Not long now until the Easter weekend break! Many of us will be on holiday abroad, (flights permitting of course) and others will be visiting friends and family. What a change from the previous two Easters!
If you’re planning to head to a holiday cottage or just wanting to relax at home and not have to go shopping, you’ll do well to consider ordering one of the special Easter bundles from 44 Foods. I’ve mentioned this great company before, for its wonderful breakfast hampers, and the Easter Roast Lamb or Rib of Beef dinners for four are brilliant value at £32 and £52 respectively . The meal bundles contain delicious, fresh veg and luxury extras to make your dinner special. The stars of the show are the succulent JW Galloway Scotch rolled shoulder of lamb or British rib of beef, and you can browse the site and add all sorts of indulgent extras, that have been carefully sourced and are available for nationwide delivery. There are also chicken or pork Easter bundles. Celebrity Masterchef fans will be interested to note that Phil Vickery is now in partnership with 44 Foods, so you can create some of his recipes too.
For that pre-lunch glass of fizz, I’d highly recommend the Codorniu Vintage Brut Cava. It’s from Spain’s first ever cava producer and with its bubbles and creamy citrus notes the perfect partner for some pre lunch canapes. It’s great value and available in Waitrose at £10.99 a bottle.
Easter Sunday happens also to be World Malbec Day and a great excuse to crack open a bottle or two to enjoy with your Easter roast. I’ve checked out a couple of cracking Malbecs for you – both excellent value too.
The first is the 2020 Graffigna Genuine Collection Reserve. Bold, reliable and full of character, this Malbec from Uco Valley, Mendoza, Argentina, is a classic red wine that’s perfect to drink on its own, or to accompany a roast. Founded in 1870 by Santiago Graffigna, a passionate Italian whose vision and entrepreneurial spirit led him to found what is now the third most historic winery in Argentina. It has retained its unique winemaking philosophy, crafting bold wines that convey a 150-year history of excellence. It’s well-rounded, characterful and lightly oaked. It’s really delicious and available in Sainsbury’s at £9 a bottle.
Next for another good value Malbec from the Tesco Finest range. Dark violet in colour, ripe plum and chocolate aromas, followed by supple, dark fruit flavours with vanilla and black pepper finish. Sourced from three exceptional high altitude vineyard sites in the Uco Valley, Lunlunta and Agrelo, which produce Malbec of perfect balance, concentration and elegance. Great with grilled, roasted or barbecued meat. £12 a bottle
I’ve recently tried the most deliciously smooth and rich hazelnut chocolate spread from Bonne Maman, that you’ll be pleased to hear, is widely available at most major supermarkets at £2.80 a jar. It contains no palm oil, and is a luscious spread for croissants or crumpets (or anything else). What’s more, Bonne Maman has some fabulous recipes on the website, including this delicious one for Easter Rocky Road – an easy and very indulgent treat to make pre-Easter perhaps?
Happy Easter everyone!
