A subjective selection of sublime scran we like to scoff and/or share at Christmas.
Annual Old Ale Festival at The White Horse
The White Horse held their Annual Old Ale Festival for the thirtieth time last weekend, an event that sees the pub meticulously clean their cellar and lines to bring in around 80 different beers, from old ales, porters, stouts and barley wines, to strong ales and milds.
The Kingly Seekh-Kebab
The nan is just crispy enough to enjoy but still soft enough to get a firm grip on the lamb kebab inside. The spices were well-balanced but personally I could have done with some more chilli kick. If I’d been drunk, I’d have liked a lot more chilli. Let’s face it sublety is wasted on a man full of cooking lager.
The Fat of the Land, London Spanish restaurant
Attempts to de-pubify the place have involved hanging jamons in the window like meaty Christmas decorations. This presumably in homage to the average tapas bar in Spain, where chunky legs hang over your head sweating gently into their cups. Rather like the clients.
Festive recipe: Paul A Young’s Muscovado chocolate cakes with cocoa nibs and Mayan spiced syrup
Paul A Young: chocolatier extraordinaire and self-confessed ‘cake-a-holic’. Alright then Paul, give us your stickiest, most intense muffin recipe for festive munching. And, sure enough, with these muscovado-cocoa-nib creations, boy done good…
Tia Maria Festive Cocktails
When mulled wine-induced ennui sets in, nip over to the dark side and sup on one of these tasty tipples from Tia Maria.
Nathan Outlaw’s Davidstow Crackler Cheese Straws
Easy, tasty. savoury- who doesn’t love a cheese straw at Chrimbo?
Learning to taste cheese World Cheese Awards 2012
Do you reach thoughtlessly for a packet of hard Italian cheese – or make your decision based on colour, age and flavour? Joanna Biddolph urges you to look carefully when you buy – including for evidence of success at the World Cheese Awards.
A selection of rather nice festive menus
Who hasn’t had that awful feeling of sitting down, stomach pleasantly a-rumble, only to have those stirrings of gastric yearning turn to icy needles of dread upon having a cheap paper crown plonked on your bonce and reading the awful incantation’prawn cocktail; turkey with all the trimmings; Christmas pudding; mince pies and coffee’ on a holly-trimmed menu?
European Christmas market breaks with thetrainline.com
Let’s face it, the majority of London’s ‘Christmas Markets’ are grim excuses for the real spirit of festive commerce felt throughout Europe’s more traditional town squares. £50 for a night spent shivering in a mock chalet scoffing lukewarm bratwursts and glugging glogg? No thank you. We’ll get a cheap deal off thetrainline.com and pop off to one of these destinations instead.