Food Porn: Rubies In The Rubble

It's July, which means one thing: my favourite events of the year, Christmas in July.

There is something completely irresistible about leaving hot, sweaty London behind and going into a world occupied entirely by festive decorations, fake snow and swathes of Christmassy food. In the case of Ocado, THREE gorgeous dogs (real), a six-in-one bird that could feed an orphanage, and today's utterly gorgeous food porn.

Rubies in the Rubble chutneys are a divine meeting of beautiful presentation, excellent reasoning and absurdly tasty product. We'll get on the last one in a moment - mmm, moment - but it's that reasoning that really takes it up a notch.

Jenny Dawson started making her chutneys from otherwise perfectly good fruit and veg that was headed for the bin, or the landfills. As they write on their (beautiful) labels: "Our ingredients have to pass a taste test,  not a beauty contest. If it's wonky, in over abundance, or just plain pear-shaped,  it's in."

Yes, yes, all very good but OH MY GOOD LORD. I am eulogising today about Rubies in the Rubble (can't stop saying that name - it trips off the tongue like a dream) because of their Hot Banana chutney, a jar of which I was given by Ocado who will be stocking it as part of their Christmas foods.

I am resolutely not a banana person. I've never managed a whole one. I can't stand that sweet, curly flavour, and the texture makes me gag. My one fail-safe claim in games of 'I Have Never' has always been "I have never eaten a banana."  But I had just destroyed myself on my first run in weeks, and this was to hand, so I dipped some olive oil biscuits into it and before I knew it I was making even more socially-inappropriate noises than I was by the end of the run.

This is delicious, gently-spiced chutney that's sweet without being sickly, and almost irresistible. It's £4.25, and you can currently buy the chutneys from British Fine Foods, of which this is *definitely* one.

As well as Magical Banana Joy, I have my eye on the Pear and Walnut variety,  and Mango, which is one of my favourite condiments ever. You can also choose from Spicy Tomato Chutney, Apple & Ginger, Red Onion & Chilli, and if you know witchcraft/someone with good contacts, there's also London Piccalilli which was commissioned for Jamie Oliver's Diner restaurants (or, you know, go there and buy some).

Mmmmyyyyaaaaarghhhhh.