Food and Drink

Venturing out at the weekend for brunch has become incredibly popular in recent years, but with such a great number of restaurants jumping on board, so many of the menus have become implausibly predictable. First there are the various perfunctory takes on Eggs Benedict, from classic Royale and Florentine through to less authentic strands that employ the likes of pulled pork, or substitute English muffins with waffles. When “brunching” it’s also difficult to escape outbreaks of avocado pandemic and jugs...

It’s increasingly difficult to avoid the feeling that every single day, week and month of the calendar year has been dedicated to some variation of food or drink. This coming Saturday (1st October), for instance, has been named International Coffee Day, which is one of the less crazy dedications given the consistent global interest in coffee. With the progression of time, recent years have seen an incredible boom in popularity surrounding coffee of an exceptional quality – especially given the...

Strength: 6.5% Brewed: Aberdeen, Scotland Since launching their first proper brewery earlier on this year, Scotland’s Fierce Beer Co. has become intensely prolific. Having produced over 50,000 litres of beer within the past six months, the brewery offers a whopping core range of ten beers amongst some limited edition offerings and collaborative efforts of which are currently in the pipeline. Now operating from an industrial estate in Dyce, Aberdeen, Fierce was originally set up by joint owners Dave Grant (Managing Director)...

Does anyone remember the days when food was intended to be eaten? An absurd notion I know, and one that has probably been banished into the historical archives forever now, but one day I will sit in front of my children at a fancy restaurant as they fervently snap away at sparkling pork chops that have been served up in an old wellington boot and regale stories of how we once ate with our eyes and not our cameras. And...

By act of congress, September was declared National Bourbon Heritage Month for the United States in 2007. The exact origins are murky, though the history of America’s ‘Native Spirit’ can be traced back as far as the late 1700s with Jim Beam being amongst the earliest bourbon distilleries, still operating today with over 200 years of experience. An extensive process, bourbon is required by US law to be made with at least 51 per cent corn, and to be aged...

Unlike Burger & Lobster, Bao, Duck & Waffle and other popular restaurants with names that showcase their signature (and sometimes solitary) dishes – there is not a pea in sight on the menu at Petit Pois Bistro. Opened just a few months ago, the restaurant is a new venture from the team behind successful cocktail bars Happiness Forgets and Original Sin, “tired of all the new restaurants in London being either super fine-dining, or gourmet fast food.” Taking over a...

Using only the finest seafood and shellfish from the East Coast of Scotland, Ondine has become an Edinburgh Old Town favourite with chef Roy Brett at the helm. And for one week only, Roy will be bringing his expertise of all sea creatures down to the South East of England, cooking for a select number of very lucky Londoners with a guest chef residency at Carousel. Set up by a group of four cousins, Carousel is a revolving creative hub...

Brits like their alcohol, that’s not news, but the fact that the average Brit will spend £90,942 in their lifetime at the pub is. Alcohol is getting more expensive and with the average Brit spending 14 months of their life at their local some sneaky round-dodgers have come up with some interesting tips for avoiding paying for their round. The most effective hacks for avoiding your round are: Drink slowly when it's your turn so someone else buys the drinks Hold...

Strength: 5.6% Brewed: Tottenham Hale, London Named after the old Cockney name given to the De Beauvoir area of London, where the brand was born in 2011, Beavertown Brewery now operates from a site in Tottenham Hale. Having upgraded to a premises with a 50HL Brew House to work from, Beavertown has become renowned for crafting a core range of stunning beers, as well as some more adventurous seasonal offerings – not forgetting the fact that the brewery boasts some of...