Folly Russian Matryoshka measuring cups

Folly, the stylish boutique found on the internet have added a clever and strictly limited edition set of Matryoshka  Russian measuring cups to their already abundant collection of home wares, vintage items and designer led gifts. Like the Russian dolls, these cups all fit inside each other to create an essential kitchen item that won’t clutter up the worktops.

The cups range in measurements from ¼ through to a full cup size, encompassing both quarter and third cup sizes, making 6 in all. They have been created from heavy duty and food safe Engineering plastic that ensures they will be invaluable for years to come. These Matryoshka cups are useful, easy to store and will add a charm to any kitchen.

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No matter how much space you have in your kitchen – or how well organised you are – being taken over by utensils, appliances, recipe books and other cooking essentials is something most of us have experienced at some point in our culinary careers. To help fight back against clutter in the kitchen, here are some top storage tips:

Draw a line under messy drawers

Without doubt, drawers are the first things we fill when we simply want to clear a surface. The result? Over-filled receptacles that can be difficult to close, or worse – impossible to open. Assign drawers to items based on their size so as to prevent smaller items being crowded out and hidden by larger objects. Be aware, too of the height of your drawer space and avoid squeezing items in if they don’t make an easy fit. They may be in there longer than you bargain for.

Sharp edges and awkward shapes

There’s nothing worse than delving into a drawer for a potato masher only to be cut by business end of a chopping knife. Wide utensil pots, which come in a variety of designs, provide an attractive, convenient and safe way to store frequently used utensils and keep them out of harm’s way.

Take the cut out of cutlery

Cutlery will probably be the most frequently used items that you store in your kitchen. It follows then, that a system that keeps your silverware easy to access will be worth its weight in gold. And it won’t cost the earth. Cutlery dividers, hanging racks and a range of other ingenious creations that compartmentalise knives, forks dessert spoons and teaspoons etc. are widely available for all tastes and budgets.
Small appliances

Bread makers, ice cream makers, espresso machines and slow cookers are just some of the small appliances now fighting for prime space with traditional kitchen favourites such as the toaster, sandwich maker and microwave. To prevent your work surfaces disappearing beneath a sea of gadgets you could, if space permits, install either a peninsula or island storage unit in your kitchen. If space is too tight, consider tall wall units that sit on the work surface and provide additional shelf space. Think about the weight of your appliances when allocating their new homes. Place heavier items as close as possible to work surface level and position any new storage units as close as you can to power sockets to minimise lifting and carrying.

Books etc.

Cookery books, recipe cards, shopping lists and other forms of paperwork around the kitchen can also proliferate and create unwelcome clutter. If you are able to set aside a small area of your kitchen for a bookcase, do so (it’ll also give you somewhere to keep the instruction manuals for all those appliances). You can save even more space by going electronic – try storing recipes on your computer and printing off only when necessary. Alternatively, if you have a smartphone, check out the wide range of recipe apps available for your handset – and never smudge a recipe sheet again!
The chances are that just going through the process of organising your kitchen will present lots of opportunities to throw out, or give away, items you no longer use or can put into more permanent storage. Then, once you have your system up and running, the most important thing is to stick with it to prevent the build-up of unmanageable clutter.

These kitchen storage tips have been provided by Big Yellow Self Storage. With Big Yellow you can store things of all shapes & sizes for as little as a week or as long you’d like.

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No longer do you have to choose between a gas or an electric oven, as some cookers include both.  Whether you splash out on a heart warming Aga, or a convenient electric cooker, the oven is at the heart of most kitchens.

To help modern chefs make a good impression with every meal prepared, cookers have evolved to include hot plates too.  These ensure your plates are nicely warmed before serving your work of art, whether it’s just the family, or a host of hungry friends.

Cooking with a gas stove for many may be preferable as you can control the strength of the heat, and while traditionally you would have to settle for a gas oven too, now gas cookers can come with an electric oven and even an electric grill – to meet the cooking needs of any fancy dinner.

One thing that has not changed however is the need for a large and reliable freezer, to stock meat, vegetables, and quick meals for the days when you cannot be bothered to imitate Gordon Ramsey.

If you have the space in the garage perhaps then a chest freezer is the freezer of choice for a busy family.  The size of chest freezers means that households are not confined to fitting food in shelves, but can fit in even the most awkward food boxes, such as an extra extra large, double deep, very yummy frozen pizza.  They also come in handy for preparing for large dinner parties, or if you are in the catering business as you can store large amounts of food.

An advertising feature for Dixons

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After its record breaking series in 2010, Dragons’ Den is preparing to open for business once again, giving entrepreneurs from across the country the chance to realise their ambitions and make their business dreams come true. If you’re genuinely seeking investment for your business idea or invention, we’d like to hear from you.

Last year saw more entrepreneurs than ever before enter the Den and face the Dragons, with 17 businesses convincing the multi-millionaire investors that they were worthy of their cash. Some of the most successful business ideas last series came from the food and drink and home-ware sector with one of the most memorable pitches from the series from 24 year-old, Kirsty Henshaw, who, having developed her healthy frozen desserts for her young son, needed £65,000 to expand the business. After an emotional encounter, the single mum’s hard work and determination paid off as Duncan Bannatyne and Peter Jones joined forces to give her business a much needed cash injection. Kirsty says, with the help of her Dragon partners, her Freedom products have been stocked in over 2000 supermarkets nationwide and sales figures have hit £360,000. She predicts she’ll make £1million in sales in her first year alone.

All the financiers were impressed by inventors Richard Blakesley and Chris Barnardo who pitched their magical remote control and sparked a fervent bidding war. In the end it was a tactical Duncan Bannatyne who fought off his rivals and shook hands with the duo. Antiques expert Patrick van der Vorst sought investment in his valuation website and was delighted to secure the backing of two Dragons, Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden. Patrick says that since the Den his turnover has increased five fold and his customer base has risen to more than 23,000.

Perhaps the most famous entrepreneur to secure investment in the Den was Levi Roots, who in 2007 secured investment in his secret recipe, Reggae Reggae sauce. Just 4 weeks after his appearance on the programme his Dragon investors helped him launch his product in major supermarkets all over the UK. Now a household name, his range includes; table sauces, cooking sauces and ready meals, and has also secured a licensing deal with one of the world’s largest frozen food manufacturers, has several hit books under his belt, and presented his own cookery series. Levi says he sold six million bottles of sauce last year alone and now, thanks to the Dragons, has a business empire valued in the millions,

Of course not everyone secures investment in the Den but that doesn’t stop determined entrepreneurs going on to prove the Dragons wrong. In 2009, Paul Ward came into the Den with his MRSA killing laundry detergent, after receiving an offer but failing to agree terms, he walked away empty-handed. Paul says his company now has a turnover of £1.4million. In 2006, Rob Law pitched his children’s luggage range, Trunki, but after a legendary but disastrous encounter with Theo Paphitis, failed to earn any of the Dragons’ cash. Since then, Rob says he has grown the business into a global success story, selling 750,000 products to 62 countries worldwide. In the New Year’s Honours List he was awarded an MBE for his services to business.

The rules are simple: entrepreneurs ask for a cash investment in return for equity in their business. However, they must get at least the amount they ask for or they will walk away with nothing. The Dragons are prepared to listen to a pitch for any kind of business but they must be convinced that it requires investment and will make money. Ideas, businesses and products that have previously gained financial backing in the Den have demonstrated one or more of the following: unique selling point, scalability, clear route to market and a planned exit strategy.

More information: www.bbc.co.uk/dragonsden

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Where is it going to go?

For many people, the answer to this question is, the kitchen, but it all depends on where you have space for your new cooker, and where would be appropriate to put it. Wherever you choose to put it, remember to measure the space or room it is to go in so you don’t buy a cooker that’s the wrong size.

Gas or Electric?

The age old question, would electric or gas cookers be best for your needs? Obviously it depends on the energy supply to your house, and your own personal cooking preferences. The chances are that if you’re used to an electric cooker, then you might be best going for another electric cooker, and vice-versa, so think hard before making any drastic changes in your cooker choices.

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The Vacufresh wine stopper is compact, easy to store and really simple to use. Just place the bottle of wine on a sturdy flat surface then firmly push the Vacufresh stopper onto the bottle and pump several times until you feel resistance, which means that the remaining air in the bottle has been removed. Then lock in place for long lasting fresher tasting wine without the waste!

The Vacufresh wine stopper retails from just £6.99.

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OXO’s UK Marketing Manager, Tracy Carroll, says: “Turntables have always been a popular phenomenon in the US and have become a staple storage solution in the home, especially since the recession.

“With purse strings becoming tighter, many of us are shying away from expanding the family kitchen and are looking to make all the available space work harder. Our turntables do just that, keeping work surfaces clear and maximising storage space so that everyday items are easy to reach.”

Gone are the days of guessing what herbs and spices you have in store, with OXO’s turntables you can see exactly what lurks at the back of your kitchen cupboards and can easily access those hard to reach areas without the fear of sending jars and bottles flying everywhere.

The turntables come in three different sizes: 11”, 16” and a versatile two-tier 10”. Each one features a non-slip base for a smooth, continuous spinning action and a sturdy deep ledge that keeps items upright when in use.

The two-tier turntable provides flexible double decker storage and features an adjustable second tier that splits in two to accommodate taller items and bottles.

Prices:
Two-tier turntable: £20
11”: £10
16”: £15

Designed to make everyday living that little bit easier, the OXO range offers over 200 stylish, yet practical tools for the home including kitchenware, organisational tools, cleaning products and gardening equipment.

The OXO range is widely available through a selection of national retailers including Lakeland, John Lewis, House of Fraser, Amazon, Dunelm, Selfridges and other leading cook shops. For stockist details, please call 0114 290 1455

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Since its launch in April the ‘Kitchen Innovation Challenge’, has seen 600 new ideas submitted from across the UK. The top ten finalists from all over the UK presented their ideas in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style pitch to Heston and three other judges, all renowned for innovation in their chosen fields including Paul Pankhurst, Chair of British Design Innovation, Rosie Nagra and Wendy Miranda, Lakeland.

The inventions were as diverse as ‘rotating cake trays’ to ‘easy clean sieves’. The final ten innovative product ideas caught the eye of the judges because their ingenious ways of helping to achieve ‘perfection’ in the kitchen. The ‘Challenge Winner’ will receive a £10,000 cash prize, their idea brought to market and sold in stores nationwide including royalties on any future sales.

The finalists ranged in age from 30 to 65 and came from across the UK – Derbyshire, Sunderland, Shropshire, Kent, Solihull, Essex, Nottingham and Hull.

The winner of the competition is Margaret O’Callaghan, aged 65, a housewife from Bromley in Kent. Margaret’s winning innovation, The Scrudle, is a cross between a scoop, scraper and a ladle which allows sauces, gravies and casseroles to be easily transferred from pot to plate, without even a drop of the mixture being lost. The Scrudle is made from plastic with a measuring device on the side and has a flat edge to ensure smooth scooping of mixtures to catch every last drop for cooking perfection.

Margaret is the winner of a prize package estimated to be worth a staggering £50,000; which includes a £10,000 cash prize from Finish and a business development package that includes the opportunity to work with Lakeland to develop the product, bring it to market and receive royalties from future sales in Lakeland’s catalogues, website and nationwide stores.

Head judge Heston Blumenthal says: “Margaret really impressed us on Judging Day – her presentation was fluent and confident and her product was innovative, practical and something that I can actually see myself using in the kitchen. After her pitch all of the judges came out thinking ‘now why didn’t I think of that?’ because it is such a simple idea, but also something that will be useful and genuinely make life easier.”

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