Food & Drink: Christmas stocking fillers

Christmas stockings make the festive season.

The ultimate symbol of all that is exciting about this time of year, just one dilemma: what to fill them with?

The hardest of all is dad, but foodies are easy to buy for.

Tooting-based Single Variety Chilli Jam could well hit the mark. The gold foiled gift box contains three 220g jars – Fireflame Chilli (mild), Jalapeno (hot) and Lemon Drop (super hot). RRP £20.

Great for using as a dip, marinade or spread and if you’re stuck for ideas of how to use the jam, there are plenty at:
www.singlevariety.co.uk

For mums who deserve a couple of things in her stocking this year, Pact Coffee is a good place to start.

This ethically sourced bean coffee subscription service offers bespoke orders, allowing you to select the grind size, type of coffee drunk and frequency of delivery.
www.pactcoffee.com

Much-loved by top chefs, Cornish Sea Salt makes magnificent seasonings to food but it has so many other uses as well.

It keeps hands supple and dead-skin free, using it as a salt scrub and rubbing it into skin. Salty Essential Combi Set (185g), RRP £6.50.
www.cornishseasalt.co.uk

Children are easily pleased by chocolate but Thornton’s range of festive figures are something of a show stopper, including a reindeer, elf and snowman.

Available throughout national supermarkets at £3.99, but purchase from Thornton’s shops to include a hand-written message in chocolate.

If grandma is coming over this year, she’ll love luxury hot chocolate from Love Cocoa.

The ultimate hot drink, these organic chocolate buttons are available in Dark (70 per cent cocoa) and Milk (37 per cent cocoa), sourced from Columbia.

Simply heat a mug of milk, pop some buttons into a little hot water to melt and pour into the milk. It’s heaven in a cup.
www.lovecocoa.com

And let’s not leave grandad out, with this treat for beer lovers.

Suffolk-based St Peter’s Brewery has launched Stormtrooper Galactic Pale Ale, the perfect bevvie to drink to get you in the mood for the latest instalment of the famous film suppkefranchise.

This hoppy, aromatic beer with bright citrus flavours was inspired by the iconic armour designed by Shepperton Design Studio’s Andrew Ainsworth for the original film back in 1976.

This pale ale will whet the appetite of any beer lover looking for a delicious and drinkable brew.

Available from Morrisons.