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The South Wales Magazine


Christmas 2025 Gift Guide: Best Cartwright & Butler Hampers for Every Budget
Explore the Christmas 2025 gift guide with the best Cartwright & Butler hampers for every budget, including luxury food hampers, festive treats, gourmet chocolates, teas, biscuits, and perfect Christmas gifts for family, friends, and food lovers. The Ultimate Festive Hamper The Ultimate Festive Hamper £220 Utterly spoil your friends and family this year with The Ultimate Festive Hamper. Bursting with an array of Christmas goodies the whole family can enjoy. The Totally Chris


Best Cartwright & Butler Christmas Hampers for 2025: Luxury Food Gifts They’ll Love
Discover the ultimate Cartwright & Butler Christmas hampers for 2025, featuring luxury food gifts, gourmet treats, festive biscuits, chocolates, teas, and perfect Christmas presents for food lovers. (The Festive Alcohol Free Hamper from Cartwright and Butler) The Festive Alcohol Free Hamper £250 Experience the joys of Christmas with our Alcohol-Free Hamper, a wonderful collection of gourmets and indulgent treats. This hamper is perfect for those who prefer a non-alcoholic cel


Larry Lamb: ‘You’ve only got one body and you better look after it’
The Gavin and Stacey star talks to Lauren Taylor about health in later life, writing poetry and living alone. Actor Larry Lamb talks about his ‘war-damaged’ childhood, writing a novel and solitude (Ian West/PA) Actor and writer Larry Lamb says he’s learned the importance of taking care of his body later in life, saying: “You’ve really got to respect the fact you’ve only got one of them, and you better look after it.” Eight or nine years ago he underwent surgery to correct ner


Rick Stein’s ultimate guide to cooking the Christmas dinner
Lauren Taylor chats to the TV chef about his tips and tricks for everything from the turkey to the sprouts. (James Murphy/PA) In a restaurant kitchen, even professional chefs don’t have to make every element of a three-course meal. But at Christmas, “When you’re cooking at home, you have to do everything,” says Rick Stein, “therefore your timing has to be really good. In a restaurant kitchen you’re doing four or five things really, and nothing else, also they’re all part of t


10 books which will make ideal gifts this Christmas
Bag everything from cookery to romance in our pick of the best. Lovers of books are sure to find something to enjoy in this list (Alamy/PA) Whether your loved one likes cooking or life stories, sagas or romances, there’s a book out there which you can gift them to make them happy on Christmas Day. Here are 10 which might suit anyone from hobbyists to history buffs, dystopian fans and real life readers. 1. Padella by Tim Siadatan (Bloomsbury, £25) If you are already tired of t


12 cleaning hacks for a sparkling Christmas
From gleaming cutlery to fresh-smelling garlands, these quick wins from the Queen of Clean are a lifesaver. By Sam Wylie-Harris. Sparkle, shine and save time with these savvy shortcuts (Alamy/PA) Can you feel it? The Christmas lights are on, window displays have been given the wow factor, and magical displays are drawing us closer to the big day – with feel-good festive fixes topping the to-do list. Especially if you’re setting the stage for holiday hosting, decking the halls


12 Christmas beauty gifts for every age – from teens to grandparents
From trending brands to cult-classics – here’s what to gift a beauty lover for Christmas 2025. Here are the 12 best beauty buys for Christmas 2025 (Alamy/PA) This year’s most-wanted beauty products combine TikTok trends with timeless classics and cover everyone from the teen who’s just discovering serums to the grandparent who loves a pamper. So whether you’re shopping for under-£20 stocking fillers or something truly splurge-worthy, here are a beauty journalists top picks fo


Scarlett Moffatt: ‘Parenting isn’t about perfection’
The Gogglebox star and mum-of-one stresses perfect parenting doesn’t exist and tells Lisa Salmon ‘I wish I could go back in time and tell myself that’ Parenting amid the chaos: Scarlett Moffatt (MAMUK/PA) Scarlett Moffatt struggled to conceive for years before falling pregnant, and that desperation to have a baby made her equally desperate to be the perfect mother. The TV presenter and Gogglebox star had her son Jude in June 2023, and says before she became a mum she watched


10 stylish gift suggestions for interior enthusiasts
From chic abodes to cottagecore, these decorative items will elevate the everyday, says Sam Wylie-Harris. Christmas is the perfect time to tuck a home gift under the tree (Alamy/PA) Some of the best buys are for sprucing up your space, and gifting is the perfect opportunity to style up the season with something for the home. Especially if you’re not sure what to buy a loved one; but you’re confident a interiors-based gift will give great aesthetic pleasure if it channels comf


10 fabulous festive ways to say it with a bottle
From luxe limited editions and gorgeous wine gifts to snazzy spirits, these drinks are full of Christmas cheer. Raise a glass to Christmas celebrations with these liquid gifting ideas (Ron Santiago De Cuba/PA) With the holiday season coming into full swing and twinkling lights signalling it’s time to think about what to tuck under the tree, liquid gifts can be a lifesaver. Especially if you’re pressie buying for that hard-to-please person, know they love all things wine, or l


James Martin’s Welsh rarebit with bacon and chutney
Perfect autumnal comfort food. James Martin’s Welsh rarebit with bacon and chutney (Dan Jones/PA) “One of the greatest chefs of the modern era was Gary Rhodes. People really underestimate how good he was and how he revolutionised the food scene using top-quality UK produce,” says James Martin. “One of his trademark dishes was a smoked haddock Welsh rarebit with confit tomatoes. Bettys Tea Room in York does a Welsh rarebit on toast with tomato chutney and it’s bloody delicious


James Martin’s sticky toffee pudding with miso caramel sauce and clotted cream
A classic dessert with a twist. James Martin’s sticky toffee pudding with miso caramel sauce and clotted cream (Dan Jones/PA) “There are loads of variations of sticky toffee pudding, and I love to put my own spin on it,” says James Martin. “Miso is a brilliant savoury ingredient and when added to caramel it’s amazing, but it has to be high-quality miso!” Sticky toffee pudding with miso caramel sauce and clotted cream Ingredients: (Serves 6) 290ml boiling water 200g stoned dat


James Martin: It would be ‘really weird’ to watch myself on Saturday Morning
The popular TV chef talks to Lauren Taylor about the ITV show, not rehearsing, and meeting famous guests. Chef James Martin talks about the buzz of cooking live on TV and creating recipes that anyone can whip up at home (Dan Jones/PA) James Martin may have been on TV since the mid-Nineties, but that doesn’t mean he wants to see it back. “I’ve never watched myself in 34 years of doing it. I can’t watch it, I just can’t – it’s really weird,” says the 53-year-old. The chef made


5 trending festive themes for Christmas decor
From ‘nonna holiday’ to nutcrackercore and gothmas, here’s what’s shaping the holiday season. By Sam Wylie-Harris. Deck the halls and showcase your festive flair with these seasonal schemes (Meri Meri/PA) One of the wonders of Christmas is putting up the decorations… and foraging for those sentimental trinkets, glitzy trimmings, garlands and twinkling lights galore. But what if you’re rethinking your Christmas aesthetic; fancy a shift in style and theme, and have your heart s


Clodagh McKenna’s seeded cheddar sunflower bread recipe
This recipe is inspired by traditional Irish soda bread. Clodagh McKenna’s seeded cheddar sunflower bread recipe (David Loftus/PA) “Beautiful, isn’t it? This recipe is based on the wonderful traditional Irish soda bread that the whole world should know how to make,” says This Morning resident chef Clodagh McKenna. “I’ve added Cheddar for flavour, but leave that out for the classic recipe. This loaf is cut into wedges, so every person can tear off their own, and they make it l


Festive kitchen makeover ideas to get ‘Christmas ready’
It’s not too soon to start thinking about entertaining on the big day, says Sam Wylie-Harris. Kit out your kitchen with these quickie makeovers and festive finishing touches (Alamy/PA) With the festive season fast approaching, it’s time to get your skates on if a stylish kitchen refresh is on the cards. Especially if you’re hosting, and entertaining family and friends over the holidays – with a focus on seating everyone comfortably and choosing decor as twinkly as the tree. N


Movember: 8 of the best moustaches throughout history
If you’re looking for inspiration this Movember, here are the famous people to look to. Jacob Elordi makes it into the top eight best moustaches (Alamy/PA) Once written off as a relic of the 1970s, the moustache is staging a confident return, fuelled by a new generation of style-savvy men reclaiming the upper lip. From Jacob Elordi to Timothée Chalamet, celebrities are starting to sport this contentious facial hair more and more on the red carpet. But getting a moustache righ


5 best beauty advent calendars of 2025
From best for affordability to trend discovery – here are the top recommended beauty advent calendars of the year. (Cult Beauty/PA) Choosing a beauty advent calendar isn’t always straightforward. There’s the worry of make-up shades that don’t suit, products you’ll never use or scents that miss the mark. Still, that uncertainty hasn’t dampened the nation’s enthusiasm for these festive countdowns – in fact, they’ve become one of the beauty industry’s biggest indulgences of the


How to make Gaucho’s churrasco de chorizo
A simple sirloin that will become a staple dish. Gaucho’s churrasco de chorizo (Sam A. Harris/PA) “One of Gaucho’s original offerings, this steak borrows the word churrasco from the Brazilian equivalent to asado,” explains Gaucho culinary director Anthony Ekizian. “It is a butterfly- cut, marinated sirloin and delivers a bold, smoky South American char. For the best results, choose steaks that are around eight centimetres thick.” Gaucho’s churrasco de chorizo Ingredients: (Se


Biggest bathroom trends to get on board with now
Spa-style bathroom decor echoes a sense of luxury, says Sam Wylie-Harris. From bathroom sprawl to sustainability, these designs will inspire a makeover (Almay/PA) When it comes to wellbeing and projects around the home, the bathroom is one of the best places to start. After all, setting the scene for some me time, pampering ourselves with some favourite smellies to reduce stress, and boosting one’s overall mood is top of the sensory checklist… especially if you’re hankering a
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