Lina Stores, the much-loved West End restaurant and delicatessen that has been providing the best that Italy has to offer for over seven decades, has launched its first range of own-brand products.
Since it opened in 1944, the Lina Stores delicatessen on Soho's Brewer Street has been stocking and serving an extensive selection of products from handpicked artisanal suppliers and small-scale producers, as well as a range of homemade fresh pastas and sauces, freshly made sandwiches, takeaway coffees and sweet treats.
This month, Lina Stores introduces a new range of products including store cupboard essentials such as extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and San Marzano tomatoes, as well as four varieties of biscotti and three bottled Italian aperitivi.
The Product Range
The collection of products will include a range of Italian staples essential for any well-stocked kitchen. There will be two organic extra virgin olive oils; a warm, golden-green Sicilian olive oil, which comes in a beautiful 500ml glass bottle and has a delicate, well-rounded flavour.
The other organic extra virgin olive oil is perfectly preserved in a unique, hand-painted ceramic pot with the Lina Stores signature stripes and made with plump Apulian olives. These are pressed by hand at the precise ripening moment to ensure the best quality possible, which results in a bright green oil with an intense herbaceous flavour and spicy aftertaste.
Both olive oils are suited for a delicious salad dressing, for dipping freshly-baked focaccia or when used in a delicate lemon and olive oil cake.
Another larder staple, balsamic vinegar, is elevated to a premium product at the heart of the Lina Stores Collection. Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP is made and bottled in Modena; its rich, complex flavour is the result of careful ageing in precious wooden casks resulting in a product which pairs perfectly with mature cheeses, grilled vegetables or in dishes such as pan-fried figs with balsamic vinegar, honey and thyme.
No pantry would be complete without tinned tomatoes or passata, and the new Lina Stores Collection offers both.
Lina Stores Pomodoro San Marzano DOP dell’agro Sarnese-Nocerino presents as a candy-striped pastel-green tin of whole peeled DOP San Marzano Tomatoes from the area of Agro Sarnese-Nocerino. These sought-after tomatoes impart an unrivalled depth of flavour due to the rich soil of Mount Vesuvius in which they are grown in. Passata di Pomodoro takes sun-ripened tomatoes hand-picked in Puglia, treating them gently and respectfully from field to bottle.
Both products are ideal for any tomato-based dish, including a simple, spicy Sugo all'Arrabbiata, a well-loved classic pasta sauce and a staple in the Lina Stores kitchen for decades.
For a sweet treat or ideal as a gift, Lina Stores will also offer a selection of indulgent biscotti – perfect to enjoy at the end of a meal.
Wrapped in pastel-hued bags, the Baci di Dama al Cioccolato (£9.95), a North-Italian specialty translating to 'lady’s kisses' sees two hazelnut biscuits sandwiched together with a dollop of dark chocolate. These crumbly bites are best with an espresso or an afternoon snack. Naturally, the line also includes Italy’s most famous biscotti – Cantucci Tradizional, equally suited to enjoying with a coffee as they are for dipping in Vin Santo dessert wine.
Two types of pasticcini – the traditional Italian shortcrust pastry biscuits filled with smooth, indulgent cream – give customers the choice between the traditional cocoa-hazelnut treat; Pasticcini Ripieni alla Nocciola (£9.95), or a pistachio iteration, known as Pasticcini Ripieni al Pistacchio (£9.95).
Finally, the trio of bottled aperitivi are adorned with striking label illustrations. Limoncello, the classic Italian liqueur, is made with Sorrento lemons from the Amalfi Coast, which are carefully and slowly macerated before being infused with dried Italian wild oregano for a perfect balance of flavours.
The sharp, sweet nectar is best served ice cold in a chilled glass as a digestivo, but is also excellent when used in cocktails, including the classic Lina Stores Limoncello Spritz. This is joined by Lina Stores’ Negroni, made with a traditional blend of Italian gin, vermouth and bitters.
Lastly, a Vermouth made in the classic Torino style, with carefully sourced botanicals including wormwood, orange, vanilla, juniper and clove. The medium to full bodied vermouth is rich and fruity with hints of stone fruit and dried fig and can be enjoyed on the rocks or in a cocktail.
The Christmas Range
As we move towards the end of the year, Lina Stores will be celebrating Christmas the Italian way, with a new range of own-brand festive hampers and gifts. From October, the Christmas range will be available in both delicatessens and online for nationwide deliveries.
Known for offering a vast array of Panettone in a variety of flavours, this year Lina Stores will introduce its very own panettone in two flavours; a traditional one following the classic Milano recipe and an indulgent chocolate one – both available in 1kg. A trio of mini panettone & pandoro will make the festive cake selection complete and will include a traditional Milano mini panettone, a chocolate & amaretto-flavoured mini panettone and a classic mini pandorino – all adorned with a ribbon and perfect for hanging on the Christmas tree.
For those looking for an impressive gift or festive treat for a loved one, a selection of own-brand Lina Stores hampers will be available this year.
There is the Il Dolce Hamper, filled with a sweet selection of panettone, biscotti and an optional bottle of Limoncello, the Aperitivo Hamper, containing a selection of aperitivi and snacks, perfect for get-togethers, including Lina Stores’ Vermouth, truffle salami and their balsamic vinegar, or the ultimate Lina Hamper, offering a generous range of highlights from the new Lina Stores Collection.