Food and Drink

I always love a wine with a story. And so steeped in historical significance is The King’s Wrath Pinot Noir that this bottle may just take the biscuit. Most of us are familiar with the term ‘hanged, drawn and quartered’ which became synonymous with the Elizabethan era. But to trace its origins you have to go back to Henry III. During the High Middle Ages those in England guilty of treason were punished in a variety of ways, including drawing...

With so many food trends having continued to flourish in 2016, it's often difficult to determine where one ends and another begins. The idea of 'Half plates', for instance (the specialty at Talli Joe), is fundamentally a new riff on the small plate culture that has taken London by storm, dividing opinions along the way. A modern Indian restaurant with Executive Chef Sameer Taneja at the helm (having previously led the kitchen at Michelin-starred Benares), Talli Joe is a refreshing new...

A lesser known sibling of moules marinière - mussels mouclade is a classic French dish cooked similarly, yet traditionally using a lightly curried sauce, instead of one with a tomato base. “Inspired by a lifetime of the love and appreciation of seafood”, Ondine is a seafood restaurant based in Edinburgh’s historic Old Town, launched by Chef Patron Roy Brett. The chef’s take on mussels mouclade uses coconut milk and is served alongside poori (a deep fried Indian bread) to mop...

Despite a plethora of celebrity chefs, cooking channels and online networks such as Pinterest and Instagram, Brits still rely on recipes handed down from their mothers, a new study has found. Some 64 per cent of the average Brit's current repertoire of meals are those inherited from their own mothers, rather than found in books, with seven in ten respondents saying there is an element of comfort in using the recipe they remember their parents using. Six in ten cooks say...

Alongside becoming renowned for their seafood and steak focused menu, Brighton’s Salt Room also possesses a selection of brilliant cocktails. Located on the seafront, the restaurant’s ‘Seaside Martini’ features a base of vermouth that’s made in-house and sea herb infused Sussex Gin, both of which are teamed with a smoked sea salt saline solution and a dash of locally sourced rapeseed oil. What’s more, the drink is served over ice with some samphire and an oyster shell for the drink...

A young woman who was diagnosed with anorexia in her teens has launched a cookbook to help others suffering like she did. Even when Nicola Davis’ weight plummeted to a dangerously low level she continued to make her family tasty meals. She was consuming minus calories, but her family were feasting on pies, cakes and risottos. The recipe book contains the meals she cooked herself to help her recover from the life-threatening illness. Through a combination of medical and emotional...

A London-based food blogger went temporarily deaf after eating the World's spiciest noodles at a backstreet restaurant in Indonesia. According to reports in The Evening Standard, Ben Sumadiwiria tried "death noodles" Indomie Abang Adek, which is claimed to be 4,000 times stronger than Tabasco and has a 20 million rating on the Scoville scale, the measure of a chilli’s hotness. The video, uploaded to Mr Sumadiwiria’s Awesome Eats YouTube channel, sees the prominent blogger almost vomit before proclaiming: “That’s the worst feeling you will...

With plenty of exciting restaurant openings constantly taking place across the Capital, here’s our pick of the best new restaurants arriving in London over the coming month. Chick ‘n’ Sours – Seven Dials Following the success of his first Chick ‘n’ Sours in Haggerston, having opened just over a year ago, Carl Clarke has announced plans to open a sister restaurant in the heart of Central London. Like the Haggerston space, the new restaurant’s menu will be short and punchy, offering a number of...

Strength: 4.6% ABV Brewed: Birkby, Huddersfield Heavily inspired by the American craft beer scene, alongside a passion for great beers, Magic Rock Brewing Co. commenced brewing in 2011. Since initiating, the brewery has become renowned as one of Yorkshire’s finest craft brewers, “committed to making a full range of modern, flavourful, hop forward and ‘big’ beers using the best available ingredients and techniques for drinkers unwilling to compromise on flavour.” And to accommodate increases in demand, Magic Rock eventually moved...