Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice

Sugar and Spice and All Things Nice

Your guide to making the perfect mulled wine from Heal's

 Let’s face it, a Christmas gathering isn’t really a Christmas gathering without mulled wine. Nothing evokes the festive spirit better than the delicious aroma of heated claret infused with cinnamon, cloves, citrus and sugar. It’s like liquid Christmas.

Making the perfect glühwein, vin chaud or glögg couldn’t be simpler with the Heal's Mulled Wine Set, which includes a bottle of full-bodied Chilean merlot, gourmet mulling syrup, cinnamon sticks and two glasses. It makes a great gift, too.

Of course, if you take your mulling very seriously, it’s worth investing in a Giles & Posner slow cooker. Slow cooking is the ideal way to gently heat the wine and allow those delicious spices to work their magic - and with three adjustable heat settings, you can keep the wine warm for hours without overcooking it.

So this Christmas, why not offer your guests a really warm welcome.

 

Barca Caffe

Barca Caffe 

"We Pay Half" Weekend

Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th December

Here's one for the diaries! This Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th December Barca Cafe on the third floor are offering a fabulous 'Half Price Discount' on their full menu this coming weekend. So its even more reasons to make a day of it at Redbrick this coming weekend.

Buyers' Christmas Picks - Sam Walker, Senior Buyer, Toiletries and Gift

Buyers' Christmas Picks - Sam Walker, Senior Buyer, Toiletries and Gift

If you’re worrying about what to buy friends and family for Christmas and you need a bit of inspiration, it always helps to get a professional opinion.  So we decided to ask three Heal’s buyers what they’ll be buying their nearest and dearest this year…

1.) Moscow Faux Fur Cowl £35.00

I’d love to get my mum one of these. They’re great because you can dress them up or dress them down - you could wear one with a smart coat or a chunky jumper. I think my mum deserves two gifts, mind you, so I’d also buy her a 2.) Molton Brown Kaleidoscope Gift Set £36.00. When it comes to mums, you can’t go wrong with a bit of pampering.

3.) Acqua di Parma Colonia Intensa Gift Set £72.00

For dads, I recommend the Acqua di Parma range. I love that clean, fresh, just-been-to-the-barbers smell, and to me it encapsulates a classic Italian masculine style. I’d also buy my dad a nice pair of slippers.  My favourites are our charcoal knit ones.

4.) Grey Cap With Pink Bow £50.00

This is a really good present for a girlfriend. It’s a cool contemporary take on a classic item and one of those things you might not buy for yourself but you’d be over the moon with if you received  it as a gift. And it goes really well with our 5.) Grey Crochet Fingerless Wool Gloves With Red Bow £38.00.

6.) 1950s Silver Dreyfuss 500 Telephone £65.00

The perfect gift for your boyfriend or male friend. This phone may have a classic 1950s shape but the colour and finish are very contemporary and it would work in all kinds of interiors. Technology-wise it’s totally compatible with the modern day - it has a standard BT connection and push button operation. It may look retro but there’s nothing old-fashioned about it.

7.) Seedling’s Make Your Own Kaleidoscope £30.00

My grandmother had a tin kaleidoscope when I was a child so for me they bring back all kinds of nostalgic memories.  This is a fantastic present for kids. It’s a new take on a traditional toy and I love the fact that it’s creative. The pack contains the tube, the beads, rhinestones - which you then assemble yourself. I always think when children make something themselves, they treasure it more.

8.) Princesse Tam Tam Cappuccino Top Pearl Grey £43.00

I’m loving all the new loungewear we’ve been bringing into Heal’s lately and this is my favourite. It’s so snuggly, so soft, and really easy to wear. Not only is it really easy to wear around the house, but you could easily throw on some jeans with it and pop down to the shops. Gorgeous.

Buyers' Christmas Picks - Farzana Jones, Buyer Accessories, Lighting & Fabrics

Buyers' Christmas Picks - Farzana Jones, Buyer Accessories, Lighting & Fabrics

Choosing the perfect Christmas present can be a real challenge. To make it easier, and hopefully give you some useful ideas, we asked our very own Heal’s buyers what they’ll be getting their family and friends this year… 

1.) Black & Blum Loop Chrome Candelabra £21.00

This is a perfect gift for mum.  Inspired by the Fibonacci curve, it’s a really striking and cleverly designed candelabra that makes a perfect centrepiece on any sideboard or dining table - either on its own or interlinked with others.  A coordinating vase is also available. 

2.) Anglepoise Type C LED Desk Lamp £295.00

Men love Anglepoise lamps. If you’re looking for the ultimate present for your dad, the new Type C is a great option. Released in September 2011, it’s already destined to be a design classic. Innovative, futuristic and stylish, it’s just an amazing-looking object.

3.) Robin Cushion by Donna Wilson £67.00

A really lovely gift for a female friend, Donna Wilson’s designs are quirky and cute and they appeal to all age groups. And if the robin goes down well there are other equally cute and quirky alternatives to buy, including her cat, owl and house cushions.

4.) Bold and Noble London Type Map Slate Print £95.00

For boyfriends, husbands or male friends I recommend this framed artwork. There’s a real trend for typography in framed art at the moment, and this design certainly ticks the right boxes. For non-Londoners there’s also a UK map version available.

5.) Peekaboo Rabbit Kids Wall Clock £48.00

Kids really love these clocks. There’s a rabbit, and cow and a cat to choose from, and their eyes move from left to right as the clock ticks. They’re a fun way to learn to tell the time and perfect for any child’s room.

6.) Cranberry & Spice Botanicals Range From £14.00

This range of candles, which are hand poured in the UK using real dried botanical pieces, makes a really nice gift for your grandmother. When lit, they create a delicate and beautiful festive scent that fills the home and creates a lovely Christmassy smell.

7.) Heal's Discovers In A Flutter London Framed Art by Samantha Neal £600.00

I love the idea of having a map of London on the wall, and this is something I’d be very happy to find under the tree with my name on it. It’s truly stunning, the kind of thing you could look at for hours and pick up new details you hadn’t noticed before. Maps tend to be quite masculine but this has 3D butterflies, leaves and flowers - it’s a totally fresh approach and I love it.

Jill Ryder at Redbrick

Jill Ryder at Redbrick

Sunday 4th December see's the return of fabulous singer songwriter Jill Ryder for your festive treat between 12.30 and 3.30pm.

The event is organised by Ice Interiors & Café Casbah on the first
floor. 

Don't miss out!

Check out her website  www.jillryder.co.uk 

Heal's

Heal's

Buyers' Christmas Picks - Cathy Hogan, Kitchen & Gift Food

Having trouble deciding what to buy your nearest and dearest for Christmas? Why not take a tip from a Heal’s buyer…

1.) Le Creuset Heart Mini Ramekins £40.00

This set of three heart shaped ramekins makes a great present for mum. They’re really cute and the colours work well with our ‘berry’ dining theme for Christmas. You can’t go wrong with Le Creuset products - they’re brilliant for oven-to-table serving and guaranteed to get a positive reaction from guests.

2.) Camembert Platter and Knife £33.00

Men love cheese, don’t they, so this Camembert Platter and Knife is sure to appeal to sophisticated dads. I love the bright colours and the classic French styling design. The range is really collectable and includes sets of plates and a Camembert Baker, which you bake a whole camembert in and then serve straight from the oven - so you’re potentially sorted for a present for dad next year too!

3.) Orla Kiely Storage Jars From £18.00

These storage jars are a perfect gift for a female friend. There are lots of different prints and shapes to choose from, depending on the décor of her kitchen. They’re real statement pieces and as always, Orla gets the colours really right. I especially love the contrast of the wooden lid and the ceramic jar - it’s timeless.

4.) Moustache Corkscrew and Bottle Opener £9.50

Moustaches are all the rage at the moment and this novelty corkscrew is a fun gift to buy for a male friend or your boyfriend (though it’s probably more of a stocking filler than a main present). Another option is our 5.) Gourmet Chocolate Jelly Bean Pizza £12.50 - it always goes down a storm.

6.) Eggsterminator Egg Cup £8.50

Perfect for kids, these Dalek-shaped egg cups are quirky and fun and a great way to liven up breakfast time for all those Dr Who fans. I also like the 7.) Super Egg Cup £7.00, which is designed like a mini super hero - with feet!

8.) LSA Malika Grand Champagne Saucer Platinum £18.00

I’d love someone to buy me these. They’re brilliant for cocktail parties and I’m a big fan of the saucer shape and the platinum detail, which I think gives them a really sophisticated 1920s feel. Basically I just love the glamour of them.

Smart Gallery Christmas Party 2011