Douwe Egberts Aromettes®

I was offered the chance to try out a brand new coffee product from Douwe Egberts and being a coffee lover, I thought why not, even though it is a well-known brand.

From the look of the packaging you may be forgiven for assuming that it's instant coffee, but it is fresh ground coffee cleverly pressed in to one cup portions.
It can be tricky getting the amount right to achieve the perfectly flavoured cup, but the handy coffee bean-shaped pellets can be dropped into your cafetiere or filter machine and used just as you would loose ground coffee.

As each Aromettes® is a tightly compressed bundle of coffee, all the aroma is firmly locked inside, only releasing its fresh roasted taste as soon as it's hit by hot water. The Aromettes® broke down instantly and were really easy to use and as there was less chance of me spilling ground coffee all over the place (which often happens) they were less messy too.

I was sent two varieties, smooth aroma and intense aroma, the first being a lighter roast suitable for everyday drinking and the second a richer, deeper roast, perfect for after dinner or if you need a pleasurable caffeine kick.
I do like the flavour and it is what I would expect from Douwe Egberts. It isn't an out-of this-world gourmet coffee, but if you're looking for something to please all palates, then it is a safe choice.
With its fun-shaped portions, is it a novelty? Well that depends on how you conduct your home entertaining, but it is practical, simple and the results are good.

Douwe Egberts Aromettes® are available exclusively from Tesco. RRP £3.69
Thanks to The Bottom Line Consultancy for supplying the samples
Photos: ©childsdesign 2011

In Love with Lahloo Tea

It's almost difficult to imagine that a tea company could be set up by someone who hated tea, but that is how Lahloo came into being. Kate Gover could not abide the stuff until she was introduced to a cup of tea so inspiring that she began her journey in finding some of the best teas in the world and bring them back to Bristol.
I can completely identify with her sentiments, I too hated tea until I'd tasted proper quality leaves.

Through my search for artisan products, to feature on my Tried and Tasted section, I contacted Lahloo through Twitter and a couple of emails later, Kate sent me some samples.
They dropped through my letterbox in a bright and shiny silver bag, all lovingly hand packed into heart shaped tins – just gorgeous. I couldn't wait to try them as they're my two favourite types – Oolong and Green tea.

I carefully opened each of the tins for a quick look and the smell instantly hit my nostrils with a heavenly fresh and sweet aroma, especially the Oolong which was almost caramel-like in character.

The first tea for tasting was
Mr Aoki's Green Loose Leaf Tea.
Along with his son, Mr Aoki grows the tea on a tiny farm in Kyushu, Japan using their own bio-natural fertilisers. The plantation is surrounded by satsuma trees and curiously I found the tea to have a citrussy note.
This green tea is actually very green, even in its dried form, it is vibrantly viridescent and when infused the colour is amazingly luminous, but entirely natural.
With the combination of a sweet, lemony and slightly hazelnut flavour the tea is very refreshing.

I really enjoyed the Orchid Oolong Loose Leaf Tea, there were a lot of flavours that burst out on the tongue that started with the lightness of flower blossom and honey sweetness developing into an aftertaste of what I could only describe as elderflowers. Somewhere in the middle there was a peachiness. Quite an amazing mix of flowers and fruit delivered by the humble camellia leaf!
Orchid is grown in Guangdong, China and hand-crafted by Mr Wang. The leaves are picked in March from old tea trees near Red Flower Village.

Lahloo tea is not cheap, and why would you want it to be? As with most things, you get what you pay for, so it's worth every penny. But, did you know that you can get several infusions from the same spoonful of leaves? Quality and value – I love Lahloo.

Lahloo sell a large selection of fine teas, all with provenance and a story.
To find out more, see their complete range and even buy online visit their website: lahlootea.co.uk
Green tea image taken from Lahloo website

Full of Beans: Union Hand-Roasted Coffee

I don't know about you, but my day hasn't truly begun until I've had a good cup of coffee. It doesn't have to be so strong that you could stand a spoon up in it, but it does need to be smooth and good tasting.
I've always loved coffee, for as long as I can remember – the smell of it being roasted, as it wafted through many a high street, is such an evocative aroma. Coffee ice cream was a favourite flavour of mine, as a child. So much so, that I was inconsolably upset when a dish of it landed on the hotel floor during a holiday in Marazion, Cornwall. The ice cream was unbelievably solid and when I eagerly plunged in the spoon, it just slid off catapulting the dish off the table!
Anyway enough of my nostalgic ramblings.

Recently I've had the good fortune in being the recipient of some very fine coffee beans from Union Hand-Roasted. They sent me a box containing four types of their new whole bean blends.

Although their coffees can be found in supermarkets, they are far from mediochre. Being a small, privately owned company, their true dedication to their products is immediately noticeable. Such care and attention to detail can only produce the best coffee.
Hand roasted in small batches, everyday, using beans carefully and thoughtfully sourced from farmers all over the globe, each coffee blend has its own unique character and distinctive quality.
In their quest for the best coffee beans, their travels can take them to the most remote regions, where they work with the farmers, building strong relationships, investing in sustainable livelihoods and farming practices. In fact, many of their coffees are either organic or fair trade or often both, which is a plus point for the conscience.

It's taken me some time to slurp my way through all four blends and I couldn't even say which was my favourite, as they are all as equally good in their own way.
The tasting notes on each bag, I would say, are a very accurate flavour guide, which would make buying something suitable to your own tastes an easy task.
On opening, it was obvious the beans were really fresh, as they glistened with natural oils. The smell too, was gorgeous and almost intoxicating – enough to make me pour them into the grinder right away.
I opted to use the same brewing process for all of them, which was in a filter coffee maker. It might not be the recommended practice for some of the blends, but that is how I like to make my coffee.

The following notes and flavour guides are Union Hand-Roasted's own and taken from their bags.

Fair Trade, Rwanda, Maraba coffee beans

Grown by Abahuzamugambi Ba Kawa Co-Operative, Maraba

4 – Medium Strong

The very first gourmet coffee out of Rwanda, that's re-shaping the country's future with its uniquely irresitiable sweet citrus taste. A zesty sparkle makes this the perfect breakfast pick-me-up that's so special it won a Great Taste Gold award.
This is a coffee with some bold highlights and delicate notes.

Fair Trade, Organic Natural Spirit Espresso Beans
Grown by COCLA farmers, Peru, ISMAM farmers, Mexico and Yiracheffe farmers, Ethipoia.
5 – Strong
Rich and powerful, a cup of choice if you enjopy a full bodied coffee. Blending the sweet citrus highlights of Mexico, with the floral notes of Ethiopia and underscored with the caramel finish of Peru.
Dark roasted to develop a rich body.

Organic Sunatra,Takengon, coffee Beans
Grown by Gajah Co-Operative, Aceh
5 – Strong
There's a certain character only a truly great Sumatran arabica coffee can have. You'll find it here: a deep peaty tone and a velvety rich smoothness make this perfect for after-dinner to enjoy with an equally robust single-malt.
Triple hand selected, these beans are known as 'Extra Fancy'.
This artisan roast adds an amazing note of caramel with a bitter chocolate dimension.

Revelation Blend TM Espresso Beans

Grown by San Jeronimo micromill, Costa Rica, Asensio family, Guatamala, and the small farmers 

co-operatives of Rianjagi, Kenya and Gajah Mountain, Sumatra.

6 – Extra Strong

Revelation is the core belief – a blend should be more than the sum of its parts and an experience on many levels. The intricate composition harmonises: San Jeronimo farm and Finca Santa Ana for sweet red berry notes, Rianjagi beans offer juicy vibrancy whilst dark roasted Gaja Mountain underpins with deep chocolate flavour tones. Revelation has the strength to wake you up for breakfast or provides a blissful after-dinner moment with a heavenly dessert.

For more information or to buy online, visit the website: www.unionroasted.com

Summertime Sparkle: Breckland Orchard

I'm old enough to remember when 'pop' used to come in a small glass bottle. It wasn't that long ago, but since then, even the most recent soft drinks that were packaged in glass, have moved over to plastic and something got lost along the way.
Breckland Orchard like to use glass to hold their refreshing soft drinks – there's something nicely nostalgic about that. They're even closed with a metal crown cap, so you do need a bottle opener, but that makes them all the more special.

Using Norfolk spring water and real fruit juices, Breckland have managed to capture the essence of long lost summers into every drink. Lightly sparkling they're able to quench the most raging of thirsts as the weather heats up. Shunning large scale factory production, Breckland prefer to make theirs in small batches so a special amount of care goes into every bottle.

When I met Claire Martinsen at the Letchworth Food Festival it was a particularly hot day and her drinks were selling like hot cakes (or should that be cold lemonade?)


I initially bought a box of four; Blackcurrant and Raspberry, Cranberry and Rosehip, Cloudy Lemonade and Ginger Beer with Chilli.
The Ginger Beer turned out to be mine and my husband's favourite. It has an exciting spicy zestiness with a little tingling after kick from the chilli. Not enough to set your head on fire, thankfully, but it gives a lingering extra bite.
The Cranberry and Rosehip is delightfully scented and has a pleasant dry character from the cranberries that's enlivening to the taste buds.
The Blackcurrant and Raspberry, well you can forget about a certain market leading blackcurrant drink, as this knocks the spots off it.
The Cloudy Lemonade? Well what can I say but this is how lemonade should be. It's bright on the palate and actually tastes of lemons.

Returning on the second day of the food festival, we stocked up on more of the Ginger Beer –– it really is that good.

For information about Breckland Orchard and where to buy, visit their website: brecklandorchard.co.uk



Featured on The Artisan Food Trail



Photos: ©childsdesign 2010

teapigs for the Cup!

I want to be part of the tea revolution! A few years ago I probably would never had made that statement, as tea was not high on my beverage list, but lately I have been introduced to some very good real tea. Tea drinking is becoming a habitual treat in my household, providing it is made from high quality leaves, I mean, who can honestly say that they enjoy quenching their thirst with something made from nothing but dust?

teapigs are committed to producing some pretty high ranking teas, everything from good old English Breakfast blends, through fine Green teas and even the most palatable herbal infusions.
I became aware of them at the Real Food Festival and BBC Good Food Show and eventually experienced the taste when I received a Christmas goodie bag. Inside, was a box of Summer Flowers, a herbal blend. After several unpleasant experiences with herbal teas, I was a little apprehensive about trying it, but my expectations were completely turned around. The infusion was fresh with lemon grass, scented with lavender and had an agreeable after-kick of ginger. I was hooked.

Recently, I was lucky enough to be to get some free tickets to the Real Food Festival, from teapigs themselves, so, I made sure I paid a visit to their stand and bought some more teas to try. While I was there, I sampled the Liquorice and Peppermint variety, it’s really rather amazing. If you like liquorice, you’ll love it. It’s naturally sweet and the cool peppermint pleasingly slips down your throat – very relaxing and refreshing.
Being so impressed I bought a pack, along with their Mao Feng Green Tea. I’ve become quite addicted to good green tea and the Mao Feng is now on my list of the chosen few.
I love the gorgeous clear pale green colour it makes, as the whole leaves slowly unfurl, and the taste is very out-doorsey, sort of reminds me of fresh cut grass and fuzzy soft fruit.
It’s summer everyday when I drink it.

For information and to buy online:
www.teapigs.co.uk

Refreshment Down to a Tea: Leaf

If man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.  ~JAPANESE PROVERB

I’m British and I don’t like tea. I should, us Brits are well known in the western world for our tea drinking habits. But I still don’t like it.

Last year, I would have upheld my strong opinion and practiced being anti-tea, but now I’m converted!

After years of being subjected to inferior cuppas, and trying to develop a taste for the stewed orangey-brown, bitter, tannin laden liquid, invariably on the overly milky side, I have finally had an epiphany on the tea front.

Whilst at The Real Food Festival, back in April, I was offered a tasting of some tea from Leaf. Memories of tongue curling, face cringing tastes came flooding back, and I almost refused.
My husband accepted the sample on offer (he’s not usually a tea drinker either) so I couldn’t really turn it down.
I took a sip and my taste buds beheld a refreshing and fragrant flavour that was smooth and an absolute joy to drink. We tried various other types and flavours, and that was it – we were hooked!

We bought a selection of taster tins enabling us to sample the delights of all their varieties – nice packaging too.
There are two sets – one of traditional tea and the other of herbal (no caffeine) infusions.

This new practice of tea drinking has meant purchasing a suitable teapot. My husband found a nice glass one from Bodum, with an integral, yet removable infuser compartment.
This is perfect, as you can see the water taking on the colour and the leaves unfurling. When the tea has finished infusing (and I am following the instructions on the labels to the letter) you can lift out the infuser to prevent any stewing from taking place and spoiling the taste of the tea.
We always use filtered water too, as suggested by the producers. It’s important for the water to be pure to make good tea.

Leaf teas are proving to be quite addictive (in a good way) in our household, that we now look forward to trying yet another flavour.
When all the little tins have given up their contents, I’m going to have to buy some more – and quick!
The teas seem expensive at first glance but when you work out how much they are per cup (probably fifty pence, at the most) it puts everything into perspective.
I can justify the cost, because the quality far surpasses any ordinary supermarket tea and the farmers/pickers get a decent living too… and what’s more – I love it!

For more information about Leaf tea, visit www.leafshop.co.uk

To read about The Real Food Festival click here


Lead product image from leaf website

Real Food Festival Find: Azorieblue Coffee

'Imagine a coffee that’s smoother than a tiger in a tuxedo and more luxurious than a cashmere codpiece…'

The producers of Azorieblue Coffee make this seemingly crazy claim, but it's a good, if not creative description of their 100% Brazilian Arabica beans.

I have tasted it as a short strong espresso and as a longer filter version, with milk and can say that it's smooth, rich and chocolatey with a pleasing citrus acidity. The fact that it works both ways makes it a versatile roast not often found in many other coffees.

The beans come from world-renowned estates, all with BSCA accreditation. 

Not only does that mean it guarantees the quality of the beans, but it also assures us that it's ethical, so the estate workers get decent pay and working conditions.

The beans arrive in the UK and are then roasted to achieve a unique and special taste, which I could happily drink all day.

For more information about the coffee visit: azorieblue.com

Click here to read about The Real Food Festival


Product photo taken from Azorie Blue website