Richmond Towers Communications

Lemon and cardamom sticky spring buns

Lemon

Makes 20

Be sure to crush cardamom pods yourself for these buns which are similar to Hot Cross buns but without the pastry lattice.
Do not use ready-ground cardamom – you must crush seeds from the pods yourself, as the fresh cardamom adds more flavour.

500g / 1 lb 2 oz strong white flour
25g / 1 oz Billington’s Golden Caster sugar
7g sachet Allinson Easy Bake Yeast
85g / 3 oz butter, diced
2 rounded tsp crushed cardamom (remove black seeds from green cardamom pods and crush)
300ml / 10 fl oz tepid milk

Filling
85g / 3 oz butter, softened
85g / 3 oz Billington’s Light Muscovado sugar
The grated zest of 1 lemon

Glaze/topping
50 ml / 2 fl oz lemon juice
100g / 3½ oz Billington’s Golden Caster sugar
2 tsp Billington’s Demerara sugar

Place the flour, Golden Caster sugar, yeast and 1 tsp salt in a bowl and combine. Rub in the butter then stir in the cardamom. Make a well in the centre then pour in the warm milk, bringing together with a spoon. Then combine with your hands to a dough, turn onto a floured board and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth. Place in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film then leave to rise in a warm place for 2 - 3 hours until risen.

Knock back the dough then roll out either with a very light touch of a rolling pin. Roll out to a rectangle about 28 x 38cm / 11” x 15”. Spread with the softened butter then sprinkle over the Light Muscovado sugar then the lemon zest. Roll up, Swiss-roll style, along the long side so you have a long roly-poly. Then cut this into 20 slices. Place cut-side up, in paper cases on a baking sheet, close together. Cover loosely with cling film and leave to rise for 30 - 40 minutes, then, gently press down on the centre of each bun, using your thumb, so the spiral-like filling bulges out upwards. Bake in a preheated oven (220ºC/425ºF/Gas 7) for about 15 minutes or golden brown.

For the glaze, heat the lemon juice and Golden Caster sugar then, once boiling, stir and bubble for a couple of minutes.
Once the buns are baked, brush with the glaze, sprinkle with the Demerara sugar then transfer to a wire rack to cool then eat warm.

Issue 7

The crust has broken on the inaugural British Pie Week (1-7 March 2008) and this week we will see an action packed few days of pietastic celebrations. Hundreds of pubs from Land’s End to John O’Groat’s will be united in their quest to keep the pie high on every menu - we just have to eat all the pies!

Lucy Britner, editor at Pub Chef Magazine, and one of the judges, said: “Pies are a pub classic and a staple on the menu. But there's also loads of room for innovation - the most interesting pie I ever tried was camel, chickpea and pineapple in curry sauce."

The Duke of Cornwall in St Austell, was crowned the winner of British Pie Week 2008 for its Hand Crafted Cornish Steak Pie created by head chef Mike Greer – now face of British Pie Week.

The Duke of Cornwall fought of stiff competition from the other entrants who the judges commended for their use of regional and seasonal produce.

The judges (Lucy Britner, editor at Pub Chef Magazine, Grant Hawthorne, Head Chef at the Plough in Wavendon and Ed Culf the Commercial Director of Jus-Rol) deliberated, cogitated, digested and finally selected the Cornish Steak Pie as the piefect choice.

Grant Hawthorne, Head Chef at The Plough, commented: “Beginning a love affair with pies is a very British pastime: it becomes a life-long romance from an early age and when cooked properly evokes all the happy memories. The best part about the romance is the pastry: at two in the morning after a night out, or two in the afternoon at the local pub. Pies are simply there as the comfort food – something we all know, recognise and appreciate as being part of our lives. Jus-Rol allows the time-constrained cook a measure of assurance and quality in being able to deliver the romance and memories to past and future generations.”

Pie Facts
·       Pies first appeared in England in the 12th century and were predominantly meat pies. The crust of the pie was referred to as the ‘coffyn’ and there was generally more crust than filling
·       The word pie is thought to originate from the word ‘magpie’, the bird is known for collecting a variety of things and almost anything can be bake in a pie
·       The first pie recipe was published by the Romans and was for a rye-crusted goat’s cheese and honey pie
·       Who ate all the pies – was shouted at 24 stone Sheffield Utd Goalkeeper, William Henry Foulkes (known as Fatty Foulkes) who was 6ft 2inches tall and apparently weighted about 12 stone in 1894, but increased to around 24 stone by 1902, legendarily remaining ‘agile as a cat’ despite his weight
·       There are over 500 pie groups on Facebook
·       Pie – noun, a savoury or sweet dish, usually cooked in a container, consisting of a quantity of food with a covering/or base of pastry. Chambers Concise Dictionary

Paul McCartney may be going through a pretty tough time at the moment, but wearing the Village Bakery’s oven mitt for protection, he definitely won’t get his fingers burnt again! Yes, Macca himself turned up at court to battle it out with former wife Heather Mills McCartney. Dressed impeccably in a grey suit, crisp white shirt and black tie, stylishly accessorised with a Village Bakery oven mitt!

Following his late wife Linda’s passion for ethical products, Macca is proud to show his support for The Village Bakery Melmerby which shares the same beliefs. The Village Bakery prides itself on using only the finest natural and organic ingredients and baking its products in wood fired ovens – a renewable energy source.

The Village Bakery combines simple ingredients with minimal processing, no hidden extras or clever tricks and is careful when it comes to sourcing ingredients responsibly. The range includes decadent chocolate brownies, made with the finest organic dark chocolate, Organic Sticky Apricot and Sticky Date Slices and buttery Organic Flapjacks. Also in the range are the organic, artisan breads, packaged in compostable bags, deliciously nutritious Fourbars, great for lunchboxes and Organic Oatcakes, perfect for nibbling with cheese and wine.

The Village Bakery Oven Mitts that Paul McCartney has kindly been modelling were launched just in time for last Christmas, and were only available in hampers. You can now buy them from www.village-bakey.com . The single oven mitt is priced at £6.75 and the pair costs just £7.95.

29 February is the one day every four years when it’s traditional for ladies to propose to their beaus. This year, at The Glenlivet stand at Whisky Live, a very nervous Lianna Hudson popped the question to her boyfriend, Gavin Webb, who said yes and they will now enjoy a dream wedding courtesy of the single malt that started it all! The happy couple won the exclusive competition by being the first couple to arrive at the stand and propose successfully.

The prize package includes the use of The Glenlivet distillery, a beautiful fully licensed wedding venue for the ceremony and £1,000 towards the cost of the reception or other expenses. And to keep the groom in good spirits, there will be a year's supply of The Glenlivet single malt.

The delighted groom to be commented: “I feel absolutely flabbergasted!”

The traditional Leap Year role reversal stems from a Scottish law of 1288, which imaginatively allowed women to depart from the norm and take matters into their own hands every four years – making their own rules, much as The Glenlivet has been doing since 1884.

Visitors to The Glenlivet’s stand were able to sample various expressions of The Glenlivet range as well as being taken through some whisky and chocolate matches devised by renowned food and whisky expert Martine Nouet.

Issue 6

RTC has published a comprehensive new report into the benefits of cause-related marketing, exclusive coverage of which has appeared in The Grocer (Saturday 26th January). The 30-page study not only highlights the history of cause-related marketing in depth but also points the way to the future through an exclusive national survey of consumer attitudes towards such campaigns. Click here for more information…….

The report is available to download on our website – simply go to the homepage www.rt-com.com and follow the instructions. The report is only £75 which will be donated to our pro bono charity Trees for Cities – www.treesforcities.org. For more details please contact Simon Mowbray on 020 7388 7421 or by email – simon@rt-com.com.

Cocktail fanatics from around the world will be shaking a leg this week as they make a special pilgrimage to cocktail ‘Mecca’ Havana for the world-renowned Havana Club International Cocktail Grand Prix. The biennial shake off is sponsored by authentic Cuban rum Havana Club and promises to be bigger and brighter than ever, with 25 of the globe’s best bartenders fighting for the title of supreme cocktail champion.

During the three days of competition, contestants will get to shake their stuff in a bid to create new twists on three classic Cuban cocktails - the Daiquiri, the Mojito or the Presidente*. Meanwhile, 17 of the world’s most exciting ‘flairtenders’ will be flipping, spinning, throwing, balancing and catching bottles, drinks and various bar tools while in the process of making cocktails in an effort to be crowned Havana Club Flairtending Champion 2008**. This year marks the seventh celebration of the event, which is expected to draw visitors from further afield than ever, including growing numbers from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India and China, as well as from Eastern Europe.

* Definition provided by the Flair Bartenders’ Association
** The original recipes are:

Mojito

1 spoonful sugar, the juice of half a lime, fresh mint, 50ml Havana Club Añejo 3 Años, sparkling water.

In a tall glass, crush some mint, add the juice of half a lime and one spoonful of sugar. Add 50ml of Havana Club Añejo 3 Años and two or three ice cubes. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

Its name may come from ‘mojo’, a Cuban seasoning made from lime and used for seasoning dishes. Perhaps with reference to its lime ingredient, the drink became known as the cocktail with ‘a little mojo’ – in Spanish ‘mojito’.

Frozen Daiquiri

1 spoonful sugar, the juice of half a lime, 50ml Havana Club Añejo 3 Años, a dash of maraschino.

Combine all ingredients with crushed ice in an electric blender and serve in a martini glass.

The daiquiri was invented at the start of the 20th century and named after the Cuban village of Daiquiri. Later, in the 1920s, bartenders at the famous Floridita improved the original recipe by adding maraschino and crushed ice, giving the drink its fabulous snowy appearance.

Presidente

50ml Havana Club Añejo 3 Años, 20ml orange curaçao, 20ml dry vermouth.

Shake with ice and strain into a small martini glass.

The Presidente was created in the 1920s at the Vista Alegre in Havana and named for General Carmen Menocal, the president of Cuba from 1913-1917.

Visit www.pomegreat.com for more luscious cocktail recipes.

Do you suffer noisy neighbours? Are you unsure of service charges? Do you have a tricky landlord or need advice on buying a freehold? If you want to know more about owning a flat, ‘Being a Leaseholder, the essential guide to owning a flat’, is the book for you. Written by Nicolas Shulman to demystify the complexities of owning your own place, this book will answer all your questions in an easy to understand manner.

With more new apartments being built than houses each year and a growing desire for urban living, flat ownership is becoming hot property! But living in flats can throw up some complex issues including shared common parts, service charges and leaseholds – all things you need to know if you’ve bought your own place. For instance, leaseholders are under the mistaken belief that when they buy the flat of their dreams they actually own the property they have bought. Unfortunately, this is not the case. In fact, all that you and other leaseholders like you own, is a lease.

The book (RRP £12.99) advises readers on everything from extending your lease to maintenance contracts, from the right to manage to collective enfranchisement – sounds complicated, but the book gives you all the info in an easy to read way and is all essential stuff!!

To get a free copy of Being a Leaseholder, the essential guide to owning a flat visit www.newsontheblock.com. The book is also available on Amazon Bo

Issue Five

RTC got 2008 off to a flying start for our client Allinson with a five page spread in The Independent, full pages in The Daily Mirror, Metro and The Scotsman as well as The Daily Telegraph, all focusing on Dr Thomas Allinson and his theory ‘A man is what he eats’. 115 years ago, he advocated eating less salt, quitting smoking, eating healthily and exercising more – and got struck off! To find out why he was so ahead of his time, click here

Allinsonian Medicine – largely a combination of the right food (preferably vegetarian and including lots of wholemeal bread), fresh air and regular exercise – seems simplistic, but was revolutionary at the time. More of Allinson’s suggestions yet to find favour with modern medics include:

· Baldness – The causes of baldness are wrong living, improper foods, too many meals, intoxicating drinks, tobacco, strong tea and coffee, late hours, bad air, vicious sensual habits, or anything that lowers the tone of the system
· Growing Tall – those who want to grow tall must not smoke or take stimulants, and they are better without tea and coffee. Excessive hard work before sixteen, early sexual excitement, bad air and dark rooms, must be avoided
· Flatulence – To prevent flatulence, avoid peas, beans, lentils, cabbage, onions, and radishes, or else put up with the consequences
· Red Noses – In some it is chronic, in others it only comes on after meals; in a warm room; if excited; or after exposure to the sun, wind, or very cold weather. An excess in waste matters in the system is the primary cause
· Children – The longer children are out in the open air the better for them. Let them be out in all weathers; wind will give colour to their cheeks, the sun will tan them, and the rain will not harm them
You can also try some of Thomas Allinson’s delicious – and very healthy for the New Year – recipes, which are published alongside Thomas’ revered words; including Stuffed Spanish Onions with Brown Sauce; Dyspeptics’ Bread and Macaroni Pancakes.
In 1802, Allinson bought a flourmill in Bethnal Green, London to produce wholemeal flours for approved bakers and the public under the slogan ‘Health Without Medicine.’ He then set up The Natural Food Company, started a bakery to make his own bread and the Allinson brand was born.
Click here to see some of the great coverage we have generated…

Are you wellbeing aware? Do you want to improve your life? Are you full of good intentions to stick to your New Year’s Resolutions but think you might need a bit of help dragging yourself to the gym or cutting down on naughty foods? Fear not! www.yearofwellbeing.com could be your lifeline! Register now to change your life at www.yearofwellbeing.com You will receive tips to help you take small steps making big changes - 366 in all – one for each day this year (yep, it’s a Leap Year people!).

Year of Wellbeing, the first ever comprehensive web-based initiative designed to help you improve your wellbeing, enables you to take an on-line questionnaire, receive your personalised wellbeing score and receive tailored tips.

From health and nutrition advice to relationships, work and leisure activities, The Year of Wellbeing will help you to reassess your lifestyle and achieve a more balanced outlook. Our team of experts has identified eight areas of our lives that define what makes up our wellbeing including activity & leisure, community, family & friends, food, health, work & learning, environment and me. According to the experts achieving a balance in these areas of our lives could greatly improve our wellbeing.

This website, produced in partnership with Alpro, lets you take an online-questionnaire that will create personalised wellbeing score which will then give you tailored tips. But don’t you start thinking that it will tell you to take your hand out of the biscuit tin when you have an urge, but there will be daily tips to keep you on your toes. You’ll be able to chart your progress throughout the year with a personalised graph and you can also take part in the online community that includes social networking, webchats, podcasts and 100 Wellbeing Ambassadors!

Alpro is passionate about wellbeing; wellbeing in its widest sense – how it affects you and your environment. And they strive to produce great tasting nutritious products that could help to contribute to your health and wellbeing. Their products are free from artificial colours, preservatives and sweeteners and they do not use any GM ingredients. They also have long-term collaborative relationships with their farmers to ensure that they benefit from working with them.

For most of us the New Year celebrations are over – but not if you’re Russian! Stolichnaya is celebrating Russian ‘Old New Year’ – the first day of the New Year according to the Julien calendar, which was used prior to 1917. A star-studded party, hosted by Alexandra Tolstoy (great granddaughter of Leo Tolstoy) and Gabriel Prokofiev (grandson of the world famous composer) will be held on 14th January in the new constructivist-themed Fifth Floor Bar at Harvey Nichols!

Stolichnaya, the world’s favourite Russian vodka, has teamed up with the world-renowned Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor Bar to create a constructivist themed home for the iconic vodka. The renovated bar has been updated in line with Harvey Nichols’ innovative and fashion forward attitude. It’s a fabulous and glamorous venue to kick back and enjoy delicious 3D Martini cocktails and Russian inspired zakuskis.

Issue Four

Now it’s December we can start tucking into some Christmas goodies and we are making the most of it with the completely organic and absolutely delicious Village Bakery Christmas range YUM! Food intolerances? Fret not. The Village Bakery has goodies made without dairy, wheat or gluten!

The Village Bakery’s Christmas cakes, breads, and puddings aren’t simply deliciously full of flavour, they’re also made with the finest organic ingredients and contain no nasties. Well, when we say nasties, we mean artificial this and that, refined white sugar and weird sounding ingredients, usually named with numbers.

What’s more, the entire range is baked in a wood-fired ovens. This is because trees soak up as much carbon dioxide while they’re growing as they give out when we burn them as fuel. Less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere means less risk of climate change from global warming. So long as trees are growing, there will be cake for Christmas!

The Village Bakery Christmas range is available in selected supermarkets, good health food stores, by mail order on 01768 898 437 and online at www.village-bakery.com.

And for all the ladies – listen up – want to turn your man into a Pomegreat Lover? The answer is in the question…… A daily glass of pomegranate juice can act like Viagra to beat male impotence, according to new research!

Yes that’s right, pomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants which increase blood supply to a man’s tackle! A study carried out by the University of California* has found that men who drank the juice every day for a month reported better performances in the bedroom.

With no artificial colours, sweeteners or flavourings, delicious Pomegreat pomegranate juice contains the goodness of eight pressed pomegranate fruit in every carton. So get drinking … and loving (Can we add an animated winking smiley here?)

Check out the Pomegreat website at www.pomegreat.com

* Study carried out by University of California, Los Angeles published in the Journal of Impotence Research

And finally a big Pudsey bear hug to say thank you to all those who attended and donated spirits for our Children in Need cocktail evening. Richmond Towers Communications and friends raised a massive £380 drinking some delicious cocktails conjured up by professional bartender Liam Davy. It was tough work but we got through it!

Every penny of the huge £380 raised will go towards helping disadvantaged children and young people in the UK. The size and scale of the BBC Children in Need Appeal means that they are able to give grants to hundreds of different organisations, some of which are very small and don't have the resources to fundraise for themselves. So every penny counts!

The money raised by Richmond Towers Communications has helped provide the following:

A climbing instructor for an activity day for children living in a deprived area

PLUS

The training of a bereavement counsellor to help support children who have lost someone close to them

PLUS

An ice skating session for 20 socially excluded children

110 hours for a Family Officer to ensure families with severely disabled children spend quality time together through days out and holidays.

Issue Three

We’ll be putting our virtual glad rags on and stopping by Club HPNOTIQ.com a new networking space where party loving people can see and be seen. You can extend that weekend feeling all through the week by using the site to meet up with friends and enjoy a virtual clubbing and socialising experience. Sign yourself up, and you are in with a chance to win real VIP nights out!

The growing world of online socialising has just begun to party! Club HPNOTIQ.com brings together the essence of virtual clubbing (oo er!) and socialising (well yes we like a bit of that) as well as offering the chance to win real VIP nights out at some really swanky places. You can invite your mates to join your very own VIP table, upload comments, photos of your beautiful self and check out who is ‘partying’ at what table and with whom.

The site has been inspired by HPNOTIQ, the stylish aquamarine coloured liqueur made famous by stars including P.Diddy and Paris Hilton who are renowned by their VIP lifestyles. HPNOTIQ is an exotic blend of premium vodka, fine cognac and natural fruit juices, which can be served on its own or mixed with Champagne to create a glamorous cocktail.

To join the party at Club HPNOTIQ and have a chance to win the prize visit www.clubhpnotiq.com

Now if you thought pesto was just for pasta, think again! Pick up a Sacla’ Perk up with Pesto recipe card pack and try your hand at some mouthwatering pesto dishes! Sacla’, those irresistibly Italian food people, have come up with scrumptious recipes and handy hints aplenty to transform your mealtimes and banish you from cooking the same old pasta dishes!

Try this gorgeous winter dish - Italian-style Lamb with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto. Tender lamb, red wine and pesto – another Italian work of art from Sacla’. Mmmmmmm yum!

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves 4

8 lamb noisettes
6 tbsp Sacla’ Sun-dried Tomato Pesto
200ml passata
50ml red wine
2 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
150g mozzarella cheese
sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
fresh basil or parsley to garnish

Firstly preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.

Next spread 4 tbsp Sacla’ Sun-dried Tomato Pesto over one side of the lamb noisettes and season with salt and pepper.

Then place the passata, red wine, 2 tbsp Sacla’ Sun-dried Tomato Pesto and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Season well and stir in the thyme. Bring to the boil.

Transfer the tomato sauce into a shallow ovenproof dish and place the lamb on top, pesto side up.

Next bake in the oven for about 15 minutes before laying a slice of mozzarella on each noisette.

Cook for another 5–10 minutes until the sauce is bubbling, the cheese has melted, and the lamb is cooked but still a little pink inside (if you prefer your lamb well done, just cook it for a further 5 minutes).

Finally serve 2 noisettes per person with the sauce spooned around, and garnish with basil or parsley.

With the Christmas party season just round the corner we plan on staying hydrated on-the-go! Bottled water offers the ultimate in convenience, traceability and health, as well as providing reassurance that it comes from fully sustainable sources. Plastic bottles are 100% recyclable and have a carbon footprint which is 45 times smaller than tomatoes served in a restaurant. So go on, pick up a bottle!

The Christmas season is fast approaching and preparing for the party season means most of us rush to the shops for the latest LBD (Little Black Dress) and glittery Christmas make-up. With the diary brimming full of parties and nights out, most people are planning to enjoy themselves and will inevitably drink a few cocktails and enjoy the odd glass of mulled wine. During this festive season make sure you are fully hydrated by drinking at least 2 litres of water a day and even more if you are drinking alcohol.

To help party revellers stay hydrated, The Bottled Water Information Office recommends five hydration tips:

1. Regularly drink water throughout the day
2. Alternate one alcoholic drink with one bottle of water
3. Carry a bottle of water with you around the party/bar/club
4. Drink water before you to bed
5. Drink a glass of water when you wake in the morning

Visit www.bottledwaterinformation.co.uk for more on bottled waters

Issue Two

We’ll be hot-footing it down to the renovated Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor Bar to experience the brand new, out of this world, Stolichnaya vodka cocktail list including Aromatised Martinis customised with flavoured vodka atomisers and flavoured ‘caviars’…

These cocktails feature vodkas infused using rotary evaporation – yep, sounds pretty scientific but the vodkas are stunning, we are already addicted to the Chocolate vodka. The flavoured ‘caviars’ are created by spherification (now concentrate, here comes the science bit! This is the controlled gelification of a liquid which, submerged in a bath, forms tiny spheres that look like caviar but taste yummy).

The Aromatised Martini menu includes Passionfruit and Lumi Lime Martini, Melon and Jasmine Tea Martini and Chocolate and Raspberry Martini. The amazing list also contains cocktails crafted using macerated vodkas using authentic Russian ingredients and includes a Russian Cosmopolitan (with rowanberries and homemade raspberry syrup), a Russian Hedgerow Iced Tea with Oolong tea and sloe and damson vodka and a Russian Bloodhound. It is the only place to be seen this November!

Now here’s one for the ladies (or the smart boyfriends/husbands among you!) – Pomegreat, the pomegranate juice that is not only rather lovely but healthy as well, is giving away one stunning 28 carat gold necklace every month to celebrate Heart Research UK’s Ruby Anniversary.

It’s not often that you get to enjoy the taste of something that is packed with antioxidants but that’s the case with Pomegreat and until April 2008, there is an extra added incentive, as if you need one! The bespoke handmade necklaces feature a white gold heart shaped pendant, highlighting the fantastic benefits of one of nature’s superfruits and eight rubies that reflect the beautiful pomegranate seeds.

For your chance to win one of the five necklaces on offer, all you need to do is log onto www.pomegreat.com/ruby and register your details – it really is that easy. Gents, just think of the brownie points you will earn if you win one for your other half; ladies – it’s jewellery, get registering now!

On Friday 16 November, we will really be putting ourselves out at Richmond Towers Communications to raise some much needed cash for Children in Need. Professional bartender Liam Davy will be conjuring up some delicious cocktails using Havana Club rum, Stolichnaya vodka, Beefeater gin and Wyborowa vodka donated by our wonderful clients (thank you!) that we will force ourselves to enjoy - responsibly of course - all in the name of charity.

Every penny of the minimum £10 donation per person will go towards helping disadvantaged children and young people in the UK. We are hoping to raise at least £500 which could fund the training of two bereavement counsellors to help support children who have lost someone close to them and a climbing instructor as part of an activity day for children living in a deprived area.

October 2007

The Painter, The Cook and L'Arte di Sacla’

We’ll be becoming culinary culture vultures as we celebrate the art of Italian food with the launch of The Painter, The Cook and L'Arte di Sacla’,a brand new, evocative bookby eminent food writer Anna del Conte, brought to you by Sacla’, those irresistibly Italian Food People…

The book, which has gained pride of place status on all of our coffee tables, brings to life the passion and joy that people have for regional Italian food and is beautifully illustrated by leading British still life artist Val Archer. The recipes have already got us thinking about what we’re going to cook for dinner tonight…

Malloreddus with Prawn Sauce and Aubergine from Sardinia

SERVES 4

400g Malloreddus pasta (or your favourite pasta shape)
250g/8oz king prawns or crayfish, shelled
1 jar Sacla’ Char-grilled Aubergine and Parmesan Stir Through sauce
A handful of wild thyme leaves

Cook the pasta in boiling water for the time stated on the pack. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and add the prawns or crayfish, cook for 1-2 minutes, then add the Chargrilled Aubergine and Parmesan Stir Through sauce. Bring to the boil. When the pasta is cooked, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and add to the sauce. Sprinkle with thyme leaves and serve

The Year of Wellbeing

This month we’ve all signed up to www.yearofwellbeing.com from Alpro soya for hints and tips on how to improve our wellbeing, making ourselves healthier, happier and generally better people – why not join us?...

Despite countless Monday morning resolutions here in the RTC office, we tend to fail in our efforts to ‘be better’ so we’ve found the tips from the Year of Wellbeing experts to be really helpful, making improving our wellbeing a lot less daunting that we thought it would be. And we’re already feeling better for it, so sign up today!

When you register, you will receive regular news and research on wellbeing by text, SMS or both. In mid-December, you will be able to take a very simple quiz and receive your very own wellbeing number. Beginning in January you will receive personalised wellbeing tips every day in 2008 (366 little gems of information – don’t forget it’s a Leap Year!).

You’ll be able to chart your progress throughout the year with a personalised graph and have the opportunity to take the questionnaire every 3 months or so to determine if your wellbeing has improved in the different areas that define what makes up our wellbeing including activity & leisure, community, family & friends, food, health, work & learning, environment and me.

According to the experts achieving a balance in these areas of our lives could greatly improve our wellbeing. Go on, log on now and you can feel smugly virtuous in front of your friends!)

Chivas Regal 25 Year Old Scotch Whisky

We’ll also be dreaming of being able to afford a dram of the superlative new ultra premium Chivas Regal 25 Year Old Scotch Whiskythat was unveiled at a truly star-studded red carpet event at the New York Public Library…

When such huge Hollywood stars as Lucy Liu and Julianne Moore turn up for the launch of a whisky, you know it’s something a bit special. Add in entertainment from Grammy award-winning singer Diana Krall and 25 pipers from the Fire Department of New York and it becomes pretty clear that this was the whisky launch of the year.

The whisky itself, which costs US$299 a bottle, pays homage to the first ever Chivas Regal blend, also a 25 Year Old whisky, which was shipped from Aberdeen to New York in 1909 to satisfy the sophisticated palate of American high society.

Santa, if you’re listening, we know what we want in our Christmas stockings this year and we’ve been very, very good…

Our New Look

The recent merging of Richmond Towers and Chrome Consulting to form Richmond Towers Communications will have become more apparent to the outside world following the launch of a new corporate identity in August 2006.

The new look, which utilises a logo based on the original signatures of the intrepid duo of Richmond and Towers that make us the first name in PR, has been incorporated into the RTC website, and will also be evident on stationery, business cards, presentations and other company materials.

Standards Matter

Richmond Towers Communications was awarded the Public Relations Consultants' Association Consultancy Management Standard in June 2006.

This much acclaimed and independently audited quality scheme provides the UK public relations consultancy industry and our clients with further assurance of our continuing commitment to excellence and professionalism.

Investing in Expertise

RTC has invested in the services of Vocus, a leading global provider of on-demand software for communications and public relations specialists. The Vocus web-based software suite is helping us manage national and international relationships and communications with journalists, analysts, public officials and other key audiences.

It is also helping to streamline our media relations, news monitoring and analysis, interactive email campaigns, online newsrooms, database management and quantitative and qualitative media evaluation.

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