20 Things to try at the Food Hall of Harrods

The food hall of Harrods is an expansive and glorious marketplace filled with all types of gourmet treats and eats. It really feels like you can find anything from fresh cut meats to pressed juice, dim sum or sandwiches and salads, croissants and breads to warm meals.

Dee-lish!

1. Chocolate: William Curley. Yuzu: An infusion of the fragrant Japanese citrus fruit in a dark chocolate ganache. William Curley is a Scottish pâtissier and chocolatier. Curley is the owner of the London chocolate company William Curley and has won the Academy of Chocolate's 'Britain's Best Chocolatier' Award four times!

2. Vegetable: Samphire Grass. Samphire is a sea vegetable that grows abundantly on shorelines, in marshy shallows and on salty mudflats of Norfolk. It has a crisp texture and tastes of the sea. Samphire is the perfect accompaniment to all fish and Seafood dishes. The salty flavour is delicious. I steam it and then add freshly cracked pepper and butter.

3. Sandwich: The Prawn Cocktail Sandwich. Prawns in Marie Rose sauce with fresh cucumber, avocado and cherry tomatoes in a Harrods signature brioche sub.

   

4. Relish: Harrods Classic Piccalilli, A true British classic. It is a combination of vinegar, turmeric, mustard powder, ground ginger and nutmeg that develops a deep flavour the longer it sits. It is used as an accompaniment to foods such as sausages, bacon, eggs, toast, cheese, and tomatoes. It is eaten as a relish with cold meats such as ham and with a ploughman's lunch.

5. Tea: Blend 49. A fusion of the best characteristics from the finest Indian tea regions. First blended to commemorate Harrods’ 150th anniversary, Blend 49’s unique aroma and rich flavour makes it perfectly desirable in every way. Why not try dunking in a Rich Tea biscuit for the full British experience!

6. Pudding: Rhubarb Rice Pudding. Traditionally baked in the oven, my mother's rice pudding is slowly bake until a delicious brown film covers the pudding. Of course Harrods make it look a bit more glamorous, but don't tell my mother!

   

7. Savoury Pie: Steak and Ale Pie. The aroma of rich gravy, tender beef, and a hint of ale fills the air as this golden-brown pastry crust is lifted, revealing the hearty contents of a steak and ale pie.

8. Chocolate: Charbonnel et Walker's Rose and Violet Creams. Established in1875, Charbonnel et Walker are renowned chocolatiers selling high quality, beautifully packaged chocolates including their signature Champagne Truffles. For me you can't beat their traditional Rose and Violet Creams, the favourite chocolates of the former Queen.

   

9. Cheese: Gorwydd Caerphilly is a semi-firm, moist, and crumbly cheese. It is made from raw cow's milk and left to mature for 2-3 months. It has a fresh and slightly lemony taste, with an almost herbaceous sweetness. Traditional a Welsh cheese, although this cheese is made in North Somerset.

   

10. Poultry: Red Partridge is smaller and juicier than a pheasant, each partridge serves one. Cooking couldn’t be easier. Cover with fatty bacon, roast in a hot oven (180ºC) for 20 minutes and leave to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes before serving.

    

11. Meat: Beef Wellington. A perfectly pink fillet steak with a rich and indulgent mushroom and thyme duxelles, vibrant spinach and wild garlic crepe and wrapped in a delicious buttery puff pastry.

    

12. Sauce: Brown Sauce is a stalwart British condiment, at home in a bacon butty or with a fry-up. Most commonly found in a bottle, it has a sweet, vinegary and tangy taste. Great on an English Breakfast. Sometimes referred to as "Daddy's Sauce".

    

13. Meat: The Sausage Roll was first baked in the 1800's and sold as a cheap "street food" they became known as the quintessential British snack. Today there are 2.5 million sausage rolls sold every week in England - yes that’s an amazing 140 million per year! Which proves that they taste really good!!

    

14. Savoury Pie: The Cottage Pie. Not to be confused with Shepherd's Pie. A Cottage Pie contains minced beef and Shepherd's Pie contains lamb. The name "Cottage Pie" was first used at the end of the 18th century. It was around that time that the poorer people of Britain, people who lived in cottages in the country, started using potatoes as an everyday food.

    

15. Condiment: Lime and Coconut Curd. Lime is made for mingling with tropical flavours. That's why Harrod's has teamed it with coconut and sugar to create this tangy curd that's ideal for desserts.

    

16. Cheese: Blue Stilton PDO (Protected Designation of Origin). A traditional, hand-ladled Nottinghamshire Blue Stilton. Smooth, creamy and open textured, the cheese is buttery with notes of mushroom and a spicy finish.

    

17. Chocolate: Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles. A creamy butter truffle with Marc de Champagne enrobed in white chocolate blended with strawberries. A signature chocolate of Charbonnel et Walker.

    

18. Tea: No.18 The Georgian Blend Tea perfectly combines Darjeeling, Assam and Sri Lankan teas to deliver a harmonious creamy cup. A strong cup of tea which leaves a lingering floral aftertaste.

    

19. Relish: Farmhouse Pickle, is chopped and mixed vegetables in a traditional sweet brown pickle sauce. A favourite with ploughman's lunches for over 100 years.

    

20. Meat: Pork and Black Pudding Scotch Eggs. Eat these black pudding Scotch eggs with a good mayonnaise, finished with lots of freshly chopped chives. They’re delicious eaten warm, but they’re just as good cold, for breakfast.