Food and Drink

A recent survey conducted by Waitrose suggests one in six Brits now celebrate Thanksgiving. Coinciding with Thanksgiving’s increased UK popularity, a number of American food trends have also escalated – notably the value of the US barbecue food market, now worth £68m in Britain. Numerous stateside food and drink establishments have successfully launched on this side of the Atlantic in recent years, including Shake Shack, Red Rooster and Dominique Ansel Bakery. Creator of the world-famous Cronut, Chef Dominique Ansel was awarded World’s Best Pastry...

The secret of how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness has been discovered... by Japanese scientists! And it's all to do with the bubbles, they say. Creating a creamy head, the world renowned symbol of the Irish stout, is the result of a complex chain of events - and not just a matter of chance. The breakthrough could help guarantee customers will be served up an appealing froth topped pint every time. Researchers from the University of Osaka, Japan...

Frying food bad for your diet and lungs Having a fry up really is not only bad for your diet but also bad for your lungs because you breathe in tiny droplets of hot fat, a study found. As food is fried, water droplets "explode" not only spitting hot fat onto your skin but into the air forming dangerous indoor pollution. And chicken, other meat pumped with water or Chinese stir frys are the worst offenders. Scientists at Texas Tech...

Blended from a selection of single malt whiskies aged in rare Mizunara oak casks for at least 18 years, Suntory Whisky launched Yamazaki Mizunara 2017 last week. Spicy, evocative of incense and uniquely Japanese, the production of this limited-edition whisky pushed the blenders at Yamazaki to perfect new cask-making techniques, creating flavours never before tasted in whisky. The result? An exceptional Japanese whisky, but with a high retail price of £1000 per bottle. Though the price point will seem intimidating...

Inspired by Wilkins Micawber – a fictional character from Charles Dicken’s David Copperfield – and his love of gin punch, this week’s recipe is ideal for the winter months. Created by Duncan McRae, Global Ambassador of Hendrick’s Gin, the hot gin punch is served in teacups; a nod to the prohibition act of drinking gin from teacups, in order to disguise the contents. Featuring Hendrick’s Gin, distilled in minuscule batches in Scotland with fresh cucumber and rose petals, the recipe...

What is the secret to making a good wine? Ask the French and they'll say they'll say its the terroir. Ask any New World grower and their more likely to say its the human input that really makes the difference. But ask the Leaf Plucker vineyard on the Western Cape of South Africa and they'll put it down to one rather unusual factor: sheep. Winner of the Gold badge at the Quality Drink Awards for Best White Wine Under £7, Leaf Plucker is a lovely example...

To celebrate their first Christmas since opening, award-winning restaurant Hammer & Tongs, in Farringdon, has announced plans to launch a special South African Braai menu – an African style of cooking that uses an open fire, generally fuelled by wood. Slow-cooked entirely over Sicklewood and Blackthorne, on an open fire, the menu will offer guests the chance to enjoy two courses for £20, or three courses for £25. With the possibility of accommodating groups from two to 80, the restaurant’s...

When Hoppers opened in 2015, the tiny Sri Lankan restaurant became an instant success. In the heart of Soho, the excitement behind the launch can be attributed to a number of factors; notably the welcome introduction to a South Asian cuisine previously quite unexplored in London. JKS Restaurants’ rich portfolio also helped, I’m sure, also including Gymkhana and Trishna. Then there’s the whole ‘no-reservation’ policy, allowing the restaurant to turn tables quickly and keep costs down, alas removing certainty of...

Greggs the bakers have had to apologise profusely for a tongue-in-cheek nativity scene in a promotional photo for its first ever advent calendar with a sausage roll in the place of baby Jesus. “We’re really sorry to have caused any offence, this was never our intention,” the bakers apologised, though they said they would not be withdrawing their advent calendar. But an apology wouldn’t suffice for critics from the The UK Evangelical Alliance who accused Greggs of a “manufacturing a scandal...