Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2016 | Page 103

Food and drink

MUZZA’S ICES
with a difference

A small and friendly cafe that launched two years
ago to specialise in home cooking and good Italian
coffee is now building its customer base even further
by offering delicious artisan Gelato made on the
premise s.
Karen and Phillip Murray, chef
proprietors of Muzza’s Kitchen on
Sandown High Street, both have
continental cooking experience,
having worked in five-star hotels
in Switzerland and Germany,
as well as Island and mainland
establishments.
With a strong ethos of creating
home-made products and sourcing
ingredients from local suppliers
wherever possible, the Murrays use
milk from the Jersey and Guernsey
herds at Queenbower Dairies to
create their delicious Italian Gelato.
They explain that it’s lower in
fat and different from ice cream

because it uses more milk and
less cream.
The Gelato comes in a whole
range of unusual flavours,
including Apple Pie, Blueberry
Cheesecake, Rhubarb and Custard
and Bakewell Tart – and as well as
selling on the premises, Muzza’s
also supply other local outlets with
bespoke flavours.
Currently these can be found at
Yar Bridge Inn and Culver Haven,
but there are plans to expand
this service and offer caterers the
chance to add a touch of creativity
to their Christmas dessert menus.
Tel: [phone].

M&S Cowes sails into second year
The hugely popular M&S Foodhall
at Cowes celebrated its one year
anniversary on 5 August - and marked
the occasion by offering free tastings
during Cowes Week.
 Since officially opening its doors last August, the
Foodhall has established itself as a go-to shop for
everything from party treats to everyday essentials.
Picnic fillers, barbeque favourites and convenient
evening meals have proved most popular with
both residents and visitors and over the past year
sandwiches from its Food on the Move range have
been flying off the shelves, along with continental
salads, pies and cured meats.
During Cowes Week customers were tasting some of

the hot sellers from the Spirit of Summer range, whilst
fans of Percy Pig and Colin the Caterpillar had the
chance to meet the characters in person.
Since opening, the store has sold 2,000 bottles
of Prosecco, 5,500 packets of Percy Pigs, 12,200
punnets of strawberries, 6,000 sandwiches - and
1,400 Gastropub Fish Pies (the most popular ready
meal with Cowes shoppers) – which is quite some
shopping list!
David Hancock, Store Manager at M&S Foodhall
Cowes, said Cowes Week had offered the perfect
opportunity to celebrate the store’s first anniversary,
with tastings giving a chance ‘try before buying’
Since opening, M&S Cowes has played an active role
in the community and over the next year, employees
will be putting their efforts into fundraising for their
chosen local charity, Earl Mountbatten Hospice.

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