Last minute Christmas gift guide and recipes from Bread Ahead

An eclectic set of gifts to delight and surprise

Hello Lemonistas,

Mince pies are a Christmas must-have. Get the recipe from Bread Ahead, see below.

Welcome to the latest edition of The Lemon Grove. In today’s newsletter we have included a short readership survey so we can make sure we’re producing the best dispatch for you as we build The Lemon Grove community. This should take a couple of minutes to complete, is much appreciated and completely anonymous.

To follow, we have some fruity gift suggestions, thinking laterally and then two delicious recipes from the new children’s book written by the fabulous baker people of Bread Ahead. For paid subscribers only. The recipes are for mincemeat and mince pies and are also published in a lovely children’s book, Magical Mince Pies—A Christmas Story, published by Borough Market’s famed Bread Ahead Bakery and baking school. 

But before we get stuck into this edition, if you haven’t already downloaded the Substack App, I encourage you to do so.

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CITRUS GIFT GUIDE

This is your last-minute citrus-infused guide to buying that special someone something special. (I am not getting any affiliate income from any of the links. Having tasted, eaten, or bought most of the goods, I feel they offer a good and tasty selection.)

PARTERRE FRAGRANCES

I visited Parterre Fragrances in the summer of 2023 to see how the family company, based in Dorset, England, grows dozens of citrus trees to create its own brand of perfumes and scents.

Run of the River is a vibrant citrus scent and Root of all Goodness offers warmth and woody with a touch of spice © Parterre Fragrances

It’s a fascinating story, and more about their work and passions will appear in a future edition of The Lemon Grove. In the meantime, you can check them out here. 

CROWD FUNDING

Buying fruit from selected growers across Europe in boxes containing 2.5kg and upwards of organic and often regeneratively grown fruit has been simplified with Crowd Farming. Created in 2017 by farmers Gabriel and Gonzalo Úrculo together with Juliette Simonin and Moisés Calviño, the group work to share their sales outlets with other farmers. I have just ordered a box of blood oranges from Sicily and a box of clementines from Tallone, Corsica, which are expected to arrive in early January. A little late for Christmas Day, but perfect for brightening up a gloomy January day.
Plans are also afoot for me to adopt a Crowd Farming tree in 2025. I’ve not yet decided whether to go for an orange, lime, lemon or grapefruit tree … but I will keep you updated when I make the decision and will share more about how the whole process works. If you can’t wait, check out the Crowd Farming website here. You can also get other seasonal products including walnuts, avocados and olive oil from the farmers.

LIMONCELLO FROM SACLA
A combination of authentic Italian limoncello from Lazzaroni Liquori and two small ceramic Sol’Art Limoncello cups will brighten up any present opening. Artisan producer Lazzaroni blends Sicilian lemon peel to create a drink that will bring a breath of Sicilian sunshine into your home. Buy the drink here, from Sacla, importer of many fine Italian food products.

KHOOSH

Khoosh is an exotic orange bitter designed to pair with Champagne and spirits. The drink and brand have recently been rejuvenated based on their original blend of botanicals, including Quassia amara and orange peel. Tasting notes include bittersweet, herbaceous, and citrus-forward. But a bottle of Khoosh here.

PANETTONE & CHOCOLATE FROM HONEY & CO

London-based Honey & Co. restaurant group offers several citrus-flavoured foods that can be bought in person or online. The smooth dark chocolate is infused with sweet, tangy blood orange and a touch of creamy vanilla. The bars are handmade in a micro-chocolate factory in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Citrus themed presents from restaurant group Honey & Co. including two chocolate bars and a panettone.

Also available online is a Sicilian Citrus Fruit & Saffron Fiasconaro Panettone, made by the Fiasconaro family in Castelbuono, Sicily.

Shop online at Honey & Co. here.

ETSY.COM
As you might imagine, online shopping giant Etsy has hundreds of citrus-themed gifts on offer, with sooooo many soaps, fragrances and candles. Here are three that caught my attention:

Gifts for the citrus-lover in your life, as seen on etsy.com . From left, a branding iron for citrus peels, postage stamps from the US, and a set of presses.

• Branding irons
  Custom, handheld electric branding iron for fruit peels destined for cocktails and mocktails.
  £13.48. Click here for seller.

• Postage stamps
  35 unused, 2cent postage stamps showing Meyer lemons
  £5.45. Click here for seller.

• Citrus press
  Three delightful, traditional-style stoneware citrus presses.
  £39.55. Click here for seller.

MAGICAL MINCE PIES, from BREAD AHEAD

Written by Bread Ahead’s founder and passionate baker Matthew Jones, with writer Jools Abrahms and illustrator by Miss Magda, Magical Mince Pies, A Christmas Story is a children’s bedtime storybook written to inspire young minds to get involved with making mince pies and get covered in flour, before sharing their bakes with friends and family.

Bread Ahead in Borough Market, London with a close up of the Magical Mince Pies book; a pie bought at the bakery and sliced in two, and a wider angle photo of a busy Bread Ahead bakery.

The bakery’s best-known address is in London’s Borough Market, but they also have outlets in the Middle East, with branches set to open in the US and Asia.
The story involves a curious young boy, Francis, and his baker dad Francis (with a similar appearance to Mattew himself!), and in real life, the social media start and Leopoldas Maximus the Cat (on Instagram (@)leopoldasmaximus), the Bread Ahead mascot.

The book includes two recipes for Bread Ahead mincemeat and pies, which are simple to make and are a fine addition to cream, custard, and an afternoon cup of tea. The recipes are: