Guys.
I need to go to Jersey.
Like, IMMEDIATELY.
For no other reason than to stockpile Black Butter.
A week ago, I had no idea what Black Butter was. AND NOW MY LIFE HAS CHANGED FOREVER.
The lovely team at Visit Jersey sent me a big box filled with Christmassy, foodie delicacies from the isle of Jersey, and I’m a total convert!
JERSEY BLACK BUTTER
It’s basically a really rich spiced apple jam.
There’s obviously much more to it than that, but that’s the gist I get from it! Lots of apples, cider, sugar and spices, boiled down for hours and days, until it becomes this rich, moreish puree that is delicious on buttered toast.
It’s basically Christmas in a jar.
And I’m doing an awful job at explaining it. But it’s YUM.
DIS FUDGE DOE.
I probably would have finished the whole pack in one day, but it’s so deliciously sweet and creamy and perfectly fudgy, that I just can’t bring myself to finish it too soon.
It’s made to a traditional recipe, with proper Jersey milk, cream and butter from proper Jersey cows. Then it’s hand-stirred, cooled and hand-cut before wrapping in little plastic bags to sell.
And it is absolutely the best fudge I’ve ever eaten.
Ever.
JERSEY SALTED CARAMEL
I haven’t actually used this properly yet as I’m saving it to make a banoffee pie of dreams on Friday.
But I did dip a spoon (or two) in to try it. Y’know, for blog reasons.
It’s made with Jersey butter and cream, and tastes EXACTLY like liquid Werther’s Originals..
(Have you ever had a Werther’s Original? They’re creamy, buttery, hard, toffee-ish sweets. My grandad loves them!)
I also love them. Therefore I love this.
A sweet and sour chutney made with actual Jersey vegetables and locally-brewed, award-winning Liberation Ale.
I’m on the fence about this one.
It’s nice but has a bit of a vinegary after-taste that I can’t quite warm to.
HOWEVER. I am extremely picky about chutneys.
My Mum’s Christmas Chutney is prize-winning in my eyes, and there’s not many that have come even close to topping it.
So yeah. Keep that in mind!
HOME-MADE BLACK BUTTER BISCUITS
These are SO GOOD.
They’re light, crisp, spiced with cinnamon and taste pretty much like Christmas.
Not much to look at but the flavours totally make up for it!
(I may or may not have had 4 already this afternoon…)
Not a food thing but thought I should mention that I also got a Jersey tea towel, designed by Molly Mac, included in my box.
IT’S SO ADORABLE!
This. This is just… I can’t.
It’s a jelly. A savoury jelly made with cider and other things. And it’s possibly the most delicious of all things ever.
I have plans to bake a hunk of gammon this weekend, just so I can eat half this jar without judgement.
Because apparently you’re not meant to eat it just on it’s own with a spoon.
(OK, sure…whatever.)
ZOE’S KITCHEN CHOCOLATE BROWNIE BITES
These brownies are special.
Want to know how special?
Well, first of all: they’re homemade by a local Jersey baker.
Second of all, we had a bit of an issue with Royal Mail (HA OF COURSE WE DID #shocker) and my poor old hamper got stuck at a post office depot for 2 weeks.
TWO WEEKS.
And you know what these brownies were like when they finally arrived on my doorstep?
THEY WERE PERFECT. Still soft and squidgy and chocolatey and delicious.
I ate 3 on the trot as soon as I opened the box.
And I’m not even sorry.
Jersey isn’t somewhere I’d ever really thought about visiting but now I kinda want to go and spend Christmas there.
Just so I can eat all the foods.
Who wants to join me?!
Seriously, we could have all the funs.
Look, you can even go to their website and take this fun quiz and discover what other things we could do in Jersey together. Y’know, things that don’t involve food.
(Hint: if you click that link and do the quiz, it enters you into a competition to win the chance of winning a free holiday to Jersey!)
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I still have half a box of brownie bites to demolish…
BYE.
*This post was written in collaboration with Visit Jersey.
I was also sent the hamper for free.
Obvs (and as always) all foodie opinions are my own.
If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t blog it! :)
