Food and Drink

Far removed from the chaos of Marylebone Road, Carousel serves a brilliant seasonal menu of ‘homemade crowd-pleasing dishes’.

According to the Oxford English dictionary, ‘Small Beer’ is “a thing that is considered unimportant.” While most low alcoholic beers have an undesirable reputation – namely because they’re generally terrible – The Small Beer Co. are striving to change public perception. Close to South Bermondsey station, the 5,500 square-foot brewery is the world’s first dedicated small beer brewing company, founded by ex Sipsmith’s duo James Grundy and Felix James. Pledging to produce “small beer, with big taste”, The Small Beer...

Eating burgers, bacon sarnies and hot dogs can raise the risk of a heart attack or stroke by 60 per cent, according to new research. Red meat is rich in animal proteins that harm the heart and blood vessels, say scientists. On the other hand consuming plenty of nuts and seeds almost halves the likelihood thanks to plant proteins that boost the arteries. In the first study of its kind Dr Gary Fraser and colleagues compared the effects of different...

Consisting of 54 countries, Africa is the world’s second largest continent. Over the past few decades, African culture has made an immeasurable impression on world culture (art, music, fashion), but so many of us still continue to struggle when discussing the Land of the Sahara. Remember when Kanye West referred to Africa as a “country”, in a tweet to Mark Zuckerberg? Still, as we begin to delve further into deep exploration of regional Chinese and Indian cuisine in London, we have...

These restaurants suggest Farringdon is the meat-eating capital of London (if not the entire United Kingdom)." By the 1870s, Smithfield Market had become internationally renowned as the premier meat market it remains today. Housed within a vast, cathedral-like structure opposite St Bart’s Hospital, the market’s building was officially opened in 1868, designed by Architect Sir Horace Jones (also responsible for Tower Bridge, Billingsgate and Leadenhall Markets). 150 years later, Smithfield Market still thrives and is surrounded by a wealth of...

With plenty of exciting restaurant openings constantly taking place across the Capital, we pick London’s best new restaurant openings taking place over the coming month.   The Petersham & La Goccia at Petersham Nurseries – Covent Garden The new Petersham Nurseries, in Covent Garden, will see two new restaurant openings this month: The Petersham and La Goccia. An elegant, a la carte restaurant, The Petersham will have prominent focus on the Slow Food philosophy of Good, Clean and Fair – the...

If you, like me, ever worry about showing up to a party with a low-grade bottle of fizz then worry no more - we've unearthed a bottle that looks the part, tastes the part and, most importantly, doesn't break the bank. Villa Oppi Spumante Extra Dry comes in a sleek tall bottle with a silver plaque carrying embossed print. It's the sort of branding you would associate with a vintage champagne but with the price tag of a bottle of prosecco,...

Islay’s first and only dry gin, The Botanist is distilled with an assortment of 31 botanicals - 22 of which are locally foraged. As a result, the gin is exceptionally complex, rich and mellow with plenty of citrus freshness. With this, The Botanist also complements a wide variety of garnishes (personally, we prefer a sprig of rosemary), rendering the spirit an ideal base for inventive cocktails. Featuring homemade elderflower cordial (recipe below), the Spring Collins is a seasonal serve, also comprising...

Good news can be hard to come by in Castleford. The old mining town has sat and watched by as industry moved in and out of the region bringing with it tidal sweeps of economic uncertainty. Redundant collieries are the last remnants of the boomtown growth that accompanied the mining industry. Large-scale retailers such as Burberry and Nestlé, which once called the town home, have since shifted their operations elsewhere. But on the corner of Church and Carlton Street sits...