Festivals, shows and other events.
In the last few years I’ve discovered that I have a taste for sake. I’ve learned the basics about how it’s made and the different types available, but haven’t sampled enough to get a handle on my preferences. There’s a very distinctive taste that most sakes have in common, despite their many differences and it’s ... Read more »
I was a lucky child. Neither my sister nor I experienced any major accidents, illnesses or health issues. Our occasional visits to hospital were brief and easily dealt with by our local hospital or local health services. But some families are not so lucky. Some families have to deal with serious childhood sicknesses that are ... Read more »
If you have never been to a calçotada, it’s about time you did. This seasonal celebration of the calçot hails from Spain’s Catalan region, where locals celebrate the humble allium with much merriment and greed every year. I first learned of it from Rachel McCormack, who brought the tradition to London when she organised a ... Read more »
Two months ago, I spent an afternoon at Somerset House with Heston Blumenthal. I was one of the lucky group invited to his grand chocolate box restaurant, which meant a few happy hours giggling with delight as we tasted one clever creation after another. Most of the audience were chocolate specialists (producers, artisan chocolatiers, retailers…) ... Read more »
Call myself a foodie* and never been to the home of the pork pie? Shame on me! Luckily, an invitation to attend the Artisan Cheese Fair in Melton Mowbray gave me the chance to fix this oversight and Pete and I made our way North on the first Saturday in May. Held in the Cattle ... Read more »
I’ve written before about my addiction to Pinterest. I think it’s a super tool – fun to use and hugely useful too. Recently, Pinterest UK have formed a community of keen UK pinners and have been busy facilitating discussions and organising events to engage with the group. Recently, I attended a delightful evening with Paul ... Read more »
To celebrate their fiftieth year in the UK, kitchen appliances brand Miele commissioned a trend forecasting agency Trendstop, to predict what technology we might be using in the production and cooking of our food and drink, another fifty years in the future. Trendstop CEO Jaana Jatyri handed over a report with a list of suggestions ... Read more »
It’s been a long time since we had a war that really touched ordinary Brits; a war that threatened us on our home ground. More than 60 years, in fact. So perhaps it’s easier now than it was back then for people to feel disconnected to our armed forces; out of sight is out of ... Read more »
Hyper. Adjective: Obsessively concerned; fanatical; rabid (about a given item, idea or activity). Prefix: a loanword from Greek, usually implying excess or exaggeration. Noun (American, informal): a person who promotes or publicizes events, especially one who uses flamboyant methods. Japan: An island nation in East Asia. An archipelago of 6,582 islands of which the four ... Read more »
Curry for Change is a fundraising and awareness campaign by charity Find Your Feet. Find Your Feet is a small organisation currently working in the most remote areas of India, Nepal, Malawi and Zimbabwe. They help poor rural families improve their agricultural practices so they can grow enough food; support them in finding their voice ... Read more »
The Place of Onions, in old Lille. After last night’s rainstorm the intense sticky heat has broken and today is cool, breezy, fresh… I love it! A drop of… [more]
We went to Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire at The Void this morning, an amazing VR experience where we got to be Rebel Alliance members going undercover as… [more]