Exclusive Christmas MCFC Stadium and Club Tour

I spent most of last weekend sat in a jacuzzi with some good friends, drinking fizz and generally having a good time. I’d left the boys at home for the weekend with a list of chores and no expectation they’d do any of them. I was right, they did this instead…

Mrs. HodgePodgeDays decided to go away for the weekend, so that left two boys at home wondering how to pass the time. It was fortunate that amongst other things, we had been invited to try out the brand new Team Santa vs Team Elf MCFC Stadium and Club Tour at the home of Manchester City FC, the Etihad Stadium.

MCFC Stadium and Club Tour

The new festive themed MCFC Stadium and Club Tour launches on Saturday 10th December. Families are invited to enjoy a City Santa vs City Elf themed tour with a sprinkling of Christmas spirit. We went along to get a sneak preview of what Santa and his footballing elves had in store this December.

The MCFC Stadium and Club Tour includes exclusive access to fascinating behind the scenes areas of the stadium, including the team dressing room and the official press conference room where you can sit in Pep Guardiola’s seat, exactly as seen on TV. From here, visitors emerge pitch side through the players’ tunnel before taking their seats in the dugout and dreaming of the moment they’re called upon to wear the famous sky blue jersey. The Christmas tour is all that and more.

MCFC Stadium and Club Tour

We arrived at the City Store with a few minutes to spare and were greeted by our very knowledgeable and cheery guide Dominic. His job was to show us around the stadium and also to sprinkle some festive sparkle on it.

We started in the Tours Exhibition Area which is above the City Store and is home to historic memorabilia, interactive games and videos, and also features the story of the club right back to 1894. It was here that our tour group was split in two teams, Santas and Elves. We were all handed one of Manchester City’s Christmas themed jumpers to have our pictures taken in and then it was time for festive game No. 1, decorating the tree. In our teams, one by one, we had to decorate our trees and the fastest team would be the winners, this ended in a draw.

MCFC Stadium and Club Tour

We began the stadium tour and went first to the directors’ seating area and into one of the award winning hospitality suites. We sat outside for a few minutes in the directors’ seats and surveyed the pitch in front of us, then went to check out the media centre and sat in the room where the after match press interviews take place.

The tour continued with a visit to the away dressing room for festive game No.2. Each team took turns to throw mini footballs at little snowmen sat on the benches and again, this ended in a draw of the seemingly equally matched teams. Moving on, we went to the home dressing room to enjoy the comfy seats and to tackle festive game No. 3, flipping the water bottles, which ended up being won 10-4 by the Elves.

MCFC Stadium and Club Tour

Back to the tour and the tunnel leading to the pitch and then pitch side and a rest in Pep Guardiola’s seat in the dugout for a different view of the pitch than we’d normally have. We then went back inside onto the concourse for the final festive game of chipping a football up into a container. Absolutely no-one on either team managed to do this, so overall Team Elf won the competition because of their superior skills in flipping the water bottles.

Once the festive themed games had finished it was back to the City Store for both teams to collect their prizes (all children under the age of 12 on the tours will receive a Christmas gift from the Club and be entered into a prize draw giving them a chance to be a player escort at the Manchester City v Liverpool match, scheduled to take place on Saturday 18th March  2017).

Manchester City are offering all those that have been on the MCFC Stadium and Club Tour in December a 20% discount off all purchases in the City Store that month. It’s a great place to pick up a present for the Manchester City supporter in your family!

The MCFC Stadium and Club Tour is a really fun way to spend an afternoon, especially in the run up to Christmas. The small boy had a fantastic time and returned home with the biggest smile. He couldn’t wait to tell all his friends at school about it the next day!

Tickets for the MCFC Stadium and Club Tour cost £17 per adult; £11 per child aged 5-16 and £12 for concessions and will run on select days throughout December. For more information, visit the MCFC website.

MCFC Stadium and Club Tour

We were invited guests of Manchester City, all images and opinions are our own.

Toy Review: Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies

One of the most fun things about Mummy’s iPad is the Facetime app. The boy loves to Facetime his dad, or his cousin, or anyone really. I remember walking to the phone box at the end of our road to make a phone call, so all of the communication technology available today is almost a thing of wonder to me. Even now there’s something a bit extra special about being able to video chat with someone. The video chat loving boy and I put a set of Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies to test. What did we think of this latest accessory for junior spies?

Toy Review: Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies

The Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies from Spinmaster are compact and easy to use. The set comes with two walkie talkies which just need batteries adding before use.

They have a long range (up to 160 feet) and allow you to communicate with video and audio without using Wi-Fi or data. The walkie talkies are simple to use and quick to set up. Each handset uses 3 AAA batteries and they’re suitable for children aged 6+.

Toy Review: Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies

The Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies are really easy to set up, just get them out of their packaging, put the batteries in and switch on. To sync the two walkie talkies, when you switch them on press the bottom of the three buttons on each walkie talkie at the same time. The video should show a full screen of the person you are talking to, and in the top left should be your picture – just like on Facetime!

Toy Review: Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies

They come with detailed instructions, but they’re really straight forward to set up and use. Just don’t forget to sync them when you switch them on and make sure to turn them off when you’re done.

Toy Review: Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies

Once they are synced you can start your spy adventure – we tested them all over the house and down the street. The picture was crisp and the sound was pretty good too. The small boy really loved the Spy Video Walkie Talkies, he’s had normal walkie talkies before and has liked them, but these are next level spy fun.

Toy Review: Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies

These Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies are around £59.99 and are available from a wide range of retailers including Amazon. They are well made and good quality, small enough for my six year old to comfortably use and without too many confusing buttons.

I can see my boy having a lot of fun with these and his friends. These walkie talkies would be great for siblings to play with and should keep them occupied with serious spy business for quite some time.

Disclosure: We received the Spy Gear Spy Video Walkie Talkies for the purposes of writing this review, all opinions and images are our own. Contains Amazon affiliate links.

20 Questions to ask your children

Over the last few weeks on Facebook I’ve seen a lot of my friends asking their kids 20 questions. I’ve loved reading their answers, some of them are funny, some a bit weird, some a little bit sad, but all of them really interesting.

Shepherds Friendly have produced a ‘20 questions to ask your children’ worksheet to go though. We sat down this morning and gave our son a gentle grilling, asking him each of the 20 questions. It was an interesting and quite funny little family task, and one which would be a good thing to do again each year.

Here’s a video of me questioning our boy wonder, he was a bit sleepy and a little bit grumpy to begin with, but he soon got into the swing of things…

20 questions: His answers…

Q1. What is your favourite colour?
Yellow.

Q2. Who is your best friend?
Joseph (his cousin of the same age).

Q3. What is your favourite TV programme?
Paw Patrol (naturally).

Q4. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A Power Ranger, when asked which one he said Black Ranger.

Q5. What car do you want to have when you grow up?
Lots of thinking about this one, but he opted for a motorcycle – I think because the Power Rangers sometimes ride them.

Q6. If you could go anywhere in the world on holiday, where would you go?
He said Spain – we recently went there on holiday and had a really fabulous time.

20 questions Sol Katmandu Hotel, Majorca with Jet2Holidays

Q7. Do you want to get married one day?
Yes…to Sophie.

Q8. How many children would you like?
Errr… one. he said eventually.

Q9. What age are you when you become an adult?
He said 17, which is a very good guess.

Q10. What are you good at?
He said painting, I reminded him that he was good at lots of things, which he is.

Q11. If you had a superpower, what would it be?
Flyi…. running. He corrected himself. I would have accepted his first answer (flying). Running really, really, super, super fast. What a great superpower.

Q12. If you had one wish, what would it be?
He said loving, so I asked if he meant he would love and be loved right back, he said yes by you and pointed at me. This answer melted my heart a little bit.

20 questions

Q13. What do I do as a job?
He thought for a minute and said “writing” which pretty much sums it up.

Q14. What are you scared of?
The dark. Which is true, he hates the dark evenings now winter is here and he has to sleep with a light on. Hopefully he will grow out of it.

Q15. What is your favourite song?
Transformers Rescue Bots (theme tune).

Q16. What is your favourite class at school?
He said “eating” and when questioned he said eating fruit. I know he likes school and he enjoys learning. I did half expect him to say learning songs for the Nativity play, but clearly eating fruit is the highlight of his academic day.

Q17. What is something I always say to you?
I love you.

Which is true. I never want him to feel like I don’t love him or have time for him.

Q18. What is the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do?
He gave the slightly enigmatic answer of “be calm”. I’m not sure what he means by that, but I can only think it’s what someone at school says to the boys when they’re running around being giddy at school.

Q19. What makes you happy?
Smiling.

Q20. What makes you sad?
Scary things….like the dark.

I really loved some of his answers to these 20 questions. I think I know my son pretty well and I could have predicted most of these replies, but some of the others give an interesting insight into the mind of my six year old.

20 questions to ask your children

This post was in collaboration with the Shepherds Friendly Society who offer a range of savings plans including a Junior Isa. 

Review: Milkshake Fabulous Friends DVD

With Christmas just around the corner, Abbey Home Media have a festive treat for fans of Channel 5’s Milkshake, with the release their new DVD collection and perfect stocking filler – Milkshake Fabulous Friends DVD.

This is a brilliant compilation DVD of your favourite children’s shows from Channel 5’s Milkshake! Hit shows on this newly released DVD include Peppa Pig, Ben and Holly, Fireman Sam, Thomas & Friends, Little Princess, Bananas in Pyjamas, Toby’s Travelling Circus, Wanda & The Alien, Pip Ahoy, Toot The Tiny Tugboat, Dora & Friends, Paw Patrol, Wissper, Lily’s Driftwood Bay and Bob the Builder.

Milkshake Fabulous Friends DVD DVDs for Five Year Olds

We were sent a copy of the Milkshake Fabulous Friends DVD to watch, and we thought it was a most brilliant way to spend an afternoon of family cuddles on the sofa. The DVD has most of his favourites on there and at over two hours long, it’s a great DVD to dip in and out of, or to help fill a rainy afternoon now that winter is here. 

Obviously top of his list is Paw Patrol, and this DVD contains probably his favourite episode ever – Pup Pup Boogie; where Ryder, Chase and Rubble use their dance moves to help repair the tracks before the next train arrives.

One of his other favorites is Thomas & Friends. When Harold the Helicopter breaks down, Thomas and Duck take him to Sodor Search and Rescue for repair. Thomas wants to show them the sights but Duck isn’t keen. They need to learn to work together to be Really Useful Engines!

Giveaway & Review: Milkshake Fabulous Friends DVD

And in the Peppa Pig episode ‘The New Car’, Peppa’s family car breaks down. While their car is being mended, they borrow a shiny new one from Grandad Dog’s garage. Lucky Peppa!

Milkshake Fabulous Friends DVD is a great compilation of all of your favourite shows on Milkshake! It is rated U, it is 140 minutes long and it’s available in a wide range of retailers and online now. Compilations are great DVDs for children who like a bit of variety, and this would make a great stocking filler this Christmas.

 

Skincare: Experiencing Fractional Mesotherapy

If you’ve never heard of Fractional Mesotherapy before, don’t worry, neither had I. That was until a few weeks ago when I was invited along to the Rejuvenate Skin Clinic in Manchester to try one of their treatments.

I could have played it safe and had a nice pampering facial, but as I’d turned 40 a couple of months ago, I was happy to step out of my comfort zone and try something which could make a real difference to my appearance.

Fractional Mesotherapy is where a tailored cocktail of active ingredients including vitamins, peptides, hyaluronic acid and collagen are microinjected into the skin to plump out and smooth areas of concern.

If you cut through the big words, basically they take a dermapen with several sterile fine needles inside and then stamp and circle your skin with it. This makes fine channels in the skin so they can push the vitamins directly into the dermal layer. Yes, it does sound a bit odd, but I was prepared to give it a go.

Fractional Mesotherapy

I arrived at the Rejuvenate Skin Clinic on Swan Street, just on the outer fringes of Manchester’s Northern Quarter and was greeted by Leena, the Clinic Manager. She gave me a tour of the clinic and then we settled in the Fractional Mesotherapy treatment room where she talked me through what the treatment would involve.

I’d seen lots of before and after photos in the clinic (and there a lots on the internet too, looking at them has become a bit of an addiction). I was excited to see how I would look after the treatment. Leena explained that the treatment had “minimal downtime” which means that my face should look a bit pink for a few hours afterwards but look normal within a day or so.

Fractional Mesotherapy

My treatment began with Leena having a really good look at my skin to see where my problem areas were. I told her where I was most concerned about and she focused her attention on the parts of my face which needed it.

She then cleansed my skin and began the stamping process on my forehead. It wasn’t that bad and not painful. It was a little uncomfortable in parts, more so across my forehead, but I guess there’s not much fat and muscle underneath my skin there. Leena would stamp or circle an area with the needles and then gently massage in a vitamin serum she’d mixed up for me based on my needs. The idea is that this helps to stimulate the natural production of collagen, making the skin look and feel fresher and tighter.

Just before and just after my Fractional Mesotherapy treatment.
Just before and just after my Fractional Mesotherapy treatment.

The micro-needling lasted around 45 minutes and whilst I was glad it was over, I would be happy to have it done again, so it really wasn’t too bad. It was never painful, just a bit strange feeling. To calm my skin after the treatment I relaxed for ten minutes with a cooling saline mask which did feel very soothing.

For the rest of the day my skin was quite pink. The next day it was a lot better, and it was only pink in the areas where Leena had focused her attentions on. You’re not really allowed to use soap, make up, moisturisers or other products on your skin for a day or two afterwards. I was given some of the serum to take home and rub in, which again was very soothing. At no point was my skin sore or bothering me in any way. It just looked a little bit pink in places for a few hours.

Fractional Mesotherapy is good for dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles as well as scars and stretchmarks. It is very much a non-surgical treatment which you can use to give your skin a boost a few days before an occasion. They recommend a course of several treatments for you to be able to see real results in the long term.

Fractional Mesotherapy
Two days after my Fractional Mesotherapy treatment

I had one treatment, but I was delighted with the results. After 48 hours my skin looked tighter, it glowed and my fine lines were less noticeable. My skin wasn’t dry, but it was perhaps a little thirstier than usual. I followed the aftercare instructions to the letter and I’m very, very happy with the results.

Would I have Fractional Mesotherapy again? Yes I would. It’s not a pampering treatment, and not something I’d choose if I wanted a relaxing treat; but it is a real alternative to botox, fillers and other surgical options. Several of my friends have commented on how good my skin looks since my visit to the clinic too.

Fractional Mesotherapy

I thought that the staff at Rejuvenate Skin Clinic in Manchester were friendly and professional. They were knowledgeable about the treatments and they prepared me well for something that was a little out of my usual comfort zone. The clinic was scrupulously clean, everything was sterile and Leena made sure to wear gloves throughout my treatment.

Rejuvenate Skin Clinic in Manchester offers a range of treatments and therapies for a range of skin conditions for both men and women. It’s a comfortable, discrete clinic, 5 minutes walk from Market Street. It’s somewhere I would very happily go again for further treatments.

For more information about Fractional Mesotherapy or the Rejuvenate Skin Clinic in Manchester, visit their website.

Rejuvenate Skin Clinic, 11 Swan Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M4 5JJ Tel: 0161 819 5555

I was an invited guest of the Rejuvenate Skin Clinic in Manchester. I received this treatment in exchange for this blog post. All images and opinions are my own.

Spa Days: The Spa at The Midland, Manchester

Over the weekend my husband took me to The Midland Hotel in Manchester for a romantic weekend to celebrate my birthday. My gift from him was a night in a suite; a nine course meal in The French and some time in The Spa at The Midland. It was not the worst present I’ve ever been given. The boy did very well.

The Spa at The Midland

I am VERY fond of a spa day. Sometimes I will go to a spa for a treatment or two and then chill out in the thermal rooms. Sometimes I will just go for a swim, a sauna and a steam. I find thermal rooms are very good for my back (I have chronic pain). The warmth of a sauna or a steam room really eases my old bones, so a spa day isn’t just a nice treat, it’s like therapy.

As a guest at The Midland if you just want to use the spa; all you do is phone the Spa Reception and they’ll book you in for a time. This is so the spa doesn’t get too busy and noisy. If you’re not staying in the hotel, then you’ll need to book a spa day. There are a range of different options on their website.

The Spa at The Midland has won a whole host of awards including Best City Spa Break Manchester, Best City Spa Day Manchester and Best Hotel Spa Manchester. The Spa at The Midland has also been named as ‘Best City Spa’ in The Candis 2016 Spa Awards. It is very good.

Take the lift to the lower ground floor and open the door to the spa; the smell of soothing essential oils permeates up the corridor to the spa reception. We were greeted by one of the staff; given a fluffy towel, a robe and slippers and directed to the changing rooms.

The Spa at The Midland

The communal changing rooms are a little on the small side, but if they only have small numbers in at a time it shouldn’t be an issue. The changing area has showers as well as an area where you can dry and straighten your hair.

I headed straight for the pool area, taking a shower before diving in. The shower has three different settings, and is a bit of an experience in itself. The cool misty shower is great after the sauna.

The pool isn’t large, but it’s big enough to do a few gentle laps before sitting in the jacuzzi. The jacuzzi is very warm, it was too warm for my husband; but the bubbles pummelled my back in all the right places so I did spend quite a lot of time in there.

There is a small sauna and a steam room tucked away near the tropical shower area. Both rooms are probably big enough for 4 or 5 people but no more. I really enjoyed both rooms and I would very much like to go back and spend some more time in them. There is something very cleansing about having a sauna and a steam; I’d recommend it, especially if you suffer with aches and pains.

I didn’t venture into the relaxation room, but hubs spent quite a lot of time in there; he made himself a herbal tea, found a restful corner and promptly fell asleep. I do enjoy a relaxation room after I’ve had a treatment, they’re good places to chill out in whilst you come round after a massage or facial. Or if you’re my husband, a great place to have a nap.

The Spa at The Midland

We spent a couple of hours enjoying the pool and thermal suites before heading back to our room to get ready for dinner. We didn’t have the time to try out any of the treatments on offer at The Spa at The Midland, but that is something we will look at for our next visit.

The Spa at The Midland also has a gym, a number of treatment rooms and a cafe to enjoy when you visit. I’ve been to a lot of spas and this felt very luxurious; it was clean, the lighting was soft and relaxing and the staff were attentive without been obtrusive. I enjoyed my couple of hours in the spa very much and I’m looking forward to our return.

For more information and more detailed photographs (I didn’t take any photos inside the spa for obvious reasons), visit The Spa at The Midland website.

Foodie Round Up: Vegetarian Christmas Dinner Ideas

I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 13 and one of the questions I’m asked the most is what do you have for your vegetarian Christmas dinner? The easy answer is, pretty much the same as everyone else, but without the turkey and with veggie gravy. We always do 800 different kinds of vegetables anyway, so I’ve never felt left out, and as the lone veggie at the table I never felt like it was worth the bother.

In 2001 my lovely sister in law came along. She was a veggie and when the percentage of vegetarians around the table had increased, we thought it was worth making a bit more of a culinary effort on Christmas Day. Over the years we’ve experimented with various vegetarian alternatives, but hand on heart my favourite has turned out to be the nut roast. I know it’s a terrible cliché, but I just love it.

I’ve picked out six delicious vegetarian Christmas dinner options (or maybe just for Sunday lunch), so if you’re catering for vegetarians this Christmas, there’s no need for them to feel left out.

galette

Go for my goats cheese and caramelised onion galette, it’s incredibly simple but utterly delicious. It’s a real family favourite. You could add a seasonal twist by swapping out the onions for stuffing and adding a dollop of cranberry sauce!

My good friend and fellow vegetarian, Jen from My Mummy’s Pennies has shared her recipe for Festive Stuffed Mushrooms. These hearty shrooms are filled with festive flavours, they’d be easy to put together on Christmas Eve and pop in the oven on the day. Easy peasy.

vegetarian Christmas dinner

Christmas isn’t Christmas without something chock full of chestnuts gracing the table, this Leek, Artichoke, Mushroom and Chestnut Pie from Inside the Wendy House certainly fits the bill. I imagine this would also be great cold on Boxing Day with some bubble and squeak.

vegetarian Christmas dinner

I love the look of this Vegetarian Beef Wellington from Jenny at The Brick Castle. It looks hearty enough to satisfy any rogue carnivores around the table, but quick and easy enough to be thrown together in a busy Christmas kitchen.

If you’ve got a vegan coming for Christmas, Inside the Wendy House has come up with this delicious sounding Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Nut Roast Pie. It looks super-simple but really. Wendy says it’s good served cold too – I bet it is!

vegetarian Christmas dinner

If you’re anything like me, you’ll enjoy a good stuffing at Christmas. I tend to favour fresh stuffings on Christmas Day, they just taste a bit more luxurious than the dried packets of stuffing. For a really simple vegetarian Christmas dinner option, Mr Crumb have a range of fresh microwavable gourmet stuffings to choose from. I think the apple and apricot is cracking and would be excellent in one of Jen’s stuffed mushrooms with some softly melting goats cheese on the top.

vegetarian Christmas dinner

I think there are lots of great ideas in this round up of vegetarian Christmas dinner ideas – I think most of them could easily be adapted to be vegan too. I do love a nut roast on Christmas Day, but if you don’t, there are plenty of other options available to you.

What will you be serving up on Christmas Day?

Six Sensational Vegetarian Christmas Dinner Ideas

FREE activity sheets from Disney’s The BFG

With the release of Disney’s The BFG on digital download, DVD and Blu-ray this month, Disney have released six brilliant BFG activity sheets which are available for you to download for free here.Disney's The BFGDisney's The BFGDisney's The BFGDisney's The BFGDisney's The BFGDisney's The BFGTwo of the world’s greatest storytellers – Roald Dahl and Steven Spielberg – unite this year to bring Dahl’s classic to life. Based on the beloved novel by the iconic British children’s novelist, Disney’s The BFG tells the exciting tale of a young girl named Sophie and the mysterious Big Friendly Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country. Steven Spielberg’s The BFG is released this month – making the DVD or Blu-ray the perfect Christmas present for young and old Dahl fans alike!

Disney’s The BFG is available on Digital Download, Blu-Ray™ and DVD. Order your own copy today on Amazon.

DVDs: Steven Spielberg’s The BFG

Two of the world’s greatest storytellers – Roald Dahl and Steven Spielberg – unite this year to bring Dahl’s classic to life. Based on the beloved novel by the iconic British children’s novelist, The BFG tells the exciting tale of a young girl named Sophie and the mysterious Big Friendly Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country. Steven Spielberg’s The BFG is released this month – making the DVD or Blu-ray the perfect Christmas present for young and old Dahl fans alike!

The BFG follows a young girl named Sophie who lives in an orphanage in London. One night, Sophie sees a large, cloaked person in her bedroom window who takes her away to his homeland in Giant Country. There, he identifies himself as the Big Friendly Giant (‘BFG’). Considered an outcast by his fellow children-eating giants, the BFG spends his nights sweeping the streets of London blowing bottled dreams into children’s bedrooms and sustaining himself on a diet of ‘snozzcumbers’ – a foul tasting vegetable substitute to ‘human beans’.

Despite his intimidating appearance, Sophie discovers that the BFG is a kind-hearted soul and they quickly become friends. The BFG shares with Sophie the wonders and secrets of Dream Country, but she soon finds herself in danger by the sudden arrival of several human bean gobbling giants. In order to stop the Giants tyranny, together they prepare a plan to appeal to the Queen of England for help.

The BFG on Blu-ray

Directed by three-time Academy Award winning director, Steven Spielberg (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park), The BFG stars Oscar-winning actor, Mark Rylance as the BFG (Bridge of Spies, The Other Boleyn Girl) and newcomer Ruby Barnhill as Sophie. Penelope Wilton plays The Queen, Rebecca Hall as Mary, the Queen’s maid, and Rafe Spall as her honourable servant. They are joined by Jemaine Clement and Bill Hader as two of the formidable giants.

THE BFG is available on Digital Download, Blu-Ray™ and DVD. Order your own copy today on Amazon.

 

Check out our giveaways over on our competitions page.

Three Wine Men – fantastic fizz & festive wines for 2016

Over the weekend I went to the Three Wine Men event at Manchester Town Hall. This was a festival of all things wine hosted by the Three Wine Men – Oz Clarke, Olly Smith and Tim Atkin. There were two huge rooms full of wine to taste and to buy. I went along with my friend and fellow wine enthusiast Pippa to discover some new wines. I’ve chosen my favourite wines from the day, some of which will definitely be gracing my festive table this year.

Three Wine Men

Very good vino

From decent everyday wines, to something special to go with Christmas dinner, there were hundreds of wines to choose from. Here were six of my favourites – 

Cantina di Monteforte Soave Superiore Classico (Veneto, Italy) from Rude Wines – £8.99 a bottle. This is a beautifully balanced Soave, well rounded with a splash or citrus. An excellent every day drink and perfect for a warm summer evening.

Irresistible Limestone Rise 2015 (Surrey, England) from the Co-op priced at £7.99. I’m delighted to find such an affordable English wine at the Co-op, I love English wines, generally they are dry and a little flinty which is something I like in a wine. The Limestone Rise is produced in the Surrey hills by award-winning English wine producer, Denbies and is made from a blend of Bacchus and Ortega grapes. At £7.99 it is a good value wine and one I’ll be looking out for. 

Three Wine Men

SPAR Gavi 2014 (Piemonte, Italy) priced at £8. Gavi is one of those names you look out for and they can be on the pricey side. This Gavi from SPAR is very affordable and worth seeking out if you have a SPAR local to you.

Spreitzer “Oestricher Lenchen” Riesling Kabinett 2014 (Rheingau, Germany) this was enthusiastically recommended to us by none other than Oz Clarke, who nigh on evangelised about German wines. This flinty little number is available from GK Winehouse and costs £19 per bottle. 

Gran Vista Garnacha 2015 Campo de Borja features in the latest edition of BBC Good Food Magazine. It’s a very easy drinking and wonderfully affordable red which costs just £4.99 from the Co-op. Rich and fruity, it is light on the tannins which makes it easy drinking. This is definitely one to look out for.

Three Wine Men

The last of my wine picks is this cracking red from the Co-op. The Château Sénéjac 2012 (Haut-Médoc, France) is an excellent wine to have with Christmas dinner. Priced at £16.99, this is a bottle with depth. Packed with blackcurrant, cherry and hints of vanilla, this is a bottle which will please red wine lovers.

Festive Fizz

Despite trying all the fizz at the festival, I just kept coming back to the same bottle. It’s pink, it’s girlie looking, but it’s an astonishingly good quality fizz from the Co-op. The Borgo Molino Rose NV (Veneto, Italy) is £9.99 a bottle and is available in just 500 Co-op stores. 

Crisp, refreshing and the most prefect way to kick off the festivities this Christmas this is top of my shopping list (and perfect for my forthcoming spa break with some friends next weekend). It’s even better than the Co-op prosecco, which was until now my favourite fizz. Track down a bottle and treat yourself. You won’t regret it!

Three Wine Men

Something special

Three Wine Men was mostly wine, but there were some fortified wines and spirits. I love a good gin and the Warner Edwards Victoria’s Rhubarb Gin was a fruity favourite. It would be great with prosecco or in a lovely cocktail. It’s around £35 a bottle (though I have seen it cheaper online) and something a little different for your cocktail cabinet.

No Christmas dinner would be complete without a drop of port and a good cheeseboard. The Co-op have once again come up trumps with this 10 Year Old Tawny Port NV (Douro, Portugal) at £13.99 a bottle. I’m not much of a port drinker, but this tawny port is one which suits me, deep and spicy but not over the top. It had me dreaming about wedges of Stilton on good crackers and a roaring log fire!

Three Wine Men

Tickets to Three Wine Men were £27.50 which gave you three hours to enjoy the festival and the chance to sample all of the wines and spirits in the building. If you are a wine lover or a wine learner, it’s a fantastic way to spend an afternoon and will leave you rosy cheeked and giggling on the tram home. 

We had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. Three Wine Men introduced me to some new wines and it helped to get me out of my wine buying rut, which is no bad thing.

You can find out more about the Three Wine Men festivals on their website.

What will you be drinking this Christmas?

We were invited guests of The Co-op, but all images and opinions are our own. Each wine mentioned I genuinely loved and will buy again (and again).