Colmans Lamb Hot Pot - 41g

Hotpot is the north of England's great slow dinner, Lancashire's above all: cheap cuts, low heat, and a roof of potatoes that does half the work. Colman's sachets have sat in British cupboards for years doing the other half.

People in Canada come looking for it on the first properly cold night of the autumn. They know exactly what the gravy should taste like, and they have tried getting there on their own. This is the shortcut back to it.

It is a small 41g sachet, flat enough to tuck behind the tins and keep in the cupboard until the weather turns. One sachet, one dish. You bring the lamb and potatoes, the method is on the back, and the oven does the rest while you pretend you have been slaving.

Colman's is the mustard people back home have on the table, so a jar of that on the side makes sense. If you do it the Lancashire way, add pickled red cabbage and a slice of bread for the plate.