Are you missing your summer holidays already? We’ve rounded up some of the best additions to your meals to recreate those luxury Mediterranean evenings at home. Whether you’re watching summer sports with a picnic, breakfasting on the patio or hosting a dinner party by candlelight, only the best ingredients will do…
The Morning Coffees…
James Gourmet Coffee,from £6 per 250g
What we love about this UK brand is its personality: clearly run by coffee fanatics, each blend comes personally recommended by the founders, with brilliantly vibrant (and practical) descriptions of each blend. The beans are ethically scouted from around the globe and packaged specifically for your preparation preference. There are also helpful hints as to how to brew your perfect cup of coffee in whatever form you choose. Oh, and the coffee itself is pretty excellent too!
Available from www.jamesgourmetcoffee.com
Pact Coffee Subscription, from £7.95
Pact provides ethically sourced award-winning coffees from across the globe, which come straight from the suppliers and are freshly roasted in their carbon-neutral Surrey roasteries. Born out of one man’s desire to fix the coffee industry, their website allows you to choose your blend based on origin, roast or taste preference and then choose a flexible subscription, so that you’re never left without. Having trouble choosing a specific blend? No problem, as their website will find the perfect blend for you (it’s a whole thing), so all you have to do is sit back on your terrace and enjoy!
Available from www.pactcoffee.com
Balance Lion’s Mane Ground Coffee, from £16.14
Say goodbye to brain fog and dips in productivity with our Lion’s Mane Mushroom Coffee. Rich in Vitamin B3 & boasting 1000+ antioxidants get ready to Increase focus, and improve cognitive function and memory retention. Freshly roasted and blended with speciality grade coffee for the perfect upgrade to your morning routine. Beautiful milk chocolate flavour – with zero mushroom taste.
Available from www.balancecoffee.co.uk
London Nootropics Adaptogenic Coffee, from £15
The same as above but on the go! These coffee blends are designed to help you stay balanced, find your flow and have the most productive day. They give you all the benefits of regular coffee whilst minimising side effects such as jitters, anxiety and a crash. Lovingly made with the highest-quality medicinal mushroom extracts and other adaptogens, each blend is designed for a specific purpose. Flow is for mental clarity and focus, Zen to alleviate stress & anxiety and Mojo for a natural boost, and Mojo contains Cordyceps mushroom which is known to increase aerobic capacity and oxygen flow around your body, as well as to boost ATP – our energy molecule.
Available from www.londonnootropics.com
The Olive Oils…
Onsuri Extra Virgin Olive Oils Bestsellers Trio; Signature, Arbequina, and Arbosana, £38
These premium olive oils come with a list of laurels fit for any Michelin-star establishment, and it’s not hard to see why… they taste unbelievably delicious, and are perfect for slathering on bread or salads, or any special occasion. Onsuri Olive Oils are the proud creation of Master Miller and Olive Oil Sommelier Amelia Bilbeisi. They are 100% farmed and produced on her family farm in Jordan. ONSURI’s oils meet the highest coveted ultra-premium grade, a distinction achieved by only 5% of olive oils worldwide. They range from Spanish to Greek, to local cultivars in the Jordanian terroir. The estate is a multiple Gold award-winning, with awards from the 2021, 2022 and 2023 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition, the world’s most prestigious olive oil quality contest. The Arbosana is 2nd best worldwide in the 2022 EVOOWR – World Ranking of Extra Virgin Olive Oils.
Available from www.onsurioliveoil.com
Daylesford Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, £15.99
Cotswold-based sustainable farm shop, Daylesford Organic, have their own olive oil and it’s really quite impressive. This is a versatile, peppery Italian olive oil pressed by a small artisan producer using their own hand-picked organic Carolea olives, grown in ancient groves on the Calabrian coast. Perfect for pouring over salads, soups, grilled meat and vegetables. We love its herbaceous, grassy notes with a ripe tomato salad, artichokes or fresh burrata cheese.
Available from www.daylesford.com
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Organic, Abel & Cole, £13.75
Abel & Cole’s own brand organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is cold-pressed in Italy and created from sustainably-sourced European olives. Traditionally used in dressings and dips to preserve its delicious, slightly peppery flavour, this oil is the ultimate store cupboard staple. By choosing organic extra virgin olive oil, you’ll be supporting farmers and makers who naturally enhance the health of their soil through sustainable practices and work to encourage biodiversity on their land. We’ll deliver your organic extra virgin olive oil sustainably to your door, with our zero air freight promise. This is a delicious olive oil for dipping and dripping. Not only that, it’s the perfect combination of both worlds – you get that ‘just brought this back from Italy’ feeling whilst not feeling guilty about everyday use. Perfect if you want that authentic experience without the hefty price tag.
Available from www.abelandcole.co.uk
The Patio Drinks…
G Spot Friends With Benefits Box, £17.99
Founded by Gillian Anderson, G Spot drinks are refreshing, natural soft drinks filled to the brim with unique thirst-quenching flavours and life-enhancing adaptogens and nootropics that invigorate and boost performance and cognitive functions. Made in the UK with only natural ingredients, G Spot’s sparkling plant-based soft drinks are caffeine free, low in calories, and have no artificial sweeteners. A simple mix of what tastes good boosted with what does good. G Spot is the sweet spot between taste and functionality. The G Spot drinks are available in the UK in a mixed flavour box of six cans called the “friends with benefits box”.
Available from www.thisisgspot.com
Cazcabel Honey Tequila, £24.89 & Cazcabel Coconut, £24.89
Cazcabel is fast becoming a world-leading tequila brand. Stocked in the world’s favourite bars, restaurants and retailers, Cazcabel has a large global presence, due to its high quality, seven-year-old, Blue Weber agave and its unique flavour expressions. Crafted in the highlands of the Jalisco mountains by the Vazquez family, who have overseen agave production within the region for four generations and crushed using traditional methods. Each bottle is emblazoned with a depiction of the scenic Jalisco mountains of where its created.
Available from www.amazon.co.uk
MOTH: Margaritas pack of 6, £20
MOTH: are single-handedly upping the canned drinks game! We can’t get enough of their margaritas, which are perfect for any summer occasion. Unlike many contrived canned concoctions, these taste like the real thing: fresh, sharp and confident. Show it off in a martini glass with a salted rim or just drink on the go!
Available from www.mothdrinks.com
Sollasa is a tipple concocted by a team of chefs and bartenders with the intention of creating the perfect pairing for Indian cuisine. This botanical aperitif uses a grain spirit base, infused with an array of botanicals such as orange zest, lime, lychee, mint, basil, coriander seeds, cardamom, and a dash of salt. Serve with tonic and fresh lime for a great alternative to gin – a lovely welcome drink for any outdoor occasion.
