With Jet2.com and Jet2holidays launching a brand new airport base at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, I received a hamper packed full of goodies to celebrate their eleventh airport base in the UK. Offering flights to 20 sunshine destinations from March 2024, this new base in the North West provides an option for flights and holidays to Mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Portugal, Madeira and Cyprus. Having previously visited Madeira, my hamper arrived packed full of Madeiran based products as well as some handy items for any summer or winter holiday to the destinations above.
AD: This hamper was kindly gifted by Jet2.com and Jet2holidays in return for a blog post. As always, all views and opinions on the destinations and products are my own.
JET2.COM AND JET2HOLIDAYS FROM LIVERPOOL
At just over an hour from home in North Wales, Liverpool John Lennon Airport is my closest airport. The addition of Jet2.com flights are a real benefit, especially with seven of the destinations being exclusive to Jet2Holidays from Liverpool including Maderia and Menorca. With a return visit to Madeira high on my list, I’ve also longed to visit Menorca since a planned trip that was cancelled during the pandemic. The beaches look absolutely spectacular, and after a few hectic trips more recently, I’m longing to unwind in a beautiful destination.
A HAMPER OF TREATS FROM JET2.COM AND JET2HOLIDAYS
It’s always great receiving a parcel of goodies, especially when the contents are a surprise. When my hamper from Jet2.com and Jet2holidays arrived, I couldn’t wait to see what was inside. From authentic Madeiran food products, guide books, cool gadgets and beach products, there was plenty to get stuck into.
SWEET TREATS DIRECT FROM FUNCHAL
Dining in Madeira is a fabulous experience, with a range of traditional dishes as well as sweet treats that can’t be missed. Fábrica Santo António, established in 1893, was the first biscuit and cookie manufacturing company in Madeira, heavily influenced by the English culture in the society at the time. With a factory store in the centre of Funchal, the company sells a range of sweet products including biscuits, cake and candy. We had the opportunity to sample three products in the hamper. First off, a traditional Madeira Cake or Bolo de Mel, a sweet sponge based cake made with sugar cane syrup, topped with almonds. Secondly, the ideal treat to go with an afternoon cuppa were the Broas de Manteiga, delicious butter biscuits with a great crunch and finally Rebuçados Maracujá – delicious passion fruit candy.
A TASTER OF BLANDY’S MADEIRA WINE
If you’ve ever visited Funchal, you may have called in to BLANDY’S WINE LODGE, in the heart of the city to take a tour of the facility. Madeira Wine is a fortified wine, usually served as an aperitif or a dessert wine depending on whether it’s dry or sweet. Blandy’s have been producing Madeira Wine for seven generation, and have a wide range of wines on offer – many of which can be sampled in Funchal, and in fact purchased in the UK. With a box of four samples provided in our hamper, we had the opportunity to taste a range of their five year old wines – Sercal, Verdelho, Bual and Malmsey.
USEFUL READING ITEMS
How much do you read up on a destination before you visit, and where you do get your information? Tourism board websites, blogs (hopefully) or a good old guidebook? I have a ton of guidebooks at home from my travels, some of which are probably very out of date and others which are fairly evergreen in their content. One of my go to brands for travel guides are Rough Guides, so I was pleased to receive The Mini Rough Guide to Madeira in my hamper from Jet2.com and Jet2holidays. There’s some great information in the guide covering the capital city of Funchal as well as the rest of the island. We stayed in Funchal during our last visit, as well as exploring the East of Madeira, so we’ve got a whole load more places to explore on our next visit so I’ll definitely be keeping this guidebook to hand. Also, if you’re unsure of where to go for your next Jet2 holidays from Liverpool, their latest destination guide is packed full of information on all Jet2.com destinations.
TREATS FOR BEACH AND POOL DAYS
Whether you’re a beach or a pool kind of person, there are always the staple items you need to pack into your luggage when heading off to one of the sunny destinations with Jet2 holidays from Liverpool. Beach towel? Check. Factor 30 SPF Lotion? Check. Beach ball? Check. Jet2.com kindly threw these into my hamper, as well as a really cool portable USB speaker and power pack. Perfect for a quick recharge of your device while down on the beach.
I’ll be looking forward the launch of Jet2 holidays from Liverpool launching in spring 2024. It’s going to be great to have additional options from my local airport, and I’ll be checking through their destination information to see where tempts me the most? Will I head back to beautiful Madeira, or decide to soak up the sun on the stunning beaches of Menorca. Stay tuned to find out.
RELATED CONTENT
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Take a look at 10 UNFORGETTABLE THINGS TO DO IN FUNCHAL
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