Simon Hopkinson, founder and co-owner of Bibendum restaurant in London, is currently supporting head chef Tom Rains at the 74-cover Montpellier Chapter Restaurant in Cheltenham which showcases ‘simple, seasonal and classic British dishes”.
Rains says the two get together and brainstorm frequently, swapping books and recipes but all with the aim of producing ‘straightforward cooking, done well”

Alan King talks with the owner and CEO of Ponti’s, Stafano Ispani, over lunch at the recently re-launched Ponti’s Italian Kitchen, Oxford Circus. Stafano talked about his vision for the future of the group. Having previously avoided Ponti’s, Alan is favourably impressed by the style of the place, the artisan produce offered and the quality of this authentic Italian cuisine.

Phillip Azevedo visits Dishoom’s Chowpatty Beach Bar on the southbank and is charmed by the by the experience, the materials used in creating it and enjoys the variety of cocktails on offer.

I’m no trendy, in fact I make Arthur Smith look cheerful and happening, but invited by Bisol Prosecco the sponsors of Supper Club at The Clove Club, to get round to Dalston to get a taste I quickly grow a baby beard, stick a sock on my head and go.

Far from being a backwater, but a part of Europe unjustly ignored, Flanders has a lot going for it, not least how near it is to the UK and the fact that the locals speak French not the impossibly tongue twisting Flemish.

‘You’ve been shortlisted’, it read, and actually I knew that I had been, I’d been keeping a date free in my diary for months. This was my invitation to The Roof Gardens in Kensington for a formal(ish) four course dinner to celebrate the UK launch of the McGuigan range of award winning wines, The Shortlist.

Douglas Blyde heads to Islay, island of eight distilleries and one golf course. There he discovers his disinterest in golf is not a handicap.

Mark Hix and frozen seafood are not words you would necessarily associate. I still have trouble now. But here he is, in the smart and sexy underground bar below his Soho haunt, dressing that most prawny of dishes, prawn cocktail, for Birds Eye’s emperor king prawn launch.

The Icecreamists, although a playful brand is anything but, these people are serious about ice cream! Sex, drugs and rock and roll, if it isn’t in their ice cream, it’s in their ice cream cocktails. Merging the innocence of ice cream with an injection of alcoholic sin, The Icecreamists have created a contemporary way to enjoy ice cream. Priyanka Kara learns how to create some of their recipes and gets the scoop.

Starting in June, on the first Saturday of every month, the Commonwealth Kitchen at the Commonwealth Club will be hosting a varied series of music and reader events. These will be accompanied by a three-course lunch or dinner designed by head chef Oliver