food and drink – Page 62 – The NEN

Capital casino to celebrate hitting the jackpot as curfew restrictions are lifted on all venues

Casino staff at Grosvenor Casino Edinburgh Maybury will finally be able to celebrate hitting the jackpot at the stroke of midnight tonight when all curfew restrictions are lifted by the Scottish Government.

Grosvenor Casinos which operate five venues across Scotland in Aberdeen, Dundee Edinburgh and Glasgow, will return to normal trading hours and capacity for the first time since March 2020. More than 700 people are employed by the casino industry in Scotland which contributed £30m in tax to the UK economy last year.

The confirmation from First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, that Scotland will move beyond level 0 from midnight on Monday 9^th August, with all physical distancing and limits on gatherings removed, means the team at Grosvenor Casinos can continue to welcome back guests old and new to enjoy their favourite games, such as blackjack, poker and roulette, whilst raising a glass to the easing of restrictions.

Tony Reilly, General Manager at Grosvenor Casino Edinburgh, said: “It’s been a really difficult 18 months for the hospitality industry. Despite reopening most of our venues in May, the lifting of the final restrictions by Scottish Government is a huge relief for all our team members.

“It means we can start trading normally again and at full capacity which will enable us to create the thrilling atmosphere for guests to have fun, play their favourite casino games and enjoy quality time together again.

“Whilst we must remain vigilant and will continue to have robust health and safety measures in place in line with government guidance, we can’t wait to welcome customers old and new through our doors to enjoy the great gaming and entertainment experience they know and love with Grosvenor.”

Grosvenor Casino venues which opened from May 17^th in line with Scottish Government guidance include:

· Grosvenor Casino Aberdeen

· Grosvenor Casino Dundee

· Grosvenor Casino Edinburgh Maybury

· Grosvenor Casino Glasgow Merchant City

· Grosvenor Casino Glasgow Riverboat

As well as gaming, guests can savour the delicious food and drink options with a range of dishes available that will cater to every taste. Fans of sport will also be pleased to hear that live sporting events will be available to watch when they visit the casino – just in time for the start of the new football season.

Casino businesses have invested millions of pounds to ensure venues are safe for its team and customers to play. Arriving at the casino, all customers will be registered at reception before using the hand sanitiser which will be readily available, whilst regular cleaning will take place each day, including tables, chips and machines.

Every casino will continue to make screens available for customers to use on gaming tables and electronic machines, should they wish.

Grosvenor Casinos will continue to accept cash and will encourage customers to use contactless payment, where possible. There will be safety shields at all tills to protect both team members and customers, and face masks will be worn throughout.

Guests will be able to enjoy food and drink with dining seating appropriately spaced. Pre-orders can be made at their table or from their machine, either using the online app, or by placing an order with the valet service.

To find out more information visit www.grosvenorcasinos.com and please gamble responsibly: www.begambleaware.org

Mojito is the nation’s favourite summer cocktail, analysis shows

A study has shown that Mojitos are the most popular summer cocktails in the UK based on search data.
Piña Coladas and Espresso Martinis ranked 2^nd and 3^rd respectively.
Home kitchenware sales rose by 41% in the last year, indicating the UK is eager to recreate various food and drink, including cocktails, at home this summer.

A new study has revealed that the Mojito is the UK’s favourite summer cocktail.

The research by professional kitchen suppliers Maxima Kitchen Equipment analysed Google search data to find out the nation’s favourite cocktail to make at home during summer.

It revealed that the Mojito is the most popular with a 91,600 Google searches each month. The Cuban drink that combines zesty lime and mint has few ingredients making it an easy cocktail to create at home.

The Piña Colada came in second with 89,150 searches. The cocktail that contains three ingredients – coconut cream, white rum and pineapple juice – makes it an incredibly affordable cocktail in comparison to many.

The third most popular cocktail to make at home, Espresso Martini, was searched on average 82,700 times. The refreshing and energising cocktail is perfect for a long summer evening. In Britain, people drink around 95 million cups of coffee per day, so it is hardly a surprise that the alcoholic alternative to coffee is also hugely popular.

The fourth most popular cocktail was Sex on the Beach. The cocktail that combines cranberry, orange and peach flavours was searched 82,200 times a month in the UK.

The Pornstar Martini, which ranked as the fifth most searched for cocktail to make at home, was reportedly the most ordered cocktail in bars before the UK lockdown. The passion-fruit infused cocktail was searched 77,550 times a month, reflecting its popularity in bars.

During the pandemic, the industry growth of pubs and bars in the UK has decreased by 69.5% meaning the interest in homemade cocktails has risen dramatically.

However, over the lockdown period, sales in home kitchenware rose by 41% as the UK public looked to recreate their favourite food and drink at home whilst pubs and restaurants were closed.

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 at bars.’

The nation’s most searched summer cocktails
Cocktail	Number of searches
Mojito	91,600
Pina Colada	89,150
Espresso Martini	82,700
Sex on the Beach	82,200
Pornstar Martini	77,550
Margarita	65,600
Negroni	63,700
Old Fashioned	60,890
Long Island Iced Tea	58,400
Sangria	53,970

The analysis was conducted by Maxima Kitchen Equipment which has more than 40 years of experience in the supply and maintenance of professional kitchen equipment.

Aldi adds a splash of gin-spiration to your summer drink

Pimms not packing a punch? Well get ready to be gin-spired by the newest additions to the Scottish gin range at Aldi.

You can never tell what you’re going to get with a Scottish summer, but Aldi is channelling all the sunshine this August with brand new additions to its Toradh gin range including two new Scottish Gin Liqueurs and four delicious pre-mixed Gin Fizz cocktails – making sure your summer drink has that extra ‘je ne sais quoi’, even if you didn’t quite make it to the Riviera.

At just £1.49 for 250ml (6% ABV), the Rhubarb Gin Fizz, Citrus Gin Fizz, Tropical Gin Martini and Fruit Gin Bramble are the perfect tipples to enjoy while taking in the rays. These handy cocktails in a can are made by long term supplier Eden Mill and with four to pick from you are guaranteed to find a favourite….or four.

Bursting with botanicals, the two brand-new Toradh Gin Liqueurs are priced at just £8.99 for 50cl and come in Rhubarb and Ginger or Raspberry. The perfect addition to any drinks cabinet, the liqueurs can be topped up with Aldi’s own Ridge Valley tonic, or topped with Aldi’s Costellore Prosecco (£5.99, 75cl) for the perfect summer evening cocktail.

These new additions to Aldi’s Scottish gin line-up join Aldi’s award-winning* Scottish Gin range including its premium Scottish Gin, Eidyn (£19.99, 70cl) and Toradh Scottish Rhubarb & Ginger Gin and Premium Pink Gin (£14.99, 70cl) and the Botanical Project Scottish Gin available in Scottish Dry, Passionfruit & Coconut, Plum & Pink Grapefruit and Chilli & Ginger (all £15.99, 70cl), and McQueen Colour Changing Gin (£14.49, 70cl).

Aldi’s new summer flavours are on sale now at all 96 Aldi stores in Scotland and are sure to shake up any BBQ or garden-party this August. You can find your nearest Aldi store here.

Aldi currently works with over 90 Scottish suppliers, and after reaching their initial goal of stocking over 450 Scottish products by the end of 2020, the supermarket has now increased this target to stock over 500 locally sourced products in the next two years.

Equi’s partners with Gladstone’s Land to create exclusive new ice cream

Scottish artisan ice cream maker, Equi’s, has created a bespoke Sicilian lemon and elderflower flavour for Gladstone’s Land to celebrate ice cream season.

Inspired by ingredients found in a 17th-century cookbook that was published around the time that Gladstone’s first opened, the irresistible sweet treat will transport you straight to a long hot summer’s day in Sorrento.

Following the launch of the historic National Trust for Scotland (NTS) venue last month, the exclusive flavour is now available from the new Gladstone’s Land ice cream parlour on the ground floor of the 500-year-old tenement house on the Royal Mile.

Blending Scots with Italian heritage like Equi’s roots, deliciously creamy lemon ripple – made with vanilla, egg yolks and Sicilian lemons are churned with delicious whole milk and double cream from local Scottish dairy farms and finished with a hint of elderflower. The result is a smooth summer-fresh flavour that is impossible to resist.

Equi’s, the current UK ice cream champions, are known for creating irresistible artisan ice cream using high-quality ingredients from local Scottish dairy farms, and secret family recipes that have been passed down through four generations.

This exciting new flavour marks the start of a new journey for the ice cream manufacturer as they look to move into new factory premises later in the year. Future plans include more experimentation and flavours for fans of the brand to enjoy.

David Equi, director at Equi’s Ice Cream, explains: “We toiled and tinkered making this new indulgent ice cream. Nothing beats Sorrento in the summer, and after finding an old 17-century cookbook, we have created a fresh explosion of Scots-Italian aroma and flavour, exclusively for Gladstone’s Land.

“Ice cream tastes best in the sunshine, and our partnership with Gladstone’s will let you enjoy an Equi’s ice cream looking out towards Edinburgh castle. It doesn’t get more perfect than that.”

Claire Grant, National Trust for Scotland’s Operations Manager for Gladstone’s Land said: “We’re delighted to have partnered up with Equi’s on making this truly unique ice cream. This special flavour reflects a recipe found in a 17-century cookbook, and it has been fantastic to see this flavour brought back to life.

“Our new ice cream parlour is located on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile in Gladstone’s Land and is a perfect place for locals and tourists to stop and refuel this summer.”

The exclusive Equi’s flavour is now available daily between 9am and 6pm from Gladstone’s Land ice cream parlour, 477B Lawnmarket, Royal Mile.

For more information on Equi’s Ice Cream visit their website https://www.equisicecream.com/

To find out more about Gladstone’s Land or book your tickets for a tour of the property in advance, visit https://www.nts.org.uk

Morrisons launches Back to School Packs to support families in need

– Back To School Pick Up Packs containing essential stationery items to be distributed to local schools and community groups –

– New scheme follows the success of food packs in store that has so far seen over £1 million of food donated to those in need in 2021 –

Morrisons is giving customers the opportunity to support children and their families who may struggle with the cost of going back to school by creating stationery Pick Up Packs in store which can be bought and donated in time for the new school year.

Pre-packed bags will be available to purchase each day and will contain popular items needed to get children ready for returning to school such as pens, pencils, rubbers, rulers and maths sets.

Customers can pick up a pack on their way into the store, pay for the items at the till and then place the bag in a dedicated donation station. Store Community Champions will then collect and distribute the packs to local schools and community groups.

The packs will cost up to £5 and will vary on price depending on the products inside each pack.

Back to School Pick Up Packs is the latest scheme introduced by Morrisons to help make it easier for its customers to help those in their local community and follows the success of Pick Up Packs for food which has seen over £1 million donated to local food banks this year.

Rebecca Singleton, Customer & Community Director at Morrisons, said: “Going back to school can be both a nervous and exciting time for families. We hope these packs go some way to helping local children and their families who may struggle with the costs of going back to school – and take one thing off the to do list.”

Morrisons has committed £15million across 2020 and 2021 to support stocking food banks in local communities as well as introducing initiatives such as ‘Ask for Sandy’ which helps to fight back against period poverty by offering customers in need a discreet package of sanitary protection products.

Nutritional support for young children in Scotland

Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme launched

A scheme to provide children in eligible pre-school settings with milk and a portion of fruit or vegetables launched yesterday (1 August). The Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme replaces the UK Nursery Milk Scheme, making more healthy produce available for more children.

All pre-schoolers who spend two hours or more a day in eligible childcare settings registered with the scheme will be entitled to a serving of fresh milk.

Unlike the UK scheme, a piece of fruit or portion of vegetables will also be offered and children who cannot drink cow’s milk for medical, ethical or religious reasons will be offered a specified non-dairy alternative.

More than 3,000 childcare settings and over 116,000 children are already signed up to the new scheme and it is anticipated that more will register to benefit in year one. The Scottish Government is expected to provide around £9 million to £12 million funding to local authorities, depending on uptake, to administer the scheme in the first year.

Eligible settings who register will receive up-front payments via their local authority.

Children’s Minister Clare Haughey said: “We know that diet impacts on children’s health and their ability to learn. This scheme not only provides eligible pre-school children in Scotland with access to excellent sources of nutrition but we hope it will set up healthy eating habits for life.

“With this expanded and improved offer, the Scottish Government has gone further than the UK scheme. Working in partnership with COSLA and other key partners, we are investing in children’s outcomes, providing increased money up-front, and offering a wider range of healthy produce while supporting our vital Scottish food and drink sector.”

COSLA Children and Young People Spokesperson Councillor Stephen McCabe said: “The provision of milk and healthy snacks to children is an important part of ensuring that they can get the best from their learning and contributes to their overall health and wellbeing.

“The scheme will provide for children at a crucial stage in their development and we have worked in partnership to ensure that as many children as possible benefit.”

Avoca-DOH! Which foods go rotten the quickest?

Products to avoid, and how to shop better

British households are wasting millions of pounds every year because they’ve bought fresh products which have gone bad by the time they get round to eating them.

According to one British food waste and recycling company, it doesn’t have to be that way if we avoid certain products, only buy them when needed, or just shop better.

Food waste collection company BusinessWaste.co.uk says that millennial favourite that is the avocado leads the way with its depressing habit of being too tough to eat one minute it before becomes a squishy mess the next.

“But if we change our shopping and eating habits, we can avoid this enormous waste,” says Business Waste spokesperson Mark Hall.

“And frankly, I can go without smashed avo on toast.”

Top ten of wasted food

We looked at expert research, as well as asking customers about their personal experiences, and have come up with this list of shame. These are the top ten products that British consumers are wasting the most, in listicle form:

Avocados – The trickster gods of fresh foods. The day science discovers the key to preserving avocados for more than 30 seconds, the better.
Berries – You’ve said it: “It’s nice and warm, let’s have strawberries and cream!” Then you forget about the strawberries or raspberries you’ve bought, and before you know it, they’re a brightly coloured smear at the bottom of the fridge.
Milk – Tricky devils, milk. You don’t know that two litre carton has gone off until you pour it into your tea and it comes out as lumps of yoghurt. Thanks for nothing, milk.
Meat – This one could actually kill you if you don’t pay attention. With a shelf life of only a few days, wasted beef, chicken and pork goes into the bin more frequently than you dare admit.
Bananas – The avocado’s apprentice. You buy them a bit green so that they can ripen up at home, then BANG – fit for nothing but tasty cake recipes.
Fresh fruit juice – We forget the fresh juice has a much shorter shelf life than the long-life stuff. The clue’s in the name, and so is the smell of wonky cider when you open the apple juice after it’s gone over.
Grated cheese – Why are you buying grated cheese? It goes off quicker than a block of cheddar, and you’re just making the grater in your utensil drawer sad.
Apples and pears – You buy them because it’s one of your five a day, knowing full well that they’ll actually form none of your five a day, and will end up looking like the back of your granny’s hands within a fortnight.
Carrots – Go to your fridge. Go now. There’s a carrot in the veg drawer you can bend into a full circle, isn’t there? The same goes for all vegetables, but this is a top ten, otherwise this list will reach down to the centre of the Earth. Top tip: Only buy the veg you’re going to eat
Mushrooms – The only consolation is that they’re small enough not to take up mushroom (much room!) in your bin when you throw them out.

There’s a serious side to this, says BusinessWaste.co.uk’s Mark Hall, and it’s that we’re addicted to “over-shopping” – the habit of buying everything we fancy in the so-called ‘big shop’ which many people are now stretching out to last a fortnight.

“Then we’re surprised that the chicken you’ve bought for next Sunday’s roast is smelling like the bottom of a bin,” says Hall, “And instead of just changing your dinner plans, you should be thinking why that bird’s gone off.”

Changing your shopping habits

British households waste around 4.5 million tons of food every year, or approximately 7% of the food we buy. That adds up to £700 per family, annually.

“If you don’t want that £700, I’d quite happily take it off your hands,” says Mark Hall, “but I expect you’d rather keep it through better meal planning and shopping management.”

While it may not be a suitable solution for everybody, the easiest way to prevent food wastage is to plan ahead, then shop often, shop local, and buy less as a result.

But the problem remains: We’ve got so used to anonymous internet shopping where the product is reduced to an idealised picture on a screen, we’ve lost touch with simple skills like portion sizing, and buying sufficient supplies for your family.

“If you’re not pushing that trolley around the supermarket, how do you know when you’ve bought too much?” says Hall. “Convenience is leading to massive waste, and we need to stop and take a look at our habits.”

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip: Peel-to-Stem

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Peel-to-Stem

In the UK, it is estimated that we waste 6.6million tonnes of food each year, with 4.5million tonnes of that being edible food. “Peel-to-Stem” or “Root-to-Stem” is a growing food trend that focuses on using the parts of fruits and vegetables that we wouldn’t typically eat, such as the leaves, skins, seeds, and stalks.

Quite often, we may throw away and waste parts of fruits and vegetables such as the skins, but quite often, these parts can actually be the most nutritious.

For example, vegetables and potatoes consumed with their skins on can contain more fibre than without the skins, and a lot of nutrients found within fruits are contained in or just under the skin. Increasing your fibre intake can help to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Here are some quick and easy ways that you can use the edible trimmings from fruits and vegetables:

Make your own vegetable stock by simmering peelings from spring onions, carrots, and parsnips; and add celery leaves/tips to add flavour to soups, stews, and ramens

Make cauliflower crisps by baking slices of cauliflower at 200 degrees Celsius for 20-25minutes until they have crisped up.

Cut broccoli and cauliflower stems into batons and add to a stir fry to bulk out the vegetables; adding one of your five-a-day.

Don’t throw the seeds away from your pumpkins; remove any stringy bits from the seeds, wash, and bake at 180 degree Celsius for 10minutes for a tasty snack.

Make potato wedges with the skins on to add fibre to your homemade wedges, just give the potatoes a good wash first.

If you have any citrus fruit peelings left over from oranges, lemons, or limes; use these to make a favourable citrus marmalade; or add to water with ice cubes or crushed ice to make a refreshing glass of flavoured water.

Morrisons slash Prosecco to less than a fiver for bank holiday

Customers can save £12.50 on champagne too

Morrisons has some stand-out deals on beers and wine this bank holiday weekend.

Customers can save up to £12.50 on selected bottles of champagne, that’s more than a third of the retail price. Prosecco has also been slashed to less than a fiver per bottle and 12 packs of beer are less than a tenner.

Morrisons is also helping customers who want to stock up on wines with a third off selected bottles including 19 Crimes, Most Wanted, Jacob’s Creek and Campo Viejo.

Please find full information below:

Kids eat free in Morrisons all summer long

This summer, Morrisons is letting kids eat free in its cafes all day, every day.

Throughout the summer holidays, with every adult meal over £4.50, customers can also get a kid’s meal absolutely free.

The deal is available at Morrisons cafes nationwide and will run throughout the summer holidays to help parents get more value for money during breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Salads, fish & chips, pies, burgers, and pizzas are all available for the adult meal with mac ‘n’ cheese, fish goujons, sandwich boxes and more available on the kids’ menu. Each kids’ meal also includes a piece of fruit and a drink.

Ali Lyons, Head of Cafes at Morrisons said: “We know that feeding the whole family during the summer holidays can quickly add up and so we’re pleased to be running our Kids Eat Free All Day deal.

“We recently introduced a brand-new menu and have invested heavily in coronavirus safety measures such as screens and our contactless ‘Order & Pay’ app.

“This means that whether you are popping into your local Morrison’s to do some grocery shopping or passing by one on a day-out you’ll have a safe and cost-effective option when thinking about ways to feed the children.”

Kids Eat Free All Day is currently live and will run until 5th September. The offer only applies when any one adult meal with a value of £4.50 or over is purchased.

For more information and to see the cafe menu, visit:

my.morrisons.com/blog/food/new-cafe-menu/