Winner Wednesdays: 10 Foodie Products You Need to Buy This WeekBy Angelica Malin
We’ve spent the last week discovering new and exciting brands that you all need to know about. We’ve tried and tasted all these products, and we don’t want to brag – but they’re absolute corkers. Here’s 10 foodie products you need to be slinging in your basket this week:
1. For the New Maple Syrup: Clarks
What: Hugely popular throughout the Middle East, where it has been used as a sugar replacement for centuries, date syrup has so far only been available in specialist/health food stores in the UK. Clarks is bringing this richly flavoured syrup, made of pure dates and with no additives or preservatives, to the UK.
Why: Sales of maple, carob and agave syrups are growing, and date syrup is the latest natural sweetener to hit the market. Date syrup is made from pure concentrated dates and has a rich treacly taste. Perfect for baking or adding to yoghurt, muesli and porridge. It’s great for anybody wanting to reduce their refined sugar intake without compromising on flavour.
Stockists: Ocado
2. For a New Health Drink: JARR
What: Already a phenomenon in North America, kombucha is healthy, low in sugar, and packed full of beneficial enzymes and probiotics and with JARR leading the way, it’s making waves in the UK. We’ve done our research, and our tummies felt a lot happier after a week’s trial.
Why: JARR’s kombucha is brewed with only the best ingredients: organic and biodynamic loose-leaf Sri Lankan tea purchased directly from the source, organic cane sugar from Brazil, and pure filtered water. JARR is available in three flavours, Original, Ginger, and Passion Fruit, with more to be added to the line over the coming months.
Stockists: JARR Bar taproom at Mick’s Garage, as well as Harrods in Knightsbridge, Sourced Market in Marylebone and St Pancras International Station.
3. For New Savoury Snacks: Thomas J. Fudge’s
What: In time for autumn and winter entertaining (yes, we know it’s a way off), Thomas J. Fudge’s has added Cracker and Crispbreads for dipping and topping duo packs to its savoury biscuit selection. The perfect addition to cheese boards and making easy work of entertaining, the crackers are also ideal for solo snacking.
Why: Containing two variants in each pack, the Crackers and Crispbreads selection boasts a range of flavours and textures. The Almond and Cranberry / Hazelnut and Apple crackers are for the sweet and crunchy palate pleasers. Best served with rich and tangy mature cheddar or creamy brie. Try the nutty and herbaceous, Sunflower and Caraway / Pumpkin and Sesame cracker variants, which are versatile enough to handle sweet and savoury toppings, dips and accompaniments.
Stockists: Waitrose
What: Another tea must-have from the pioneering team at T2, the new dessert tea range launched last week which, along with striking tea-ware, are inspired by the decadence and joy of our favourite dinner course, desserts. They’ve created three gorgeously rich and flavoursome desert teas inspired by three sweet classic flavours as well as gift sets.
Why: The new flavours include, Passionfruit Cheesecake, which is infused with chocolate tea, and Black Forest Bliss – dark choc and black forest bite that combines all the flavours of the rich dark chocolate with whipped cream and juicy berry bits. And finally, Sticky Date Delight, a white chocolate and tea-infused goody, featuring hints of mouth-watering sticky date that’ll make you do a dance before every bite.
Stockists: Locations here
5. For New Insect Infused Bars: Gathr
What: Insect flour is all the rage, apparently. Cricket flour connoisseurs Gathr have launched 2 brand new flavours of Crobar, the first insect based health snack to be sold in the UK. Gathr are leading the trend at the moment of people looking at alternative sources of protein and vitamins in their health food. Sick of eggs? Try one of these bad boys.
Why: Enough to tickle any tastebuds, the delicate notes of coffee offer a more adult flavour and go perfectly with the subtle hints of vanilla in Coffee and Vanilla, whilst the zing of raspberry compliments the warmth of the cacao in the Raspberry and Cacao bar. All of the Crobar range contain real fruit and nuts, protein-rich cricket flour and contain no gluten, dairy or soy. Unlike other insect-based bars, Gathr’s Crobars include no added sugars or sweeteners, making them the perfect high-protein snacks on the go.
Stockists: Buy now online on the Gathr website, Amazon Prime plus instore at selected retailers
6. For a New Condiment: Ottolenghi
What: This August, the Ottolenghi stores are championing their condiment range, excellent for adding to salads and jazzing up any dish. Man, we love Ottolenghi and his wizard like Middle-Eastern ways. Ottolenghi have also recently launched their Summer Wines Hamper, great as a summer party gift, and a welcome addition to any late summer BBQ.
Why: Dukkah is an Egyptian aromatic seed and nut mix that can be sprinkled over leafy salads, roasted vegetables, legume pastes such as hummus, and over simply cooked rice or lentils. Hand-made in their bakery, all of the elements are distinguishable but the mix is evenly balanced. Suitable for vegans, the pots include hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, coriander seeds.
Stockists: Buy online
What: The new Onken Wholegrain Redcurrant and Blackcurrant yogurt is packed with tasty fruit chunks and five crunchy grains helping to keep you satisfied for longer. Joining the Onken Wholegrain family, the new fruity yogurt has five different types of whole grains – barley, oats, wheat, rye and rice.
Why: Made with skimmed milk, the new Wholegrain Redcurrant and Blackcurrant is fat-free and fibre-rich – making it a healthy alternative to heavier breakfast options. It has a wonderfully crunchy texture and a fruity taste sensation that can be enjoyed for breakfast, or as an afternoon snack.
Stockists: Tesco, Asda and Co-op stores
What: Acti–Snack has been specifically developed to deliver an ‘energy on the go’ snacking solution combining health, nutrition and taste. The snacks are made from 100% natural dried fruit, nuts and seeds and maximise on the natural goodness of each ingredient to help meet individual sports nutritional needs, whether it’s fuel, endurance, recovery or detox.
Why: Products include Sweet and Sour Mango (fuel), Fruit, Nut and Seed (endurance), Fruit, Nut and Soya (recovery) and Fruit, Nut and Goji Berry (detox). All Acti-Snack products are gluten free, contain no added salt and sugar and free from artificial additives and preservatives, making them the ideal snack for coeliacs or those following a free-from diet. And they’re Vegetarian society approved, too.
Stockists: Leading retailers nationwide
What: Roberta and a few friends decided to put sparkling white wine in a can. It seemed like such an obvious idea. But no one in the UK had done it. And so Roberta went to Italy and convinced her favourite producer to give her lots of really lovely wine and she start a natural fermentation in order to obtain the most beautiful bubbles.
Why: Quello is the first ever sparkling white wine in a can. Canned in East London, this Italian white wine – a blended Trebbiano and Pagadebit grapes both from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy – is allowed to ferment naturally – no carbon dioxide and or glycerin are added (in fact nothing is added except the can). The result is a drink full of perfect, golden bubbles.
Stockists: Sourced Market
10. For a New Non Alcoholic Beverage: St Peter’s Without
What: Seeing a gap in the market for a full-bodied alcohol free beer that really tastes as good as the real thing, St Peter’s Brewery has launched St Peter’s Without, a three-year project and a major investment for the craft brewery. Without taps into the growing demand for alcohol-free drinks and gives those who are looking to cut down on alcohol, or who don’t drink, an excellent-tasting beer that is as good as the real thing.
Why: Developing St Peter’s Without was a three year process involving numerous trials and disappointments. It is brewed to the exact same standards as craft ales, but without the alcohol. It is completely different to and hugely better than other alcohol-free and low alcohol drinks on the market.
Stockists: Available nationwide on draft and in the bottle.
