There have been some stunning new products on the market this year, mostly launched by small companies who have risked giving up much more lucrative careers to produce something they care passionately about. We regularly tell you about new sources of meat, cheese and vegetables, so here are the little extras that have really impressed me this year.
Firstly tea. We may be known as a nation of tea drinkers, but most of it is dusty dregs. Tea pigs is a small importer with a wide range of teas. I love the jasmine pearls for the delicate flavour released when the little rolled leaves unfurl in the silky bag (£5.49 for 50g; teapigs.co.uk; at good health food shops).
The Rare Tea Company does beautiful, loose whole-leaf teas with subtle flavours that are a pleasure to drink. Jasmine is a favourite with the discerning diners at Tom Aikens (£10.95 for 50g; rareteacompany.com). I'm a great fan of peppermint tea, and the Colman family, who have moved from mustard to mint at their farm in Hampshire, now produce some of the finest flavoured peppermint tea with their Summerdown brew made with Black Mitcham peppermint leaf and oil (for stockists or mail order summerdwonmint.com). Along with Leaf (leafshop.co.uk) whom I've written about before, these little companies should make some of the bigger ranges sit up and rethink the horrible fruit-infused rubbish they peddle.
Breakfast has taken an upswing too, thanks to Rude Health (rudehealthfoods.co.uk) who have a great new fruity porridge and a really lovely Multi-Flakes mixture that contains spelt (an easy-to-digest grain). Which is now pouring out of Sharpham Park. Monty Saul, the ex-boss of Mulberry bags, is applying the same vigour to his Somerset farm as he did to his leather shop. In a relatively short space of time he has produced an impressive array of excellent merchandise, from meat to mince pies - much of it containing the spelt that he grows. I love his organic puffed spelt breakfast cereal; use the grains as an accompaniment to stews (sharphampark.com).
Purely Pesto is the brainchild of a Suffolk chef, who started out making really brilliant pesto (rocket and coriander besides basil) and has now branched out into alternative hummus, such as chickpea and mint, or butterbean. Look on his website for stockists (eg, Fortnum & Mason), or he will do mail order and you can always freeze some. You'll never eat bottled pesto again (purelypesto.co.uk, from £3.50).
If I wanted to give an impressive and grown-up candy present to somebody I'd call up Amelia Rope for her exquisite candied flower petals which are so delicate it's a crime to eat them. She dips petals in chocolate or crystallises them in sugar (starting at £21 for 10 petals, ameliarope.com).
And I love the old-fashioned liquorice being produced by the St Valentines Liquorice Company (valentines-liquorice.co.uk) - proper chewy stuff , pipes and Catherine wheels - plus nostalgic old peppermint candy canes (£1.95 for 12).
The Incredible Fruitcake Company was started by two ladies in the West Country who cook delicious cakes in wooden boxes (apparently it was a medieval cooking wheeze). Each box includes a recipe for you to try yourself, in the box. They cost £30 for a 2kg cake, £20 for 1kg, plus p&p by mail order; incrediblefruitcake.com; 01579 350 086.
And lastly, a juice worth trying for its taste and good content - no preservatives, pressed rather than processed, is Cawston Vale's Apple and Rhubarb. Widely available, price £1.39.
