12 foodie buys for the ultimate summer feast

Trust in these palatable delicacies and smart cooking solutions to prepare a mouth-watering meal.

(Getty Images)

From a premium, sustainable wine to an ultra-versatile charcoal oven, these food and drink suggestions will upgrade your cooking while introducing you to some new, flavoursome delights.

Sip on sustainable Sauvignon Blanc this summer

(Yealands Wine Group)

Summer nights call for a chilled glass of your preferred vino, but what if every time you opened that bottle you were helping make the world more biodiverse? Based in the Awatere Valley in Marlborough, New Zealand, premium wine producer Yealands is recognised as one of the most sustainable wineries in the world, working in collaboration with nature to produce wines with an abundance of flavour. The Yealands range includes Yealands Sauvignon Blanc 2022, which stands out for its fruity flavour of pineapple, pink grapefruit and fresh citrus, and Yealands Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2022, with its notes of flowering herbs and passionfruit, underpinned with citrus and a deliciously long crisp finish. The recently relaunched Yealands Reserve labels depict the beautifully biodiverse flora and fauna found in the Yealands vineyard and serve as demonstration of the brand’s ongoing collaboration with nature. All wines are made by chief winemaker Natalie Christensen and are vegan and gluten-free. yealands.co.nz/nature-collab

Drink award-winning wines recommended by an expert committee

(Decanter)

With so many quality wine labels out there, how do you find the one for you? The prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) and its 2023 guide to the best summer wines is a good place to start. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, DWWA is trusted internationally thanks to its rigorous three-stage judging process and world-renowned judging panel, which includes more than 200 international wine experts. Wines are meticulously organised based on region, colour, grape, style, vintage and price point to accurately benchmark wine quality. Following this year’s awards, DWWA has compiled its list of 16 best wines for summer, all tasted and rated by the world’s top wine experts. From sparkling to white, rosé to red and from classic to more adventurous options, it’s the easiest way to find sensational bottles for the months ahead. Check out DWWA’s summer suggestions at decanter.com/decanter-awards — look for the Gold medal stickers for the crème de la crème.

Tuck into nutritious frozen meals

(Lazy Vegan)

When you think of healthy, delicious food, a frozen meal might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Still, perceptions about frozen products are steadily shifting, as their benefits become better understood. Freezing locks in vitamins, making frozen vegetables and fruit often more nutritious than their fresh counterparts. It also helps reduce food waste and can be more affordable than chilled alternatives. Among the new, innovative and sustainable brands spicing up the freezer aisle is Lazy Vegan. The brand’s vegan stir-fry meals burst with flavour, while its recently launched Pasta al Pesto is perfect for those looking for a creamy, tasty delight that’s also good for the planet. Lazy Vegan’s meals can be found in the freezer at Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Ocado and Mighty Plants from £3.50. Discover more at lazyvegan.com

Find tasty keto products without any additives

(8Foods)

Looking for low-carb, low-sugar keto foods that are high in fibre? 8Foods’ snacks, breads and desserts could be for you. This multi-award-winning British brand is on a mission to offer snacks and breads that are perfectly suited to the low-carb and keto lifestyle. Uncompromisingly delicious, products are gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free. They don’t contain any fillers, additives or preservatives either. 8Foods’ range is created at the brand’s own kitchens in Battersea, London, ensuring quality and minimal food waste while using sustainably sourced ingredients and fully recyclable packaging. Visit8foods.co.uk for more information and get 20% off with codeP Keto20IND until 31 July 2023.

Carry your favourite brew with you in instant coffee bags

(Artisan Coffee)

Do you want the ease of instant coffee but with the taste of rich, specialty roast? Working just like tea bags but with fresh ground coffee, Artisan Coffee Co. is every busy bee’s favourite brew. Super convenient and easy to pack, they can be carried around in your bag, whether you’re backpacking around Europe or at the office. Voted the best coffee bags in the UK by industry-leading taste testers, they come in six flavourful characters to suit every taste: these include the Heroine coffee bag, a blend of chocolate, caramel and roasted hazelnut; and the Smart Cookie coffee bag, which combines nibbed cocoa with honey and biscuit. Simply brew your coffee bag directly in a cup for the ultimate instant coffee fix. Discover them for yourself at artisancoffeeco.com/collections/coffee-bag

Try lip-smacking food at London’s newest sustainable community food market

(Mercato Metropolitano)

For a food market with a conscience, head to MMy Wood Wharf, from the creators of the hugely popular Mercato Metropolitano in Mayfair and Elephant & Castle. This neighbourhood sustainable community market by the Thames in Canary Wharf offers natural, artisanal, and affordable dishes guaranteed to satisfy both your belly and your soul. The food is prepared with responsibly sourced ingredients from small artisans, who are on a mission to bring farmed produce closer to urban citizens. Think authentic, freshly prepared food from a wide range of cuisines including Lebanese, Indian and Italian, all served under one roof. MMy Wood Wharf’s dishes — which are aptly called ‘United Nations of food’ — aim to connect people across cultures and generations, while redefining their relationship with farming and the environment. You can also bring some of those ingredients home with you, thanks to NaturaSi, a natural and organic grocery store selling quality sustainable products at affordable prices.

Help protect the oceans with responsible drinking

(Plymouth Gin)

Who knew drinking gin could benefit our oceans? In a bid to protect more than 1,700 acres of UK seagrass meadows over the next five years, Plymouth Gin has been working with the Ocean Conservation Trust (OCT) to restore them to their healthiest levels. The gin is continuing its sustainability journey this spring with the launch of its ‘Ocean Edition’ bottle. For every one of these brand-new, limited-edition bottles sold, Plymouth Gin will donate £1 to the OCT. The blue-tinted bottle, with a design inspired by the ocean’s waves, is available to buy in all major grocery retailers for £26. The gin itself is made using the same recipe since 1793; this includes angelica, for a distinctive dry finish, cardamom, for a hint of menthol, lemon, for notes of fresh citrus, and coriander, for a hint of sour and spice. plymouthgin.com/en/make-waves

Cool off with a smooth beer

(Salt Brewing Company)

With summer in full swing, there’s hardly a more refreshing way to brave the heat than with a pint or two. Based in Saltaire, Yorkshire, progressive brewery SALT prides itself on combining heritage with modern craft brewery, crossing styles, exploring new ingredients and producing award-winners along the way. SALT offers an accessible range of impeccable quality, loved by new beer drinkers and veterans to the craft scene alike. With a 4.2% ABV, its best-selling offering, Jute Session IPA, pairs a smooth malt bill with flavours of the tropics. Notes of juicy citrus and melon rind are complemented with a low bitterness, making it the ideal thirst-quenching, summery drink. Get 10% off Jute by using code SUMMER10 at saltbeerfactory.co.uk. Offer ends 30 August 2023.

Feel the buzz with a natural, alcohol-free spirit

(Sentia Spirits)

Teetotallers and mocktail enthusiasts are bound to love SENTIA’s non-alcoholic spirits. Neuroscientist Professor David Nutt and his team at GABA Labs are behind this plant-based spirit, offering a comparable experience to a ‘two-drink sweet spot’. Professor Nutt has been dedicated to finding a safer alternative to alcohol since the early 2000s, leading to the development of a synthetic ingredient called Alcarelle. This innovative compound replicates the desirable effects of alcohol on the brain, minus the ethanol. Although Alcarelle is still undergoing development and is expected to be launched by 2027, the team has now crafted a botanical drink with similar, milder characteristics — SENTIA. Alcohol enhances the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain, and SENTIA’s non-alcoholic spirits use a botanical blend to similarly impact the GABA system, allowing you to tune in to your feelings and senses. sentiaspirits.com

Create an effortless outdoor feast for your friends and family

(Charlie Oven)

Having friends over for a barbeque? Invest in a versatile cooking device for a truly memorable feast. A charcoal BBQ, pizza oven, griddle, smoker and charcoal grill all-in-one, Charlie Charcoal Oven allows you to bake several pizzas or cook an entire roast all at once. Grill meat directly over the flames while cooking vegetables higher up in the oven. Or even cold smoke fish, cheese and butter. Manufactured in the UK, Charlie Charcoal Oven has a sturdy design made of steel, while its front opening keeps in the smoke (meaning all the aroma is captured rather than escaping to the atmosphere). Its advanced insulation also keeps in the heat, making it incredibly fuel efficient. It’s available in a range of colours (with matching outdoor kitchen units), it’s waterproof, and it comes with a three-year warranty. Get a free cover worth £250 when you buy an oven using code SUMMERCOVER by 31 August 2023. charlieoven.com

Fry, roast and bake the lighter way

(Fry Light)

Finding the right oil to cook a light meal can be tricky, but you could never go wrong with this best-selling cooking spray. Frylight is the perfect ingredient for a light dish as it contains 95% less fat than regular oil*, or over 100 fewer calories (with one calorie per spray). One bottle of Frylight can also potentially last three times longer than a litre of poured oil* (one 190ml bottle is found to cook up to 190 meals*), which also contributes to less waste. Frylight offers six varieties to choose from — Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sunflower Oil, Butter Flavour, Coconut Oil, Rapeseed Oil, and Garlic Oil — and it’s gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan. For more details visit frylight.co.uk

* Based on using five sprays per cook (5kcal/0.5g fat), which can replace one tablespoonful of oil (120kcal/15g fat) or butter (110kcal/12g fat), and save over 100kcal per cook.

Elevate your cooking with premium balsamic vinegar

(Mazzetti)

Take your dishes to the next level with the luxury Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. For more than 80 years, the Mazzetti family has been producing this fine vinegar, using recipes passed down through generations. Each drop is carefully crafted with time, care and attention in oak barrels in the Modena region in northern Italy. The vinegar rests during winter and then evaporates and concentrates in the summer heat, allowing it to better absorb the complex woody flavours of the barrels. Choose the light and zesty Yellow Label for your dressings and marinades. Or drizzle the medium-bodied Mazzetti Gold Label on grilled meats and vegetables — it’s sweet, complex, and has hints of plum jam and sweet spices. The rich and velvety Mazzetti Black Label, with a full-bodied finish, wood notes and a gentle sweetness, works great on ice cream, parmesan cheese and even strawberries. uk.mazzettioriginale.com

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