Food and Drink

“A good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody”, Samuel Pepys wrote in November 1665. Though best known for first-hand accounts of the Great Fire of London and the plague, kept within his diary, Samuel Pepys also wrote numerous passages on his favourite things to eat – perhaps most notably The Lampery Pye. Within the Apex Hotel City of London, a contemporary hotel on Seething Lane (one of Pepys’ former residences), The Lampery opened in September, serving a ‘Best of British’ menu...

A pub has launched a monster burger which is so big it is served in an entire LOAF of bread. The 'Apocolypse Cow' challenge has eight flame-grilled beef burgers, eight rashers of streaky bacon, pulled pork, onions, cheese, lettuce and tomato. It is served in an entire brioche loaf - and topped with 15 onion rings. The epic dishy is served with five chicken wings, corn on the cob, coleslaw and a mountain of chips. Anyone who completes the £25.98...

A fish and chip shop have shunned traditional fizzy pop in exchange for a more upmarket taste - Britain's best English wine list. Olley's Fish Experience stock nine separate English wines from the south coast including bottles from Sussex, Kent, Hampshire and Dorset. The bottles made from English grapes and produced entirely in Britain, have been matched with fish dishes. Owner Harry Niazi, 55, has run the takeaway and restaurant for 30 years but only began stocking the native wines...

Christmas is a time for indulgence. Though turkey is most commonly associated with British Christmas dinner, the bird wasn’t introduced until the 16th century, with Henry VIII the first British monarch to have enjoyed roast turkey on Christmas Day. Before that, goose was far more popular, while the rich generally enjoyed peacock or swan (both unavailable today). Over the past 500 years, turkey has witnessed a rapid increase in popularity, but in 2017 many families are turning to alternative meats;...

Uber Eats are now delivering a 'morning after' cure - in a box. As the Christmas festivities kick off around the country, experts at the food delivery firm have carefully crafted a breakfast which aims to help festive revellers survive the peak of the party season. The perfectly balanced meal contains eggs, bacon, mushrooms, beans, avocado and spinach. And it is accompanied by banana porridge drizzled with honey with a side of orange juice. The choices for the breakfast box...

Whether you’re having a lunch break from work with your pals, or you want to spend a magical evening in the lit-up city, London is home to a large array of high-quality beer gardens. No matter what you look for in a beer garden, it’s highly likely that London will have it. From sparkling fairy lights to respectful memorial benches, each beer garden has its own character. If you’re unsure about which one to visit on your next London outing,...

A roast dinner pop-up restaurant is set to open in Shoreditch featuring a unique gravy microbrewery. Open from 8-10 December at the Old Truman Brewery, the "Roastaurant" will provide roast dinner lovers the choice of over 100,000 possible roast combinations in a pick ‘n’ mix style menu which have been based off the research findings. Along with the gravy microbrewery there will be a giant six metre squared roast potato platter filled with thousands of McCain Roasts. All ticket proceeds...

Established in 1985, Wye Valley Brewery is a family-run business operating from a nine-acre former cider mill in Stoke Lacy, Herefordshire. Before launching the brewery, founder Peter Amor previously worked as a brewer for Guinness, leaving the company to follow his dream of crafting some of the country’s best cask-conditioned beer. Initially functioning from the back of a pub in Canon Pyon, the independent brewery moved to the old stable block of another pub – The Barrels (also in Herefordshire)...

When reporting on a brand new restaurant, the question of ethics is generally raised. Is it really fair to review a restaurant that’s brand new? And if not, how long should we wait – a few weeks, a few months, a year? There’s no set rule, but the issue has been raised quite frequently in recent months. Following a less than positive review of Temper City (brand new at the time), chef Neil Rankin responded with a passive-aggressive comment beneath...