Food and Drink

When Rainer Becker opened Roka – a high-end ‘Modern Japanese’ restaurant – in Fitzrovia during 2004, the space soon became renowned for attracting punters that would have made today’s Novikov, Nobu and Sexy Fish crowds seem desirable. On a humid Wednesday some 13 years later, still, I’m sat in the downstairs bar at a table beside an obnoxious, overfed Texan - boasting of how he allegedly knows Prince Charles. Wearing a white body-con Ralph Lauren shirt (possibly from the children’s...

The world's first solar-powered barbecue has been invented which cooks food using MIRRORS. The SolSource Sport stove heats up using energy from the sun to grill or boil food. The cutting edge design cooks a meal in just ten minutes and heats up fives times faster than a charcoal grill. But it doesn't need to be sunny to use the barbecue as it gathers its energy from UV rays - making it the perfect for rainy British summers. Dr Catlin...

New research has revealed the top 50 signs of culinary expertise. Having the ability to rustle up anything from scratch topped the list followed by been willing to experiment and try all foods and ingredients when cooking at home and being happy to prepare food in front of guests. In an age when food waste is becoming such a prominent issue, it will come as some relief that people judge the best home cooks to be the ones who can...

Strength: 7% ABV Brewed: Ghent, Belgium  Since launching their Ancient Grains range of beers in the UK last year, Green’s has become quickly renowned for a unique and complex brewing approach, which doesn’t use wheat or barley in the brewing process. As a result, the beers are naturally gluten-free, targeting a constantly growing community of experimental beer connoisseurs. In addition to being suitable for those in need of a gluten-free diet – Green’s beers are naturally gentle on the digestive system...

It's a warm evening in Battersea as our taxi pulls into an old housing estate just south of the river. My experience of supper clubs to date - a five course meal on an old Victoria Line train and a three course banquet in a cellar - have been nothing short of intriguing, and so it was with a sense of anticipation that we descended upon The London Cooking Project to see what was in store tonight. Supper clubs have...

Most Londoners, I’m sure, would say we know all there is to know about Italian food. Who hasn’t had a ‘real’ Italian pizza in their life? Well, Enoteca Turi in Pimlico is on a mission to prove us wrong. Nestled just a short walk from Sloane Square station, this neighbourhood restaurant prides itself on bringing regional ingredients to our plates. Over the past 26 years, husband and wife team Giuseppe and Pamela Turi have been building their portfolio of regional...

It might be hard to believe right now, but the summer is most definitely on its way. And when the warmer months arrive, what better time of year is there to get out there and enjoy the countryside in all its glory, complete with a fantastic hamper packed full of goodies? Or, if you are feeling generous, what better summer gift is there than a bespoke hamper, with products selected - or made - by you, to give to a...

When 108 Garage opened last October, the tiny restaurant soon became the object of rapturous acclaim. It seemed that, before the paint had even dried, the country’s most esteemed restaurant critics were professing the restaurant to practically serve the best food since the invention of sliced bread, despite the furniture. Needless to say, the matter of booking at table at a reasonable dinner time is still no mean feat. In the shadow of Erno Goldfinger’s iconic Trellick Tower, tucked away...

The ‘world’s hottest chilli’ has been unveiled at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The Dragon’s Breath chilli as it is known comes in at 2.4 million Scovilles (SCU), that’s 200,000 SCU hotter than the current record holder. The chilli is the culmination of a joint project involving Tom Smith Plants, NPK Technology and Newark-based chilli grower, ChilliBobs. The Dragon’s Breath is being revealed to the world on the Tom Smith Plants stand at the Show and the Guinness World...