Pate has been a Christmas favourite since I can remember, or any special occasion come to think of it. I vote it’s time to change this convention and make it a staple for any day you fancy giving your palette a treat. Lavishly spreading this comfort-inducing cuisine onto crusty bread brings feelings of opulence that surely we deserve all year round.

Every time I head to Google to ask what the latest food craze is, it always hits me with kimchi facts. It seems that the popularity of this Korean dish is growing day by day.

You can make kimchi yourself, in fact so many people started fermenting their veg last year that it created a shortage in canning jar lids due to the massive increase in demand. But getting that mix of spices right to achieve kimchi’s distinctively punchy flavour isn’t easy.  It’s simpler to buy it – plus you experience the authentic taste too.

Every now and then something new comes along that really sends your taste buds into a frenzy. And Tarquin’s latest limited edition flavour delight of hibiscus and lemon does just that.

The rumours are true - Heswall drinks so much gin that it had to open its own distillery! We jest of course, but it really is the case that we now have our own distillery right here in town, and they've burst onto the artisanal gin scene with a hyper-local Heswall Gin! We caught up with Jonpaul Stanhope and James White, founders, distillers, oh, and engineers...

Many people view craft beer as the younger, hip cousin of real ale. While both reject the blandness of mass-produced beers, real ale focuses solely on traditional brewing methods, with most served from a cask via a hand pump in the pub. In contrast, craft beer embraces experimentation and innovation in search of new tastes and styles. The result is modern craft brews with distinct personalities that upend the status quo - this is not your father's beer! So what does make a craft beer? 

We're thrilled to tell you that our award-winning Cava producer and huge customer favourite Vilarnau has launched a pioneering organic, vegan, alcohol free fizz!

Truffles are a kind of fungus that grow under the ground. They are among the most valuable foodstuffs in the world. While French and Italian truffles are famous, English truffles are less well known but still prized for their culinary value. In the 19th and early 20th centuries England had a moderately thriving truffle industry. 

Keeping our range of wine fresh and new is a constant challenge for us. Balancing the need to keep customer favourites and best sellers on the shelf, whilst constantly keeping the range new and interesting is difficult to do without ending up needing an aircraft hangar! Those of you who know our shops will know that we are the antithesis of "hangar" so from time to time we have a good old review of our range.

Those of you who know me will know that I often get accosted by all manner of people who announce apropos of nothing that they have made a beer. "I've done a beer" they blurt, breathless with excitement, "it's made of cabbages and MDF!". I'm not sure if that's what they really say, but I've usually tuned out by that point. Such is the prevalence of craft beer now, trying to find the good stuff has become a dark art. If the moon is just right, sometimes you win. And this time I feel like I've won...