Wee Birdy

Last minute Christmas treats

If you haven't started already, now is the time to start digging into all the seasonal goodies. There's nothing cosier than watching all those ultra-cheesey Christmas specials on TV by candlelight, whilst feasting on some warm Christmas pud. Here, my favourite sweet treats in London:

Ultimate Christmas pudding, £32.95, from Harrods. Packaged in a black ceramic basin and matured for six months.

Brandy butter, £3.95, from Harrods.

Meg Rivers Christmas Cake and tin, £38, from Cath Kidston. £5 of the proceeds from every sale of this award-winning cake goes to Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Hope and Greenwood suitcase, from £24.95, from The Conran Shop. Each suitcase is filled with a selection of nostalgic English sweets.

And I'll be heading to Konditor & Cook this weekend to pick up some of their infamous handmade mince pies. Apparently Nigella fancies them very muchly. Merry yum yum!

Stockists:

The Conran Shop
www.conranshop.co.uk
The Conran Shop Chelsea
Michelin House
81 Fulham Road
London SW3
Tel 020 7589 7401

The Conran Shop Marylebone
55 Marylebone High Street
London W1
Tel 020 7723 2223

Harrods
www.harrods.com
87-135 Brompton Road
Knightsbridge, London SW1

Cath Kidston
www.cathkidston.co.uk
Click here for store locations.

Konditor & Cook
www.konditorandcook.com
Waterloo:
22 Cornwall Road
London SE1

London Bridge:
10 Stoney Street
London SE1

Chancery Lane:
46 Grays Inn Road
London WC1

Curzon Soho Cafe:
99 Shaftesbury Ave
London W1

The Gherkin
30 St Mary Axe
London EC3

The best crackers in London

OK, so I could start this post with a dodgy pun on crackers, but I'll try to restrain myself. Instead, just check out the best crackers for 2007.

Holly/Ric Rac Christmas Crackers, £10 for a set of six, from Cath Kidston.

Christmas Tree Crackers, Blue and White, reduced to £10 for a set of 12, from John Lewis. Each cracker contains a gift, motto and hat. The gifts include a shoe horn, compact mirror, playing cards, screwdrivers, address book, tape measure, pad lock, bottle opener, tweezers, travel chess, photo frame and pen.

Fiesta Christmas crackers, £45 for a box of six, from The Conran Shop. Each cracker contains a hat, joke and a gift.

Nine mini crackers, £5, from Paperchase.

Eight premium crackers, £13, from Woolworths.

Sergeant Major and Sugar Plum Fairy Crackers, £40 for a box of six, from Fortnum & Mason. Each cracker contains a wooden toy or instrument.

For an eco-friendly bang...

Ethical Christmas crackers, £25, from Made. Crackers are handmade in Africa using back issues of Grazia and other recycled materials. Each cracker contains a gift made from recycled items, as well as a Grazia party hat and teaser.

Berry Eco Christmas Cracker, £4.50 each or six for £25, from Biome Lifestyle. The wrapping around the cracker is handmade from seed paper, so you can plant the paper after Christmas and grow some pretty wild flowers. Each cracker is filled with an eco-tip and a small gift like a charitable donation or a fair trade keyring.

And don't forget your dog...

Polka Pet Crackers, £15 for one, from Fortnum & Mason. Contains a diamante pet collar charm.

If money is no issue ...

Traditional Christmas crackers, £499 for six, from Harrods, 2nd floor Christmas World. The crackers are hand-crafted and contain silver gifts.

Ballroom flock Christmas crackers, £299 for six, from Harrods, 2nd floor Christmas World. Each cracker is hand-crafted and contains a silver gift.

Or, have a go at making your own...

Check out this post at Meet Me at Mikes, which includes some links to some fab online tutorials. Also, check out Paperchase for their nifty DIY cracker kits, complete with snaps and paper.

And go out with the biggest bang of all...

Exploding chocolate bomb £85, from The Conran Shop. The bomb is filled with enough chocolates and gadgets for 15 people.

Stockists:

The Conran Shop
www.conranshop.co.uk
The Conran Shop Chelsea
Michelin House
81 Fulham road
London SW3 6RD
Tel 020 7589 7401

The Conran Shop Marylebone
55 Marylebone High Street
London W1U 5HS
Tel 020 7723 2223

Paperchase
www.paperchase.co.uk
Click here for store locations.

Harrods
www.harrods.com
87-135 Brompton Road
Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7XL

Fortnum & Mason
www.fortnumandmason.com
181 Piccadilly
London W1

Biome Lifestyle (online only)
www.biomelifestyle.com

Woolworths
www.woolworths.co.uk
Click here for store locations.

John Lewis
www.johnlewis.com
Click here for store locations.

Cath Kidston
www.cathkidston.co.uk
Click here for store locations.

Made (online only)
www.made.uk.com

London shopping: VVRouleaux

VVRouleaux is London’s legendary emporium of ribbons, trimmings and braids, and oh, so much more. It’s the kind of place that instantly makes you bug-eyed with excitement, recalling childhood days of coveting ribbons, buttons and other “fancy” bits and bobs to add to your most precious and treasured collection.

But it’s the grown-ups who flock to this beautiful bazaar of inspiration for specialist ribbons sourced from all over the world, like Japanese organdie and French wire-edged taffetas in every shade imaginable.

In fact the large light-filled entry-level room in the Marylebone store is literally a Pantone book come to life, with reels of ribbons in every size, pattern and colour. No wonder brides make a bee-line to the store for that exact shade of caramel to work their bridesmaids’ sashes back to the reception chair tie-backs.

Speaking of brides, there are double-sided velvet ribbons which make perfect belts and sashes, as well as double-sided Japanese satin ribbons. And downstairs, there’s a fabulous collection of vintage bridal accessories, including hand-made veils, headpieces, hats and birds (birds!) from the late 1950s.

Ribbons aside, there’s a glorious range of silk, organza and velvet roses in a myriad of fashion shades, as well as a vast collection of fancy feathers. Apparently the shop does a roaring trade in June and July during racing and wedding season.

Don’t miss the tables crammed with vintage pieces like hand-crocheted butterflies and clusters of velvet violets (I spied the same violets behind a glass cabinet at the Golden Age of Couture exhibition at the V&A). I particularly love the selection of vintage French earrings and hair combs as well as the double-sided velvet belts with vintage buckles (from £14.95), delicate feather brooches (from £12.95) and bird decorations (from £3.95).

Downstairs is haberdashery heaven, dedicated to heavier furnishings like acrylic and glass tassles in traditional and modern colours, as well as vintage braids, faux-fur trims, cotton lace trims, and leather and suede ribbons for fashion and furnishing. I found a bunch of Chanel-style braids that would make chic suit edging. There’s also an extensive range of wax cords in all shades, which was raided by the wardrobe department from Elizabeth: The Golden Age.

From October onwards, the store introduces its Christmas collection, with tree ornaments, wreaths, garlands and berries for decorating the home.

For more inspiration, buy a copy of owner/creative director Annabel Lewis’ new book, Ribbons & Trims, for £20.

VVRouleaux
www.vvrouleaux.com


LONDON
102 Marylebone Lane
London W1U 2QD
Tel: 020 7224 5179
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday (excluding Weds) 9.30am-6pm
Wednesday 10.30am-6pm
Nearest tube: Bond Street and Baker Street

For more shops in W1, click here.
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

54 Sloane Square
Cliveden Place
London
SW1W 8AX
Tel: 020 7730 3125
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday (excluding Weds) 9.30am-6pm
Wednesday 10.30am-6.30pm
Nearest tube: Sloan Square

For more shops in SW1, click here.

A wee birdy in a pear tree

Forgive me for indulging my passion for all things ornithological, but following a year where birds emerged as a major decorating trend, the interest hasn't let up for the festive season. So without further ado, here's a wee birdy or two for your tree. I've sourced these various feathered folk from London shops and my fave online stores. See the bottom of the post for stockist details.

Bird decorations, £29.95, for a set of eight, from Dotcomgiftshop.

Large tin bird, £13.58, from VVRouleaux.

Multi-coloured glass parrots hanging decorations, £8.95 for a set of three, from Dotcomgiftshop.

Swarovski owl decoration, £16.95, from The Conran Shop. Tel. 020 7589 7401

Robin Christmas tree decoration by Vivi, £7.75, from Not on the High Street.

Gold sequin bird, £3 for a set of three, from Woolworths.

Gold glitter wire bird, £2, from John Lewis.

Personalised handpainted fine china bauble in robin design, £9.95, from GettingPersonal.co.uk.

And I'll just sneak in a few fave birdy cards, as well:

Elle and the Snow Dove Postcards, US$16 for a set of 8, from BelleandBoo’s Etsy shop.

Pear Tree cards, US$10 for a set of four, from BlueSnailPaper’s Etsy shop.

Season’s Greetings cards, US$6 for a set of four, from EnfinLaVoila’s Etsy shop.

Top bird tip: if you click on the link to an Etsy product and it has sold out (they tend to do this quickly as they are one-offs), make sure you click on the link to the actual shop as they will often have the exact item listed again.

London stockists:

VVRouleaux
54 Sloane Square
Cliveden Place
London SW1W 8AX
Tel: 020 7730 3125

VVRouleaux
102 Marylebone Lane
London W1U 2QD
Tel: 020 7224 5179

The Conran Shop Chelsea
Michelin House
81 Fulham road
London SW3 6RD
Tel: 020 7589 7401

The Conran Shop Marylebone
55 Marylebone High Street
London W1U 5HS
Tel: 020 7723 2223

John Lewis
Oxford Street
London W1A 1EX

John Lewis
Brent Cross Shopping Centre
London
NW4 3FL

What to take home Wednesday: Prestat chocolates

It’s hard not to be impressed by an English product bearing a gold-stamped Royal Warrant. Especially one that’s packaged in the most delightful bright yellow box with swirly gold designs and crammed with white chocolate truffles oozing with the softest, creamiest caramel and banana centres.

I’m talking, of course, about Prestat’s luscious Banoffee Truffles, £10, one of the more adventurous options from this traditional London chocolatier.

Established in 1902, Prestat has been a royal favourite since 1975, and the tiny old-fashioned shop on Piccadilly’s Princes Arcade was apparently a favourite pitstop for author Roald Dahl.

And with flavours such as Organic Milk Choc Wafers with Ground Cinnamon and Organic Milk Choc Wafers Infused with Earl Grey, is it little wonder that Dahl was inspired to create Willy Wonka’s weird and wonderful business?

For a unique taste of England, try Prestat’s Violet and Rose truffles, £13.50. The sugar-crème fondants are infused with rose and violet oils and covered in dark chocolate. With the royal nod of approval, you really can’t go wrong.

Prestat
www.prestat.co.uk

14 Princes Arcade,
Piccadilly,
London SW1

Click here for a Wee Birdy map.

Opening hours:
Monday to Friday 9.30am-6pm
Saturday 10am-5pm

Nearest tube: Piccadilly or Green Park