Wining & Dining: riverside staple Le Pont de la Tour opens a new bistro July 7, 2022 Le Pont de la Tour has, for over three decades, been such a constant in the City-ish dining landscape that it’s quite possible to forget it exists at all. Nestled right by the river at Shad Thames, Le Pont built a reputation for its high-end French cuisine and its nice views of Tower Bridge. Since [...]
Why the winelands of Wales are set to be a UK holiday hotspot June 4, 2021 Holidaying abroad this year is tricky and a staycation may be on the cards, but before you book a long trek to Cornwall or the Highlands, why not consider the wine-country of Wales? No, this is not a joke. Despite being relatively small on a global scale, Welsh wines won six awards at the recent [...]
Sign of the times: Smart speakers in and crockery out of UK inflation goods basket March 11, 2019 Bluetooth speakers, flavoured tea and washing gel have been added to the “basket of goods” used to calculate inflation in the UK, while crockery sets and hi-fi systems have been shelved. Read more: Inflation drops to two-year low of 1.8 per cent The Office for National Statistics (ONS) outlined changes this morning to the list [...]
Waitrose chocolate avocado sells out at some stores as Easter treat becomes best-selling own-brand egg March 21, 2018 Waitrose’s avocado-shaped chocolate egg has become the fastest-selling own-brand Easter egg in the supermarket’s history. The £8 treat has even sold out at some stores as customers rushed to get their hands on one. Waitrose is now restocking its branches in preparation for the weekend. “Our chocolate avocados have been a phenomenal hit with customers [...]
Cronut craze: I queued for two hours for a £4 pastry and this is what I learned September 30, 2016 In 2013, Dominique Ansel’s New York bakery started selling a croissant-doughnut hybrid, which he called the Cronut. Nine days later, he’d registered the pastry’s name and crowds of people were queueing around the block to try the odd new delicacy. Now the super-baker has brought his brand, and his Cronuts, to London. The store opened [...]
Quiches are back and they’re sexier than ever: Here are six of the best places to get them in London April 12, 2016 Here are six quiches that'll make you re-assess your apathy towards egg-filled tarts. The Mount Street Deli 100 Mount Street, W1K If you’re an ardent quiche fan, you’ll never get bored with the Mount Street Deli, which serves up freshly-baked quiches from its Mayfair premises daily. The quiche menu changes daily, depending on what hearty [...]
Profits jump at food producer Greencore as sandwich orders pile up November 24, 2015 Sushi, salad and sandwich maker Greencore reported better-than-expected full-year profits after winning several new contracts in the UK food to go market and expanding its presence in the US. The food producer, which supplies retailers and supermarkets ranging from Marks & Spencer to Boots, said pre-tax profits increased by 33.8 per cent to to £59.4m in [...]
Picnic in the park with a butler: An indulgent alternative to afternoon tea July 24, 2015 A summery lunchtime alternative The butler is a British institution both ridiculed and revered in equal measure. A complex figure, sitcoms have parodied the butler, but he is also powerful, and his omnipresence has been portrayed in period dramas and twee murder mysteries for decades. It is no wonder, then, that butler services prove a [...]
Competition watchdog probes Pork Farms for having too big a slice of the pie December 18, 2014 The competition watchdog has threatened to launch an investigation into Pork Farms’ acquisition of rival Kerry Foods over fears that the new company will have its fingers in too many pies. Pork Farms, which makes scotch eggs, pies and sausage rolls for the major supermarkets including Marks & Spencer bought Kerry Foods’ chilled savoury [...]
Theatre Review: My Night with Reg, Donmar Warehouse August 8, 2014 ★★★★☆ Kevin Elyot’s 1994 play charts the romantic entanglements of a group of gay university friends, now well into their 30s, set against the backdrop of the Aids crisis. It explores issues of love, loss, infidelity and insecurity, and how they are all tainted by the shadow of the disease. The Donmar’s new production is [...]