Monthly Archives: April 2021

Introducing some of our favourite herb and spice mixes for perfectly seasoning the summer season. 

At Maws we stock a truly comprehensive array of over 150 different dried herbs and spices cultivated and collected from every corner of the globe, not to mention classic blends, from Herbs du Provence to Garam Masala. 

As we mentioned in our previous blog, pre-making your favourite spice mixes is great way to save precious time in a commercial kitchen, and we’d like to share some more unusual blends from around the culinary world, all of which we’re convinced will become ‘go-to’ summertime staples whether you’re grilling or stewing, marinating or barbecuing. 

Ras el Hanout 

If you love North African cuisine but are tired of staple spice blends such as harissa then you need to add some Ras el Hanout to your spice rack right now. 

The name in Arabic means ‘head of the shop,’ and literally refers to the best spices the store has to offer. You’ll find Ras el Hanout prevalent throughout

A proper cream tea is one of summer’s indispensable indulgences, and Maws are pleased to provide every mouth-watering component; from crumbly scones, sticky fruit jam, and lashings of clotted cream to a perfectly brewed pot of tea. 

It’s hard to believe weren’t always a nation of tea-drinkers, but until Catherine of Braganza arrived from Portugal with a casket of tea to marry Charles II in 1662, and established a ‘tea court’ for her noble ladies, the ‘Chinese drink’ as Samuel Pepys described it two years earlier, had been virtually ignored in Britain since the first green variety had arrived from Japan via The Dutch East India Co. in 1610. 

Today we consume 60.2 billion cups annually (making us the third largest tea-drinking nation, just behind Turkey and The Irish Republic). Moreover, since being adopted by Lady Bedford in 1830 the English tradition of ‘Afternoon Tea’, to fill the peckish gap between lunch and supper, has become a cultural institution recognised around the world. And

The ‘orzotto’ trend for using the little pasta ‘grains’ as an alternative to risotto rice continues, and inspirational recipes abound.

Amongst the some 350 different varieties of pasta available today, not to mention the myriad of grains being ‘rediscovered’ by chefs each year, orzo, one of the tiniest pastas in the Italian repertoire, is easy to overlook. This short-cut pasta is almost the exact shape and size of wild rice grains, so it’s not surprising that many people outside the culinary world mistake it for something else entirely. 

However, once discovered, most will agree that orzo falls into the ‘small but mighty’ category on pure versatility alone. It’s a great addition to hearty soups, perfect for pasta salads and provides a fantastic accompaniment to rich, braised and roasted meats, mingling with and soaking up all those flavourful juices. 

Not only, but orzo 

As if all that wasn’t enough to convince you to skip the spaghetti in favour of the little pasta morsels with a lot

 There’s so many ways to use this versatile ingredient and more than just the traditional variety to enjoy, whether is tossed through pasta, spread over grilled meat and vegetables, or simply slathered onto good toasted bread. 

Pesto, it’s yet another of those Italian culinary inspirations that goes way beyond the sum of it’s parts – a simple (yet brilliant) aromatic concoction of vivid green, the discussion of which can instigate almost religious fervour in its devotees. 

The most ardent of these are natives of Liguria, he northern Italian region where pesto was first conceived. The word itself comes from the verb pestare, which meaning to step on, or to pound – preferably in a traditional marble pestle and mortar. The Ligurians are rightly proud of their pesto, a sauce originally created by the peasants from the least expensive and most easily available ingredients. While the nobles of nearby Bolognia feasted on their rich, meaty ragus, the workers of Liguria stirred a few spoons

Our summer guide to the small but mighty olive, and the wealth of types to choose from today

It’s hard to imagine that one-upon-a-time in the UK your choice of olives amounted to green or black, or that the only way for pioneers such as cookery writer Elizabeth David (who did so much to popularise Mediterranean cuisine in Britain during the latter half of the 20th century) to buy olive oil was from a pharmacy (where it was sold as a remedy for removing ear wax). 

Back in the Mediterranean basin, olives (the small fruits that grow on the tree known botanically as Olea europaea) have been cultivated for at least 7000 years. Olives belong to a fruit group called drupes (or stone fruits) and, unlikely as it may seem, they’re related to cherries, peaches, pistachios and even mangoes. 

A key staple of the super-healthy Mediterranean diet, olives are very high in vitamin E and other powerful antioxidants, and studies have shown that they are good for the heart and may protect against osteoporosis

Our Top 10 of delicious and more unusual olive varieties 

As we’ve previously discussed, when it comes to olives, our culinary tastes in the UK have developed radically over the past decades, and today you don’t need to find a specialist delicatessen to discover exciting olive varieties - as even major supermarkets now compete to offer something new. 

However, beyond the jumbo Gordals, acid green Nocellaras and ubiquitous Spanish Manzanillas, importers and connoisseurs of this bitter fruit can offer some even more exciting and unusual olive options. 

So enjoy our Top 10 recommendations below, and drop us a line to discuss all your olive requirements and queries. 

1: Agrinion 

Cultivated in the Agrinion region of Greece around the sea to the west of the country, you may not have heard of this variety, even though they are the most popular in Greece after the world renown Kalamata. Agrinion olives are the medium to large fruit of the Conservolea tree, one of the oldest olive trees

Cool and refreshing natural cordials are perfect for hot summer days, and there are more than ever to choose from 

For decades the highly competitive UK drinks market has remained dominated by global giants, brands that have long since established themselves as household names. Yet in recent years, the likes of the Coca-Cola Co., Britvic and Red Bull have faced more market disruption than possibly any other sector of the food and drink industry (with the exception of the micro-brewery/craft beer trend that has challenged the major brewing company’s market share over a similar time period). 

With constantly changing consumer demands and preferences, more sophisticated purchase patterns and rapid changes in lifestyles, the global soft drink market is growing and mutating at ever-increasing speed. Three of the man drivers behind this evolution are a growing concern about consuming too much sugar (particularly refined), an increasing preference for ‘natural’ ingredients, and a broadening,