Home and away, we love to travel. Read about our trips in the UK and overseas including hotel and restaurant reviews and visits to specialist producers.

Talking Za’atar in Zawtar with Abu Kassem

Southern Lebanon is not much visited by tourists, given its volatility. Only a few days ago, six Italian soldiers were hurt in a bomb attack on the main highway near Saida (Sidon). Less than two weeks before that, there were 11 fatalities and many injuries, during clashes at the Lebanese Israeli border. The region is ... Read more »

Ben Tunnicliffe at The Scarlet

The Scarlet Hotel‘s restaurant is in the very capable hands of Ben Tunnicliffe, formerly of The Abbey in Penzance, where he earned a Michelin star for his cooking. Ben gives a frank, informative and sometimes amusing account of his cooking career on the hotel’s website. He also reveals his food philosophy which boils down to ... Read more »

Brown & Forrest: A Family Smokery in Somerset

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 »