I first tasted Jesse Dunford Wood’s cooking at his pub, The Mall Tavern, in Notting Hill. I loved it! Now, Dunford Wood is bringing his food to North London. The Parlour in Kensal Green opened less than two weeks before our visit, but on the Saturday we went for dinner, the dining room was ... Read more »
Vending Machine Ordering in Japan
By the time we arrived at our hotel in Shinjuku in the early evening, we were absolutely exhausted. It’s a long, long way from London to Tokyo! After checking in and taking all our luggage into our room all we wanted was a quick early dinner and to go straight to sleep. But when we ... Read more »
Tutored Tastings and Food Talks at Abergavenny Food Festival
Abergavenny Food Festival is not just about visiting all the fantastic food and drinks stands spread out across the several market areas, though that’s a huge pleasure. A big part of the experience is attending some of the wide range of masterclasses, tutored tastings and food talks on offer during the weekend. This year, I ... Read more »
Tools For Self Reliance Cymru
Tools For Self Reliance Cymru collect old and unwanted hand tools, mostly those used by gardeners, and their volunteers clean, repair and sharpen them. They send their refurbished tool kits to grass roots community groups in Africa. As they explain, "Tools mean work, and the chance to shape their future, just as important to a ... Read more »
Cooking and Eating at La Porte Des Indes
One of the things that’s been most pleasing about the last several months is that I’ve focused on going to more of London’s Indian restaurants than ever before. Whilst I don’t consider myself any kind of authority on Indian food, I did, of course, develop a taste for the Indian food my mum, family friends ... Read more »
Our Magical Holiday in Japan: An Introduction
I’ve fallen hard for Japan. Images of places we visited pop unbidden into my mind throughout the day. Her wonderful cuisine fills my dreams, day and night. I sort happily through my purchases, currently laid out on the living room floor. Even my body is still in sway to her clock. Japan is a country ... Read more »
Photos from A Hop Garden
Aaaah. August! When the sun was shining and the sky was blue… it seems so long ago now… On the last day of the month, Pete and I were invited to visit a Hop Garden in Kent, and learn more about how hops are grown, harvested and processed before being used to make beer. Our ... Read more »
Rave Coffee, Love Lane, Cirencester
A light industrial estate in Cirencester is probably not the first place you’d look for a high quality coffee shop, but that’s just where you’ll find Rave Coffee in Stirling Works, Love Lane. Suppliers of wholesale coffee, Rob and Vikki Hodge also sell coffee, tea and cakes to individual customers to drink in or takeaway, ... Read more »
Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf with a Stout & Honey Glaze
This post was originally published as a guest post on Pete Drinks. We eat first with our eyes, so it’s no surprise that I’ve pinned more food images to my Pinterest boards than any others. One of the recipes that caught my eye was this Guinness & Cheddar Meatloaf from The Galley Gourmet blog. Admittedly, ... Read more »
Book Review: 52 Loaves by William Alexander
A friend gave me a copy of 52 Loaves by William Alexander as a gift recently and, to my absolute surprise, I could hardly put it down. For a few days straight, I squeezed in time to read chapter after chapter on trains and buses (and whilst waiting for trains and buses – why do ... Read more »