We’ve rounded up our pick of fun things to get your teeth stuck into this autumn. From sweets and treats to scary spirits, whether you’re celebrating Halloween or just want to embrace the season's aromas, we’ve hunted down the creme of the crop......
Chococo
As the nights draw in this gorgeous chocolate collection from Chococo is just the ticket for dinner party petit fours, or simply something sweet to have with your mug of tea. The Chococo Autumn Collection Box features individually hand-crafted chocolates, with colours all inspired by the Dorset countryside from this Swanage-based chocolatier.
Our faves include Port Barrel Gin & Juniper – made with Dorset Conker Gin infused in port barrels blended with juniper and creamy plant-based oat m!lk chocolate and Toffee Apple – An apple-infused toffee apple caramel, made with Dorset apple syrup by Liberty Fields orchards in West Dorset.
For the kids, you can celebrate Halloween with these adorable wise owls which come handcrafted in Colombia origin 47% milk chocolate, or 43% Colombian cocoa oat m!lk chocolate.
Autumn Collection Box (£26.00/25 chocolates, £19.50/16 chocolates)
Chococo’s Wise Owls (£12.50/150g)
Joe & Seph's Sticky Toffee Sauce
Oh my, this sauce from Joe & Seph’s is indulgent beyond belief. You can drizzle it over desserts, use it as a base for tarts and cakes (we made a banoffee pie), or just scoop it straight out of the pot (we did that too). The handmade sticky toffee caramel sauce has added double cream and is finished with a pinch of sea salt.
Joe & Seph's Sticky Toffee Sauce
Ocado, £4.75
Honey’s Heaven’s Mushroom Honey - NEW
This latest concoction from Honey Heaven incorporates the ingredient of the moment ‘mushrooms’ into classic Hungarian organic Acacia honey for added health and wellness. The mushrooms give the honey a deeper malty taste with rich, dark chocolatey undertones.
Honey Heaven has used a freeze-dried mix of seven organic mushroom varieties: Reishi, Chaga, Shitake, Maitake, Lions mane, and Cordyceps. Because the mushroom varietals used have not been dehydrated during drying, they retain 90% of the goodness of raw mushrooms.
Mushrooms are known to bring many health benefits including immune system support and boosted energy levels. This is the ideal thing to incorporate into your diet in the approach to winter.
300g jar for £22
Amarula Cream – EDITOR’S PICK
Here’s a warm autumn hug as we transition into crisper evenings. Amarula Cream is made with a base spirit of marula (an African fruit that elephants can’t get enough of during its once-a-year harvest). The marula fruit is distilled in oak for two years before cream is added to it to create this gorgeous liqueur. This is a lighter, slightly more fruity alternative than the well-known Irish cream often drunk by the bucketload in winter. Get involved!
17% ABV and is available to purchase for £12.50 from Amazon and Tesco.
Bird & Blend - Spiced Pumpkin Pie Matcha
Are you a sucker for autumn aromas, and suddenly find yourself craving for added cinnamon and pumpkin to everything as soon as the season turns? If yes, then try this Spiced Pumpkin Pie Matcha from Bird & Blend. Japanese green matcha tea has been blended with all of the above. Just whisk it up (with a bamboo whisk if you have one) for a frothy spiced latte with added matcha benefits to power you on through the darker months.
Bird & Blend, £20
Brain Boost – Bioglan Superfoods - NEW
Here’s another mushroom plug from the wellness powder range Bioglan Superfoods. The latest product Brain Boost has launched this month offering a super blend of nootropics, created to support cognitive health and performance. Lion's Mane, Cordyceps and Ginseng have been mixed with cocoa powder to make this an ultra-easy (and tasty) way to incorporate goodness into your food or drink. Add it to your smoothies, breakfast porridge and more to support focus and clarity of mind.
Bioglan Superfoods Brain Boost, RRP £16.99 per pack 70 grams
Kah Tequila
We’ve found the perfect tequila bottle for Halloween. This Day of the Dead illustrated KAH tequila will give you a fright if you’re not careful. We suggest leaving it on a shelf in the dark on Halloween and see who you can scare the life out of. If it works, give them a shot to calm their nerves. This super smooth 100% Blue Weber Agave-based tequila is high-quality stuff so no need to douse it with salt and lemon. KAH which means ‘life’ in the ancient Mayan language, is made in the town of Tequila, Mexico so it's 100% legit.
£35 for a 70cl bottle
Heck Hallowieners
Frighteningly good food is all part and parcel of the perfect Halloween bash and this year HECK! has got some spooktacular sausages to go with your ‘toad in the howl’ or ‘monster mash’. Packed with flavour you can swear (and scare) by, their limited edition Hallowiener is a wickedly sticky and slightly spicy sausage that combines 80% lean British pork shoulder, pumpkin, black treacle and a touch of chilli.
RRP: £2.50 / 400g / six sausages
Ocado's new Korean range
With the popularity of Korean street food sparking a demand for ingredients to cook at home, Ocado have just launched a range of Korean food online. Including brands such as Kelly Loves and Bibigo, you'll be rustling up healthy, tasty Korean meals in no time.
Tracklements Special Edition English Hedgerow Chutney - NEW
Crumpets at the ready, this new Tracklements Special Edition English Hedgerow Chutney is autumn in a pot. The team has chosen damsons from Worcestershire, tangy Bramley apples from Kent and blackberries from Scotland, and blended them all together with added warming ginger and nutmeg. This is a 2023 cheese plate accessory to die for!
RRP £3.75 for 190g from fine food delis and farm shops nationwide and online at www.tracklements.co.uk
Apple & Cinnamon Instant Bircher Muesli - NEW
We love a bit of Rude Health at Chatting Food HQ. If you want to make sure your mornings start with an autumn bang try their latest launch - Apple & Cinnamon Instant Bircher Muesli. Featuring oats that go soft in seconds, with added dried apple and a touch of cinnamon, you can get your healthy fix in an instant with this high in fibre blend. For an ultimate plant-based start, check out their own range of non-dairy milk options too.
Rude Health Apple & Cinnamon
Bircher is available from Waitrose from September, RRP. £3/375g.
Madhūka Tea – NEW
If you’re always searching for the next superfood, you’ll love this recently launched tea range from ōForest which is bringing the unique taste of the Madhuca flower to the UK for the very first time. Already legendary in the communities local to where the Madhuca Longifolia tree is found (the forests of India, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka), Madhūka’s nutty, caramel-like taste and rich nutritional benefits also lend themselves to making an exceptional brew. For an autumn pick-me-up try Madhūka Tea Space (a calming clove and spicy cinnamon blend) and Madhūka Tea Fire (smooth sea buckthorn and warming ginger blend).
£7.98 per box
[Items in this article may have been gifted to Chatting Food. No financial payment has been made to feature in this article, and entries to the feature are made independently by members of the Editorial Team. This page contains affiliate links and we may receive a small commission for purchases]