food and drink – Page 52 – The NEN

Jackie Bird makes a Hogmanay comeback, but it’s not for Auld Lang Syne …

You might know her best from lighting up your TV screen as you count down to the bells, but this year, Scotland’s Queen of Hogmanay is bringing you a celebration of top quality Scottish food.

That’s right – the inimitable Jackie Bird is making a return to Hogmanay, alongside Edinburgh chef Scott Smith, to join the team behind Make It Scotch to help you enjoy a Hogmanay with Cred.

Scott, chef owner of Fhior restaurant in Edinburgh, has put aside the traditional beef steak pie or stovies and instead created an inspiring dish of slow cooked Scotch Beef PGI cheeks with skirlie, champagne glazed carrots and Bovril potatoes.

In a video filmed in the Make It Scotch Cred Test Kitchen, Scott takes viewers through his recipe while he and Jackie reminisce about some of their own Hogmanay traditions and what inspired the recipe he created.

But there was one test it had to pass… Jackie’s approval! Having been the host of Scotland’s New Year’s Eve entertainment for so many years, it was only right that she should be the first to try this dish from Scott.

https://youtu.be/BFEqRzzkdtA

Jackie said: “I’m used to spending Hogmanay in front of the cameras, but it was a delight to come back and do it for something different this year by joining Scott in the Cred Test Kitchen to try out his new Hogmanay dish.

“I wouldn’t claim myself to be a Michelin star critic but I am certain that giving this dish a go will help make this year’s New Year celebration one to remember – just the tonic we need after the tough time we’ve all had!”

You can find out her verdict by watching the video on Make It Scotch’s YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channel, where there is a series of festive hacks, tips and red meat recipe inspiration created for the brand’s ‘Make It a Christmas with Cred’ campaign.

Scott said: “I want my recipe to encourage people to try something different from the norm for their new year celebrations while still keeping that nostalgic feeling that Hogmanay – plus the champagne in the carrots could help use up some excess booze from the festive season!

“It would also work well with alternative beef cuts such as featherblade and parts like the skirlie can be tweaked to suit ingredients people prefer. It would suit any of the typical meals enjoyed over Hogmanay too, whether it’s the big night, New Year’s Day or a first footing dish you’re taking to visit a friend or family member.”

Lesley Cameron, Director of Marketing and Communications at Quality Meat Scotland, the organisation that promotes Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork, added: “This festive season, we want people to make it extra special by choosing an alternative type of meat, such as Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb or Specially Selected Pork from quality-assured farms that adopt best practice in animal welfare and production methods.

“Scott’s recipe is a perfect chance to celebrate the world class Scotch Beef we have in Scotland as you celebrate the start of 2022 but do it in a way that puts a twist on your usual favourites. And we are absolutely delighted to have Jackie Bird’s seal of approval too!”

Watch the full video here – and feel free to share! https://youtu.be/BFEqRzzkdtA

For more Scotch Beef PGI, Scotch Lamb PGI and Specially Selected Pork recipe videos and inspiration visit www.makeitscotch.com or follow Make It Scotch on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.

——

Slow cooked Scotch Beef PGI cheeks with skirlie, glazed carrots and Bovril potatoes

Serves 4-6

Scotch Beef PGI cheeks

Ingredients

4 Scotch Beef cheeks, approx. 400g per cheek

24g sea salt

2 ltr beef stock

2 carrots, roughly chopped

2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 bay leaves

3 sprigs of thyme

250ml red wine

150g butter, diced

Oil, for cooking

Method

The day before cooking:

Prepare a brine by heating 3 litres of water and the 24g of sea salt until the salt has dissolved. Once this has fully cooled, trim the cheeks and add them to the brine. Let them sit in the brine for at least 4 hours or overnight. This step is optional but adds even more flavour to the delicious cheeks!

On the day of cooking:

Before starting to cook, remove the cheeks an hour before starting to allow them to come to room temp.

Pre heat the oven to 180C

Heat a heavy-based casserole dish on the hob at a medium high heat and add a couple table spoons of oil.
Once the oil is very hot, add the cheeks and colour heavily on all sides. This is essential to developing good flavour.
Once coloured, remove the cheeks from the pan and set aside. Turn the heat down a little. Now add the butter, followed by the carrot, celery and garlic, and allow this to cook for about 5 minutes until lightly coloured.
Add the red wine, and once reduced by half, add the stock and bring to a boil and then back down to a gentle simmer.
Add the bay, thyme and add the cheeks back in.
Place a tightly fitting lid on and put the casserole dish in the oven for 2 and a half hours.
Remove the dish from the oven and check that the meat is tender. If ready, then carefully remove the cheeks from the pan and strain the stock through a sieve.
Add the stock back to the pan and reduce this on a high heat until it becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Take 50ml of this sauce out and keep aside for the skirlie.
Add the cheeks back in to the pan and keep warm.

Glazed carrots

Ingredients

6 carrots, medium sized

3 star anise

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tbsp caster sugar

175g butter, diced

150ml champagne (or your bubbly of choice such as prosecco or cava)

1 ltr beef stock

Oil, for cooking

Salt, for seasoning

Method

Peel the carrots and cut into pieces about 7cm long.
Heat a heavy based saucepan with a little oil on a medium high heat and add the carrots with a little salt for seasoning.
Colour the carrots until golden and then add the champagne. Reduce this by a third and then add all the remaining ingredients. Top up with water to ensure the carrots are submerged by about an inch.
Turn up the heat to a gentle boil and continue to cook for about 15 minutes until almost all the liquid has gone. Shaking the pan every now and then to move the carrots around.
Once the carrots are tender, turn the heat up high to finish reducing the liquid and creating a shiny glaze on the carrots.
Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Bovril potatoes

Ingredients

2kg Maris piper potatoes

2 onions

500ml vegetable stock

3 tbsp Bovril (optional)

100g butter

Salt, for seasoning

Method

Peel and thinly slice the potatoes. Ideally do this on a mandoline, the thinner the better.
Peel and very thinly slice the onions.
In an ovenproof dish, arrange a layer with a third of the potatoes, followed by a third of the onions. Add a little salt for seasoning and a drizzle a teaspoon of Bovril across the layer.
Repeat this process two more times to fill the dish and then pour over the stock.
Distribute the diced butter on top and place the dish in the oven (already pre heated to 180C) for 1 hour.
Turn the oven up to 210C and finish in the oven for 15 minutes to crisp up the top before serving.

Skirlie

Ingredients

150g pinhead oats

2 shallots, finely diced

50g beef dripping

1 tbsp parsley, chopped

50ml sauce from the cheeks

Method

Melt the dripping in a frying pan and add in the shallots with a little salt.
Cook the shallots for 5 minutes until they are lightly caramelised.
Add the oats and stir well to ensure the fat is being absorbed evenly and cook them on a low heat for about 8 minutes until toasted, lightly cooked, but still retaining bite.
Now add the sauce from the beef cheeks and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the chopped parsley.
Adjust the seasoning if needed and keep warm.

To serve

Bring the casserole pan with the cheeks up to a gentle boil and carefully baste the Scotch Beef Cheeks with the sauce and turn them over a few times to glaze the cheeks.
Spoon the skirlie between your serving plates and place a cheek on top, followed by lots of the sauce form the pan.
Add the carrots to the plate.
Put the potato dish on the table as a side for everyone to help themselves.
Pour yourself a whisky!

TIPS:

The potatoes can be prepared and cooked in the oven at the same time as the cheeks. These can then be put back into the oven at 210C before serving to reheat and crisp up the top.
If you are unable to get beef cheeks, then the recipe can be replaced with beef featherblade. Increase the cooking time by 1 hour for this.
The beef can be cooked the day before to save time. If you do this, then don’t reduce your final sauce when removing from the oven. Chill the whole casserole down and store the beef in the cooking liquid to finish on the day.

Pornstar Martini is the UK’s favourite Christmas cocktail

Pornstar Martini was the UK’s most popular cocktail with 144,000 Google searches over the past 30 days.
Aperol Spritz and Negroni came in a respective second and third.
There have been 50,000 searches for cocktail recipes alone and 14,800 searches for Christmas cocktails in the past month showing a 223% increase.
EggNog a traditional Christmas cocktail made the number nine spot

A study by kitchen equipment experts experts Maxima Kitchen Equipment analysed Google data to find the nations favourite cocktails this Christmas.

The UK’s favourite cocktail this year is a Pornstar Martini with 144,000 searches in the past 30 days alone. The cocktail, which is traditionally made from Vodka, vanilla syrup, lime juice, passion fruit, prosecco and passoa liquer. The popular cocktail was only created in the early 2000’s in LAB London bar and has risen to popularity ever since being a staple drink of choice.

Aperol Spritz came in second and received 80,000 searches over the past month. The cocktail is made up of Aperol, prosecco, soda water and lime. The cocktail is often described as an Italian sunset originating from northern Italy in the late 1950’s.

Negroni which is traditionally an Italian cocktail came in third place for the most popular cocktail this Christmas. It’s made up of gin, Vermouth Rossi, Campari and garnished with orange peel. Traditionally, it is stirred not shaken and served on the rocks (over ice). The cocktail received 71,000 searches this month.

Mojito came out globally as the most searched cocktail but only made fourth place in the UK with an impressive 68,000 searches. The classic cocktail has many variations but is traditionally made up of rum, soda water, mint leaves, granulated sugar and lime. The origins of this cocktail can be dated back to 1586 it is believed.

Cosmopolitan came in fifth place for the favourite cocktail for this Christmas with 68,000 searches in the past 30 days. The cocktail is made up of lemon vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice.

Margarita came in sixth place with 64,000 searches, it was the top choice of cocktail in the USA and 3^rd globally. It is made up of Cointreau, lime juice and tequila.

Seventh place was a Pina Colada with a search volume of 63,000 just in the past month. The summer themed cocktail originating from Puerto Rico is still a favourite even at Christmas it turns out. The cocktail is made up of white rum, coconut cream and pineapple juice.

The cocktail Mimosa took eighth place with a total 61,000 searches. The cocktail is traditionally served in a tall champagne flute and made up of champagne and orange juice.

In ninth place was the traditional Christmas cocktail Eggnog which is made up of eggs, milk, cream, spices such as nutmeg and vanilla, rum and finished off with a whisky or a brandy. It received a total of 59,000 searches.

Espresso Martini which came in tenth place with a search total of 56,000 in the last month. The cocktail is traditionally made up of vodka, coffee beans, and coffee liquer. As a nation of coffee lovers, it is easily understandably how an alcoholic version of the beverage can rank in our top list.

A spokesperson from Maxima Kitchen Equipment commented: “The cocktail industry has grown more and more profitable over recent years however, these search numbers are bigger than anticipated, suggesting that cocktails are now a staple of British culture regardless of if they are consumed at home or in bars.”

	Cocktail	UK search Volume
1	Pornstar Martini	144,000.00
2	Aperol Spritz	80,000.00
3	Negroni	71,000.00
4	Mojito	68,000.00
5	Cosmopolitan	68,000.00
6	Margarita	64,000.00
7	Pina colada	63,000.00
8	Mimosa	61,000.00
9	Eggnog	59,000.00
10	Espresso martini	56,000.00
11	Bucks’ fizz	50,000.00
12	Long island iced tea	46,000.00
13	Mulled wine	41,000.00
14	Bloody mary	35,000.00
15	Poinsettia	35,000.00
16	Daiquiri	29,000.00
17	Bellini	23,000.00
18	Mai Tai	22,000.00
19	Whiskey Sour	18,000.00
20	Manhattan Cocktail	16,000.00
21	Amaretto Sour	15,000.00
22	Tom Collins	15,000.00
23	Black Russian	14,000.00
24	Irish coffee	13,000.00
25	Vodka martini	11,000.00
26	Bramble Cocktail	11,000.00
27	Gimlet	11,000.00
28	Whisky sour	11,000.00
29	French 75	10,000.00
30	Zombie Cocktail	9,200.00
31	Old fashioned cocktail	8,800.00
32	Wassail	8,600.00
33	Brandy Alexander	7,900.00
34	Kir Royale	7,300.00
36	Pisco Sour	6,900.00
37	Snowball Cocktail	5,900.00
38	Gin fizz	5,500.00
39	Godfather Cocktail	4,500.00
40	Sazerac	4,400.00
41	Dry Martini	4,100.00
42	Aviation Cocktail	3,800.00
43	Paloma Cocktail	3,000.00
44	Grasshopper Cocktail	3,000.00
45	Boulevardier	2,600.00
46	Americano Cocktail	2,500.00
47	Negroni Sbagliato	2,300.00
48	Pink lady Cocktail	2,000.00
49	White lady Cocktail	1,600.00
50	Cover club	1,300.00

Morrisons gives customers free wonky Carrots for Rudolph

To help customers with Christmas Eve tradition of leaving carrots out for reindeer

Morrisons is giving away 10,000 wonky British carrots to customers who want to leave out refreshments for Father Christmas and his reindeer on Christmas Eve.

The wonky carrots – which are oversized, misshapen and scarred, but still taste delicious – will be handed out in bags labelled ‘Carrots for Rudolph’ from the entrances of our 498 Morrisons stores across the UK from Wednesday 22^nd December.

The move aims to introduce children to wonky veg and encourage families to buy large, misshapen or slightly scarred carrots. During the festive period, our carrot sales soar, from a typical 500k bags-a-week in Morrisons to over 1.4 million in Christmas week, although wonky carrots only account for between 10% to 15% percent of sales.

Andy Todd, Carrot Buyer at Morrisons said: “Leaving out a carrot for Rudolph is a magical Christmas tradition and we want to make it easy for our customers to get involved.

“At the same time, we want to highlight that wonky carrots are just as tasty as perfect-looking carrots and help support our farmers.”

As British farming’s single biggest customer, we chose to make farmers the heroes of our Christmas advert this year. We wanted to thank them for all the work they do to help make Christmas so special – including growing and picking the carrots for both our festive lunch and for us to leave out for Rudolph.

The tradition of leaving food and drink out for Father Christmas and his reindeer can be traced all the way back to ancient Norse mythology where children would leave out food for Sleipner, the eight-legged horse ridden by Norse God Odin, in the hope that he would stop by on his travels and leave gifts in return.

For more information, visit: www.morrisons.com .

Not Socks Again?! Donate your unwanted Christmas socks to people who need them most

Aldi Scotland has launched its ‘Not Socks Again?!’ campaign for the second year running, following its widespread success in 2021, which saw more than 2000 pairs of socks donated to good causes.

The initiative encourages customers to donate any unwanted or extra unused socks they may have received as Christmas gifts to charities supporting people in need across Scotland.

Every year, millions of people receive socks for Christmas that they often don’t want or need, charities across Scotland do, and Aldi’s ‘Not Socks Again?!’ campaign aims to put these gifts to better use by donating new and unused socks to those who need them most.

Aldi’s Sock Amnesty’ boxes will be in stores across Scotland from the 3^rd of January until the end of the month, where people can drop off their unused socks to help keep vulnerable people warm this winter.

Aldi has linked up with three Scottish charities for this year’s initiative: Aberlour Children’s Charity, Simon Community Scotland, and Bethany Christian Trust.

The Bethany Christian Trust are working toward the goal of ending homelessness in Scotland. The team at the Bethany Christian Trust offer a broad range of services, from assistance with housing, education and employment, to crisis intervention wellbeing support.

Nathanael Smith, Community Fundraiser, Bethany Christian Trust, said: “It’s surprising how much a good pair of socks can make a difference in someone’s life.

“It’s a simple gift that can mean warmth, comfort and dignity to those in need. Thanks to Aldi for making such an amazing project possible.”

Richard Holloway, Regional Managing Director for Scotland, said: “Following an immensely challenging year, the team at Aldi Scotland were eager to support charities which are working tirelessly to help those in need.

“In winter, charities are always looking for essential items to be donated, and so we thought, why not encourage our customers to donate any unwanted gifts of socks to people who truly need them.

Aldi will also contribute a £250 donation to each charity in the hope of helping the most vulnerable in our communities.

Aldi’s Sock Amnesty boxes will be in store from 3^rd January and customers are invited to drop off any unwanted, new and unused, socks which will be donated to the charity in their local area.”

This initiative builds on Aldi’s commitment to supporting communities across Scotland. Since 2016, Aldi’s Scottish Sports Fund has supported over 500 local clubs with more than £290,000 worth of donations.

In addition, Aldi has helped to provide over 10 million meals to vulnerable people across the UK through its partnership with community engagement platform, Neighbourly. Aldi also helped 12 local foodbanks this year after it relaunched its popular Supermarket Sweep programme this year.

To find your nearest Aldi store please visit their website here and donate your unwanted socks this Christmas.

Christmas opening times at Fort Kinnaird

For those looking to fit in some last-minute festive shopping, Fort Kinnaird has confirmed its opening times for the run up to Christmas.

The centre will be open from 9am until 6pm on Saturday, 10am until 6pm on Sunday and from 9am until 9pm Monday to Thursday. On Christmas Eve, Fort Kinnaird will be open from 9am to 5pm.

Fort Kinnaird is home to a huge range of brands, including high street favourites Clark’s, Next and OFFICE, and restaurants such as Bread Meats Bread, Nando’s and Wagamama, as well as a 7 screen ODEON cinema.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “We know many people have started their Christmas shopping early this year, but there’s also many who still have plenty to do or those last few bits to buy.

“We’re open right up until Christmas Eve, and look forward to welcoming visitors doing their festive shopping or spending some quality time with friends and family – right up to the big day.

“With our late night opening hours, we’re giving people even longer to shop meaning they can choose to visit at a time that’s more convenient or perhaps a little quieter for them.”

The centre continues to have extra measures in place to help visitors feel safe. Face coverings are compulsory in all indoor areas and we’re encouraging everyone to maintain a safe distance from others.

We have enhanced cleaning regimes in place and our retailers are encouraging contactless payments where possible. Our stores and restaurants are also carefully managing visitor numbers to be confident that everyone can maintain social distancing.

Free parking is available as usual, and all visitors are encouraged to check the opening hours for individual retailers directly with them before setting off.

The centre’s opening times for the rest of the festive period are:

Christmas Day: Closed
Boxing Day: 9am – 6pm
27th- 30th December: 9am – 9pm
New Year’s Eve: 9am – 5pm
New Year’s Day: Cinema and selected restaurants open only. Please check with individual retailers for opening hours
2nd January: 9am – 6pm

For more information to help plan your festive trip to Fort Kinnaird, head here.

Morrisons expands Christmas shopping options

Click & Collect available in over 350 stores –
Morrisons via Deliveroo can deliver groceries to your door –
Extended opening hours –
Blue Light card holders get 10% off in store –

Home delivery slots for the festive period may be hard to come by in December but you can still have your Christmas grocery shopping done for you.

At Morrisons, we offer Click & Click from over 350 of our stores, including a same day option. There is currently availability across the country for collection right up until December 23rd with convenient one hour slots to choose from throughout the day.

There is no charge to use the Click & Collect service when booking ahead and only a £1.50 fee when using the same day option. To use the service, customers simply need to register at Morrisons.com, select the time they want to collect their order and then choose the item they want. There is a £40 minimum spend.

Alternatively, customers can use Deliveroo to have their Morrisons shopping delivered straight to their doors in as little as 20 minutes. Over 190 additional Morrisons stores have been added to Deliveroo in recent weeks, more than doubling the number of stores offering the service and meaning that most major towns and cities nationwide now offer Morrisons via Deliveroo.

As well as expanding the number of stores that offer the service, we have also added hundreds of new products to the Deliveroo menu including a wider selection of our ‘The Best’ range. There are also Christmas classics such as mince pies and yule logs as well as party food, fruit & vegetables and meat and fish from our Market Street counters.

To help our customers who prefer to shop in store, we are extending our opening hours from Monday 20th to Thursday 23rd December and will be opening from 6.00am until midnight. On Christmas Eve our stores will open at 6.00am and close at 6.00pm.

To say a huge thank you to all of our emergency service workers, we are offering all Blue Light card holders 10% off their shopping with us in store until January 2nd 2022.

NHS workers can also join our NHS Club to receive discounts off their shopping and for NHS customers wishing to use Morrisons.com we offer a free delivery pass.

For information on ordering Morrisons groceries this Christmas visit:

Morrisons.com or Deliveroo.co.uk

St James Quarter introduces stellar Christmas line-up

As 2021 comes to an end, St James Quarter shows no signs of slowing down with seven new retailers opening their doors in time for Christmas.

Throughout the month of December, St James Quarter announces a number of openings including Thai Express Kitchen, German Doner Kebab, Wingstop, Reiss, Bubbleology, Moriconi and Sunnamusk, just in time for the busy festive season.

Catering to everyone, the new line-up offers everything from clothing and accessories to food and drink, providing a luxurious escape featuring new trends and tastes from around the world.

Much to foodies’ delight, Wingstop and Thai Express Kitchen are now open and are tingling tastebuds with the American and Canadian brands both beginning their first venture in Scotland, bringing flavours and recipes from across the globe.

German Doner Kebab also opened its doors to its third restaurant in Edinburgh late last week and has launched its limited-edition ultimate winter warmer to celebrate. The all-new Chilli Heatwave Krunch Burger is set to get pulses racing and has arrived just in time for the Christmas holidays.

For those looking for the perfect Christmas party outfit, they can shop ‘til they drop in the brand-new Reiss store which opened today. Taking The Quarter’s fashion offering to a whole new level, the iconic brand will offer fashionista’s high-quality pieces suitable for all ages.

And it doesn’t stop there, St James Quarter has welcomed new name Moriconi, an Italian jeweller featuring handmade pieces from Tuscany using both traditional and modern processing techniques to the main galleria floor.

Joining them later this month will be Bubbleology, a leading Bubble Tea brand, crafting made to order tea-based beverages and Sunnamusk, a specialist fragrance house based in the UK. Working with a team of highly skilled perfumers, Sunnamusk produces an exclusive range of pure fine oils, Eau de Parfum and home fragrances.

Getting into the Christmas spirit, St James Quarter is also running a 12 days of Christmas giveaway offering car park users the chance to receive an exciting free parking prize for use in January. Guests using the car park will be surprised at random between the 12^th to 24^th December.

Additionally, shoppers can make the most of parking at The Quarter with a fixed rate of £5 from 5.30pm onwards available during the festive period.

Nick Peel, Managing Director for St James Quarter, commented: “As we approach Christmas, there couldn’t be a better time to welcome new and exciting brands to St James Quarter. As the place to shop in Scotland’s capital, we’re proud to welcome a number of Scottish firsts as well as brands already popular with visitors to the city.

“From luxury fashion to exotic tastes, there’s something for everyone at The Quarter and our retailers will be sure to make Christmas shopping an enjoyable experience for all.

“We look forward to welcoming guests over the Christmas period and will be excited to share our latest developments in the new year.”

Food Banks in Scotland struggle to keep up with rising demand as donations fall

Food banks in Scotland are preparing for their most challenging Christmas yet as they struggle with rising demand and dwindling public donations, new research shows.

According to a survey by community giving platform Neighbourly – which Aldi partners with to distribute surplus food from its stores – 68% of food banks, charities and community causes in Scotland are worried about having enough food to support people this Christmas.

Neighbourly polled more than 600 food banks and community causes nationwide and found that 89% in Scotland expect this Christmas to be their busiest yet, with more people than ever needing their support.

However, the survey also revealed that 71% of food banks in the region have witnessed a drop in donations in recent months – with the fallout of the pandemic and rising cost of living continuing to impact contributions.

On average, food banks in Scotland expect to see a 36% increase in demand over the next three months, with organisations in the area currently supporting an average of 203 people a week. More than 67% say they’ve already experienced an increase in demand since the summer.

From tinned foods to festive treats and toiletries, the research also revealed a list of the items that are most needed by food banks over the festive period to help guide supporters. Shoppers can donate food to local charities, food banks and community groups via the community donation points in Aldi stores nationwide.

Mary Dunn, Managing Director of Corporate Responsibility at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas can be a particularly busy time for the local charities and organisations we support, but this year is set to be more challenging than ever.

“As part of our Christmas campaign with Kevin the Carrot and Marcus Radishford, we have committed to donate 1.8 million meals to good causes in the lead-up to Christmas – and we know that our customers in Scotland want to help too.

“If you feel you are in a position to help, your donation could make all the difference to food banks this Christmas.”

Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: “The findings of our latest survey highlight that the continued impact of the pandemic, combined with increased inflation, is being very much felt by communities up and down the country, with charities and local causes feeling the effects too.

“We’d encourage anyone who is able to give back in the coming weeks to do so.”

Aldi works with Neighbourly to donate surplus food from stores throughout the year.

Top 15 most in-demand items this Christmas

Tinned food
Festive treats
Toiletries
Tea/coffee
Biscuits and snacks
Breakfast cereals
Juices and soft drinks
UHT milk
Laundry and cleaning products
Dry packaged food
Rice and pasta
Gift items
Cooking sauces
Children’s toys, crafts and games
Sanitary items

Healthy Heart Tip: Mulled Wine & Cider – Counting the units

Studies have shown 61% of the UK’s population over-indulge in alcohol over the festive season, more than they usually do.

Drinking too much alcohol can increase your risk of heart disease. How much is too much? How do you know how many units of alcohol you are consuming?

We’re providing some guidance on understanding alcohol units and keeping track of how much you are drinking this Christmas.

What are alcohol units and ABV?

Alcohol units represent the quantity of pure alcohol contained within an alcoholic drink (1 unit is 10ml of pure alcohol). The number of units of alcohol in your drink depends on the size and the strength of your drink. ABV means ‘alcohol by volume’ and this is a measure of the amount of alcohol as a percentage of the total volume of a drink.

Calculating your units

You can find the ABV on the labels of cans and bottles. To calculate the number of units in a drink, multiply the ABV by the volume (in ml) and divide by 1000.

- ABV x volume (ml) ÷ 1000 = units

1 BOTTLE OF WINE	1 PINT BEER / LAGER / CIDER	1 SINGLE SPIRIT
750ml (ABV 13.5%) = 10 units	1 pint (568ml) (ABV 5.2%) = 3 units	25ml (ABV 40%) = 1 unit

The drinks you pour at home may be larger than the amount measured out in pubs. You could try using a measuring cup when pouring drinks at home so you can keep track of what you are drinking.

How much is too much?

For men and women, the maximum recommended alcohol units each week is 14, spread over 3 or more days. If you are pregnant, it is recommended that you do not drink alcohol at all.

Try recording how much you are drinking over a week using a diary or alcohol tracker.

Drinkaware provide assessment tools that you can use to track the amount you are drinking: https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/tools

Support for your drinking

If you are worried about how much you, or someone you know, are drinking you can get support by visiting: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/

To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/

Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers:

https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-cookbook/

Wingstop announce first Scottish opening in St James Quarter

Wingstop, the award-winning concept with more than 1,600 locations worldwide, has announced that it will open a new restaurant in Edinburgh tomorrow (Thursday 16 December).

The new outlet will be Wingstop’s 14^th UK location and their first physical restaurant opening in Scotland.

The restaurant will be located on St James Quarter’s lower ground in Leith Street Eats. The store is set to open to the public on December 16th 2021, and will be open between 11am – 10pm seven days a week. Delivery and Click and Collect will be available soon through Deliveroo.

Tom Grogan, Director of Lemon Pepper Holdings (Wingstop UK) said: “We have taken our time to look for the perfect location for our first Wingstop location in Scotland and we are delighted with the site we have chosen in St James Quarter.

“We look forward to introducing our Flavours and Wings to the guests of this iconic development.”

Nick Peel, Managing Director at St James Quarter, said: “We are beyond excited to be welcoming Wingstop to the St James Quarter family. We know from the success of our food and beverage brands just how much customers love culinary experiences, so we can’t wait to see their incredible menu come to life.

“Our goal is to provide visitors with an enjoyable and memorable experience with something new to see, do, and experience every time they come back to The Quarter – from the casual diner to the serial foodie, there is something here for everyone.”

Wingstop recently opened its 16^th store in Manchester Piccadilly, following on from openings in Birmingham, Bristol and Reading.

Wingstop prides itself on its quality product and bold flavour variety. Guests can choose from a selection 10 bold flavours: Lemon Pepper, Atomic, Mango Habanero, Hawaiian, Louisiana Rub, Original Hot, Spicy Korean Q, Hickory Smoked BBQ, Brazilian Citrus Pepper and Garlic Parmesan.

Classic wings, boneless wings, tenders are all available hand-sauced-and-tossed with fans’ choice of bold flavours. Wingstop has recently introduced a Big Flavour Burger available in any of the ten flavours served in a buttery brioche bun, coleslaw, ranch, and pickles.

Sweet potato fries or regular fries are also available and can be customised with Lemon Pepper seasoning, Cajun or Wingstop style, or fans can go all out and order loaded fries topped off with either Buffalo Ranch or cheese.

Wingstop’s dip selection includes ranch, blue cheese and honey mustard. To top it off, sweet and crunchy churros are available for dessert with a choice of Oreo or Biscoff crumble and a choice of sweet milk or caramel dip.

Since launching in 2018, Wingstop has a growing portfolio of restaurants in England and now Scotland. The aim is to continue expansion with more restaurants due to open across the UK.