Chinese set to eat up United Biscuits deal September 26, 2010 MCVITIES manufacturer, United Biscuits (UB) is in talks with one of China’s largest food groups about a possible takeover that could value the British company at almost £2.5bn. The Shanghai-based foods group Bright Food yesterday confirmed that it was in talks with UB to pen a deal that would potentially hand the Chinese group a [...]
Rejuvenation and wine in Lombardy April 25, 2010 PLINY the Younger wrote his Tragedia and Comedia in a villa on Lake Como and the lake has continued to attract the best and the richest of society, from Madonna and George Clooney to Gianni Versace, Ronaldinho and Sylvester Stallone. Indeed, the lakes of the northern Italian region of Lombardy – the most famous being [...]
The celebrity chef bringing peasant food to the City March 29, 2010 I’M like a snail,” drawls chef supreme Raymond Blanc in a French accent that, 38 years after he arrived in the UK, remains as textured and ripe as a perfectly aged Camembert. “I’m stuck in my shell, and can only move very slowly.” The reason for Blanc’s despondency is a fall he took at his [...]
WHERE TO STAY: MASSERIE TORRE COCCARO AND TORRE MAIZZA March 21, 2010 ON arrival in Brindisi, we were greeted by a smiling Italian named Carmello, who took our bags and drove us the 40 minutes or so to the Masseria Torre Coccaro, where we were to spend the first two nights of our stay in Puglia. Coccaro is, like many other boutique hotels in the area, a [...]
Curry in a hurry is a bit confusing April 5, 2010 Bangalore Express City 1 Corbet Court, Gracechurch Street, EC3 V0AT. www.bangaloreexpress.co.uk Cost per person without wine: £25 ONE of my first memories of arriving in London was going for a curry on Brick Lane. While I wasn’t particularly impressed by the food the décor has stuck in my mind – massive and slightly wonky paintings [...]
London rejoices as maestro returns March 15, 2010 There are two types of people that will thrill at Bistrot Bruno Loubet, the quietly trendy Zetter Hotel’s latest restaurant incarnation. Type one are the gastronomes – otherwise known as foodie geeks – who follow the movements of top French chefs. They will be excited – indeed they are excited – that this Gallic maestro [...]
Ethical investors cannot have their cake and eat it September 14, 2010 AcademicS were making waves in the socially responsible investment (SRI) community this week, as a new study suggested that SRI funds offer lower returns than simple index-trackers. Conducted by the EDHEC-Risk Institute, the paper updates a study of French SRI funds by looking at 172 funds’ returns between 2002 and 2009. It shows that while [...]
TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO DRESS UP March 11, 2010 THOSE gorgeous gowns in the Oscars earlier this week got me thinking. If I had a lovely dress (obviously nowhere near Oscar standard) where would I wear it? Maybe the odd charity ball that comes up once in a blue moon or perhaps a wedding or the races. Isn’t that a shame? Why don’t we [...]
RENTING March 18, 2010 James Davis CEO OF ONLINE LETTINGS AGENT UPAD.CO.UK Q.What do I need to do to increase the rent I’m charging my tenant? They had a six-month assured shorthold tenancy (AST) which has now become a periodic tenancy as they’ve been there almost a year. A.There are three ways for a landlord to increase the rent [...]
Adebayor not ready to return January 13, 2010 MANCHESTER City striker Emmanuel Adebayor admits he has been unable to eat as he struggles to come to terms with the machine gun attack on him and his Togo team-mates. Adebayor’s press officer was one of three men killed in the ambush on the Togo team bus as they travelled to the Africa Cup of [...]