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Our New Year Sale already has lots of items with a generous 40% taken off their price. Receive a 10% discount code, unique to you by following these simple steps. Everyone’s a winner!

1.Take a photograph of any Handpicked product that you received or gave as a Christmas present.

2.Go to www.facebook.com/HandpickedCollection and click the Photo/Video button:

3.Share your photo or video of a product from The Handpicked Collection on our wall.

4.Send an email to competitions@handpickedcollection.com with FACEBOOK in the subject and telling us your name and which product you posted about. We will reply to every email with legitimate posts with a 10% discount code, unique to you, which can be used across our whole site including sale items.

Please share the competition with your friends!

Go to our Facebook Page>>

The codes will become inactive at midnight on Friday 18th January 2013.

Please note that we will only be able to send you your discount code if you email us and we can see proof of your Handpicked product displayed publicly on our Facebook wall. Photographs used in previous competitions on our wall cannot be used again. We may use your photograph in future campaigns. We will always credit you if we do this. If you would rather we didn’t do this, please indicate as such in your initial email. If you have any questions, please email competitions@handpickedcollection.com. This will come straight to our marketing department.

Immortalise your loved ones with our gorgeous silhouettes. Here are some tips telling how to get the best photographs of your children for the silhouettes.

We like to research our products thoroughly. So last year we gave a copy of our Scratch Map Poster, £14.95 to one of the team’s godchildren. Beatriz was chosen because in the 11 years she has been on the planet she has visited over 20 of its countries. Her parents live an expat life working for an international firm, and Beatriz was born in Sao Paolo, moved shortly afterwards to Hong Kong and has taken in Bangkok, Moscow, Seoul and Singapore along the way. Among others, “And I’m not including ‘transit countries’ because they don’t count”. Her favourite country? Kazakhstan, “Because we lived near the mountains and could ski every day in the winter”.

Here she is with her copy of her beautifully neat poster.  It’s really helped Beatriz get a sense of what’s where, and she’s learnt lots of information about regions and population numbers along the way – there’s heaps of interesting facts underneath the scratched-off foil. World domination is surely just a few scratches away!

Hundreds of Christmas Gifts are available from The Handpicked Collection. The Scratch Map Poster is £14.95.

And here’s the full list of Beatriz’s wanderings. Lucky girl!

England

Scotland

Wales

Netherlands

France

In the Handpicked Hotseat – Sophie Grey

At The Handpicked Foodstore we’re lucky enough to benefit from the expertise of an incredibly talented panel of food experts. SOPHIE GREY is a bespoke caterer with over 20 years experience catering for property and press launches, fashion shows, and private parties.  In 2009 she set up The Crazy Baker, comprising three cafés and an artisan bakery where you’ll find rustic breads, pastries and other delicious treats. Sophie is also the author of Let’s Make Whoopies! (Penguin, £14.99), a lick-smackingly gorgeous book of over 70 recipes for whoopie pies. Simon Cowell thinks they’re “One million per cent delicious” and if he thinks they’ve got the X-factor, we can only agree.

Here we put Sophie under the spotlight, in the latest of our In the Handpicked Hotseat interviews.

1. What’s your top time-saving kitchen tip?

Have a stock of piping bags. Once you get used to piping you will save a huge amount of time and you will soon be catering for the masses.

2. What ingredient can’t you live without?

Garlic. Though not in a whoopie pie!

3. Name three store cupboard essentials?

Please don’t make me pick just three! I always have the following:

• olive oil
• cayenne pepper
• lemon juice
• garlic
• tomato puree

4. Who is your inspiration in the food world?

I took Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course with me to university. It was my first cookery book, and everything in it works first time. Using it gave me the confidence to keep on trying new things.

5. What would be your desert island cookery book?

Elizabeth David’s At Elizabeth David’s Table. I’ve always wanted to read it, and being on a desert island would give me the time.

6. What are your favourite foodie websites?

There are so many fantastic ones out there! I can’t decide between Delicious Magazine, BBC Food and The Guild of Fine Food, which promotes excellence in speciality food.

1. What’s your top time saving kitchen tip?

I love my mini-food processor. It’s fantastic for making quick, small batches of mayonnaise, salad dressings, breadcrumbs, spice pastes, ground nuts. I use it almost every day. (This is the one I have, it’s brilliant http://tinyurl.com/9hsh3n4)

2. What are the ingredients you can’t live without?

Lemons, garlic, olive oil, Maldon sea salt, really good vanilla.  Oh, and bacon – it can perk up so many things.

3. Name five store cupboard essentials?

Pasta and rice (Can I have them as one choice? Please say yes!), tinned pulses, tinned tomatoes, mustard, anchovies.

4.Who is your inspiration in the food world?

I admire Marguerite Patten so much.  She’s done such a lot for British food in a career which spans seven decades. I can’t believe she’s not a Dame.

5. What would be your desert island cookery book?

Gosh, that’s very hard. I have about 1000 cookbooks! One I come back to time and again though is Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook’s Companion – it’s laid out alphabetically by ingredient and is full of great ideas and inspiration.

6. What are your favourite foodie websites?

I love epicurious.com, which has all of the recipes from American magazines Bon Appetit and the late and much lamented Gourmet, as well as lots of other features. I can lose days on there.  I also love http://www.bbcgoodfood.com and http://www.simplyrecipes.com/ for everyday cooking inspiration.

1. What’s your top time saving kitchen tip?

Always clear up as you go along.

2. What are the ingredients you can’t live without?

Salami, chilli and Parmesan.

3. Name three store cupboard essentials?

Olive oil, Dijon mustard, soy sauce.

4. Who is your inspiration in the food world?

Alastair Little, Rowley Leigh and Simon Hopkinson.

5. What would be your desert island cookery book?

Alastair Little, Keep it Simple.

6.What are your favourite foodie websites?

eattheseasons.co.uk  and guardian.co.uk/observerfoodmonthly

We’re lucky enough to have Juliet Kinsman, Mr & Mrs Smith’s editor in chief, as a Handpicked Collection expert panel member. Mr & Mrs Smith, the boutique hotel experts, have picked 10 of the best Christmas packages on offer this year (with a few New Year specials too). There are opulent country houses for all the family, and stylish city stays for couples keen to escape together. Each one is only available by phone, so if you fancy a Christmas to remember this year, be sure to give the Smith Travel Team a ring on 0845 034 0700. Or to book any of the 900 boutique hotels in their handpicked collection visit www.mrandmrssmith.com.

COUNTRY CHRISTMASES

FAWSLEY HALL

Northamptonshire

As befits a dwelling that is over 500 years old, Fawsley Hall is a mix of architectural styles, with Tudor, Georgian and Victorian aspects all present and correct. This should, by rights, look like a design nightmare but all the work has been sensitively done and the hotel looks comfortable in its skin, guarding, no doubt, dramatic tales from its varied history.

FESTIVE TREATS Includes champagne reception, carols, three-course dinner and midnight mass on Christmas Eve; champagne breakfast, Santa visit, church service, traditional lunch, children’s film, storytime and magic show, archery for adults, evening buffet and cinema showing on Christmas Day; breakfast, walk to village pub, lunch, family quiz, champagne reception, gala dinner and casino on Boxing Day

Number of rooms: 58

From £233 a night for three nights

Don’t forget to pack: Ultimate Cashmere Long Gloves for a cosy Midnight Mass, £24.95.

COTSWOLDS88 HOTEL

Cotswolds

The brainchild of Loungelover London co-founder Marchella De Angelis, Cotswolds88 Hotel is a temple to Italian design. Gloriously over-the-top touches such as PVC-backed chairs and chrome mannequins vie for attention with the hotel’s own Palladian backdrop, and the result is a space that’s luxurious and super-stylish, with a cheeky sense of humour.

FESTIVE TREATS Afternoon tea service and three-course dinner on Christmas Eve; champagne breakfast, full Christmas lunch and evening carved buffet on Christmas Day; breakfast on Boxing Day

Number of rooms: 17

From £299 a night for two nights

Don’t forget to pack: Lingerie Bag, £12.95. Somewhere this chic you’ll want to wear your best pieces of lace.

FAMILY FESTIVITIES

LUCKNAM PARK

Wiltshire

Lucknam Park is the hotel that has it all: award-winning spa, Michelin-starred restaurant, 500-acre estate and even an equestrian centre, home to 35 glossy-flanked horses. Tennis courts, croquet lawn, football pitch and a cooking school are further feathers in this handsome hotel’s hat.

FESTIVE TREATS Includes afternoon tea, champagne reception with choir, and trip to midnight mass on Christmas Eve; breakfast, visit from Santa, lunch, afternoon tea and buffet supper on Christmas Day; breakfast, lunch, kids’ treasure hunt, afternoon tea and black-tie dinner and dance with champagne reception on Boxing Day

Number of rooms: 42

From £835 a night for three nights

Don’t forget to pack: Snowball Blaster, £21.95. With 500 acres to run around, you’ll want to be prepared if there’s a white Christmas.

BABINGTON HOUSE

Somerset

The launch of the country cousin of media hangout Soho House kick-started the march of metropolitan cool into the countryside. At this impressive manor house in the rolling Somerset countryside, hip staff greet you at the door, not a uniform in sight. The truly relaxing do-what-you-want atmosphere is Babington House’s real feat; others can imitate, but it’s the service that makes the difference.

FESTIVE TREATS Includes dinner on 30 December; breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Orangery, followed by DJ, champagne and canapés on New Year’s Eve; breakfast, lunch, optional activity (such as clay-pigeon shooting, archery or pony riding) and dinner on New Year’s Day

Number of rooms: 32

From £756 a night for three nights

Don’t forget to pack: Glitter Ball Necklace, £49.95. The party is always on at Babington, so wear this to sparkle like a diva!

GOOD-VALUE GETAWAYS

THE GREEN HOUSE

Dorset

A five-minute meander from the city centre and the sands, The Green House is a smart seaside hotel that’s been given an eco-friendly overhaul. Sustainability informs everything from the furnishings (white, woody and, of course, green) to the food – the restaurant’s modern British dishes are among the best in Bournemouth.

CHRISTMAS INCLUDES Four-course tasting dinner on Christmas Eve; breakfast, six-course festive tasting lunch and buffet supper on Christmas Day; breakfast on Boxing Day

Number of rooms: 32

From £202 a night for three nights

Don’t forget to pack: Grandma’s Secret Wrinkle Remover, £6.95. After a blustery walk on the beach, your clothes will need smoothing down!

THE NEW WHITE LION

Brecon Beacons

The Pritchards opened the New White Lion hotel in Llandovery to introduce guests to the local rural splendour they adore so passionately, creating a luxurious base from which country-lovers can explore Carmarthenshire and the Brecon Beacons national park. Beautiful antique furniture is offset by rich pickings related to the area’s heritage; old books, miners’ boots and local maps blend into a domain where every modern comfort is provided.

CHRISTMAS INCLUDES: Afternoon tea on arrival and three-course dinner on Christmas Eve; breakfast, festive lunch and buffet supper on Christmas Day; breakfast, Grandstand tickets for Ffos Las Races and three-course dinner on Boxing Day.

Number of rooms: 6

From £216 a night for three nights

Don’t forget to pack: Ultra Cosy Tippet Scarf, £29.95 so you can cut a warm and stylish dash at the Races.

CITY CELEBRATIONS

HOTEL MISSONI

Edinburgh

Channelling Italian glamour amid Edinburgh’s grey grandeur, Hotel Missoni is a resplendent rainbow-coloured retreat, with a restaurant and bar styled with catwalk cool. This bold and beautiful boutique hotel is close to the castle; its yellow stone façade dotted with windows, so guests can soak up the scenic city sights.

CHRISTMAS INCLUDES: A bottle of prosecco on arrival and two tickets to the Missoni Street Party on New Year’s Eve; breakfast on New Year’s Day; free minibar drinks and on-demand movies

Number of rooms: 136

From £370 a night for two nights

Don’t forget to pack: Silver Life-Long Champagne Chalices, £49.95 a pair. Toast in the New Year with panache.

TOWN HALL HOTEL

London

Town Hall Hotel & Apartments are housed in Bethnal Green’s old council building: modern fixtures such as floor-to-ceiling glass have been added to the grand design of the Edwardian building; the marble floors, high ceilings, stately staircases remain in charge. Fine-dining lovers are attracted by its superstar restaurant, Viajante, and you won’t spot a magistrate anywhere.

FESTIVE TREATS Includes champagne dinner for two in the Corner Room on New Year’s Eve; breakfast and late check-out on New Year’s Day

Number of rooms: 98

From £350 a night for one night

Don’t forget to pack: This Works Pillow Spray, £14.95. A restful night’s sleep even if you don’t get to bed until dawn!

STATELY-HOME STAYS

CLIVEDEN

Berkshire

As well as being a celebrated haunt for politicos and literati, this majestic neoclassical manor, with its air of faded grandeur, is the proud birthplace of the £100 club sandwich – worth every penny, we’re relieved to add.

FESTIVE TREATS: Includes carols and mince pies, champagne reception, four-course dinner and midnight mass on Christmas Eve; breakfast, four-course lunch and supper on Christmas Day; breakfast, treasure hunt, afternoon tea and three-course black-tie dinner with live jazz on Boxing Day

Number of rooms: 38

From £900 a night for three nights

Don’t forget to pack: Wilbur & Gussie Coco Glitter Bag, £249.95. The ultimate hotel requires a divine handbag.

COWORTH PARK

Berkshire

Luxurious country manors within easy access of London don’t come more glamorous than Coworth Park, just outside Ascot. The 17th-century mansion and polo estate has been treated to an intelligent and eco-friendly modern makeover that’s given it three restaurants, a spectacular spa, and an air of quietly confident grandeur.

FESTIVE TREATS: Includes afternoon tea, champagne reception and three-course dinner on Christmas Eve; breakfast, tea and cake, festive lunch and buffet dinner on Christmas Day; brunch, afternoon tea and three-course dinner on Boxing Day

Number of rooms: 70

From £780 a night for three nights

Don’t forget to pack: Berlin Leather Weekender Bag, £174.95. Transports enough gear for a night or two away without you feeling as though you’re moving in for a month.

We’re so excited to be in Grazia Magazine with our bestselling One Line A Day Five Year  Diary. You can buy your own as a thoughtful gift for a girlfriend from Handpicked here.

GHILLIE JAMES

1. What’s your top time saving kitchen tip?

Batch cook bolognaise, casseroles, sauces and soups and keep them handy in the freezer, along with bread crumbs, pesto sauce and crumble mix

2. What are the ingredients you can’t live without?

This is a close race between fresh herbs and condiments!! I’m always adding a handful of herbs, a dash of Worcestershire or soy sauce or a dollop of redcurrant jelly or mustard to things to give them a lift

3. Name five store cupboard essentials?

• Tin of tomatoes
• Chickpeas or beans
• Capers
• Ketchup
• Bag of bulgur wheat

4. Who is your inspiration in the food world?

Yotum Ottelenghi, Nigel Slater, Sam and Sam Clark, Marguerite Patten, Anna del Conte

5. What would be your desert island cookery book?

Plenty by Yotum Ottelenghi

6. What are your favourite foodie websites?

The Singapore based blogger: www.heirloomsandwoodenspoons.com

This week we will be interviewing one of The Handpicked Foodstore’s panellists every day. Each of the panellists are very knowledgeable in their area of food, whether it be writing about food trends in the best magazines, appearing on television to talk about their own foodie ideas or showing exemplary entrepreneurial skill in their own restaurants. We’re kicking things off with Trish Davies, who has fingers in all the (homemade and delicious) pies; films, television and running celebrity kitchens, together with product development and food journalism…

1. What’s your top time saving kitchen tip?

Lining baking sheets with non-stick baking parchment or thick foil. And a set of good quality scales.

1. What are ingredients you can’t live without?

• Fresh garlic and herbs
• Fresh vanilla pods
• Shallots
• Kikkoman naturally brewed soy sauce
• Skippy peanut butter
• President unsalted butter
• Manuka honey
• Total Greek yogurt that can be used hot or cold without splitting.

1. Name your store cupboard essentials?

1. Vanilla pods (use for both sweet and savoury dishes)
2. Good quality balsamic vinegar
3. Olive oil
4. Black peppercorns
5. Couscous, pasta and rice
6. Dried natural breadcrumbs
7. Can of good quality tomatoes.

1. Who is your inspiration in the food world?

Chefs like Marguerite Patten, Gary Rhodes, Jean-Christophe Novelli and Ramond Blanc are just a credit to the industry, with a wealth of invaluable knowledge and inspiration. And Heston Blumental for breaking the mould, so to speak, with his unusual and experimental recipes.

1. What would be your desert island cookery book and equipment?

Larousse Gastronomique - the world’s greatest cookery encyclopedia. I would not be without a Kenwood Chef and Magimix food processor and one set of sharp knives.

1. What are your favourite foodie websites?

BBC Good Food and Good Housekeeping

Meet the whole panel here.