Kokova Magazine

When it comes to chocolate are we really getting the best from the cocoa beans? Many companies overheat their beans and lose all the goodness from their bars. Some add cream and sugar until the original bean becomes less of a chocolate bar and more a butter bar with little nutrition left. But at Ombar they take their cocoa a little more serious and treat their beans with a lot more care, to produce a great selection of 'new' chocolate that should suit every taste.

Every once in a while we discover a smaller producer that catches our eye. Not because they have a huge marketing campaign, nor an elaborate stall at a grand event but because of the simplicity of their product and the honest way in which it is presented and displayed. Last month (October 2013) we were presented with a jar of pineapple jam and a caramel chocolate spread from EDM - fine groceries online.

The Country Living Magazine Christmas Fair London gave visitors the chance to soak up the magic of the festive season, enjoy a great day's shopping and leave with a hoard of heavenly gifts. The Fair brought together hundreds of exhibitors from all over the UK in a festive extravaganza of quality and craftsmanship, giving visitors a chance to get inspiration for the festive season ahead. And if you missed it - the next stop is Glasgow, before Harrogate sees in the start of Advent.

Honeybuns Bakery create award-winning gluten-free cakes and bakes for all the family - and now, thanks to Emma Goss-Custard sharing her recipes, you too can cook fabulous gluten-free cakes at home - because baking gluten-free doesn't have to be hard work or result in cakes and puddings that are free-from flavour. We picked up a copy of Emma's Honeybuns recipe book and decided to see how easy it was to create our own Heathcliff Brownies at home.

Christmas is a great time for cinnamon but many people forget this little bark spice for the rest of the year. Consider the benefits of having cinnamon on the table all year round - nestled beside the salt and pepper as an added condiment to breakfast, lunch or dinner. With an Original Cinnamon Lovers Pack from Cinnamon Hill you can have fresh ground cinnamon everyday.

Last year, for many, RumFest appeared to be a good excuse to down as many rum and rum cocktails as you can get your hands on during the allocated serving times but for 2013 we found the party had become a more sedate affair. If RumFest intended this move towards more of an appreciation event then it is a positive step and one that will be interesting to review in 2014.