BEST PINK FIZZ TO SHOW YOUR LOVE TO YOUR VALENTINE February 4, 2025 VALENTINES’ Day approaches, so which bottle are you going to whip out for your partner, lover, or friend-with-benefits? There is something classically romantic about a pink sparkling wine and those two qualities just happen to be undergoing a rise in popularity in the UK. Rosé Champagne dates back to the late 18th Century, though there [...]
Libby’s Naked Diary: How I created a limited edition wine with amazing artist Nigel Stefani January 29, 2025 MY FRIEND, Nigel Stefani, is the least likely looking ‘Nigel’ you could meet. A muscular, tattooed, shaven-headed chap, invariably dressed in all-black with smoky black eyeliner and a dusky melodic voice. I picked him up at The Bike Shed, a biker bar in Shoreditch, one New Year’s Eve. Platonically that is, though my opening line [...]
What you should be pouring in time for the Six Nations January 28, 2025 IT SEEMS like every retired Rugby player has a keen interest in wine. Former England player Andrew Sheridan achieved a wine Diploma and filmed a series with me in the Rhone; Brian Moore became a wine writer and critic; Mike Tindall launched The Rugby Wine Club; and Joe Marler had me on his podcast, Things [...]
Why January is the month for steak-loving carnivores like me January 24, 2025 Martin Williams: Eat, drink, sleep, repeat – our new columnist’s guide to the best epicurean spots in London. This week: Why January is the best month for red meat, especially steak As we all tire of festive white meats, January brings out the red meat-loving carnivore in me. Steak Tartar satisfies this. The capital’s most [...]
Libby’s Naked Diary: The joy of a Burns Night Highland fling January 22, 2025 IT IS Burns Night this Saturday, the annual celebration of the life, poetry and birthday of Scottish superstar Robert Burns, when even the most tenuous links to Scottish ancestry are upheld with haggis, bagpipes and whisky. I can claim a grandfather from the Highlands and am therefore preparing to party with all three. What, however, [...]
Where to go for Low and No January 21, 2025 JANUARY can be a dark time for hospitality, but just because you are watching your alcohol intake does not mean you should ignore London’s outrageously interesting dining scene. Here are some of my favourite places to dine when dry. SUNESince opening, East London’s Sune has been beloved by anyone that takes flavour seriously. Reminiscent of [...]
Eat, drink, sleep, repeat: The best places to avoid Dry January January 16, 2025 Every January, I hang my head in shame. As a business leader who has spent almost three decades championing the finest beverages and hospitality, I must admit I am in no small part responsible for the abomination which is Seedlip, the crown jewel of the no alcohol movement, forced down your throat each “Dry January”. [...]
Whisky Business: Lessons from 150 years in the Whisky trade January 16, 2025 Whisky Business: City AM’s monthly look at the world of whisky. Robert Graham 1874 is one of the UK’s oldest whisky and tobacco merchants. Founded in 1874 by Glasgow’s former city treasurer, Robert Graham, the company has grown steadily over the years, branching out in 2002 with its own exclusive award-winning range of whiskies. “Our [...]
Martin Williams: A wine-lover’s guide to London restaurants January 9, 2025 Having enjoyed many of the finest restaurants across the globe and my fair share of city breaks since leaving Gaucho and M in October, I can confirm that London’s restaurant scene continues to deliver in silver-plated spades and remains the gastronomic capital city, in terms of both diversity of offering and quality. As we enter [...]
Libby’s Naked Diary January 8, 2025 NEW YEARS Eve can be a strange affair. One year becomes another and we feel duty bound to have Fun (with the capital F). I have celebrated in a multitude of ways, from throwing far too much money at a star-spangled event in Miami to wallowing in the dead space of an oversized Wetherspoons after [...]