It’s Time to Plan your Souvenir Purchases
It’s not long now until the Coronation – an experience that most of us have never witnessed before – and you might well be planning to invest in a souvenir. Perhaps one that’s likely to become a collectible, or just something to enter into the spirit of the whole occasion? There are lots of different items to choose from, but here are a few foodie suggestions, in a range of prices, but none of them too eye-wateringly expensive, thank heavens!
Many companies are producing limited edition Coronation themed drinks, cakes, and recipes (including the recently annolunced ‘Coronation Quiche’, that’s certainly dividing opinions!) and it’s hard to decide what to buy. I’m pleased that lots of English sparkling wine producers are releasing special commemorative labels, and I do think that we should be patriotic and raise a glass or two of home-produced bubbly to toast King Charles III.
Fortnum & Mason
Starting at the higher end of the scale, Fortnum & Mason, a store that has served 13 of our British monarchs since 1707 no less, has produced a lovely selection of celebratory things to eat, drink and keep. Using British designers and sourcing mainly from around the UK, the range looks stunning and it’s worth a trip to see it and choose something.
Special Tea & Coffee
Th
ere’s a gorgeous tin of organic Darjeeling tea at £19.95 for 200g, something you will want to keep. Similarly, the tin of special blend Coronation Coffee at £18.95 for 250g is a colourful commemoration.
Crowns & Honeys
There are so many lovely items, including a box of chocolate crowns at £15.95 and a wonderful set of honeys from around our Kingdom (a tad more pricey at £59.95 for six).
Regal Pot of the ‘King of Cheeses’
But the star of the show, in my opinion, and the one I’m hoping to buy, is the gloriously regal jar of Coronation Organic Stilton (£25 for 250g) Known as the ‘King of Cheeses’, the Nottinghamshire Stilton is in a limited edition of 2,500 keepsake jars – and replicates a design produced for Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation in 1953.
Marks & Spencer
Another of our much-loved British retail institutions that’s producing a great range of products, of course, is Marks & Spencer.
Tea and Biscuits
The commemorative biscuit tins filled with all-butter shortbread, baked in Edinburgh, are great value at £6 for 450g and available in two colour ways.
And to match your choice of biscuit tin, you could add a tin of English Breakfast Tea Bags (Fairtrade) at £5 for 200g.
Chocolate Crowns
A ‘giant’ chocolate Coronation gold coin (£2.50 for 90g) won’t keep that long, of course, but makes a great street party prize, as do the King of Everything Chocolates (five £3 for 53g) and fabulous for decorating a Coronation cake too.
Regal Cake
But talking of Coronation Cakes, you don’t even need to bake one, as M&S has a lovely one already adorned with edible crown decorations. And at £10, it’s hardly worth the electricity and effort to bake your own!
Coronation Crisps
And that street party will also benefit from M&S’s Coronation Chicken Crisps (£1.50 for 150g bag) – they sound much nicer than Coronation Quiche flavour (not that it exists…yet)
Gift Wrapped London Gin fit for a King
A nice idea from Hayman’s, London’s original family gin distiller, is a limited-edition London-inspired hand gift wrap for its London Dry Gin.
Crisp and complex, with refreshing notes of juniper, subtle exotic spice and a lively citrus finish, Hayman’s London Dry Gin is distilled today using the original family recipe from 1863.
On sale exclusively in Waitrose, £28 for a 70cl bottle or online from Hayman’s here, this wrap is by up-and-coming London artist Rose England. It features iconic London landmarks such as Big Ben, black taxis, phone boxes etc and is a great gift to take if you are staying with friends or family for the Coronation weekend.
A Choccy Kings Ransom
And while this isn’t specifically a Coronation souvenir, as it’ll be a standard line, rather than limited-edition, rule-breaking and distinctly chunky dark chocolate brand, FATSO, has cleverly timed the launch of its 4th flavour.
With minty-fresh notes, whole pistachios and crunchy cocoa nibs, set in dark chocolate (60% cacao) it creates a ‘right, royal rhapsody’ of a chocolate bar. Appropriately named, ‘Kings Ransom’ is pretty regal, and made with true single-origin, Fino de Aroma certified cacao from family-owned Luker’s Farm in Columbia. It’s vegan-friendly and joins FATSO’s three other flavours, each with its own personality: Morn’n Glory; Home Run and Nan’s Stash. Kings Ransom is available nationwide or visit www.sofatso.com to buy online (RRP £6.50 per 150g bar).
