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We recently caught up with the talented Imogen Davis, co-founder of Native restaurant, situated in London’s Mayfair. As previously noted in our article; In Conversation with Imogen Davis, Native is a zero-waste eatery with a strong focus on ingredients being foraged and sourced locally.

Within this article, Imogen gets creative in making a deliciously good punch made with mushrooms! (Yes, really mushrooms!). Being a non-alcoholic beverage, this drink is perfect for Dry January – to be enjoyed over ice to infuse the wintery, warming notes of the forest and freshly ground coffee. Additionally, we also managed to sit down and share a few details with the creator herself, where we get to know her tips for making a low/no alcohol tipple to understanding her own personal inspirations.

Mushroom Milk Punch

Imogen’s clarified milk punch with mushroom coffee takes a little advance preparation, but is 100% worth the effort for a showstopper of a silky smooth, slightly earthy non-alcoholic beverage – enhanced by a sprinkle of our Maldon Salt. The reason you add a pinch of Maldon to this drink is to enhance the sweetness and counteract the bitter notes of the ground and mushroom coffee.

Ingredients:

• 10g coarsely ground coffee
• 10g mushroom powder (Imogen used nootropics adaptogenic coffee)
• 200ml water
• 10g sugar
• Pinch of Maldon Salt
• 100ml organic whole milk
• 10ml lemon juice

Method:

1. Brew the coffee, sugar and mushroom powder with 200ml boiling water, leave to infuse for a minimum 12 hours and then filter. As the mushroom powder is very fine, leave plenty of time to drip through.
2. Bring the milk to a slow boil in a saucepan over low-medium heat.
3. Once boiling, add the lemon juice and remove from heat, slowly stirring as the curds separate from the whey. Leave for 30 minutes until cool.
4. Strain the curdled milk through a fine cheesecloth into a large jug and watch the clear liquid slowly separate from the solid curds – have patience!
5. Once it has fully filtered and you have a clear liquid, stir the mushroom coffee cold brew into the whey, remove the curds from your filter and set aside to enjoy as a snack or to make a salted lassi.
6. Now reuse the cheesecloth to filter the mushroom-whey mix. You should see a very clear, golden liquid. Filter until you have the desired finish – it took Imogen three trips of drips.
7. Now to reap your rewards! Add a pinch of Maldon Salt (subbing in Smoked Salt will give a more wintery, rich notes) and 150ml of the punch mix you have made to a highball glass. Stir over ice.

Notes:

• You can batch prepare this and keep in the fridge for 1 month.
• If you want to add an alcohol element to the drink, just restrain together for a super silky, clear drink!

Tips, Tricks and More with Imogen Davis

Once the making this delectable punch was done, we were able to sit down and have a chat with Imogen, getting to know her tips on creating a low/no alcohol tipple, the benefits of Dry January and what motivates her being the co-founder of a restaurant with a zero-waste ethos and foraging fanatic!

What are your tips for creating no/low alcohol cocktail creations?

Just like all of our drinks, we look at classics and try and give them a native twist, I try not to define a drink by specifying that it contains alcohol or not, but create something that is inspired by the seasons, or a special ingredient we’d like to spotlight.

What are the benefits of Dry January?

January is a great time to reset and refocus for the year ahead. I tend to steer clear of demanding a whole dry month upon myself, but it’s definitely welcomed after an indulgent festive period – especially with the no/lo options that are now out there! 

Name 3 things in your kitchen that you can’t live without.

1. A multi-tool! It’s so versatile- it’s a knife, I can take it foraging as well as the kitchen and even use it to fix broken things.  
2. Kilner jars  – kilners are perfect for organising everything from spices to my daily kombucha, as well as ensuring my freezer is prepared for all eventualities! It makes the mission of having no single use plastic a joy. 
3. Maldon salt, of course!

What inspires/motivate you?

Bringing joy to people through food and drink – it really is as simple as that! (the process of getting there is often less-so!)

Still Wanting More?

If you are interested in creating more low/no alcoholic beverages during the month of Dry January, we have many delicious recipes to choose from! Our delicious Paloma mocktail using Feragaia is perfect to replicate a warming, wintery spice in the dark evenings.

Make sure you have your Maldon Salt ready for these recipes! If you are running out, please feel free to browse on our Where to Buy Page to find your nearest store in which stocks our beloved Maldon Salt.

Lastly, we LOVE seeing your creations – please tag us on Instagram using the #maldonsalt so we can share your cocktail masterpieces on our socials.

A Premium Alternative to An Alcoholic Drink

We are delighted to team up Feragaia, the first ever working alcohol-free distillery in Scotland! Co-founders Bill Garnock and Jamie Wild combine traditional distillery methods with a bountiful of 14 botanicals from both land and sea, including seaweed, bay leaf and chamomile.

It is this reason that makes Feragaia so unique, as the brand does not rely on alcohol to carry it’s flavours unlike other alcohol-free spirits; they use natural flavours and qualities to transform the spirit into having a complex yet clean taste which is making powerful movements within the drinking scene.

Traditionally distilled and bottled in the beautiful Scottish Lowlands, the natural flavours go through distillation runs, which are then blended with fresh, Scottish water to create a perfect balance of earthy, spice notes.

In Conversation with Feragaia

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Feragaia and explore the inspirations behind the brand, from Bill and Jamie’s story to them letting us know the perfect food pairings that go well with the spirit. Make sure to have a tea and biscuit in hand as this makes a perfect read!

We are BIG fans of your drinks! Tell us, what inspired you to make an alcohol-free spirit?

We love to hear it, thank you! We’re huge admirers of the heritage and quality of Maldon. For me, Feragaia started with a question that I kept on coming back to. It was ‘why do I feel so trapped by alcohol?’ Working in spirits gave me a high exposure to alcohol, combined with a traditional English drinking habit – I found it relentless and restricting. I concluded that confidence could answer my question and so I set about developing a premium, unapologetic and confident alternative. So people can have a equal choice – very democratic!

How would you describe the taste of Feragaia?

It’s an original and unique taste, with a refreshing depth of flavour. 14 carefully selected botanicals create a layered and wild journey through land~sea~spice.

We’ve done some research and found that ‘Feragaia’ translates to ‘wild earth’. Is there a correlation behind your name and your drinks?

You got me! In a small way perhaps, but Wild fortunately evokes so much more than just me. Like so many, Earth’s wild places are places that Bill and I greatly value and crave connection to. It was this shared core belief that established the Wild/Fera seed!

What an accomplishment in becoming the first working alcohol-free distillery in Scotland! We would love to know Jamie and Bill’s story on how Feragaia was born to where it is now.

Thank you. It is something we are incredibly proud of. We’ve always wanted to set the benchmark for transparency and quality in this category, there is too much ‘smoke and mirrors’ and it’s hurting the reputation of alcohol-free spirits. Bill is the Scottish one in Feragaia and was the driving force behind our provenance and process, out of which was born Feragaia’s respecting of Scotland’s rich heritage of premium spirits and progressive nature.

Would you say the alcohol-free movement is becoming more popular as the years go on?

Absolutely! Since launching Feragaia in 2019 we have sampled thousands of people.  I can confidently say people’s curiosity and confidence in alcohol alternatives has and continues to grow. I expect this to be the case for some time.

We’ve seen you make many delicious cocktails, what would you say your top 3 favourites are?

In order of simplicity. I love our perfect serve ‘Wild Ginger’ 50ml Feragaia, Ginger ale and a slice of lime. Next up, our most popular cocktail serve – ‘Paloma’ 50ml Feragaia, Pinch of Maldon salt, squeeze of pink grapefruit and topped with tonic. Finally, it took me months to perfect this one, but the ‘Smokey Old Fashioned’ with a large ice block brings me great joy. Lapsang Souchung tea, ginger syrup, lime and Feragaia. It really redefines in my mind what an alcohol-free drink can be.  

How would you try and convince someone who has never purchased an alcohol-free spirit to give it a try?

“I still drink alcohol, but sometimes I can’t or I’d rather not. In which case why should I sacrifice my experience, and feel left out?” Feragaia, is the original-free spirit that is redefining alcohol-free through its refreshing depth of flavour that’s distilled at our very own distillery in Fife, Scotland. It allows you to have a sophisticated and delicious drink to savour and enjoy during those moments where alcohol is to be avoided – how about a taste?”

What food would you say pairs well with Feragaia?

We talk about depth and length of flavour as this is what slows you down and makes Feragaia ‘a drink’ apart from a soft drink, juice, tea etc.  The long finish is very complimentary when eating as there isn’t too much of a clash on the top of the pallet. I’ve always liked the combination of some savoury appetisers like roasted nuts and Feragaia in that aperitif moment. If I’m really pushing the boat out then the link between our land & sea botanicals and oysters are quite special!

Your bottle and cap are both 100% recyclable and the botanicals used are composted after distillation. Is this a topic in which you are passionate about?

We tried to register ourselves on B Corp before we registered on companies house! Then we realised we needed to have a registered business to apply for B Corp. At the core of our business lies a belief that truth, authenticity and purpose are ‘must haves’ today.  We have developed a sustainable foundation on which Feragaia can grow and meaningfully support the changes that we need to make together in the world.

Now…we are very much excited to announce that Maldon Salt is in the Paloma recipe. What is your favourite way to enjoy Maldon Salt in a drink?

I love the story of land and sea, which could be more apt for Maldon Salt. Salinity when used in drinks correctly is really effective. You just can’t better the Paloma, bitter citrus, saline complexity and the defining depth of Feragaia – It is complete! Sláinte

Feragaia x Maldon Salt Cocktail

In celebration of Dry January, Feragaia and Maldon have come together to create a ‘Paloma Cocktail’.

This cocktail has a beautiful, fresh taste of citrus from the courtesy of Feragaia’s blackcurrant leaf and lemon verbena and Two Keys Pink Grapefruit Soda. Being naturally sweet, the flavour is hightended from a generous sprinkle of Maldon Salt on top to emphasise the sweet notes and counteract the bitterness…delicious!

Ingredients:

• 50ml Feragaia
• 15ml Two Keys Pink Grapefruit Soda
• A Pinch of Maldon Salt
• Ice Cubes
• A Pink Grapefruit Slice

Method:

1. Add 50ml Feragaia, 15ml Two Keys Pink Grapefruit Soda and a pinch of Maldon salt to a highball glass.

2.Stir until dissolved, add ice cubes and garnish with pink grapefruit.

Win a Bundle of Goodies!

You could be in the chance of winning one of our limited edition bundle packs, which includes a bottle of Feragaia, Two Keys Grapefruit Soda and an exclusive Maldon Salt Pinch Tin…the perfect combination to create our deliciously good Paloma cocktail!

Head over to our Instagram Giveaway now to enter… But be quick! There are only a number of limited bundles to win.

Lastly, we LOVE seeing your creations – please tag us on Instagram using the #maldonsalt so we can share your cocktail masterpieces on our socials.

This month we are exploring the talented Meliz Berg and her debut cookbook, Meliz’s Kitchen: Simple Turkish-Cypriot Comfort Food and Fresh Family Feasts.

Influenced through her Turkish-Cypriot heritage, Meliz shares a melting pot of unique cuisines from across the Mediterranean to the Middle East, showing readers how to create easy-to-follow recipes that pack a punch full of flavour and spices.

One thing Meliz is passionate about within her writing is how to create flavoursome meals for a busy family life. You don’t need to stick to the same-old dishes that you cook everyday when you have this book in your hands…simply adding a few spices influenced from her heritage will elevate a dish in seconds and creates dinner time to be exciting again!

Meatball & Chickpea Stew (Kofteli Nohut Yemegi)

This delicious stew is a perfect to warm you up during the cold winter months! The meatballs (kofte) are coated in breadcrumbs to keep the meat beautifully soft and tender when fried to keep the meat succulent. The meaty oils then coat and infuse the onions while they slowly caramelise with the buttery roux, which will thicken the delicious tomato and sweet red pepper sauce.

Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken stock cube
• 600ml (20 fl oz) boiling water
• 400g (14 oz) minced beef
• 100g ( 3, 1/2 oz) fine breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried mint
• 1sp dried oregano
• 1 tsp pul biber
• 10g (1/4 oz) finely chopped flt leaf parsley leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1 tsp Maldon Sea Salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp Turkish sweet red pepper paste (tatli biber salcasi)
• 50g (1, 3/4 oz) unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 400g (14 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

To Serve:

• Dried mint
• Pul biber
• Maldon Salt
• Black pepper
• Fresh parsley

Method:

1. In a heatproof jug, dissolve the stock cube in the boiling water and leave to one side.
2. Place the minced beef in a large bowl. and add the breadcrumbs, paprika, dried mint, oregano, pul biber, parsley, garlic, Maldon Salt and pepper. Mix everything together well with clean hands. Shape the mixture into around 40-50 mini meatballs.
3. Add the olive oil to a large pan over a medium heat and brown the meatballs, in batches, then remove to a plate.
4. Add the onion to the oil and soften for 12-15 minutes until translucent and slightly caramelised.
5. Add the tomato puree and sweet red pepper paste, coating the onion and allowing the red pastes to full release their oils for a minute or two. Add the butter to the pan, str through until it melts, then add the flour and whisk to form a thick roux (paste).
6. Slowly pour in the stock, whisking the bottom of the pan consistently so that the roux dissolves into the liquid, and then add the chickpeas and ,eatballs to the pan. Stir everything very gently to avoid breaking the meatballs, and bring the stew to a boil.
7. Reduce the heat to a slow simmer, place the lid on the pan and leave to cook for 20-25 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened a little.
8. Serve with an extra sprinkling of Maldon Salt, dried mint, pul biber, cracked pepper and fresh parsley. Raw onion wedges, pickles, olives and fresh bread are also delicious to serve on the side.

In Conversation with Meliz Berg

We were lucky enough to sit down and talk with Meliz in getting to understand where her inspiration to release a cookbook came from. We also explore in ways to elevate family dishes and also revealing her own personal favourite recipe from her book.

Meliz, firstly we wanted to congratulate you on your debut cookbook recently: Meliz’s Kitchen! Where did the inspiration come from for you to finally collate your delicious recipes into a book?

Thank you so much! I honestly wanted to write this cookbook for as long as I can remember. Oral tradition has played a huge part in passing down these recipes for my family; I watched my grandmothers, mum and aunties cook these recipes instinctively, over and over again, yet when I first moved out into my own home, I would regularly call my mum so she could talk me through cooking the recipes myself; even though I’d watched her for so many years, I took for granted how easy and instinctive she would make it all look. These recipes are so special to me, and I wanted to preserve them; by writing them down and collating them into Meliz’s Kitchen, I have now preserved them indefinitely, not just for my own family, but for others who share the same culture and traditions as my own, and have also exposed them, including the ingredients and cooking methods used, to unfamiliar audiences too.

In the book you showcase a melting-pot of beautiful, different cuisines. Is this something you feel passionate about sharing with your readers?

Absolutely. Cyprus is a melting-pot of influences, that centre between East and West, yet there has always been this misconception that Cypriot food is just Turkish and/or Greek food. Although the influences from both these cuisines is undeniable, the infiltration of so many other cultures, empires, cuisines and ingredients (Byzantine, Ottoman, Venetian, Arabic, Levantine, Mediterranean Asian, I could go on and on) over centuries has inevitably resulted in a separate, unique Cypriot cuisine in itself. Even though the umbrella of Cypriot cuisine covers recipes cooked generally by both Turkish and Greek Cypriots, some of the dishes and flavour-combinations utilised by the Turkish Cypriot community differ from those cooked by our Greek-Cypriot neighbours and vice-versa and can even differ from village to village, and family to family; the recipes that came from my family’s Turkish-Cypriot kitchen are the ones I grew up with, which I have highlighted with personal stories and anecdotes throughout the book.  

You must have a favourite recipe in the book! Can you share with us?

Oh goodness, I have so many, for various reasons; some for the nostalgia, some for the triumph of not giving up on a challenging recipe until it was “perfect”, but I think, for its simplicity, layers of flavour, and popularity since releasing the book, it has to be “Kıymalı Garavolli” (One Pot Lamb Mince & Conchiglie Pasta).

What would a normal day-in-the-life be for you Meliz?

Once my children are at school, I’ll either start the day with an hour’s admin to catch up on emails before recipe testing, or, if I have more than one recipe test to do then I’ll go shopping first to pick up any last minute ingredients and start testing as soon as I get back home. If I’m working on a tried and tested recipe, then I’ll film the recipe to have some content to create reels with, and that recipe, or part of it at least, will also serve as the evening’s dinner. I usually schedule (online) meetings at the start and end of the day so that I can have a full, interrupted run of cooking and filming and try to clear and tidy the kitchen away before picking the children up from school. Then it’s after-school activities, homework, dinner, baths, and once we’ve listened to them read, I turn the laptop back on to start working again, haha! I work most evenings, either writing up recipes or editing videos and recipe reels.

Family meal recipes always seem to get a ‘bad-rep’ of being dull and boring…what are some easy ways people can elevate a dish and turn it into something deliciously new!

Have a well-stocked store cupboard with spices, condiments and pulses that will help to add flavour and umph to any dish. I love dried herbs such as dried mint and oregano, spices such as pul biber, paprika and smoked paprika, and always have extra virgin olive oil, pomegranate molasses, vinegars and honey on hand to create dressings and marinades. Stock cubes are also so underrated and I always use them to cook rice, pasta and pulses with, as well as adding them to sauces, soups and oven baked dishes too. And a sprinkling of Maldon Salt never goes amiss either!

Name 3 things in the kitchen that you can’t live without?

Grater (to grate hellim with – I cover everything in blanket of grated hellim), a pot of spoons (to taste my recipes as I cook), my trusted baking trays (I found some baking trays online that I swear by).

A little birdy told us you were a qualified music teacher before you started your recipe blog…would you say music and food are connected in a way?

I was – I taught secondary and A Level music, for 8 years, and studied music at university to Masters level; my university friends would regularly come over to my mum and dad’s house for some home-cooked Turkish-Cypriot food. I have such a deep connection with both food and music, and a song can automatically transport me back to a familiar place or time, in the same way as a bite of one of my favourite dishes can. Music, food, the arts in general, have this never-ending capacity to constantly develop, excite and satisfy.    

 After a busy day, what are some things you like to do to relax?

Sit at the piano and have a good old sing. I find it so cathartic.

Meliz’s Kitchen Cookbook

You can find where to purchase Meliz’s cookbook here and start creating your perfect family feast!

Make sure you have your Maldon Salt ready for these recipes! If you are running out, please feel free to browse on our Where to Buy Page to find your nearest store in which stocks our beloved Maldon Salt.

Lastly, we LOVE seeing your creations – please tag us on Instagram using the #maldonsalt so we can share your own take on Meliz’s recipes!