Rochelle Canteen at the ICA
The wonderful Rochelle Canteen based in an ex-school-bike-shed in Shoreditch has opened a second venue at the ICA on the Mall. The space was originally intended for artists, writers and scientists to debate new ideas, now its stripped back modern interior houses a bar and canteen serving RC staples such as rillettes and pickled cucumber, celeriac soup, deep-fried sprats and tartare sauce, Barnsley chop, minestra nera and anchovy and roast brill, lentils and green sauce
Rochelle Canteen at the ICA, open Tues-Sun 11am-11pm, The Mall, London SW1, 0207729 5677, arnoldandhenderson.com/rochelle-ica/index.php
It’s a scoop
A fab piece of kit from the Marks & Spencer’s new kitchen range: large slotted non-stick scoop with heat-resistant head and brass finished handle
Deep scoop, from £6, marksandspencer.com
Wallgarden edible flowers
Forward planning for Spring, award-winning garden designer Sarah Eberle’s new range of edible wildflower seeds contains a selection of native and other varieties chosen for flavour as well as looks (inc Borage, Chicory, Great Burnet, Hedge Garlic, Meadowsweet, Red clover, Salad Burnet, Wild Basil, Wild Garlic and Marjoram)
£6/5g inc p&p. Visit wallgarden.co or thymeandtides.co.uk
Five of the best pre-Christmas treats
Nurnberger Elisen-Lebkuchen
Delicious, extra-large German lebkuchen – soft gingerbread biscuits made with orange peel, hazelnuts and almonds and coated in dark chocolate. Vegan. Great with a calming cup of tea before Christmas panic sets in
£8.99/275g available Wholefoods, wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/list/uk
Supermilk Pure
Hotel Chocolat’s first no-added-sugar milk chocolate – made with 80 per cent St Lucian cocoa and organic milk. The uncompromising cocoa flavour is something of an acquired taste – but means you can get your chocolate fix without also absorbing tons of sugar
Supermilk bars, £3.85/50g from hotelchocolat.com
Stollen
Best eaten in the run-up to Christmas when you can still enjoy a ‘vine-fruit’ and marzipan overload – individual stollen bites full of dried fruit, glacé cherries, with a marzipan filling, covered in rum butter and sugar dusting. Suitable for vegetarians
£3/12 stollen available ocado.com
Pret Christmas Lunch sandwich
Eagerly awaited by desk bound wage-slaves, the first sighting of the Pret Christmas Lunch sandwich is proof that the holiday is approaching fast. A pre-festival feast of free-range turkey breast, port and orange cranberry sauce, pork stuffing, spinach etc
Mulled cider
Aspall’s mulled cider with notes of cinnamon, cloves and ginger is great gently heated with a slice of orange. Cheerful, warming, aromatic. (To make your own mulled cider: pour 500ml of cider into a pan and add a couple of orange slices, one star anise, 4-5 allspice berries, 2-3 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 2-3tblsp soft brown sugar, juice of half a lemon. Heat gently and simmer without boiling for 10mins)
Aspalls mulled cider, from £2.99/500ml, 3.8% from aspall.co.uk
