Have you started wracking your brains for original and appealing Christmas gift ideas yet? Well, I have the perfect idea for any foodies in your family - a Food Discovery Box subscription, which delivers artisan food from high quality independent producers from across the country every month.
It works slightly differently to many foodie subscription services in that the contents of your box aren't down to pot luck, you get some input. Every month, a menu of up to 30 different items from boutique British artisan food producers is put up and members chose their favourite five items, which they will receive, along with one (or sometimes two, if you're lucky) wild-card mystery products, to get you to try something new.
I was delighted to receive a taster box to give me (and you!) an idea of the kind of products on offer. In my box, I got :
Chiltern Natural Foods Apple & Cinammon Crunch - Wholegrain, sweetened with honey rather than sugar and flavoured with chunks of apple, raisins and cinnamon - it's not naughty but it's definitely nice ! Chiltern Natural Foods believe in creating great tasting foods that are all natural so there are no hidden nasties.
Olive Branch Red Pepper Paste - A taste of Greece in a jar ! Peeled chargrilled red peppers, ground into a paste with chilli and mizithra cheese. Lovely as bruschetta on toast, to give homemade pizzas a twist in place of tomato puree or dolloped on top of pasta.
Coriander Garden Lentil Dhal Mix - If you're a regular follower of my blog, you'll know how much I love globe-cooking so I was delighted to see this in the box. It's a mix of red and yellow lentils along with the all important spices - you just add water, boil and simmer for a fragrant meal with no hassle. The inspiration may be Indian but the company are British, based in Derbyshire.
Flavour Magic Rosemary Rock Salt - A rosemary and rock salt blend that comes with its own grinder. I was impressed to learn that the man behind the company is a chef from New Zealand who came over to the UK after the Christchurch earthquakes. This is great for grinding over steak or buttered baked potatoes.
Tregunter Fig Jam - Beautifully sweet and fruity and made with 100% natural products in a real cottage kitchen. This is lovely on toast but would also be delicious in a tart. I'm tempted to try this with melted goat's cheese too, if there's any left in the jar !
Jacc's Hazelnut Cream Gourmet Coffee - Jacc's use only the finest arabica beans and marinate them in sugar-free natural flavourings for a rich, smooth flavour. I'm not a coffee-lover but I'll pass this on to a friend who will love it.
They also provide a recipe for you to try - authentic Indian Dhal in this box.
The whole idea of the scheme is to tap into the depth of British gourmet artisan talent and help spread the word about some of the nation's unsung foodie heroes. I always love discovering small brands that never make it to the supermarket shelves so I think this is a lovely idea.
You can become a member from £23.50 a month but if you enter code madhouse, they'll give you 50% off your first box. Alternatively, you may want to offer a 1-month gift subscription for £19.99. If you sign up to their newsletter here, you'll also go into a draw where they will be picking one winner a week for a box right up to Christmas. (I've entered too and if you'd be kind enough to put my email in the box to say I sent you, I'll get extra entries ! It's on my profile at the top of my sidebar just under my photo.)
for more information : http://fooddiscoverybox.com/
Disclosure : I received a trial box in order to write an honest review.
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I love a good indian dish!
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