Best Luxury Staycation Food & Drink For Summer 2021

Summer is here and 2021 is the year of the Staycation! We’ve found the very best food and drink offerings to get your summer off to a bang. Enjoy!

Kicking off with gin & cocktails

Hernö Old Tom Gin (43% ABV, 50cl)

The famous Swedish Hernö Distillery has become synonymous with wonderful, breath-taking gins, racking up awards across the world, most notably the International Wine and Spirits Competition.

Hernö Old Tom Gin is a slightly sweeter taste on Hernö Gin and Hernö Navy Strength Gin, thanks to additional Meadowsweet in the distillation and after diluting it down to 43%, a touch of honey is added.  The result is an award winning gin with real character, which lingers on the tastebuds beautifully. Super smooth, light, sweet and packed full of crisp botanicals, there is floral sweetness to the finish that makes this ideal for Summer.

Mermaid Pink Gin (£42)

Summer and pink gins go hand-in-hand, so why not try this aesthetically striking and gorgeous offering from Isle of Wight Distillery?

A variation of Mermaid Gin, this refreshing and flavour bursting gin has been infused with strawberries from the island. This, alongside a range of botanicals, such as rock samphire and zesty Sicilian lemon, has created a gorgeous, yet complex, gin.

Suggested serve: Mermaid Pink Gin Picante 

Ingredients:

50ml Mermaid Pink Gin
30ml Lime Juice
10ml Agave Syrup, Honey or Sugar Syrup

Preparation

Shake over ice, strain into a chilled glass and add garnish

Garnish:

Scattered chilli and a sprig of coriander

Available at John Lewis.

The Food

The Small Organic Barbecue Box (£45)

With 2021 the year of the staycation and with far more pressure on home cooking skills to deliver the high-end goods this Summer, look no further than The Organic Barbecue Box from Coombe Farm Organic.

This Summer, the team have curated a selection of organic meat and essentials for your barbecue for the complete alfresco dining experience. As the meat is delivered frozen, ordering a box is perfect to help with planning ahead or versatile for spontaneous gatherings. There is a 10% saving built into the price of each box.

The quality of the produce is absolutely superb! Say goodbye to shopping at your local supermarket and get behind this sensational offering of organic produce.

Certified organic by the soil association in 1998, Coombe Farm started out as a dairy farm and has a long-standing and trusted reputation for providing exceptional dairy produce. These days, they also rear organic grass-fed beef, lamb and pork, and they work with local farmers who supply them with organic free-range venison and poultry. All of the effort and care put into the product speaks for itself. Give it a go, find out more here.

The Summer Bistrot Box (£50)

Bistrot at home aims to bring beautiful French cuisine straight to your doorstep. Each Bistrot at Home box has been carefully crafted by Bistrot Pierre’s Executive Chef, Adam Townsley, and is freshly prepared by their talented team of chefs each week, so you can enjoy a true taste of Bistrot delivered straight to your door. Complete with a range of instructions, garnishes and tips, the kit of 3 courses arrives ready to assemble with just a little cooking required. Plus, you can also upgrade to match your meal with a paired wine – what more could you want! 

The Summer Bistrot Box is a restaurant box with finesse, generous portions and just enough work in the kitchen to make it fun, without being a chore. We highly recommend Bistrot at Home.

The Drinks

Champagne Bruno Paillard Première Cuvée MV XB: RRP £40

Toast in your staycation with this beautiful Champagne! Maison Bruno Paillard is one of the leading boutique Champagne producers, and their Première Cuvée Champagne is the flagship. Stunning throughout every drop, it is a blend of varietals, vineyards and vintages (25-50% of the Premiere Cuvee comes from Reserve wines, stretching back to 1985).  A lively and vivacious – thanks to its low dosage – Champagne, with toasty notes and a full and long finish.

Available from Hedonism Wine, Majestic and The Whiskey Exchange.

“Ninfalia” Toscana IGT Rosato, La Fiorita 2020 (£27.80  via Hedonism Wine)

Absolutely sublime for Summer, a wonderful example of wine’s that just hit that seasonal sweetspot! La Fiorita – an acclaimed Brunello di Montalcino estate – launched its first Rosato last year. The 2020 “Ninfalia” is the recently released second vintage.  It is made from 100% Sangiovese grapes – organically farmed – from Italy’s renowned Montalcino region.  The grapes are picked a little earlier and from younger vineyards, than those destined for the estate’s reds.  The name “Ninfalia” is derived from the nymphs which protect the vineyards combined with the name of La Fiorita’s owner, Natalie Oliveros. 

Gentlemen Baristas (£10)

Looking for a high-end coffee for your trip? Look no further than Deerstalker from Gentleman Baristas!

Their original house blend, Deerstalker, is as popular as it is versatile. A favourite with their customers who like milk with their brew; they also recommend it made as an espresso or with a moka pot. 

With tasting notes of milk chocolate, toffee, nougat and mandarin, Deerstalker coffee is made using a 50/50 ratio of coffees from Brazil and Colombia.

Find out more here.