Trullo, Islington
Jay Rayner's July 2010 review of Trullo contains the line 'My one fear, I said, was that they couldn't keep it up; that I'd give it a glowing review and then get emails from furious readers in six months' time saying it was no longer such a star'. Well if my experience the other night...
Me on Robert Elms’ show BBC London
Here's me talking about the food of London featured in Food Britannia on the Robert Elms show on BBC London 94.9. Robert's a fan of black pudding, and also knows his London food history, correctly saying that parsley liquer served with pie and mash was traditionally made with the water the jellied eels had been cooked...
Food Britannia is now available
After what seems like an age, Food Britannia is available to buy now from your favourite online retailer (Amazon, WH Smith or direct from the publishers Random House) It is quite possibly the hardest but most enjoyable thing I have ever done. It’s not all doom and gloom: there is much deliciousness in the British Isles. You just...
The Ultra Local Box Scheme
The rise (and some might say fall) of the vegetable box scheme has been one of the hallmarks of the change in the way we get produce through our front doors in recent years. The problem for me with box schemes however was not so much the lucky dip contents of the box*, but the...
In praise of washing up
When I was younger and extended family came for a visit mum would do a lunch. On the day itself was an air of palpable excitement in the house, extra cleaning had to be done, a special lunch was planned, and no one was allowed to use the loo or make a mess anywhere until...
Feed your imagination? I left hungry
What happens when you combine a Collection of THINKERS, a World Renowned CHEF and a FOOD FUTUREOLOGIST? The answer is general confusion if last night is anything to go by. Oh where to begin? As a food journalist and an ex-Central Saint Martins graduate the prospect of a food/art event in East London organised by...
Something Brewing in the East End…
Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Leyton, where we lay our scene. The families of both CAMRA and Slow Food came together last Thursday for a tour of East London’s newest brewery. Brodie’s Beers was set up a year ago round the back of the William the Forth pub on Leyton High street....
Eating Eurovision: Malta
Malta?! I put my hand in the bag first and out of the 25 countries I drew Malta. My GCSE Geography dusted itself off and swung into action. ‘Small Island, somewhere in the Med, bombed a lot during the war’ it said. But as for food, it drew a blank, along with the rest of...
The BBFM makes the AOP shortlist
Wooo! I’m very pleased to say that the Big British Food Map has made the shortlist of the Association of Online Publishers 2009 Awards. It’s in the commercial partnership category. As you may be aware Ford sponsored the project, lending me at brand new Ford Focus econetic which I only dented once (this tree came...
Eating Eurovision
Occupying my spare time for the next few weeks is my latest project, Eating Eurovision. The premise? Can 25 food bloggers eat the cuisine of the 25 Eurovision finalists in 25 hours all within the M25? If you want to join up, get yourself along to our Ning group. Should be good fun, now I...
Tuckin’ in at Tayyabs
After inviting Chris and Niamh to sample some legendary Italian (dis)organisation and (un)hospitality followed by death by Powerpoint in Italian (and the odd dribble of olive oil); they very kindly invited me to a foodie chin-wag and nosh at Tayyabs. The great and the good of food blogging London was there, spread over two tables...
Is it time to reboot the restaurant critique?
Let’s see if you’re Saturday morning resembles this… You’re low on milk, so play thumb war to see who goes to the corner shop where the loser also gets the Guardian. Upon returning you play a sort of gin rummy with each of the sections, holding in your ‘hand’ the Travel, Guide and Magazine,...
