Festivals, shows and other events.
I have a soft spot for The Gherkin. I like its simple bulbous shape; I like its reflective surface; I like the cross-crossing spiral pattern of different coloured glass. So when I was invited by my friend Dom to attend an event there recently, I jumped at the chance. Welcomed by Barry Callebaut‘s UK ... Read more »
Last week I made my way to Stratford tube station. Trains and platforms were crowded with people heading to and from the stadium and other parts of the Olympic Village. Accents from all over the world melded into an excited buzz and huge numbers of police and volunteers helped direct the foot traffic. Just to ... Read more »
The welcome at the Riverford Organic Farms Field Kitchen is warm. Guests are shown to their spot at large communal tables serried beneath a vast curving roof. Huge windows let in plenty of light during our June lunch-time visit. The menu is no-choice, served family style at a fixed time, so there’s a real ... Read more »
Pete and I were recently invited to Dublin by Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, to attend Bloom 2012. A bustling gardening and food show held in Dublin’s enormous Phoenix Park, Bloom is now in its 6th year and we quickly understood why it’s become so popular. My biggest criticism of RHS Chelsea, which I ... Read more »
We don’t really need a special week to celebrate the wonder that is pie, but perhaps it’s no bad thing. Many of us love pies, and I ‘m sure I’m not alone in being drawn towards a properly made pie, when I see it on the menu. But how many of us make the effort ... Read more »
For some years now, I’ve heard fellow food lovers proclaim Abergavenny as the most enjoyable food festival in the UK. And for almost as long as I’ve been hearing that, I’ve intended to find out for myself. This year I finally did. And they were right! I absolutely loved the festival and can completely understand ... Read more »
I’m very excited to share the news that you can try a delicious Mamta’s Kitchen curry on the new Autumn Winter 2011 menu launching at Leon restaurants today. With both a chicken and a vegetarian option available, we hope the rich, well-balanced flavours will appeal to Leon customers, new and old. See full menu So ... Read more »
Now and then we drive past enormous pig farms. Great expanses of mud, not a hint of greenery in sight, rows upon rows of corrugated iron pig huts. and lots and lots and lots of fat pink pigs as far as the eye can see. Not a bucolic scene! Jimmy’s Farm That is not what ... Read more »
Back in June, Pete, mum and I spent two days exploring the BBC Good Food Show and the BBC Gardeners’ World Live Show at the NEC. Buying a ticket for one automatically gives you entry into the other, which makes it a great value day out as there is plenty to cover in both shows. ... Read more »
I’m afraid I didn’t think much of the BBC Good Food Show (Summer) this year. Compared to last year, there seemed to be far less of the smaller, artisanal producers that I remember coming across last year and less exhibitors over all. There were, of course, a few stalls that I enjoyed visiting. Nougalicious were ... 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]