Whilst a lot of people are clambering to make restaurant bookings this April, a lot of people are not quite ready to leave the house just yet so the rise in at home restaurant kits is still very much a ‘thing.’ Contemporary Chinese restaurant group, Tattu has expanded its cook-at-home menu with two new boxes available to pre-order for delivery from Thursday 8th April and we are here for it.
The Tattu by Youcook-at-home meal boxes have been developed by the restaurant group to offer a taste of Tattu’s unique experience, giving customers a chance to recreate some of Tattu’s signature dishes in their own kitchens.
The Tattu by You Spring box (priced £65) features the restaurant’s signature Red Pepper Lamb Cutlets with Chinese Five Spice Butter and Sesame, accompanied by a side of Special Fried Sweet Potato. The menu also includes a luxurious Asian Pear Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert.
The Tattu by You Vegetarian box (priced £55) includes Tattu’s most popular vegetarian dishes – Wild Mushroom Spring Rolls with a decadent Truffle Sour Cream, Vegetarian Chicken with Black Bean Sauce, and OK Glazed Tempeh. The menu also includes the Asian Pear Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert.
Both boxes will be available alongside the Tattu by the Sea box and can be purchased with or without one of Tattu’s recommended wine pairings. Customers can also purchase a selection of mixed and ready-to-pour cocktails from the Tattu Favourites collection.
Each box serves two people and comes with easy-to-follow preparation and cooking instructions, along with a Sounds of Tattu QR code which diners can scan with their smartphone to bring Tattu’s contemporary ambience directly into their home.
With every Tattu by You box purchased, Tattu will make a donation to its local charity partners working to support those affected by homelessness in Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh and Birmingham.
Tattu by You will be available to pre-order from Friday 2nd April forUK wide delivery via DPD from Thursday 8th April. Subsequent boxes will be available for delivery every Thursday, Friday and Saturday only until 24th April.
Here at House of Coco we have developed a recent obsession with all things CBD. Whether it’s oils, creams or from our good friends at Gibsons Goodology ; Teas.
Gibson’s Goodology, multi-award winning CBD-infused teas, are the perfect addition to the plentiful picnics that are soon to be on the cards, as the weather improves and socialising becomes an option once more. A lighter choice than traditional canned cocktails, Gibson’s Goodology will allow drinkers to be at their best when reunited with friends and loved ones.
Great on the go, these 250ml drinks come in three elegant, summery flavours; Green Tea & Passionfruit, Jasmine Tea & Rhubarb and Shiso Tea & Blueberry. Plus, each sparkling tea contains just five simple yet high-quality, all-natural ingredients: fruit, agave, lemon juice, tea and 25mg CBD isolate – the highest dosage available on the premium market to date.
This spring and summer will be one to remember, as restrictions ease and picnics and outdoor celebrations begin in full. With Gibson’s Goodology, you can enjoy the newfound freedom with a trio of drinks for just £14.99; who said you had to break the budget to imbibe in style? These liquid hugs contain top quality ingredients, expertly designed to unlock the body’s natural processes, balance your body’s harmony, and leave you with a warm glow inside. CBD has never been more important, and after a winter in lockdown, Gibson’s Goodology allows people to indulge with their friends, whilst still making a wellness choice.
Despite only launching onto the market a few months ago, Gibson’s Goodology are proud to have been awarded two Silver and one Gold medal at the Spirits Business Inaugural Low/Now Awards, The Independent ‘Indy’s Best CBD Drink’ and to have placed at the World Beverage Awards against market heavyweights such as Pepsi. Steadily gaining recognition within the wellness market, the team is committed to taking drinks technology to the next level. From the great minds of award-winning mixologist Oskar Kinberg and renowned tea expert Stefan Gieschke, Gibson’s Goodology’s three unique flavours have been expertly blended and delicately balanced to offer a high dosage of superior CBD without sacrificing flavour or quality. This is achieved through a rigorous in-house, CBD ‘triple lab testing’ process, making Gibson’s Goodology truly a one of a kind brand.
The world of Goodology is a small click away on Gibson’s Goodology website where you can prepare for summer by picking up a tasting trio and inspiring your inner Goodologist.
For further information on Gibson’s Goodology please visit
If you’re anything like us, your diary from the 12th April onwards is packed to the brim with restaurant bookings, festivals and bars that you are going to be frequenting. If you’re in Leeds, then you’re in for a real treat as seven local independent operators located on Merrion Street have joined forces and plan to install a 50m canopy over Merrion street to create the city’s largest outdoor drinking area.
Manahatta, MOJO, Verve, Mean Eyed Cat, Roxy Ball Room, Yard & Coop and Liv Bar are taking part in the new venture, which will launch on 12th April in line with the Government Roadmap easing of restrictions for hospitality.
Inspiration for the idea came from the hugely successful Merrion Street Festival in the summer of 2020, which saw bar and restaurant operators on the street collaborate for a weekend of live music, great food and drink. It’s been a long, challenging year for operators in the leisure and hospitality industry, and like many others, the Merrion Street bars and restaurants are eager to reopen and welcome back their customers.
Lisa Morris, Co-Owner or Yard & Coop, said:
“Merrion street has some of the area’s best party bars and restaurants all now with plenty of outside seating and professional covering, making it one of the largest covered party areas in Leeds. Each venue will be showcasing their best drinks, food and good times. This is going to feel like being on holiday in the centre of Leeds – every weekend.”
With a capacity to seat up to 200 people, the street will be covered entirely with a 50m canopy with each venue offering a selection of their signature dishes, drinks, and unique cocktails.
Martin Wolstencroft from Arc Inspiration said:
“Manahatta is delighted to work with the other bars on Merrion Street to create a unique, fantastic destination for all our customers to come together and celebrate the reopening of the superb hospitality Leeds is famous for”.
The Merrion Street collaboration will launch on 12th April and run up until 17th May, when the hospitality industry will resume normal trade as venues are allowed to open their doors to the public. From 12th April, operators will trade from Wednesday through to Sunday, and if a success, they plan to make this a regular event and continue the concept during the winter months.
Customers are encouraged to book in advance; however, walk-ups will also be welcome.
Martin Greenhow MD of MOJOS added: “Everyone on Merrion Street is immensely excited to welcome back all our old friends and guests and finally offer some much-needed relief from the house arrest we’ve all had to endure. At last, someone else will make you a drink and take care of the cooking!”
It’s that time of the year again when the only things that seem to be on our minds are cute fluffy bunnies and an endless supply of chocolate Easter eggs. With lockdown still very much in place, you might be looking for some impressive meal kits or delightful hampers to cheer up yourself or your nearest and dearest. We’ve done all the hard research work so you don’t have to, below are our top recommendations to make sure you bring some sunshine into your at-home Easter experience.
PAUL Bakery
For those with a sweet tooth, they are an ever-reliable option having established themselves in 1889. They have an eggsceptional Easter range with the likes of a family-sized celebration carrot cake to their Easter bunny bundle box with adorable bunny-shaped individual Fraisier cakes. They offer a noon cut-off time for next-day orders, so it’s ideal for those looking for last-minute Easter gifts.
Proof
If you want even more sweet options, then do check out the fabulous offerings at this bakery. The variety of Easter-themed treats are unrivalled from the likes of hot cross buns to mini egg profiterole kits to their multicoloured Easter shag cake (which does resemble my hair currently).
Benares
For a show-stopping Easter roast with a difference, look no further than this iconic Michelin-starred restaurant. This tandoori gosht is a ginger and fennel spiced roasted crown of lamb which is stuffed with quail egg pulao. It is served with delectable rogan josh gravy, saag aloo, garlic naan, cumin raita, Punjabi onion salad, and chilli and mint chutney. It serves a minimum of 4 people and requires 48 hrs notice. They also have a very innovative eggs of India menu for Easter with the likes of organic duck egg masala bake.
London Stock
Talking of luxury dining experiences, you should check out Head Chef, Nico Fitzgerald’s luxurious three-course Easter meal box. It’s about championing British produce and bringing fine-dining to an at-home environment. Duck liver or mushroom parfait served with cherry jelly? Wellington of beef or hay-baked celeriac? If the sound of these dishes is making you salivate, make sure you check out their website as soon as possible.
Galvin Bistrot & Bar
Easter is all about BBQ and it does look like we are heading into a period of BBQ-friendly weather conditions. Galvin has the perfect meat box with the likes of Côte de Boeuf, half-rack BBQ pork ribs, beef burgers, and hot dogs as well as a wide selection of sides like tomato & basil salad and couscous salad. One thing to remember, this is top-notch restaurant quality produce you can’t find at your local supermarket.
Smokestak
If you love your BBQ meats in a rich, smoky style, then Smokestak is the website you should be hitting up to order your festive meat feast. Smokestak owner David Carter’s Ole Hickory wood-fired smoker is used to smoke everything right in the heart of Shoreditch for up to 15 hours over kiln-dried English oak. The items are then vacuum-packed and sent overnight to ensure the food doesn’t stay in the restaurant for a day more than is necessary. Their Easter menu includes the likes of native breed pulled pork and beef brisket with pickled red chilli.
Bocca di Lupo
They have an inspired feast based on spring animals. There are four courses with the likes of babe, Easter bunny, spring lamb, and speckled Jim. The main event (spring lamb) consists of honey marinated boneless leg of lamb, roast potatoes & onions, lettuce & lemon dressing. The kit also comes with a bottle of Lambrusco to ensure celebrations start in style.
Aquavit
This Nordic powerhouse has just launched a brand new DIY kit for Easter weekend. Most of the dishes you’ll struggle to find supplied anywhere else include the likes of Gubbora, a traditional egg and anchovy salad with rye bread, and the pictured signature Semla, which is filled with almond and Chantilly cream. You need to order by the 30th of March to get this kit delivered before Easter weekend.
Gelupo
If you don’t have time for a lengthy 3-course meal but still want to celebrate Easter with a high-quality dessert treat, then check out the Italian Easter offering from the finest gelato parlour in London. The Colomba offering is the springtime equivalent of a Christmas panettone. This gelato is inspired by the indulgent, fluffy classic Italian cake that is made with made top-quality flour, farm-fresh eggs, sugar, and butter sprinkled with nuts.
The Last Piece Bakery
Finally, we can not end without recommending an independent, small business that we know and love. There are no boundaries to their baking influences from gooey American-style ombre cookies to delicate, Arabic-influenced milk cakes. Their beautiful creations in particular their hampers to celebrate special occasions like Valentine’s day and Easter are much-loved by Londoners and beyond. Do check out their Instagram for some hunger-inducing photos.
Most people in England have marked down the 17th of May as the key date to return to their favourite restaurants to support their favourite local businesses. However, there’s a raft of restaurants that are ready to open their terraces to famished diners from the 12th of April. Here, at House of Coco, we check out the 10 venues, you should be visiting in April.
Vinegar Yard
If you are looking for wide-open spaces and a relaxed atmosphere to catch-up with friends and family over evening aperitif or to check-out the latest street food trends, this is the place to visit with the likes of Baba G’s, Sugo, Nik’s Kitchen, and Nanny Bill’s. It is conveniently situated next to London Bridge with the iconic Shard building as a backdrop.
Devonshire Terrace
With some people returning to work in the city, you might be wondering what decent outdoor drinking and dining spaces might be open in April. Look no further than Devonshire Terrace. It’s secluded, it’s tranquil, their cocktails are always impressive so whether you are on a date or a business meeting, this is the ideal urban hideaway. Quite a few of the Drake and Morgan venues are opening up, so do check out their website.
Mariage Frères
One of the most aesthetically pleasing pedestrianised areas we came across last year was King St in Covent Garden. It’s lined with boutique shops and elegant restaurants. The one to check out here is the renowned French tea emporium, Mariage Frères. If there is any tea they don’t stock, it’s probably not worth trying. And their tea-inspired food menu is staggeringly creative.
Double Standard at the Standard
The hottest hotel opening in recent years is back with their ever-popular terrace opening in April. This is the place to see and be seen. Their Aperol slushies have been a huge hit with Londoners and they will be launching a new flavour in the spring. Expect burgers, expect cocktails and expect frivolity.
JOY at Portobello
For those floral-loving diners, look no further than the outdoor terrace at JOY’s dahlia-filled Flora restaurant at Portobello Docks. The waterside views are almost as incredible as the ultra-fresh produce in the restaurant which is brought up daily from The Good Shed in Canterbury.
Angelina
If you are looking for an outdoor terrace in April that will offer creative fare, then the place to go is Angelina in Dalston. They have been arousing Londoners’ taste buds with their imaginative fusion of Japanese and Italian cuisines. Think uni & sausage chawanmushi and cime di rapa tempura. Plus they have a covered terrace, so you can still meet up with friends even if inclement weather strikes.
Aquavit
You might be wondering if you can still enjoy fine dining experiences on the terraces in April. The answer is most definitely yes if you visit the terraces of the ever-popular Nordic restaurant, Aquavit. All the Nordic classics you would expect are present including Skagen, highland venison loin, and Icelandic cod.
Natak
A lot of restauranteurs decided to not wait for the May indoor hospitality opening date and made the call to extend their terraces to start welcoming keen restaurant-goers from April. Natak is a case in point; this relaxed, informal Indian restaurant serves iconic Indian dishes alongside traditional family recipes. You need a considerable spice rack to cook up decent Indian dishes at home, so why clutter up your kitchen and just go and check out Natak instead.
Heddon Yokocho
Heddon Street is another one of those hidden pedestrianised treasures that exist in the West End. This retro-style ramen bar is a temple to all things noodles-related. They have ramen recipes stretching back to 1884 with their Hakodate Shio to modern-day vegan London creations. And why sweat whilst slurping away at your comforting bowl of ramen when you can enjoy the cool outdoor breeze on their terrace?
St Pancras Champagne Bar by Searcys
Finally, what better way to celebrate the re-opening of hospitality than toasting with a glass of Champagne? The best place to experience this is at St Pancras by Searcys, which is home to Europe’s longest Champagne bar (98 metres long). They have buzzers you can press for Champagne and they serve the cutest afternoon teas in designer suitcases.
If you’re a lover of a plant-based lifestyle then you may well know about the utterly scrumptious recipes rustled up by Bettina’s Kitchen. After running health retreats in Spain, and finding sensational and colourful produce down at the local markets, Bettina began to delve into plant-based cooking and was a pioneering force behind its popularity. Fast-forward a fair amount of years later, and she’s become an Instagram sensation with a band of loyal followers and a feed packed with intriguing, unique and moreish recipes.
For Bettina, cooking fast became a way for her to inspire people to include and cook with daunting ingredients, and there’s no denying food is her lifelong passion. Bettina spoke to House of Coco about how her desire to cook plant-based, the misconceptions surrounding this way of life, and some of her favourite, must-try recipes.
Tell us about Bettina’s Kitchen?
Bettina’s Kitchen – the blog and the Instagram channel – has been around for, I’d like to say, six years now. I used to live in Spain, and I’ve lived in London for over three years now, and Bettina’s Kitchen was born because I started out doing lots of retreat cheffing. I organised, ran and cooked on my own retreat and on other people’s retreats and cooked plant-based and free-from food, before it became a thing.
It sort of took off. Instagram had this era of two to three years where it just boomed, so I think I was at the right time at the right place within the right food genre, and it just really, really took off.
How did you get into plant-based cooking?
When I started running wellness retreats it was really popular to do juice detoxes and boot camps. We got into the mindset that we wanted people to eat and drink on our retreat but be as healthy as possible. It naturally fell under the plant-based and free-from genre. I re-trained myself and started cooking plant based and started looking at lots of cookbooks.
Living in South of Spain I had access to amazing produce and famers markets, so I would just go to the market and see what was available and what was in season, and that would be my colour palette for the retreat that I was cooking on.
You’re not plant-based yourself, is that correct?
The thing is, I don’t like labelling things. I would say I’m predominantly plant-based but I wouldn’t call myself vegan.
However, it is the genre that I cook under so I don’t cook with any animal-based products. I’m really passionate about seasonality and local produce and want to include that as much as possible in my cooking. I think that’s more of an important label or flag to hold high rather than labelling things vegan. Not everything that’s vegan is healthy, or good for you.
Do you think plant-based sacrifices flavour?
I think it completely depends on what you eat. You could say the same for people who are omnivores. Not everything animal-based is tasty or has flavour, so I definitely think it depends on your cooking technique. Texture is really important and including different layers onto your plate.
Have something crunchy which gives you instant gratification and adding a dollop or a drizzle of something definitely adds another layer. Roasting things so you get the natural sweetness and charred flavours is great too. Barbecuing is another great technique and I think we’re not used to making veggies the hero ingredient on our plate. They’re always considered a side. They never get the attention they deserve but when you give them that attention I think you can create amazing flavours.
How has Instagram helped build your brand?
It’s helped massively. It’s almost like a diary because I’ve probably posted every day for the last five to six years. It’s really nice to be able to go back and see what you’ve done and what’s happened. There are loads of opportunities and you meet lots of people.
I’ve made some really good friends and the food community is amazing and supportive and definitely job opportunities have come through Instagram. It’s part of what I do.
What are some of your favourite plant-based dishes?
My chickpea omelette is a basic recipe but it’s so versatile because you can use it for so many things. You can use the batter as a quiche filling, you can use it as an omelette then fill it with different things. You can use it as a frittata base. It’s a combination of chickpea flower, which is a very undervalue flour and it’s great because it contains lots of protein. You mix a bit of bicarbonate of soda, chickpea flour and apple cider vinegar and it gives it that spongey flavour and texture which you want from an omelette.
There’s a non-meatball recipe from Happy Food too, my first cookbook, and it’s a really versatile recipe that has all the sort of desired texture which you’d want from a meatball that’s not a meatball. You can make little meatballs, or into burgers. It’s super versatile. There’s another one; pumpkin seed pesto, which I make on a weekly basis still. It’s something I keep in the fridge; I make a batch of it and it keeps for weeks as long as you cover it in olive oil. It’s great on pasta, it’s great on a piece of toast with sliced tomatoes on top.You can make salad dressings with it and it’s also nut free so for anyone who has nut allergies and hasn’t had pesto for a while it’s a great alternative.
Where are some of your favourite plant-based restaurants?
There’s a place in Hackney called Dark Arts Cafe and they do the best brunches. There’s another restaurant called Fallow, where they do amazing plant-based dishes but also omnivore dishes and everything is super well-sourced and it’s really delicious. Then there’s the classics like Mildreds.
Here at House of Coco we are on a constant mission to discover new ways of looking after our mind and body. If, like us, you’re looking for an easy way to boost your immunity, reduce fatigue, and improve overall wellbeing, then this ginger drink is the answer.
Fighter Shots are all natural, superfood health shots from organic ingredients such as ginger, turmeric and beetroot that boost your energy in a healthy and sustainable way. They come in environmentally friendly glass bottles that can be re-used and recycled.
Fighter Shots contain 35% organic cold-pressed ginger, higher than the average shot, and have no apple juice as a filler. Instead, they have organic honey and lemon, which are known for their antiseptic properties and lots of Vitamin C. The shots are mildly pasteurized (at 80C) compared to some other products that have an extended shelf life.
Fighter Shots can be taken daily (recommended dosage: 2 shots). Not only do they nourish your mind and body, they also taste amazing – they have a unique refreshing, crisp, zesty zing of flavour which also made Fighter Shots winners of the Great Taste Award 2020.
Fighter Shots Female Co-Founders, Anna Szymanowska and Kavita Madhvani are on a mission to create a great tasting ginger “shot-in-a-bottle”. Their vision is to expand globally and create more awareness and accessibility of this wonder ingredient.
Their product line includes a few varieties:
Ginger + Manuka honeyshot – keeps you hydrated, improves the appearance of your skin and also has anti-inflammatory properties. Manuka honey transmits the benefits of ginger to the body and doubles the antioxidant properties. This mixture helps with indigestion, morning sickness and is a natural pain killer.
Ginger + Turmericshot contains fresh lemon juice and honey which can be added to your daily healthy habit as it is an excellent source of protective compounds. It mainly protects you against illness, chronic inflammation and infection.
Marine Collagen + Ginger shot is for you, if you are looking for a superfood shot to help your skin and bone health. It helps skin rejuvenation, nail growth, wound healing, brain health, and weight management. Hydrolysed marine collagen reduces the risk of joint deterioration and adds to bone density.
Ginger + Beetroot shot is a great source of fiber, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. Beetroot has been associated with numerous health benefits, including improved blood flow, lower blood pressure, and increased exercise performance.
Using only all natural, GMO free, ethically sourced ingredients with no added sugars, colouring, additives or preservatives, these drinks are all gluten, nut, dairy and lactose free.
Did you know?
Ginger is associated with countless health benefits and is a member of a plant family that includes cardamom and turmeric. This root is rich in volatile oils that contain the active component gingerol, a potent anti-inflammatory compound. Ginger is associated with strengthening the immune system, helps with nausea, improves blood flow and can aid colds and flus. It is also known to decrease the risk of developing colon cancer, aid ovarian cancer treatment, promote respiratory health and minimize morning sickness.
In a condition where work and jobs are becoming ultimately online; most people work from home via their phones, laptops, and desktops, a perfect coffee espresso keeps you going. It’s almost a culture to stimulate the day with a sweet flavoury espresso.
Do you want to make yours? How is it made?
Follow…
The Coffee Beans:
Your coffee beans should be fresh, in order to produce the best espresso. It is important to purchase them from a specialist like Great Outdoors Coffee, who definitely knows the quality of the beans in accordance with the taste and flavor of the espresso you intend to make.
Also, the coffee beans should be well ground, to get the best flavor out of them. It must be void of moisture and should be totally clean. One last thing to note is that the way the beans are ground determines how water passes through the coffee. It will ultimately vary depending on how well the beans are ground.
Clean Your Machine and Portafilter:
Your Portafilter should be totally clean and should not have stains of water. It affects the coffee grounds, makes it watery, and then the end product will not be good.
Your machine should be stable in temperature and volume. Check Great Coffee Brewers for the best coffee maker.
Evenly pour out your ground beans in the Portafilter:
You may depend on the grinder to distribute the beans but it won’t be even. It will definitely end up in shapes, which isn’t good for your coffee-making process.
If you can’t use your hands, then get tools for distribution, it will help out in distributing your grounds in an even manner.
After you do that, tamp well and evenly. Make sure you tamp to the extent that you do not feel any airspace in your coffee puck.
Start brewing:
Before you start brewing, make sure the group head is clean and convenient to use. After that, insert your Portafilter to start brewing. Make sure it stays well in its space, so it doesn’t shake or fall off.
If you don’t start brewing immediately, your coffee cup might definitely be fired up by the heat that emerges out of the group head.
While brewing, take note of the time used in brewing, try as much as possible not to make it too short or too long for the extraction. As much as you do that, take note of how the espresso is running, if it is running too fast, then it is possibly extracting too long and fast.
Rinse the Group Head
It is important to clean every part of the coffee maker. Naturally, coffee making tends to have stains, it is important to clean the stains and put everything in order so as to make the next brewing process faster and cleaner. The group head should be rinsed and cleaned, so the stains do not dry upon it. If it does, then it is a minus on your cleanliness as a coffee maker, everything has to be neat, tidy, and orderly.
As we continue to spend the majority of our time at home, it’s safe to say that Mother’s Day this year is going to be a little different. But while we might not be able to dine out at our favourite restaurants or celebrate the woman of the hour with a nice cocktail at her favourite bar, there are plenty of ways of having the same quality food and drink at home.
From pancakes for breakfast to a slow-cooked Sunday Roast, we’ve got all the different ways you can ensure that this Mother’s Day celebrations are up to par with the usual.
Why not treat dear old mum to breakfast in bed this Mother’s Day and deliver her a plate of Stacks of Goodness’ pancakes? There’s a range of flavours to choose from – strawberry, double chocolate and vanilla and bluberry – and all three mixes are vegan, gluten-free and low in sugar. The baking mix company uses all natural ingredients so all that’s left for you to do is stack you mum’s pancakes high and dig in.
Sometimes you just want to start the day right and why not with one of Daioni’s Organic coffee drinks? Choose from Caffe Latte, Skinny Latte and Double Shot options – there’s no added sugar and a higher-than-average nutritional profile (so that’s more calcium, protein and vitamin B12).
Cook up a delicious Mother’s Day meal with STAUB’s premium cast-iron cookware. Everything you need to create restaurant-style dishes without having to sacrifice any flavour, just because we’re at home. The cast iron collection of grill pans and woks are available in a variety of sizes. It won’t be long before you’re working the professional chef role and can cook up a delicious steak or seared salmon stir fry dinner this Sunday for Mother’s Day.
Make restaurant-quality dishes at home this Mother’s Day, with Ninja Foodi’s 9-in-1 Multi-Cooker. Enabling home chefs to make quick and easy meals, this fancy pot does the lot in one. Impress your family with nine different cooking functions in the one pot, allowing you to pressure cook, air fry, slow cook, steam, bake/roast, sear/sauté, grill, yoghurt and dehydrate – depending on what everyone fancies to eat. The perfect size for up to six people, perhaps you’ll be cooking and crisping a whole chicken for the Sunday Roast meal.
Montezuma’s is the chocolate brand to assist you with each and every occasion. Back at it again with a special “Mum’s The Word” truffle box, full of milk and dark chocolate heart chocolates, this is sure to put a smile on your own mother’s face…or at the very least, will make for a delicious snack to tuck into after dinner.
Save some dough and bake your own Mother’s Day treat this year. Aldi has launched an 18cm Giant Cookie Kit so you can enjoy an at-home baking experience. The kit comes with ready to roll dough and pretty pink icing to decorate – making it the perfect lockdown activity for Sunday.
Enjoy the taste of a beautiful blend of botanical extracts with a real depth of flavour in your drinks this Mother’s Day. Everleaf is an award-winning non-alcoholic aperitif which makes for an excellent spritz cocktail. Everleaf Mountain involves an elegant blend of 12 aromatic botanicals, leading with fragrant cherry blossom, along with bittersweet rosehip, wild strawberry, sweet and spicy myrtle and juniper.
The gift of chocolate is always going to go down well and why not treat your mum to to one of the best at home? This hot chocolate set from Knoops delivers a “hug in a mug” thanks to the brand’s pillowy-soft marshmallows. Add them to the top of your 34 per cent milk chocolate flakes and it will feel like the real deal at a café, we swear to you.
Still on the hunt for the perfect present celebrating the mother figure in your life? Welcome to the ultimate gift guide for a very merry Mothering Sunday.
Gifts to Treat for £50
The Balvenie Sweet Toast of American Oak 12-Year Old
The first addition to the coveted The Balvenie Stories range – a collection of single malt whiskies representing tales of character, endeavour and generational knowledge – the Sweet Toast of American Oak 12-Year-Old was designed to produce an even fruitier, sweeter single malt. Apprentice Malt Master Kelsey McKechnie had the idea to import heavily toasted Virgin Oak Barrels from Kentucky and, after deep toasting them again at The Balvenie cooperage, they were filled with 12-year-old whisky aged in ex-bourbon barrels at The Balvenie distillery for two months. Resulting in a delectably complex whisky with notes of candied fruit, coconut and delicate vanilla, this is a sweet toast for this Mother’s Day and pairs perfectly with baked cheesecake for a meal near or afar this year.
The Balvenie Sweet Toast of American Oak 12-Year-Old is available for purchase online from The Whisky Shop for £50.00 (RRP 70cl).
Gifts to Spoil Below £200
Champagne Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé
Spoil the special woman in your life this Mother’s Day with a bottle of Champagne Laurent-Perrier’s world-renowned Cuvée Rosé. From its beautifully curvaceous bottle, to the fine bubbles within, Laurent-Perrier’s Cuvée Rosé is bound to make any mother feel as special as they deserve. The light and elegant Cuvée Rosé, recognised for its freshness and delicate aromas of red berries, pairs wonderfully with dark chocolate and red fruit desserts, making it the perfect accompaniment for any marked occasion.
Champagne Laurent-Perrier’s Cuvée Rosé is available from Champagne Directfor £60 (75cl).
The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14-Year Old
For those who already enjoy rum, this elegant single malt whisky is a delicious introduction to The Balvenie range. Matured in traditional oak whisky casks for 14 years, and then finished for six months in casks that previously held Caribbean rum, the result is an exceptional single malt whisky with the traditional honeyed character of The Balvenie, alongside notes of toffee and fruit with a warm, lingering finish. To be gifted or enjoyed on Mother’s Day, The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14-Year-Old can be paired with hard cheeses like Comté or decadent desserts such as Banana Tarte Tatin.
The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14-Year Old is available for purchase online from The Whisky Shopfor £52.99 (RRP 70cl).
The Balvenie PortWood 21-Year-Old
A long-time favourite of The Balvenie Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE, The Balvenie PortWood 21-Year-Old is an exceptionally elegant single malt. Matured in American oak casks for 21 years, before a four-month finish in Tawny port casks from Portugal, this special bottle provides whisky lovers with a perfect celebration. A must-have in your loved one’s collection, PortWood 21-Year Old will leave a long and gentle fullness of flavour, and is ideal for sipping with family virtually. The whisky also pairs wonderfully with soft blue cheeses or with a fruit meringue.
The Balvenie PortWood 21-Year Old is available for purchase online for £165 (RRP 70cl). Select Retailers include TheWhiskyShop.
