Beach Blanket Babylon East

It isn’t easy to fill venues on the industrial stretch of Bethnal Green road where Beach Blanket Babylon has hunkered down. Brick Lane’s melee bristles five minutes away. Commercial Road’s pencil moustache and cupcake brigade posture to the right. But despite the relative quiet on our Friday night visit, the punters seemed still to be loving it.

Wine – The Recession

Whilst in the midst of the biggest recession in living history, does a nation internationally renowned for hard drinking consume even more? With brand booze seemingly ‘on tap’ at most supermarkets, and even a Champagne price war going on that caters for the higher echelons as well, is it no wonder that alcohol is now officially as big a problem as everyone thinks it is?

No need to grouse at Le Bouchon Breton

Le Bouchon Breton ‘La Fete de la Chasse” a range of game platters including ‘Grouse a la Anglais” to celebrate the start of the game season is now on.Head Chef Olivier Ripert and his team of chefs at Breton have devised three special seasonal treats which kick off with the king of game traditional roast grouse ‘a la Anglais” (sic) with all of the trimmings: Wrapped in bacon, buttery bread sauce, a crouton with forcemeat paté, roasted breadcrumbs, watercress, game chips and a rich game jus.

Tasty allergen-free foods from It’s a Free World!

For those with food intolerance allergen-free foods are an essential. But there are also growing numbers of people who put health and wellness at the top of their agenda and for whom freefrom foods are a lifestyle choice. That’s why a new range called It’s A Free World! will have such a warm welcome across such a broad group of food savvy consumers.

Ondine to open in Edinburgh

Chef Roy Brett is so excited by his latest venture that he can hardly sleep. Named ‘Ondine’ after the water sprite who marries a mortal in Sir Frederick Ashton’s ballet, the 80 plus cover seafood bar and restaurant opens soon in Edinburgh. Douglas Blyde went to the building site to see him.