The UK’s most popular Thai event, the biannual festival in Surrey, is fast approaching and this yea’s extravaganza promises to be better than ever with over 40,000 visitors expected. The event is organised by Mudita Trust, a UK registered Charity supporting the secondary education of boys and girls from some of the poorest villages in Thailand helping prevent them from entering into the sex trade and instead using education as a tool in helping them make a better future.

‘You have to mash the bananas by hand, squeeze them through your fingers. you can’t use a blender.’ Mark Read Head Chef at Mango Tree and at Awana is telling me how to make Thai Banana cake accompanied by hand gestures reminiscent of someone milking a particularly recalcitrant cow, ‘you want the lumps,’ he says. ‘Like Guacamole?’ I suggest. ‘Exactly!’

My brief experiment with vegetarianism foundered on the large rock that is a bacon roll. At 6 a.m your defences are down and the waft of ketchup is too much to resist. Maybe I would have stayed loyal to the cause had there been dishes like the ones Vanilla Black are creating.

Harry Morgan, the most famous New York Style Deli Restaurant in London celebrates its new menu and refurbishment with a 50% off discount offer*. The offer runs at the St John’s Wood High Street restaurant from Monday 20th to Sunday 26th July. Diners can enjoy the new interiors and expanded menu, then following their meal, watch as their bill is halved.

Perfectly timed for the summer, during the month of August, the award winning Light Bar of St Martins Lane has collaborated with the London Salsa dance school- Salsatecca, to host salsa dance classes. The first scheduled Salsa nights on 11th and 18th August will take place in the spacious marble event studios of the hotel, offering an hour packed full of fun salsa moves and great exercise.

Criterion Restaurant, a stalwart of the London restaurant scene, has reopened under new ownership and with a new head chef.

The bar at The White Hart is an ideal spot to wile away the afternoon and evening watching the cricket on the big screen or to gather a crowd for your own screening in The White Hart’s upstairs private room with its plasma screen and Sky Sports. Whether it’s the Ashes (8^th July—24^th August) or the One Day Internationals and Twenty/20 vs Australia (30^th August—17^th September)

Take a culinary tour around Britain without leaving the table at Oliver Peyton’s celebrated London restaurant, The National Dining Rooms at The National Gallery. Following on from June’s Cornish medley, the fabulous bespoke ‘County of the Month’ menus continue throughout July and August, showcasing the best Gloucestershire and Devon has to offer.

Searcys 1847 Champagne Bar at Westfield London has teamed up with Pommery Champagne to launch an exclusive Pommery’s Time offer. Pommery is the only Champagne house to produce seasonal Champagnes. Guests can enjoy all four served in miniature glasses, matched with specially selected dishes from the menu for only £15

On Friday 17th July, the highly acclaimed fine-dining Indian restaurant, The Cinnamon Club, is hosting an intimate wine and spice evening with Yalumba, Australia’s oldest family owned winery.