Early morning mist mingled with the smell of dripping trees, damp earth and wet dog as we set out on a September truffle hunt at a secret location. Cup you hands and breath in the air around the truffle, said Andrea, our weather-beaten truffle hunter guide. “And smell. Breathe in the scent, deeply”. This was […]
Read more
Time to rethink Grape Britain
Grape Britain may be a catchy quote for a newspaper headline or social media post, but it also suggest an intriguing change in climate, attitude and opportunity for the British, notably English, winegrowers. Longer, warmer summers over the past 20 years have finally seen bottles filled with English, mostly sparkling white wine, winning prizes. English […]
Read more
Fusion cooking experiments … CBD oil, Sake Kasu wrapped in sushi
High above the rooftops of a bustling market town in Piedmont, northern Italy a culinary experiment fusing Japanese textures and flavours with an exotic oil made from legally grown and processed hemp, was taking place in a student kitchen. In the room were Phil, a chef and classmate of mine from the Masters in Food […]
Read more
Snap the peel to make the perfect Martini
Want to make the perfect Martini? Well it’s all in the squeeze, apparently. Get a sliver of fresh lemon or orange peel about 4-5cm long and about 1.5cm wide at the middle, pinch the longer edges in you fingers and ‘snap’ over your cocktail, says Richard Ehrlich, martini aficionado, prolific food writer and stalwart of […]
Read more
Tree of Hope Cook Book
A group of west Kent, England chefs, cooks, restaurateurs and artisan food producers have left the white heat of the kitchen and joined with Tonbridge-based charity Tree of Hope to produce ‘The Cook Book’, a tasty collection of lavishly illustrated foodie stories and recipe. Family-focused Tree of Hope latest fundraising initiative is ‘The Cook Book […]
Read more
French cooking with Le Cordon Bleu and Parma ham
Tucked away in a quiet London square close to the British Museum is the UK headquarters of cook school owned by the achingly famous French cooking school Le Cordon Bleu, which aims to teach students the culinary arts and French-style cooking techniques. There’s always something new to learn about cooking and with this in mind […]
Read more
Bergamot and cucumber combine to refresh gin and summer
When four young friends fresh from a couple of years international travelling as digital nomads settled down in a small town in the south of England they found the UK in the midst of a gin frenzy, with hundreds of new varieties on offer. From hand bottled, small batch offerings such as the citrusy Sacred […]
Read more
THE COOK BOOK – A Celebration of West Kent’s Chefs, Kitchens and Producers
PRESS RELEASE: Tree of Hope has announced they are compiling ‘The Cook Book Sevenoaks/Tonbridge/Tunbridge Wells’ in collaboration with Caroline Kings from Eat Around Tonbridge, Food Photographer Severien Vits and Events Organiser and foodie Charlotte Rogers. This book will be a celebration of the chefs, restaurants and producers in West Kent and feature stories and recipes […]
Read more
Salcombe Brewery infuses history with a slice of citrus
Catch the light on the right day and the south Devon, England port of Salcombe could double for a town hugging a coastline in the Caribbean. Vivid blue and green seas, soft yellow sand and wind battered trees leading up to whitewashed houses create an atmosphere of beach life. Indeed, the relationship between south Devon […]
Read more
Making marmalade at Menton’s Maison Herbin
Holding a giant wooden spoon Nicole Bineau stirs huge copper pots full of simmering, boiling fruit in the back of a shop that welcomes the curious cook. A passionate jam maker, Nicole works in the kitchen at the back of her family shop Maison Herbin, in the southern French town of Menton. She works behind […]
Read more