A quick catch up!

Beautiful rays of sunshine continue to cut through the cold autumnal days as we fast approach winter with all the festive joys the season brings. We're all well aware of the beautiful produce popping up out the ground, stressing branches and bursting with vibrant, flavoursome life: pears, quince, apples, squashes, artichokes, truffles, chestnuts, hazelnuts and the like. Not to forget all the wonderful wild game birds, local fish and delicious lamb! All beautiful, all delicious! To us, when they're combined with a little spice, a whole new world of flavour springs onto the scene! For pears, think black pepper and vanilla, for quince, saffron, for squash, carom seeds, for apples, black cardamom…..The list is endless and Arun's trying to get his book written so all (such wonderful combinations) will be revealed in that; in a little while yet!

We've been busy beavers over the last couple of months perfecting our new range of delicious Curry Sauces, working on brand new design and packaging, getting ready for supermarkets, chatting to the farmers in India and generally trying to make ourselves better than better!

It's all work, work, work. But, along the way have been some brilliant highlights. We travelled over to Paris to pick-up our International award, the Sial d'Or. A fantastic prize and something about which we're immensely proud to have won for Ireland, Ár nOileán Glas Álainn! We also achieved a Gold star for our Mulled Wine sugar spices at the UK Great Taste Awards. And Olive & Arun are popping over to India with family to relax and to catch up with our wonderful spice farmers. Should be brilliant; watch out for the photos!

It’s that time of year when thoughts at spice HQ turn to festive food delights. Our Christmas puddings are immense this year and wholly improved (even if we do say so ourselves)!! Our friend, Jack Cuthbert of Cuthberts Bakery in Knockgriffin, has joined in with us. He's taken the reins and, with help from his expert confectioner, is mixing, tubbing and a cookin' mad, producing our puds and taking them to a whole new, beautiful dimension! Using our recipe, spices and ingredients, Jack has helped us produce a pud of epic proportions! We just can't wait for you to try it! And this year, we called upon our neighbours, Daniel of Stonewell and John at West Cork Distillers for their beautiful Stonewell cider and Kennedy whiskey. The Cork combination of spices, baker, cider and whiskey makes for a truly yum pudding you'll be proud to serve at any Festive Fayre!

Our Christmas range of 1lb and 2lb puds, Mulled Wine Sugar Spices and 'Turkey Delight' are all packaged with a brand, spanking new look. Hope you like them! Click here to see our Christmas shop.

We're launching into supermarkets soon, so please keep an eye on our site for launch dates! Oh yes, and the site will also be getting a 'fresh lick of paint' in the new year to reflect our new design, so that's worth a note in the diary! Speaking of which, watch out for Arun appearing on Donal Skehan's new 'Food Hero' series at some point in November; he cooks al fresco at this year's Bloom in the Park event. That was in the 'summer that never was', lest we forget!!

We've had great fun at the brilliant Dingle food festival and excellent Savour Kilkenny event. But the year's not out and there's more on the horizon! Kicking off next Thursday 8th November with the Fallon and Byrne Christmas Extravaganza. Arun and Olive will be sampling some of our Christmas puds and Mulled Wine. If you can, take a cab or walk there, the trek will be worth it! Then, a couple of weeks later on the 22nd we'll be doubling up at the Grainstore in Ballymaloe and the brilliant MacCambridges Christmas Fair in Galway.

Moving into December, we'll be in full regalia at the Food and Wine Christmas Show at the RDS this year. Arun is conducting another 'Masterclass' on the Sunday at 12:30pm! And, those brilliant people at Ardkeen are at the Waterford Winterval which runs from the end of November to 23rd December. Arun should be demoing some spicy Christmas treats and our goodies will be available from there also. 

If we don't see you there, we hope to catch up at our Market stall soon!

See you soon!

The Green Saffron Masaalchi

Green Saffron winter road-trip so far:

8th November - Christmas Extravaganza, Fallon and Byrne, Exchequer Street, Dublin.

22nd November - Christmas Fair, Ballymaloe Grainstore

22nd November - Christmas Fair, MacCambridge's, Galway

30th November - Food & Wine Christmas Show, RDS, Dublin

30th November to 23rd December - Waterford Winterval