Drinking around the world: The rise and rise of Thai wine May 24, 2021 Producing over a million bottles a year, Thailand is a little known but increasingly adept wine producing region. Vines have been planted there since the 1960s despite the humid tropical climate and the Thai portfolio is now considered by many as the ultimate in “New Latitude wines”. Thailand’s dominant grape variety known as the Malaga [...]
In defence of the long lunch: Business needs the human touch May 24, 2021 No-one quite knows when the long lunch suffered a mortal blow. Perhaps it was the financial crisis of 2007-08, when money lost its lustre. Perhaps it was before that, in the 1980s, when US working cultures flooded the City of London after the Big Bang. The grim phrase “al desko” was first recorded in the [...]
Cafe Biltmore’s new terrace is a leafy oasis in the heart of Mayfair May 22, 2021 Despite Londoners gritting their teeth through one of the wettest Mays on record, outdoor space has never been at more of a premium. We may now be allowed to eat indoors, but social distancing has drastically reduced the number of covers most restaurants can accommodate and the pandemic has reinforced the pleasures of al fresco [...]
Forget Angelina Jolie: Support bees this week by drinking rum May 21, 2021 If you hadn’t already gathered from the pictures all over the internet of Angelina Jolie covered in bees – well, more of a smattering than a covering to be fair – this week is Bee Awareness Week, when the plight of the bee should be foremost in our minds. Wyre Forest’s eco-distiller Wildjac’s Honey Spiced [...]
Not as easy as ABC: Why you like Chardonnay more than you think May 21, 2021 You may have heard the phrase uttered near you at the bar, perhaps you have even said it yourself and ignored the twitch in the waiter’s eye. “A.B.C” is shorthand for “Anything But Chardonnay”, a hangover (in more ways than one) from the 1980s fashion for rich, heavily oaked wines. This trend was taken to [...]
Talisker to launch its oldest whisky yet – 43 years old May 19, 2021 From its sea-sprayed distillery on the Isle of Skye, Talisker is about to launch its oldest whisky to date, and with overseas travel restrictions still frustrating holiday plans, it could be as close as you get to an ocean-going adventure this summer. Talisker Xpedition Oak: The Atlantic Challenge, is a 43-year-old single malt, bottled at [...]
UK faces a flakeless summer as shortage of Cadbury’s 99 looms May 17, 2021 After a year of lockdowns and staying at home the British public are faced with the threat of a shortage of Cadbury 99 Flakes. Demand for soft-serve ice creams, finished with the iconic crumbling treat, is surging. “We are seeing a recent increase in demand for our Cadbury 99 Flake in the UK and Ireland [...]
Like a virgin? The expanding world of alcohol-free cocktails May 17, 2021 I gave up drinking three years ago, after twenty-odd enthusiastic years, and so I’ve spent the time since then searching out replacements. Some people say that’s a bad idea, that you maintain the habit and tread a dangerous line: all I can say is that the habit, the ritual, the variety was one of the [...]
End of lockdown: London’s first female chef with three Michelin stars sells three months of bookings in 20 minutes May 15, 2021 As the first female British chef to win three Michelin stars, Clare Smyth sold out three months of bookings in 20 minutes when her Core restaurant said it would reopen from lockdown, underscoring her faith that London is ready to rebound. Watch the full report.
What top London chefs really think about Instagram May 14, 2021 Heston Blumenthal is famously exacting about the dining experience. He tries to create “sensory memories”, controlling not only the way his dishes look and taste, but what his diners are listening to while they eat. His The Sound of the Sea, a signature dish at The Fat Duck, came with an iPod Nano playing, well, [...]