Monday 22 February 2016

WINE TASTING…YES PLEASE!


We were lucky enough to help host a wine tasting session with Waitrose, in aid of Valentine’s Day with the Cosmo girls at their office in Soho.



Alexandra Mawson, Wine buyer at Waitrose talked through all of the wines and suggested which food best complemented each of them.





We kicked off the evening with a best seller, the San Leo Rosato. This Italian sparkling rose has an aromatic bouquet, fresh fruity flavour and is a touch lighter in percentage at 11% which makes it so easy drink!
 
San Leo Rosato, RRP £10.49
 
Next we moved onto Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé, a well-known name in the champagne industry. Alexandra explained the history behind the company, actually founded by André Michel but it was his cellar master Eugene Laurent, who ran it with his wife, Mathilde Emilie Perrier. This champagne, with its distinctive bottle is perfect for showing off a bit to a loved one. It has delicious raspberry and red current flavours thanks to its soak-on-the-skin methods with the grapes.
 
Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Brut, RRP £58.99
 
Moving onto white wine, the Waitrose New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc proved popular with the Cosmopolitan girls. Although this wine smells very sweet, it is actually very refreshing and zesty. It is crafted in the classic Marlborough style, with citrus and gooseberry flavours but with a twist of fresh mint.
 
Waitrose New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, RRP £7.99
 
Alexandra’s choice of Rosé was the Rustenberg Rosé. This South African wine is described as ‘round and fresh with red cherry aromas’, but it also has a slight spice on the palate which is a signature of this variety. We all agreed after trying this wine that Rosé definitely isn’t out of fashion anymore.
 

Rustenberg Rosé, RRP £8.99
 

For the red wine tasting we had the Yalumba Organic Shiraz, exclusive to Waitrose. Yalumba is Australia’s oldest family-owned wine producer, and this smooth Shiraz is its first organically produced wine. Although this red is light and fruity enough to be enjoyed on its own, it was beautifully complemented with the chocolates we had, which went down well, and a nice way to end the evening.
 

Yalumba Organic Shiraz, RRP £9.99
 
We hope you’ve learnt a thing or two about wine, we certainly have!
 

 

Tuesday 16 February 2016

IT FEELS LIKE SPRING!



Our show stopping giant Easter egg certainly wowed guests at this year’s Hobbycraft Spring press show. The 5ft egg was embellished with hundreds of flowers to welcome and inspire over 80 journalists and bloggers, as we showcased everything Easter, Bridal and Spring. From chocolate Easter egg decorating to mastering the iced ruffle cupcake and making their own floral headbands; press had the chance to make and decorate an array of items which they could take home with them.



Our giant balloon installation was also a talking point, as it swirled its way from Easter, through to Bridal and into our summer fete.



Our new range of everything bridal to make a beautiful handmade wedding was a hit, especially the Cricut which is a new crafting machine which designs and cuts out anything you want- perfect for save the dates and invitations! The glitter tree also showcased how to create an uber glam wedding theme!


In our fete, personalised tote bags were a popular make, as well as learning how to crotchet and upcycle and of course the ever popular Tee-pee is back again this season to help customers create that festival feeling!



We’re now looking forward to planning our Christmas Hobbycraft press show- watch this space!