Food and Drink

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food London is widely regarded as one of the world’s most exceptional cities for food, with just about everything any hungry foodie could ever crave all available within less than an hour’s tube ride, give or take. And, aside from British food, it’s no secret that some of the most popular international cuisines among city dwellers are Asian. Both Chinese and Indian are often named favourites, so here’s the question: with all the great Chinese...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Strength: 5% ABV Brewed: Ellon, Scotland Tired of a market dominated by industrially brewed lagers and ales, the team behind BrewDog set up the world’s first crowd-funded brewery in 2007. Now operating from a site in Ellon, just north of Aberdeen, a community of over 35000 investors own shares in the business, with shares still available. And what’s more, the brewery that’s made for the people, by the people is still constantly striving to encourage passion for craft...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Although having gone hand-in-hand for decades, it seems that the celebrity endorsement of alcohol has accelerated significantly in recent years. Yes, Frank Sinatra constantly extolled Jack Daniels during his lifetime, and Woody Allen famously advertised Smirnoff vodka back in the 1960’s, but nowadays it seems as though more “A-list” celebrities than not have something to endorse, and the relationship with alcohol is perhaps the strongest. Most prominently, we’ve witnessed joint campaigns between Cîroc vodka...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Artisan bakeries, cake shops, and patisseries (mainly in gentrified East London) have certainly witnessed a boom in popularity in recent years. Something that’s peculiar given that now, more than ever, we’re constantly encouraged to limit our sugar intake, thus becoming more health conscious than ever. One establishment that has grown to receive particularly positive acclaim in recent years, however, is Cutter & Squidge – having opened their first permanent residence at the tail end...

Over 600 beers and ciders will feature at next month's Craft Beer Rising festival at The Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. This year will see the largest and most diverse mix so far, featuring established UK breweries such as Beavertown, Thornbridge, and Harviestoun, to international talent from Little Bichos, Lagunitas, Mikkheller, and Bronx Brewery. A selection of newcomers will also make their debut with Bad Seed and Mondo both making an appearance. But it's not just about the beer. Brand new for 2016 is a...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food Today (February 5th) marks the start of the world famous Rio Carnival, so to tie in with celebrating the festival carrying on into the weekend, Latin American restaurant chain Las Iguanas have created their own celebratory cocktail. Combining Malibu, blue curacao, mango and orange, ‘Carnival Kitsch’ is available from Las Iguanas until Tuesday (February 9th) priced at £8.95. Alternatively, the restaurant has shared the simple recipe for readers to celebrate Rio Carnival and make...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food As we press further into the new year, S.Pellegrino’s Young Chef competition has returned once again for a 2016 instalment. Last year’s contest was a resounding success, especially for the UK & Ireland heat, with Irish chef Mark Moriarty winning the overall competition, named champion in Milan last year, having been coached by mentor Clare Smyth, previously Head Chef at Gordon Ramsay’s three Michelin-star restaurant in Chelsea. Applications for this year are now open...

By Jonathan Hatchman, Food Editor, @TLE_Food It’s no secret that food waste in the UK is a real issue, and with Brits wasting an estimated 15 million tonnes of food each year, it’s bread that’s wasted the most. In fact, recent figures have shown that UK households are throwing away a collective mass of approximately 24 million slices of bread each year. Yes, bread does have a short shelf life, and although there are obvious ways of saving bread, most...

Wellness has become somewhat of a goldmine in the food and drink industry, so it perhaps shouldn't come as a surprise that an antioxidant rich, weight reducing cancer deterrent such as Matcha is all the rage. In very basic terms, matcha is a stone-grounded powder which is in effect a very concentrated green tea. The powdery substance is a more versatile version of its tea leaf counterpart and is used to serve lattes and iced drinks in cafes and everything from...