Top private chef Stefano Sanna has been improvising during lockdown by providing several Edinburgh bakeries with his authentic Italian breads and baked goods.
Originally from Sardinia, Stefano owns Shardana Catering, a private catering company based in Edinburgh. Stefano has responded to Covid-19 restrictions which make it difficult for him to cater events and is baking up a storm with focaccia, speciality breads and bomboloni – Italian style doughnuts.
Stefano explained: “I run an independent private catering company in Edinburgh, perfect for dinner parties and small events across Scotland. When the first lockdown was announced I pivoted to offer private chef services in people’s homes. I also started a home delivery service which sells a few Italian traditional staples.”
The characterful Italian chef has continued to offer his delivery service throughout autumn and winter, with mouth-watering menus which can be easily reheated and served at home.
With lockdown restrictions changing daily, Stefano turned his skills as a chef to baked goods. “When the second Edinburgh lockdown hit, fewer people required private chefs. I began to supply local Edinburgh bakeries with tasty Italian baked goods.”
Stefanois now supplying his delicious baked goods to a number of outlets across the capital. These include Victor Hugo Delicatessen, on Melville Terrace; Il Fruttivendolo, on the High St; Di Giorgio, on Brandon Terrace and Maria’s KAKES, in Albert Place.
Stefano is a busy man adjusting to his new baker’s schedule. “The new routine is different to adjust to as I am up early in the morning cooking for the bakeries and then cook for our home delivery menu”.
Luckily for Stefano, under current Edinburgh rules Shardana Catering can now continue to offer private chef services.
Bross Bagels empire are delighted to announce that they have signed their largest and most ambitious project to date at St James Quarter in Edinburgh, covering 1, 200 square feet on level one of the brand-new development opening next year.
Launching in spring 2021, Bross Bagels will be one of the first to open within the initial retail, and dining phase in the brand new 1.7 million square foot city centre development which will face out to Picardy Place and become part of Edinburgh’s most exciting food scene.
The brand new iconic ‘Bross Deli’ will feature an open kitchen which will be the main attraction, with old school style deli booths and floor to ceiling windows throughout. They will cater for their renowned loyal bagel fans worldwide opening from 8am – 10pm, serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch through to late night meals and drinks for all the family, with a special menu designed just for their mini bagel fans.
‘O ering’ a complete foodie experience like no other, the new Bross is set to become a dining destination for the city of Edinburgh.
Bross Bagels produce all their own bagels in-house to their very own specific Montreal style recipe with NYC deli inspired fillings. They are currently building a custom made Bross bakery where it all began for them in Portobello three years ago. Situated opposite their flagship store, the property previously a bank, is being converted into their very own bakery which is due to open in early 2021.
Owner of Bross Bagels, Larah Bross said: “Our aim is to make the new Bross an essential and exhilarating foodie experience that no trip to Edinburgh would be complete without.
“Like Swartz is to Montreal and Katz to NYC; we want to deliver something above and beyond expectation with our house cured salt beef and pastrami, a range of vegan meats that even people who are annoyed by vegans will get excited about, and of course our infamous bagels from our own bagel bakery 20 mins down the road in Portobello.
“If you’re already a fan of our bagels then you will adore this upgrading to full on foodie theatre as we deliver authentic Jewish Deli delights from our open kitchen. If you’ve yet to have your hole with us (or – if you’re new to the BROSS experience), prepare to be blown away – this is more than just a bagel shop!
“We will cater from breakfast to brunch to business lunch right through to late night meals, including beers, wine and our new house speciality the Bloody Bross.”
Sweet potatoes make a tasty alternative to white potatoes and they are very versatile. Unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes count towards your 5 a day and they are packed with vitamins and fibre to keep you healthy.
Sweet potatoes can be mashed, baked, roasted and boiled in the same way as white potatoes.
We provide some tips to help you include sweet potatoes in your meals:
For a healthy lunch, why not swap your regular baked potato for a baked sweet potato (without butter). Choose a healthy filling, such as vegetarian chilli, tuna, baked beans or cottage cheese and serve with a healthy salad.
Try switching from regular mashed potato to mashed sweet potato. Alternatively, you could make your mash with 50% white potatoes and 50% sweet potatoes. Instead of adding cream, butter or salt, try adding a splash of milk or low-fat crème fraiche and a pinch of nutmeg before mashing. Mashed sweet potato makes a great topping for shepherd’s pie or fish pie, or you can serve it alongside a roast dinner.
Ditch your deep-fat fryer and switch from chips to sweet potato wedges, baked in the oven. Cut your sweet potatoes into wedges (keep the skins on for extra fibre), toss them in a small amount of oil and add some dried herbs and/or spices, such as Cajun spice mix, cumin or paprika. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Serve with a dollop of reduced calorie crème fraiche.
WHAT: The perfect Christmas roast dinner delivered to your door by Deliveroo, from Aldi and top chef Neil Rankin
WHEN: Available to order via Deliveroo on 12th December, for delivery on 13th December
PRICE: £5 donation to food charity Neighbourly
Aldi has announced ‘Christmas on a Plate’, the perfect roast dinner delivered to your door by Deliveroo, in collaboration with top chef Neil Rankin.
The launch comes as the supermarket’s research reveals 36% of Edinburghians are planning more than one Christmas dinner this year, despite nearly one in ten Edinburgh residents saying cooking a roast dinner is too stressful. Aldi’s ‘Christmas on a Plate’ is a delicious alterative, helping to take the pressure off cooks this festive season.
The partnership with Great British Menu star Rankin and Deliveroo sees a Christmas dinner delivery roll out across Edinburgh on Sunday 13th December, giving customers the chance to order a perfectly cooked roast in return for a £5 donation to food charity Neighbourly.
With the option to order either traditional turkey or a vegan meal, the roasts have been expertly curated by Rankin and will include tasty side dishes and ingredients from Aldi’s Specially Selected range.
Julie Ashfield, Managing Director for Buying at Aldi, comments: “After a year unlike any other, we want to give our customers a treat by taking the stress out of cooking at home, which is why we’ve partnered with Neil Rankin and Deliveroo to create Christmas on a Plate.
“Our research has shown that people will be celebrating in many different ways this year, but one thing is for certain – the nation is still gearing up to enjoy an amazing Christmas dinner and that’s where we’re best placed to help, with beautiful food at great value.
“We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy quality food not just at Christmas, but every day of the year, and that’s why all proceeds of our initiative will go to Neighbourly, supporting local charities and communities.”
Aldi’s ‘Christmas on a Plate’ roasts will be available for the cost of a £5 charitable donation per meal from Deliveroo’s app.
Customers will have the option to also donate more money to the Neighbourly charity on the page if they do not wish to order an additional meal.
Customers will need to keep their eyes peeled for the order page, which will launch at 12PM on Saturday 12th December for pre-order the following day.
Shoppers will need to be quick, as always with Aldi’s limited-edition products, once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Marks & Spencer yesterday opened its largest M&S Food store in Scotland, in Straiton. The store’s 100-strong team welcomed customers, helping them get everything they need whilst enjoying the new M&S offer.
Located in Straiton Retail Park, the new 15,000 square foot store is home to a large greengrocer-style fresh market, offering an outstanding range of M&S Select Farms produce, lots of which is locally grown in Scotland, including Inverness-grown Rainbow and Baby Carrots, and Arbroath-grown sweet Strawberries. The store also offers a pick your own eggs station where customers can self-select any number of eggs, tailoring their box to their preference according to egg size, type and yolk colour.
The store will be led by Store Manager, Thomas Tierney, alongside his team of 100 colleagues. Now open, the M&S team will be working hard to offer the community the very best service, drawing on M&S’s 135 years of serving the British public.
To help celebrate the opening and relaunch of Sparks, M&S’s customer loyalty scheme, the team will be treating seven customers over seven days to their shopping, totally for free. One recipient will be chosen at random each day, and whatever is in your trolley will be complimentary!
M&S’s previous location in Straiton will close the day before, in line with the new opening, with colleagues moving across to the new store. The relocation to a larger site will provide customers with a bigger and better Food offer to enjoy.
Store Manager, Thomas Tierney, said yesterday:“We’re delighted to open our new store in Straiton today. The last few weeks have been spent putting the finishing touches in store and making sure all our measures are in place to support customers, so they can shop with confidence.
“It’s brilliant to now be open in time for the festive season – chatting with customers today it’s fantastic to see them get excited about our new Christmas products, as well as shop for all the essentials. Our new store also offers Click & Collect, which means customers can shop for the full Clothing & Home collections via M&S.com.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to the team, who have been amazing getting the store ready. We’re all so excited show the community all that Scotland’s largest Food store has to offer.”
Local customer, Lisa Whigham from Loanhead, was one of the first customers through the doors. She said:“I’ve been an avid shopper at M&S for years and I now feel spoilt for choice with all that my local M&S has to offer.
“The pick your own eggs station is particularly exciting – I love that I can now choose my perfect yolk for poached eggs, and know which ones are best for frying!”
M&S Straiton offers thousands of M&S’s quality and great value food products, from daily essentials and fresh produce, to dinner favourites and ready-to-go family meals.
The new Food store also has everything customers will need for a truly delicious Christmas meal, along with all the trimmings. Shoppers will be able to pick up M&S’s sweet and savoury showstoppers, from the Our Best Ever Mince Pies to the Scottish Salmon Pastrami.
M&S Straiton offers the full range of M&S Clothing & Home products via its Click & Collect service. Customers can opt for next day pick up if they order online by 10pm the night before on M&S.com and the store will also offer hassle free returns. With over a thousand free car parking spaces, the store is ideal for convenient Clothing & Home collection.
The store is located at Foodhall Unit 2B, Straiton Retail Park, Loanhead, Scotland EH20 9PW, and is open Monday – Friday, 8am – 9pm, Saturday 8am – 8pm and Sunday 9am – 7pm.
M&S Straiton will offer extended shopping hours which will gradually increase up until Christmas and from the 21st – 23rd December, the Food store will be open until midnight.
Scottish craft distillery, Old Curiosity, has launched a new limited-edition Christmas Gin ahead of the festive period, perfectly capturing the essence of the season by blending classic aromatic spices, and naturally coloured with botanicals to create a fitting rosy red colour.
The Secret Garden Christmas Gin (50cl, 39% ABV) is distilled with botanicals grown in the distillery’s Secret Herb Garden on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom are distilled to create a distinctly festive flavour, while hollyhock petals give the liquid a natural festive red colouring.
The Secret Garden Christmas Gin comes in three sizes to suit a range of gift ideas. Starting from a perfect stocking filler size of 5cl (£5.95), 20cl (14.95) to 50cl (£35.95), ideal for a gin lover’s present. The range also includes a festive gift set of a 20cl bottle of Christmas Gin paired with the distillery’s renowned Wild Gin (20cl, 40% ABV), priced at £29.95.
To create the perfect festive serve
Fill a Tall glass with ice
Add 50ml Christmas Gin
Top up with low sugar tonic
Garnish with Orange
Once the tonic is poured into the glass, the bright red Christmas Gin turns to a striking fluorescent pink.
Hamish Martin, Director at the Old Curiosity Distillery, commented: “We really wanted to explore a new range of festive flavours using traditional seasonal ingredients to make our Christmas Gin. We drew influence from medieval Christmas feasts by distilling the gin with cinnamon and aromatic cardamom, while the ginger gives the spirit an extra kick for warmth!
“We’ve proud to say that our Christmas Gin contains no preservatives, sugars, colourings or flavourings, only truly natural ingredients from our very own Secret Herb Garden in Midlothian. We hope gin lovers enjoy our festive tipple this Christmas.”
The botanicals used in the Christmas Gin carefully grown at The Secret Herb Garden on the outskirts of Edinburgh. The Secret Garden is an award-winning herb nursery with over 600 naturally grown and tended varieties of herbs and flowers which are picked, dried and distilled by hand to deliver the pure essence of nature.
It is most renowned for the highly acclaimed and multi award-winning collection of premium, 100% natural, Secret Garden Gins which are stocked by some of the UK’s most prestigious retailers and now exported to 11 countries around the globe. The distillery also produces ranges of teas, soaps and hand sanitisers.
Aldi has revealed its 2020 Christmas drinks line up featuring a number of Scotland’s most loved distillers and brewers, and includes award-winning whiskies, craft gins, limited edition cocktails and festive-themed brews.
Whether you are looking to top up your own drinks cabinet ahead of the festive season, or that special gift for friends and family, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for at your local Aldi.
The Glen Marnoch Single Malt Whisky range starts at just £16.49 (70cl; 40%ABV) with customers able to select from the Highland, Islay or Speyside Single Malts. Alternatively, for a special treat that won’t blow the budget, why not try the recently crowned Scotch Whisky ‘Master’ award-winning Glen Marnoch 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt (£20.99, 70cl, 40%ABV).
With Scotland now almost as famous for making great gin as great whisky, it’s no surprise to see Aldi’s gin collection featuring some of Scotland’s most talented distillers.
Eidyn Gin is developed exclusively for Aldi by The Old Curiosity Distillery in Edinburgh, and launched earlier this year. Priced at just £19.99 (70cl; 40% ABV) this premium London Dry style gin is already turning heads, picking up a silver at the Scottish Gin Awards this November.
The Eden Mill Botanical Project Miniature Gift Set (4x5cl; £9.99) is the perfect stocking filler for gin lovers this Christmas. The set includes a range of flavours from the Eden Mill Botanical Project including Chilli & Ginger, Plum & Pink Grapefruit, Passionfruit & Coconut along with its Scottish Dry Gin. Each of these miniatures are also available in full size 70cl bottles priced at £15.99.
Also from Eden Mill, the Botanical Project Mulled Gin (£15.99, 70cl) makes the perfect winter warmer with an initial hit of mulled fruit followed by a gentle spiced finish.
Bringing the bubbles to the party, the Eden Mill Botanical Project cocktail range includes Blackcurrant & Rhubarb Gin with Ginger, Blueberry & Vanilla Gin with American Cream Soda and Baked Apple & Salted Caramel Gin with Cola all priced at £1.19 per can (250ml, 5% ABV).
And Scotland’s brewers have certainly not been left out in the cold, with a range of seasonal brews to get beer lovers into the Christmas spirit, including Cairngorm Brewery’s Santa’s Sledgehammer (£1.69, 500ml, 5.6%ABV) and Orkney Brewery’s Clootie Dumpling (£1.69, 500ml, 4.3%ABV). The range also includes Edinburgh-based brewer Innis & Gunn (10 x 440ml, £10.12) and Clan Ales Barrel Aged Ales (4 x 330ml, £10.99)
Graham Nicolson, Group Buying Director, Aldi Scotland said: “Scotland’s prodigious talent for brewing and distilling is recognised around the world, and with the range of exceptional Scottish beers and spirits on offer at Aldi this Christmas its clear to see why.
“We are proud to support our extremely talented and inventive Scottish brewers and distillers who have outdone themselves again with this fantastic line up of Scottish drinks perfect for the festive season.”
The full festive drinks range is now on sale at all 95 Aldi stores across Scotland.
This Black Friday week, Morrisons has slashed the price of a 1L bottle of Baileys in-stores to just £9.99, the cheapest price in a UK supermarket.
The spirit will set you back £20 at Sainsbury’s, but Morrisons customers can now pick up a bottle in-store for less than half that price. They will have to act quickly though; the deal is only available in Morrisons stores until the end of the week.
This week, Morrisons is also offering A THIRD OFF all bottles of champagne in stores and online including bottles of Veuve Clicquot Vintage Champagne and Bollinger Rose Champagne which usually retail for £50 each, saving customers £17.
Included in the third off deal is the Adrien Chopin Brut Champagne, which is exclusively stocked in Morrisons and has been crowned ‘Best Champagne for Christmas’ by independent consumer group Which?. The award-winning fizz will cost just £12 a bottle until Sunday.
Morrisons customers will also be able to save big on brands such as Bollinger, Moët, Taittinger and Lanson.
Morrisons is also offering half-price Rump Steaks from the Market Street Butcher counter. Normally £15 per kilo, the premium cut will be available for just £7.50 per kilo – that’s £1.71 for an 8oz steak.
2.3kg crates of sweet clementine’s will also be on offer for just £2.50. Normally retailing at £2.06 per kilo that’s a saving of over 47 percent.
To help customers avoid crowds, the offers are available now in-store until Sunday 29th November. Morrisons third off champagne offer will also be available online.
Shoppers in Edinburgh can now have their favourite Aldi products delivered to their door in as little as 20 minutes as part of a new partnership with Deliveroo.
The Cameron Toll Aldi store is amongst the first in Scotland to trial the new service, which will offer local residents a selection of almost 400 Aldi products at their fingertips via the Deliveroo app. This will include a range of essential items, such as bread, milk and fresh produce, which will be picked and packed by Aldi colleagues for delivery by Deliveroo’s network of riders.
The new on-demand service has been introduced to offer customers greater flexibility and access to affordable Aldi groceries.
The trial was initially launched at eight stores in England in May, and is now being extended to almost 130 stores across the UK, including in Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Perth.
Richard Thornton, Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “The new trial with Deliveroo will provide more customers in Edinburgh with access to great quality food at Aldi’s unbeatable prices.
“This is an exciting venture for Aldi which provides a new way to serve our customers during these challenging times.”
With more people staying at home during the working day, due to COVID-19, the temptation to reach into the snack cupboard and graze on less healthy food, such as crisps, biscuits, chocolate, sweets and cake, may be high. Regularly snacking on foods that are high in energy (calories), fat, sugar and salt can increase your risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Here’s some simple tips for making healthier snacking choices at home:
Read the labels
When buying packaged snack foods, check the nutrition label on the pack and aim to choose foods that have:
6g or more of fibre per 100g
5g or less of total sugars per 100g
3g or less of fat per 100g
1.5g or less of saturated fat (saturates) per 100g
0.35g or less of salt per 100g
As the weather gets cooler, you could start your day with a comforting bowl of warm porridge. Rather than adding sugar, honey, jam or syrup to your porridge, you could try adding fruit, such as berries, chopped apple or sliced banana and a sprinkling of chopped nuts, seeds or cinnamon.
The Do’s of Snacking
Remove the temptation to snack on foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt by keeping them out of your home. Empty your cupboards of chocolate, crisps, biscuits, cakes and sugary drinks and replace them with healthier options
Include a variety of different snack foods in your diet. Choose a range of healthy foods to snack on, such as portions of fruit, raw vegetable sticks, low-fat dips and spreads, wholemeal toast, unsalted nuts, low-fat yoghurts, 30g portions of reduced fat cheese and wholegrain crackers or oatcakes
Choose snacks that contain at least one of your 5 a day. Fill your fruit bowl with your favourite fruits and keep plenty of veg in the fridge
Choose a portion of fresh fruit to snack on, such as an apple, banana, orange or a handful of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or grapes
Choose vegetable sticks, such as carrot, celery, peppers, cucumber or sugar snap peas with low-fat dips, such as hummous
Limit fruit juices to no more than 150ml a day as they can be high in sugar
Choose snacks that are high in fibre. Wholegrain foods, such as wholemeal toast and crackers, as well as fruit and vegetables, are high in fibre, which is good for keeping your heart healthy. Choose packaged snack foods that contain at least 6g of fibre per 100g
Make your own popcorn at home, without adding salt or sugary toppings. This can be a healthier snack for all the family and a fun one to involve the kids with.
The Don’ts of Snacking
Avoid grazing
When you are distracted with work or the TV, or when you are feeling bored, it can be tempting to graze in the absence of hunger. If you regularly graze, try setting specific times when you will allow yourself to eat a healthy snack. For example, you could set an alarm for 10:00am and 3:00pm to enjoy a healthy snack in between your meals.
Try to avoid overdoing it
Less healthy snacks, such as crisps, chocolate bars, sweets, biscuits, and cakes. Avoid cheap supermarket offers on less healthy food options, as they can tempt you into buying (and eating) more than you need.
Occasional treats
For an occasional treat, choose foods that are individually wrapped, such as a small chocolate bar or a small packet of crisps, rather than larger sharing packs.
Limit less healthy snacks
Try no more than two or three portions each week. Portion (serving) size is often given at the back of packaging and this information can help you to limit the amount you are eating.
