Win a meal for 4 at Hawksmoor Spitalfields

One of the (many) advantages of having a son who owns a steakhouse is that I can occasionally twist his arm to come up with a very special prize. So I’ve managed to persuade him to donate a voucher worth £350 to be spent at Hawksmoor Spitalfields.

Spitalfields was the first restaurant in the Hawksmoor group and has recently been glamorously revamped with reclaimed furniture and fittings including stained glass windows and a parquet floor that was sourced from a sanatorium in Northumberland!

There are also some new dishes on the menu alongside the Hawksmoor classics including a Twelve hour beef short rib with claret, bone marrow & Roscoff onions, Roast scallops with fennel pollen & garlic and Tunworth mash (each portion of which is made with a quarter of a Tunworth cheese) which I personally can’t wait to try!

We had it in mind that the voucher would cover a meal for 4 including cocktails and a bottle of wine but if you want to blow it on two of you that’s up to you!

All you have to do to enter the competition is register on the site (and subscribe, if you like, to our free monthly newsletter which will ensure you don’t miss details of our fabulous prizes)

Given the nature of the prize, you must be 18 or over to enter but for once it doesn’t matter where in the world you come from so long as you can get yourself to London. (No, we’re sorry - the prize doesn’t include the fare!)

The closing date for the competition is 11.59pm GMT on Monday April 30th 2018

For other terms and conditions see below.

ENTER HERE

Terms & conditions:

1. This prize draw is open to all UK residents of 18 or over, other than freelances or contractors employed by matchingfoodandwine.com or Hawksmoor, their respective families and agents or anyone directly connected to the prize draw

2. No purchase is necessary. You simply need to have registered on the site and subscribe to the mailing list.

3. Entries submitted through third parties or agents will not be eligible.

4. The prize consists of a voucher for £350 to be spent at Hawksmoor Spitalfields. No cash alternative to the prize will be offered. The prize must be claimed by October 31st 2018. Bookings need to be made in consultation with the restaurant

5. The closing date for entry to the draw is 11.59pm GMT on Monday April 30th 2018. The winner will be drawn at random from the subscriber database by matchingfoodandwine by Monday May 14th, 2018 and will be notified by e-mail.

6. The promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

7. Entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

The winners surname and county of residence will be made available by sending an email to competitions@matchingfoodandwine.com after May 31st, 2018.

Win an aged Spanish beef meat box, a bottle of Rioja gran reserva and a copy of Prime

For this month’s comp we’ve teamed up with our good friends Islington-based butchers Turner & George* again to offer you a type of beef that’s become a real hit on the London restaurant scene. THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.

Turner & George have made a name for themselves with their offering of cuts from older Spanish beef, spearhead a growing taste for ‘Old Cows’. These ex-dairy cattle, sourced from the hills of Galicia and the Basque cider country, are allowed to graze and forage naturally on up until 10 years old or more before slaughter. As a result, their beef has a rich, strong flavour and intense marbling, which is truly unlike anything else found in the UK today.

To showcase this unique meat, Turner & George sells a selection of cuts under the banner of their ‘Spanish Old Cow Box’ – which contains 2 x 400g Basque Bone-in Ribeyes, 2 x 400g Galician Bone-in Sirloins, 2 x 200g Basque Fillets, 2 x 200g Galician Rumps and 4 x 180g Old Cow Burgers and have offered two to our lucky prizewinners.

We also thought you’d like a bottle of one of the top riojas, the 2007 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904, to try with it plus a copy of chef Richard Turner’s brilliant book Prime which is full of amazing beef recipes. (You may remember we offered it as a giveaway when it came out last year and it was SO popular we thought you’d like another chance to win one!)

(Rioja gran reserva is the official classification for the oldest wines in the Rioja region which have to be aged for a minimum of 60 months: at least 2 years in oak casks and 2 years in the bottle - we thought aged wine and aged beef would be the perfect pairing!)

All you have to do to enter the competition is register on the site (and subscribe, if you like, to our free monthly newsletter which will ensure you don’t miss details of our fabulous prizes)

Given the nature of the prize, you must be 18 or over and be based on the mainland UK to enter.

The closing date for the competition is 11.59pm GMT on Monday April 2nd 2018

For other terms and conditions see below.

ENTER HERE

Terms & conditions:

1. This prize draw is open to all UK residents of 18 or over, other than freelances or contractors employed by matchingfoodandwine.com, Turner & George, Wines of Rioja and their respective families and agents or anyone directly connected to the prize draw

2. No purchase is necessary. You simply need to have registered on the site and subscribe to the mailing list.

3. Entries submitted through third parties or agents will not be eligible.

4. The two prizewinners will each win a Spanish Old Cow meat box, a bottle of rioja gran reserva and a copy of Prime. No cash alternative to the prize will be offered.

5. The closing date for entry to the draw is 11.59pm GMT on Monday April 2nd 2018. The winner will be drawn at random from the subscriber database by matchingfoodandwine by Monday April 16th, 2018 and will be notified by e-mail.

6. The promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

7. Entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

The winners surname and county of residence will be made available by sending an email to competitions@matchingfoodandwine.com after April 30th, 2018

* Turner & George is an online and high street butcher with a difference. Based in Islington and founded by acclaimed restaurateur and chef, Richard H. Turner; along with butcher and quality meat supplier, James George; Turner & George has recently been heralded as leaders of the new wave of artisan butchers in the UK. And after perusing their counter, it is easy to see why.

With a strong belief that everyone should have the opportunity to eat meat that has been ethically reared, they only choose the best meat from British native breeds. Selecting from animals reared on independent farms and smallholdings, free from growth hormones, antibiotics or cruelty. They dry-age in house on the bone for flavour, make their own sausages and burgers, and combine all of this with a contemporary knowledge of taste and cooking.

Win a case of H. Blin grower champagne

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED BUT DON'T WORRY - THERE WILL BE ANOTHER GREAT PRIZE SOON!

In what has become a bit of a tradition on matchingfoodandwine.com we have a case of champagne as our prize this month as our way of celebrating Valentine's Day. And we’re particularly pleased to have the small family owned champagne house of H. Blin as our sponsor this year

The founder Henri Blin was descended from a long line of family growers from Vincelles, a charming village located on the champagne route in the Marne valley. Today Champagne H.Blin owns 123 hectares of vineyards which are mainly planted with Pinot Meunier and focusses on the unique characteristics of this variety to produce authentic, terroir-driven champagnes. Blin’s vineyards are now all managed using sustainable methods and several hectares are certified organic.

The case of six bottles will include 3 bottles each of their brut champagne (described by Oddbins, which stocks it, as a "mellow, rounded, sumptuous, biscuity, balanced, lemony and complex style of champagne" and the richer still Blanc de Noirs which, like a number of their champagnes, is made 100% from Pinot Meunier.

All you have to do to enter the competition is register on the site (and subscribe, if you like, to our free monthly newsletter)

Given the nature of the prize, you must be 18 or over to enter and we can’t dispatch prizes to those of you who live outside the UK, I’m afraid.

The closing date for the competition is 11.59pm GMT on Sunday March 4th 2018 which means you won’t of course get it in time for V Day if you win but hopefully February 14th is not the only day on which you'll feel moved to make a romantic gesture. And there’s nothing stopping you buying a bottle while you wait to find out if you’re the lucky winner. (For prices and stockist details see below*)

For other terms and conditions see below.

ENTER HERE

Terms & conditions:

1. This prize draw is open to all UK residents of 18 or over, other than freelances or contractors employed by matchingfoodandwine.com or H.Blin, their respective families and agents or anyone directly connected to the prize draw

2. No purchase is necessary. You simply need to have registered on the site and subscribe to the mailing list.

3. Entries submitted through third parties or agents will not be eligible and only one entry is permitted per person.

4. The prize consists of a case of 6 bottles of H Blin champagne as specified above. No cash alternative to the prize will be offered

5. The closing date for entry to the draw is 11.59pm GMT on Sunday March 4th 2018. The winner will be drawn at random from the subscriber database by matchingfoodandwine by Monday March 19th, 2018 and will be notified by e-mail.

6. The promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

7. Entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

The winners surname and county of residence will be made available by sending an email to competitions@matchingfoodandwine.com after March 31st, 2018

* H.Blin NV Brut 80% Pinot Meunier, 20% Chardonnay – £25.00 bottle or £58.50 magnum from www.winecellarclub.co.uk or www.thesecretcellar.co.uk - currently on offer at £24 a bottle from Oddbins www.oddbins.com

H.Blin Blanc de Noirs made from 100% Pinot Meunier - £29.90 from – www.winecellarclub.co.uk

Win six fabulous whiskies from The Whisky Exchange

So far as we’re concerned January is all about whisky so what better way to celebrate this fabulous drink than a case of six Scotch whiskies from our friends at The Whisky Exchange? It’s the perfect prize for any whisky lover and a way for those new to the spirit to explore its myriad different styles and flavours. THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

Here are the six and what TWE says about each of them. (As a whisky lover myself I seriously envy whoever wins this prize! See below for the closing date and T & Cs)

Bowmore 15 Year Old

This superb whisky from Bowmore has recently been named The Whisky Exchange’s Whisky of the Year for 2018, as voted by whisky-loving consumers in a blind tasting. Having spent its final three years in oloroso sherry casks, this 15 year old single malt offers an elegant balance of sherry influence and the distillery's fruit and peat characteristics – fruit spice and cinnamon meet tropical fruit and green apple.

Elements of Islay PEAT

PEAT is the perfect expression of smoky whisky, with all the full-on coastal character you would expect from an island whisky, as well as balanced sweetness. On its own or in a cocktail, it is the go-to peaty whisky for all, balancing serious smoky flavour with a sense of fun. This whisky is a blended malt – a blend of single malts from a handful of Islay distilleries, taking the distinct character of each and bringing them together, focusing on Islay’s most famous flavour – peat.

Compass Box Hedonism

Chiswick-based Compass Box is led by founder and whiskymaker John Glaser, a man who never tires of pushing the boundaries of blended whisky. This is a terrific blended grain whisky that is supple and silky, with elegant, rich flavours of vanilla, toffee, coconut and cocoa.

John sources the highest quality oak from the US, France and Spain to find the best wood for each expression and creates custom casks that impart unique flavours on marriages of some of the finest whiskies from across Scotland.

Edradour 2006 10 Year Old Sherry Butt

Sherry leads the way with this delicious single-cask bottling from Edradour, bottled exclusively for The Whisky Exchange. It balances spice against fruit and sweetness against char. Having been distilled in 2006 and matured in an oloroso sherry cask, there were just 683 bottles made.

Single Malts of Scotland Glen Elgin 1995, 21 Year Old

As a single cask bottling of just 265 bottles, this Glen Elgin release from Elixir Distillers' The Single Malts of Scotland range is a really special addition to the case. Distilled in 1995 and aged in a hogshead for 21 years, the distillery's typical fruit-cake spice is pushed through with a velvety texture and a long finish of toasted oats.

Port Askaig 8 Year Old

The character of Port Askaig 8 Year Old single malt brings together the robust smokiness and soft fruitiness found in the beguiling island of Islay. This is a whisky that would appeal to the most discerning of whisky connoisseurs as much as a novice whisky drinker. It is warming and smoky with notes of limestone, liquorice and dark peat.

All you have to do to enter the competition is register on the site (and subscribe, if you like, to our free newsletter).

The closing date for the competition is 11.59pm GMT on Wednesday January 31st 2018 and you must be over 18 and live in the UK to enter. For other terms and conditions see below.

ENTER HERE

Terms & conditions:

1. This prize draw is open to all UK residents of 18 or over, other than freelances or contractors employed by matchingfoodandwine.com and employees of The Whisky Exchange, their respective families and agents or anyone directly connected to the prize draw

2. No purchase is necessary. You simply need to have registered on the site and subscribe to the mailing list.

3. Entries submitted through third parties or agents will not be eligible. You may only enter once.

4. The prize consists of the six whiskies specified above

5. The closing date for entry to the draw is 11.59pm GMT on Wednesday January 31st 2018. The winner will be drawn at random from the subscriber database by matchingfoodandwine by February 14th 2018 and will be notified by e-mail.

6. The promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

7. Entrants agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

The winners surname and country of residence will be made available by sending an email to comps@matchingfoodandwine.com after February 28th 2018