The best kitchens are home to the finest ingredients and the highest-ranking kit. Like this…
Chop it good
We’ve just invested in one of these beautiful reconditioned wooden-handled herb choppers, available with both mezzaluna and square shaped blades. Essential, and very lovely. From £26 at RE, Bishops Yard, Main Street, Corbridge, NE45 5LA, tel 01434 634 567 and at www.re-foundobjects.com
Best barbie
Take your barbecue to another level with Meat Lust BBQ Mop marinades, stocked at Turnbull’s in Alnwick. In three flavours, BBQ, fiery buffalo, and ghost chilli, they’re good! Turnbull’s, 33-35 Market Street, Alnwick, NE66 1SS & Northumbrian Food Hall & The Loft, Unit 2, Willowburn Retail Park, Taylor Drive Alnwick, NE66 2DJ, tel 01665 602 186, www.turnbullsfood.co.uk
Port, no storm
We do like a glass of port, especially when we only have to go down the road to Corbridge (or turn on a laptop) to pick up a good bottle made in small batches in Portugal. This 50cl bottle of Corbridge ruby port is £35 at Corbridge Larder Hill Street, Corbridge NE45 5AA, tel 01434 632 948, and at www.corbridgelarder.co.uk
Honey, honey
Harvested from wild heather moors and winner of a rare three-star Great Taste Award, Travelling Bee’s heather honeycomb section is deep in flavour and aroma and superb served with a cheeseboard. £20 at www.travellingbee.co.uk/shop#honey
Oaty dokie
The supremely talented and brilliant Bev Stephenson at Newcastle-based North Chocolates has added to her sublime range of artisan chocolates with a new oat milk range which is dairy, gluten and soy-free. These oat milk bars in popping candy, raspberry and coconut, and spiced nut and seeds are the best dairy-free we’ve tasted (and we’ve tried a lot!). Go on, treat yourself! £4.50 a bar at stockists regionwide and at www.northchocolates.co.uk
On the board
For beautiful, sustainable home interiors and dining accessories, Tynemouth-based North Star Home Edit’s online shop is the place to go. Our latest favourite from them is this sustainable acacia wood tapas board for its soft tones and eco credentials. £37.95 at www.northstarhomeedit.com
Got to avo one of these
Love avocado? Like growing your own? Then this is the thing for you – a ceramic crackle glazed avocado planter. Just add a jam jar and an avocado stone and you’re good to go. It comes with a handy, hand-drawn booklet of avocado growing knowledge. £22.50 from the online shop at Linnels Farm, Hexham www.linnelsfarm.com
Dip in
Sea Banks cold-pressed rapeseed oil, made in small batches on the Northumberland coast where the rapeseed is grown, has long been a staple of the Appetite store cupboard. Now we’ve also invested in some of these pretty hand-thrown stoneware dipping bowls, available alongside the oils at the family-owned farm’s online shop. £9 at www.seabanks.co.uk
