Food and Drink
Spirit of the Month – Slingsby London Dry Gin
Though more than 250 years have passed since the last one, it’s impossible to miss the fact that the world is experiencing a 21st Century gin craze. In fact, the spirit formerly synonymous with ruin and debauchery has become more popular than ever. Towards the end of last year, UK gin sales were reported to have surpassed £1 billion, over a twelve-month period, for the first time ever. And according to the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), gin exports have...
Two portions of oily fish a week can reverse damage caused by junk food diet
Just two portions of oily fish a week can reverse the damage caused by a junk food diet, suggests new research. The study shows eating fish such as mackerel, salmon and pilchards twice a week can clear up serious problems caused to the body's immune system by obesity. And supplemented milk could soon reverse changes caused to the immune system by overeating even more dramatically It has long been known that obesity can wreck havoc on the immune system, leading...
Beer of the Week – Weird Beard Brew Co. ‘Little Things That Kill’
Brewed: Ealing, London Strength: 3.9% ABV Launched at the beginning of 2013, Weird Beard Brew Co. operates from a site near Ealing and produces a number of hop-driven beers alongside classic styles. With the aim to “satisfy, enthuse and be enjoyed by whoever the drinker,” Weird Beard offer a number of core beers as well as some occasional, specials and one-off brews that push creative boundaries. “A violently hoppy little beer”, ‘Little Things That Kill’ from the brewery’s core range...
Nespresso Launch ‘Be Your Own Barista’ Pop-Up in London
Tying in with the launch of the Creatista, the latest machine from Nespresso, the Creatista Studio in West London will be serving complimentary coffees for a limited time from Wednesday 22nd February. Popping up across the UK and Ireland over the next two months, the Creatista Studio will first open its doors in London on 22nd February, before travelling to Leeds on 8th March then to Dublin on 22nd March. In addition to free coffees, customers will be encouraged to...
Restaurant review: Cubana Tapas Bar and Restaurant, Sheffield
By Terry Siddall The Cubana has had a presence in Sheffield for some fifteen years and gained a good reputation for its authentic Spanish/Latin tapas menu. Leopold Square where the Cubana restaurant and bar is situated is in the heart of Sheffield city centre where Leopold Street meets the end of West Street. The square is fairly close to the two main theatres in Sheffield, that of the Crucible and the Lyceum and has easy access to bus, tram stops and...
Restaurant Review – El Pirata
Brian May is an undoubtedly accomplished guitarist, but he’s hardly renowned for good taste. Yet according to their website, Mayfair tapas restaurant El Pirata (‘The Pirate’, in English) are very proud that the Queen guitarist once visited and said, “El Pirata rocks”. There’s also a testimonial from Johnny Depp, who apparently loves it here, and may or may not have visited in his Captain Jack Sparrow costume. Having been around for just under a quarter of a century, El Pirata...
Is pairing wine and food all it’s cracked up to be?
Wine has long been seen as the stuff of connoisseurs, a beverage which comes with its own arcane mythology, only slurped and understood by an insufferable few. Films like Sideways and Somm have only served to deepen the mystery around the hallowed grape, and most sensible-thinking people are put off by anything breaking the dreaded £10 barrier. “Sometimes,” as the great cultural critic Alan Partridge once said, “you just want to say, sod all this wine, just give me a...
The 15 best vegan pizza places in Britain
Today is National Pizza Day, and what better way to celebrate it than to take a look at how far vegan pizza has come these last few years? From something we vegans would have to sadly make at home on pitta breads (or shyly ask for without the dairy) to being widely available nationwide, vegan pizza is on the up and up. Two and a half years ago only one national chain, Pizza Express, provided vegan pizza on the menu:...
Beer of the Week – Lowlander I.P.A
Brewed: Amsterdam, Netherlands Strength: 6% ABV Heavily inspired by the often forgotten history of Dutch brewing, using herbs, spices and fruits brought home by Dutch sailors, Lowlander Beer use botanicals during the brewing process of all of their beers. Named after the literal meaning of The Netherlands (‘Low Lands’), the brewery source all of their botanicals, herbs and spices from Jacob Hooy, the oldest spice store in Amsterdam and intend to ‘create great tasting beers which are full of both character and...