Marco Pierre White joins the ranks of celebrity gin distillers June 21, 2021 Marco Pierre White has been a trailblazer in many respects, but he recently became perhaps the best-known chef to produce a gin bearing his own name. The restaurateur has launched his £54.95 Mr White’s London Dry gin, made by Dai Wakely of Wales’s Cygnet Distillery. “I distinctly remember the captivating smell of the juniper berries [...]
Lindores Abbey is about to release its first whisky in… 527 years June 18, 2021 In September Gordon & MacPhail will release an 80-year-old whisky which will be the world’s oldest single malt Scotch. But for Lindores Abbey, 80 years is a mere blink of an eye. Now world’s first recorded distillery is set to release its first expression in 527 years. “To be able to bring Scotch whisky back [...]
Rosé Prosecco: Why this once-banned drink was the star of 2020 June 18, 2021 I think we can all agree that 2020 had few highlights but let me put this forward as a big hitter… Pink Prosecco. Yes, you heard correctly, rosé Prosecco was only legalised in 2020 which means last year marks the first harvest and creation of an entirely new type of wine. History was made and [...]
Elephant and Castle to welcome back beloved pink elephant statue next weekend June 18, 2021 Elephant and Castle is to see the return of its beloved elephant statue next weekend after it was taken down for restoration. The statue, a replica of the one that stood above the Elephant and Castle pub from 1898 to 1959, was taken down earlier this year from outside the recently demolished shopping centre. The [...]
Where to enjoy a Martini in London for World Martini Day June 17, 2021 The Martini is universally exalted. It’s subject of countless quotes and lore from Ernest Hemingway to Dorothy Parker; it’s a tool of politicians from Roosevelt to Churchill and even served to Stalin at Yalta; and it was lent yet more glamour from being the tipple of choice of Ian Fleming’s best known character. It even [...]
Bone Daddies and Black Bear tear up the rule book with June collaboration June 17, 2021 Bone Daddies has become something of a London institution in recent years. Famed for its velvety noodles and flavourful broth, it’s served as the accompaniment to many an, ahem, sociable evening. But they’re going one better this month, pairing up with Brixton burger joint Black Bear to deliver the best of both worlds in a [...]
‘We keep getting crushed’ – hospitality reacts to Covid news June 16, 2021 News this week that Covid restrictions will not fully end on 21 June as previously planned has come as a fresh blow to the embattled hospitality industry. While bar and restaurant owners were hoping to capitalise on the combination of the good weather and Euros, they are now they are back in survival mode. We [...]
Visit the world’s biggest open-air bar, Sweden’s Drinkable Country June 15, 2021 Sweden yesterday celebrated the stoic defensive performance that earned them a Euros draw against highly fancied Spain almost as if it were a victory in the latter stages. Today any Swedes still in the party mood can let loose at Drinkable Country, which has been dubbed “the world’s largest open-air bar”. Comprised of pop-ups hosted [...]
Meet Dhavall Gandhi, the Willy Wonka of the spirits world June 15, 2021 Now you can have your whisky and drink it. With cake-loving, sweet-toothed malt lovers in mind, Lakes Distillery has added a patisserie-influenced single malt to its Whiskymaker’s Editions series, created exclusively for Harvey Nichols. Inspired by the sensory experience of a Parisian cake shop, the new expression is called Le Goûter, meaning “taste it”. Lakes [...]
Staff crisis in hospitality: Act now or risk being the next France June 15, 2021 The hospitality sector is in the midst of a staff crisis. We always knew that staffing would be a challenge with full reopening post-Covid, that not everybody would return to work after furlough. Many of our French and Italian staff went back home during lockdown and had decided not to return to the UK or [...]