Drinks focus: Tomatin is a storied whisky distillery with a new vision April 20, 2022 Founded in 1897, Tomatin was at one point the largest distillery in Scotland, but its fortunes have shifted with the wider industry. After going into liquidation in 1986, it became the first Scottish distillery to come under Japanese control. Much of its stock was sold for blending, and two of its largest customers rescued the [...]
Fizz fiend? Try fantastic Franciacorta April 20, 2022 There is something endlessly beguiling about Italy, particularly for anyone who loves food and wine. When it comes to sparkling wine however, people jump straight to Prosecco’s fresh, fruity flavours, overlooking a relative newcomer to the wine scene: Franciacorta. Well, until recently, that is. Wine-waves were made at the Emmy Awards as Franciacorta, the Italian [...]
Horses four courses: Top chefs jockey for top spot at Royal Ascot April 20, 2022 Forget horses and hats – it’s the food that keeps us coming back to Ascot year after year. At this year’s event, which kicks off on 14 June, six of the London food circuit’s hottest chefs have been enlisted to create a roster of tastings and meals especially for the event. Boasting more Michelin stars [...]
Ganymede wine list is a breath of fresh air April 19, 2022 Nestled in reassuringly expensive Belgravia is cosy corner restaurant Ganymede, with that kind of understated elegance that appeals to comfortably well-heeled patrons. Escaping the drizzle without, we headed indoors to be welcomed by the heady scent of perfumed candles and pleasantly smiling staff ushering us towards polished wooden tables and green leather booths. Hard pressed [...]
Deliveroo teams up with UK food bank charity to combat cost of living crunch April 18, 2022 Deliveroo have announced a new partnership with a UK food charity to provide up to two million meals and support for people facing hunger across the country.
The A-Z of wine: This week, E is for… England April 12, 2022 We continue to march through the alphabet in search of new wines and old favourites. What’s this then? A green and pleasant land bedeviled by internal strife caused by a single contentious issue – namely, what do you call a soft bread roll? Also home to a burgeoning wine industry fuelled by centuries of wine [...]
Drinks events back after the pandemic, Here are two for your diary April 12, 2022 The first big booze shows are on the horizon – we’ll drink to that! The Cognac Show All Cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is Cognac. Though it suffers from a perception that it is too fancy, expensive, and decadent, this varied category of French grape spirits was the workhorse of many traditional cocktails, [...]
Corbin & King has fallen: What does it mean for The Wolseley, Zedel et al? April 7, 2022 You can be forgiven for not following the corporate intricacies of the hospitality sector, but last week was significant. On Friday, it was announced that Corbin & King, the restaurant group founded in 1981 by the eponymous Chris and Jeremy, had been bought out of administration by Minor International, the vehicle of American-born Thai billionaire [...]
The drinks diaries: An experimental new whisky and ready mixed cocktails April 7, 2022 Whiskymakers Compass Box are well known for their mischievous approach to the rules governing the production of Scotch whisky. While some might regard these as necessary impediments to creativity, Compass Box takes apparent delight in tweaking the nose of the establishment, sometimes making whiskies that seem to be a calculated riposte to figures in authority [...]
Why your next meal out should be in Sheffield thanks to Jöro April 6, 2022 Taking a two hour train ride to Sheffield to dine inside a shipping container next to a bypass may sound like a hard sell, but having done exactly that last week, allow me to try… Jöro is a labour of love from husband and wife duo Luke French (chef director) and Stacey Sherwood-French (managing director). [...]