Soho prepares to party, with al fresco dining back on the menu February 24, 2021 Hopes for a restaurant renaissance over the coming months were given a boost today when Westminster City Council announced its hugely successful – some have argued altogether too successful – al fresco dining scheme will return on 12 April. During the two “false openings” last summer and autumn, Soho became a Mecca for millions of [...]
Survive the last months of lockdown with 35 amazing delivery kits February 23, 2021 Almost a year since the first lockdown, the restaurant world has been forced to change in ways that would have seemed laughable in the pre-Covid times. Top chefs including Simon Rogan are now launching successful at-home delivery platforms that promise to change the face of fine dining for years to come. We have sampled some [...]
How to take your Margarita to the next level February 22, 2021 Today is National Margarita Day, the one day a year when our pagan ancestors would put aside their mead and throw together a few pitchers of Mexico’s finest. Okay, we made that up, but we still advocate mixing a nice strong tequila cocktail to take the edge off whatever Boris Johnson is about to announce. [...]
‘The restaurant world has changed forever’: how Simon Rogan conquered Covid February 20, 2021 The first time I ate Simon Rogan’s food was during a culinary pilgrimage to L’Enclume, one of the world’s top restaurants. Over the course of five hours I ate 20 dishes, each one a spectacular fusion of science and gastronomy. Dehydrated fennel leaf topped with apple gel. Charred stripes of blackened leek with egg cream. [...]
Spirits showcase Whisky Show: Old & Rare goes digital February 20, 2021 Since 2017 the Whisky Show: Old & Rare has afforded aficionados an annual opportunity to sample some of the most elusive and legendary spirits in the world of whisky. Next week it returns, as a virtual event. This time round, the Whisky Show: Old & Rare will consist of four masterclasses, which will be streamed [...]
How China is lighting up the spirits world at home and abroad February 19, 2021 The spirits market in China is flourishing. With income among Chinese consumers rising, more Western spirits are now getting into China than are coming out. But the decades-long popularity of dark spirits among the Chinese middle classes are starting to bear fruit in the form of premium spirits now being imported into the UK. Changyu [...]
Natural wine is all the rage – but what exactly is it? February 17, 2021 Natural wine has become achingly trendy in recent years, with specialist wine lists, wine bars and wine festivals cropping up across the world – but what is it? The First thing to clarify is that natural wine isn’t a particular style of wine – that is, it doesn’t describe the way a wine tastes. Natural [...]
Spice up Pancake Day with these tips from top chefs February 16, 2021 A highlight of the home-cooking calendar, Pancake Day – or Shrove Tuesday to give it its proper religious title – feels more important than ever this year, with palates across the country calling out for something new. We asked some of the country’s top chefs how to make something flipping brilliant. Michael Caines, executive chef [...]
Valentine’s Day is sinfully wasteful – next time, buy bread February 16, 2021 As we survey the aftermath of Valentine’s Day – the already-wilting flowers, the extravagantly-boxed chocolates, the pithy cards bought from some trendy online retailer – it’s not difficult to spot the wastefulness associated with the most romantic day of the year. London’s first zero-waste floral bakery is doing its bit to reduce this mountain of [...]
The fight for the future of British fish and seafood February 15, 2021 As the fishy issue of seafood continues to cloud the waters between the EU and post-Brexit Britain, fishermen and suppliers are clamouring to reinvent the industry. Local & Independent has launched a Be Unshellfish campaign highlighting the difficulties faced by fishermen and explaining how both professional chefs and consumers can buy direct from the nets. [...]