Join in the Jubilee

May 31, 2012 //
2

Jubilee fever comes to Regent Street

Jubilee fever has taken over the nation.

You have to have been stuck in the London Dungeon for a long time to have missed the build up to this weekend and no retailer worth his or her weight in sterling could possibly miss this opportunity to sell fun products and engage with the optimistic vibe that has pervaded the country as a result.

Those lovely people at moneysupermarket.com have tried to quantify the commercial benefit and estimated we Brits will be spending £800m – double the amount paid to celebrate the Royal Wedding last year. Personally I think that is modest and with the long bank holiday, all the street parties and festivities as well as the promise of the weather just about holding out, it will be so much more than that.

So yah boo sucks to those grumpy senior economists who are predicting doom and gloom because they say our manufacturers are going to suffer disproportionately with the bank holiday closures and the effect will trickle through to the British economy. Come on!! Get with the programme…and crack a bottle of British sparkling wine.

So I smiled to myself when I read a comment from Matthew Rice, co-owner of Emma Bridgewater, that well known manufacturer of pottery in Stoke-on-Trent. They originally estimated to sell £1.5m pieces of commemorative product and are already over double that in their actual sales.

Emma Bridgewater crown shaped dish, £100

It seems we Brits are more than happy to splash out, which is proven by the fact that this £100 dish with crown lid has sold over a thousand against an estimate of 300. So I guess Mr Rice has every good reason to say to those cynical economists:

“I think ‘bah humbug!’ … Get a grip! Shut the doors! Get out and have a good time. If you are so sold on your business that you can’t enjoy a few days of bank holiday, then something has gone very wrong with your life,”

Whilst I admire those people who are prepared to pay £100 in celebration, it is a little too pricey for me. Personally, I was looking for more fun pick me ups that embrace the occasion in a cheaper, more creative way. And I wasn’t going to be disappointed. As ever, those clever people at Marmite have got it right. Love it or hate it, you have to smile at this bit of marketing.

Love those clever people at Marmite

And for my favourite Jubilee product of all, I once again turn to those wonderful boys at Melrose and Morgan who always do these products so well with an understated elegance. They have taken their popular Battenberg cake, which is a traditional recipe first created by the chefs in the British Royal household to celebrate the wedding of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter. So it is totally clever of the M&M team to adapt that British historic celebratory cake into something that marks the current Queen’s Jubilee. No street party or bank holiday picnic should be without this. Genius!

The Jubilee Battenberg. Pure, unadulterated brilliance.

Tags , , , ,
Categories British, Retail

Friends in London

May 21, 2012 //
1

London town

I have some friends staying with me who are visiting from New York and given the high standard of food over there I have been feeling the pressure of trying to showcase the best of London eating in my recommendations.

It is always difficult to suggest places as opinions differ but the truth is that cream always rises to the top and some things are just great whatever your personal preference. My friends arrived on Thursday whilst I was working away from home so fended for themselves in the most impressive way. I am not sure if it is their youth or their enthusiasm but jet lagged or not, they hit London full on from the moment they arrived.

Afternoon tea at Sketch

In terms of food, they wanted to embrace the best of British and really couldn’t have come at a better time with all the Jubilee and Olympic activities going on. So far, they have eaten fish & chips, authentic Indian, afternoon tea, Modern British, Borough market and casual street food at Pitt Cue with Heston’s Dinner coming tomorrow night before they get on the train to Paris. How good is that?

Today, I finally had a day to show them some of my happy places and as it was a Sunday, it was clear where to go. We started with the bacon sandwich at St John Bread & Wine which is a great value hefty breakfast made to fill you up all day. Gloucester Old Spot bacon chargrilled to perfection and sandwiched between two hunky slices of griddled and oiled sourdough bread. To be honest, this is a sandwich for sharing as it really is too much for one and it’s only £5.95. Brilliant. It demonstrates wholeheartedly why we can edit choice. Why offer anything else when there is something this perfect on the menu?

The best bacon sarnie … ever

Then we perused Spitalfields market before embarking on the long trek up Brick Lane. Once home to the Jewish population with Beigel shops lining the streets, it is now dominated by the Bangladeshi community and some of the best examples of Indian food. The colours and smells are fantastic. Not to mention the markets, vintage clothes and just great photo opportunities.

At the top we wended our way through Hackney homes to the bottom of Columbia Road and the flower market. This is a must on a Sunday morning for many reasons. It is vibrant, full of flowers, music, people and lined with unique retail shops. I love the stall holders yelling “two for a fiver…get your tulips ‘ere”…. could this be the nearest we now see to East End life?  It is definitely a battle to progress down the centre of the stalls but worth it for the armful of flowers you can walk away with.

Two for a fiver

After that we made our way back to Shoreditch and Leila’s, Pizza East, Albion, The Boundary (sadly the roof garden doesn’t open til August) and then onto Foxcroft and Ginger at Boxpark. We all agreed that the shopping there was more trendy male than anything else but the Nike ID is one to look out for. Such an incredible retail experience.

Then it was a bus trip through the city past the Gherkin (or Pickle as my US friends named it!) and the impressive St Paul’s then onto Regent Street and beyond. I took them through the calm of St Christophers Place and up into Marylebone High Street which so often gets overlooked by tourists – thankfully. That meant it was a calm escape from the bustle of Oxford Street and we could peruse La Fromagerie, Ginger Pig, The Natural Kitchen and Rococo chocolates without any issues at all. This has to be my favourite street in London.

By now, I was pooped so I left them to finish off in Selfridges before their Indian meal tonight.

They just got back and crashed to their beds. Knightsbridge/Kensington tomorrow before St Pancras and that magical train journey through the tunnel. London really is a great city.

Tags , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories British, Restaurants, Retail, Uncategorized

The elixir of life

May 12, 2012 //
4

I love Rapeseed.

Rapeseed in flower

It is so quintessentially British and stunningly beautiful.

My work has taken me up and down the M1 and M40 these past few weeks trudging through the most hideous weather known to our isles for some time and it must be said that even for an optimistic girl like me, it can drag you down. All that rain is just not normal. And just as I squint through the wipers in despair to the length of motorway ahead of me, I see yellow. How good is yellow as a colour? Sunshine amongst all that rain. In fact I once did a colour analysis course and there was lots to say about yellow. It’s pretty easy to understand.

I also remember when I left M&S the lovely team in our creative studio presented me with my own business cards designed by the head designer. When I opened them up, the whole back of the card was….bright yellow. I have to say that when they said I was clearly a yellow person, I wanted to say that I thought I was more purple. Purple is my favourite colour as well as having all those regal and spiritual connotations. But they insisted I was yellow and now I am glad they did. Yellow it has been ever since then and yellow it will remain.

A slice of sunny fields

So I smile to myself when I see those fields and that is essentially what rapeseed makes us do. Smile. A ray of sunshine in what can be (and has been for far too long) a grey and cloudy day. Ironically all that rain just makes the rape glow even more. And it isn’t just my state of mind that benefits from this beautiful field of loveliness. It is incredibly healthy too. It has:

– the lowest saturated fat content of any oil…less than half that of olive oil

– 10 times more Omega 3 than olive oil and rich in both Omega 3 and Omega 6

– and is a good source of vitamin E

It also has a high smoke point making it the best oil to cook with…and it’s locally produced.

So what’s not to like?

I realise that some wonder about its a distinctive flavour but I like the neutral wheatiness of it. And as a good ol’ Yorkshire lass, I support the lovely Wharfe Valley product made by the Kilby family at their Collingham farm in my home county.

Wharfe Valley rapeseed oil comes in all sorts of varieties

The lovely Sallyann used to bring me bottlefuls of this golden potion to sell at Harewood House and it made a great local gift. Ever since I was introduced to it, rapeseed oil has remained a staple in my kitchen. The chilli oil is a great ingredient for stir fries, mayonnaise is richer and creamier for it and the smoked one was amazing in meat cooking to add another depth of flavour.

So go on and support British. Try rapeseed oil instead of all the usual suspects and bring a ray of sunshine into your life.

Tags , , ,
Categories British, Retail

Top of the World

May 1, 2012 //
3

The new list of the top 50 restaurants in the world was released yesterday and really there were no surprises.

Organised by Restaurant magazine and judged by 800 industry specialists, this list is not only the most anticipated, but the most lucrative of lists to head up as a restaurant. For many years El Bulli topped the bill and now Noma has taken over as the one to beat.

Whilst I haven’t been to many on there, I am told that getting on this list makes a big difference to the bookings. Once you have made it here you are guaranteed full tables and thus commercial success for your restaurant. So I always try and see who it is that makes the list and what I can conclude about the restaurant world as a result.

Obviously I look at the UK first and was delighted to see Heston’s Dinner charge into 9th spot as the highest new entry, with the Fat Duck falling back out of the top ten to number 13 (lucky for some!). There is no doubt that the Fat Duck experience is one that I shall remember for a long time but the truth is that the Dinner meal was much easier to relish. The food was outstanding and yes, you absolutely have to have the Meat Fruit, but I suggest you half and half with someone having the Rice & Flesh.

Meat Fruit: stunning

I am also kicking myself for not forcing my friends to join me at The Ledbury before it achieved the highest climber award rising 20 spots to number 14. Now it will be impossible to get a table. Ever since the team fought off the onslaught of unruly rebels during the London riots, I have had a desire to support the Ledbury lot.

In terms of other observations much is the same as last year with USA, France and Spain dominating. The US now boast eight restaurants in the top 50 just beating the French who have 7, although it must be said that France do not have any listed in the top 10. The contenders to the US for top ten position goes to Spain and that is no surprise to me. This is my top choice for places to eat and I was especially glad to see Elena Arzak awarded world’s best female chef after her Dad got the lifetime achievement award in 2011. Incidentally this went to Thomas Keller this year. His record speaks for itself.

Other observations are the continued presence of the South American countries with Brazil, Mexico and Peru in the top 50 along with a spotlight on Peru for the Regional spotlight article. On the other hand Finland, South Africa and Russia all fell out of the top 50. I am particularly sad about South Africa as a big supporter of theirs, although I was pleased for The Test Kitchen which came in at number 74 and is fully deserved (see my earlier blog for more details).

A drizzly day couldn't dampen our spirits at Stone Barns farm

It is incredible what these Blue Hill guys are doing with the good old vegetable.

I also want to make special mention of Blue Hill at Stone Barns which is at number 77. We went there at the end of last year and it was possibly the best meal I have ever had. I think it was the overall experience that makes me say that. Robert the concierge was our charming host touring us through the drizzle around the farm for a couple of hours. We were mesmerised by the whole operation. Nothing was left to chance with vegetable varieties being developed with amazing integrity and passion. I have never before been taken through the ins and outs of the composting system or indeed the charcoal process before a meal but having done that, we really appreciated the whole meal on a much broader level. Never has a raw vegetable tasted so good and never has a table been so well served.

Course one of 27 having chosen the 12 course menu! Never has a carrot tasted so good

The top restaurant list is indeed fascinating and a chance to fantasise about where I might like to eat this year. But the truth is that this sort of food is such a special treat that it is a rare thing for me to be able to indulge in. I still desire a trip to Spain and the Asador Etxebarri food. Maybe this year I can pull it off.

In the meantime, let me know what you think and where you want to go. I am always up for a great meal.

Tags , , , , , ,
Categories Restaurants, South Africa
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started