Tossed Xmas Salad – stuff the turkey!

‘You don’t make friends with salad, Lisa!’ Homer Simpson once famously pointed out to his daughter, but it seems for once that the Sage of Springfield may have been wrong. Tossed has not only made friends with its salads, it’s made itself into a major market force.In one corner of the Baker Street store is an Astroturf field with picnic tables to eat at. By 1pm queues are forming and the place is getting rammed, meanwhile over in our part of the field I am peering in at my Xmas salad.

The Old Thatch, Adstock, Buckinghamshire

The Old Thatch in Adstock, Buckinghamshire ,is a bit of a celebrity in its patch – as one local told me, ” it’s one of a small handful of places worth going to round here.” So what’s made this seriously tucked-away village pub survive where others have been converted into super-homes?

Gourmet Garden launch new products

The recent party held by the producers of Gourmet Garden, to promote their range of produce, and to launch four new blends, was held at Maya club just off Oxford Street in Dean Street. I have tried some of these products at home and am happy to report that they do add good fresh flavours to your dishes.

Galvin La Chapelle, Smithfield

This year has brought some very good meals (Pied a Terre, Chez Bruce, Hibiscus), some average ones (Tom Aikens, Arbutus) and some damn right terrible (Umu). In the ‘very good’ column I can add Galvin at Windows and Bistro de Luxe, so I was very interested in seeing what the brothers had managed to do with their new venture. Would it be a restaurant too far or a City winner?