7 new food & drink buys to treat yourself to this winter
Each month we bring you the best new products from producers big and small, tested and approved by our team. In February’s shopping basket: lower-caffeine coffee (that doesn’t scrimp on taste), sparkling-fresh fish straight to your door and a deeply satisfying pudding for cold winter nights…
Special buys to spoil yourself with in February
1. Quick-fix warming pud
Après Sticky Toffee Pudding has many attributes: it’s organic, light and not overly sweet, yet it manages to be properly sticky with a deep flavour. A useful standby to keep in the freezer for an instant pudding, plus it’s gluten-free but without the dusty texture you get in so many gluten-free bakes. One request: more sauce please. £4.95 for a two- portion pack, available from Après Food
2. Boat-to-door fish
Pipers Farm is renowned for its sustainable, responsibly farmed meat, but did you know they also sell day boat fish? Blast-frozen at the quayside, it’s fresher than anything you’ll find on a big-store fresh fish counter – and that’s if you’re lucky enough to have one near you. There are crowdpleasers (smoked haddock, hake and fish pie mix), along with less common fish, such as ling,
coley, red mullet, sardines and gurnard. Look out for the tinned fish, too. Prices from £4.95 for a coley fillet up to £47.95 for that king of fish, a whole glorious sharing turbotm, available from Pipers Farm.
Are you a delicious. subscriber? Find a great discount offer on the envelope your February magazine came in, valid until 29 February 2024.
3. Stock up your baking shelf
The worse the weather outside, the happier the home baker, making good things in a warm kitchen. If you want high-quality ingredients to hand, online organic larder Forrist has a Discovery Box filled with chocolate buttons, cocoa powder and various roasted nuts – perfect for putting in cakes, cookies and smoothies. Other Discovery Boxes include fruit, snacks, gourmet salt and pepper, grains and more. Organic Choco-Nut Box, from £35.70 for 9 x 150g bags of assorted goodies (subscriptions available), available from Forrist
4. The daily roast
If you love a proper coffee but get a bit jittery on the strong stuff, the new limited-edition half-caff from Volcano Coffee Works might be the blend for you. The small-batch south London roastery’s Half Steam mixes caffeinated and de-caffeinated coffees from Brazil and Peru, with mellow nutty-chocolatey flavours – a great after-lunch option. Kiwi founder Kurt Stewart buys his beans from small farms, paying above and beyond fairtrade rates. £9 for 200g, available from Volcano Coffee Works
Hot on the shelves
The latest supermarket products to tantalise our testers…
5. Marmite morsels
Nairn’s new Marmite & Cheese Oatcakes showcase the spread’s deep umami complexity without an overbearing Marmite flavour – making them perfect for those who find the dark stuff slathered on toast too much. We can’t stop eating them with extra mature cheddar on top. From £1.95 for 200g, available from Sainsbury’s and Waitrose
6. Fantastic snacks
Higgidy have a decent track record for creating meat-free baked snacks, and these new Mature Cheddar & Sweet Chilli Dinky Rolls are some of the best yet. Cheese and chilli chutney meet red peppers and squash purée for a salty, sweet and very moreish bite. From £3.85 for 170g, available from Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Booths
7. A spread to shout about
We love Bonne Maman regular jams, but now the French preserve maker has branched out with its caramelised apple spread. It’s rich, thick yet spreadable and great on toast, crumpets or pancakes. Or try sandwiched in a cake with whipped cream or greek yogurt. From £2.90 for 275g jar, Sainsbury’s, Ocado, Waitrose and Morrisons
Discover all of our favourite food and drink buys – tried and tested by the delicious. team.