The SLMan Food & Drink List

THE LIQUEUR: Cotswolds No 2 Whisky Amaro

Cotswolds Peated Cask Single Malt Whisky won ‘Best World Whisky’ at the International Whisky Competition earlier this year. Now it forms the basis of the English distillery’s newest bottle: Cotswolds No 2 Whisky Amaro is a smartly packaged digestif that’s best served well chilled and on the rocks. Its botanical blend includes chamomile, citrus and herbs, resulting in a complex, herbaceous liqueur with spicy notes and a nicely bitter finish.

Visit CotswoldDistillery.com

THE DELIVERY: Goila Butter Chicken

Chef Saransh Goila’s butter chicken has garnered a cult-like following since he started serving it in Mumbai five years ago. It even earned him the People’s Choice prize at India’s famed food festival, World on a Plate. Now he’s putting down roots in London with the launch of a delivery-only concept, which marks the first time Saransh’s signature curry has been made permanently available outside of his home country. Available on Deliveroo, deliveries come with dal makhana, sourdough naan, pickled sweet and sour shallots, coriander chutney and jeera rice.

Visit GoilaButterChicken.co.uk

THE CONDIMENT: Sauce Shop Berty’s Stuffing Ketchup

We’re already big fans of Sauce Shop for its honey sriracha drizzle and American mustard. Now, in time for the festive season, the team has launched a limited-edition stuffing ketchup – a follow-on from last year’s sell-out brussels sprout edition. With notes of parsley, sage and onion, this is a must-buy for anyone looking to take their Boxing Day sandwiches up a notch.

Visit Amazon.co.uk

THE MUST-TRY SEASONING: Blackthorn Sea Salt

This sea salt is produced on the shores of Scotland's west coast. Made using only Scottish seawater, it is produced in the only working blackthorn tower in the world. Reviving centuries-old techniques, Blackthorn Salt is 100% natural and provides a distinctive crystal crunch to any dish that needs a punch of flavour. Ideal for anyone looking to up their seasoning game, this is the thing to raise Christmas roast potatoes from good to great.

Visit BlackthornSalt.com

THE DRINKS CABINET ESSENTIAL: Northwest Passage Expedition Gin

This craft spirit was created by a team of adventurers to raise awareness of ocean conservation and to help fund their attempt at the Northwest Passage, the Arctic route between the Atlantic and Pacific cceans known as one of the ‘Last Great Firsts’. The gin is flavoured with botanicals from the shores of Orkney and Canada’s Hudson Bay – salty sugar kelp, rose and angelica root all help make this a fresh addition to your drinks cabinet. For the ideal G&T, top 50ml of gin with Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic, lemon peel and a sprig of thyme.

Visit NWPExpeditionGin.com

THE CAFFEINE FIX: Solo Coffee Concentrate

Solo Coffee’s latest concentrate is a strong cold-brew coffee made without any artificial ingredients or sugar. The fridge-sized product can be enjoyed with hot water to make a black coffee, poured over milk or drunk neat. For cocktail enthusiasts looking to enhance their espresso martinis at home, the concentrate can be used to make martinis in minutes. Unlike some other cold brews on the market, it creates the desired foamy finish without using artificial thickeners.

Visit SoloCoffee.co.uk

THE SUNDAY ROAST DELIVERY: Blacklock at Home

London’s excellent chophouse mini-chain Blacklock has launched a Sunday roast experience for two. The delivery includes 55-day aged beef rump with all the trimmings: Yorkshire puddings, duck-fat roast potatoes, seasonal veg, cauliflower cheese and Blacklock’s signature gravy. To round things off, you’ll also receive a generous slab of white chocolate cheesecake. The box comes with a guide explaining how to master the meat cooking and ensure restaurant-worthy results. Delivery is nationwide and boxes will be with you on the Saturday, in plenty of time for your Sunday lunch.

Visit TheBlacklock.com

THE RUM: Hawksbill Caribbean Spiced Rum

Hawksbill Caribbean Spiced Rum is made by blending rums from Trinidad and Guyana with a distinctive combination of spices: a palate of vanilla, toasted nutmeg, cinnamon, raisin, cardamom and sea salt make it an excellent base for a mojito or cuba libre. Best of all, 10% of the profits from sales go to help the Caribbean’s endangered Hawksbill turtles.

Visit Amazon.co.uk

THE BOOK: The Hand & Flowers Cookbook

The Hand & Flowers is the first and only pub in the world to acquire two Michelin stars. At this Marlow hotspot, Tom Kerridge serves up innovative dishes designed to reinvent and elevate British classics for the 21st century. This new cookbook presents 70 of the best dishes to have appeared on the menu, including roast hog with salt-baked potatoes and apple sauce; slow-cooked duck breast with peas, duck-fat chips and gravy; smoked haddock omelette; and chocolate and ale cake with salted caramel. An excellent Christmas present for those who love food.

Visit Waterstone.com

THE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: Ooni Pizza Subscription Box

Ooni Pizza Ovens – the world’s bestselling pizza oven company – has launched a limited-edition pizza ingredient subscription service. You can buy the boxes as one-offs, but subscribers get a mystery quarterly box full of ingredients to try with your pizza, from sauces and toppings to flour and finishing touches.

Visit Ooni.com

THE DRAM: Empire Rye

New from That Boutique-y Whisky Company is this rye whisky, made with a blend from nine distilleries in New York state. Named Empire Rye, it’s fresh, fruity and complex on the nose, with a palate of underripe stone fruit, vanilla oak, salty popcorn and red grapefruit. Its striking taste and design means it’ll make a great present – for yourself and others.

Visit MasterOfMalt.com

THE COLLABORATION: Whisky Sodas

Ambassador General Store – the delivery arm of Gymkhana, Brigadiers and Trishna – has teamed up with Johnnie Walker to create a refreshing range of single-serve whisky cocktails. Inspired by Indian soft drinks, each whisky soda has been created using Indian produce and ingredients. The three flavours are: ‘Parsi Raspberry Soda’ (Johnnie Walker Black Label, lacto-fermented raspberry soda); ‘India Mango Soda’ (Johnnie Walker Black Label, mango leaf and mango wine); and ‘Jal Jeera’ (Johnnie Walker Black Label, apple EDV, chaat masala and ginger ale), which draws inspiration from an Indian spiced lemonade.

Visit AmbassadorGeneralStore.com

THE SPORTS DRINK: TYG

TYG stands for Train Your Gut, which is exactly what this new drinks brand aims to do. Claiming to be the world's first probiotic sports drink, it’s packed with functional ingredients and live bio-cultures to help optimise performance. Tested on athletes, the drink comes with added vitamins and BCAAs, making it a great option for a post-workout drink. It is low calorie, free from artificial sweeteners and preservatives. Choose from three flavours: Ginger & Lime, Pomegranate & Hibiscus and Pineapple & Coconut.

Visit TYGDrinks.com

THE TREAT: J. Cocoa

J. Cocoa is a multi-award-winning bean-to-bar chocolate maker based in Sussex. Ethically sourced and sustainably produced, each chocolate in the collection has its own flavour profile, based on the regions, soil and climates the beans are grown in. Of the lot, its Great Taste Gold-winning 55% Coffee Milk Chocolate is hard to beat, using Chuno cocoa beans grown in Nicaragua – though we imagine the brand’s dark chocolate Inca sun salted caramels would go down a treat in anyone’s stocking.

Visit JCocoa.co.uk

THE NYE FEAST: Fish For Thought

Fish For Thought is a Cornish seafood company that supplies restaurants such as The Pig, Rick Stein and Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. This month it’s launched a ‘Cornish Surf and Turf’ box for nationwide delivery. Inside, you’ll find an 800g Cornish lobster, cooked, split and cleaned; two 6oz pedigree Cornish beef rib-eye steaks; and a roll of classic ‘Café de Paris’ butter. Ideal for anyone staying in to celebrate Christmas.

Visit FishForThought.co.uk