It could become your taste buds best friend (Waitrose Food Illustrated)

Member Name: Trishajs

Product:	Waitrose Food Illustrated
Date:	10/09/09 (145 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: I get it free

Disadvantages: Makes me hungry

Waitrose Food Illustrated is a magazine available only in Waitrose or by subscription. It comes out every month and is normally £2.50. The September 09 issue is on a TRY ME offer for £1.

Now I get it every month and I look forward to getting it every month- but here is the important bit- I do not pay for it- as it is free to Waitrose/John Lewis credit card holders. To be honest if you are a regular Waitrose/John Lewis shopper, and if you are sensible with credit, it is best to have the card- apart from the cashback- you get £30 of free Waitrose Magazines.

Now to be honest I would not spend the money on buying the mag if I didn't get it free- but then with all my food allergies and intolerances the recipes are of no use to me, even though I can still enjoy looking at them.

Every month there are 5 special offers - this month two for discounted stays at hotels, 30p off some sweets, a free main course at one restaurant and a free bottle of wine at another. But I cannot think of a month where there has not been an advertiser giving money off their product or a free product as well.

As the title decrees- the mag is about food and wine. But it is not all recipes, or what is in season that month. It is also about the food and wine itself, the farmers, the countries from whence our food comes. There are restaurant, wine bar and hotel reviews. There is always a competition and reader offers. The back page is always a celebrity food based question and answer session- what did you eat last night? what would your last meal be etc; etc.

Now to the recipes. More often than not the recipes are part of an article, for example September's issue includes an article talking to Antonio Carluccio about regional italian cooking and this includes six great recipes.

It is packed with recipe and food ideas from picnics to banquets, from family meals to dinner parties. From quickly prepared meals, to more involved catering. Every taste is catered for.

But the articles are not just recipe after recipe they are interesting and informative.

You learn about food across the globe, there is a particularly good write up on Vietnamese cooking in the September issue.

I particularly enjoy the monthly piece informing me about new products- of course these are products that are available in Waitrose, but rarely only available in their stores.

Each month they review new cook books.

The piece on seasonal food importantly also tells you what to do with it, very useful especially when they show one of the more unusual foods - like exotic fruit and veg.

The wine article cleverly links the wines to the main recipes in the magazine- as well as telling you all about the wine and what else it could be served with.

It is undoubtedly a magazine for foodies September's issue containing 63 recipes displayed in glorious mouthwatering colour.

Summary: Food, glorous food...............