Liquid Diamond: The only wine celebrating National Emoji Day July 14, 2021 This Saturday 17 July is National Emoji Day – a holiday that celebrates and validates our obsession with the graphic icons invented by Japanese designer Shigetaka Kurita in 1999. This may seem entirely unrelated to the world of oenology, but at least one viticulturist is blending smiley faces, love hearts and thumbs ups with their [...]
The only way is gin: The Essex firms making world-beating booze July 13, 2021 Essex is establishing a name for itself. Not for Kevin and Sharons but wines and gin. Its legion of winegrowers and distillers have now been joined by Nikki Mendes from Leigh-on-Sea who has founded The Only Way Is Gin. “I set out to create a gin that shouts out proudly about where it’s from: Chelmsford!” [...]
Keep it in the family: 11 siblings behind two boozy powerhouses July 13, 2021 Brewing and distilling have for centuries been family pursuits, but the McAvoy family have taken that idea to almost absurdist lengths. Launched in 2017, the Sis4ers Distillery is run by sisters, Kerry Collins, Hayley Robinson, Kate Haslam and Lucy McAvoy, themselves the siblings of the brothers behind the Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co, based on the [...]
Full circle: driving Mazda’s rotary-engined sports cars July 13, 2021 We experience five of Mazda’s most exciting rotary-engined road cars, from a classic 1969 Cosmo to the modern RX-8.
The future of instant coffee looks a little brighter thanks to Little’s July 12, 2021 The coffee pod market now supplies 96 million cups a day to caffeine fiends across the globe. But it’s also coming under increasing scrutiny for its wasteful packaging, which sends many tonnes of plastic to the landfill. Devon’s Will Little might just have a solution for those time-poor coffee drinkers: “I asked myself ‘Why don’t [...]
Let the train take the strain: The revival of sleeper services July 12, 2021 The opening of the Eurostar service between London and Paris revolutionised travel for Britons to the Continent. The first train from Waterloo to the Gare du Nord ran on 14 November 1994, and a full daily service was operating by the following May. The completion of High Speed 1 in 2003 shortened the journey time [...]
Euro 2020: Where to watch the England final against Italy TONIGHT July 11, 2021 We did it, we did it, we did it! England edged past semi-final opponents Denmark and this sunday at 8pm will play in their first major final since a certain game in 1966. This is one that nobody in the country will want to miss, a game that will be spoken about for generations whether [...]
As Wimbledon hots up, here’s how to dress like Novak Djokovic July 9, 2021 There comes a time in every man’s and woman’s life when they must realise that they shall never become a Wimbledon champion. But you can still look like one, albeit, perhaps, in a much larger size than most successful athletes. Lacoste was the original athletic look and is still my go-to sportswear label and for [...]
Where to eat in… Fitzrovia, from morning coffee to evening feast July 9, 2021 Fitzrovia has it all, really. It has the buzz of a proper night on the town, but it’s quieter than Soho, cheaper than Mayfair and cooler than Marylebone. It’s filled with both powerhouses of the London restaurant scene and enought independent places that you can always find somewhere new (and not fully booked). Let us [...]
Goodwood Festival of Speed 2021: Britain’s coolest car park July 9, 2021 Many of the most exciting machines at Goodwood Festival of Speed can be found in the car park. Join us for some Grade A supercar spotting.