This bar is almond and sea salt milk chocolate, which even though milk chocolate would still tick the right boxes for me.

This box is perfect for the truffle lovers out there. Thirty artisan truffles all specially designed for the Diamond Jubilee, including flavours like Tropical Cinnamon or Orange and Cinnamon. And surely you’re going to hang onto that box? Stunning design.

Not the cheapest box of chocolates on the market, but then this is not cheap chocolate. Nor is this an everyday occasion! We may not see another Diamond Jubilee in our lifetime, so perhaps one small indulgence is permitted!

I still wouldn’t eat it, but I’d happily put it on the kitchen shelf. If you do like it, then buy two!

* Do two things at once: celebrate the Jubilee and know that your purchase has gone to help the work of Help for Heroes. Just £5, so you could afford to go for a couple.

* I’ve written before about the lovely things from CathKidston, this is the mug. And I’d love to find a few of these sitting on the table, wouldn’t you?

* Want a contemporary approach to your commemorative mug? How about this one designed by Sarah Cole, and available from Culture Label.

* Emma Bridgewater’s mugs are always on my list, and I really like this one. Comes in red or blue, with lots of white accents , so very patriotic looking!

* You thought it was the Queen’s Jubilee? Well, she probably does too, but you can add your name to this mug as well, just to show that you’re celebrating with her.

* I know I like this mug from Repeat Repeat as it sits on the desk opposite mine. Can’t beat a bit of silvery bling to celebrate the glittering occasion!

I am sure much tea, as well as other beverages, will be drunk to celebrate the Jubilee, so do it in style!

When I wrote my first post about some of the good stuff I’d spotted for the Jubilee, I did write that I was surprised that at that time To Dry For had no teatowels for the occasion, having stocked such a great one for the Royal Wedding last year. Well, as you can see, they have well and truly come up trumps!

Designed by Maria Holmer-Dahlgreen, who also has a great Olympics design on offer as well. Hoping he doesn’t read this, I shall be taking this to the US for a dear friend who loves all things British, and is very jealous of our Jubilee. This does celebrating but in a modern way, and also weighs very little.

It does say it’s limited edition, although there are no details on what that means, so I wouldn’t put it away thinking it will make you thousands on Antiques Roadshow in  your dotage. I would either use it as intended, or frame it!

Canteen: Great British Food – breakfast, lunch or dinner, Canteen is one of my favourite places.  Great contemporary takes on traditional recipes, like Welsh Rarebit or Coronation Chicken, but in ways that make it seem fresh. I don’t know why I don’t own this book, as it’s very much the sort of stuff I like to cook.

British Baking from Peyton & Byrne – again, a favourite place, and I do own this book. Whilst focused on baking, it covers sweet and savoury, and again represents reinventing great British favourites for today. If I stop by the bakery then there is the huge temptation of a fig roll or a Scotch egg.

British Seasonal Food by Mark Hix – British food in season can’t be beat, just think about how amazing the aparagus is at the moment. And Mark Hix has been a great exponent of British and seasonal. This is good gutsy food, organised by month, so you really know that you’re making the most of everything around us.

Bocca Cookbook – one of the things I pointed out to the Frenchman in the group was the within a half mile radius I could eat from a huge variety of cuisines, and that that diversity is part of what I love about the British food landscape today.  Bocca di Lupo is often cited as one of the UKs best Italian restaurants, and shows that as a nation we love all kinds of food influences, that there is no food snobbery here.

Supper Club: recipes and notes from the underground restaurant by Kerstin Rodgers – supper clubs and underground restaurants have been an important development in the UK over the last couple of years, and Kerstin Rodgers aka Ms Marmite Lover has been one of the leaders of the pack. This is a beautiful book, regardless of whether you want to run a supper club or not. Beautiful photography and great recips that you could use any time you had friends coming round, for any occasion.

Whilst I may not have convinced the Frenchman, I think there is so much great stuff to celebrate in the UK and we should be really celebrating that, every single day.

I love the many great producers that I get to meet, not to mention sample their produce. It’s also great to see other new businesses that pull together some of that great produce, and Flavrbox is one of those. Based in Bristol, this is a social-enterprise, so doing good whilst bringing you some great stuff to eat.

And this is not about offshoots of multinationals, this is about independent food and drink producers, some of the best from around the UK. It’s also about playing fair with the producers, not screwing them over to squeeze every last penny out of them. There’s a great range of stuff to choose from, like great bacon from Bringing Home the Bacon, an independent female pig farmer or a meaty snack from Chichester Biltong Company.

If it’s sweet stuff, then I’d check the jams and preserves from The Artisan Kitchen. The toffee apple jam sounds fabulous, perfect on a good piece of toasted bread from Hobbs House Bakery. Except you have to make the bread first, from one of their kits.

There’s also a subscription service, something which seems to be more and more popular. A 6 month subscription is £18 a  month, and will see a lovely box of 5 to 6 delicious goodies ariving on your doorstep every month. Or, if you’re feeling generous, send it to someone else.

So, if you’re looking for a great foodie gift that supports small independent businesses, then I’d encourage you to give Flavrbox a look.

I think this range is great, and love the corgis, and there’s plenty to choose from. Mugs and teapots, table coverings, and bunting. All pretty reasonable prices too. Not all the lines are online currently, so if you can face a trip to the actual store you’d get more choice.

I love the Emma Bridgewater stuff, which John Lewis at Westfield Stratford had a great display of over the weekend. The designs are quirky and great sayings too. The Royal Worcester versions will probably suit traditionalists better.

I thought what Cath Kidston did for the wedding last year was great, and she’s got some more great stuff for the Jubilee. You could be traditional and go with a mug or plate, but I also love the teatowel, the reusable bag or the hankie. Really, something for everyone.

I’ve written before about how much I love the guys at To Dry For, and my fave wedding teatowel came from them last year. There’s nothing on their site yet, but I would think they would be the site to go to for something a bit more unusual. My other favourite source is Not On the High Street, and they’re not shoddy on getting a great selection together. You’ll be needing a new apron? I like the contemporary version from Ulster Weavers.

And a great party surely deserves great bunting? This one is by Daisyley.

And finally there can’t be a great party without a great cake. And these are great toppers to go on top of a Victoria sponge and create a centrepiece fit for a Queen.

Go mad, hope for sunshine, and just have fun. Of course it’s going to be naff, but won’t it be great?

All round good eggs

Quick post, but just wanted to mention a few great businesses I’ve met over the last couple of weeks, who are doing great things with food, in different ways:

* Turnbulls Deli – if you’re near Shaftesbury, I’m quite sure you’ll already know this deli, and if not then make a detour when you’re near the area. Renowned for the cheese selection, not unexpected given Charlie’s reputation as International Man of Cheese. If you want Gorgonzola, this is the place to shop. The damson gin is pretty darn good too.

* The White Lion Inn at Bourton – great place to stop by if you’re heading to Shaftesbury, there are 3 lovely rooms, great bar, open fires and great hosts. Can’t vouch for the restaurant as got back from a reception at Turnbulls after the kitchen shut, but we got a really good cheese and pickle sandwich. Really good breakfast too. Proper scrambled eggs, none of this microwaved malarkey!

* La Crèmerie – I met Emma on a course, having looked at her site a couple of times. Always great to meet owners in person though, and Emma’s passion for cheese really shone through. Emma carries a range of more unusual cheeses, particularly from the UK, so worth checking out if you want something a bit different on your cheeseboard.

All round good eggs, worth spending your money with!

Just a quick one for those of us likely to get involved in street party or TV party baking for the two big events this year. Cake Craft Shop have a special Olympic and Jubilee section for cake decorations, and some great stuff to choose from. Might be worth stockpiling now before everyone gets themselves into the swing of things.

There’s a patriotic cupcake package, so everything you need from cases to a stand to serve them on, and even red, white and blue sprinkles. There are cupcake cases, sprinkles and toppers, in every kind of regal, patriotic fervour than you could want. I really like the crown cutter, could see getting use out of this for kid’s parties for ever afterwards.

And in a naff, cheesy, retro kind of way, I love the sporting figures for the tops of cakes, and am already working out what to make. Swimming pool cake got to be done, and gonna have to a running cake for when Twiglet carries the Olympic torch this year.

I’ll no doubt be coming back to these two events quite a few times as the year unfurls, but these are great starting points to get into the cupboard now.

I’ve written before about how much I enjoy giving food experiences rather than just food things, and I’ve given a few from different “experience” companies. I really like Red Letter Days, and they have some great experiences for food lovers and cooks. Have a look at these and see if there’s someone on your list to match them up with:

* Get the inside track on some of the hidden food delights of Portobello Market with Celia Brooks Brown. Eat and drink your way round the area, drawing on Celia’s experience and knowledge, and including things like tapas and seafood. I think it would be fascinating and tasty, and a great way for two of you to spend an afternoon. You can also do Covent Garden with Celia as well, or book both!

* I’m a big lover of afternoon tea. And I’m rather fond of gin. So surely a Hendricks Gin Afternoon Tea is a fabulous combination. This experience pays for two to go to afternoon tea at Hush, with a proper spread, plenty of cake and then cocktails. And then you get to mix your own cocktails. Just don’t book for dinner afterwards!

* Fascinated by all those dishes going round on the conveyor belt at Yo Sushi? Well, now you can book in for sushi lessons with them at a number of the branches around the country. Two of you can get to learn some of the intricacies, the ingredient selection and learn how to make three different types. Then demolish them!

* If you’re going for broke this year, then opening an envelope containing a break at Le Manoir would definitely add a certain something to Christmas morning. This would be on my bucket list, and this “experience” buys one nights accommodation in a junior suite, a truly memorable five course dinner, breakfast, the run of the gardens, the whole lot. Personally, I’d be hoping to run into Adam, and if Mr Blanc was spotted would have to declare “voilà!”

* A little less onerous on the bank balance, but certainly still tasty and memorable, would be the tour of the Penderyn Distillery, the only whisky distillery in Wales. Of course you have to get there, you might have to stay, but sure you’d still be onto a great value weekend. The tour also includes a tasting of the product, which continues to win awards in the whisky world.

These are experiences that I guess you might not think to head out and do yourself, but if someone gave you the opportunity then you’d enjoy those things. I always think these are great options for those people you have no idea what the heck to buy!