Olives Et Al have been on the main road just outside Sturminster Newton for almost 20 years – and yet, locals still stop by for the first time, surprised at what they find inside…

Christmas at Olives Et Al has long been something of a secret one stumbles across. Having been slap bang next to the A357 just outside of Sturminster Newton for nearly 20 years, the most heard saying the first time people visit is, “I’ve been driving past for years and always meant to stop.” This is usually followed by, “Wow, I never expected you to have so much or for it to be so lovely.”

Stocked for the festivities

Visit anytime in the run up to the Festive Season and you’ll be met by a truly wonderful mix of local and British Brands along with a real eclectic mix of authentic continental favorites from Panettone to Amaretti Biscuits, Cheese to Charcuterie, Crackers and Biscuits as well as the entire Olives Et Al range of Olives, Antipasti, Sauce, Dressing and Snacks. You can even stop by daily for breakfast, lunch and a superb cup of coffee.

“I’ve only been with the business a short while but I can’t believe the amount of genuine love and affection I’ve experienced from customers for everything we do here since I’ve joined,” says Dani Morris a recently addition to the team. “I really love seeing the faces on customers as they discover another treasure, or something they simply haven’t been able to find anywhere else.”

Hampers and foodie gifts for all
The small but perfectly formed shop was a lifeline for many during the recent lockdowns and offered a local and nationwide delivery of all manner of groceries from yeast to loo roll, eggs to butter, bacon to cheese as well as all the normal Olives Et Al goodies. This has now developed into a superb range of hampers and gift bundles comprising not just Olives Et

Al products but selected from everything else this fantastic little Deli on seeming steroids has to offer.

8ish to 5ish

Open Monday to Saturday – as they say: 8ish to 5ish with Late Night Shopping until 8pm every Wednesday in the run up to Christmas.

See you there!

Wine and food are a match made in heaven, and there’s no better time to learn the art of wine pairing than Christmas, when we carefully curate a festive feast full of flavour. Sadie Wilkins has put together some top tips to help your tipples tantalise the tastebuds around your table.

Pop. Fizz. Clink.

Let’s begin with bubbles and get things started with a sparkle. Although a very welcoming aperitif, a glass (or two) of fizz can absolutely sing with a smoked salmon starter – opt for a bottle with a little more flavour, so it can handle the cured character of the fish. A blancs de blancs Champagne is a favourite, made with 100% Chardonnay grapes, its high acidity handles the saltiness of the smoked salmon perfectly – same goes for oysters!

Of course, fizz does not need to finish at the beginning of proceedings, and there’s a very special reservation for a glass of Prosecco with a slice of traditional Panettone – it’s the merrier version of a cuppa and cake, with the fruitier notes from the Italian sparkling pairing beautifully with the dried fruits tucked inside the sweet cake.

Catch of Christmas Day

In amongst the rich indulgence of the holiday, it’s nice to serve up a lighter fish dish for a refreshing respite. The classic pairing for a lightly grilled or baked fish would be a crisp Chablis, but if you look to other French whites, you’ll find a couple of pairings that will last you a lifetime. One being the magnificent Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, a wine made from the lesser-known Melon de Bourgogne grape in the west side of the Loire – it’s light, crisp and has delicious, zippy notes of citrus that work in harmony with the salinity of the fish. Saltiness in food really sings alongside a wine with real acidity. Alternatively, pour a Picpoul de Pinet for your guests, one of the oldest grapes of the Languedoc. With its alluring, delicate notes of acacia, citrus, pear and honey blossom, it charms fish dishes with its well-structured acidity that is freshly balanced on the palate.

The Main Event

A traditional turkey is more gamey than its feathery friend, the humble chicken, and needs a wine that has some real structure to it. A classic choice would be Rhône red such as a rustic Chateauneuf du Pape, but if you are looking to make a more interesting white wine choice that isn’t a buttery, oak aged Chardonnay from either Burgundy or the new world, then a barrel-aged Hungarian Dry Furmint from Tokaji makes for a stunning selection. It’s fruity yet robust, has a lively acidity yet a round body, with luscious, silky – almost creamy – notes from its time spent in oak. In short, gamey birds do well with complex layers in the glass – also bearing in mind that your turkey will most likely have other robust flavours beside it on the plate such as cranberry sauce or chestnut stuffing.

All things are wonderful in moderation, and we all enjoy the odd ‘high fat’ rich dish. Indulgent meals cry out for big and bold wines to meet them head on – it’s good to remember this when the Boxing Day curries, or various goose fat potatoes make an appearance over the festive period.

Sweet Treats

Pudding wines are still underrated even though they are one of life’s greatest pleasures. When dealing with the sweeter end of the spectrum, there is one key principle: ensure that the wine is sweeter than the dessert. Otherwise, it will all be a bit flabby.
Though, when it comes to the timeless tradition of a Christmas pud, with its dense, winter spiced dried fruit and sticky consistency, we find that a marriage made in heaven is found with a Sherry – of the PX (Pedro Ximenez) variety to be precise. A good PX mirrors the flavours on the palate, in the glass – it’s almost a pudding in itself! If you want a lighter dessert with all the flavours of Christmas, a good glug of PX Sherry over some vanilla ice cream is fantastic, and a great alternative to the usual affogato, which uses coffee instead.

A well-deserved toast!

All that’s left to do is raise a glass to each other and the year that we’ve just come through.
It seems like it’s been a bit of a whirlwind for everyone – we managed to scoop the Harpers Wine ‘Best Indie Wine Merchant of the South West 2021’ award and overall ‘No.5 in the whole of the UK’ in the midst of it whilst moving premises in Sherborne too! We’d love to see you in our new digs (9 Old Yarn Mills, Sherborne DT9 3RQ) – and if you make it to us this side of Christmas we can help you source some of the delicious wines in this month’s article. Sadie.

by Sadie Wilkins, Indie Wine Merchant

Mat Follas won BBC MasterChef in 2009, and opened his first restaurant, The Wild Garlic in Beaminster to notable acclaim. Mat now teaches forgaing courses, has a new fine dining restaurant, Bramble, in Sherborne, whoch doubles as a base for his newest adventure Mûre Liqueurs. Rachael Rowe went to meet him.

On a bitterly cold day, the smell of cooking infusing through Bramble Restaurant is welcoming warmth. Chef Mat Follas is preparing food for the evening but I’m here to see another side of his business.
Whenever I think of liqueurs, my mind goes to those half-inspired buys from a package holiday trip, or an over-sweetened mass-produced bottle of something. The Mûre range of liqueurs developed by Mat Follas are produced right here in North Dorset and are definitely something to bring out at any time of the year- not just for Christmas.

I asked Mat what inspired him to start making liqueurs?
His main business is with his foraging days, so blackberry was his first liqueur. It’s also where the company name Mûre comes from (mûre is French for blackberry, and blackberry liqueur is commonly known as crème de mûre).

“I wanted something with blackberry to make sauces with, but all the available shop liqueurs were horribly over-processed. I had a couple of jars infusing from foraging days, so I developed a liqueur. Just for myself initially.”

The company formed two years ago using a crowdfunder with a range of three liqueurs.
“It sold out in five days,” smiles Mat. Clearly people knew he was on to something. However, Covid-19 got in the way of plans for new premises in April 2020. Mat focused on his liqueurs, but getting licensing was a challenge as hand sanitizers were prioritised. He’s now into the second phase of the project, and aiming to launch in shops in the New Year. Sales so far have been excellent.

Taking their time

Unlike gin, liqueurs take time to develop their flavour and are a combination of cooking, infusing, tasting, and sampling. It took at least six months to perfect his blackberry liqueur with cycles of macerating, brewing and cooking. “There’s something to be said for time in the bottle,” Mat reflects.

But how do you know when the flavour is just right?
Mat does a lot of blind tasting. His roast coffee and rum liqueur was blind-tasted against other similar products until he got the flavour he wanted. The blackberry liqueur was tested against cassis and other similar products. He found many of the popular commercial products over sugared and just awful. He simply kept tweaking his products until they were good. And his Properly Bitter Lemon? It was just good (it is). As Mat says: “I’m an OK cook, so I’m coming at it as a chef rather than a booze maker.”

Is there a favourite?

During winter the Marmalade Whisky liqueur is popular, whereas people go for blackberry in summer. Next year he is looking at developing more flavours in the company and has been successful selling in his restaurant and market stalls.

If you are looking to include some liqueurs in your festive shopping, mine’s a marmalade whisky!

by Rachael Rowe

What Stilton should you stock for your festivities – or would another blue cheese suit you better? Simon Vernon explains what’s on offer.

Christmas is traditionally a time when we indulge in fine food.
If we are lucky enough to be involved in a festive gathering it is a good excuse to stock some extra cheese to see us through the holiday period.

There are some cheeses which everyone associates with Christmas, but one must be named the King of English
cheeses – Stilton.
This world-famous delicacy is named after the village of Stilton, Cambridgeshire, where it was sold at the Bell Inn situated on the Great North Road. Stilton quickly developed a huge following with people stopping off to sample it while travelling between London and the north. The cheese was actually made in Leicestershire, but sold exclusively at The Bell.

Stilton is the only English cheese named and protected in law as ‘a blue or white cheese made from full-cream cow’s milk with no applied pressure (in the making or forming), that could be pierced, but not inoculated, that forms its own crust or coat and that is made in a cylindrical form, the milk coming from English dairy
herds in the district of Melton Mowbray and surrounding areas falling within the counties of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.’

It is now governed by the Stilton-makers association, formed in 1948. After an unfortunate food poisoning incident in the 1980s, when Stilton was wrongly blamed, the rules of production were changed to only allow pasteurised milk to be used.

Which Stilton is for you?

If you want the true blue stilton flavour I would advise you to go for a large piece rather than the Stilton in jars. The potted Stilton is usually white Stilton, crumbled up and inserted into a jar with some blue mould added and a wax seal placed over it.

Once the jar is opened the wax seal should be removed and the cheese left for the blue veining to develop. The contents of the jar usually just turn a shade of blue…

If you are planning a large gathering, then my advice is to go for an entire baby Stilton. They weigh about 2.5Kg (compared to a full-sized Stilton of about 7.5Kg). They are made in exactly the same way as the traditional size but using a smaller mould.

The ‘real’ Stilton?

If you want to taste a cheese which tastes as Stilton used to be when made with unpasteurised milk, then I suggest you search out Stichelton. It’s made in Nottinghamshire in the same way, but it cannot be called Stilton as it uses unpasteurised milk.

The local blue

You may prefer to have a local blue cheese – in which case the superb Dorset Blue Vinny, made at Woodbridge Farm just outside Sturminster Newton, is a great alternative (and is also named and protected in law). Rather than using the full milk as with Stilton, the cream is skimmed off before production which means Blue Vinny is lower in fat and therefore could definitely be argued to be a healthier option!

I wish you a festive foodie Christmas! Simon

by Simon Vernon

This month we’ve been chatting to Matt and Emily who run the Fleur de Lys in the village of Cranborne, a welcoming 17th century inn where you can eat, drink and stay in one of their nine bedrooms.

How did you end up at

The Fleur de Lys?

My wife and I moved to France 16 years ago with two young children (a total which has now grown to four children!). We built several houses as I was (am?) a builder, and we now rent them out for holiday lets.

We then set up Biginfrance.com where we do celebrity chef cookery courses, yoga retreats and other activity holidays – all alongside catering for very large numbers, cooking in large Chateaux throughout France. With this being very seasonal we found ourselves wanting a new project in the UK to continue our passion for food (Matt having been in and out of the catering industry for 25 years).
That’s when we found and fell in love with the Fleur de Lys inn in Cranborne. Taking over in September 2019 we had an amazing start and were very well received… but were bought to an abrupt halt due to Covid.

Tell us about your

team?

We have an amazing team of locals and have a real sense of family at the inn. Charlie Farwell is head chef – he was previously in London and did five years at the Ritz hotel, so you can imagine the level of detail that goes into the food. It’s obviously all homemade; amazing sauces and a beautiful Lobster bisque that is outstanding and a signature dish. Front of house we have Tony as GM and he’s supported by a great local team including Sue, Emma, Vonnie and everyone else who plays their part. They all welcome guests with warmth and we’re proud of our friendly relaxed family-style atmosphere.

What’s your favourite local place to visit on an afternoon off?

We are situated in a beautiful village with fantastic walks, along with lots of local producers and local businesses. There’s the amazing la Fosse restaurant for fine dining and the very quirky six penny brewery for artisan ales!

What are you most proud of so far?

We’re most proud of how the team has pulled together. But in terms of physical achievements it has to be the outdoor fire kitchen we built during lockdown. We have six different fires we cook on; in the summer we cook solely out there and it has a real Mediterranean feel. It’s relaxed dining where you can watch the chefs cook on fire, which is great theatre and gives the food an amazing charred taste that reflects our menu.

What part of the building is your absolute favourite?

The inn dates back to the 17th century and is mentioned in Tess of the d’Urbervilles. The entire building is steeped in history, and we love every one of the nine ensuite bedrooms that are just so quaint. But it’s probably the beautiful inglenook fireplace – where better to sit, with the fire going, a nice local ale and some beautiful non-pretentious food.

Which meal is your most popular? What do people drive from afar to come specifically to you for?

We are renowned for our fire cooking and amazing steaks and beef cuts that we get from a company called From Salt to Smoke that are in the village. This was set up by Matt and another business partner, and is now supplying some of the best hotels and restaurants on the south coast. We also use Cove on the Quay in Poole for all our fish and we buy whatever they catch on their Day boats. So you can expect whole wood-fired Dorset lobsters in Thermidor sauce. Whole fish cooked on the fire and beautiful seafood such as mussels and clams, scallops and oysters – oyster we sometimes cook on the coals with a sumac butter that are just sublime.

Tell us about any of your really local suppliers?

Cranborne is so unique and has some fantastic suppliers. Some of our favourites are; The Book and Bucket Cheese Company. Award-winning local cheese.
As said before, From Salt to Smoke butchers. They provide fantastic local Himalayan dry aged beef, local game, pannage pork and lambs. Also their new charcuterie range is phenomenal. Orchard Bay Bakery for the best sourdough and bread around. Cranborne watercress. Lovely salads produced right here in the village.

What’s next?

We have some amazing mini break deals. So if you want to get away to a beautiful inn in a stunning location on the edge of the New Forest then this is the place for you. We are also just about to take on two big inns in Devon. Watch this space!!

The Fleur de Lys is open 9am until close every day. To book a table or room call 01725 551 249 or click here: https://thefleurdelysinn.co.uk/

Over the last couple of years we have probably all had a little more time at home than we expected, and many people have experimented in the kitchen, discovering a love of cooking they simply didn’t have time for previously. But there is something about Christmas that inspires more home-making than any other time of the year. Whether that’s decorating a tree, making a Christmas card or baking a cake, many of us are tempted to roll up our sleeves and get a little creative.

If you like to explore the kitchen at Christmas, then I have put together some festive recipes to get your home smelling lovely and Christmassy – these are perfect treats for your Christmas houseguests, and also make wonderful, personal, gifts for loved ones.

Heather x

PS – don’t forget my own foolproof Christmas Cake recipe featured in last December’s issue here – it reliably gives that delicious deep Christmassy flavour whether you make it two months or two days before Christmas. You can also find all of last year’s Christmas recipes here (including my infamous mincemeat, the easiest sausage rolls to impress, and the super- Christmassy star-topped jammy biscuits)

Festive Cookie Dough Puds

If you are looking to make some sweet treats for your loved ones this year, then these cookie dough balls are for you. Simple to make, no fancy equipment needed, not even any baking – and they’re deliciously sweet. When I was a caterer, these were one of my Signature sweet ‘bakes’ and I loved adding a little fondant holly sprig at Christmas time.

Ingredients

• 90g butter
• 75g caster sugar
• 75g soft brown sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 100g plain flour
• 100g chocolate chips
• 200g dark chocolate
• 50g white chocolate
• A little green and red fondant

Method

Mix together the butter, both sugars and vanilla extract really well, until the mixture is no longer grainy, usually about 2-3 minutes.

Carefully mix in the flour and the chocolate chips (the mixture should be fairly stiff once all combined).

Using your hands, roll the mixture into balls – just smaller than a ping pong ball size). Place them onto a lined tray or a plate and place in the fridge for about an hour to harden.

Melt the dark chocolate (either in the microwave or in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water).

Using your hands, coat the dough balls in the melted dark chocolate. I found that

the easiest way is to get lots of the melted chocolate on both hands and then pick up the dough balls and simply roll. It’s definitely messier this way, but you can use gloves if you wish!

Leave the chocolate to set.

Melt the white chocolate and then drizzle it onto the top of the chocolate so that it looks like a Christmas pudding topping.

Then roll out the green fondant and using tiny cutters, or a sharp knife and a steady hand, cut into holly leaves. Attach these to the dough balls with a little water.

Next roll tiny balls from the red fondant and attach, also using a little water. I find that the pre-made little packets of coloured fondant (from most supermarkets) work well here as you don’t need much.

NB – This recipe doesn’t contain raw eggs so is fine to eat raw. Some have an issue eating uncooked flour – if so, simply heat the flour in the oven (loose on a tray) to 73o and then let it cool completely before using. I have never bothered though, and I have made (literally) thousands of them!

Traditional Gingerbread Biscuits

“The fiery little gingerbread biscuits are full of flavour and perfect with a mulled wine or cider (and they smell heavenly in the oven when baking.

They are perfect to make with children and can be a fun activity to decorate together. You can also add a hole at the top of each biscuit so that when cooked, you can tie a ribbon on and hang from the Christmas tree.”

Ingredients

• 100g salted butter
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tbsp treacle
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 1⁄2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tbsp ground ginger
• 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 225g plain flour
• 50g icing sugar

Method

• Grease and line 2 baking sheets with baking parchment.
• Melt together gently in a saucepan the butter, golden syrup, treacle and sugar. Once melted, remove from the heat.
• Sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and the spices
• Gently add the flour mixture to the buttery mixture and mix well until you form a soft dough.
• Wrap the dough in cling film and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat your oven to 160o fan/gas 4.
• On a floured surface, gently roll out the dough. It will be quite soft, so make sure the rolling pin and the surface are well floured to avoid sticking/tearing.
• Using cutters, cut your shapes – stars look beautiful, but any seasonal shape, or even simple hearts work well. Place the biscuits onto the baking tray.
• Reform the dough and repeat as needed.
• Bake the biscuits in the oven for 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of your shapes) until the centre of the biscuits feel slightly firm when pressed lightly with a finger tip.
• Leave them on the tray to cool slightly before trying to move as they will be softer, straight from the oven.
• I like to add a little water to the icing sugar in a little bowl and then drizzle the biscuits with icing sugar but you can of course be as creative as you like with the decorations.

White chocolate, cranberry and Oreo rocky roads

“This recipe is very forgiving – the ingredients can be switched without altering the finished bake. You can change the dried fruit for nuts (or just add some nuts in extra if you want both), add more marshmallows if you prefer the rocky road to be softer, even change the biscuits to your favourite type – try some fun party rings maybe!”

Ingredients

• 500g white chocolate
• 200g dried fruit (I use dried cranberries)
• 2 packets of Oreos
• 100g mini marshmallows.
  
  Method
  
  • Simply line an 8′′ square baking tin with baking parchment.
  • Melt the white chocolate (either very gently in a bowl in the microwave or in a pan over a low stove heat).
  • Take off the heat and stir in the dried fruit and marshmallows.
  • Gently break up 1 packet of the biscuits into rough quarters and stir into the mixture.
  • Tip the mixture into the baking pan and spread evenly.
  • Break up the other packet of biscuits and sprinkle over the top of the pan. Gently push into the mixture.
  • Place the pan into the fridge to set for at least 1 hour.
  • Once it has set, cut up into pieces and enjoy!

by Heather Brown