Can you believe it’s that time of year once again? Costa has unveiled its festive food and drink menu for 2024.
The popular coffee shop chain is known and loved for its limited-edition seasonal menus each year, and now, with the countdown to the big day officially on, Costa has given fans what they’ve been waiting for as it’s unveiled its festive food and drink offering for 2024 – with a whole host of brand-new treats, as well as some returning fan favourites on the lineup.
It’s absolutely packed full of hearty soul foods and indulgent goodies to get you properly get you in the Christmas spirit.
This year, it’s all about the new Caramel Nutcracker drinks range, which is described as being a “dreamy blend” of caramel, nutty notes, and holiday magic, and is available either as a latte (hot or iced) or a rich hot chocolate.
Costa has unveiled its Christmas food and drink menu for 2024 / Credit: Costa
Also new to the festive drinks offering this year is the Festive Spice syrup, which is suitable for vegans and adds “a touch of warmth” to any barista-made drink of your choosing.
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Other festive drinks on the menu this year include the comebacks of three absolute Costa Christmas classics – the Gingerbread & Cream Latte, the Terry’s Chocolate Orange Hot Chocolate, and the Black Forest Hot Chocolate, with the latter also available in Frappe form for the first time this year.
If you fancy tucking into a festive feast to go along with your limited-edition drinks, then this year’s food range includes the new Brie & Cranberry Toastie, which is oozing with brie and cranberry, encased in a malted cranberry bread, alongside the return of the ever-popular Pigs & Blankets Toastie, the Turkey & Trimmings Toastie, and the hearty Hog Roast Toastie too.
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The coffee shop chain is known and loved for its limited-edition seasonal menus each year / Credit: Costa
The Christmas classic Turkey Feast Sandwich, and the Brie, Bacon and Chilli Jam Panini are two other returning gems for 2024.
For those with a sweet tooth, there’s some new indulgent cakes and biscuits too, including the Chocolate and Caramel Nutcracker Cake, the Berry Red Velvet Mini Loaf, and the Iced Gingerbread Snowman biscuit, as well as the beloved Bakewell Tart having a festive makeover especially for the turn of the season.
There’s Festive Spice Lattes, Hog Roast Toasties, and loads of returning festive favourites / Credit: Costa
For plant-based customers, Costa has teamed up with BOSH! again to introduce two new vegan sweet treats – the decadent Billionaire’s Slice, and the Winter Berry Crumble topped with cinnamon spice for pure festive comfort food.
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On top of that, both the All Butter Mince Pie, and the Gluten-Free Vegan Mince Tarts, are back for another year too.
The 2024 Christmas menu will be available at all Costa branches and Costa self-serve machines nationwide, and will begin its roll-out from Thursday 7 November.
Featured Image – Costa
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Rio Ferdinand is stepping away from TNT Sports after more than a decade
Danny Jones
Manchester United legend and ex-England international Rio Ferdinand has announced he will be stepping away from TNT Sports, leaving more than a decade with the broadcaster.
Ferdinand has spent the best part of the last 10 years serving as a leading pundit and analyst, as well as hosting his own ‘Rio Meets’ online series – the interview format of which has been replicated on his YouTube channel.
However, after having been one of their main anchors both under the BT Sport and even more so since the inception of the rebranded TNT Sports Football umbrella, the 46-year-old has confirmed he has now quit their regular coverage following the Champions League final this weekend.
In a lengthy statement on social media, the ex-Man United defender, who also played for Leeds, West Ham, Bournemouth and QPR, described it as a “difficult decision.”
Taking time to thank the network for their “tremendous support” over the years, especially those “behind the scenes, whose work often goes unseen but has been essential to our success.”
The talented centre-back retired in May 2015 after more than 500 appearances and 81 national team caps, making an almost immediate switch into punditry and remaining a household name.
Rio has also remained a popular figure at Old Trafford and, indeed, across various parts of Manchester since leaving United in 2014.
For instance, his self-titled Foundation has carried out some truly transformational local outreach across various boroughs, as it has back in his home city of London.
Responding to the news, TNT Sports said nothing more than “Thanks for everything, Rio”; meanwhile, fellow former Red, Danny Simpson (who retired last year and also works as a pundit/presenter for MUTV) added: “You’re going to be missed, bro. Every time you’re on, you give us all the mad insight.”
However, he has promised he will remain in the media industry, continuing to work under the Rio Ferdinand Presents digital brand and pursuing “other business interests”.
With his ‘Rio Reacts’ and ‘Vibe with FIVE’ series regularly raking in millions of views, he might not be on the box during European nights but you’ll still be seeing plenty of him.
Rare bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in more than 30 years
Emily Sergeant
It’s time to say a big hello, as rare bat-eared foxes have now arrived at Chester Zoo.
The two sisters, named Maasai and Malindi, have been welcomed by conservationists after travelling more than 500 miles from a zoo in Paris, and they are the first mammals of their kind to come to Chester Zoo in more than 30 years.
First images show the pair exploring their home in the zoo’s new Heart of Africa habitat – which officially opened to the public back in March, and is the largest zoo development ever undertaken in the UK, spanning more than 22.5 acres in size.
The adorable – but rather unique-looking – bat-eared fox is named after its distinctive oversized ears and is native to the open savannahs and arid grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.
They live for around 13 years on average, and their characteristically large ears help regulate their body temperature and enhance their incredible hearing, allowing them to prey like detect insects moving underground.
The species faces increasing threats in the wild, largely due to the loss of their habitat caused by agriculture, human encroachment, and hunting.
This is why Chester Zoo has long been at the forefront of protecting African wildlife.
Its teams’ have been supporting everything from the safe translocation of northern giraffes to protected national parks in Uganda, to developing cutting-edge AI trail cameras to protect giant pangolins from illegal trafficking in recent years.
Bat-eared foxes have arrived at Chester Zoo for the first time in 30 years / Credit: Chester Zoo
“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome bat-eared foxes back to Chester Zoo after a 30-year hiatus,” commented David White, who is the Twilight Team Manager at Chester Zoo.
“Both Maasai and Malindi are settling in well so far, spending much of their time exploring their expansive home and getting to know their new housemates – a family of twelve Cape porcupines. These two species would often come across one another in the wild, so we’ve recreated this right here at Chester.
“In time, we hope to introduce one of the two sisters to a male fox, with the hope that we can contribute to the European conservation breeding programme, helping to ensure there’s a healthy, genetically diverse back-up population in human care.
Emily Sergeant -
23rd October 2024 
