BE: “It looks like a giant hot cross bun – they’ve put the wrong thing inside! There’s lots of plump, juicy fruit and peel in here; it’s not bad at all. This feels more like an everyday panettone. If you love hot cross buns, this is for you.” Score 6/10 Inexpensive and mass-produced as they may be, they are still authentically Italian and follow the classic Milanese recipe. In fact, the first man to mass-produce panettone was a Milanese baker by the name of Angelo Motta. In the 1930s, Motta added a 100-foot conveyor belt to his bakery expressly for the purpose of mass manufacturing his iconic panettone. Today, Motta is still a household name. Recently, in the way that Roman pizza, obscure amari and Zeppole have again come to the fore, panettone, too, is having its revival. Young bakers, often wishing to test their mettle, are attempting to revive the artisanal craft of panettone-making. We’re really proud of our collection of panettone at Sous Chef. We carefully select each product, and are looking for the best quality ingredients and authentic baking methods. EK: “It looks nice, and there’s the classic mix of candied peel and raisins. It’s not the most flavourful dough, but the texture is good. I like the hazelnut crust on top and there isn’t too much of it – but I think it’s not strong enough in flavour to call it hazelnut.” Score 8/10 Nicola first explored cooking as a career when training at Leiths, before spending the next decade in Finance. However... after a stage as a chef at a London Michelin-starred restaurant, Nicola saw the incredible ingredients available only to chefs. And wanted access to them herself. So Sous Chef was born.

So, next time you're faced with the vast selection, remember: it's more than just bread; it's a slice of Italian heritage.BE: “It’s very small for such a big box. I feel a bit underwhelmed. The cherries on top look nice, but I really don’t want the chocolate – I want to see the top. It’s well filled, there’s a good distribution of cherries and chocolate chunks in there, and I like that there’s a bit of alcohol to cut through the sweetness. Do I want a big slice? No.” Score 5.5/10 EK: “I like the mix of sugar and almonds in the crust, but this panettone is bland – there’s no almond flavour in there. If you’re going to sell it as cherry and almond, then people are going to expect that bitter almond taste. Nice texture, though.” Score 6/10 EK: “This looks like a giant doughnut; I’m worried about the crust and texture of that cream inside, which stinks. Oh, I don’t like the filling, and the bread tastes artificial. If it didn’t have that weird cream and had some peel, it would be miles better.” Score 4/10 Try using your panettone to make breadcrumbs and incorporate into a custard to make a delicious and unexpected ice cream flavour.

Try layering up your panettone in a tiramisu or trifle. The bread is particularly tasty soaked in brandy, masala or other sweet wines. BE: “This looks pleasing; the wrapper is decorative, you can see all the fruit coming through, and it’s got good height. The sweetness level is good, but I’m not getting any prosecco. I like the texture, and I could eat more than one slice of this – but you have to lose marks because I’m not tasting booze.” Score 7/10 Its current name "Porta Bosari" (Borsari Gate) comes from the latin expression "Bursarii" (Excise Men) who collected duties in the Middle Ages from the people that crossed the gate to enter the town.It is a disclosure that is also provided pursuant to art. 13 of Legislative Decree no. 196/2003 Code regarding the protection of personal data to those who interact with the web services of Borsarigioielli.com. Warm your panettone in the oven, then cut into individual portions and serve with a dash of double cream and a dollop of stewed fruit for a real winter warmer. Traditionally, Italians eat a slice of panettone at breakfast. Slice yourself a pillowy piece of panettone and enjoy with a strong espresso first thing, for the true Italian experience.