Food and Drink

This week sees the welcome return of English wine as we visit one of the country’s largest producers in Sussex. 2018 was, in the parlance of Frank Sinatra, a very good year for English wine, and so it is only right we celebrate it. Hot and dry weather landed a bumper crop for growers across the country as many Old World wine producers struggled against the relatively temperate conditions north of France. At Bolney, a third-generation family business, clear blue...

The World’s first ‘Meat Massage Joint’ opens its doors to the public today at the Truman Brewery in Shoreditch. Meat-lovers will witness the Cook Strong Clan give their meat some TLC at a quirky pop-up on the Dray Walk. The process breaks down tough fibres, helping the meat melt in your mouth and not turn to mush. Dubbed TLC - Tenderizing Loving Care – the cuts are then smothered in sauces or glazes ready to be grilled to perfection ahead...

The first ever 3D printed steak could make the UK population turn vegan, its founder has claimed at this week's London Food Tech Week. Unveiling NOVAMEAT, a synthetic, 3D-printed meat that can mimic the texture of beef or chicken, Giuseppe Scionti said he has discovered a way to "bio-hack" plant-based proteins so they have a meaty texture. In doing so it could revolutionise the current livestock system by taking the focus away from animal meat to plant-based proteins which resemble...

Established at the turn of the millennium, Little Creatures began life in Fremantle, Australia. Set up by a group of friends, each hailing from the beer scene, the brewery was launched with the aim to brew a hop-driven American Pale Ale with a “distinctive aroma and delicious flavour”. Brewed slowly, with the best hops the team could source from Australia and the United States, the brewery’s pale ale eventually gained momentum and a small space was opened in Fitzroy, Australia,...

Staff were told there would be a conference call where they were given the devastating news

To begin, I must be honest: Italian food is one of my favourites. Unfortunately, this means I’m not easily impressed. With either an ‘authentic’ or ‘modern’ Italian restaurant on what seems to be every corner, we Londoners are spoilt for choice. That is not to say that London doesn’t have some of the finest gems in the crown of Italian cuisine, outside of Italy. The team behind nearby Japanese restaurant UKAI and Head Chef Roberto Vezzanni hope that their restaurant,...

Synonymous with the city of Lucknow in North Indian State Uttar Pradesh, Awadhi cuisine arose during the 18th Century rule of the Mughal Empire. Originally inhabitants of Persia, the Nawabs (emperors) of Awadh were used to a certain type of diet - largely composed of grains, dry fruits and vegetables – so trained royal chefs to incorporate these ingredients into their dishes, thus setting the benchmark for a distinctively aromatic cuisine. As well as utilising intricate spice blends, ‘Dum’ (slow)...

Coinciding with The Other Palace’s run of Toast – a stage adaptation of Nigel Slater’s best-selling memoir – the theatre’s resident restaurant, The Other Naughty Piglet, is serving a modern take on Nigel’s mother’s ‘surprisingly good’ rice pudding referenced in the show. Created by Joe Sharratt, Director and Head Chef at The Other Naughty Piglet, the recipe strives to capture the flavours and nostalgia familiar with the dish, served chilled and accompanied by a scoop of homemade ice cream. The...

There is something gloriously refined about drinking Venetian wine on a warm summer’s evening, I wrote of Masianco’s brother Campofiorin back in 2016. Located in the best vineyard sites in foothill and hillsides near the Italian Austrian border, winemakers Masi has been at the forefront of Venetian wine for several decades, working to identify the historic “cru” vineyard sites for Amarone. They produce modern, attractive and well-balanced wines credited for “revolutionising the art of wine-making in the Venetian region”, defined...