All I Want for Christmas - Ten festive questions

The build up to Christmas is in full swing. Preparations for the big day are well underway – presents have been bought and wrapped, cards written and posted. So we thought it would be fun to ask some of our team to take a few minutes out of all the hustle and bustle to answer some Christmas related questions. In addition they were asked what would their dream Christmas gift be if they could choose anything from our extensive range of cookware and kitchen electricals. Name: Jon Dart Role: Marketing Manager Festive persona: Bah humbug What would be your dream Christmas gift and why? I’ve had my eye on the I.O. Shen Mastergrade Magnetic Knife Block Setfor quite a while now. I love the design of these knives and the combination of razor sharp blades and Tai Tang handles which adds balance and weight to the knives. The set includes all the basic knives I would need in the kitchen. Furthermore, as the block is magnetic on both sides, it’s ideal if I ever wanted to add to the collection. I’d even volunteer to cook Christmas dinner if I had these knives!

10 Christmas Questions

Q: Christmas jumpers… yes or no? A: That’s a definite NO Q: Favourite Christmas song? A: Has to be Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl Q: Favourite Christmas Movie? A: I haven’t got a real favourite. Anything with the Muppets in is always fun, so The Muppet Christmas Carol would probably be up there. Does The Great Escape count? Q: What’s your first memory of Christmas? A; My earliest memory is of decorations on the Christmas tree and also the smell of pine needles. Another early memory was only being able to open my presents after I’d eaten breakfast. Q: Brussels sprouts… yes or no? A: I’ll chase one around the plate just to be polite, but if I had to make a choice – no! Q: What’s on the top of your tree? A: It used to be an arty star, but nowadays it will be something crafted by one of my daughters – possibly an angel. Q: Post-Christmas dinner activity? A: In my head we will all tog-up and head out for a bracing family walk to work off the huge lunch. In reality it will probably involve a half-hearted attempt at a family game or trying to stay awake through a film. Q: What is your favourite Christmas tradition? A: Spending Christmas Day on our own. Since the run up to the big day is so busy with work commitments, school plays, concerts, shopping and parties, it’s lovely to wake up (probably at some ungodly hour by two very excited children) knowing you don’t have to rush around. A leisurely breakfast of smoked salmon and blinis, accompanied by a glass or two of Bucks Fizz, is followed by present opening (if there are any left to open). Lunch happens when it is ready and the afternoon stretches into evening playing games, watching films with regular topping up of food and drink. Q: Favourite Christmas food? A: Pigs in Blankets followed very closely by roast potatoes. We always cook a ham for Boxing Day, so that probably has to be right up there amongst the favourites too. Q: When you were young, what was the one present you always asked for, but never received?A: My Christmas list would always start as soon as the autumn/winter editions of catalogues arrived. The bumper ‘toy’ section in the autumn/winter edition (compared to the puny spring/summer offer) would be carefully scrutinised on a daily basis until a list was formulated. Two items that readily come to mind are the Evil Knievel Stunt Cycle and Action Figure and Crossfire – ‘the fastest rapid-fire action game ever!’

More about I.O. Shen Knives

For years, knife makers have been trying to achieve the ultimate cutting edge. This is rated using a Rockwell hardness scale. However, the brittleness of the knife has made this impossible to produce commercially without using a Damascus method, which is very expensive. I.O. Shen have overcome this problem by sandwiching two softer outer layers (Rockwell 10°) of steel with Rockwell 62° to produce the ultimate cutting edge. I.O. Shen call this Triplex Steel Technology. All the knives in the I.O. Shen range have used the very latest technology to construct a blade that is not only amazingly sharp but will also retain their edge for a phenomenal amount of time. In addition, they have been hand sharpened to a 15° angle, which allows for wonderful slicing and portion control. In addition, the Tai Tang handle isn’t just for looks. It is an integral part of the handle consequently adding balance and stability to the knife. View the full range of I.O. Shen knives on our website > Photography www.RichardBudd.co.uk (C) 2016