It’s all about travel and food – lots of international excursions, art, culture and history, hotel, destination and restaurant reviews, chef interviews. Please look elsewhere for negative reviews.
The George and Dragon Hotel and Restaurant is nestled in the heart of the National Trust village of West Wycombe. It’s easily reached from central London and is an Instagrammer’s dream. This is a quaint 17th century coaching inn and has a prominent place on this picturesque high street. This charming and cottagey restaurant has...
The launch of Chicago Town’s First Cheese-Filled Crust Pizza is sure to excite Chicago Town fans. And this is where I am expected to state that I have always been a lover of their products, and continue by waxing lyrical about Friday nights spent watching a movie and enjoying a Chicago Town pizza. Well, here...
I have mixed feelings about Michelin-star restaurants. Yes, they can be striking and obviously the food will be memorable, but sometimes they lack soul and continuity. One has the sense that they might be trying too hard to keep that glittering accolade, at the expense of their guests. Il Gallo d’Oro Madeira has changed my...
The name might not initially offer much of a clue as to what exactly Meater+ might be. No, dear cynical and lonely reader, it’s not a dating agency for carnivores, but rather the best kitchen gadget I have ever found. We eat meat at home, but not very often. When we do, that meal is...
PortaScent is exactly what it says. It’s a small refillable spray and perfect for one’s handbag, manbag, bathroom bag or travel bag. It makes a wonderful and affordable gift for both men and women. This little spray bottle is so convenient, but I would counsel any girl with a social life to buy two. It’s...
Outrigger Beach Resort in Mauritius offers its guests so many dining opportunities. Each restaurant has its own character and will appeal to changing tastes and expectations throughout the day. Families with diverse requirements are catered for at all times in the other restaurants – but then one finds The Plantation Club, and that has a...
It’s true – one hardly expects to find castles in The Netherlands! But they do exist and there are many of them, along with stately homes of grace and beauty. Few historic buildings in The Netherlands can equal De Haar for its representation of a fairy-tale castle. It is among the top twenty most-visited Dutch...
Speakeasy Ice Cream has been created especially for adults with discerning palates. Speakeasy combine rich ice cream with some favourite alcoholic drinks for some exceptional dessert enhancements. These small tubs are far from the plastic-boxed frozen ice creams that fill the freezer counters of every supermarket. Yes, they have their place, but Speakeasy Ice Creams...
The MBG Group has introduced a new Super Premium Vodka brand. It is curiously called 9 MILE VODKA (I note the bold use of capitals), and that name has more to do with the USA than countries more typically associated with this clear spirit. Following the sale of the Three Sixty Vodka brand in 2005,...
Pieter Bruegel produced unique works which are still easily recognised today. They reflect the reality of the 16th Century in northern Europe – and that was often brutal. Brussels and Bruegel will forever be associated. He undertook some of his most important works there and he is buried in the city. He had needed to...
Mauritius is a beautiful island but there is still that temptation to stay within the confines of one’s luxury and well-appointed resort. That would be a shame as there is so much to see here. There is history aplenty and also celebrated rhum. No that’s not a spelling mistake but rather an indication that this...
It all started in 1994 when, in a maverick move, Charlie Bigham quit his job to go travelling in India. Captivated by the tastes, colours, textures and aromas of the cuisine, he decided to set up a food business. By 1996 he had done just that. After perfecting three dishes in his home kitchen –...
It’s that season when a young (or not so young) person’s fancy turns to festivals. We have great hopes for weather, music, good food (only kidding) and good times. But we do need a few accessories, and one in particular will make life more pleasant for the festival-goer and those around them. I introduce Alexander...
Oh, deep joy! It’s summer at last and I think I have found my cookbook of the year …and it’s still only July! Every page offers sunshine in delicious fashion and wafts one off to a tropical paradise. The Island Kitchen: Recipes from Mauritius and the Indian Ocean by Selina Periampillai is a winner. I...
Here is a delicious cocktail from Pearson’s Arms in Whitstable. It’s their Pineapple and blood orange gin Martini. Its a strong one! Ingredients 40ml malty blood orange gin 20ml Kings Ginger Liqueur 10ml Cointreau 10ml fresh lime juice Pineapple juice Method Shake hard with pineapple juice and ice till chilled and frothy Visit the Pearsons...
