Who needs cookbooks?
How many cookbooks do you own? And how many recipes have you cooked from them? That's the question I ask in a piece I've written for the BBC food site. As a food journalist I own a lot of books about food. What often surprises people, however, is that I don’t own too many cookery...
Sipsmith Sloe Gin Showdown
As you may know I've a bit of previous with the Sipsmith boys. I interviewed them for Waitrose Kitchen (read it here) as well as my book, needless to say I'm a big fan, their setup and their product. So much so that last Christmas when the snow was deep and crisp and even the...
A man of appetites: Herbs go bananas
This week on AOL I take a European grand tour looking at the history and culinary uses of summer herbs. Historically herbalists can't seem to agree on the uses and effects of basil. The English botanist, Nicholas Culpeper (1616 – 1654) says of it 'all authors are together by the ears about, and rail at...
A man of appetites: the secret history of the meringue
This week Louisa and I got 'all white' as we got stuck into the meringue. There's a lot of history to this simple combination of eggs whites and vinegar. Larousse goes on to say that the French chef Marie-Antoine Carême - the king of chefs and the chef of kings – was the first to pipe the...
Review of Food Britannia on Guardian Books
Kathryn Hughes has reviewed Food Britannia in the Guardian Review (30th July). Here are some of the things she's said. In Food Britannia Andrew Webb embarks on a food-lover's tour of Britain, searching out regional specialities, meeting people who've started businesses from their kitchen table, and generally finding reasons to be cheerful about the state...
A man of appetites: Bloomin’ tasty
Despite Uncle Monty's assertion that 'I think the carrot infinitely more fascinating than the geranium. The carrot has mystery. Flowers are essentially tarts. Prostitutes for the bees' flowers do have there place in the kitchen. It is to them, that Louisa and I have turned our eyes this week on AOL lifestyle Most of the...
Guide to buying local on ITV’s 10 Mile Menu
Here's something I wrote for ITV's new food show, Ten Mile Menu. If you've ever wanted to see Bobby Davro let loose in a kitchen, this is the show for you! We're all used to relying on our local supermarket for the food we eat every day. But with a few small changes,...
A man of appetites: Fish and chips
This week Lou and I have looked at the joy that is fish and chips. Which as everyone knows somehow taste better when eaten at the seaside. Indeed apart from a picnic, which is essentially the inside taken outside, there are few hot meals that we eat in in full public view. The exact origins...
A man of appetites: Berries and cherries
This week Lou and I look at summer fruits, the hard to find gooseberry and the wonderful cherry. They both have a long history in Britain, Gooseberries shows were once a top day out for Northern workers, while cherry fairs were held in southern counties. Both events used the fruit as an excuse to meet...
Me on Steve Wright’s show
A few weeks ago Steve Wright thumbed through a copy of my book on air and liked the look of it. I ask Random House's PR to see if they'd like me to come on the show and talk about it in person, which they did. Below is my interview with Steve and the crew,...
Fancy blogging for the Huffington Post UK?
Huffington Post is launching in the UK next week and is actively seeking bloggers, contributors and people with opinions, stories and something to say. Food, farming, shopping, eating, and anything else that comes under the umbrella of 'lifestyle' is included. I'll be chipping in with my thoughts on absolutely anything, alongside my AOL column. This...
Interview on The Food Programme BBC Radio 4
A few weeks ago Tim Hayward and producer Maggie Ayre popped by my house for a cuppa and a chat about new food entrepreneurs. Tim was interested in people who had started new food businesses in the midst of a economic downturn. I've met many of these small businesses on my travels, indeed my book's...
