BASIL AND RASPERRY LEMONADE

Although the weather has been slightly mixed recently - as it always is in the beautiful British Isles - I thought I'd share the recipe for a drink I put together the other day that provides a real taste of summer, and can cheer up even the gloomiest of days.

Ingredients:
100g frozen raspberries
1 litre sparkling water
Juice of 1-2 lemons (depending on how tangy you like your beverages)
Handful of fresh basil
Ice
Honey, to taste

This couldn't be easier really and while I'm sure you can probably guess how this is assembled, I'll quickly talk you through the method just in case.

Blitz (nearly all of) the frozen raspberries in a blender until you've got a delicious, icy, raspberry mush. Add the raspberry mush and the lemon juice to a big jug. Loosely chop the basil and add (nearly all of) that along with some ice to the jug too. Pour the whole litre of sparkling water over your fresh ingredients and mix well.

To serve, just pop a bit of extra ice into some tumblers and pour your drink over that. As it is you'll have a rather tart mix, so if you're anything like me you'll want to add a good spoon (or two) of honey and mix that in as well. Once the honey has combined, garnish with a straw, a few sprigs of fresh basil and a couple of frozen raspberries to really wow whoever you choose to share your pitcher with.

Sit back, relax, and raise your glasses to the Great British summertime!