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UK Ingredient/Equipment Source

origamicrane
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Digijam

Digijam

Posted
Posted

I searched for ages on the web for a vacuum sealer, but came up empty. In the end I managed to grab one at Lidl of all places. It's made by Bifinett. Been using it for a year now and it's still going strong.

Whether Lidl still stock 'em I have no idea, though somebody is currently flogging one on ebay if you're quick.

Mark

restaurant, private catering, consultancy
feast for the senses / blog

Charlie O

Charlie O

Posted
Posted

I was reading the sous vide equipment thread here. eBay is suggested as a good source in the US. I checked the UK version not expecting to see much but it seems there are various used ones for sale.

Nathanm suggests "To find them on eBay, the best method is to go to “see all eBay categories”, then “Business and Industrial”... and search".

Matthew Grant

Matthew Grant

Posted
Posted
I searched for ages on the web for a vacuum sealer, but came up empty. In the end I managed to grab one at Lidl of all places. It's made by Bifinett. Been using it for a year now and it's still going strong.

Whether Lidl still stock 'em I have no idea, though somebody is currently flogging one on ebay if you're quick.

Mark

Before you buy one of those you might want to read this thread: Less than happy users

"Why would we want Children? What do they know about food?"

Digijam

Digijam

Posted
Posted

Have to say I've had no problems with the Bifinett model, and find it works on any kind of bag. Given that it carries a 3 year guarantee, there's a Lidl on every street corner to return to if need be, and it's dirt cheap (a tenner), there's really not a lot to lose if it's just for tinkering at home with sous vide or to minimise freezer burn.

Not that it's likely to be sturdy or powerful enough for commercial use, admittedly.

restaurant, private catering, consultancy
feast for the senses / blog

Sackville

Sackville

Posted
Posted

I've asked this before but "tis the season" so... anyone seen fresh (raw, unbrined) olives in their local ethnic delis, grocers? Somewhere in London would be good. I have seen them in Palmer's Green before but am trying to find somewhere a bit closer to central London (we are now living in Canada Water).

Thanks for any tips.

alexw

alexw

Posted
Posted
I'm looking for a sealer that bags food in a vacuum - its for cooking rather than just storage.  model recs appreciated

Also - does anyone know where to get pure ethanol (its for taking the skin off oil paintings)

I bought an orved fast vacuum off eBay rock solid at £400 (ouch) from a compay called frazer-mackenzie ( i think), and I use this one at work until my multivac chamber machine gets delivered.

You can by foodsaver and others online in the UK for aroud £100+, rhinovac is one company that springs to mind, although you have to use the bags that have indents on one side so it can suck the air out and is useless for vacing liquid unless you freeze it first.

after all these years in a kitchen, I would have thought it would become 'just a job'

but not so, spending my time playing not working

www.e-senses.co.uk

gethin

gethin

Posted
Posted
I've asked this before but "tis the season" so... anyone seen fresh (raw, unbrined) olives in their local ethnic delis, grocers? Somewhere in London would be good. I have seen them in Palmer's Green before but am trying to find somewhere a bit closer to central London (we are now living in Canada Water).

Thanks for any tips.

The Turkish Food Centre in Lewisham have them at £2.99 per Kg. I would imagine that their other branches would have them too.

Gethin

Sackville

Sackville

Posted
Posted (edited)
I've asked this before but "tis the season" so... anyone seen fresh (raw, unbrined) olives in their local ethnic delis, grocers? Somewhere in London would be good. I have seen them in Palmer's Green before but am trying to find somewhere a bit closer to central London (we are now living in Canada Water).

Thanks for any tips.

The Turkish Food Centre in Lewisham have them at £2.99 per Kg. I would imagine that their other branches would have them too.

Gethin

You are a star! Lewisham is very convenient to get to :) I assume by your post they have them at the moment?

I should also add that the kind folks at Solstice.co.uk inform me they will have olives fresh from Italy within the next 2 weeks, if anyone is interested. I don't know the price yet but judging from previous orders they should be top quality.

Edited by Sackville (log)
  • 2 weeks later...
vytoh

vytoh

Posted
Posted

Does anyone know a source for dried Sichuanese chile's? I'm after the "Facing Heaven" variety (also known as "sky facing")

I'm almost through my bag from Cool Chile company - they used to stock it a few years ago but now they only seem to be selling mexican produce.

I've had a look in various chinese stores - I can find the peppercorns easily but not the chile's themselves. I'm not sure I'll be able to cope when I run out....I need my chile's! :wub:

I'm willing to pay for postage within reason from anywhere in the world. Does anyone have/know of a source?

Conor

Conor

Posted
Posted

"Also - does anyone know where to get pure ethanol (its for taking the skin off oil paintings"

I might be mistaken but i think you can get it in a good chemists?!?!

  • 2 weeks later...
grahamR

grahamR

Posted
Posted

Most wise and beloved of eGullet: Is there anywhere in London that stocks verjus?

(It seems I can't look at a book at the moment without seeing a reference to it! I'm sure you know how that goes...)

gethin

gethin

Posted
Posted (edited)
Most wise and beloved of eGullet: Is there anywhere in London that stocks verjus?

(It seems I can't look at a book at the moment without seeing a reference to it! I'm sure you know how that goes...)

I got a bottle in Islington Sainsbury's a while back. I guess most larger branches stock it (in the fancy groceries section along side the overpriced preserved lemons, quince paste and australian bush stuff).

Gethin

Edited by gethin (log)
Helen

Helen

Posted
Posted
Most wise and beloved of eGullet: Is there anywhere in London that stocks verjus?

(It seems I can't look at a book at the moment without seeing a reference to it! I'm sure you know how that goes...)

I got a bottle in Islington Sainsbury's a while back. I guess most larger branches stock it (in the fancy groceries section along side the overpriced preserved lemons, quince paste and australian bush stuff).

Gethin

I haven't been able to buy it in Sainsbury's for months - their central people say it is still in stock but local branch (which is enormous) say it's on hold and they can't get it. BUT, I found some on the Kai Kitchen website - which sells a variety of other New Zealand produce in the UK as well. They sell 750 ml and 375 ml bottles, both white (riesling from memory) and red (cabernet sauvignon).

http://www.kaikitchen.co.uk/erol.html#1x0&&

Hope this helps,

Helen

grahamR

grahamR

Posted
Posted

I've had no luck at my three local Sainsbury's, but thanks to for the link to the Kai Kitchen website. My credit card is about to go into shock, there's so much nice stuff on there. Wonderful website, thanks Helen.

jackal10

jackal10

Posted
Posted

Peeles Norfolk Black Turkeys

Selling own turkeys xmas only.

Contact: James Graham

Address:

Rookery Farm

Thuxton

Norwich

Norfolk

NR9 4QJ

Phone: 01953 860294

Fax: 01362 850237

and get in line...I just ordered mine this morning

jackal10

jackal10

Posted
Posted

Bradenham ham from

Fortnums

Paxton and Whitfield

Harris (one of the original producers)

From Henrietta Green's http://www.foodloversbritain.com/

In spite of the stories you may have heard about how York hams were smoked over oak chippings while the Minister was being built, do not believe a word. York ham is a green (unsmoked) ham. Traditionally it is dry-cured in salt, saltpetre and brown sugar for about a month, then hung to mature. Harris-Leeming Bar, Leases Road, Leeming Bar, Northallerton Dl7 9AW tel 01677 422661 fax 01677424986 age their for about 4 months for a mild, moist version; they also produce the black-skinned Bradenham ham which is dry-cured for 2 weeks.

Also

http://www.sandridgefarmhousebacon.co.uk/m...r/mailorder.doc

Cheshire Snokehouses Ltd

Vost Farm Morley Green

Wilmslow

SK9 5NU

Phone: 01625 548499

Fax: 01625 548606

origamicrane

origamicrane

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
Get her a Quooker!

Actually, get me a Quooker.  :biggrin:

hmmm

interesting but wouldn't this be a bad idea in a hard water area?

"so tell me how do you bone a chicken?"

"tastes so good makes you want to slap your mamma!!"

Matthew Grant

Matthew Grant

Posted
Posted

At first I thought it was fantastic but the more I thought about it....

1) Hardwater areas might be tough on it as Origamicrane says.

2) Some dubious uses

Fill a saucepan with boiling water form the Quooker. Put it on the stove and add the vegetables. Food cooked in this way retains more vitamins
er... what? :huh: retains more vitamins than plunging them into boiling water boiled in a kettle or stovetop? All the uses listed are uses for boiling water, not the tap.

3) Dubious claims

...since the water comes out as a fine spray rather than a hard jet it is virtually impoossible to burn yourself, which you can't say about most stovetop and electric kettles
How does that work then? If you stick your hand under boiling water spray you won't get burnt?

Basically this is a large (3litre capacity) kettle and thermos flask. I think it probably has limited use unless you use large quantities of Boiling water. Boiling water on a gas stovetop costs very little money indeed, the only benefits I can see are time related. I'm willing to be convinced.

Incidentally, this isn't new, it won a bronze medal in the Hospitality Week '95 Product Awards.

"Why would we want Children? What do they know about food?"

erica graham

erica graham

Posted
Posted

I think we get the same results with water filter & kettle and although it would save me a few minutes each day, I think I can cope!

Nice kitchen pressie for the person with everything though!

http://www.allium.uk.net

http://alliumfood.wordpress.com/ the alliumfood blog

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming - Whey hey what a ride!!!, "

Sarah Poli, Firenze, Kibworth Beauchamp

PoppySeedBagel

PoppySeedBagel

Posted
Posted

For kitchen one-upmanship I think it possibly beats my SIL's £9,000 Below Zero fridge.

Did anyone watch the video - 'first pour boiling water into th teapot the add you tea bag via a little dance...'

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