Saturday 30 December 2017

Cheers to 2018!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas – and are already looking forward to the next celebration: New Year’s Eve!

It’s been many a year since we headed out on 31st December to pay extortionate prices to get into a club, and then struggle to get a taxi home. Now our New Year’s Eves are all about celebrating with friends and family at home, and enjoying a festive treat or two. Without having to get cold waiting for a taxi, or stressing about whether you’ll actually be able to get close enough to the bar to order a drink given the queues.

So, if you’re celebrating with your nearest and dearest what do we recommend this year, so you can toast the new year in style?

·        Fizz it up - Champagne and Prosecco are always going to go down well, and we have a wide selection to suit all tastes and wallets. What we do also have, to make any glass of fizz extra special, is the wonderful Popaballs Rose Gold Shimmer. Simply add a third of a teaspoon to Prosecco or any sparkling drink and watch it become a swirling, glittering shimmering glass of glam – with a subtle raspberry flavour. Looks stunning and tastes good too!
·        Shaken or stirred – cocktails are always going to be popular! We sell a wide selection of all the base spirits you need to make your favourite mixes. Or if you want to make it super straightforward we have the wonderful Ice & Easy frozen cocktails, including frozen rose and mojito. Just freeze, squeeze and serve – just remember they’re alcoholic as they’re so easy to drink!
·        The year of gin – 2017 was all about the gin, and we’re sure 2018 will continue to be the same! So, what better way to bridge the years than by enjoying a glass of your favourite with a splash of Fevertree tonic? Whether you’re a fan of Sloe Gin, pink gin, Lavender gin, Yorkshire Tea gin or just gin gin, we’ve got it all. And we’re happy to talk to you about it at great length!
·        Wish you were beer – Sometimes you can’t beat a beer. Or a cider. Or an ale. But we love the beers from our town’s very own local microbrewery, the Helmsley Brewing Co. Helmsley Honey or Striding the Riding?
·        Drinks for Des – if you’ve got some designated drivers coming along, or someone who doesn’t drink, we have some great non-alcoholic tipples to make a change from the usual juices and fizzy pop. Seedlip is the world’s first non alcoholic spirit, copper pot distilled, and tastes great with tonic.  Belvoir’s Shiraz without the Hangover, made with grapes, elderberry and blackberry is delicious, and there’s also Chardonnay and Rose versions. Sparkling Elderberry is something else we’ve taken quite a shine to! And all of them guaranteed to leave your head clear and pain free come January 1st.


Whatever you do, we wish you and your family the healthiest and happiest 2018. Hopefully see you all soon!

Wednesday 6 December 2017

The gift that keeps on giving…

Ah Christmas – the most magical time of the year!

But also…. a little bit stressful at times, let’s admit it! The entertaining, the endless school events, everyone trying to get their work finished before the big break. And that’s before you’ve got anywhere near the shopping or present buying!

Coming up with new gift ideas for loved ones is never easy. Kids always have lists of things they want, which makes it a lot more straightforward – but when it comes to grown ups, most of us have what we need, or we buy it when we want it! That’s why so many of us fall back on the old favourites. And of course, much as everyone loves a good pair of socks, it’s not the most exciting thing to open on Christmas Day.

But one gift that always hits the spot in our experience is food and drink! Who doesn’t love to get a little treat or two – perhaps something they wouldn’t have every day, or something they’ve never tried before. And unlike some fancy bath salts or a novelty tie, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it’s like to get used!

Of course, we would say this, but our hampers do make a fantastic present. We’re always happy to make one up to your own preferred requirements, but we do also have a selection readymade, which can be ordered in the shop, over the phone or online. We can deliver them around the UK – so perfect for that special someone you’re not going to get to see this festive season.

How about A Taste of Yorkshire – great value at just £35. From Taylor's of Harrogate Yorkshire Gold Teabags to Cartwright & Butler Butterscotch Crunch (with a bit of Rhubarb Milk Chocolate and some Yorkshire Heather Honey thrown in) – it’s jam-packed with goodies to give a taste of home to someone who might be missing God’s Own County. It also contains Blackberry and Sloe Gin jam (YUM!), so the jam-packed reference is conveniently true.

We have a Yorkshire Lad and a Yorkshire Lass version – but we’re certainly not saying they can only be enjoyed by someone of a certain gender! We’re pretty sure anyone would devour the contents, which vary from our very own White Chocolate Shards with Strawberry, Sloe Gin and Chilli Jam Cheesey Nibbles to Charlie & Ivy’s Cumin, Chilli & Coriander Bread Dipper, Gourmet Liquorice Bootlaces and Autumn Chutney with Black Sheep Ale.

Cheese lovers will love our Cheese Lovers hamper – a selection of cheeses, combined with some amazing accompaniments. Enjoy some charcoal cheese on a Sourdough Crispbread, or some Yorkshire Wensleydale with Fruit & Nut Torta, alongside some Moscato Grape Nectar.

Is your mouth watering yet?!

We also have some fantastic seasonal hampers, making them the perfect present for Christmas.
Christmas Cheer would make someone’s year. At £130, it’s literally bursting at the seams with some of our favourite goodies. Prosecco, Sauvignon Blanc, Monastier Shiraz – but it’s not all booze! There’s chocolates, tea and coffee, fruit jellies, florentines, crispbread, accompaniments for cheese, savouries, crisps, soup, biscuits, marmalade, tapenade, oil, chutney, Turkish Delight, pate….this list goes on. Enough to see you through January, that’s for sure! And we’re kind of underselling it – to paraphrase someone else this is no ordinary cracker, this is a ‘Toast for cheese with festive spiced fruit and pecans’. And it’s not a bottle of vegetable oil, it’s the rather amazing La Tourangelle Hazelnut Oil. And we love a bit of Branston Pickle, but wait until you try The Fine Cheese Co’s Port, Blood Orange & Pomegranate Jelly for Cheese.

So, if you’re struggling for inspiration this year – you know where to come. Can Santa please take note for my Christmas list too?!