My brother commented that normal toothpicks were too short for my martini glasses. He is a very practical former Royal Marine and a keen perfectionist so I took his comments onboard and spent some time trying to think of an alternative.

The other day I found some slightly longer mini bamboo skewers in an Asian supermarket and thought they would do the trick.

Here is a size comparison between a normal toothpick and my new, slightly longer mini skewers.

You can fit a lot on them! Here is a combination of olives, pickled onions and a twist of lemon peel.

And here’s a load of olives.

The longer skewer gives you lots more room to get creative with your garnishes. I strongly recommend them, especially if you’re feeling a bit inventive.