GIVEAWAY: The Collective Yoghurts & Gourmet Parcel NOW CLOSED

NOW CLOSED.

In order to say thank you, I've teamed up with The Collective, a Kiwi-originating company now conquering the UK yoghurt scene (I adore their passion fruit and Russian Fudge flavours), who have kindly agreed to donate a months worth of their delicious yoghurts to a reader of Adventures of a London Kiwi.

*plus*

I'm going to add a little 'something something' and make up a Foodie Penpals-esque parcel of gourmet goodies which will be delivered (separately to the yoghurts) to an address of your choice. It will take food allergies into consideration and contain £25.00 worth of hand picked goodies, unique to you, by answering a few questions over email like;

- Sweet, Savoury or a mixture?
- Good or naughty?
- Do you follow any particular diet such as vegan, vegetarian, low carb?

Life is all about adventures - in this case, Timtams may be involved.

Further info on The Collective and their utterly delicious products here

 

For the gourmet parcel you may be thinking £25 isn't the most massive value - for that much in your average-high-street-hamper that would get a bottle of chutney, some crackers & maybe a cheap bottle of plonk. The nice thing is I don't have a profit margin to make, and this is what approx. £10.00 gets -->
#justsayin

I'm also keen to share some of the delicious products my Foodie Penpals have introduced to me.

Personalised to your likes & dislikes it could include;



How To Enter:

• Simply complete the Rafflecopter widget below to verify your entries
• Entries can be via blog comment, Facebook, Twitter etc
• This competition is open to UK residents only. Please read the rules below
• Leaving a blog comment is mandatory and failure to do so will void any other entries
• Closing date -  27th April 2013 12.00 pm

*Terms and conditions

1. This offer is only open to UK residents (sorry international peeps)
2. One prizewinner only
3. The Yoghurts will be dispatched by The Collective directly to the winner as soon as possible
4. Adventures of a London Kiwi will post the gourmet parcel Special Next Day Delivery but is limited to the reliability of Royal Mail
5. The winner will be contacted by email within 48 hours of the end of the competition with and the gourmet parcel dispatched within 72 hours of the winners reply

How Entries and Rafflecopter works:

• You will need to complete the mandatory entry first by making a blog comment. Click 'leave a comment' at the bottom of the post and leave your reply. The comment won't show immediately as it needs to be moderated, however rest assured it will appear on the site, so carry on with rest of your entries.
• Go back to Rafflecopter and click the green button to tell me you have made a comment, this will unlock all the other options. All entries are checked to see that the mandatory question is answered, if its not all bonus entries will become void.
• Rafflecopter will tweet, like and follow on your behalf.
• For information on how to find the URL of your tweet click here.
• For bonus entries you can return to this page and enter the daily bonus entries.
• If you are still unsure as to how Rafflecopter works please do check out this short video.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Homemade Chutneys - Newton & Pott

Homemade Feijoa & Tamarillo Chutneys.

Have I managed to tickle your fancy yet? (most Kiwis reading this blog will be drooling already - you can switch to the bottom of the blog post for details on how to get your mitts on these delicious London babies).

Disclaimer: In this instance I was given samples to try by Newton and Pott, but my (many) opinions are only ever my own and I would never recommend something I didn't like.

Sunday brunch - Poached Eggs, Roast Beef,  grilled Asparagus and the star of the show, Tamarillo Chutney.

In a bustling Saturday market not far from Hackney, a Kiwi grass-roots business is making a name for themselves amidst the delicious hububb of Eel, Mash & Likker, Indian Curries and the whirr of coffee machines. Newton & Pott (with a very English name), is hand making some very exotic sounding Chutneys with a few ingredients that are more likely to be found in kitchens some 12,000 miles away (and much to my surprise, South America).

Nestled amongst the Red Onion and Tomato & Apple Chutneys holding their own, are some lovely takes such as their Beetroot and Blood Orange, Feijoa Chutney, and my especial (yes, I meant to write especial, oh the childhood memories!) favourite Tamarillo.

Originating from South America, Feijoas and Tamarillos are incredibly popular in New Zealand as they seem to love our climate, and in my opinion are delicious. Both are 'kind of citrusy' fruits and if I had to give parallel are sort of similar in texture to Guava's with Feijoas slightly more citrusy.

The Tamarillo Chutney is soft and ever so slightly tangy - and I decided to try them out as per the chefs suggestion of poached eggs. She really wasn't wrong. They made a lovely addition to my favourite brunch, their flavour adding a nice piquancy to the (slightly over cooked if I'm honest) eggs and saved the day.

The Tomato and Apple Chutney was delicious in a white bread cheddar and ham sandwich and I think would be delicious on a ploughmans. The Beetroot and Orange I'm saving to accompany a steak, with chips and a crispy coleslaw.

They would also be delicious in a Toastie Pie (or straight from the jar as some of their clients like to eat them). Peter Gordon (of The Providores and Kopapa), and the chefs of the Modern Kitchen have been known to pop by the stall once or twice. Eat where Chefs eat is my motto...

 

My favourite aspect of the Chutneys are the real ingredients listed on the side - no E numbers and no weird preservatives but proper background spices - coriander, vinegar, chilli and cloves. Once bought they last kept in a dark place, unopened for up to a year, and opened in the fridge for 3 months - though I'm not sure how that could happen.

Don't just take my word for it. Pop on by their stall at Broadway Market on a Saturday (they are situated in the School Yard around the corner from the main market) and you can nibble before you buy. The only problem was deciding which one! I wasn't the only one - a lot of people who were visiting the stall walked away with 2 or 3). Flavours change with the seasons & good fruit and there seems to be no lead flavour as yet, people can't quite settle for just the one pot. There are rumours of a Mexican Mango Chutney in summer.

It's surprisingly easy to get to the market where 'barra' boys have been selling produce since the 1890s, the nearest rail stations are London Fields (a few minutes walk away, 10 minutes to Liverpool Street) Haggerston on the London Overground and Hackney Central near the Empire. The nearest tube station is Bethnal Green & from there it is 2-3 stops on the bus & a wander away. If you can't get to London, I believe that an etsy/mail order method is being developed. Watch this space.

They also occasionally have a bowl of feijoas for sale on the stall (dependent on availability, ripeness and demand) ... do you need any more reasons?



What is your favourite way to eat Chutney? In box, with a fox, in a house or with a mouse, here there or anywhere - no wait, that's Green Eggs and Ham, Actually, a bit of Chutneys would go really well with them... I wonder where I can get my hands on some green food dye.

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Hackney Broadway Market

Tucked away on Saturdays in the midst of East London is a secret (well, to me) full of locals and deliciousness.

Flanked by a full variety of shops selling almost everything else you can think of, the Broadway is busy and buzzing with the hum of good foods and smiling stallholders. There is also a green not far away, where you can enjoy your spoils.

Have I piqued your interest yet?

Quality Specialty and Variety are the market's watchwords, and I for one can attest to all of the above. Coffee, olives, cheese, spit-roasted chicken and pork, fresh seafood, bread, fruit and vege, creole prawns, oysters, African jollof rice, mushroom risotto, samosas, eels with pie mash and likker, pastries, cakes, vintage clothes, records...

It's surprisingly easy to get to the market where 'barra' boys have been selling produce since the 1890s, the nearest rail stations are London Fields (a few minutes walk away, 10 minutes to Liverpool Street) Haggerston on the London Overground and Hackney Central near the Empire. The nearest tube station is Bethnal Green & from there it is 2-3 stops on the bus & a wander away.



But wait Kiwis stay tuned, there is more...

Ps. please check out the lovely Guest post and blog by my lovely fellow expat Kit, posted over the weekend!

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Foodie Penpals - The Czech Edition

I love Foodie Penpals, it's definitely my worst kept secret. This month that adoration hit up a major notch when I was paired with a) one of my first and longest friends here in London and b) the lovely Jade at Wild Pickings whom I sent a box to (she runs a foraging walk business in Wales - why oh why don't we live closer?)

{Ps. London & UK based foodies, I've got a giveaway of Foodie Festival tickets in May, details here!}

When we used the box as an excuse to catch up, I also fell in love (sorry puss).

Forget Royal Mail, Puppy Post is THE BEST 

My first taste of proper Europe was spending 10 days in Alena's hometown of Prague, and it will always have a special place in my heart - between the history, beer, Svickova and friendliness (I've found the key in any country is taking the time to learn the phrases: Please, Thank you, and I'm from New Zealand hehehe).

Thank you again Alena, such a lovely and thoughtful foodie package!

  

My favourite meal whilst in Prague was Svickova; a Czech delicacy of Slow cooked Sirloin, Cream Sauce, bread dumplings and jam; closely followed by Pork Knuckle and Goulash served in a hollowed out loaf of bread that you eat with the Goulash. We've found a couple of pubs in London that do the above, but Alena kindly has included Svickova with Pasta (a quick alternative) and Goulash sauce mix. They have been a perfect antidote for the winter weather we are still having.

 

Did I mention the freshly baked Creme Egg cupcakes which may not have made it home, or even to the Shard later that night?

 

I received a plethora of goodies including snacks ready for eating; delicious Chocolate Waffles Tatranly, a Chocolate coffee bar Kofila, Kinder Easter Eggs (which lasted all of about 3 seconds) and Cocoa Pudding which I've not had a chance to try. I'm intrigued by the Cocoa Pudding as Alena says it has a tangy note to it (much like salted caramel I suspect?)

A few weeks ago they kindly hosted us for dinner, which included homemade cheese balls (below) that we ate with Czech Tartar Sauce Tatarska omacka which is delicious. Lighter than the UK version this is softer and lighter, going perfectly with fish fingers.

 

 

Savoury snacks were also on the menu; Smoked cheese that looks like baled hay with a lovely tang Parenica, naughty string cheese Korbacik and Tcinky which are similar to pretzel sticks.

 

To add to my spice cupboard Alena also included a 7 pepper steak sauce (black, green, white, red, cayenne, jalapeno & sechuan!) and Lovage Libecek a herb that I've quizzed her about several times, which she uses in soups. I can't wait to try them out!

 

On top of all of this was included a beautiful card, and recipes for the ingredients.

 

It's just a shame I couldn't fit puppy in my bag too!

 

Alena and I have had quite a few adventures together, and I look forward to the next ones we have in the near future!



Camping during the Olympic Opening Ceremony

Fancy a lovely thoughtful box of goodies arriving on your doorstep? Foodie Penpals was created by Lindsay at theleangreenbean in September 2011, and is administered in Europe by Carol Anne from thisisrocksalt every month. You will get to know two lovely people and are assigned one person to send a thoughtful foodie parcel to and a different person will send one to you. It's a lovely way to try things you've never tried before, match up with some awesome bloggers (and readers too!) and it's so nice to receive something in the post that's not a bill. Join in today!

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Good Friday - A few Sailors, a drink and a Hot Cross Bun

Hot Cross Buns have a colourful and lengthy history. Amongst the superstitions, sailors would take Hot Cross Buns baked on Good Friday with them on their voyages, as it was said to prevent shipwrecks. Located not too far from the East End docks, the associations with the Widow's Pub in Bow in East London are incredibly strong.

The legend goes that in the early 19th Century a widow lived in a cottage with her only son. Her sailor son left for the sea but promised to be back on Good Friday, 1824. Awaiting his return, his mother baked him a hot cross bun, but he never arrived. Every year until her death she baked a bun on Good Friday, hoping to welcome her son home, but she never saw him again.

In the 1840's a pub replaced the cottages called the Widow's Son and the tradition has been carried on with a Hot Cross Bun baked every Good Friday and hung in a net above the bar. A service is held in the pub and a member of the Royal Navy adds another freshly baked to the net admist singing, a few jovial drinks and a lot of goodwill.

Another story says claims the Widow was the publican of a pub already on site - but we will possibly never know.

  

Thanks to a tip off by the lovely Miss Regula Foodwise, we couldn't resist popping along, and chatting with the friendly locals (proper proper Cockney Sparra's) - some who have been attending the service for over 50 years and Navy members - some fresh from a 6 month voyage.

 

 

 

Sadly there was a fire about 15 years ago in which many of the age-old buns were burnt, but a few were saved and have been treasured with their fresher counterparts.

It's a real festival atmosphere; everyone crowded in at 3pm glasses in hand, rock music pumping and the buffet kindly laid on (over the billiard table) and such a nice atmosphere.




The legend is such a heartbreaking tale, can you imagine what the Widow would have to say if she knew that the tradition is still being carried out over 125 years later? Maybe as the MC said “Another year, another Good Friday, another bun.”

We especially loved the sign hanging above the pub of the Sailor returning many years later to the pub, with the many buns hanging in their net. The old Facade can be seen here.


There are many superstitions surrounding Hot Cross Buns and Easter:

• Sharing a hot cross bun with another is supposed to ensure friendship throughout the coming year, particularly if "Half for you and half for me, Between us two shall goodwill be" is said at the time.
• Another encourages keeping such a bun for medicinal purposes. A piece of it given to someone who is ill is said to help them recover
• If hung in the kitchen, they are said to protect against fires and ensure that all breads turn out perfectly.
• Eggs laid today will not go off
• If a child is born today & baptized on Easter Sunday they will have gift of healing

The Hot Cross bun has very contested origins, with Pagan claims, some claiming a connection with Eostre (a Germanic god, the namesake to Easter), some to the Ancient Greeks but the most widely accepted seem to be the Christian origins, with the cross on the buns representing the Crucifixion.

Awesome fact: the London Clerk of Markets issued a decree forbidding the sale of hot cross buns and other spiced breads, except at burials, on Good Friday, or at Christmas. The punishment for transgressing the decree was forfeiture of all the forbidden product to the poor.

If you fancy joining in next year, the pub address is The Widow's Son, 75 Devon's Road, Bow, London, E3 3PJ.

I hope you are having a lovely Good Friday!



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Brookes Counter & Table: Restaurant Review

This is an old favourite spot from when I used to work locally. I had to return (quality control you know, oh the things we have to do for blogging!) and check that everything was as delicious as before.

How can you say no!?

Happily, Brookes seems to be going from strength to strength if the queues are anything to go by - basically the process seems to be bags a free table, line up, order your coffee/munch/brunch/lunch either from the counter selection of delectable items or from their menu.

The biggest problem I have is deciding what to eat. By the time the queue (which moves fairly quickly) shifts you to the front, I normally have my options whittled down to 3, and hope that 2 of them have been eaten by other people so I don't have to choose.

I used to lunch here weekly with a friend, I've brought hubby here and my discerning Aunt whilst on a pit-stop from her flight to New Zealand to Edinburgh - this is a mark of how tasty it is. Hubby and today's brunch date, a connoisseur of all things Sausage Roll and meaty declared their Sausage Roll the best they've ever tasted(I must remember to get hubby one from the Ginger Pig as they are immensely delicious too!).

I enjoy their Berry Shakes and Eggs Benedict (actually, I seems to have a predilection for Eggs Benedict - maybe I should have a sub-blog and call it 'Adventures eating Eggs Benedict in London', not much of a catchy jingle though). It's much lighter that several other places do, but it was utterly perfect for the wee hangover I was nursing whilst my friend and I gabbled away.

Our favourite lunchtime treat was to wander into Brook's, get a Sausage roll and a coffe and stroll onto the grass on Brook Green Park in the sunshine. Bliss.

Located in on Shepherds Bush Road in the heart of 'Brooks Green' an affluent (Estate Agent named) area tucked between Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush, Brook's is a local haunt that you wouldn't nessecarily know about if you weren't in the know. It's stuffed to the gills with foodie stuffs (fresh bread, a dairy fridge, RJ's red liquorice stuff with white chocolate!?) and their counter meals, a lot of them Vege, are truely scrumptious and change daily. It's not too expensive either.

Futher info can be found on their website. I haven't been comped & they don't know who I am, I just wanted to share the deliciousness.

Oh, hai.

 

Did I mention Kiwis (that have made it to the end of this post) that the Tesco's behind has recently started stocking Kiwi and Aussie fare in their ethnic section? Tomato Sauce, K Bars, Tim Tams, Shapes, L&P...

 

Ps.

GIVEAWAY: Foodie Festival (2 London locations): I have something to brighten your day. With the dank, dark and... bit.ly/WVPXMW

— Emma (@LondonKiwiEmma) March 23, 2013



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GIVEAWAY: Foodie Festival NOW CLOSED

I have something to brighten your day. With the dank, dark and snowy weather unrelenting, I think we all need something to cheer us up, and get us all through the rain/snow/wind/rain/rain/hail weather pattern we are having and it's a thank you for reading my little corner of t'internet. The organisers of the largest UK Foodie Festivals have kindly offered 2 of my readers a pair of tickets (each pair worth £30) to their London Foodie Festivals - meccas of delicious food, lovely drink and a chance to meet the people behind their products. 

We went last year (as independent paying, escaping from the office, excited-to-enjoy-the-sunshine customers) so how would you like to try a little of the below (obviously I can't guarantee the sunshine though!).

Did I mention the New Zealand wine stockists who exhibited last year? See, Kiwis ARE taking over the world.



 

Now in its eighth year, new highlights will include:

• A Chocolate Theatre to showcase the world of chocolate and confectionery demonstrations
• A Wine Village, bringing together international producers and wine regions, including English producers
• The extensive Producers’ Market sells a vast array of artisan produce from the local area and incorporates the Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Market’s award-winning British produce.
• New dining and VIP area serving signature dishes from top local restaurants including pop-up versions of Ed Baines’ restaurant Randall & Aubin, Jamie’s Italian Kingston and Masala Zone, run by Veeraswamy, the oldest Indian restaurant in the UK. 
• City Beach where families can chill out on deckchairs with an artisan ice-cream or an afternoon tea whilst children build sandcastles.
• This year’s Children’s Cookery Theatre will be operated by local cook school Kiddy Cook who will run a series of workshops incorporating gastronomic experiments. 
• Specialist tea, coffee and fresh juice vendors can be found around the site.
• The entertainment stage features live music acts including Gloria Miller performing every day
• A spectacular Bake and Cake Theatre in association with Electrolux incorporating a ‘bake-along’ with members of the audience invited to participate.
• The new market section Homeware Village offers visitors the chance to shop for kitchenware and gadgets

Thank you to Foodies Festival for providing these tickets for the readers of Adventures of a London Kiwi, and for inviting me to the festival this year.

 I can't guarantee you will get these abs by attending, but the smile I can!

How To Enter:

• Simply complete the Rafflecopter widget below to verify your entries
• Entries can be via blog comment, Facebook, Twitter etc
• This competition is open to UK residents only. Please read the rules below .
• Leaving a blog comment is mandatory and failure to do so will void any other entries.
• Closing date -  12th April 2013 12.00 pm 

*Terms and conditions

1. This offer is only open to UK residents
2. Complimentary tickets are valid for one day only at your chosen venue.
3. Tickets are non transferable. One pair of tickets per winner only.
4. Complimentary tickets obtained through this offer may not be duplicated.
5. All tickets will be scanned on entry to the show
6. You may enter for both venues but will be required to complete the entries through both rafflecopters separately.

How Entries and Rafflecopter works:

• You will need to complete the mandatory entry first by making a blog comment. Click 'leave a comment' at the bottom of the post and leave your reply. The comment won't show immediately as it needs to be moderated, however rest assured it will appear on the site, so carry on with rest of your entries.
• Go back to Rafflecopter and click the green button to tell me you have made a comment, this will unlock all the other options. All entries are checked to see that the mandatory question is answered, if its not all bonus entries will become void.
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Enter here to win tickets for

Hampton Court Palace – Saturday 25, Sunday 26 and Monday 27 May 2013

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

London Clapham Common: Friday 7, Saturday 8 & Sunday 9 June 2013

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Warm Finnish Cinnamon Buns: The Nordic Bakery

Nestled in a quietly in London streets are a few a small Scandinavian run bakeries that has been causing quite a flutter on Twitter. Why, you ask?

Thick, viscous coffee, accompanied by fresh warm doughy cinnamon rolls that I could easily melt into. Crisp on the outside, liberally laced with cinnamon spice and sugar and light soft and warm dough in the middle, this is one serious contender for the best cinnamon roll I've ever had the pleasure to eat. They are the size of a man's fist, and perfect for sharing - that's if you can bear to.

The Nordic Bakeries also offer a variety of fare, open sandwiches mostly on dark rye bread with a variety of toppings which all fascinated me; gravadlax, pickled herring or brie with lingonberry jam; and other savory snacks such as Karelian pie – its crunchy rye crust giving way to a rice or mashed potato filling. Finnish founder Jali Wahlsten said he wanted it to be "just like any cafe you'd find across Scandinavia," serving food and drink that "someone will be eating at the same moment in Copenhagen or Helsinki".

They love to share their uniquely Finnish take on their recipes too, believing that they should be accessible, with a recipe book and even giving several to the Guardian here (I, for one think they know you would be mad to make these yourself, when you can buy warm fresh buns almost singing 'eat me' from the counter top baskets.)

You wouldn't believe how much work I get done the days I wander in, the coffee and sugar high giving me such a boost, much to the amusement of my workmates.

 

With several locations in London (so far) which you may find by following your nose to the delicious cinnamon aroma, or more information can be found here on their website. The buns are best warm, accompanied with a hot beverage. Their bakeries are very stylishly Scandinavian minimal, with comfortably low slung furniture in various shades of grey, blue and black that help you to linger and relax. A warning though, it can get busy with workers - luckily they offer takeaway.

 

(I haven't been comped & they don't know who I am, I just wanted to share the deliciousness).

 

What's your favourite bun filling? Raspberry, Lemon Curd, Cinnamon?

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Ozone Cafe: Restaurant Recommendation



It was that good I kind of don't want people to know about this place. You see, what I think will happen is that it'll get hugely busy then I won't be able to go, or have to queue for hours. Does that make me a bad person?

 

The service was excellent; funny, helpful, laidback but there when you needed them, the smell as you enter was enticing, the coffee ridiculously good and the food top standard. First in, so I could have a good nose, I was greeted warmly (then they jokingly threatened to throw me down the stairs) and seated in their front window area to wait for the rest of my party. Served a delicious flat white by their quietly-grooving-to-the-background-music barista, it was nice to watch the rhythm that only a busy hospitality spot has. I do miss the friendliness of working in restaurants.

 

 

Seated downstairs (near the coffee roasting machine!) we all opted for the Eggs Benedict (our favourite) with either Bacon or Salmon (our choices, they have other options), served a-top bubble and squeak cakes and the richest béarnaise I've had the pleasure of trying. We were barely a few forkfuls in before we were planning our next visit - that's how good it was. The bubble & squeak cakes especially - soft fluffy potatoes encased in a golden crumb was a lovely balance to the rich oozy eggs, savoury smoky bacon and béarnaise. 

 

 

We also decided to spoil ourselves, and have a brunch dessert (bressert?) which was shared - the daily special of brioche French Toast, Strawberries, citrus couli and cream fraiche. Light, decadent with the soft top-notes of strawberry. My mouth is watering all over again.

 

 

Upstairs there is also a variety of less mischievous brunch items - croissants, kiwi & choc-chip muffins, snow-balls (another kiwi sweet treat) and loads of other items. These came served on enamel plates which we squealed over - childhood memories of camping holiday food served on enamel plates.

 

 

  

Great atmosphere, quick hot food, relaxed service (they let us sit on our downstairs table until we were ready to leave) funky surrounds and delicious creamy coffee all a stone's throw from Old Street tube station. Ahhh, heaven. 

 

The ladies with whom I brunch (all lovely Kiwi lasses) unanimously declared this our top favourite Kiwi brunch location in London so far. And there are a surprising amount of them dotted throughout the UK capital.

 

For further information, check out their website. They also wholesale their coffee - sadly I didn't have enough bag space to get any, but I really need an excuse to go back. The only problem is I want to try everything and would like to go back and maybe people-watch the hipsters from their booth seating.

I'd get there fairly early though - it's a popular place already (*sigh*). You don't even have to have the full menu, there are perch-y seats that you can order a coffee and a muffin and have a gossip on.

Just to be clear, I was in no way comped for this, they had no idea who we were and we paid for everything ourselves, we just loved it.

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