Herbs, Spices & Teas

Made from ground and whole celery seeds blended with flake salt, Old Fashioned Celery Salt has been used for generations. Celery seed greatly enhances the briny crunch of salt with a sharp, warm aroma, and slightly bitter taste. Celery Salt is a vital ingredient of the Bloody Mary cocktail and the famous Chicago-style hot dog.

All the tang and smokiness of our Peri Peri Spice, now blended with premium salt for instant, effortless flavour. Sprinkle over fries, roast potatoes, veggies, popcorn or use to rim a spicy margarita. Every sprinkle delivers a balance of mild heat, zest and salt.

Also known as 'old man saltbush', this hardy native Australian shrub has savoury, salty-herbal leaves and is commonly used as a natural salt substitute. When rubbed and dried, the leaves carry a distinctly mineral, subtly earthy flavour and is softer and more complex than table salt.

Use it exactly as you would salt, sprinkle over roasted lamb and chicken, or stir through vegetables, salads and dips.

Also known as 'mountain pepper', this fruit is picked from female wild shrubs on the mountain tops of northern Tasmania. Pepperberries are dark-blue to black in colour and succulent with a hot, crunchy seed cluster at their centre. Their floral, fruity bouquet is enlivened by a beguiling purplish-pink hue when crushed. An excellent spice for grinding with an intense bite that builds after consumption.

Widely used in Indian cooking, fenugreek leaf has a strong savoury aroma and subtle bitterness comparable to celery seed, which greatly enhance other flavours. Used in vegetable and fish curries as well as potato and spinach dishes, fenugreek leaf is strong and should be used sparingly towards the end of cooking.

Himalayan Pink Salt is prized for its distinctive mineral-rich flavour. Born of the Jurassic era, this 250-million-year-old, hand-mined salt has been shielded from pollution for centuries. The delightful grains of pink, red and white are ideal for grilling or roasting meat, fish or chicken. Himalayan Pink Salt is ideal in a salt grinder for use as table salt.

Not to be confused with mixed spice, allspice is so named for its exquisitely combinative tones of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. Allspice is an ingredient in mixed spice as well as sweet baked goods; pickles, relishes and preserves; gravies and marinades; and winter drinks. The deep, fruity warmth of these earth-coloured berries complements red meats, seafood and root vegetables. Native to the West Indies and Central America, allspice, also known as pimento, is a key ingredient in Caribbean recipes such as Jamaican jerk seasoning. Also known as: Pimento, Jamaica pepper, Myrtle pepper

Sichuan pepper, also known as Szechuan pepper or Chinese pepper, is commonly used in Chinese, Nepali and Tibetan cuisine. Native to Southwest China, the dried, burst seeds of the prickly ash tree have a peppery yet bright aroma, leaving a tingling and numbing sensation on the tongue.

With a plethora of imaginative names in different languages, the Italian - and most common - name, 'porcini' means 'piglets' in English. When dried, the flavour of these much relished mushrooms intensifies to a meaty, creamy and nutty palate, with an aroma reminiscent of sourdough.

Pyramid Flake Salt is especially valued for its pure qualities and unique, rich flavour. Harvested near Victoria's Pyramid Hill, flake salt's delightful bite adds character to cooking and salads. When used as a finishing salt, flake salt reveals a unique sharper taste to the palate and so less salt is required.

The signature spice of the famous chai tea, cardamom is sweet and aromatic with camphoric tones. This bright, complex flavour brings sophistication to cakes, biscuits, puddings and scrolls; curries and stews; rice dishes; stewed and preserved fruits; red meats and milky beverages. This whole pod is picked while still immature, ideal for infusing whole into simmering curries and rice, or splitting open to release the seeds and their aromatic oils.

Rosemary has needle-like leaves and a pine-like flavour with bitter notes. This fragrant evergreen herb complements a wide variety of foods, most notably lamb. The dried leaves need a little time to soften and release their flavour, so they work best added early in soups, stews and braises.

At medieval weddings in Germany, the bride and groom carried cumin, amongst other spices, in their pockets to secure themselves against infidelity. Generally, though, cumin is added to dishes all over the world for its warm, earthy aroma and flavour: a little bitter, even nutty, similar to caraway yet less intense. Also known as: Cummin, jeera

Although lavender flowers are not widely used in culinary circles, their pleasant aroma and corresponding soft, sweet taste are well worth exploring. Find them in Herbes de Provence and Ras el Hanout blends, but on their own, use in biscuits, cakes and general sweet baking. In northern Africa, lavender flower is also added to meat dishes.

With less heat than your average chilli, you can safely take a good whiff of the ancho chilli. The complexity of its aroma is tantalising - sweet yet smoky, with notes of caramel and molasses. Add to chilli con carne or meat dishes such as spaghetti bolognese where a balance of sweetness and heat is required. These whole dried pods need rehydrating in warm water before blending into sauces, or can be toasted and ground fresh for a more vibrant, aromatic powder, ideal for traditional mole sauces.

Heat Level: 3/10

This chilli's deep red flesh has a green-tea flavour with berry overtones. Used in salsa for tamales, the guajillo chilli is also great in pastes, butter and meat rubs - try it with chicken. These whole dried pods rehydrate in warm water for a rounder, more complex sauce, or can be toasted and ground fresh for a punchier powder.

Heat Level: 4/10