How is a magnum bottle of wine different and is the wine inside better than wine in a smaller bottle?
If you bring a magnum bottle of wine to a dinner or to a party, it’s not just to show off the big bottle nor is it simply more useful because of the bigger size to serve more people.
South Woodford’s wonderful Grand Trunk Road has launched an excellent new weekend brunch menu that’s reasonably priced with a variety of flavoursome dishes and a bottomless drinks option.
I’ve raved about Grand Trunk Road before. Back in 2017, when the restaurant was still fairly new, I reviewed it. I loved it then and I love it now. The South Woodford fine dining restaurant is near enough to my Walthamstow home for me to consider it local. More importantly though, the modern Indian cuisine served at Grand Trunk Road means I keep it in mind for occasions when I might normally plan to head toward central London for my meal.
So when invited by the restaurant to try its new three-course brunch menu I was keen to accept.
Any regular reader of this blog should be aware that it ain’t what it used to be. I hardly post restaurant reviews anymore. In fact, I hardly post at all.
The reason behind my lack of online activity is because of significant (and mostly extremely good) changes to my home and work life. Nonetheless, I keep this tikichris thing going. Having a blog comes in handy. It’s become a small fry extra income side hustle. Plus, I don’t want to be without a blog if any potentially amazing idea ever hits and I simply must share my blather about it with the world.
That’s not what this review of the Colonel Saab restaurant is. Rather, it’s a chance for me to hone my chops, share an experience with folks who might be interested, and write for the sake of writing at a rare moment when I have the downtime to do so.
When an invitation landed in my inbox asking if I’d like to visit for review this upscale Indian restaurant in Holborn. I realised I had the time to visit and to write about the restaurant. Also, it was a high time for date night with my partner. Stars aligned, I agreed to visit.
Still stuck for what to give that special someone this Christmas? By and far the best gift you can give anybody is the gift of time. For coffee lovers that might mean a wise idea indeed would be Melitta’s Enjoy Top Timer Coffee Machine.
My Coffee collab with premium coffee brand, Melitta, continues with a look at the Enjoy Top Timer: a smart and reasonably priced gift for fans of filter coffee and being able to drink it when and how they like it.
Can’t quite get your dishes to look as scrumptious in your photos as you know they are on your plate? There’s a bag for that!
The Instagram Bag from the Paper Bag Co is an ideal accessory (and a very smart gift idea) for folks with a passion for food and photography. This stylish and sturdy 12oz black canvas bag with internal pocket, mesh divider and zip close has everything you need to take the perfect food photo: a five-in-one pop-up reflector, a set of postcards featuring handy food photography tips, and four photographic backdrops. So your pics will look great no matter where you’re shooting.
Valued at £39.95, the Instagram Bag is available for purchase via the Paper Bag Co website – or for free as a prize to one luck tikichris reader!
Keep reading to find out how you can win one of these amazing bags for yourself!
CBD seems to be on everyone’s mind these days, with plenty of anecdotal evidence claiming multiple health benefits. However, due to its connection to cannabis, the compound’s recreational and medical uses have faced scrutiny, making traveling with it all the more difficult.
Not every country is so strict, though — at the time of writing, the following five allow us to travel with CBD, but to a certain extent.
I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, not because I think it’s going to snow on the big day but because my new Latte Select coffee machine has arrived. This fully automatic coffee machine by Melitta has all the right features for anyone to enjoy frothed milk coffee drinks at the touch of a button with minimal cleanup.
With the Melitta’s Latte Select on my kitchen counter ready to serve, I can take advantage of more downtime to relax and admire the twinkling lights of the Christmas tree with friends and family and spend less time faffing about (and pouring out coffee that’s gone cold in the pot).
As winter rolls on – and the Melitta/tikichris collaboration continues – this shiny silver status statement will be there to warm up my mornings and take the edge off the chilliest nights well into the new year.
Chilled out chocolate to keep you moving minus the stress: Cheerful Buddha’s got what you need to keep you moving minus the stress with it’s range of CBD infused chocolate bars now available for sale at WH Smith Travel … and as a prize on this blog for one lucky tikichris reader.
Founded in 2019, Cheerful Buddha makes CBD and superfood coffee and chocolate treats with an aim to offer natural health-enhancing goodness via easy to eat and drink products that help you feel calm while staying alert and focused.
Finding an inexpensive hotel in London can be an obstacle course. To stay at the best price during your London vacation, prefer renting a furnished apartment. Otherwise, you can stay in an apart hotel. It is also quite possible to stay in a youth hostel.
In addition to being able to achieve substantial savings, these 3 options offer more freedom.
Need a new coffeemaker? Want one for free? Continuing with this year’s My Coffee collaboration with premium coffee brand, Melitta, I’m offering one lucky reader the chance to win the same machine I’ve grown to love and have repeatedly put to the test morning ritual after morning ritual for most of 2021.
Valued at £169.99, the AromaFresh Grind & Brew Filter Coffee Machine is one of Melitta’s most popular and best selling coffeemakers. For the past several months on a daily basis and sometimes multiple times throughout the morning and early afternoon, the AromaFresh has been the machine I’ve relied upon to brew my coffee.
Time and again, I’ve experienced firsthand how incredibly easy the AromaFresh is to use as well as how especially durable this machine is. More importantly hough, I’ve have the pleasure of tasting just how delicious the results consistently are when making coffee with this fine piece of kit.
I’m sure you’ll love brewing your coffee with the AromaFresh as much as I do. I’m also certain you’ll be more than happy to have a free one delivered to your home as a prize!
The pandemic seems to have changed the way we intend to holiday with plenty of Brits now looking for a ‘stay at home’ break. Not only are people wanting to take a break within the UK but they are also likely to be looking for somewhere a bit more private, away from the crowds.
Many of us have been stuck in our homes in cities, unable to reconnect with nature and enjoy a true sense of relaxation. Because of this, secluded spaces are going to be in high demand! According to the Guardian, the surge of people looking to move out of London in favour of a more secluded spot has skyrocketed since the beginning of the pandemic. Whether it be for a permanent move or a short-term holiday, the appeal of dense and busy cities is certainly diminishing.
So, if you’re looking for a secluded getaway yourself, you’re in luck! Flogas – who supply LPG tanks to off grid homes – recently produced the Escapists’ Paradise – a list of the most private holiday spots in the UK. After reviewing 60 areas of Britain and rating their privacy based on the number of CCTV cameras which are publicly owned in each area, the population of each area, where the terms ‘secluded’ and ‘hidden’ are most frequently used on TripAdvisor, and how connected and accessible each area is, the most secluded places in Britain can be revealed!
Using a system where each of the 60 areas are given an overall score out of 100, we can reveal that the following UK destinations are the top five most secluded places on the list.
If you are relocating to London for work purposes or just looking for a change of scenery, there are several things you should know beforehand. By failing to research your new city ahead of time, you run the risk of making a number of costly or time-consuming mistakes.
Continue reading to find out what you should know ahead of your move to the Big Smoke.
Christmas is a joyful time, and why not liven up the season by going on an exciting team-building trip out in the capital with your colleagues from work? During the Christmas period, you can create wonderful precious memories with your friends, family, and work colleagues too. Is the vibe day-to-day in the office a little bit dull at work?
And do you all feel the need to take advantage of the opportunity to have a bit of excitement injected into your lives at Christmas? Then we very much recommend deciding to organise an office social event out in London for your team.
We have come up with some ideas for office party events in London where you team will have a fun time and enjoy themselves.
Dancing is more than just physical exercise. It is an art form as old as civilisation itself. Dancing can trigger feelings of carefree joy. The beauty and magic of dance is a delicate blend of creative moments of the body and the rhythm of your breath, entwined with music. The joy of dance is that it can be spontaneous or it can be meticulously choreographed. Whichever style of dance it is you choose, it can release confidence, positive energy and allow your endorphins to flow.
With these wonderful attributes that dance possesses, it is clear why a rising number of people are looking to find a career in this powerful art form. For those who are looking for a dance career, the most popular location to study or begin a career is in London.
Last Friday morning I had quite the elevated experience as a guest of Melitta UK for the launch of their new luxury line of pour over coffee kit: Melitta Momentum.
In addition to marvelling at the gorgeous range of Melitta Momentum products that was revealed, I had the great pleasure of enjoying a few cups of coffee made with these new products – and the exhilarating experience of having them served 100 feet up in the air! Following a demo of the Momentum range was a London in the Sky breakfast flight over the O2 Arena in North Greenwich.
Coffee, breakfast and the views across the Thames and Canary Wharf were amazing!
Keeping with theMy Coffee with Melitta series, here’s the scoop from this fabulous event!
The corkscrew is a lavish wine bottle opener device. It is a tool for drawing corks from wine bottles easily. It can also be used to open any other household bottles sealed with corks. The mechanism within is to screw the handle into the cork and to pull the cork to extract it.
You can get a manual or electronic corkscrew bottle opener for your requirement. The devices are engineered to remove all stoppers, even the most fragile ones. Peugeot corkscrew is best known as the French art of living. All these products are in high demand due to the style, design, and ease of use of the product. Not only have these but the company dealt with many more articles which are made for your dinner table. The mill Peugeot, the salt mill Peugeot and the coffee mill are some of the ultimate creations of the company. The company, Peugeot Saveurs is located in the east of France in Quingey in the Doubs (French department).
Cannabidiol is loaded with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties that aid in keeping the skin free from allergies. In addition to this, cannabinoid also helps in keeping your face free from unwanted breakouts.
Cannabis oil is produced using the finest quality hemp, which adds to the credibility of the oil’s health benefits. Cibdol is one of the most popular and preferred cannabidiol products because the oil is easy to obtain and use, plus the prices are feasible. The oil is an extract of the natural cannabis compound that is seen as beneficial to skin health and it is widely used for treating skin disorders as well.
Coffee is the most renowned drink of the world, and amongst the most consumed ones.
Since its importation in Europe, during the 16th century (after a centuries-old journey, from its native Ethiopia through North Africa, Middle East and Turkey), it has become part of the gastronomic culture of many areas, gradually spreading its reputation all over the world.
In a remarkable number of countries (Italy, Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, Egypt) it is still today a symbol and a tradition at the same time. Several cities (Naples and Istanbul above all) have built rituals and habits around it. Last but not the least, the entire world of the arts has paid its tribute to coffee, from painting to literature, from theatre to poetry.
Currently, the world of coffee is a constellation of varieties, even though the market is dominated – in an almost hegemonic way – basically by three species: Coffea Arabica, Coffea Canephora and Coffea Liberica. Fortunately, for both the connoisseurs and the simple enthusiasts, a few international organizations (such as, for example, eraofwe.com) are committed to preserve and spread an alternative “coffee culture”, promoting at the same time values like diversity and environmental sustainability. Thanks to them, we are able to taste the difference of many local varieties, including the finest ones.
Regarding this last point, we have detected and listed the five most precious varieties of coffee currently available on the market. You can find them below.
A smartly situated, bright and spacious ground floor studio apartment is for available for rent in Walthamstow at a very nice price. The studio is recently refurbished and in pristine condition and includes sole use of the front garden with bike shed and extra private storage as well as shared use of an especially large back garden.
Yep, that’s right. My flat’s on the market to let. Among the wisest decisions I ever made was to purchase this studio in the heart of Walthamstow. One of your wisest decisions ever might be choosing to live here!
Around 20% of all travel is business-related and 40% of the people extend their journey for a few days for leisure purposes, says a report published by Condor Ferries. And if you’re visiting London, choosing where to stay can make a big difference to your experience. The best option is to choose airport hotels in Luton, London, that offer not just the basic amenities but also added perks like a pool, beautiful landscape and meeting rooms.
Hotels near Luton airport are the best option for business travelers, who might need to travel to different locations for meetings with clients and associates. Your best bet is to book hotels near Luton airport with parking facility and a conference venue for ease of travel and hosting meetings, say experts at Holiday Inn Luton South.
Here are a few other reasons why you should choose accommodation near Luton airport.
There are many benefits linked with renting a home. From not having to worry about repair bills and maintenance costs to having more flexibility as to where you live, renting is still a big life choice that requires lots of thought and consideration.
Before making any big decision, here are a few things to bear in mind while hunting for your new home.
Here it is time for another top up in the My Coffee with Melitta 2021 series! So I reckon the best I’ve got brewing is news about the AromaFresh Grind & Brew from Melitta that I recently have started using to make my morning coffee.
Valued at £169.98, the AromaFresh is one of Melitta’s most popular and best selling coffeemakers. After only a matter of days relying on it for my morning mood boost, I can see (smell and taste) the appeal.
During the whole 2020, camping has become the safest way to go on vacation, preserving our individual and familiar safety and being able to respect every social distancing rule. Thanks to an accurate policy of amenities’ improvement and marketing, in slightly more than a year France has become the homeland of camping for every tourist coming from the rest of Europe.
Europe is an amazing continent with thousands of historic sites, interesting people and, of course, incredible food.
Trying the best that national cuisine has to offer is a “must” part of any vacation, and with so many incredible options to choose from, making a list of what dishes should you try first might be tricky. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
In this post, we’ve gathered the top 8 foods you shouldn’t miss on your grand tour of the most remarkable European countries.
Distilled in Ukraine, Dima’s Vodka is a triple grain vodka made with barley, wheat and rye grown the country’s famously rich black soil to give it a rounder and fuller flavour than most other vodkas. Served ice cold with pickles on the side, Dima’s is a smooth drink for social sipping and a fine tipple to have on hand for when circumstances call for celebration.
Fairly new to the market but already garnering accolades and racking up awards, Dima’s would be a fine addition to the your liquor cabinet shelves, your freezer drawers, and your dinner table. So I’ve teamed up with Dima himself to offer one lucky tikichris reader the chance to win a bottle of this satisfying drink.
Not everyone is a fan of spicy food, that’s for sure. But if you are a person that loves that spicy punch that comes with hot peppers, you have clicked on the right article.
If you want to learn more about the most prominent types of hot peppers, you can do so by reading this quick guide.
Over recent years within the UK, clear braces have become one of the most popular methods that people use to straighten their teeth. Just like traditional metal braces, clear braces are great for straightening or correcting uneven teeth, but they have actually been proven to have many more benefits.
If you are considering getting braces or have been advised by your dentist to do so but are not sure on which type of braces to get, then here is why clear braces may be the braces for you.
There are over 18,061 dentists in the country. That’s a lot of people. If you have just started looking for one, you might be overwhelmed by the choice. Most dentists are competent and honest, but there is the occasional bad apple here and there. The issue is that a bad dentist could cost you a lot of money and complications can get serious, so this is not a choice that you can make on a whim.
Let’s take a look at a few signs that you can trust a dentist.
Much about the world changed in 2021, and men’s health is likely no exception.
After all, world altering events such as the coronavirus may have had a great deal of influence in terms of how people engage with things like fitness. 2020 saw roughly one million people download fitness apps in a bid to stay fit through the pandemic, highlighting a public mood for improving one’s health.
Besides, CBD cannabis can now be cultivated and grown unregulated in Switzerland. On the other hand, numbing cannabis is still prohibited. From January 1, 2021, hemp will no longer be subject to agricultural seed law in Switzerland.
If the past 12 months have taught us anything, it is this – we are connected. Our actions, no matter how small, carry consequences not only for ourselves but for others too. So, as we emerge from a year of reflection and plan on moving through the world more mindfully, there are small steps we can take which may make the world a little better.
One such small change is to become more aware of how and what we buy. Whilst overconsumption and waste have been highlighted during the pandemic is it possible to change enough to create a difference? Sarah Baldwin of Serendip certainly thinks so.
Loads of foodie banter, tales of travel mischief, excellent London food recommendations and lots more filler jammed between two pieces of white loaf: Neil Davey and I are back with a new episode of our podcast All Consumed.
The topic for this long overdue episode is sandwiches and features special guests Allie Williams and Emma Westman.
With wistful thoughts of a pre Covid world, tips on how to cope through the lockdown doldrums and some hopeful discourse about enjoying sarnies in the post pandemic future, the four of us chat about sandwiches – how to make them, where to get them, and how to eat them.
Listen now:
Download and subscribe to All Consumed at Apple Podcasts.
With everything that has happened this past year coupled with the mix of hope and uncertainty represented by the months to come, it’s reassuring to know we still can find comfort in little things that make a big difference.
Whether Zooming for work or for fun; getting up early and going extra late in search of WFH inspiration; or simply seeking a change of pace and chance to reflect – a warm fresh cup of coffee has been at hand to soothe, motivate and help us carry on with what is important.
For me coffee always has been one of my favourite reasons to wake up in the morning. It remains the best (and best tasting) boost for mid morning and early afternoon doldrums. Equally, carving out some quiet downtime during the day to drink a cup of coffee and collect my thoughts is one of the nicest ways I know to treat myself.
So I’m happy to announce that my collaboration with premium coffee brand, Melitta, will continue for another year.
Chicken salsa is one of the family’s favorite dishes to prepare. There are plenty of reasons why this is true, but many of them come from the fact that it’s delicious. Furthermore, it’s quite easy to make, and you get to choose your favorite salsa, making it stand out to your specific likings.
Here are the three best reasons why salsa chicken can be a star of any dinner.