Rum is back. In bars and clubs across the UK retro Pina Coladas are being served with a cocktail umbrella in a hollowed-out pineapple, as well as voodoo skulls containing lethal Zombies, and what was Prince William’s favourite, (before his marriage anyway) the Pieces of Eight, a treasure chest filled to the brim with rum, brandy, peach liqueur and Champagne.
Cono Sur Pinot Noir
When pairing up with hearty roasts and the mushroom and game character of the season, you can do no better than to explore among the Pinot Noirs. Good value can be found on the New World shelves for under £10 and a wide variety of styles are produced in Chile, California and New Zealand.
Cortina at Cantina London
On the banks of the river Thames sits Cantina, an Italian restaurant specialising in authentically rustic cuisine. This month, Cortina, the famous ski resort, comes to Cantina with tasty results.
Sartoria: elegant dining on Saville Row
Located on Saville Row, hence the not quite pun of a name, Sartoria offers regional Italian cuisine. Whilst the Row is no longer the sartorial empire it once was, with the number of tailors on the decline, it still retains its air of traditionalism, a place that hasn’t quite moved with the times. Sartoria seems have to escaped this trap, although the restaurant is obviously tailored to the Mayfair set.
Giraffe gets Behind Movember
Giraffe restaurants nationwide are getting in on the Mo action, calling all Mo Bros to grow a moustache to help raise funds for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer, with their new ‘Show your Mo’ campaign.
Goumet Burger Kitchen Celebrates 10 Years
Kiwi fusion guru and all round nice guy, Peter Gordon attended the 10th Birthday event at GBK, flipping burgers and making small talk with the rest of the team. He was part of the original gang of Antipodeans who felt that London needed a burger joint as awesome as everything else they loved about the city.
Win vouchers for L’atelier des Chefs cooking school worth £500
The ethical hot drinks brand is challenging Britain to create the perfect dessert recipe to pair with a cup of coffee for the chance to win £500 worth of vouchers for gourmet London cooking school L’atelier des Chefs. The winning recipe will also star in Cafédirect’s limited edition Coffee and Dessert Matching Cookbook.
South Lodge Hotel, Horsham, East Sussex
South Lodge Hotel in Horsham is part of the Exclusive Hotels Collection and as we found out, it is pretty darn exclusive with a fantastic Michelin-starred kitchen
Cooking without Recipes: Philip Dundas
Cooking without Recipes, by Phillip Dundas, as the name suggests, contains no recipes. Instead, it provides a manual for confidence in the kitchen, with information on techniques,food shopping, and cooking various ingredients. Beautifully illustrated, the writing possesses a lightness of touch that never feels patronising.
The Rosendale in London’s West Dulwich
West Dulwich or West Norwood? Some blurring of the boundaries apart, The Rosendale is definitely in South London so that’s a big plus already for local allotmenteer Nick Harman