How to share a glass of pet-friendly plonk with your cat or dog August 25, 2021 Always a nation of cat and dog lovers, lockdown has made many of us absolutely barking when it comes to our pets. If on any of those long, lonely isolation nights you wished you could share a nice glass of Riesling with Rover or a Frascati with Felix, those prayers have, somehow, been answered. food In [...]
The sparkling kombucha that wants to be champagne for the moderation movement August 24, 2021 East Anglia is the county for Grand Cru kombuchas, and 2021 is a particularly exciting vintage for living tea. The kombucha wave doesn’t seem to have crested and certainly hasn’t crashed yet, with two seaside breweries collaborating to produce the first sparkling “rosé” kombucha. Suffolk-based producers Adnams and LA Brewery, have launched Suffolk Blush, made [...]
How to mix… The perfect New Orleans Sazerac August 17, 2021 August is hurricane season in New Orleans, a time when oppressive heat and torrential showers mean it’s foolish to do much more than sit on your balcony with a frosty drink and watch the world pass by. The extremity of London’s weather in recent weeks, from floods to heatwaves, put me in mind of the [...]
Brewing up a storm: Brewdog berated over hard seltzer ‘health’ claims July 7, 2021 Brewdog has been given a rap on the knuckles for making health claims in an advert for its alcoholic hard seltzer drink — despite the ad stating “we cannot claim this drink is healthy”. In an Instagram post published in January, Brewdog shared a picture of a can of its Clean & Press Hard Seltzer, [...]
Euro 2020: Less than one in three Brits plan to watch the football in a pub June 11, 2021 Less than a third of Brits plan to watch the Euro 2020 football tournament in a pub over the coming weeks despite the easing of restrictions, according to a new survey. Boozers are gearing up for a major boost to business as fans flock to their local for the delayed footie extravaganza. Yet pubs may [...]
Calorie labelling to be mandatory for large hospitality businesses from April 2022 May 12, 2021 The government has confirmed it will bring in mandatory calorie labelling for tens of thousands of English restaurants, pubs and cafes from April 2022. The Department of Health announced today that legislation will be brought forward to force all “out-of-home food businesses” with more than 250 staff to display calorie information for all non-prepacked food [...]
Freedom Friday: How lockdown is being eased across the UK from today April 23, 2021 People can finally get a hair cut in Northern Ireland from today, while those in Wales are looking forward to more freedom this weekend as coronavirus restrictions are eased. Travel between Scotland, England and Wales will be be permitted from Monday and tourist accommodation can welcome back visitors. Here is an overview of the state [...]
Cement the Special Relationship with some American Whiskey March 30, 2021 Earlier this month the Biden administration announced it was suspending Trump-era tariffs on the import of Scotch whisky to the US, reducing the price of single malts for American consumers. If you wanted to reciprocate, there are many long-established American whiskeys you could purchase, but if you’re willing to try something new, your adventurous spirit [...]
Budget 2021: Pubs, restaurants and retailers toast Sunak’s announcement but warn of gaps in support March 3, 2021 The hospitality and retail sectors have welcomed the Chancellor’s extended support for pubs, restaurants, shops and salons, but said more could be done to encourage consumers back to the high street after lockdown. Rishi Sunak this afternoon announced measures including a business rates holiday extension, new “restart” grants, a VAT cut extension and a beer [...]
Wetherspoons boss calls for pubs to open alongside non-essential shops February 15, 2021 Wetherspoons chairman Tim Martin has urged the government to reopen pubs at the same time as non-essential shops, as the Prime Minister prepares to lay out his “roadmap” for exiting lockdown. Martin called for a clear timeline for pubs across the UK to resume selling pints, warning the industry is “on its knees” from months [...]