Stone Saison Beer (@Warwick_Realale) By @SpectreUK

There is the image of the devil drinking this beer on the front of the glass. It’s that time of year for devilry as Halloween has passed us by, and the sounds of fireworks outside for Guy Fawkes’ Night makes it sound a little bit like a warzone. Guy Fawkes was the explosives expert in a gang who tried to blow up Parliament in 1605. Cinabar has warned me not to get political and the present day on the blog, so I’ll just say “fair enough” and talk about the beer…

This Saison was brewed in Stone in San Diego County in Southern California. It’s marketed as a modern take to the traditional Belgian Saison using locally grown ingredients, such as lemon thyme and lavender. On opening the 330ml bottle of golden beer, this 6% volume Saison has spicy zesty undertones in the smell and decent hit of lavender. I don’t remember tasting a beer with lavender in it before, so I think this is a first for me. There is a citric tang on first taste mixing well with the sweet malt and spices; there is a herbal edge from the lavender pushing the aftertaste into an almost peppery flavour. Recommended drinking in spring to summer, I found this beer quite warming and I would disagree. In fact I’m sure this is a beer for all Saisons (sorry!). Happy Guy Fawkes’ Night! Remember; try not to blow yourself or anyone else up!

Bucks Fizz - Fizz and Sparkle Crisps (Marks and Spencer) By @Cinabar

Last year Marks and Spencer brought us the great Winter Berries and Prosecco Fizz and Sparkle Crisps. This year they have upped their game and we have these Bucks Fizz Hand Cooked Potato Crisps.
There is a promise of some glitter, and a very unusual flavour for a packet of crisps, orange. Well, orange and champagne, the key ingredients of any Bucks Fizz.
I opened up the pack and shared some with our lunch time sandwiches. I realise that these don’t look like lunch time crisps, they have a certain party feel, but I’ll make any excuse! When they were poured out the promised sparkle was rather disappointing, there isn’t much ‘glitter’ at all. If you look at the picture you can see it a bit where it caught the light, but the reality is most people probably wouldn't notice.
I gave them the taste test and people would notice this, the flavour is quite outstanding. The orange has a lovely acidic taste to it that works well with crisps, just as vinegar does. It takes a moment to get used to it but the combination of juice and wine has a lovely tang on these crisps that tastes fab and different. There is a fizz too, to capture the bubbles of the Bucks Fizz they have included some kind of bicarb of soda to give them a gentle tingle. These are crisps that are fun and outlandish.
These will be perfect for a Christmas party, as I’m not sure crisps get posher than this! Or a lunch - you now if you just want to give them a try. ;-)

Dessert Parlour - Dudley Road - Birmingham (by @NLi10)

One evening just before Halloween I happened to be leaving work at a time that was suitable to visit the new Dessert Parlour that has appeared on my route home.  Ordinarily I'd be safely on the bus at this point, but for just a short extra walk I can experience the true reason for graduating from child to adult - to have dessert before dinner.

I'm much more of a pudding person than a dessert guy (dude?) so the things that interest me are not the lavish cakes and ice creams.

(this picture was supposed to be arty but came out a bit wrong)

That said, the super milkshakes are kind of a mix between ice-cream and drink and contain all the usual bits of choc and such that you'd find.  And this one (the seasonally appropriate cookie monster) has half a biscuit stuck in the top!

Sure it was a little bit cold to be walking through the streets in autumn, essentially eating an ice-cream at night, but it was quite a fun little experience.  Naturally they are all hand made to order so it took a little while, but there are seats and the staff are friendly.  Inside I had chocolate, cookie dough, cooked cookie, more chocolate, ice-cream and cream on top.  The only real complaint was the straw was a little thin, and a fatter one (maybe with an end scoop) would have allowed for more appreciation of the texture and variety here.

The store on the outside advertises waffles and crepes though so frankly I'll be visiting again and eating in as the work demands later nights and the temperatures drop.  It's a nice idea to open one of these (although maybe an odd choice of area as there aren't that many shops nearby that are open in the evenings) and I'll do my best to try the whole of the menu.

PopChips Ridges Smoky Bacon (@popchipsUK ) By @SpectreUK

Pop Chips very kindly sent me some new flavours to try. These new Pop Chips Ridges are Smoky Bacon flavoured. There is an image of sizzling bacon on the front of the packet, as well as one with ridge crisps that look like rounded bacon slices. From these images I was expecting an explosion of smoky bacon from each crisp. Indeed the back of the packet boasted of a “bold flavour”. As usual with Pop Chips the potatoes used to make these Ridges were cooked at high heat and then pressure was added until the crisps popped. The crisps are not deep fried and so have half the fat of regular crisps; they are also without grease which makes for a healthier crunchier crisp.
There was a mild smell of bacon on opening the packet mixed in well with the baked crisp aroma. The punch comes from the flavour itself. There is an explosion of smoky bacon with every Pop Chip. The crisps themselves made my mouth water. With each crisp I found myself sucking every ounce of flavour and bathing in the glow of smoky bacon. These crisps taste fantastic and slightly different than the norm. They have a mild spice to them that left a hint of chilli spices in my mouth in the aftertaste of every crisp. These Pop Chips are well worth a try. Easily one of the tastiest bacon flavoured crisps I’ve eaten, and the spices give an innovative edge to the usual smoky bacon flavour.
There is also Sea Salt and Vinegar Ridges Pop Chips in the new range, which have more of a pronounced vinegar taste mixed in with the baked potato crisps flavour and sea salt. I have a packet of the Crazy Hot flavour in stock, which I’ll be writing about in the future. I’m looking forward to some chilli heat there and the dread of stopping eating them in case my head explodes!
Information on the packet;
The 23g packet has 99 calories, with 3.5g of fat, 0.8g of sugar and 0.34g of salt. These crisps are suitable for vegans, and have no artificial ingredients; see photograph.

M&S Event: The Table - Celebrating British Beef - By Fey

The M&S event The Table was dedicated to the quality and versatility of British beef.

Never ones to shy away from an eclectic menu, every course had to incorporate an element of beef. Guests were welcomed into the venue to the gentle sound of cows and the tables were decorated with grass. Once everyone was seated, after enjoying drink and canapés, the host introduced the evening, explained the concept and information on where the beef has been sourced. All guest received tasting notes, which also helped bring the flavours to life, and create excitement for each course.

The first course, and theme was meaty- crispy oxtail, mushroom with samphire. The beef was incredibly tender, having been slow cooked- creating an intense flavour. The course was also accompanied by a Bloody Mary, which added an element of spice.

The next theme was mustardy- dripping bread with horseradish butter. The crispiness of the bread with the creaminess of the butter was delicious, and in this instance the butter that would normally be used was replaced with beef dripping. The delicate flavour was intensified with wine.

Before the next course, one of the speakers discussed the question of wine with beef, suggesting that the assumption that only red wine goes well with red meat wasn't necessarily the case. So for the next course, we were given both a red and a white wine to sample. The theme was picked- tartare of salt aged beef fillet, grilled baby onions and pickled mustard seeds. This course was my favourite. The beef tartare was delicious and the onions were incredibly soft and added flavour without being over powering. I also enjoyed the white wine with the course, and actually had a preference for this, although the red wine had an incredibly deep flavour.

The next theme was sulphurous- charred sweetheart cabbage, smoked hollandaise with dried Ox heart. The smoked hollandaise added a rich flavour to the cabbage and the dried Ox heart created an interesting texture.

The next theme was earthy- aged rump cap, burnt aubergine and smoked beetroot. The beef was incredibly tender and the beetroot added a sweetness to the more savoury meet. The burnt aubergine was also delicious.

The next course was the beginning of the deserts. The theme was green and grassy, and the menu simply read milk and grass- much to the intrigue of the guests. The milk was in fact a yogurt, consisting of sweet hay, light malt and green apple. The grass was a sauce, made of chlorophyll, hints and green apple and Galia melon. The textures complemented each other well and was a delicate way to follow the strong flavours of the meat.

The next theme was woodland- hazelnut beef shortbread, blackcurrant with miso and tahini. The blackcurrant was in the form of a sorbet, which had a sweet but tangy taste. This went perfectly with the shortbread. The hint of beef was very subtle but enough to give it a element of something special.

We ended the evening by toasting British beef with a roast beef washed whisky with hints of heather honey and orange.

The evening was perfectly executed and the chefs did an outstanding job with such eclectic and creative courses. They all give some great ideas on how any of us can use different flavours to make an exciting beef dish at home.