Ooh, i'm so glad this group has been set up!

What products would you recommend that are of superior quality to the norm?

I was just thinking about how nice the pasta that i use is, and what a difference the quality makes to a dish. De Cecco pasta - you can buy it in Sainsburys and other places i'm sure - pretty sure Tesco and Waitrose do it too. Sainsburys have just started stocking some different types as well, more unusual stuff, as well as cannelloni tubes, which are surprisingly hard to come by in my experience!

Oh, and Belazu Rose Harissa is fabulous. I smother it over a chicken breast and leave it for a bit then stick it on the griddle pan. Served with Moroccan cous cous and hummus - lovely. I only started cooking it a few weeks ago and it's my boyfriend's favourite meal at the moment, despite having never liked cous cous before!

Second the recommendation for De Cecco pasta, it's the only brand I'll buy these days.

My personal favourite superior product is Tiptree jam. No other brand will do.

The chorizo sausage in Lidl is the best i've ever had as well as being really cheap

Second the recommendation for De Cecco pasta, it's the only brand I'll buy these days.

My personal favourite superior product is Tiptree jam. No other brand will do.

There was an article in the Food Monthly magazine in the Observer a couple of months ago where top chefs gave their opinions on everyday items and a lot of them went for De Cecco pasta as being the best

There's a brand of pasta that Waitrose does (can't remember the name and I'm at work at the moment so can't look in the cupboard) that I think beats De Cecco, especially the spaghetti. It's quite steep, around £2.50 a pack, but I wouldn't buy anything else. The spaghetti seems to cook perfect every time and never sticks. I eat it with tons of sliced garlic, far too mcuh olive oil, chilli, parsley and parmesan. Then some more olive oil and parmesan. Then some more olive oil.

Then a little more.

Salar Flaky hot smoked salmon. Available mail order but also now sell it at the deli at Dobbies at Barlborough. Its not cheap though!

http://www.salar.co.uk/

Ahmeds pickles (to accompany curries) are super high quality products and incredibly cheap.

TASTY! DELICIOUS ! REFRESHING ! YUMMY! YUM!

....as they say on their quaintly worded website - http://www.ahmedfood.com/pickle.html

I get mine at the Shah Continental Grocers on Abbeydale Road which is a great source for all Indian cookery ingredients.

Alastair, do they sell fresh curry leaves, and if not, do you know anywhere that does?

Alastair, do they sell fresh curry leaves, and if not, do you know anywhere that does?

The herb table, there based in derbyshire but you can get mail order on next day delivery.

http://www.herbtable.freeuk.com/

better still (or is that only me :)) http://www.plantcultures.org/plants/curry_leaf_grow_it.html