Food & Drink notes

Let them eat cake; Spice world - the cabinet; I should cocoa; Designer ladles

Let them eat cake

Let them eat cake

Meg Rivers Cakes, the Cotswolds bakery that bakes to original recipes and mails out all over the world, has a Starving Student Gift Pack for when munchies strike. Help freshers make friends by sending them the box packed with two trays of flapjacks, brownies, Bakewell slices (all told that's around 50 slices) and sachets of drinking chocolate. The Starving Student Box is £39.95 (plus £5.50 p&p), and once they've scoffed those, top-ups are £29.95. Order from www.megrivers.com/01608 682858.

Spice world - the cabinet

This handmade kitchen cabinet has impeccable retro credentials. Katherina Saunders based the design on a 100-year-old cabinet she was given by her Norwegian grandma. The 50cm-high storage cabinet has a dozen aluminium pouring scoops and nine glass spice jars with metal lids. You can buy replacement bottles and even order the spices to fill the jars. Beautifully Nordic if you can afford it - the cabinet alone is £810 from www.ellaskitchencompany.com, or phone in your order on 01588 673975.

I should cocoa

Chocolate Week begins on Monday with top chocolatiers providing pure temptation. One of those that really rocks is Rococo, at 45 Marylebone High Street, London W1 (020-7935 7780). As well as its esoterically flavoured artisan bars (Earl Grey, rosemary, lavender, etc), try organic fair-trade chocolate from hurricane-battered Grenada.

Designer ladles

Nigella (she who needs no surname) and Sebastian (whose second name is Conran) are the dream team behind the Living Kitchen collection. She waves her magic wand, he does the designing and makes her wish list take the shape of charming sets of cooking and kitchen tools. You could buy a shopping pad and pencil for £2.50, but if that's not on your must-have list, these £40 enamel utensil sets make lovely presents - to yourself or someone else. Serving spoons, ladles and a pasta claw come in a choice of two oh-so-Conran colours - cream and duck-egg blue. You can order them via the website www.nigella.com or find them in department stores and kitchen shops.