Category: FOOD & DRINK

Bluebird Cafe London is putting on a frozen afternoon tea with Halo Top icecream

Halo Top Bluebird

This American Independence Day, we’ll be celebrating in our own way across the pond in London: Bluebird Cafe is doing something new. Renowned as one of the places to go in Chelsea and White City, Bluebird Cafe is joining up with the American icecreamers, Halo Top, to put on a frozen afternoon tea you want to try. It’s all for National Icecream Month and will be all about dazzling locals combining classic cakes with playful ice cream flavours. The two names in food have worked closely to create a special take on the traditional afternoon tea, fusing unique ice cream flavours with classic desserts. Complete with heart-stoppingly sweet ‘freak shakes’ of cookies ‘n’ cream with whipped cream and a chocolate slice, or a boozy iced tea for those wanting to spice things up, it’s a far cry from your regular Thursday wind-down bevs. Here’s more of the menu to look forward to: Gateau Opera Birthday Cake: an elegant, sprinkled cake layered with a vanilla sponge and birthday cake flavoured ice cream Strawberry Cheesecake Stick: a strawberry cheesecake ice cream stick dipped in white chocolate and topped with dried strawberries Cinnamon Roll Royale: an ode to another very special British/American pairing, this cinnamon roll ice cream treat is lined with candied apples, piped into a ginger snap cylinder and topped with burnt meringue, similar to a classic American pie flavour in a crisp British ginger snap Candy Bar Macaron: a luxe ice cream sandwich in the form of a macaron filled with candy bar ice cream… Read More

Where to eat the best oysters in London this summer

Oyster Chop House 1

For the times you just need the flavours of the ocean and you’re nowhere near one to get your fix, the Butlers Wharf Chop House is calling your name. Combined with fine English sparkling wine, Nyetimber, the two brands are bringing London what they’re calling The Oyster Shack. It’s open from 5 June – 31 August and will live in the foyer of the restaurant. They new pop up will specialise in the world-famous Colchester Rock Oysters with their meaty and firm texture, served alongside Nyetimber’s high-quality and complex sparkling wine. They’re also doing packages, of the likes of: Four Colchester Rock Oysters with a glass of Nyetimber Brut (£21.50) four Colchester Rock Oysters and two glasses of Nyetimber Brut (£32); dozen Colchester Rock Oysters and a bottle of Nyetimber Brut (£95); and a seasonal seafood platter (£46).  For more or to make a booking to visit, head to the Chophouse’s website, or find it at 36e Shad Thames, London SE1 2YE.

The Sydney South Coast Food & Wine Festival is back

South Coast food wine 1

Down in Berry, South of Sydney, the South Coast Food and Wine Festival is back, serving up some of the country’s best regional food and wine. From Friday 13 – Sunday 15 September the festival promises to showcase the very best the South Coast has to offer. To the tune of over 15 events, there’ll be cooking classes, demos and tastings from local hero chefs, hatted restaurants hosting pop-ups, first-rate South Coast vineyards, and superb local producers, all supported by a vibrant array of free live music and entertainment. Food and wine on offer is 100% from south coast producers, thanks to the talents of over 50 stallholders expected to be showcasing delicacies from all over the region. Think seafood, cheese, berries, wines and much more for hungry and curious food lovers. Tickets to the South Coast Food & Wine Festival cost just $28pp and are on sale now at the Festival’s website. WHAT: The South Coast Food & Wine FestivalWHERE & WHEN: Friday 13– Sunday 15 September 2019 Berry Showgrounds, Berry, NSWTICKETS: $28pp

Taste of London: Blondie’s Kitchen does delightful desserts

Blondies Kitchen

The weather in London couldn’t be worse for it, but the food festival known around the world as Taste is back in town and showcasing a tonne of great foodie favourites. From Wednesday 19 – 23 June, Taste will take over London’s Reagent’s Park (get tickets here) in Marylebone – right near the food hub of Fitzrovia – to celebrate the London food scene and put the spotlight on some city favourites. One favourite of which is Blondie’s Kitchen: an independent operation by Chelsie and Kristelle whose love for food and the the chemistry they had working alongside one another in the kitchen gave birth to their proverbial food baby that’s taking the city, one sweet tooth at a time. They’re super excited to be apart of the festival this year, offering up some items that can only be found in the grounds. “We’re going to be serving hot cookie dough, fresh from the oven, topped with ice cream and we’ve never done this before,” said Chelsie. “You can expect lots of sweet happiness this year! We’re even topping our hot milk choc cookie dough with Frosties cereal milk ice cream. We’re also super excited to be the only dessert offering in the Deliveroo restaurant pop up. It looks so cool! You sit down, sample some dishes from around Taste and get served to your table,” she said. The festival’s all about making food accessible, enjoyable, social and much for fuel for the bod as it is about bringing people together for a chill and… Read More

Save the bees by drinking cocktails in London

Honey Skylon dessert

The bar’s been decked out in flowers and summer blooms for the season, but it’s the drinks Skylon will be serving that will have the biggest impact. Benefitting most from what the bar’s doing, the bees of London will score a boost to conservation’s funding by immersing drinkers into a beetime utopia. They’re donating £1 to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust from each person’s bar bill. From the 17th June, Skylon will be launching a beehive installation transporting guests into a dripping honeycomb of dreams. As well as a visual treat, the bar on Southbank, will collaborate with Laurent Perrier to design three cocktails, each focusing on the versatility of Champagne while enhancing the unctuous floral flavour of honey. Think drinks like the Bee Old Fashioned, Honey! featuring a muddle of Bulleit bourbon, apple, hazelnut, orange, applewood honey smoke, and Laurent Perrier Cuvée to make one tasty, smoky cocktail. Then there’s the Honey Bear, made with Zacapa 23-year-old rum, amaretto, turmeric, honey, peach, citrus and Laurent Perrier Cuvée, is a delightfully refreshing drink with mild spicy notes. While the Queen Bee wraps up the spread nicely, made of Tanqueray No10 gin, Hibiscus, Pimms cup No1, wild berry shrub, honey paint and Laurent Perrier Cuvée Rose. If you’re a bit hungry, too, the menu’s also taken on a honey-inspired slant, with honey-inspired dessert to coincide with the installation, the Honey Nut Hive. It’s a textural delight, the pudding comprises a toasted walnut cake and burnt honey ice cream, topped with shards of honeycomb and bee pollen.  See more at the Skylon… Read More

Chef Paul Iskov from The New Vanguard on Melbourne Good Food Month

Paul Iskov

Melbourne Good Food Month is back in town now, so we spoke to one kitchen man in the know who’s got some exciting things on the go. Name’s Paul Iskov from The New Vanguard in Melbourne and he’s leading the charge on what the restaurant’s name legacy will be in the southern food scene. Iskov will be cooking alongside Matt Stone in their Good Food Month event, which needless to say, he’s pretty stoked for. “I’m really looking forward to getting over to the East Coast and cooking for Melbourne Good Food Month. Matt is a great chef, really leading the way in Australia and changing the way people think, cook and eat, it’s going to be a really fun event and look forward to checking out the rest of the Festival,” said Iskov. We had a chat to him about what to expect and how it’s all going to go down. Why is food so good in Melbourne?  Melbourne has some of the best restaurants in Australia and the world, it is so multicultural and you have a huge amount of choices, when it comes to dining out. There is a huge amount of talented cook’s and when you pair that with great produce from the region, you get to experience some great food. How do you think what you do sets you apart from the rest of the Australian food scene? I would say Fervor is different in a few ways, but the main thing would be we don’t have a permanent restaurant,… Read More

LONDON: Pop-up mixology classes to get you loose

Gin cocktail

Cocktails aren’t just for drinking, they’re for making, and there’s no one better to make your favourite libations with than Mixology Events. They’re putting on a summer affair this year if that’s your bag, across London, which involves flash classes in an eclectic selection of venues, from a Shoreditch rooftop to an art gallery in the heart of Fitzrovia. Each pop-up will place a distinct emphasis on learning how to master cocktail classics within a fun and unusual setting. The series kicks off on Friday 21 June with an al fresco ‘Summer Solstice Rooftop Masterclass’ that will focus on the art of perfecting classic summertime cocktails. It’ll go down at TT Liquor in Shoreditch and comes complete with views stretching across East London. Event number two is on Wednesday 24 July at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery in Fitzrovia. It’s all about rum for rum month and will focus on good bevs for the London summer. And the best part is, these two summer events are just the start of what Mixology has to offer. From 7-11 August, there’s an espresso martini fest to educate drinkers about one of the world’ favourite cocktails. And then, they’re tacking on a food-focused instalment with supper clubs, joined by celebrated chefs that will focus on food and cocktail pairings in some swanky London venues. Tickets are priced at £70 per two-hour class, which includes 5 cocktails. Get your tickets here.

Colicci opens The Serpentine Coffee House in Hyde Park London this summer

Hyde Park London

There’s a new cafe coming to London, right in the middle of Hyde Park. Colicci has partnered with architecture and design practice Mizzi Studio and The Royal Parks to open The Serpentine Coffee House this summer; what will be an all-day eatery on the banks of The Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park London.  On the menu is such gastronomic magic to make your visit to the park that much nicer; morning bites through to afternoon treats and freshly churned gelato. And if that’s not enough, take your pick from a deli-style menu which will feature the likes of chicken avocado piadina wraps; sourdough baguettes generously filled with either tuna, egg mayo, or salami and brie, and Puligese ciabattas.  The countertop will showcase a selection of artisanal bakery products such as gluten-free brownies, white chocolate and cranberry muffins, almond shortbread slices, carrot cake and blueberry crumble cake. There’s a tonne going on in a setting befitting even the Queen herself – she does live backing onto it, after all – so you know it’s going to be top notch. The new set up even comes complete with stunning views of the Serpentine Lake and the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, so if good views and good food are your thing, this might be worth checking out. Find Colicci in Hyde Park.

New Zealand’s month-long food festival is coming to Wellington

Wellington plate food

New Zealand’s capital, Wellington, is about to say hello again to its favourite food festival, Wellington on a Plate. For the first time, they’re taking it out to a new and improved format and extending it to the whole month of August. Think 31 days, 5 weekends and loads of foodie goodness. Bars, bistros, food trucks and fine dining will pump out hundreds of dishes through heaps of foodie events alongside creative menus, burgers, cocktails and food pop-ups for die-hard bingers. It even comes complete with over 20 top international and local chefs from all over the world to the shores of Wellington to cook right here in the culinary capital. These names are synonymous with exciting and innovative cuisine, often only available in far-off places, and will be sure to excite both foodies and newbies alike. See more at the Wellington on a Plate website.

LONDON: Botanist Gin and Little Yellow Door make new chlorophyll cocktail

Botanist cocktail

Notting Hill is known for a lot of things – thanks Hugh Grant – and now, it’s got another notch on its belt thanks to The Botanist Gin and local watering hole, The Little Yellow Door. Together they’ve made the city’s first chlorophyll-based brunch cocktail, served at the eclectic late-night cocktail bar to emulate the rip-roaring brunches their sister venue, The Little Blue Door has been making since last year. The drink’s called the Hangover and is an alcohol-infused body purifying breakfast tipple packs one hell of a punch with more health benefits than drinks can shake a stick at; a fresh, nutritional drink made with The Botanist Gin, elderflower, egg white, chlorophyll, served in a coupette with mint and chlorophyll perfume. It’s all available from 8 June on the Saturday menu forever. See more at the bar’s website.