Learn to cook
Two 2016 winners in the world of food: the Michel Roux Jr Cookery School took the Cookery School of the Year Award at the Food and Travel Magazine awards; and Jack Sturgess whose Bake With Jack initiative dispenses baking lessons in your own home, was awarded top gong in the Fantastic Food Stars competition at Sandown Park Food Festival www.fantasticbritishfoodfestivals.com/sandown–park
Michel Roux Jr Cookery School, Cactus Kitchens, Cactus Studio, 1 St Luke’s Avenue, London SW4, tel 0207 091 4800 (courses include: Cooking the Roux Way, £298/full day; Knife Skills, £149/half-day; and Stocks & Sauces, £189/full day ), www.cactuskitchens.co.uk
Bake with Jack, tel 07840 561635, info@bakewithjack.co.uk http://www.bakewithjack.co.uk/
Cheese by post
The Devon-based Cheese Shed, has introduced Culture, a flexible, pay as you go, cheese delivery service. Boxes, delivered weekly, fortnightly or monthly, contain 2-6 cheeses (eg Sharpham Rustic, Devon Oke, Helford Blue and a great selection of ewe’s milk cheeses such as Pave Cobble) from over 100 West Country artisan cheese makers. Choose your own combination of cheeses or order a surprise box
Culture cheese boxes, from £17.99/400g available The Cheese Shed, 41 Fore Street, Bovey Tracey, Devon, for details visit thecheeseshed.com
Palm Straw baskets
Gorgeous customized palm straw weave baskets with, leather handles, plaited edging with hand-painted stripes and monogram initials. Great presents, or just a last echo of happy market shopping on your summer hols
Palm Straw baskets £165, W 64cm x D 36cm (clutches and children’s baskets also available, from £50) from Rae Feather New Editions visit raefeather.com
Five of the best …
Chocolatiers
Adam’s Fresh Chocolates, organic, single-origin unroasted cacao with superfoods (hazelnut, blackcurrant, coconut, banana, mint, goji) www.adamschocolates.com/
Akesson’s Organic, single-estate, exotic flavours (100% criollo cocoa, 75% cocoa and black pepper), 15B Blenheim Crescent, London W11 http://www.akessons-organic.com
Amelia Rope, sophisticated bars (pale, white and dark) or gift bundles, gorgeously wrapped https://www.ameliarope.com/
Mast Brothers, bean to bar chocolate makers, based in New York with flagship stores in Los Angeles and London, 19-29 Redchurch Street, London E2 https://mastbrothers.com/
Pump Street Bakery, bean to bar chocolate maker in Suffolk, producing wonderful, slightly eccentric single origin bars inspired by their on-site bakery (eccles cake, rye crumb milk and sea salt, sourdough and sea salt), 1 Pump Street, Orford, Suffolk, www.pumpstreetbakery.com
Chocolate Week, 10-16 October 2016, http://www.chocolateweek.co.uk/
The Chocolate Show, Olympia, London, 14-16 October 2016, http://www.thechocolateshow.co.uk/accueil.aspx
