I got a jar of this delicious concoction a few years ago in a hamper and I have been making it ever since. I use it as a sauce over vanilla ice cream, in my sherry trifles, bread and butter puddings – the list is endless – a jar of this is more than a gift, it opens up a world of opportunities.

This is a marriage made in heaven. The raisins absorb the delicious sherry while releasing their sugar back into the sherry, resulting in thick richly-infused syrup.

To make, simply soak 100g juicy Chilean jumbo raisins in 100ml Pedro Ximenez sherry. I bought the sherry in my local branch of Wine Buff. Leave the two to work their magic for a week or so, in which time the raisins literally quadruple in size – the longer they are left, the better the results.