Category Archives: Shopping

Tickets for London Restaurant Festival Go on Sale

London Restaurant Festival will celebrate its 9th year of foodie fun this October. Tickets are now on sale for the month long citywide festival (with some of the biggest events already sold out or soon to be). Continue reading

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Recipe: Cloudy Cider Wings | #WingingIt

Refreshing to drink, Thatchers Haze Cloudy Somerset Cider can be great as a food ingredient too – adding its crisp sweetness to chicken as a marinade. Continue reading

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Percy Pig Turns 25

Percy Pig, model for and namesake of Marks & Spencer’s popular fruit flavoured gummies, turns 25 years old this month (23 July to be exact). Continue reading

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Good Stuff #68

Good stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip, savour and more – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy.

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Cocktail Recipe: Juliette’s Garden G&T

Fancy a refreshing gin and tonic with a light floral bouquet and a hint of island spice? Try my recipe for Juliette’s Garden G&T. Continue reading

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Bombay Sapphire: Destination Delicious

I hope you enjoyed reading about my experiences along The Grand Journey with Bombay Sapphire as much enjoyed sharing them to you. Continue reading

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Vintage Ales at the Chef’s Table

Vintage and Farmhouse Ales from Central Italy’s Birra del Borgo and Goose Island of Chicago were showcased and paired with dishes designed by TV chef and cookbook author Valentine Warner and Chef Martin Carabott of restaurant Luca at a recent one-off dinner hosted at Carousel in Marylebone. Continue reading

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All Aboard for The Grand Journey with Bombay Sapphire

The Laverstoke Express has arrived in London inviting passengers to climb onboard for an immersive and delicious trip round the world with a stop along the way at every destination where Bombay Sapphire sources its ten botanicals. Continue reading

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Get #BeachBookReady with the Kobo Pop-Up Beach off Oxford Street

The Kobo #BeachBookReady Pop-Up Beach off of Oxford Street is free to attend and runs from this weekend until 25th of July. Continue reading

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Recipe: Bombay Sapphire Cheesecake Cocktail

Should I have another cocktail or should I have dessert? Yes. And here’s how to have both. At the same time. In the same container. My Bombay Sapphire Cheesecake Cocktail takes this gin’s unique botanical profile and amps it up … Continue reading

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Comida Fest 2017

Did you miss Comida Fest at Cutty Sark Gardens in Greenwich this past weekend? Well then you missed a couple of days of foodie fun. But don’t feel too bad about it. There’ll be a couple of other opportunities to … Continue reading

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Bombay Sapphire: A Gin of Ten Journeys

A gin of ten journeys, Bombay Sapphire is distilled from a recipe of ten botanicals: juniper berries, orris root, almond, lemon peel, liquorice, angelica, coriander, cassia, cubeb, and grains of paradise. The botanicals are sourced from across the globe – … Continue reading

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World Steak Challenge 2017

Best steak in the world? Here’s the answer from this year’s World Steak Challenge in London – where I got to help judge and have a taste of it and 16 of the other runners up. Last week I sat … Continue reading

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IPW 2017 | As an Expat, Foodie and Tourist

As an expat American living in London (for more than 13 years) it’s an odd feeling to head back to the US for work-related visits, especially when I don’t get to see my family. Travelling to the nation’s capital as … Continue reading

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Preview: Ales Tales Belgian Beer Festival at Oval Space, 21-22 July

Ales Tales, the UK’s first ever Belgian beer festival, is coming to Oval Space in Hackney. Continue reading

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Stress-Free Summer Cooking with Chef Adam Gray

Chef Adam Gray’s recipe for grilled tuna steak with red cabbage coleslaw and stem broccoli is sizzling summer dish that’s super scrumptious and easy to prepare. Continue reading

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Win a Lava BrightSounds 2 Bluetooth Speaker

Lava Sound & Vision has launched its new BrightSounds 2 Bluetooth Speaker, an ideal accessory for music fans on the go. I’ve been enjoying my BrightSounds speaker for a month or so. Quality and clarity of sound is high. It’s really come in handy around the house, in my back garden and on the road. Keep reading for your chance to win one for free. Continue reading

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#TasteBaltimore: Sagamore Spirit Distillery

Chief among those leading the Maryland rye revival is Sagamore Spirit. Here’s a straight up take on my visit to its distillery as my Taste Baltimore series continues. Continue reading

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A Night of Fashion at The Westbury Mayfair Hotel

It’s not every day you walk into a hotel lobby to be greeted by a pair of models sashaying towards you in opulent evening wear. But when the hotel you’re visiting is The Westbury Mayfair, a luxury five star hotel near Bond Street, nothing less should be expected. Continue reading

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#TasteBaltimore: Beer

I had a great time during my few days of foraging through Baltimore discovering some of the best local brews and breweries thanks to the knowledgeable folks at City Brew Tours. Continue reading

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#TasteBaltimore: Modern Cook Shop

Market, bar, and restaurant all-in-one, Modern Cook Shop in the historic yet still really very happening neighbourhood of Fell’s Point was an ideal spot for breakfast. Continue reading

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Death’s Door #Gindependence Pop-Up Dive Bar

Death’s Door Dive Bar is full of striped red, white and blue, a bit of taxidermy and board games. And yes it’s super fleeting so you best get yourself out of bed stat and on your way over for a full day of fun. Continue reading

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Something’s Brewing: Pour Over Coffee Maker (espressoCrazy)

Following up from my last (and I’d say largely successful) attempt at brewing coffee with a drip coffee maker, I’m sticking with the same basic filter method but using different, more basic device: a pour over coffee maker. Continue reading

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Good Stuff #67

Good stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip, savour and more (though with respect to this particular post just to sip) – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought … Continue reading

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Win a Pair of Tickets to Brockmans Gin’s #PressForGin Pop-Up Bar

Love gin? Love a party? Love a unique venue? The next Brockmans Gin #PressForGin pop-up at the Victorian Bathroom near Liverpool Street on the 27th of July is for you. Continue reading

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Rubies in the Rubble Surplus Food Pop Up in Selfridges

Alexandra Kalinowski heads to Selfridges to check out Rubies in the Rubble Surplus Food Pop Up. This whole clean/guilt-free eating that’s been popularised in recent years with the rise in health-food bloggers turned cookbook churners is dying a slow death. … Continue reading

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Graze Across Galicia: Mercado de Abastos

Santiago de Compostela may be best known as a city of architectural excess in the name of Catholic grandeur. But just as key to what makes it such a fine destination for any sort of pilgrimage is the humble foodie action happening on the ground at Mercado de Abastos. Continue reading

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Graze Across Galicia: Benboa

Next stop on my Graze Across Galicia is Benboa at the pretty little port of Corrubedo. Continue reading

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Something’s Brewing: Drip Coffee Maker (espressoCrazy)

For my first look at different ways to brew coffee at home, I’m going to start with one of the simplest: using a drip coffee maker. Continue reading

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You Don’t Have to Pay a High Price for Great Wine

As much as I’ve been loving the wines I’ve been drinking this summer I haven’t had to splash out a fortune for them. Continue reading

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Win the Complete Range of Jack Daniel’s BBQ Sauces

For a sweet taste of Tennessee, check out this opportunity to win the complete range of BBQ Sauces from the one and only Jack Daniel! Continue reading

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Sweet Life with Splenda?

Have you ever tried baking with Splenda as a no-calorie alternative to sugar? Me neither, but now I’m going to give it a shot. Continue reading

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Our/Summer at Our/London Vodka Distillery

Definitely get yourself to Hackney Downs soon to soak up the Our/Summer series each Saturday until 19th August from 12-6pm. Continue reading

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Michael Thompson’s Fodder at Borough Wines & Beer

If you’re like me and find yourself channelling your inner child in a candy store upon entering a wine shop, Borough Wines & Beers won’t disappoint. After shaking off the rain droplets and calming my breath post my mad dash into their Islington shop, I warmed in the rather intimate store. Perusing the shelves lined with British red and whites, I indulged my current natural wine obsession whose flavour ever evolves once the cork has been unscrewed. I’d describe it as a luxurious walk-in closet, which simply adds to the charm and intrigue of what lies below … Continue reading

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How to Pack for Your First Hiking Adventure

So you’ve finally made the decision to pack a bag and head out into the great wilderness to fend for yourself. This is a big step for you: taking everything you need to be self-sufficient for a few days and … Continue reading

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