One of the best things about travelling around Britain is the opportunity to visit high-quality, local, specialist producers and try and buy their products. One such producer is Brown & Forrest, a small family run smokery producing a wide range of smoked goods including eel, salmon and duck, to name just a few. Started ... Read more »
Holbeck Ghyll: A Disappointment
Our most disappointing and overpriced meal this year was at Holbeck Ghyll in Cumbria, during a week in the Lakes. I can’t even begin to imagine how it merits a Michelin star, but can only guess that standards have dropped sharply since it was sold in January this year. I’ll be gobsmacked if it retains ... Read more »
The Black Bull (Pub & Brewery)
A visit to the Lake District really isn’t complete without visiting a few of the many small breweries that abound in this region. So during our week’s holiday to Windermere in July, Pete and I made our way to Coniston’s Black Bull, attached to the small Coniston Brewing Co. The pub is charmingly retro; it’s ... Read more »
A Market Meander in Borough Market
I had such a lovely day one recent Friday. Having arranged to meet a blogger friend for lunch at Polpo (whom I’d long known on twitter but never met) I thought it about time I popped down to collect a pile of magazines a friend in Borough Market had been saving for me for at ... Read more »
Food in The Falkland Islands!
Four glorious weeks in the Falkland Islands! We went for the wildlife (particularly the penguins and albatross) but, to our delight, we also received a wonderfully warm and hospitable welcome from the kelpers – as the islanders call themselves (after the kelp seaweed that grows in abundance around the shores and washes up in huge ... Read more »
Restaurant Review: Les Remparts, Vannes, Morbihan, Brittany
Somewhat galetted and creped out, Pete and I decided to treat ourselves to a resolutely foodie lunch on our last full day in France. Finding ourselves in Vannes late that morning, I checked both my (Eyewitness) guide book and the printed recommendations I’d garnered online and found they both converged in an enthusiastic recommendation of ... Read more »
Vive La France!
I am a travel snob, I admit it. I adore France but, in most of our many trips there over the years, I have avoided Brittany; put off by it’s reputation as the Chianti of France – Brittanyshire, as it were. Instead I’ve spent many, many happy trips exploring regions including Limousin, Poitou-Charentes, Champagne, Picardie, ... Read more »
Restaurant Reviews: Marrakech, Morocco
We certainly ate well during our stay in Marrakech. Chez Chegrouni (inexpensive) is one of the grand dames of the Place Jemaa El Fna and, in common with the others, has dining on the ground floor as well as on two terraces overlooking the square. Popular with locals and tourists alike so arrive early whether ... Read more »
An Introduction to Moroccan Food
During Morocco’s long history many, many different visitors, invaders and settlers have influenced it’s cuisine which is, today, a mix of Berber, Moorish, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and African cooking. The other major influence, of course, is the availability of produce which is dependent on the climate and the fertility of the land – Morocco is ... Read more »
Tips for Marrakech
“A good holiday is one spent among people whose notions of time are vaguer than yours.” John B. Priestly For Christmas 2006 we decided on a change of scene. Together with my parents and my sister we spent 3 nights in Marrakech during which we did some gentle sightseeing, some great eating and enjoyed some ... Read more »