Tom Aikens finds his Muse Life&Style From Norwich to London to Paris, Tom Aikens is serving his life in food, but does the conceit live up to the eat, asks Carys Sharkey Walking through the corridors of Norwich catering college, Tom Aikens knew he was exactly where he wanted to be. After “underperforming superbly” at school alongside his twin Robert – [...]
Alex Dilling: Mastering the art of French cooking Life&Style After honing his craft under two titans of French cooking, Alex Dilling now presides over one of London’s most refined dining rooms. His double Michelin-starred restaurant at Hotel Café Royal is a masterclass in modern haute cuisine, writes Carys Sharkey. As a teenager in sunny, expansive California, Alex Dilling thought he’d be a punk rocker, [...]
Dining out with Michelin’s most dedicated followers Life&Style The all-powerful Michelin Guide has garnered a cult following of enthusiasts. Carys Sharkey goes star gazing Slap-bang in the middle of March, the impressively drawn-out awards season reached its zenith. First comes the trailers, then the films, then the media rounds, then the SAG Awards, the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes and finally the Oscars. The [...]
‘Indian food is a universe’: Making a home at Chet Sharma’s BiBi April 2, 2026 Quietly but surely, Chet Sharma is serving up some of the tasty plates of food in London. Carys Sharkey meets the chef reimagining fine dining with a healthy serving of nostalgia If you make your way down Oxford Street, past the shops slinging vapes and candy to indiscriminating kids, weaving through the preachers confirming your [...]
Why Burford should be your next Cotswolds weekend away February 9, 2026 If there was a Venn diagram between people who live in East London, have smart little dogsin dinky little coats and are partial to pet nat, then The Bull in Charlbury would probably be inthe middle. If you draw a Venn diagram between people who live in West London, havesmart gundogs and are partial to [...]
How South Wales became one of the UK’s most exciting food destinations February 7, 2026 Laverbread, rarebit, cawl – Glamorgan sausage at a push. The idea of Welsh food tends to be tied to a handful of dishes, but the country has some of the best produce – and best restaurants – in the UK. The emergence of Wales as a ‘foodie’ destination has slowly built over the last decade [...]
Best places to eat soup noodles in London January 30, 2026 This is the time of year for eating soup noodles, a dish guaranteed to sustain you through the winter trudge. But really any month is the month for soupy noodles, because they are – in all iterations – perfect dishes. Whether that’s eating pho in Vietnam when the air is thick enough to chew and [...]
High glamour and high solitude in Les Trois Vallées January 6, 2026 From Asian-inspired glamour to Savoie savoir-faire, there’s no one way to ski Les Trois Vallées, writes Carys Sharkey As a skiing destination, Courchevel hardly needs an introduction. It is one of France’s most prestigious resorts and boasts the largest interconnected ski area in the world in the form of the Les Trois Vallées, linking Méribel [...]
Da Terra’s Rafael Cagali is breaking down borders December 5, 2025 This piece is published in City AM The Magazine, Winter edition, distributed at major Tube stations and available to pick up from The Royal Exchange Brazil, Bethnal Green, Brighton: Rafael Cagali is cooking from his roots, writes Carys Sharkey What little I know about Brazilian food stems from two places. Hungover lunches in Southwark at small cafes [...]
The best (and worst) Christmas sandwiches in supermarkets, from Tesco to Pret December 3, 2025 Has there ever been a more exciting way to pep up a working lunchtime than with a Christmas sandwich? Probably. Still, take a moment out of your day this week to celebrate the arrival of December by treating yourself to a seasonal sarnie (if you’re a seasonal Scrooge, here is our pick of the most [...]
