The YIN bar for the ladies is a full 100g, smooth organic dark chocolate bar with a soothing, calming blend of ancient Chinese Ayurveda herbal extracts, known to assist in the remedy of pre-menstrual stress. The YANG chocolate bar is for the boys and is also 100g. Good enough as a smooth organic milk chocolate but with added extras of the Ayurveda herbal blend, which boasts natural libido boosting properties. 

Created by Feeding Your Imagination Chef Director (Celebrity Master Chef and spiritual healer) Paul Da-Costa-Greaves, these new functional bars sit alongside the current range of “Choose Your Mood” and “Traditional” chocolates, which we also produce. ‘My passion is all about balancing the body and mind which I channel through my cooking; I have been practising alternative therapies for many years and developing unique herbal blends which are used throughout my dishes. Just four pieces of the YIN and YANG will revitalise you, however one full bar is extremely effective for a full natural correction of imbalances within the body.’  

We now have fifteen award winning chocolate bars in the range, all organic and with eye catching packaging and inspirational names like; BEAUTIFUL, DREAMY, SEXY, FANTASTIC, LOVELY, SEDUCTIVE, MISTRESS, SENSUAL, GORGEOUS, FRUITY, MILK, DARK, SECRET, YIN & YANG, and can be purchased either online or via a number of approved stockists.

Yes, it's that time of year again! A time for sitting around eating too much chocolate and drinking a little more than we probably should; Christmas and New Years!

I wanted to spread the seasonal spirit with a little recipe for you to try at home to amaze your friends and family! Chilli chocolate mine pies, mmmm.

Season's greetings from me; here's hoping you've all had a good year and an even better one to come! Merry Christmas and  happy New Year!

(Click the image above for recipe and Christmas card)

FYI's award winning Chrimbo Pud has just won yet another award. It's been given 'Best of Desserts' from Taste of the West Awards 2011.

The best dessert is one of the most prestigious awards of the whole awards programme! All the gold-winning products of each category were put forward and judged again to select the 'best of' class - the Chrimbo Pud was awarded 'Best of Desserts 2011'. 

After that, all the best of category winners were presented to Rick Stein, who tasted, judged and selected the champion product (his comment about the chrimbo pud was 'a really lovely Christmas pudding, fruity but light'). 

To read all about the award and to find out more about Chrimbo Pud visit;

http://www.tasteofthewest.co.uk/content/two-golds-for-legendary-christmas-pudding.html

We’ve settled in really well already, moving both our main offices and warehousing capabilities. Bristol has a long history with chocolate and it also provides a more central location to London, which is great for our expansion plans of the company. This expansion will enable us to efficiently service an increase in demand from our international markets, whilst maintaining the highest levels of customer service that our retailers and distribution partners have come to rely on.

This kind of news calls from a celebration, and we’re feeling rather generous.
Buy four or more of our tasty handmade chocolate bars, and receive a surprise flavour chocolate bar, absolutely free!

You’re spoilt for choice too. Our ‘Traditional’ range offers three scrumptious bars in classic dark, milk or secret flavours. Made with the finest Organic and Fairtrade Belgian chocolate, it’s handmade with 73%, 36% and 55% cocoa giving you a truly luxurious quality chocolate.

Or perhaps you fancy a more therapeutic indulgence? ‘Choose Your Mood’ is a collection of twelve perfect 100gram bars of tasty Belgium chocolate, handmade and blended with essential oils and herbs for a unique alternative indulgence. This is what Paul’s calls a ‘massage from within’ the kind of indulgence you get from an aromatherapy massage contained in just a few squares of chocolate indulgence.

Try our range of classic, therapeutic chocolates, or discover more in our range of gourmet food like our seaweed sauces or Christmas Puddings by visiting our online shop simply click here and enjoy!

The highly prestigious awards are considered one of the highest benchmarks in the food industry, so we’re delighted that our chocolate has that kind of recognition from the fine food industry.

The winners are:
‘Sexy’- Milk chocolate with added essential oil of chilli - not for the faint hearted. This mildly hot luxurious treat received one Gold star.

‘Sensual’ - Milk chocolate with a subtle hint of sweet orange oil, combined with a few drops of nutmeg and chilli also received a Gold star.

The biggest winner of the event was the ‘Seductive’ bar. 73% cocoa dark chocolate infused with ginger, jasmine green tea and goji berries. This came out on top winning two Gold stars!

The success behind the Feeding Your Imaginations award winning ‘Choose Your Mood’ range of chocolates may be rooted in Master Chef and Director, Paul Da-Costa-Greaves’ cooking thesis. His background as a spiritual healer leads him to create an “alternative” chocolate indulgence in the kitchen.

‘I believe that through working with complimentary essential oils we can aid natural health and restore balance. I have used this harmony of essential oils and herbs and infused it into chocolate - my aim is to create a fabulous tasting, Zen-like experience for every day issues like fatigue, restlessness and indigestion.'
And If it wasn’t enough having our tasty chocolate bars winning four Gold Stars this year our Christmas Puddings have also won two awards this year, another Gold Star again from the Great Taste Awards and another from the Taste of the West.

Fancy indulging in some award winning gourmet food? Simply click here to be redirected to the online shop where you’ll find all our award winners waiting to be ordered!

Right now were also offering a special promotion to celebrate our move to Bristol and our award winnings chocolate bars. Simply order four or more bars of chocolate from our online shop and receive a surprise chocolate flavour absolutely free!

We are a progressive food producer with a range of gourmet products created here in the UK.  Not to boast, but we have won 15 taste awards and counting. Our products are available from independent retailers, farm shops, delicatessens and gift stores across the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Holland and Poland.

Our award winning range consists of;

Therapeutic chocolates 15 gorgeous flavours handmade with Organic and Fairtrade chocolate, blended with luxury essential oils and herbs. This is chocolate that not only tastes great but serves a purpose; the delicate infusion of therapeutic oils and herbs promotes inner well-being effectiveness.

Seaside Sauces is a unique range of natural nutritional condiments made from the finest ingredients the Irish Sea has to offer. Tasty gourmet sauces packed full of super-healthy brain foods, to stimulate the mind and taste buds!
Our sauces are based around 2 main ingredients;  seaweed which is high in vitamins, minerals, magnesium and iron and the herb ginseng which can help balance chakra energy between the different organs in the human body.

Christmas Puddings which are fantastically light yet rich, fruity and boozy. We are the only Christmas puddings on the market to be granted full rights from Courvoisier vs. Cognac brandy, which is renowned for its distinguished taste and quality.
We’ve taken out the suet, but also taken extra special care not to lose any of the flavour. This exquisite attention to detail has been well recognised and it’s one of the reasons why we’ve received numerous taste awards; including ‘Number 1 Christmas pudding’ by the Daily Telegraph, and a personal recommendation from celebrity chef Anthony Worral Thompson!
Having no suet means our Christmas puddings are suitable for Vegetarians, as well as being wheat and nut free with full Cross Grain approval from the Coeliac Society!

Indulge your taste buds in our distinguished, alternative and truly unique flavours. Browse our range via the online shop

“I love the concept of these bars as well as the actual product, Fruity, Dreamy, Sensual and surprisingly Beautiful being my favourites. The combination of spices, herbs and oils not only adds to the taste but also to the mood enhancing benefits.”

Our dark chocolate seemed to go down a real treat too. Organic and Fairtrade and made with 73% Cocoa, Arran claims its: "One of my favourites and probably the best dark chocolate that I've tasted. Dark and glossy in appearance, with a nice crisp snap when broken the chocolate melts in the mouth with not a trace of bitterness nor sweetness. Quite a light but substantial chocolate."

We’re also really glad we could change her mind about white chocolate with our ‘Beautiful’ bar. Describing her dislike for white chocolate she then goes on to say that ‘Beautiful’ isn’t sickly and the added bergamot and cinnamon give the bar sophisticated flavour and pleasing taste. She rates this bar in her top four favourite bars of our range!

“I think all of these bars would be ideal gifts or even if you just wanted to treat yourself. These are the types of chocolates to savour and appreciate, to pick out all of the different notes and spices and I would definitely recommend them!” - Read the full review here

Want to try some of our gourmet chocolate for yourself?
Click the link to browse our range of tasty treats.. Also be sure to look at our gift boxes, perfect for that special someone in your life and they can be tailored with flavours to match their personality!!

Here at FYI we believe in an alternative to popping pills, we believe that your body is amazing and that it just needs a little extra natural help from time to time to get you back on form and feeling ready to take on the world!

Our Celebrity Chef - Paul Da-Costa-Greaves’ background as an aromatherapist means he is already use to using essential oils and herbs to soothe and aid natural health. By then adding these to Organic and Fairtrade chocolate it gives the consumer a ‘massage from within’, that is not only delicious in taste but serves a purpose.

From Dreamy; a heavenly Milk Chocolate bar with Geranium Rose and Lemon that helps soothe the mind and promote a natural stress free sleep, to Fantastic; a lively bar of Milk Chocolate, Grapefruit and Black Pepper that gives you the boost of energy - an espresso in a tasty chocolate bar! Each bar has been specifically created to help naturally aid those niggles and problems we can get from time to time.
Paul’s ambition is to make alternative remedies more mainstream. “I would class myself as a soulful person… through my calm energy and love I can channel this positive energy into the food I create.”

We currently sell to food markets and farm shops, delis, health food shops, small independent retailers, even some lingerie shops! … and of course our lovely online shop right here, click the link to browse our choice of tasty Organic and Fairtrade Chocolates.

The eagerly anticipated ‘Taste of London 2011’ is finally here this month! Returning for its eighth year to London’s Regent’s Park from 16-19th June 2011. Bringing together a selection of world famous restaurants in an unique outdoors food and drink festival, showcasing cuisine from some of the country’s best chefs. In conjunction with Channel 4 and in partnership with British Airways, the Taste of London festival enables visitors to sample gourmet cooking in Regents Park over four mouth-watering days in June.

There are 13 Taste Festivals hosted annually around the world, which have become so highly regarded that they are the ‘point of reference’ for food and drinks events worldwide. Attracting an audience of more than 50,000, it is ‘Taste of London’ that is the most popular and grandest of the Taste Festivals.
The huge stage is handed over to the mastery of some of the world’s best-known chefs, who demonstrate their skills and divulge some of their culinary secrets live on-stage. Michelin starred celebrities chefs such as Gary Rhodes, Michel Roux Jr, Silvena Rowe and Richard Corrigan will be serving up some of their favourite creations across the four days of the event.
Taste of London visitors will also be able to buy dishes from 40 of the London’s top restaurants, taste and buy from 200 food and drink producers, enjoy fine wine tasting and Champagne masterclasses with Laurent-Perrier. We are told there will be a host of new and exciting restaurants, including ORA, Corrigan’s, Petrus, Le Caprice and Gauthier Soho.

New to Taste of London this year will be the introduction of The Secret Garden – said to be ‘a gastronomic oasis’, an exclusive area of ‘hidden treats’ which will be tucked away in Regent's Park.  Visitors to The Secret Garden will have the chance to take part in Q&A sessions with some chef greats, in addition to tasting canapés and champagne they will also enjoy access to a private bar and lounge.

Tickets recently went on sale, for what is likely to be another sell out event. To find out more about what will be on offer at this year’s Taste of London, go to: www.tastefestivals.com/london

 So this weekend is yet another bank holiday weekend! Hoorah!

But were not getting going to let this 4 day weekend go to waste… we’re going to be cooking up a storm this weekend at the Edmonton Green Food Festival from Saturday 28th May.

This is a fantastic two weekend festival held in Edmonton Green Shopping Centre.

Celebrating foods of the world and all things tasty, there will be a huge variety of exciting things to do - from live cooking theatres, to taste testing and even a cupcake workshop for kids! Come and sample a tasty and diverse choice of foods, discover what’s new and even come away some great cooking tips from the host of celebrity chefs that will be at the event, including our very own Paul da-Costa-Greaves.

Our lovely Chef Paul will be joining a selection of regional and National Celebrity Chefs, in a live cookery theatre preparing food in front of a live audience. ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ eat your heart out!

There’s going to be plenty for the whole family including a Cupake Workshop for kids that is sure to please! Why not join us? Doors open at 11am – 5pm at Edmonton Green Shopping Centre, London, N9 0TZ.

For more information visit www.edmontongreencentre.co.uk

We’ve decided to create this range of chocolates free of fancy packaging or labels. After all our chocolate doesn’t need all that drama to shine - it’s still the same great tasting chocolate inside just without all the complications. Hassle free, gorgeous chocolate in its simplest, purest form.

Our new range of ‘no frills’ chocolates will round up our bunch of handmade chocolate bars to an even twenty! We have classic Milk chocolate, Dark chocolate and White chocolate bars as well as our new Fruit & Nut bars. Classic Milk chocolate blended with crushed Fruit & Nut and Dark chocolate with Fruit and Nut complete the series.

Pauls fresh and spiritual approach to cooking is still at the core of everything FYI creates. “Yes, I am at peace, and through my calm energy and love I can channel this positive energy into the food I create”. This attitude has earned him a great deal of respect within the fine food circles and we’re sure that these latest additions to our growing family of chocolate bars will go down a treat too!

This is the kind of chocolate you can indulge in everyday! All our bars are handmade here in the UK West Country. If this has got your mouth watering why not click the link to browse what offer tasty treats we have on offer in our online store.

 
Keep your eyes peeled for our new ‘no frills’ range – coming soon!!

Free from Foods celebrates foods and supplements that are free from artificial flavourings, colours and ingredients. And just like us here at Feeding Your Imagination, we believe that by having natural ingredients and natural flavours it results in a superior taste of the highest quality. All of our chocolate is 100% Fairtrade and organic, and our gorgeous little bars come in fifteen flavours to suit your each and every mood. Click here to read the review

So this is it, the final bar we have to tell you about, we’ve gone through each story of how our 15 bars came to light. Now it’s time for our delectable and cheeky fruity bar.

‘Fruity’ – Handmade chocolate, infused with our special Christmas pudding. Adapted from a Jamaican cake recipe that has been in Chef Paul Da-Costa-Greaves family for years, it’s light and fruity but also suitable for vegetarians and contains no nuts, no suet and is wheat free!

Although it’s blended with Christmas pudding it’s not out of place to be munching on a bar in the middle of May and it adds a little bit of luxury on the side of a latte! Click the link to browse our tasty chocolates and see what tickles your fancy!

Our tasty, organic and therapeutic bars of Fair trade chocolate such as ‘Dreamy’, ‘Gorgeous’ and ‘Fantastic’ will be unravelled in Poland. Poland now joins our family of EU distributors including Spain, Italy, Netherlands and Baltic Islands!

This new addition to our Export partners was sourced whilst exhibiting at London’s Natural & Organic Products show in early April. Paul says this is fantastic news as he adds ‘watch this space’.

Today Poland, tomorrow the world…!!

        It’s time for the weekend, and also time for us to pick another one of our special little bars to tempt you with!! Chilli chocolate is particularly popular these days. Although its combination was considered ‘a little odd’ when it first arrived on the scene, it’s now well-known amongst consumers, and chocolate companies everywhere are putting their own spin on the recipe.

But we here at FYI… we’d like to think ours was a bit different. It’s just one of our tasty ‘choose your mood’ bars, created not only to taste good, but to make you feel good! To create a ‘massage from within’ that uplifts the soul and gives you a balanced, positive inner well-being.

Sexy – Organic therapeutic milk chocolate and chilli.

This award winning bar is made with natural and organic ingredients. The ingredients in our ‘sexy’ bar are really given the chance to shine. The Fairtrade milk chocolate is made with 36% cocoa solids, making it soft, creamy and melt in your mouth gorgeousness! The best hand selected chilli’s blended into the bar give the silky milk chocolate fire and heat that doesn’t overpower, but compliments the softness of the chocolate. ‘Sexy’ bars passionate taste makes you want it so much more.

Chilli and chocolate; a smoking hot, ‘sexy’ combination! It’s that ‘sexy’ little treat that you can have at work and get away with it. ;) Click the link to browse our beautiful range of organic chocolates, and see what mood tickles your fancy!

A successful evening was had by all at Goldbrick House in Bristol, Paul Da-Costa-Greaves from  Feeding Your Imagination supported them for a wine and Chocolate evening.

Goldbrick house which is situated in the West End of Bristol, with a café, bar, champagne and cocktail bar, restaurant and terrace, was the perfect place to host the evening.

‘Wine and chocolate events are getting more and more popular and since launching our ‘choose your moods’ range this new addition of chocolate & wine matching has proved a hit!’ Says Paul. ‘The night was fantastic; a real-relaxed, friendly introduction to various foodies in the Bristol area and a chance for our tasty handmade chocolates to show their mood enhancing capabilities.’

‘The combinations of chocolate and wine were great!’ Added Paul. ‘Our ”choose your mood” range really complimented the array of various wines perfectly. From Cava to Sancerre, to Pinotage, Zinfandel and finished off with a delicate Moscatel and aged Port. The  ‘choose your mood’ range created some great taste pairings! Each wine (just like our chocolates) is different in body, character and flavour, and of course we were there to show which one of lovely chocolates would complement the wines and to create one of Feeding Your Imaginations “massages from within”.’

Chef Paul Da-Costa-Graves background as an aromatherapist meant he’s already use to using essential oils and herbs, to soothe and aid natural health. Adding these to the gourmet, handmade chocolate bars, creates that ‘mood enhancing indulgence’ - an explosion of taste and flavours that promote goodness, well-being and stimulates emotions such as… ‘Sexy’ ‘Lovely’ ‘Beautiful’.

See where we are next; sign up to our newsletter for details of upcoming chocolate events.

So what’s my favourite? Well I guess it’s time for the ‘sensual’ bar to take centre stage.

Sensual: Organic therapeutic Milk Chocolate with Sweet Orange, Nutmeg and Chilli.
This is my favourite bar because it fills me with positivity and warmth; it’s the perfect accompaniment to a cosy night at home with my favourite rom com movie. The milk chocolate is organic and Fairtrade, it’s extremely smooth and creamy and gives that utter melt in the mouth moment! The chilli is subtle but warm. It doesn’t blow your socks off yet it adds depth to the flavour of the bar. This then coupled with the sweet orange and nutmeg creates a harmonious flavour resulting in one of Paul Da-Costa-Greaves’ ‘massages from within’.

Paul’s collaboration of gourmet chocolate and aromatherapy oils and herbs gives him a spiritual outlook on cooking. “Yes I am at peace, and through my calm energy and love I can channel this positive energy into the food I create” His attitude to cooking has earned his numerous prestigious awards and Feeding Your Imagination is fast becoming a known brand in fine food circles.

Why not try of one or spiritual delights for yourself, whatever your mood we’ve got the chocolate to complement it. Simply click the link to browse our online shop or check out our stockist lists to see where you can grab our bars in your local area.

Happy Easter everyone! Hope you all have a fantastic long weekend and enjoy this great weather we’ve been having!

Gorgeous Easter chocolate gifts.

Every week we introduce you to one of our special little bars. This time around we’re showing off our ‘Gorgeous’ bar because it is simply that… gorgeous! A tad biased maybe, but what is gorgeous? For me it’s that feeling you get inside, the one that makes you feel like a million bucks strutting down the street. And this bar definitely gives me that feeling, so here it is:

‘Gorgeous’ – Organic, therapeutic dark chocolate with sweet orange, mixed spices and rose petals.
Rich dark Belgian chocolate, made from 73% cocoa solids. It’s certified organic and surprisingly healthy! Dark chocolate is well-known for being an anti-oxidant, as well as helping to de-stress and relax blood pressure. The sweet orange tastes divine with the rich dark chocolate. A few moments later the gentle floral notes of rose petals creep up and give subtle but harmonious flavours to an already great tasting bar! Mixed spices like cardamom, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon make your insides warm and tingly, making you feel great on the inside, which shines on the outside -  Look at you… gorgeous!

Choose a chocolate gift with a special twist - That mood enhancing indulgence that will make them feel ‘gorgeous.’ Click the link to browse our online shop and discover our full range of therapeutic chocolates.

Well… ask Paul! That’s right! Paul Da-Costa-Greaves; celebrity chef and creator of Feeding Your Imagination, now has his handsome face fronting the brand. 

Well… we wanted to show off our gorgeous ‘choose your mood’ bars of gourmet chocolate that are not only organic and Fairtrade but, are created with an unique blend of essential oils and herbs that stimulate inner well-being to bring a new level of pleasure to your taste buds. 

Paul’s background in aromatherapy meant he was already use to using essential oils and herbs to soothe and aid natural health. - “As a practicing spiritual healer and alternative therapist, this gives me the ammunition to passionately develop, cook and introduce new subtle flavours and ingredients taking them a stage further and blending them into a true harmonious sensory experience.”

By adding these to high quality, Belgian, gourmet chocolate it creates a ‘mood enhancing indulgence’ - an explosion of taste and flavours that promotes goodness, well-being and stimulates emotions such as… ‘Sexy’ ‘Lovely’ ‘Beautiful’.

We currently sell to food markets and farm shops, delis, health food shops, small independent retailers, even some lingerie shops! Or you can buy right here just click to browse your range of ‘choose your mood’ and ‘traditional’ gourmet chocolates!

We love this time of year; the sun is out, the days are getting longer and it’s time for the Natural & Organic show; the industry leading event in natural produce, taking place on the 3rd and 4th of April in London Olympia.

Now in its fiftieth year the Natural and Organic show features over 500 exhibitors, showcasing the very best in specialist food, drink, beauty, supplement and healthcare products, in addition to a fantastic line-up of top speakers - no other show delivers the entire industry under one roof!

We’re very excited as it’s our second year exhibiting and even though last year was great, we think this year is going to be even better, especially as we’ve been nominated for a ‘free from award’! The award hosted by celebrity chef and author Antony Worrall Thompson celebrates innovative food products that are free-from one or more of the following ingredients; wheat, gluten, dairy products, eggs, soya and sugar. Our Christmas pudding not only comes with full gluten-free approval from the Coeliac Society, but has also won GOLD in the Great Taste Awards.

We’re all going to be there, my seaside ‘seaweed’ sauces, Christmas puddings and not forgetting our fifteen delicious flavours of mood indulging organic chocolate. Created with essential oils and herbs to give that massage from within… So bring your taste buds and let us show you what gourmet food indulgence tastes like!

We want you there so come say hi to myself and sample our organic chocolate and other treats. Visit the site for a list of trains, car parks, even accommodation with special rates for attendees. Whatever your budget make it a great day out or even a weekend to immerse yourself in all things natural!

The Natural & Organic Show
Feeding Your Imagination invites you to visit us at Natural & Organic Products Europe on stand number 7050E
Sunday 3rd April 9.30 – 17.30
Monday 4thh April 9.30 – 17.00

Click here to register for your free trade ticket

Paul x

...Just in case you haven’t heard my mega phone shouting the good news, I thought I would let you know here that it’s free delivery on all our Feeding Your Imagination products when you buy directly from our website.

So why not stock up? Easter and mother’s day are just around the corner and *checks calendar* look at that! Its National treat yourself day. Right on time...

Paul x

• UK producer and manufacturer
• Responsibly sourced ingredients from our organic and fairtrade partners
• We DO NOT USE dairy in our dark chocolate - making them suitable for Vegans
• We supply FREE point of sale
• Wheat and gluten free
• 2 price points; 'Traditional' range from RRP £2.29 and functional 'choose your mood' range from £3.69

Paul has used homemade mince meat with the addition of some grated 73% dark Mistress organic chocolate, full of cocoa nibs, acai and chilli giving you some extra warmth over those cold festive days...

Ingredients:
280gm plain flour
25gm ground almonds
175gm butter

85gm golden caster sugar
Zest 1 lemon
1 egg yolk
2-3 tbsp milk
 

Homemade mincemeat -
300gm mixed dried fruit being sultana/raisin/currants/mixed peel
100gm semi dried dates
50gm grated Mistress dark organic chocolate (if your not lucky to have a bar lying around then any good dark choc 70% + will do fine, just add 1 little pinch of chilli powder if using just plain choc)
3 apples grated
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp dark brown sugar

1 tsp each of nutmeg, mixed spice & cinnamon
Zest & juice of 1 lemon & 1 orange
5 tbsp rum or brandy, whichever is your tipple, or go half & half
2 tbsp olive oil
Icing sugar to finish

Method: - preheat oven to 190/375 - gas 5

For pastry, add flour & almonds to food processor, add butter & pulse till breadcrumbs, sprinkle in sugar, zest, add egg and milk, pulse till it comes together, remove from bowl and squeeze together, if dry, add a couple of drops of water, roll into a ball, wrap in cling film, chill for about half an hour. 

Take all the mincemeat ingredients and place into the food processor, pulse a couple of times, remove and leave to infuse flavours. 

Roll out pastry to approx a couple of mm thickness and using a round or fluted 7 inch cutter, cut approx 12 discs out to sit in your bun tin. Then using a smaller 6 inch round or fluted cutter, cut 12 more discs of pastry out for the top. 

Spoon 2 tsps of the mincemeat into the pastry bases and dampen the sides, place the smaller pastry lid on top. Bake for 12-15 mins or until golden, remove onto wire rack to cool, dust with icing sugar and serve. 

Enjoy with a good strong cuppa - Yorkshire tea! 

Happy Christmas......Paul
x

We have just finished the artwork for our next billboard that we managed to book in Exeter, Marsh Barton - a 40ft wide gourmet chocolate promotion to say the least!

The billboard campaign will run from the 8th - 22nd December. If it creates just half the amount of buzz that our last one did then we'll be more than happy. The promotion focuses on our Gourmet chocolate and gluten free Christmas puddings which are available from the online shop or from stockists nationwide. 

I made these new bars using exactly the same organic and fairtrade Belgium chocolate as the existing range. However, they do not share the same unique flavourings of essential oils and herbal ingredients, this therefore allows us to position ourselves at a very attractive price point for the 'on the go' market. Furthermore, as we are celebrating the history of chocolate, it makes perfect sense to not have this wonderful chocolate share 'centre stage' with any other ingredients; we let the cocoa speak for itself'!

The three new 'Traditional' chocolate bars will have an RRP of £2.25 - £2.49 and will be distributed through approved Feeding Your Imagination distributors and retailers. In addition, consumers will also have the option to buy gift packs of the 'choose your moodl' and 'Traditional' range online, through the new e-commerce section of the website.

The event will be hosted by Paul and is a great opportunity to introduce the concept behind our range of mood enhancing therapeutic chocolates. This will give consumers the opportunity to �Choose their mood� and discover what our exciting brand is all about.

The evening is being held for both new and existing customers of Arch House Deli to enjoy drinks and a fondue fountain, with samplings of our flavoured mood enhancing chocolates; from relaxation to uplifting; fatigue beating, libido giving and energy boosting.��

For further information and to arrange event tickets please contact Arch House Deli on Tel: 0117 974 1166 or visit www.archhousedeli.com

Aimed at �on-the-go� and the �coffee break� market; the Feeding Your Imagination �little bites� can be purchased singularly, making an ideal accompaniment to a latt�. This should see us now make a break into coffee shops and bars. We have always been shown a keen interest from the �on the go� and coffee shops trade, but more so for smaller versions of our 100g bars. There were a number of options we had been pursuing over the last year and we�re now glad to announce the new 10g �little bite� addition to the range.

In a new series for Living Devon, Paul Da-Costa-Greaves, chef, spiritual healer & chocolate therapist talks to you about everyday people.

Lifestyle Presenter, Chef, spiritual healer & chocolate therapist, Paul Da Costa Greaves is well known in �Foodie� circles - his award winning creations include deliciously organic chocolate, where essential oils & herbs are used for that mood enhancing indulgence, mouth watering seaweed sauces and the odd Chrimbo pud or two. Paul�s busy fish restaurant in Topsham, Exeter is run with a spiritual ethos. The emphasis is on balance and harmony in the kitchen - and in the food! Paul has practised aromatherapy, massage and healing since the early nineties and attends regular weekly clinics within Exeter. Paul talks to Living Devon about his passion for food, Buddhist philosophy - and alternative therapies.

When did you know you wanted to be a chef?
I think around the age of 4! There�s a saying in the north: �You start walking, you start working!� I remember being fascinated watching my Mother take different spices out of the spice jar, bashing them up and rubbing them into the meat the night before.

What prompted your interest in alternative therapy & spiritual healing?
My demanding job and work. I desperately needed a higher force to keep me spiritually balanced and grounded, I did tend to fly away with the fairies!

How easy has it been to combine your love of food with your spiritual nature?
I have always respected the ingredients I prepare and use but somehow in the early years it didn't really slot into place why I got so excited and passionate, now it makes more sense.

How do your staff relate to your Buddhist ethos?
Ha! They thought I was off my trolley... Until they started to experience and appreciate, the energy flow of balance for themselves.

What to do your customers think of your innovative dishes?
Gasp, sigh... A delicate journey that shouldn't stop.

What�s the most popular dish you serve at The Galley?
It�s got to be the� turbot� yummy! Delicately grilled fillets of Turbot, resting beautifully upon a sweet potato puree, garnished with seared scallops and masked with a snipped herb and spiced coconut creamed sauce.

How hard is it to �practice what you preach� in the kitchen? You must have some stressful moments at times!
It used to be very hard, now this is balanced with organization, patience and more understanding.

How do you fit your NFSH healing work into such a busy life?
Wow... I've just sat down and gone through my average day� the federation of Spiritual Healers keeps me sane! On my left hand there is my busy and demanding life, which is balanced beautifully on the right hand between my therapy work load, chocolate making and my time spent within Exeter's NFSH Healing Centre.�

What�s your Likes & dislikes?
I wouldn�t say no to some fast food indulgence a whole spiced char grilled chicken, corn on the cob and some spicy rice yummy�any nandos should do. My dislikes are Bovril & Marmite these 2 items make me heave�

What are your plans for the future?
Lot�s more cooking, new spiritual and energy-balanced food, new range of healthy chocolate bars and hopefully more commitment to the NFSH Centre at Exeter's Library which is open to the public every Friday from 1pm.

To share is to enjoy me even more!

To sweeten your sleep ~ Lemon/geranium rose
To settle your tummy ~ peppermint/cardamom
To rev you up ~ ginger/black pepper/grapefruit
To Relax ~ sweet orange/nutmeg/chilli

Ingredients:-
Serves 4
100gm/4oz of either milk or dark organic chocolate or ready done with the added oils from feeding your imagination
Sweet biscuits
Exotic fruits
Marshmallows
Strawberries
Raspberries
Banana leaves cut for display
Skewers selection
Icing sugar to dust

Method
Melt the chocolate in a clean bowl over a warm pan of water, making sure the water and bowl don't touch and the water is simmering, stir the organic chocolate until melted or once melted add 1 drop of each oil to specified blend.(do not add any more drops).
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Robust yet delicately, cut a selection of fruits using exotic & local (i.e.:- star fruit/strawberries/raspberries/kiwi/banana/blush apples/nectarine/plum/jaffa orange/pear. Garnish the plate with sweet biscuits, marshmallows, skewers in the fruit! & serve together with therapeutic organic chocolate.

Enjoy x

Serves 8-10
Cook time 20 mins
Prep time 10-15 mins
Pre heat oven gas 5/375f/190c

Ingredients
1.5 chocolate brioche loaf (all four sides trimmed.) If you�re having trouble buying chocolate brioche then normal brioche is fine, add a small handful of plain nibs of chocolate when you�re sprinkling your dried fruit!
450ml/10floz double cream
450ml/10floz full fat milk
12 egg yolks
6oz/175gm caster sugar
1-2 oranges, peeled and segmented
Half vanilla pod, cut and scraped
Dash of Grand Marnier (optional)
Handful sultanas
Handful raisins
Icing sugar to dust
To serve with hot custard, ice cream or clotted cream

Method
Into large saucepan put milk and double cream with scraped vanilla pod, gently bring up to a simmer. Into a clean bowl, put egg yolks and caster sugar, mix to combine the ingredients.
Keeping the loaf whole, take off crusts and 4 sides. Cut the loaf into 1cm/10mm slices and place in base of a 10-12inch baking dish (just enough to cover the base). Sprinkle sparingly with a little of the dried fruit, choc nibs if needed and Grand Marnier. Once the liquid in the saucepan has started to semi boil; remove from heat, pour over the egg yolks and sugar, whisking well and quickly (otherwise you�ll get scrabbled egg if you don�t). Pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Pour gently over brioche, just to cover. Repeat as above to create 2 layers, or even 3 if possible, making sure all bread has been soaked using liquid. Finely sprinkle a couple of sultanas, raisins and orange segments on top.

Place dish into baking tray and add � pint hot boiling water to baking tray; this will act as a warm water bath. Place in top shelf of oven for approx 20 mins then remove. Gently dust with icing sugar and glaze under grill until golden. Leave to one side to cool. Enjoy with hot custard, ice cream or regional Devon's clotted cream.

The original recipe was lent to Paul from a Jamaican Aunt and he has slowly refined it over the past ten years to appeal to a more subtle palate. The pudding is very traditional, produced with top quality ingredients, light in texture and has an added twist of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. �Over the last couple of years I've noticed a definite increase in the amount of consumers with a gluten free diet, this is extremely evident in our restaurants, says Paul. �Additionally, one of our biggest trade customers, Purbeck Ice Cream in Dorset, have a completely gluten free range and requested if we could adapt our puddings to fit with their ice cream. We took this request seriously and after a few head scratches and buckets of samples our new gluten free Chrimbo Pud was born�.

The luxury pudding is aimed at the premium end of the speciality food market and will now appeal to a much wider market as 1 in 100 people in the UK suffer from some sort of gluten intolerance. It was not an easy conversion though and took some creative skills to achieve the result. �A gluten mixture is a far dryer commodity than normal, so to compensate I�ve had to increase the alcohol by 20%�, Paul says. �Also, in order to learn more about exactly what was involved I worked closely with our local certified Gluten Free bakers to get a much better understanding of the process. After months of refinement we�ve achieved a result that everyone is happy with, including British Airways, as they�re the first customer to offer the Gluten Free Feeding Your Imagination Chrimbo Pud and Purbeck ice cream mix�.

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