Taste of London Winter Food Festival

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What better way to spend a Thursday evening than catching up with a friend and filling your belly with delicious food from around the world?  Last night my friend Charlotte and I took a race over to Tobacco Dock in Wapping for the opening night of Taste of London’s Winter food festival.  Built in the early 19th Century, the Dock’s main purpose was to provide safe and secure storage of, you guessed it, tobacco imported from the New World.  It was relaunched under new ownership in 2012 and has become a go-to exhibition space for the city.

Despite the cold weather food fans came out in droves making it their mission to sample as much as the top button of their jeans would allow. I had won a pair of tickets to the event from Time Out magazine so we didn’t have to pay the £25 standard entry fee – £19 if you buy in advance – leaving us with more money to spend on food and drink inside – hurrah!

We picked up our tickets fairly easily and made our war through to the registration room where we joined a hungry herd of customers trying to figure out how to activate their ticket.  This was definitely the most frustrating part of the process.  In order to be able to buy anything you need to pay via your ticket which you register on an iPad upon arrival.  You then have to wait for a registration email which will activate your card and mean you are ready to upload credit called ‘crowns’ with which to pay for your food and drink.  You can either do this by entering your card details online or going to one of the many crown booths dotted around the festival.  We, like many other visitors, had problems activating our cards initially and didn’t want to enter our details online so we just queued up at the booths and swapped our hard earned mula for crowns.  I have no idea how we would have managed this process had we not both had smartphones.

Once we were in we were chomping at the bit – (expect more puns of this ilk) – to get stuck in.  First stop: gin o’clock at Sipsmith where we warmed up with a delicious mulled sloe gin.  So good in fact that I had a second later on – no pics I’m afraid.  Was too busy focusing on the task at hand.

The venue itself seemed a little out of the way at first glance but was in fact really easy to get to with the Overground.  From the station it is so easy to find.  Follow Wapping Lane for 5 minutes and your there!  The space lent itself very well to the festival with a huge variety of food and drinks stalls around every corner and across two levels.  We noticed there seemed to be more drink than food stalls throughout but overall a great selection.

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It’s a wonder we were able to resist this!

There were also a number of masterclasses with the professionals, an abundance of free food and drink, a toasty firepit, acoustic music and a DJ set to keep guests entertained.  Alex James (former Blur bassist, now cheese maker extraordinaire) even gave the decks a wee spin for posterity.

In the spirit of trying new things, (and a little emboldened by my earlier tipple), we headed to Andina for some Peruvian delicacies.  I opted for the sea bass ceviche – fish not exactly cooked, cured maybe, in no less than the juice of 12 limes tossed with red onion, avocado, sweet potato and avocado.  The texture was unlike anything I’ve ever tasted – chewy but not rubbery; tangy and a bit of an assault on the senses.  I liked it!  The lady at the counter gave me the recipe for it but I think her faith in my culinary abilities far exceeds my own so I might just leave it to the professionals and book a table at Andina instead.

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After pootling about, learning – and forgetting – which wine goes best with blue cheese, (a Spanish red of some description), we decided to take some goodies home with us.  First stop, East London’s own Bad Brownie.  With a regular stall at Saturday’s Broadway Market that I’ve been meaning to get along to for ages, they are super popular and have recently been voted the best brownie in London – imagine having a job where you get to taste baked goods all day?  WOW.

I opted for one of their famous maple syrup and bacon brownies and a chai latte brownie.  Sadly – or perhaps fortunately for my waistline – their crown machine wasn’t working so we weren’t able to buy anymore. I’ve been saving them for tonight’s train journey to York and I’m quite frankly amazed they are still in tact.  They smell so good!

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Of course, we also had to buy some of Alex James’s Blue Monday cheese.  I had some on an omelette today and it was delicious – tangy, creamy, a little sweet.  Who’d have thought Alex was really contemplating owning his own dairy back in the days of Country House?!

Awkward registration process and temperamental card machines aside we had a really fun time soaking up the atmosphere and tasting amazing foods at Taste of London.  I think it would have ended up being a very expensive night had we had to pay for our tickets but that said it would be a great place for a special occasion – a pre-Christmas catch up with the girls (or boys) instead of going to a traditional Christmas Dinner party maybe? Best get there early to take full advantage of the amazing food and drink on offer.  Wear loose clothes for maximum sampling ability!

Taste of London Winter Festival runs until Sunday 23rd November.  Tickets available here.

Bon appétit!xx

Fancy winning a trip to the most magical place on the planet?

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Thought that might catch your eye!  Well, today, my friend, is your lucky day because until midnight tonight Visit Faroe Islands is running a competition for one lucky winner and a friend to fly from anywhere in the world to this magical place for a 4 night stay in the jewel of the Nordic countries’ crown.

Comprised of 18 islands and a total of 1,289km of coastline the Faroes as they’re colloquially known are a nature lover’s paradise.  No matter where you are on any of the islands you’re only ever 5km from the ocean – how many places in the world can claim that?

With less than 50,000 inhabitants across all the islands the Faroes is the ideal place if you want to get away from it all and get back to nature.  The terrain is ideal for hiking and trail running but if you fancy a slower pace you can earn your sea legs by taking a boat tour and checking out some of the 300 species of migrating bird that flock to the islands to breed.  If you can’t imagine a holiday without a soundtrack what could be better than embracing HOYMA – the newest trend of enjoying a concert from the comfort of your sofa, as featured in last week’s Nordic Style magazine?  Or, if you prefer a bit of a bop there’s always the annual G! Festival where you can dance the day (and night) away before unwinding in a relaxing hot tub with an ocean view.  If you want to get a flavour for tradition plan your trip to coincide with the Faroe Islands’ National Day, Ólavsøka in July.  And if you’re looking for a souvenir, why not follow Sarah Lund’s lead and snap up a jumper that will keep you toasty warm when nothing else will do.

Entering the competition is really easy.  All you have to do is follow this link and select your favourite image from the current ad campaign and write a slogan to accompany it.  Then you simply enter your details, click enter and keep your fingers crossed that today might be your lucky day.  You can share your entry on your Facebook page if you have one although, as far as I understand, the winning postcard will not be dependent on the number of likes it receives online, rather on whichever slogan captures the essence of the Faroes best.  If you do share your entry on Facebook and Twitter, make sure you use the hashtag #visitfaroeislands

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The winning entry? 😉

My love for the Faroes comes from my Omma, Johanna – or ‘Nanny’ as she’s best known to me – who was born in Tórshavn – the capital of the Faroe Islands.  She grew up there with her brother and sisters and got a job as a nurse in a local hospital.  During the Second World War she met a young man from Belfast – I suppose you know where this is going by now – fell in love, got married and moved to Northern Ireland where she and her husband made a life for themselves but she never forgot her Faroese roots.

Over the years, Nanny travelled back home for visits, each time bringing more of her extended with her to share in the place that had made her so happy growing up.  A few years ago she began to suffer from dementia but every now and then she would talk about wanting to go home one last time.  A couple of years ago my mum, aunt and uncle moved heaven and earth to make it happen and Nanny was able to make one last trip to Tórshavn.  Sadly, I didn’t get to go along but I know my Nanny had a great time – she even got to stay in Hotel Foroyar – reportedly the swankiest of all the hotels on all of the islands.

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Nanny’s dementia has progressed she isn’t able to walk and sometimes struggles to communicate so we are so grateful she was able to go home when she did.  Nowadays she loves to listen to songs she grew up with – her favourite is a little tune by the name of Eitt Sunnukvøld í Plantasjuni. They never fail to make her happy!  In Nanny’s case, once you’ve been to the Faroes, the memories you make there take up residence in your heart and your head for the rest of your life.

Fingers and toes crossed that luck is on your side!  And if not it’s time to get saving!  Bon voyage!xx

Blood Swept Lands & Seas of Red: A visit to the Tower of London

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Even though the installation has been around since August I only managed to get down to see the poppies at the Tower of London properly this weekend when some friends came to stay.  I had attempted a visit the previous week but I left it too late to head down and Tower Bridge was completely packed so by the time I made it to the Tower it was dusk and the light had all but disappeared.

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DSCF0017We headed down on Remembrance Sunday, together with thousands of others, hoping to catch a glimpse of artist Paul Cummins’s 888,246 ceramic poppies.  If you’re not familiar with the installation, each poppy represents the life of a member of the British military who died in the First World War, 1914 – 1918.

A sea of crimson surrounds the Tower, ebbing and flowing around the brickwork, waves of ceramic poppies spilling out from turrets like tears saturating the ground below.

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It was humbling to walk with people from all corners of the world that day, all of whom paid their respects to relatives and unknown military personnel whose lives were lost in the Great War.  Most visitors wore paper poppies which they fastened to their lapels while some favoured more intricate, even handmade, designs.  Along the railings people had left mementos and markers to commemorate fallen relatives they never got to meet.

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As we wove our way along the path, in amongst groups of tourists taking selfies and families on days out the mood became sombre as it neared 11am – the time of the two minute silence.  When the time came the whole crowd fell silent.  Cameras stopped clicking, nobody moved a muscle.  It was quite an emotional experience to be there during the silence, reflecting on the lives lost in the First World War, and those lost in all the wars since.

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Over the past few weeks it seems that everyone has had an opinion on wearing – and not wearing – the poppy, which is widely regarded as a symbol of the British lives lost during WW1.  Personally, I always wear a poppy, irrespective of various parties’ attempts to politicise it’s meaning.  For me, it’s a reminder that war is gruesome and cruel and not something to be entered into lightly.  I wear my poppy as a mark of respect, to remember all those lives lost, from John Condon, the child soldier from Waterford who died in Ypres after a mustard gas attack to octogenarian Lord Roberts who was recalled to service in his 80s and everyone else who bravely fought, shoulder to shoulder, until the very end.

A horn signalled the end of the silence and, out of nowhere, the crowd came back to life with rapturous applause.  Before we dispersed, to different corners of the city and beyond, we remembered the sacrifice that strangers made for us so that we might be able to go about our business freely, as though the war had never happened in the first place.

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Homage to the Yorkshire Pudding

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As the nights draw in that wee bit earlier and pumpkin spiced lattes have reappeared on every Starbucks menu so my hankering for hearty comfort food has returned.  Salads are all well and good in the summertime but when the air begins to cool and you find yourself having to plan your outfits around warmth and potential rain showers you need something a little warmer ahead of, dare I say it, Winter!

But Autumn’s only just arrived.  Let’s enjoy her company and settle into Sunday walks, kicking leaves in the park and indulging in that quintessentially British meal: the roast dinner.

There are so many bars and bistros in London boasting how their culinary efforts in this department are unrivalled but if, like me, you’re far from an expert it can be a bit tricky to sort the bravado from the brisket, so to speak.  Fear not!  Help is at hand!

Waaaaaay back in the Summer I won a competition with London’s newest lifestyle magazine, About Time, to enjoy a roast dinner with a twist at Harvey Nichols’ newest pop-up restaurant, Hereford + York.  Rather than competing with every other bistro on the block the team identified the thing that sets the British roast dinner from its counterparts around the world and created an entire menu around the one and only Yorkshire pudding.

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Sophie and I called in one balmy Summer’s afternoon – not your typical roast-dinner-eating weather but with our bellies empty we hopped up to the bar in eager anticipation of what was billed as the best roast in town.

The lovely team behind the pass were Brandon and Iria who recommended the salmon filled Yorkie but I couldn’t be tempted to stray from the original – and arguably the best – roast beef.

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I’m clearly delighted at the prospect of a free meal

Our supersized H+F christened ‘Yorkies’ were piled high with succulent roast beef, onions and cress before being drizzled with a peppery horseradish sauce.  A word to the wise: this is not date food unless you really want to showcase how good you are at getting cress stuck in between your teeth!  Our Yorkies were delicious, if a little heavy for the season but definitely the perfect Autumnal warmer after a day out enjoying the fresh air.

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Sophie adopts the ‘two hand’ approach to her lunch

I caught up with Michael Vivian – one of the restaurant’s three co-founders-  to find out what makes the perfect roast dinner…

Preparing the perfect Roast Dinner is about two things: quality ingredients and timing.  

“Meats have been roasted in the Britain dating back to prehistory and it is probably the technique for which we are most famous (don’t forget the French call us “les Rosbifs”!).  However it’s the Yorkshire pudding which is probably the king of our kitchen.  It’s lighter than a sandwich, more succulent than a wrap and far tastier, and it was that which inspired us to show how versatile it can be!

The name Hereford + York comes from the origins of the ingredients – Hereford Beef and Yorkshire Puddings.  We always make sure that our beef is British and farm assured – we’re passionate about being able to track all of our produce from field to service.

Each part of the meal is relatively simple and therefore the quality of the ingredients should always really shine through.

As the techniques involved in every part of the dish are not too complicated, the skill comes in making sure everything comes together at the right time – there’s no shame in having a timetable stuck to the fridge!

Of course the great thing about a roast is being able to share it with family and friends along with a tasty red wine!”

Hereford + York’s time at Harvey Nichols has now come to an end but judging by their social media pages it looks like a new pop-up home has been found.  Keep an eye to the team’s Twitter feed for updates on their relaunch and make sure you’re at the head of the queue when they do.

Thanks to About Time and Hereford + York for a lovely afternoon – it’s definitely one for every foodie’s bucket list!  I’d love to know if you have any weird and wonderful foods you’d like to try.  Maybe you’ve tried a great modern twist on a classic dish?  Feel free to share comments in the section below, I’m always up for trying a good recommendation!  Bon appétit!xx

A nod to The Great British Bake Off

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It’s that time of year again when we shun the last of the early evening sunshine in favour of snuggling up on the sofa and willfully thigh-expanding in front of the television.  There’s a hint of cinammon in the air, a floury residue on counter tops and a lot of ooh-ing and aah-ing when it comes to sampling the fruits of your labour.  I am of course talking about The Great British Bake Off.  It started from its new, prime time home of BBC 1 last night.  Sadly I missed it but my lovely flatmate series linked it so we can all enjoy a weekend Bake Off binge in the not too distant future. If you’ve never seen it before, take a peek at the trailer below.  If you’re an emotional eater like me you need to watch this programme!  There are highs, lows and tastings laced with salty tears of some of the UK’s finest amateur bakers.  I love it and judging by the hysteria on my Facebook newsfeed yesterday I’m not alone.

 

 

Now I know my limitations in the kitchen,  (don’t expect too many breathtaking bake pics from me on this blog) but I am good with flavours.  This week I had some over-ripe bananas that needed using up and my flatmate sent me this great Sophie Dahl recipe to try.  I adapted it a little and chucked in walnuts, chia seeds, 2 tbsp raw cacao powder and a good tsp of cinammon at the very end and it turned out to be totally delicious!

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I also swapped the flour for gluten free self-raising flour and topped it off with little pearl sugars I bought in Scandinavian Kitchen.  I’m working my way up to using them on cinnamon buns I hope to make when the weather cools a little.

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The results speak for themselves: perfectly moist, even a couple of days after baking.  If you find that your bread is baking too fast on the outside but taking a little longer to catch up inside then cover with some tin foil in the last 5 or 10 minutes of baking to the stop from burning and ensure the inside bakes properly.

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Best enjoyed warm with a slather of butter and a cup of tea.xx