The best local foodie finds to gift, share or savour this season...
Elevated essentials
Berkshire Trout
Forget unsustainable smoked salmon – whether it’s for decadent canapés or a special festive breakfast, Berkshire Trout’s classic cold smoked rainbow trout is hard to beat.
£12.50 (200g); stockists include Windsor Farm Shop, Hedone Delicatessen in Ascot, Marlow artisan market and more, and at berkstrout.co.uk
Chimney Fire
This busy time of year calls for coffee, and lots of it. This bag of Odds & Ends beans from Chimney Fire – a B Corp-certified speciality coffee roaster in Surrey – helps reduce waste by using top quality coffee that would otherwise be thrown away.
£8.99 (250g); chimneyfirecoffee.com
The Chilli Project
Add some pizazz to your Boxing Day bacon sandwich with The Chilli Project’s Great Taste Award- winning Charlie’s Brown Chilli Sauce, made in Surrey made with prunes and apples and a modern chipotle twist. It makes a great stocking fller too.
£5.99; chilliproject.co.uk
Hefty hampers
Rick Stein
A bottle of delicious Spanish white wine, plump green olives, chipotle chilli mixed nuts and a bar of caramel sea salt chocolate, all in a beautifully designed hessian bag – Rick Stein’s Happy Christmas Stocking is simple yet effective.
£45; shop.rickstein.com
Lebnani
From sumac and za’atar spices to tahini and pomegranate molasses, Lebnani’s hampers are filled with quality products that make rustling up Lebanese dishes at home a doddle.
From £32, available for nationwide delivery or collection from Lebnani restaurant in Reigate. lebnani.co.uk/hampers
Cracking cakes
Valentina
With fabulous Italian delis in East Sheen and Weybridge, Valentina’s extensive selection of traditional, beautifully packaged panettoni is hard to beat. The limited edition Dolce and Gabbana tins (pictured, £21.95) are particularly chic.
Ottolenghi
Ottolenghi’s sour cherry and custard panettone takes this traditional Italian cake to another, utterly delectable level. Studded with generous chunks of sour cherries and threaded with a rich custard filling, it’s sweet, tangy, creamy and airy.
£36 (1kg); available at Ottolenghi in Richmond and at ottolenghi.co.uk
Sweet treats
Mandira’s Kitchen
Famous for its authentic Indian food, Mandira’s Kitchen also sells a range of unexpectedly delicious chocolate bars. Try the Bombay Mix Burst – it’s crunchy and spicy but also sweet and creamy. There are garam masala and chai and Biscoff varieties too.
£5.50 each; available at Mandira’s Kitchen near Guildford and at mandiraskitchen.com
Venchi
Venchi’s limited-edition Christmas collection features lovely illustrations by artist Alice Bureau, such as this beautiful box, which is filled with some of the brand’s most popular Italian chocs.
From £23 (priced by weight); available at Venchi in Richmond and at uk.venchi.com
Artisan Hampton Court Honey
Produced from local hives by Kingston Beekeepers Association, this Artisan Hampton Court Honey is a sweet treat on buttered toast or drizzled over parsnips and carrots before roasting.
£8 (12oz); available at local markets and via kingstonbeekeepers.org.uk for those who live within five miles of East Molesey.
Seasonal snacks
Brindisa
Brindisa’s abundant cheese and charcuterie box provides a fuss-free and truly delicious spread that is ideal for festive grazing. Tuck into melt-in the-mouth hand-carved acorn-fed Ibérico ham, exceptional Spanish cheeses, Perello’s pickled gherkins and much more.
£85; brindisa.com
Brown Bag Crisps
Created by Phil and Viv, a husband-and-wife team in Surrey, Brown Bag Crisps are a crunch above the rest. The entire ‘naturally delicious’ range is filled with flavour, but the rosemary and sea salt are particularly moreish.
Kew Gardens x Odysea
The Kew Gardens x Odysea collab is a match made in foodie heaven. The range includes beautifully packaged olive oil, tapenades, honey, compote, vinegars and more. Try the big and juicy Conservolia green olives, with lemon, garlic, coriander and extra virgin olive oil.
£6; shop.kew.org
Brilliant bottles
Wild Mary Vodka
Distilled in the Surrey Hills, Wild Mary Vodka is a spicy small batch vodka bursting with warming ancho chilli, black pepper, fenugreek, cacao coffee and smoky chipotle. Combine it with Bloody Bens (born in SW London) for the ultimate Boxing Day Bloody Mary.
£46 (700ml vodka and 300ml mix set); bloodybens.com
Bone Idyll’s Botanical Rum
This tasty botanical rum is produced by Kingston bar and distillery, Bone Idyll. It’s a blend of rums from Guyana, Barbados, and the Dominican Republic redistilled with botanicals including scotch bonnet peppers, banana, and lime leaf. Try pairing it with Christmas pud.
£36 (70cl); boneidyll.co.uk
Elusa
Elusa is an exciting modern white Armagnac, produced by a small Surrey-based business. This all-natural distilled grape wine is smooth enough to sip neat, works well in cocktails and is unforgettably good when drizzled over lemon sorbet. The bottle is a beauty too.
£40 (700ml); elusa-drinks.com
