine tasting event, simply pour yourself a glass and sit back and relax.

In the studio are Neil Phillips and Chris Scott, Wine experts from the UK and New Zealand respectively. Log on to www.webchats.tv on Thursday 2nd October at 7pm to learn more about New World Sauvignon Blanc, its heritage and what’s so special about the latest vintage from New Zealand.

Click here to submit questions before the chat

For more information and for your chance to win a Vintage Experience, a money-can’t-buy trip to New Zealand for you and your partner where you will experience the new vintage first hand and have the chance to blend your own wine. click on www.montanavintageexperience.com/win for your chance to win.

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Belvoir Fruit Farms

Sarah Cabral — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:10:32 +0000

Today, production has moved out of the kitchen and down to the fruit farm. Mary’s son Pev Manners now oversees production of 15 cordial varieties (including that very same elderflower recipe) and 8 pressé selling over 8 million bottles a year, to the best delicatessens, food halls, farm shops and major supermarkets across the UK.

The cordial range includes organic and non-organic varieties and both are 100% natural and free from artificial flavours, sweeteners, colours, preservatives or any other ‘nasties’. Fruit is hand-pressed on the farm and then to make sure every drink is as fresh as possible, it is bottled, pasteurised and ready for sale within 24 hours.

Still a family business, Belvoir have remained true to their recipes and roots, and all the drinks are still made on the same premises by the hand of one lady – Phyllis.

Once the fruit is pressed, Phyllis weighs out the other ingredients on giant scales and then sets about the making. This can range from boiling up giant kettles of lemon, ginger or mint water, to hand filtering juice or stirring giant vats filled with delicious infusions.

Finding the right ingredients for the products is critical. Belvoir Fruit Farms are unique in that they grow their own elderflowers in 90 acres of organic plantations. With the high demand for elderflower cordial, the local villagers all lend a hand picking the flowers during the harvest. Pev also scours the world to find the best suppliers for the rest of the ingredients – be it apples from a friend’s farm in Suffolk or rose infusion from Turkey, or lemons from Spain.

One ingredient is key to the magic of Belvoir and that’s the spring water at the heart of all its drinks. The farm has use of the local Woolsthorpe spring which provides crystal clear water that is naturally filtered through limestone for centuries. This is pumped directly to the Belvoir estate including the pressing shed, where it is used in its purest form without the addition of chemicals.

According to Pev, what sets Belvoir apart “Is the integrity of the product. Authenticity is our ethos; we do not cut corners. All our bottles simply contain real fruit, flowers or spices. We do not compromise on quality or taste, choosing only the finest ingredients to ensure our drinks are the best they can possibly be.”

There is a grand range of Belvoir cordials and pressés; from the traditional, including Elderflower (of course), Ginger, and Apple & Blackberry, to more unusual combinations such as Gooseberry & Mint and Raspberry & Rose. They are so refreshing and really fruity. My personal favourite is Raspberry & Rose which has a perfect fruity/floral balance, I just can’t get enough of it!

The Organic Blood Orange & Mandarin cordial was a GOLD AWARD winner at the Great Taste Awards 2008 and most deservedly so! A refreshing blend of Sicilian pressed blood orange juice and real mandarin juice gives this cordial a crisp refreshing taste and is wonderfully original as you can clearly taste both fruits at once, a very grown-up orange squash!

One of the best things about the cordials is that they are so versatile, you can use them as toppings for ice cream, as mixers for ‘grown-up’ drinks, in cocktails and as the base for sorbets and desserts, they are a multi-tasking dream!

For a full list of the range and for more information about Belvoir Fruit Farms, take a look at the website www.belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk.

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Oz Clarke’s favourite tipple

Sarah Cabral — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:03:43 +0000

Oz is an advocate of the 4 S’s: see, smell, savour and swallow. Using skills that would make any sommelier proud, he shows us how to use every sense to swirl, sniff and roll the flavour over your tongue. Think dollops of cream on English scones and Wimbledon strawberries.

Organic milk has all the nutritional goodness of non-organic milk, but the fact that the cows are fed on a more natural diet means that there are additional benefits. Not only does the milk contain higher vitamin levels, but traditional production methods mean that you’re helping farming in the UK and supporting local industries. Information from OMSCo, the organic milk cooperative, also shows that non-organic milk comes from farms that are allowed to use GM cattle feed, routine antibiotic treatments and synthetic pesticides. These are not permitted on organic farms, which makes it an ethical choice too.

OMSCo dairy farmer, Mike Cottrell also backs the Taste Organic Milk initiative to encourage people to take more time to appreciate the real taste of organic milk as a drink, declaring:

‘Our farm is organic which is what I believe to be the key to great tasting milk. We use traditional farming methods to produce purer, more natural organic milk that is good for you, the cows and the countryside. Our cattle are fed on the very best quality non GM feed, and our fields are not treated with pesticides. I really believe that happy cows mean great tasting milk.’

Click here to watch the video.

For more information visit www.tasteorganicmilk.com

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Richard Hammond, The Restaurant and Mile High drinks.

Sarah Cabral — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:30:16 +0000

I didn’t see the first series of BBC’s The Restaurant, even though it’s about food, it didn’t really appeal to my taste in programmes. However, I recently got talking to one of this series’ contestants and hearing all about it from his point of view, I just had to watch it!

Richard Hammond and his partner Scott have survived their first night with Sorbets & Seasons and there are plenty more challenges to come ahead.

I asked Richard what it was really like filming the programme?

” It was very interesting, very much reality TV, it’s not so much about running a restaurant”. Days are long during filming which starts at 7am, “we missed lots of meals, one lady lost 2 stone in weight, that’s how stressful and difficult it was, you just don’t have time to eat”. “It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be but I’m really pleased we did it”.

“The camera crew are there from morning till night, they follow you everywhere, they followed us around Waitrose, around Wicks while we were choosing wallpaper”. “You think, you know I’ve got a dead line, Scott’s got to get back in the kitchen and we’re faffing about filming”. “There was one time I had to do a survey to ask people about menus and what food they like”, ” and so of course when they see you walking towards them with a camera and food etc, it’s like a parting of the seas, they all run away, it’s really difficult!”.

What were your experiences of meeting Raymond Blanc?

“You don’t see him a huge amount, only on the 2 days per week when you’re filming”,”to be honest he was very fair to us, he came across as a very nice guy”. “It’s all about TV though, you can be in the middle of a conversation and all of a sudden they say stop, let’s do that again, it’s very frustrating”.

All this marvelous exposure can only do Richard good, as anyone who digs a little deeper, will know that Richard is also director of drinks company Mile High Drinks, debuting in Waitrose on 22nd September.

Mile High drinks was conceived by Stuart Roberts and Richard, who first met when Stuart & his wife were hairdressing clients of Richard and who later lived next door. Stuart had been developing a ‘feel-good’ drink to help combat the ‘during and after’ effects of flying, and Richard, an ex BA flight attendant, with vast experience and contacts in the aviation world, got the trials they needed to prove it really worked.

What makes this drink different from other health drinks?

“The extremely high anti-oxidant content”, “trials showed it to have the highest level of anti-oxidants in comparison with other natural fruit drinks trialled”, “it is so good for you on a daily basis, I have one everyday”. The Mile High website also states that the drink contains ingredients that have proven to be of benefit to: the digestive system, circulation, the immune system, travel sickness and nausea.

Are you introducing any further varieties?

“A ‘Smile’ High kid’s version because there’s nothing healthy for kids to drink on board an aircraft”. “It’s 100% natural, just like the adult version but we thought children could have something trendy and funky, and that parents know is good for them when they’re flying”.

Although aimed at flyers, other applications for the drinks include, provision by the airlines themselves, use in gyms, use by everyday people as a supplement to their diet, even as a mixer in night clubs.

Mile High drinks is clearly on it’s way with the imminent launch in Waitrose and filming of The Restaurant is complete, so there has to be a ‘what’s next?’. Richard strikes me as a man who takes every opportunity that comes his way and sure enough there’s talk of more TV work in the near future and further development of the Mile High varieties.

Exciting times are on the horizon for Richard and you’ll have to watch the next episode of The Restaurant to find out how Richard and Scott get on.

For further info about Mile High drinks, take a look at the website.

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Discover the secrets of modern Bordeaux.

Sarah Cabral — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:00:11 +0000

You might love French wines, but chances are you’ve found them labelled in such a way that it’s hard to know which one to choose, or even to remember which one you bought last time you went to the supermarket. Well it’s time to stop scratching your head, as a new generation of Bordeaux wines prepares to take the mystery out of the buying experience for UK wine lovers.

Guy Henri Azam is head winemaker at the legendary Baron Philippe de Rothschild wines. He and fellow expert Philip Goodband are hosting an exclusive web chat that will explain how a range of Bordeaux wines developed exclusively for the modern consumer aims to address our particular concerns and tastes.

Until now, most Bordeaux wine labels have typically featured a picture of a chateau, and no indication of grape variety. Enchanté wines buck the trend. The range combines crystal clear, stylish labelling with wines that belong very much in the Bordeaux tradition, while offering UK consumers crisper, fruitier and ultimately more accessible flavours: The best of Bordeaux with a modern twist.

Guy and Philip are waiting to answer all your questions about these refreshing developments in the world of wine, so log on to the chat for the full story.

Guy Henri Azam and Philip Goodband will be live online on Tuesday 16th September at 1.00pm to approx 1.20pm to discuss the new Enchanté range of Bordeaux wines.

Click here to submit questions before the chat.

For more information visit www.sainsburys.com.

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Grolsch lager recalled from Morrisons

Sarah Cabral — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:30:21 +0000

This is as a result of three complaints about some pieces of glass in the bottles, although no injuries have been reported. The recall involves a batch of 526,000 bottles made on 18 July 2008, which are only just being supplied to retail outlets now, so it is hoped that a large proportion will be able to be recalled from stores.

Product details:

* Grolsch Premium Lager, Bottled
* 20 x 300ml bottles in cardboard case
* Best before: 31 March 2009
* Batch code: L8200 and L8199

Coors says the best before date and batch information is found both on the external cardboard packaging and also on the shoulder of the bottle. No other Grolsch products or packages are affected. Coors advises that any affected products should be returned to Morrisons. Further information can be obtained from the Coors free telephone number: 0800 371166. Product recall notices have been placed in four national newspapers today and point-of-sale notices supplied to Morrisons to display.

Source: Food Standards Agency

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The Rise of East African Coffees

Sarah Cabral — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:30:30 +0000

I really do believe in trying to reduce food miles as much as possible but there are some food stuffs which simply cannot be produced in this country. There is the argument that if they cannot be produced in this country, they should be excluded from your diet if you’re a die-hard food mile reducer. But take coffee for example, it does not grow successfully in the UK and I for one do not plan to give it up just because it has to be imported, I would rather choose my coffee carefully and mindfully than go without.

Coffee is ever growing in popularity, just look at how many coffee establishments have sprung up where you live, Starbucks, Costa, Neros, to name just a few. We as a nation are now developing and refining our taste for coffee, almost as if it were wine, discerning between locations, even specific regions to suit our particular tastes.

One region in particular is rising in popularity for speciality coffee production – East Africa; Grumpy Mule’s Damian Blackburn comments:

“This year’s Great Taste Awards saw several coffees from Eastern Africa being highly commended. Of our award winners, two were from this coffee growing region. Our Rwandan coffee from the Musasa cooperative won a prestigious 3 Star Gold Award and our Fairtrade Organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe was awarded 2 Star Gold. Notably, Café Direct’s Ugandan Fairtrade Organic also won 3 Star Gold reflecting the growing appreciation for the quality of East African coffee beans.”

So what are the reasons for these successes?

“The key factor is taste. The finest coffees from this region show characteristics such as a floral aroma and vibrant, citrus fruit flavours that make them stand out. This is down to a combination of climate, terrain and great care in the harvesting and processing of the coffee. The majority of these award winning coffees come from cooperatives of small-holder farmers who have benefited from pooling their resources and efforts together to produce great coffee and seek higher prices for their crop in return.”

The speciality food sector not only requires quality but also provenance. The liberalisation of the coffee industry in many East African coffee producing countries is allowing direct sourcing from known growers and cooperatives, rather than buying untraceable lots sold through Government auction systems. These direct relationships are encouraging farmers to improve the quality of their coffees.

Rwandan coffee is looking forward to a very bright future. Political stability, a reinvestment program and a focus on quality has led to a growing reputation among the coffee roasting community and it seems certain that coffee lovers will follow suit. This month, Rwanda is hosting the first Cup of Excellence competition to be held outside Latin America, showcasing the finest coffees that its farmers have to offer. The success of Rwandan coffee in the Great Taste Awards, combined with this distinguished Cup of Excellence event, is sure to raise its profile further.”

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Counterfeit SPAR Imperial Vodka

Sarah Cabral — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:09:07 +0000

Islington Council have also launched an investigation after 70cl bottles of the counterfeit vodka were found on sale in a non-SPAR store.

The counterfeit vodka contains potentially harmful levels of methanol. The levels recorded could have serious health effects, including blindness, if consumed in large quantities.

No counterfeit bottles have been found in SPAR stores and there are no concerns associated with authentic bottles of SPAR Imperial Vodka.

No cases of ill health associated with this counterfeit vodka have currently been reported.

SPAR has told the Agency that the only legitimate route of purchase for SPAR Own Label 70cl is via a SPAR store and if offered for sale via any other means would be deemed suspect.

The Food Standards Agency is issuing a food alert for local authorities to check for counterfeit bottles on sale in their areas and to take action if necessary.

How to identify the counterfeit vodka

The counterfeit SPAR Imperial Vodka has a hint of acetone smell (similar to nail varnish).

Bottles of the counterfeit samples are identified by the code QI:1445c and a smudged inkjet code reading that looks like 102234 04/08/02.

Legitimate bottles are notated by the following:

700ml66mm followed by two symbols and then the numbers 8809

There is no lot code present on the neck of the counterfeit bottle samples, whereas lot codes are present on all legitimate stock.

The photographs, which can be found at the link below, show the counterfeit bottle (left) next to the authentic bottle (right).

Who has reported the illegal vodka?

In addition to the Northumbrian Police seizure of 180 bottles from a transit van, the following seizures of counterfeit vodka have been reported to the Agency:

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