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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
The best bangers to eat this National BBQ Week July 8, 2021 Newmarket is the home of horse breeding and thoroughbred racing. It’s also the home of sausage-making and thoroughbred bangers, and therefore the go-to place for National BBQ week. The royal households have been getting their bangers from Suffolk for over 100 years and doubtless William and Kate have placed their order for this week. Founded [...]
The best ways to drink yourself silly in the Isles of Scilly July 8, 2021 St Martin’s Vineyard, a former flower farm, is now the only wine producer on the Isles of Scilly, making the Atlantic islands an outpost of modern boutique British viticulture and artisanal distilling. Run by James Faulconbridge and Holly Robbins, St Martin’s grows Seyval Blanc, Reichensteiner, Orion, Rondo and Regent grapes, as well as smaller plantings [...]
Forget the Caribbean, we have all the rum we need in Cornwall and Devon July 7, 2021 When you think rum you probably think of the Caribbean: Jamaica, Barbados, perhaps Martinique. But you could also look a little closer to home. Cornish and Devonian rums are officially among the best in the world after Hattiers Eminence and Rosemullion Chocolate rums won gold medals at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC), the [...]
How to enjoy the sizzle of steak this National BBQ Week July 5, 2021 What will the man behind the 25th National BBQ Week, which begins today, be eating and drinking at his barbecues this summer? “Corsican Cote de Boeuf and Corsican Niellucci,” says chef Brian George, “And sizzling sea bass with fennel, chilled Picpoul de Pinet and chicken ciabatta, and Sangiovese.” George is a former President of the [...]
Luxembourg wine: Time to discover Europe’s forgotten sparkle July 2, 2021 We should be thinking more about Luxembourg wine. Wine production in the Grand Duchy has been in gentle decline since the late 1990s but the country that’s even smaller than Andorra is not giving up. The fifth generation of leading producer Bernard-Massard is celebrating its centenary this year and has launched a Chardonnay Pinot Noir [...]
