Delicario Christmas Gift Hamper

image courtesy of Alex Scazney

There I was, reading the press release lauding the luxury brand Delicario  but thinking, oh yeah, really? I mean could this ethically sound niche online delicatessen also be professional and efficient? Well, I’m sorry to be picky but so often things fall apart after the order goes in, and then … the… w-a-i-t, the packaging and mishaps, the presentation… Hey ho, the first step was to obtain a sample and only then could I attest to the quality of the product, not to mention the ongoing efficiency.  

We should at this point bear in mind that this old duck, the editor of Frost Magazine, is on yet another diet, so yes, a soupcon of something artisan wouldn’t breach the dry bread and water regime surely. But then it all went very wrong. 

Postie brought … roll of drums, and  a ting from the triangle …  a Delicario wicker hamper  the next day. Forget the solitary jar of something, here was a cornucopia of goodies from small artisan European producers, all regulated and directed from the head office: Birch Barn  in Kent, Delicario (www.delicario.com )

Diet, what diet? As I unlatched the black wicker straps I found myself wondering if the efficiency would be matched by quality.  Well, see of yourself. Here we have Arke extra virgin olive oil. The olives are picked by hand and milled within 12 hours, in a low temperature to respect and exalt the flavours as the attached label explained. Oh how wonderful to read this about the olive oil. It could not have come from anywhere but a sustainable artisan concern. 

Then, the Sauginon Blanc, Nube ,  De Leza Garcia from Spain, grapes grown in Rioja. Oh my word, serve chilled,  breathe in the scent, taste the dry smoothness. Really, it IS just so smooth.

This we drank with Italian Pate of Artichokes. Dream with me… Subtlety of flavour to die for, and of  course, Italian, I should have known. I have been in love with all things Italian after the ticket man at the Uffizi  (I believe it was), said when I asked for an old person’s entry. ‘Ahhh, but not old, merely experienced.’ I nearly fainted with joy that someone had recognised me for what I am.

The only draw back to our little moment of pate and wine heaven was that Dick and I should have been eating it with Inspector Montalbano on his balcony overlooking the sea,  none of us speaking as we savoured every bite, and added just a spot more Arke extra virgin olive oil on the tomato salad.

Then, of course, for Madam Fatty, just one or two sweet orange/chocolatey treats made by Kucino, Italy. I sat hearing the waves lapping, watching the moon rising…

And in the morning, Mandarin Marmalade on toast, so very British, but actually Italian, tasting of mandarins, and a very finely cut marmalade, almost a puree I’d say. Delicious.

 So, bravo the hamper, with each item sensibly packed, the bottles safely swathed, and even a personalised note that came with it, Dear Margaret, the experienced woman from Yorkshire …  Well, no, not the latter.

Delicario (www.delicario.com) is a niche online delicatessen working with small-scale sustainable producers of authentic regional European delicacies with an ‘international farm to table approach’, launched by a small team of specialists working in the luxury services industry with a passion for food and travel. Steering clear of mass production, the emphasis is on sourcing natural ingredients, harvested and processed with dedication to detail, as you can tell,  by often family-run businesses and sold online as individual items, gift boxes or hampers.

The Delicario website (www.delicario.com) is  consumer friendly which with my IT expertise (nil)  is something I seldom say. It’s easy to navigate through a list of well-presented specialities including charcuterie, truffles and mushrooms, wine and champagne, paté and creams as well as artisan pasta, sauces and baked as well as sweet treats. In the dedicated hamper section, there are suggestions tailored to all occasions such as the ‘Delicario Christmas Temptation Hamper’ with Damien Buffet brut rosé champagne and Vossignoria cheese laced with truffle, Ascolano olives from Piceno and Croccantino dark chocolate from Campania.

The ‘Delicario Dinner for Two Hamper’ includes the finest Bellota Iberian ham, Calabrian Capocollo and Marettimo cheese with sprigs of thyme, accompanied by the ‘haute- couture’ of champagne, followed by pure Wagyu beef rib-eye and a full-bodied Barbera D’Alba. Dessert is of course included as chocolate lovers indulge in Piedmont hazelnut cake smothered in dark chocolate fondant. Each gift box and hamper can also be individually tailored by selecting products from the Delicario range.

Gift vouchers and personalised greeting cards offer a personal touch.

Founder Marco Rosa and his team are eager to start fulfilling orders including Christmas hampers and gift boxes at Birch Barn in Kent. He remarks, “Having the experience of working with well-known, luxury brands for over 25 years, we have seen a shift by consumers towards conscious shopping for high quality, sustainable and often organically grown goods. The secret of successful cultivation has been passed down through several generations of mostly family-run businesses. Every product has a story to tell!”

“Our mission is to bring the best European artisan flavours to the table of appreciative customers, particularly during a period when travel to new and unexplored places is complicated. This year, Christmas cheer comes in gift boxes and hampers that capture the very best of authentic ingredients to create a ‘dining out experience’ in your own home.”

About Delicario

Based at Birch Barn in Kent, Delicario (www.delicario.com) was established by co-founders Marco Rosa, Alexander Scasny and Andrew Dack as an innovative online ‘international farmers market’, selling individual items, gifts and hampers of artisanal delicacies sourced from hand-picked regional producers all over Europe. Avoiding mass production, Delicario believes in the unique spirit of natural ingredients, harvested and processed with love by small family businesses, always with sustainability in mind. Each product has been thoughtfully selected to inspire celebration and harmony in flavours around the dining table.

One day I will visit and interview the team. It really is my kind of set up, and I know it will be yours. I recommend Delcario with no reservations whatsoever. I’ve had a simply wonderful time, and am about to throw the weighing scales out of the window, Life is truly too short, for ‘experienced’ women like me to be fretting. Besides, I will take an few more turns around the sports village cycle track, on my sit up and beg, stately as a galleon, and care not if I hold everyone up. So there.

I am so delighted, as I have found the perfect Christmas gift for my four children. They will love their hampers.

Annie Clarke is a Random House author. Her latest novel is Christmas on the Home Front.

SAS Band of Brothers is very much about bringing history alive. Making WWII – a decades-old conflict, with so few veterans still with us – resonate and feel real. Bringing Remembrance home. I love the fact that my readers range from teenagers to octogenarians, and so many of the messages I receive start out with: ‘I’m was never one for reading books until I picked up your …’

I open SAS Band of Brothers in a dramatic time and place with a compelling cast of characters: a twelve-man SAS patrol, under command of Captain Patrick Garstin, speeding into Nazi-occupied France in the dark and echoing belly of a Stirling heavy bomber, about to parachute behind the lines. The narrative sticks with these twelve incredibly colourful characters on the rollercoaster ride that then unfolds – of action, courage, tragedy, raw survival and ultimate vengeance.

Likewise, I tend to read gripping history. Don’t be put off by the tome-like expanse of Erik Larsen’s The Splendid and the Vile. Sub-titled ‘A saga of Churchill, family and defiance during the Blitz’ it is just that – conjuring up a cast of characters and a sense of place that is gripping and visceral and makes for compelling reading. Larsen makes such towering figures human: Churchill openly in tears as he walks through London’s blasted streets, endearing him to Londoners …

But historic fiction can be equally rewarding. Robert Harris’s V2 conjurs up the sheer size and fearsome potency of the Nazi’s Vergeltungswaffen – Vengeance Weapons – whose and technological superiority almost tipped the scales in the war. As the massive rockets steam and snort and arrow their way from a freezing Dutch woodland towards London, at supersonic speed, a desperate plot to stop them is launched against all odds …

I’m presently reading an advance copy of Simon Scarrow’s Blackout – which published in March 2021. Set in 1939 in Germany, I’m transfixed by the scenes of Nazi party dignitaries and the Berlin glitterati stomping the snow from their boots, as they gather for a decadent winter ball to celebrate how the Blitzkrieg – the lightning-war – has crushed Poland, with most of Western Europe set to follow.

Pivotal moments in history; utterly authentic characters; a gripping plot. The perfect way to bring history alive.

By Damien Lewis

Damien Lewis is a Sunday Times no 1 bestselling author whose books have been translated into forty languages worldwide.  For twenty years Damien worked as a war and conflict reporter for the world’s major broadcasters, reporting across Africa, South America, the Middle East and Far East winning numerous awards. Several of his books are being made into feature films.

SAS Band Of Brothers continues Damien’s iconic WWII elite forces series: Churchill’s Secret Warriors, The Nazi Hunters, Hunting The Nazi Bomb, SAS Ghost Patrol, SAS Italian Job and SAS Shadow Raiders.

Frost will be reviewing SAS Band of Brothers by Damien Lewis shortly

SAS Band of Brothers  by Damien Lewis  Published by Quercus Books in hardback on 5^th November 2020 @ £20

Looking for a new phone? Why not check out TCL. Not heard of them? Well guess what, they’ve made mobiles for names like BlackBerry for years, and now they’re making their own. TCL 10 android series is their new generation, which are getting great reviews, and at £199.95 to £399.95 SIM-free, worth taking seriously. So let’s look at the TCL 10 5G and the TCL 10L.

TCL 10 5G, as its name suggests, supports 5G – which for those struggling to keep up with technology, means ten times faster data transfer speeds, reduced latency (time for data to travel to and fro) and steadier, faster network and Wi-Fi connections.

Like others in the TCL 10 series, it has a particularly large display (6.53 inch full HD+) with 91% screen to body ratio and NXTVISION, creating fabulous visuals with popping colours and super clear and striking contrasts – great for watching films and playing games, or having that special face-time conversation with grandkids during lockdown.

The camera, or should I say cameras – are particularly impressive – a 64MP high resolution quad main camera, including wide-angle lens, macro camera for super close-ups, and depth camera for professional quality photos with Bokeh (that lovely blurred effect around a portrait photo) and dual LED flash. There’s also a 16MP front facing camera, with improved low-light capabilities for brighter selfies.

Considering also the newest generation wireless connectivity for faster browsing and bufferless streaming; 128GB internal memory (expandable to an additional 256GB using the micro SDXC card slot); a great battery with fast charging capability and OTG reverse charging (so your phone can charge other devices); Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G – good news for gaming enthusiasts; and at just £399.95 SIM-free at Argos or on contract for £19 upfront and £19 for 24 months at Three this is a high-range phone packed with features for not a lot of money.

But if you’re on a tighter budget, how about the TCL 10L at just £199.95 SIM-free from Argos or JD Williams? It has many of the features of the TCL 10 5G – the same large screen; quad camera (albeit 48MP as opposed to 64MP), 16MP front camera and wireless Super Bluetooth audio sharing. It has a 64GB internal memory, expandable to 256GB using a micro SD card, and a Snapdragon 665 processor.

Both phones have MP3 and MP4 players, headphone port, contactless payment facility, and secure fingerprint scanner for safe, speedy unlocking.

Having had a chance to try out the TCL 10L, I found it light and balanced. I love the extras – the included protective phone case, and the cute 3 pin plug, which collapses down for portability. The programmable side-button is a great feature, allowing you, for example, to access the camera immediately (useful if Antonio Banderas walks across your path unexpectedly – it hasn’t happened yet), or whatever other short-cut you choose to programme, such as launching a particular app or tool.

I’m really impressed – well done TCL.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co.uk

Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

An interesting book arrived on my desk, posing the question: ‘Have you ever wondered why some people manage their emotions more than others?’

Who hasn’t wondered that?

We all have our ups and downs as life takes a swipe at us, and this A – Z has some good ideas on how to learn to notice our emotions and work on them on a daily basis. But not obsessively, not in a navel gazing way.

It suggests preventative measures and emotional fitness.

In this book, experienced coach and trainer Clare Davis discusses 26 easy ways to increase the positive emotions in our lives and improve our emotional fitness, with plenty of practical activities to help us  put the theory into practice. He also says that there are there different types of CBD vapes which can help one with keeping their mental health in its best shape. It put me in mind of the excellent Lightning Process, which is a course  I looked in on – and let’s face it, anything that  gets our emotional fitness in place and working for us, not against us, is invaluable.

Try Emotional Fitness A – Z – it’s helpful.

Kindle or Paperback: https://www.novaassociates.co.uk/mental-health-book