july inspiration
The easy way to start growing your own ingredients, what to look out for when buying wine sustainably, and show off your food styling skills by entering our cook the cover competition
Each month we ask a food writer for an exciting recipe using a new supermarket product – food and drink trends specialist Gurdeep Loyal experiments with hibiscus powder
We asked Stephen and Jeany Cronk of Mirabeau for their tips on buying French wine (maisonmirabeau.com).
Labels
Look out for wineries that talk about what their efforts are for the environment – in France there is the Haute Valeur Environnementale Label (HVE) that is getting traction, as well as organic certifications such as Ecocert and AB (Agriculture Biologique), and biodynamic wines are labelled Demeter and Biodyvin.
Where to buy
Supermarkets are starting to offer great choice in these categories, especially organic wines, and there are a growing number of online wine merchants promoting inspiring winemakers. Some of our favourites are Little Wine Co (littlewine.co), Pull the Cork
(pullthecork.co.uk) and Wanderlust (wanderlustwine.co.uk). Waitrose and Ocado have set up a B-Corp virtual shopping aisle and are adding more wines to this. Certified B-Corps are a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. They are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community and the environment.
What to buy
In looking to make more sustainable choices when buying wine, try bag-in-box and cans. Both options offer brands more sustainable and cost-effective solutions with a lower carbon footprint, and they are becoming increasingly popular.
Honey Tradition raw Linden honey
Honey Tradition’s honey and bee pollen is sourced from a family apiary in Slovakia. The Linden honey is sweet and subtly woody. £13.95 (500g), honeytradition.com
Firelli Italian hot sauce
This Italian hot sauce has fruity heat from Calabrian chillies and roasted red peppers, a touch of garlic and balsamic vinegar sweetness – perfect with pizza or in a bloody mary. £3.95 (148ml), amazon.co.uk
The Levantine Table herby labneh yogurt dip
Thick, tangy labneh is mixed with herbs and spring onions. Serve as part of a meze feast or over flatbreads with marinated meats. £1.60 (180g), Waitrose
Dark Arts coffee
Dark Arts imports beans from around the world, which are roasted and ground in-house. Try Raise the Dead, a brew from Ethiopia with deep fruity notes. £11.50 (250g), darkartscoffee.co.uk
Norfolk wagyu beef
Revered for its tender texture and buttery taste, you can now have wagyu beef at your next barbecue at an affordable price. North Norfolk farm Worstead Estate focusses on premium wagyu beef, practising the highest ethical rearing and sustainable farming methods. Its BBQ box, delivered nationwide, includes 12 wagyu steaks and 12 wagyu burgers. £95, worsteadestate.com
Wild Life Botanicals mini bottles
These mini bottles of low-alcohol (0.5% ABV) sparkling wine are crisp, refreshing and not too sweet. Best served well-chilled. £6 (20cl), wildlifebotanicals.co.uk
Remedy peach kombucha Fruity, light and refreshing, this kombucha tastes like ripe peaches – it’s hard to believe it’s zero sugar! It makes a great non-alcoholic drink option for summer picnics. £1.99 (250ml), Holland & Barrett
SÓ PERF raw juice
With minimal intervention, these cold-pressed juices retain their nutrients as if freshly squeezed. We love the pomegranate juice – it’s sweet with a tart, refreshing edge. £3.45 (250ml), soperf.com
Truffle Hunter black truffle pâté
This vegan-friendly pâté is great with bread, burrata or taleggio, and is umami-rich, so a little goes a long way. £9.95 (170g), trufflehunter.co.uk
Lewis & Baker mixed brownie bites
If you’re looking for a gift idea or sweet picnic offering, try these brownie bites. There are several different flavours but our favourites are tiramisu – with coffee notes and a white chocolate topping – and chocolate orange, topped with Terry’s Chocolate Orange wedges. £12.99 for a box of 12 or £24.99 for a box of 24 (pictured), lewisandbaker.co.uk