Share the joy of food and drink with the help of incredible brands, restaurants and bottles
From heritage flavours to modern treats worth sharing, here’s our top pick of culinary choices for 2026
Whether marking a celebration or elevating everyday meals, these food and drink picks focus on flavour, connection and enjoying great food together.
Slow down and savour chocolatey indulgence
Crafted in Yorkshire since 2013, Mallow & Marsh creates chocolatey mallows designed for moments worth lingering over. Made with Belgian Fairtrade chocolate and classic flavours, each bite delivers a soft, satisfying texture that encourages slower enjoyment. The range suits every occasion, from sharing pouches for relaxed evenings accompanying movie marathons to mallow bars for indulgence on the move.
The ultimate s’mores bars offer a richer take inspired by campfire treats, while mini mallows provide lighter snacking in bite-size form. Flavours focus on familiar favourites including milk chocolate over vanilla, coconut and chocolate, plus dark chocolate over raspberry. With no artificial colours or flavours and responsibly sourced cocoa, these treats appeal to those who value quality as well as indulgence.
This March, the latest Milk Chocolate over Dulce de Leche mallows will be available in Tesco stores nationwide and online.
The range is available at major UK retailers. Enjoy 20 per cent off your first online purchase with code ‘MALLOW20’ until 30 April 2026 at Mallowandmarsh.com
Celebrate Chinese New Year with award-winning dumplings
Dumplings are a Chinese New Year essential, symbolising reunion and good fortune. Freshasia brings this long-standing tradition into modern kitchens with a range of premium frozen dumplings designed for easy sharing at home. Loved by Chinese communities across the UK and Europe, the collection focuses on classic flavours and straightforward cooking, whether you choose to steam, boil or pan-fry.
Ready in minutes, they suit both festive gatherings and everyday meals when comfort is called for. Freshasia’s dumplings have been recognised by leading UK food awards, including the Great Taste Awards over multiple years, and featured by major media titles. Serve a generous bowl as part of your Chinese New Year celebrations or keep a pack in the freezer for a quick, satisfying dish any time of year.
Discover the range and stockists at Freshasia.co.uk
Discover how simplicity is shaping the way we eat
As dining habits evolve in 2026, one of the strongest shifts is away from novelty and towards focus. Diners appear increasingly willing to trade variety for certainty, favouring restaurants that commit to doing one thing well rather than many things adequately. Swiss Butter reflects this change. Built around a single dish – steak frites served with a proprietary butter-based sauce – the restaurant has resisted menu expansion and seasonal reinvention.
The experience is intentionally narrow, prioritising consistency and repeatability over surprise. That clarity has translated into demand. From the Middle East to Europe and the UK, Swiss Butter has drawn crowds since day one, driven by word of mouth rather than hype. If you want to understand why simplicity is trending again, there is only one way to do it.
Find out what the hype is all about at Swissbutter.com and visit the London restaurant at 114-118 Southampton Row, London WC1B 5AA.
Step into the moment with an iconic gin
Based on a recipe that dates from 1761, Bombay Sapphire is crafted with a perfectly balanced blend of 10 hand-selected botanicals, sourced from sustainably certified suppliers around the world. Produced at Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire, the gin is distilled using a signature 100 per cent Vapour Infusion process that gently unlocks and captures the botanicals’ natural flavours, creating the vibrant and bright taste that defines Bombay Sapphire. The result is a delicious gin suited to both classic serves and contemporary cocktails.
For 2026, the brand joins forces with a world-renowned partner, the Royal Albert Hall, to unveil a brand-new destination bar space at the venue. Designed by Bombay Sapphire and featuring a signature cocktail menu, the newly launched space, located on the Grand Tier Level, invites guests to enjoy breathtaking moments and lasting memories, surrounded by the beauty of one of the world’s most iconic venues, with a Bombay Sapphire signature cocktail in hand.
Learn more at Bombaysapphire.com/stepintotheblue
Open a bottle of standout sauvignon blanc
Blind River Sauvignon Blanc is a distinctive expression of Marlborough, New Zealand, shaped by its coastal Awatere Valley setting between the Pacific Ocean and the Southern Alps. The wine is grown on a small vineyard where cool sea breezes and stony soils contribute to its freshness and clarity. In the glass, it showcases vibrant passionfruit and zesty citrus flavours, balanced by a clean mineral character that reflects its place of origin.
Sustainably certified and vegan friendly, Blind River is grown, made and bottled by a small, hands-on team who oversee every stage of production. Blind River Sauvignon Blanc is certified by Appellation Marlborough Wine, offering an assurance of authenticity and regional character. The result is a wine with purity, focus and a strong sense of provenance, ideal for those seeking a refined yet approachable New Zealand classic.
Available exclusively at Waitrose.com
Indulge in a classic Baileys chocolate treat
Created for moments of indulgence, the Baileys chocolate range combines the iconic, creamy flavour of Baileys Original Irish Cream with velvety, smooth chocolate. For those looking to elevate their gifting in 2026, the Baileys Chocolate Original Truffles represent the perfect choice, featuring a rich milk chocolate shell filled with the signature Baileys truffle filling. Whether shared after dinner or savoured with a coffee, they transform any moment into something a little more special. Baileys chocolates are wrapped with fully recyclable paper twist wraps across the truffle range.
Available online and at selected retailers, the truffles are currently offered with a limited-time £1.25 saving at Sainsbury’s from 9 February to 5 April. Explore the range on the Baileys Amazon storefront at Amazon.co.uk
Celebrate moments made to share
Food is a powerful tool to bring people together, and Chinese New Year, starting on 17 February 2026, presents the perfect opportunity to embrace moments of connection. Lee Kum Kee’s Moments Made to Share campaign invites families, friends and communities to celebrate together.
In London, Wishing Tree installations at Waitrose Canary Wharf (15-21 February) and King’s Cross railway station (18 February) invite you to enter the Win a Wish competition, allowing people across the UK to submit a wish online via QR code. Five selected wishes will be turned into reality by Lee Kum Kee, from reuniting families to hosting meaningful shared meals. A free recipe booklet will also be available. Pick one up on site and share the flavours with your friends and family, made even better with Lee Kum Kee.
Discover more at Uk.lkk.com/CNY2026
Elevate spring celebrations with characterful wines
Certified sustainable and entirely estate grown, Mt Beautiful’s wines showcase restrained aromatics and pure regional character. Distinct from Marlborough yet unmistakably New Zealand, the estate reflects the wild beauty and spirit of North Canterbury. While best known for its sauvignon blanc, Mt Beautiful’s pinot noir and riesling are equally assured.
The 2020 Riesling shows citrus freshness, minerality and a gentle floral lift, finishing with lingering acidity. The 2022 Pinot Noir Estate evokes sweet cherry, dried herbs, fennel and toasted nut aromas, with a silky texture and fine-grained tannins. Ideal for sunnier days, the 2023 Chardonnay offers golden peach, mango, vanilla and roasted hazelnut, framed by a creamy texture and bright acidity. Completing the range, the 2025 Rosé brings fragrant summer red berries with an intriguing savoury edge.
Buy yours at Condorwines.co.uk
Try the burgers taking the UK by storm
Amigos Burgers & Shakes is built on a simple idea: serve a proper British burger and don’t cut corners. Founded by best friends Kaz and Wax, the brand started as a neighbourhood favourite rooted in friendship, community and a shared love of great food. While smash burgers dominate menus across London, Amigos prides itself on a unique approach, using high-quality beef, full seasoning and generous portions that deliver real flavour.
Burgers are freshly prepared, responsibly sourced and made to order, paired with classic shakes and sides that keep things comforting and familiar. The result is a menu that feels considered rather than trendy, and burgers that seriously satisfy. Amigos proves that when you focus on quality and consistency, a great burger speaks for itself – ideal for anyone craving substance over hype.
Find out more at Amigosburgersandshakes.com or if you’re interested in becoming part of the brand, enquire now on the franchising section of the website.
Discover Italy’s most iconic bitter liqueur
Created in Milan in 1845, Fernet-Branca is Italy’s most famous amaro. Crafted using 27 botanicals sourced across four continents, the liqueur is aged in oak barrels for over a year. Still made to the original secret recipe, the liqueur’s intense bitterness and spice soften over time into a bold but balanced character that’s earned the drink a devoted global following.
Long favoured by bartenders, Fernet-Branca can be enjoyed neat as a ritual serve, a post-dinner digestif or mixed into classic cocktails such as the Hanky Panky. For a lighter, more contemporary option, try it long with bitter lemon in a Fernet Collins, which brings out its herbal depth in a refreshing way. Known as the ‘bartender’s handshake’, Fernet-Branca remains a symbol of Italian craftsmanship and hospitality culture.
Find it at Fernetbranca.com and Waitrose.
Pick up a bottle of Indian gin infused with Darjeeling tea
If you’ve been looking for a gin with a difference, Jin Jiji could be the answer. Infused with First Flush Darjeeling tea, the craft gin is one of India’s first. Distilled and bottled in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, it uses a blend of European and wild-foraged Himalayan juniper for depth and freshness.
The Darjeeling Gin adds fragrant tea leaves alongside ginger, cardamom and cloves, creating a layered, aromatic spirit with gentle spice and warmth. It’s distinctive without being overpowering, equally at home in a gin and tonic or as a base in a cocktail. Available via specialist retailer Maharaja Drinks, it’s a compelling discovery for curious gin-lovers looking to venture beyond the familiar.
Find yours at Maharajadrinks.com
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