Apples, Cheese, Cake, Terrine and Trifle

I’m having Christmas delivered this year, with so much work to finish by the New Year and with all the available shopping days decreasing rapidly, I’m going to join the Booths Great Northern Christmas 2015 club and order my festive fare on-line. Booths is a jewel in the Northern crown, founded in 1847 this family run independent chain of supermarkets were recently awarded SECOND place in the list of  World’s Greatest Food Retailers, which is quite an accolade when you consider some of the national and international culinary giants they were up against. With most of the stores being in Lancashire, there are also some in my home county of North Yorkshire as well as Cumbria, Cheshire and Greater Manchester.

This year, as last year, Booths have published an amazing Great Northern Christmas book, beautifully bound in green cloth and embossed with a bespoke gold block-print, so you too can order Christmas this year from the book. I was sent a selection of enticing and tempting products from the book, as well as some ingredients to make one of their recipes for Cumbrian Chimney Pot Pie, which I will be making next week, as well as sharing the recipe here, so you can make this delectable pie if you wish too. All of the ingredients and items I received are featured in this year’s book, and for your virtual enjoyment and pleasure I am sharing them here today, as well as my thoughts on what I thought of this wonderful food booty.

Here’s what I received from Booths and their Great Northern Christmas 2015 book:

(3kg dry aged Cumbrian Herdwick mutton – for the pie)

Booths Trio of Smoked Salmon Terrine: £20

Booths Duck Confit with Apricot and Pistachio: £10

Booths Harrogate Loaf Terrine: £10

Booths Mulled Wine and Winter Berry Trifle: £6:50

Best of Region Four-Piece Cheeseboard – £20:

Booths Special Reserve Tasty Lancashire; Garstang White; Blacksticks Blue; Ribblesdale Mature Goat’s Cheese

Booths Christmas Nut Basket: £7

British Tree-Ripened Apple and Pear Box – £8:

Royal Gala, Opal, Cox’s and Egremont Russet Apples; Concorde, Comice and Conference Pears

The Teatime Box – £12:

Iced Christmas Cake Slices; Rich Brownies with Amaretto and Stollen Bites

Assorted Mini Pies, Tarts and Quiches:

Booths Harrogate Blue Cheese, Bacon and Leek Tartlets x 6: £6:99

Booths Goosnargh Duck Confit Rolls with Plum Sauce x 8: £6:99

Booths Gloucester Old Spot Sausage Rolls with Onion Chutney: £6:99

Booths Hot Smoked Salmon and Hollandaise Leek Tartlets: £6:99

Booths Ribblesdale Goat’s Cheese and Cherry Compote Tartlets: £6:99

Booths Prosecco Brut: £8:99

The assortment was perfect for a festive party and was all well-packed and dispatched in large polystyrene boxes which kept all the perishable food chilled. The salmon and meat terrines made for a very elegant starter platter when served with fresh baguette and an assortment of chutneys and pickles. My favourite was the Booths Duck Confit with Apricot and Pistachio, which was packed with fruit and nuts and married perfectly with the duck confit, although I also loved the meltingly soft and creamy filling in Booths Trio of Smoked Salmon Terrine and the Booths Harrogate Loaf Terrine was meaty and moist.

As a HUGE cheese addict, I was keen to try the cheeseboard, which we did one evening, serving the cheese with Apricot & Orange Chutney, Spiced Runner Bean Pickle and fresh baguette. I loved all the cheeses but as a goat and blue cheese lover, the Blacksticks Blue and Ribblesdale Mature Goat’s Cheese certainly tickled my taste buds. Later on in the week, one cold afternoon, the mini cakes and bites were tested, with a cup of coffee and even my “cake hating” husband loved the mini stollen bites, whilst I scoffed three or four of the mini Christmas cake slices. The Rich Brownies with Amaretto were rich and chocolatey with a delightful squishy texture.

We all love apples and pears in the Lavender and Lovage household, and the British Tree-Ripened Apple and Pear Box went down very well and represents great value at £8 per box. In the box we were treated to a selection of Royal Gala, Opal, Cox’s and Egremont Russet Apples; Concorde, Comice and Conference Pears, which I served with the cheese board a nut basket. I particularly loved the crisp, golden Opal apples with their sweet taste and crunch as well as the classic Egremont Russet Apples. 

Last, but not least, it was time to try out the Booths Mulled Wine and Winter Berry Trifle. This was a triumph of a trifle, pillows of whipped cream with vanilla infused custard and lightly spiced mulled wine berries, it was divine! This trifle would be perfect for any festive tea time table treat. It’s a very reasonable £6:50 and served 10 people with ease.

The Assorted Mini Pies, Tarts and Quiches (and Prosecco) have yet to be tested yet, but I will post my findings here next week when I share the recipe for Cumbrian Chimney Pot Pie. To enjoy a Booths Christmas at home this year, you can view the Booths Christmas Book online here, or you can place your order on-line here, or visit your nearest store. All the order dates and delivery charges are here: Collection & Delivery You can even order flowers on-line too: Booths Vintage Bouquet in Vase

Disclaimer: With thanks to Booths for sending me a selection from their Great Northern Christmas 2015 book and range. All opinions and views are my own and I was not expected to write a favourable review.