Make every second Comté

Raymond Blanc sings the praises of his home Departement, the Franche Comté in France and he’s a particular fan of the eponymous cheese. Nick Harman goes out to see how Comté cheese is made in this region of mountains and Montbeliarde cows

Bowmore’s ‘Magic Happens On The Darkest Nights’ event

I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole. This is pure Alice in Wonderland stuff. In fact, our surly guide is called Alice- although she’s less wide-eyed innocent, more mad-eyed schoolmarm. She barks a bit about Bowmore’s 15 year-old ‘Darkest’ whisky at us, then dramatically throws open a door demanding we enter ‘the chocolate room’. Yes, ma’am!

The Cock Tavern reinvents the pub

Drawing on Dolly Parton’s self-parodying comment, ‘it takes a lot of money to look this cheap”, it takes a lot of calculated planning to create a space and an atmosphere without them seeming in the least bit contrived. Very cleverly, but without seeming so, the Cock Tavern has reinvented the pub and Joanna Biddolph’s enthusiasm for eating while she drinks has been revived.

Guest Chefs at Cinnamon Kitchen

I’m gonna check out that chef, that’s what I’m gonna do- by heading to Cinnamon Kitchen on selected dates between now and June, when a trio of diverse chefs from across the UK will be taking on a one-night-only residency at the restaurant’s tandoor grill.