Whether you’re catering for the kids or inviting friends and family over for a BBQ this summer, we’ve rounded up the very best new food and drink about to land in a supermarket near you to make it all a little tastier!
NICE AND CREAMY
Haagen-Dazs: Perfectly timed for the summer season, everyone’s favourite ice-cream just launched Creamy Strawberry Stickbars, an irresistible take on the brand’s iconic strawberry and cream ice cream, already a firm favourite loved by the nation! At the heart of the Stickbar is rich strawberry ice cream made from naturally sourced strawberry purée handpicked from only the best varieties and fresh cream.
My favourite bit is the delicious, fruity, thick coating and the dried strawberry pieces for added texture and flavour. Yummy!
Price: £4.20 for 3 at all good supermarkets.
MAKE MINE A PEAR-SECCO
Who doesn’t love a glass of fizz in the sunshine, and this deliciously naturally sparkling pear-secco is made with delicate, not too sweet pears from Normandy. Organic and at just 4.75% proof, it’s perfect for sipping mid-day and for adding to your favourite cocktails.
Price: £14.75, for summer cocktail recipes and pairing ideas, and to buy, visit normansoul.co.uk
OILS GOOD
Whether you’re prepping veggies for the barbie or creating the perfect summer salad, the Good Phats collection of high-quality and deliciously nutty flavours is light and fresh enough to drizzle. My favourite is the Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Spray that comes in a handy squeezy bottle you can keep by the barbie, and look for the Avocado Italian.
Price from £12.95. For recipes, tips and stockists, visit goodphats.com.
STAY HYDRATED
We all know we should be drinking more water in the heat, and the Vieve range of protein waters makes it tastier to do. Available in seven delicious flavours, each 500ml bottle is infused with 20 g collagen, protein and essential amino acids to bring extra benefits to every sip.
Free from artificial colours and added sugar, at just 90 calories per bottle, they make a refreshing change to traditional fruit juice and fizzy drinks.
Price: £22.99 for a five-bottle bundle, available at selected outlets including Amazon and at drink-vieve.co.uk
FIRE UP THE BBQ
With temperatures soaring, we’re all firing up the BBQs regularly, but according to research by Campbell’s Meats Butchers, it seems many of us still don’t really know what we’re doing when it comes to achieving perfectly smoked meat on a BBQ.
The team of experts there are providing home cooks with a foolproof blueprint for achieving professional-grade smoked meats without the need for expensive commercial equipment, bridging the gap between the professional smokehouse and the family garden.
In fact, you can produce a world-class BBQ on a standard kettle grill or a standard gas BBQ. By using a two-zone method where you place your heat on one side and your meat on the other, you can transform your BBQ into a convection oven that bathes the meat in smoke rather than scorching it over a flame.
For best success, cuts that are naturally marbled to resist drying out work best. Meats like pulled pork, beef short ribs and spatchcock chicken work brilliantly as they cook quickly and absorb the smoky flavours beautifully.
For more tips and recipes, visit campbellsmeat.com
Looking for a tasty way to serve our summer croissants and bagels, La Vieja Fabrica produces a range of jams and marmalades designed to elevate your breakfast experience.
The new St Clements Marmalade is available in thick cut, fine cut and no peel options.
Serve it with toast, heated and drizzled over pancakes or spooned into a croissant: the angry shreds of orange and lemon give your breakfast a citrus twist.
Price £2.50 at major supermarkets and Ocado. RRP £2.50. For more information, visit la viejafabrica.co.uk.
JUICE PLUS
Benefit Juice is relaunching its range of fruit and vegetable juices with a brand new look and revamped flavours.
The trio of juices, Cleanse, Enrich and Vitality, offer specific benefits and just one 150ml glass now includes 6g of fibre, 100% of the daily recommended allowance of vitamin D, as well as vitamins C, E and K, folate, potassium and beta-carotene, which are naturally found in the fruits and vegetables in the juice.
My favourite is Nourish, a zesty blend of carrot, Mango & Ginger, whilst Vitality delivers a rich combination of beetroot, raspberry and grape.
The new flavours are available this month from £4.99 at hollandandbarret.com and Waitrose stores.
PASS THE KETCHUP
A staple at any summer BBQ, traditional ketchups are often loaded with salt and sugar to boost flavour. Real Good Ketchup is a great alternative for families looking for a 100% natural, no-added-sugar ketchup that can reduce a whole spoonful of sugar from the plate at mealtimes.
It’s a great alternative to help support children’s nutritional needs and tastes delicious too, made from naturally sweet Mediterranean tomatoes. Perfect for your summertime burger!
Price £2.85 at Ocado and selected outlets.
