
In no particular order, my top ten Christmas picks that I’d love to find under my tree or in my stocking.
1.Le Creuset Casserole Dish – Le Creuset’s stuff is heavy, in both senses of the word. Cast iron, classic, and they seem to improve with age. I’ll take this shallow casserole dish in white, thanks.
2.Fire & Knives Subscription – Mine has run out, so I’d definitely like someone somewhere to renew my subscription to this excellent, and refreshingly different, food publication.
3.Global Vegetable Chopper – Global knives are probably not as fashionable as they used to be, but for my money (and they aren’t cheap) they are the best knives I’ve used. This veg chopper is like a mini cleaver, and would be a welcome addition to my collection.
4.Sipsmith’s Sloe Gin – I love a drop of Sloe Gin, and this stuff is produced by artisan distillers in Hammersmith, London, so it’s also means supporting a local, independent business. Win, win.
5.Ripailles – I’ve flicked through this French cookery bible a bunch of times in book shops, and everything in it looks amazing. The photography alone had my mouth watering within seconds.
6.Wesco Bread Bin – classic American style bread bin. I’ve wanted one for a while, but we really don’t have room for one in our already crowded kitchen.
7. Sausage Making Course – I did the Ginger Pig beef butchery class earlier in the year, which was ace, and I rather fancy a return visit to learn a bit about making bangers.
8. Dinner & Foraging at the Foxhunter – I’ve been wanting to go to Matt Tebbutt’s pub in Monmouthshire for ages, and combining a quality meal with an afternoon’s foraging sounds like my idea of a good day out.
9.Dualit Coffee Grinder – getting my coffee fix at Kaffiene at the weekends is tricky, so this burr grinder would get Square Mile or Monmouth coffee beans perfectly ground for my morning cup.
10. Neal’s Year Cheese – Christmas and cheese go hand in hand, and although this New Traditionals selection doesn’t have a Stilton, it would be a welcome, if not slightly smelly, addition under the tree.