These aren’t the sorry-looking, day-glo red, flavour-free cocktail cherries you usually find on the shelves. Produced in Italy, all-natural, deep red (almost black), whole pitted marasca cherries are steeped in maraschino syrup, with no thickeners or preservatives, and are produced in small batches to a family recipe that's over a 100 years old.

Favoured by top pastry chefs globally, they also make an excellent garnish for an Old Fashioned, the classic Manhattan, Tequila Sunrise and other cocktails. Add a few with a drizzle of the syrup to ice cream and gelato. Or spoon the rich syrup over cheesecake for a touch of Luxardo luxury. Dense and chewy with a sweet, tart flavour, once bitten, you’ll be forever smitten.