FESTIVE FOOD PICKS
Our round-up of Christmassy must-haves
1 Terre Exotique paella spice blend
£5.99 (75g), souschef.co.uk Bring a taste of Valencia to your home with this paella spice blend – a mix of garlic, pimentón and saffron.
2 Cake or Death brownies
£19 (box of 6), cakeordeath.co.uk Devon-based bakers Cake or Death have put a festive spin on their best-loved vegan brownies. The selection includes spiced gingerbread and indulgent pecan pie – the perfect letterbox gift.
3 Pump Street rye crumb, milk & sea salt chocolate
£6.25 (70g), pumpstreetchocolate.com Two fantastic brands – Pump Street and Halen Môn – come together to create this beautifully balanced bar. Rye bread brings an earthiness to the creamy cocoa.
4 Rosemary Kettle Chips
£1.99 (150g), Tesco
The same hand-cooked potato chips we know and love, seasoned with dried rosemary and olive oil. Try dipping these herby crisps in silky-smooth hummus.
5 Paxton & Whitfield black garlic pickle
£5 (110g), paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk Handmade in Cumbria, whole black garlic cloves are slow-cooked for 45 days, producing a super-umami pickle – lovely with nutty cheeses.
6 Cambrook Foods cocktail mix
£18.50 (3 x 170g jars), cambrookfoods.co.uk
This trio of Great Taste Award-winning nut mixes will take your pre-dinner nibbles to the next level. The cocktail mix combines salted cashews, smoked almonds and caramelised sesame peanuts.
7 Heist drinking chocolate
£12.50 (250g), heistchocolate.com Cardiff-based chocolatier Heist has created a tin of 70% drinking chocolate – simply mix with whole milk and double cream for a lusciously smooth drink.
8 Graceburm raw cow's milk cheese set
£13 (2 x 250g jars), blackwoodscheesecompany.co.uk This duo of soft cow’s milk cheese is a wonderful stocking filler. Keep it classic with the original flavour, or enjoy the warmth and tang from chilli and lemon.
9 Da Bara Bakery cinnamon buns by post
£11.50 (box of 5), dabara.co.uk
Founded by two brothers in 2011, this family-run Cornish bakery make showstopping, sugar-coated cinnamon buns and send them by post. They freeze well, too, if you want to keep stocked up.
10 Marks & Spencer Collection Italian hot calabrian chilli
£2.50 (290g), marksandspencer.com These fiery chillies are slow-cooked in small batches in southern Italy. Wonderful drizzled over pizza, pan-fried fish or use it to spice up salad dressings.
11 Simsom pistachio & honey sesame butter
£5.50 (170g), simsom.co.uk Made with just three ingredients: tahini, roasted pistachios and honey, this silky spread is a luxurious treat spread over panettone, fresh-from-the-oven sourdough or swirled through porridge.