Tried and tested new goodies from producers large and small
Totally tropical
Bring sunshine into your January with this sparkling pineapple drink from Cawston Press. The limited edition cans are sweetly pineapply with a thirst-quenching hit of grapefruit.
Meanwhile, add an exotic touch to your snacking with these ethically sourced plantain chips. The lemon and salt flavour is munchingly moreish – perfect with a Friday night margarita. Cawston Press Sparkling Pineapple & Grapefruit, £20 for 12 x 330ml cans, cawstonpress.com; Purely Lemon & Salt plantain chips, £5.99 for 3 x 75g bags, welovepurely.com
GO POSH WITH YOUR PASTA
If you fancy a break from the cheapest spaghetti in the supermarket, here are a couple of treats.
First, a dinner-party-starter talking point. Chef Albert Adrià is the brother of Ferran of El Bulli fame. His Atavi pasta has gone through the kind of processes that would boggle the minds of the scientists at Cern (with a price tag to reflect that!). Of the three varieties, most intriguing is the grassy Umami, which has undergone koji fermentation (the process used to make soy sauce) and goes beautifully with pancetta and pecorino. There are also Smoked and Sourdough versions.
Meanwhile, back on earth, the Northern Pasta Co’s attractively packaged creations are made with British-grown, regeneratively farmed spelt (see more on regen farming opposite). Produced in Cumbria, they’re brilliantly chewy and satisfying. Most importantly, all the pasta shapes are heroic holders of sauce.
Atavi, from £20 for 280g, atavi.uk; Northern Pasta Co pasta, £4.95 for 450g, northernpasta.co.uk or UK-wide delis
Ooh, saucy!
We’re big fans of a put-it-on-everything sauce and this new brand, set up by London-based private chef and food writer Nina Parker, specialises in them. The Peanut Salsa is our favourite, fantastic on steamed or grilled veg or used to pep up a soup or ramen bowl, and we like the big jars, allowing you to dollop generously without worrying you’ll run out. Bonus: all the sauces are vegan as well as gluten, dairy and palm oil free. £17.90 for 2 x 300g jars, ninafood.com
Easier healthy eating
Holland & Barrett is a high street stalwart, but we’re betting you’ve never done your food shop there.
Now you can, as they’ve teamed up with small artisan suppliers to create a revamped H&B range including nut butters, cider vinegar and British grains (from Hodmedod’s) as well as chilled goods
