A few weeks ago we received an email inviting us behind the curtain at the Emma Bridgewater Factory in Stoke-on-Trent; obviously we jumped at the chance. The Bridgewater company is an important example of both British manufacturing and design, and we are huge fans of their products!
To compliment their POP dry storage containers, OXO are releasing a brand new collection of water-tight TOP Storage Containers. Made from clear BPA-free polypropylene, the TOP containers feature a white frame around the lid, which allows them to open and close with minimal effort. Carefully designed to survive life both in the kitchen and on the go, the TOP containers continue to be leak-proof even after frequent use in the freezer and microwave. A great addition to the OXO range, the TOP Storage Containers also stack neatly in your fridge, freezer or cupboards.
To celebrate the release of the TOP Containers, OXO and Kitchen Critic have teamed together to give you the chance to win your own set of TOP and POP storage containers!
Congratulations to our winner
Miss Tracey Peach from Cambridgeshire
THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED.
Le Creuset are famous for the fabulous colours of their beautiful oven-to-tableware. Now they've added a deep and sophisticated Cassis to their trendy palette. Le Creuset have been making high quality cast iron since 1925, and the dark blackcurrent glaze adds just a touch of cool colour to these timeless pieces. The new Cassis collection includes both the cast iron casseroles and the versatile stoneware dishes. To celebrate this fashionable new colour, John Lewis and Le Creuset are also offering a free set of three stoneware Glamour Mini's with the purchase of any Round or Oval Iron Casseroles till the 31st of July (or while stocks last.) A great time to invest in this quality cookware, the new Cassis Le Creusets are available from John Lewis.
Le Creuset Cassis Square Grillit - £65
Le Creuset Cassis 20cm Round Casserole - £90
Le Creuset Cassis 24cm Round Casserole - £115
Le Creuset Cassis 28cm Round Casserole - £140
Le Creuset Cassis 25cm Oval Casserole - £100
Le Creuset Cassis 29cm Oval Casserole - £120
Le Creuset Cassis Shallow Casserole - £125
Throw away your meal plans for this weekend, and instead indulge in the best of British Cheese. It's a bane of my existence that cheese is thebest food I can imagine...yet I'm not allowed to eat it, so the British Cheese Awards is a mouth-water list of temptation. A brilliant celebration of British produce, the British Cheese Awards highlight the best of this year's flavours. Here's just a few of this year's highlights:
Supreme Champion - Stilton PDO From Quenby Hall (try M&S)
Best English Cheese - Age Red Leicester by Long Clawson Dairy
Best Welsh Cheese - Mild Cheddar by Llandyrnog Creamery
Best Scottish Cheese - Morangie Brie by Highland Fine Cheeses
Best Irish Cheese - Gubbeen by Gubbeen Cheese
Best Modern British Cheese - Lincolnshire Poacher by F W Read & Sons
Best New Cheese - Moon Shone Farmhouse by Moonshine Dairy
Best Goat Cheese - Goat Cheddar by Quickes Traditional Ltd
Best Organic Cheese - Criffel by Loch Arthur Creamery
A brilliant excuse to hit the shops this weekend, try to find them before they sell out!
I recently took a survey that described Emma Bridgewater's tableware as 'ironic rustic'. I wasn't convinced at the time, but I think it's a fabulous description for the Bridgewater AGA. The AGA's cream enamel finish is sprinkled with the iconic Bridgewater polka dots, bringing a fun and festive style to the kitchen. Part of a limited edition collection, the Polka Dot AGA was created to celebrate AGA Rangemaster's 300-year Anniversary. Emma Bridgewater has always been a firm fan of these traditional hardworking cookers, so it's been a partnership just waiting to happen. Manufactured in Shropshire, the AGA is a classic British design perfect for pairing with Emma Bridgewater's contemporary British designs. The AGA is even made from 70% recycled materials and 70% can be recycled in the future, which adds wonderful green credentials to their locally manufactured claims. I've not seen them listed online yet, but I'm sure if you contact your local AGA Store they'll be able to point you in the right direction!
In the last ten years we've seen the Kitchen Aid Mixer sporting the most fashionable colours to create a dramatic contemporary style. I love all the bright vibrant colours, but in an expensive appliance I want something that will compliment my kitchen for years to come no matter how I decorate my kitchen. Till now that choice has been the bland cream or the bold black; but now Kitchen Aid have created this dark decadent chocolate. Subtle enough that it won't look huge in your kitchen, yet strong enough that it doesn't disappear into the wood work, the Chocolate Mixer offers a rich alternative to monochromatic appliances. Originally designed in 1937 by Egmont Arens, the vintage inspired Kitchen Aid Mixer is a true kitchen icon which is widely available for £349 at department stores, independent cookshops. Online the Chocolate Kitchen Aid Mixer is £339 from Armorica.
The iconic KitchenAid Artisan Mixer is the definition of retro glamour. The vintage inspired design has an industrial beauty finished in fabulous modern colours. New in May 2008, KitchenAid has released this trendy appliance in a brilliant new colour. The deep and dark Boysenberry is a sensual and sophisticated addition to the Artisan colour range. Offering a contemporary warmth you'll adore, the Boysenberry Artisan Food Mixer will be available in May from leading departments stores. For those who can't wait, you can also find the KitchenAid Boysenberry Artisan Food Mixer at DeluxeProduct.com for £338.99.
Fabulous new pans that are both environmentally friendly and medically safe, GreenPans made their début on July 26th. Currently they are exclusively sold by the Home Shopping Network in the States, but these Pans are making big news. The thick aluminium pans feature a new Thermolon non-stick coating that is PTFE-free and safe to use at high temperatures and around birds, unlike Teflon which can release toxic fumes. A ceramic-based nano non-stick coating, Thermolon is safe up to 450° Celsius or 850º Fahrenheit. Incredibly light pans, the GreenPans offer even heat conductivity and heat-resistant handles. The Thermolon coating is even scratch resistant, meaning you'll no longer need to worry about it flaking off and into your food. GreenPans even make cooking healthier as apparently you no longer need to add butter, fat or oil! Besides all these quality kitchen features, GreenPans release an impressive 50% fewer greenhouses-gasses during production making them both good for both your health and the planet. With all these fantastic features it no wonder that all 24,000 sold out in just four hours of release! And at an affordable $100 for the 6-piece Boston set, they may be flying off shelves for quite a while. While normally it can take ages for products to make it across the pond, the new GreenPans have a European subsidiary in Belgium so hopefully we'll be seeing them in shops soon.
The news is flying around the internet, but what kind of British site can pass up the opportunity to announce the merger of two iconic brands from the British Isles. In honour of St. Patrick’s Day, Marmite are creating a limited edition Guinness Spread. Once a staple of every WWI soldiers ration pack, Marmite is a vegan spread packed full of vitamins. Rather an acquired taste, Marmite is made from the nutritious yeast by-product of beer brewing. For this Limited Edition, a special recipe has been created that uses 30% of the unique Guinness yeast, giving it a wonderful yet subtle stout flavour. For this release the traditional Marmite bottle is dressed up in the black and white Guinness livery and features thick white cap, just like the finest pint. Supposedly available from the 18th of February it’s not yet been seen around here, but with only 300,000 bottles being produced you’d best keep a sharp eye out and snap one up. The 250g jars of Guinness Marmite retail at £2.49 at most major supermarkets.
