Fed up with a frozen gateau? Christmas Trifle become tedious? This Christmas, Opies provides a one-step solution to revamp the repertoire of festive puddings – fruits with alcohol. Opies for Christmas, www.opiesfoods.com
New for 2017 – The ‘spirit’ of Christmas in a wide selection of fruits
Fed up with a frozen gateau? Christmas Trifle become tedious? This Christmas, Opies provides a one-step solution to revamp the repertoire of festive puddings – fruits with alcohol.
New for 2017 – two new varieties that will tempt the foodie trendsetters: Blackberries with Gin and Pears with Port.
Christmas Gift ideas: Gifts for foodies, hamper gifts, stocking fillers, dinner party gifts and even an alternative gift for teachers!
Available from Waitrose & Ocado £8.99
Serving Suggestions:
Blackberries with Gin: Christmas cocktails such as Blackberry Bramble or Blackberry Basil Mojito. Serve with a stack of pancakes and fresh cream (or eat them straight from the jar!).
Baby Pears with Port: easy take on classic poached pears. Spend less time in the kitchen and simply open a jar instead – you won’t be disappointed.
Also in the range & widely available: Christmas Fruits with Courvoisier, Stem Ginger with Famous Grouse, Peaches with Courvoisier, Apricots with Grand Marnier, Baby Pears with Amaretto, Black Cherries with Kirsch and Ginger with Teachers Whisky.
Pickled Walnuts enjoying a food renaissance
According to Opies who are the only commercial producer of Pickled Walnuts in the UK, for many people, having a jar in the cupboard makes their Christmas. It’s a prerequisite. This Victorian delicacy is fast becoming a foodie must-have; especially at Christmas.
New to the Pickled Walnut revival? Their soft texture may be something of a surprise. Please get in touch to try a sample.
Available from: Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose, Ocado and speciality independent stores 390g from £2.49.
Opies Stem Ginger brings the ginger craze to the kitchen
Ginger is cool. Just ask Ed Sheeran and Rupert Grint. But ginger is causing a stir in other areas too: the kitchen.
This Christmas use Opies Stem Ginger in Syrup and turn the customary Christmas Cake on its head with warmth and richness. Add a smidgen to shop-bought mincemeat, chop and add to stuffing mix for the perfect Roast Loin of Pork. Glaze a side of Roast Ham on Boxing. Don’t forget about the syrup! Splash into Christmas drinks for an indulgent spiced mulled wine or fiery mojito.
Available from: Tesco 350g RSP £2.50 and Asda 280g RSP £2.28.
Opies help to avoid a Christmas Cocktail Catastrophe
A Manhattan minus the cherry is a no-no. Gin Fizz sans a slice of lemon? A disaster. Avoid embarrassing cocktail catastrophes at Christmas with Opies’ Cocktail Cherries and Lemon Slices.
Find the cherries in the preserves or pickle aisles in most major supermarkets, priced from £1.48 for a 225g jar. The Lemon Slices should be there too £1.40 for a 350g jar.
Who are Opies – a British heritage brand
Opies is one of the oldest family owned food firms in the UK with a rich heritage and the fifth generation Mr Opie at the helm! A brief history of Opies is attached (detailing how it started by Mr Bennett Opie in 1880 who left Cornwall with five pounds in his pocket through to present day).
Avoid a Christmas Cocktail Catastrophe thanks to Opies
There’s nothing better than dusting off the cocktail shaker to create your favourite concoctions, especially at an impromptu party. But a Manhattan minus the cherry is a no-no. Gin Fizz sans a slice of lemon? A disaster. As more and more of us prefer casual get-togethers at home it’s important to avoid any embarrassing cocktail catastrophes this Christmas. It’s then that Opies’ Cocktail Cherries and Lemon Slices really come to the fore.
The vibrant colour of the cherries helps to create a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ to homemade cocktails. Try in a Singapore Sling, Shirley Temple or retro Pina Colada (don’t forget the umbrella). Cheer up a glass of Prosecco on Christmas morning or, if you have a bottle of cheap fizz that you’re unsure of a maraschino cherry makes it marvellous! It’s all down to the best-grade fruits infused in a delicious, almondy, flavoured syrup that really makes the difference. Find them in the preserves or pickle aisles in most major supermarkets, priced from £1.48 for a 225g jar.
Ensure guests have the best-dressed G&T without the hassle. Never forget the ‘slice’ again and keep a jar of Opies Lemons in the fridge. They’re more convenient and there’s less waste too. The lemons are already sliced so there’s never been an easier way to garnish the glass. Festive lurgy taken hold? Bring out the jar, pop a few slices in a mug and steep in hot water (dash of whisky optional). Be Christmas-ready and pop a jar in your trolley and it’ll be another thing ticked off the shopping list! RRP from £1.40 for a 350g jar.
Never again will you experience pre-party panic or have festive drinks failure.
Snowbomb: A twist on a Jager Bomb
Mistletoe Kiss: Made with Honey Vodka, Pineapple Juice, Creamed Coconut and Maraschino Cherry Liquor
Opies Stem Ginger brings the ginger craze to the kitchen
Ginger is cool. Just ask Ed Sheeran and Rupert Grint. But ginger is causing a stir in other areas too: the kitchen.
Stem Ginger in Syrup is fast becoming a store-cupboard staple. These little balls of golden goodness are being used by home cooks to create cuisine with a spicy twist, especially at Christmas. Turn the customary Christmas Cake on its head to add warmth, richness and just the right amount of stickiness to the cake. Add a smidgen to shop-bought mincemeat to get family and friends murmuring in appreciation of your home-baked mince pies.
But it’s not all about the sweet bakes. Many overlook its versatility in savoury dishes. Why not chop and add to stuffing mix for the perfect Roast Loin of Pork? There’s nothing more impressive than a delicious side of Roast Ham on Boxing Day but a sticky ginger glaze takes it to the next level. Leftover turkey dilemma? Use ginger to make the best base for a tasty sweet and sour stir fry.
But don’t forget about the syrup! Splash into Christmas drinks for an indulgent spiced mulled wine or fiery moreish mojito.
Opies Stem Ginger in Syrup is available from Tesco 350g RSP £2.50 and Asda 280g RSP £2.28.
Pickled Walnuts enjoying a food renaissance
Like Black Forest Gateau and Arctic Roll, another food on the crest of a renaissance are Pickled Walnuts. Thanks to their popularity amongst Chefs and guest appearances on the likes of MasterChef and Saturday Kitchen this Victorian delicacy is fast becoming a foodie must-have; especially at Christmas.
According to Opies who are the only commercial producer of Pickled Walnuts in the UK, for many people, having a jar in the cupboard makes their Christmas. It’s a prerequisite. A festive seasonal supper without their favourite pickle is like scones without jam and cream. Serve as an appetising accompaniment to cold meats, cheese, antipasto and charcuterie or as a central feature to a stunning smorgasbord of tasty cold cuts. After Christmas, if there are any left, use them in pasta dishes or in warming stews and casseroles, especially with seasonal winter meats like lamb, pork and venison. For the Christmas diet detoxers, why not chop into salads or blitz with olive oil to make a flavoursome dressing?
New to the Pickled Walnut revival? Their soft texture may be something of a surprise. The nuts are picked from the trees at their absolute prime, whilst they are still green and before any shell has formed or the squirrels have invaded! Then it’s onto the delicate, time-consuming preserving method. Cooked gently by hand, hand-prepared and then left to mature in a closely-guarded secret spiced malt vinegar recipe. The outcome of this lengthy labour-of-love is a jarred jewel of unique deliciousness, that so many can’t live without.
Opies Pickled Walnuts are available from Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Morrisons, Waitrose, Ocado and speciality independent stores 390g from £2.49.
The Spirit of Christmas found in a wide selection of fruits
Fed up with a frozen gateau? Has your Christmas Trifle become tedious? Are the family fed-up with the same old familiar desserts? This Christmas, Opies provides a one-step solution to revamp your repertoire of festive puddings – fruits with alcohol. This year the range includes two new varieties that will tempt the foodie trendsetters: Blackberries with Gin and Pears with Port.
The new blackberry variety takes the most traditional English fruits, which are gently infused with one of the on-trend British spirits, London Dry Gin. Opies recommend using them as an ingredient for Christmas cocktails such as Blackberry Bramble or Blackberry Basil Mojito. If you fancy an indulgent start to Christmas morning, serve with a stack of pancakes and fresh cream. Delicious! If the mood takes you, you can always eat them straight from the jar!
For a simple Christmas party crowd-pleaser Opies have created a quick and easy take on classic poached pears. Spend less time in the kitchen and simply open a jar instead – you won’t be disappointed. Marinated with a young ruby port which, thanks to the port’s strong fruit flavour complements the Pears perfectly, these are exquisite served with cream or vanilla ice cream. Who would have thought making a dessert could be so easy!
Opies’ extensive range of preserved fruits with alcohol will turn simple sweets into magnificent creations in minutes. As well as the Blackberries with Gin and Pears with Port the Opies’ range comprises Christmas Fruits with Courvoisier, Stem Ginger with Famous Grouse, Peaches with Courvoisier, Apricots with Grand Marnier, Baby Pears with Amaretto, Black Cherries with Kirsch and Ginger with Teachers Whisky. These store cupboard Christmas stalwarts provide a quick catering solution when served with meringue, cream or ice cream. Why not try making a boozy Boxing Day Trifle this year? There’s nothing better than trifle sponge soaked with Gin or Kirsch accompanied by fruit marinated in the same spirit. If you’re stuck for Christmas gift ideas for foodie friends, Opies fruits with alcohol make great stocking fillers or small hamper gifts too.
The new Blackberries with Gin and Pears with Port will be exclusively available at Waitrose and Ocado. RRP £11.99.
Bennett Opie Limited
In 1880, young Cornishman Bennett Opie set off to make his fortune in London with just a few pounds in his pocket. He started by selling eggs and bacon and gradually, with the help of his two brothers, successfully built the business even receiving a Royal Warrant for supplying the Royal Household. In 1912 Bennett Opie was joined by his son William and it was at this time that Bennett Opie Limited was founded.
William Opie had great foresight. When supplies of fresh eggs were limited during the First World War he recognised the opportunity to manufacture and supply liquid eggs to the bakery trade. It was following a trip to France that he spotted an opportunity to diversify into preserving cherries and was keen to provide a less expensive alternative to the popular but pricy French brands. In 1929, the company relocated to Sittingbourne, Kent – the heart of Kent’s cherry-growing region. The site, which is close to King Henry VIII’s cherry orchards, benefits from natural springs; the water from which is still used today. This move marked the start of a growing range of preserves and pickles.
Today, the Opies brand includes a wide selection of cocktail products which still includes Cocktail Cherries along with Sliced Lemons, Cocktail Onions and Cocktail Gherkins. The Opies retail range is particularly strong in the home-baking sector, packing ginger for the majority of the major supermarkets as well as Opies Stem Ginger in Syrup and Crystallised Ginger. In keeping with the heritage and provenance of the brand, Opies range extends to traditional chutneys, an extensive range of preserved fruits in alcohol and luxury fruit compotes.
The signature line, however, is Pickled Walnuts, with Opies remaining the only commercial producer of this classic Victorian delicacy. Working with farmers across the UK and Europe, walnuts are picked whilst still green and before any shell has formed. They are then immediately preserved before being transported back to the factory where they are cooked, hand prepared and then preserved in a secret-recipe spiced vinegar.
The Opies range is readily available from the major retailers across the UK and is also popular overseas, with the firm in receipt of the Queen’s Award for Export.
Today the business is in its fifth generation, still owned by the Opie family, making it one of the oldest private family-owned food companies in the UK.
Bennett Opie Limited is also the sole distributor for a selection of high-quality agency food brands that include Monin, Lingham’s Chilli Sauce, Barry Norman Pickled Onions, Ferns Curry Pastes, Delice du Provence and Clément Faugier chestnuts.
– Opies has a wealth of archive material: from an insurance policy against First World War bomb damage to a set of old accounts.
– Press Visits to the head office at Sittingbourne are welcome, where journalists can have a behind the scenes tour and immerse themselves in Opies’ history, view things like original cherry stoners, wooden clogs used by workers and bygone packaging.
