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Why I'm spamming over the EU

2016-06-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

I was a little surprised when I realised how many political posts I've shared on Facebook of late, but I guess it shows how strongly I feel about the EU Referendum. I thought I'd share the reasons why I feel strongly that we should remain, it's such an important decision that I worry some may take too lightly, or even worse, not vote at all.

1 - I am really worried about leaving the EU because I believe it will be bad for the UK economy for many years to come.
2 - If it were not for the UK being part of the EU I would not have met the man I married, spent a year in France / spent seven months in Berlin - amazing experiences that helped me gain confidence and appreciate two very different but wonderful cultures. And speak the lingo of course (bit rusty now though)
3 - I worry that the main reason that most people will vote for Brexit is due to racism. The fact the red tops are spreading all kinds of untruths about immigrants doesn't help.
4 - Both sides are scare-mongering but the Leave Campaign is basing its argument on lies... An MP even switched sides because of this.
5 - Many high profile business are backing remain - many large UK employers...Will these guys leave our shores if we vote out?
6 - The world is a scary place - people from so many regions are fighting but the EU has lived in peace ever since it was founded. Surely we are safer in?
7 - The majority of University educated (sorry but we are the ones prepared to read long, complicated articles) are pro EU.
8 - The EU facilitates our exports, we would lose 500 million customers if we were to vote out.
9 - So many accuse the EU of bringing in too many regulations but so many of these have been positive - equal rights, better working hours, cleaner beaches, less pollution to name a few.
10 - Those leading the Leave campaign are ignorant, power-seeking individuals

Stunning food and internationally acclaimed wines - work doesn't get better than this!

2016-04-05T08:28:00.005-07:00

Despite working in PR for the past 18 years, I'd be surprised if any of my family or non-PR friends really understand what I do day to day. A lot of the job is quite mundane and there's a lot of chasing involved but there are also occasions where the perks make it all worth while.

As was the case recently when I was lucky enough to join a select group of food and drink writers in enjoying a delicious five course lunch with wines from the celebrated Maison Paul Jaboulet Aine. The purpose of the lunch was to showcase the wines being served at an upcoming Gourmet Wine Dinner on Thursday 14 April. These being amongst the finest wines in the world, we wanted diners to understand what made this five course dinner well worth it's £100 price tag.

The guests included Ellen Manning who writes Eat With Ellen, Douglas Blyde, whose drinks knowledge never fails to impress me, he shares his many wine adventures on Intoxicating Prose, Mary Griffin, a freelance journalist specialising in food and drink, Paul Fulford, former restaurant critic at the Birmingham Post who relived his great wine memories at the lunch and Richard McComb, former features writer at the Birmingham Post and a big fan of Adam's cooking.

In the past, organising press events used to give me sleepless nights - Would they show up? Would they enjoy/ find it useful and would everything go to plan on the day? Fortunately, now that I'm working with talented chefs and restaurateurs I know that they are in good hands and that any hitches will be dealt with swiftly and professionally. The Maison Paul Jaboulet Aine lunch was no exception. The Cross team recently teamed up with BMW Warwick and they kindly collected the journalists from the station so they arrived at The Cross in style. I enjoyed a ride back to the station in a BMW 7 Series and would have been very happy had the journey continued onto Streatham such was the luxurious comfort.

Andy and Nick from Bibendum, helped introduce the lunch but they left it to Giuseppe, The Cross' fantastic restaurant manager to introduce each of the wines. Giuseppe is Italian and hospitality runs through his blood, he's a natural host and passionate about his job and wine. We were a table of ten and the fact that presentations were kept to a minimum made for a relaxed atmosphere. We also had Andreas holding court with his culinary adventures which is always entertaining.

I successfully completely (with merit) my WSET (Wine Spirits Educational Trust) Level 2 last October but the one thing I always struggled with was the tasting - people in my group were calling out pineapple, redcurrants and petrol while my input ended at the level of sweetness and bitterness and whether it was a good example of the wine.

Similarly I didn't have any creative descriptions to bring to the table last month but I can confidently tell you that every dish was perfectly balanced and that the wines were truly excellent. Adam's cooking is full of flavour and he can turn the simplest ingredients into an exceptional dish. The first course of Portland crab, avocado, pomelo and cumin was light and elegant and perfectly brought to life with the Crozes Hermitage Blanc Les Jalets. The second course of pork cheek, Roscoff onion, wild garlic mash, blood bread sent everyone silent - such a satisfying dish. The main of Highland venison, haggis, celeriac, pear was perfectly executed - the pear lightly coated in sugar and toasted to add a lovely delicate sweetness and crunch. The celeriac puree was highly complemented and there were comments about wanting to lick the plate clean.

Hermitage La Chapelle Paul Jaboulet Aine was the wine we were all waiting for and this was served with Aged Gouda and Aged Comte. I'm a huge cheese fan and I could happily dine for hours on cheese and wine. I liked the fact we could savour the wine alongside something so simple but others believed that its characteristics might have been better brought out with the main course.

However, all agreed that the dessert of mango crumble, acacia honey ice cream served with Muscat de Beaumes de Venise Paul Jaboulet Aine was a match made in heaven. It was certainly a perfect way to end a thoroughly enjoyable lunch.

Such was the positive feedback from everyone at the table that I left Kenilworth feeling warm inside and that wasn't just the wine - honest.

Victoria... how you've changed!

2016-02-01T23:44:00.001-08:00

I moved to London some 17 years ago to begin my PR career at a fantastic agency called Kinross & Render, based on Vauxhall Bridge Road. My salary as account assistant was pretty low at the time so my first experiences of London were of Tulse Hill, where I rented a tiny bedsit and Victoria where I spent my weekdays.

Back then, neither place had much to shout about but now big changes are afoot - particularly in Westminster.

Victoria has always been a destitute relation to its Mayfair neighbour but thankfully for those who spend their working lives there, big changes are afoot.

The Nova development will bring some exciting operators to the area; Bone Daddies, D&D London, The Riding House Cafe, even chef restaurateur du jour, Jason Atherton will be setting up a restaurant there.

In the meantime, the workers of SW1 have recently gained M Restaurant and Wine Store - a stunning new restaurant from former Gaucho managing director, Martin Williams.

You enter M through the wine store on the first floor, having recently passed my WSET certificate with flying colours I'd have liked to have spent a little more time here but drinks and dinner were calling so we went straight downstairs.

My dining companion was the lovely Jodi Hinds. Jodi is a fantastic photographer and was responsible for all the photos in the restaurant's soon to be launched book. As always she did a great job and this was clearly appreciated - as soon as we arrived we were guided through the bar, through a door into a sophisticated private bar. Here we enjoyed a glass (or perhaps two) of Champagne and some delicious canapés of edamame with firecracker sauce, venison salami and razor clam with lemon cream and yuzu. There was an interesting cocktail menu too that I shall be ordering from next visit.

We moved to the dining room which is a stunning space, it reminded me of how a restaurant in a luxurious cruise liner restaurant might look. It's one of the most glamorous places that I've dined in recently and for it to be in Victoria gives it even more impact I feel.

It was January and I love sushi so we opted for the Raw Bar menu, there are also hot dishes and tartares on the menu but we decided to stick with seafood. Everything we tasted was fresh and delicious but as you'd expect in such a smart central location, the prices are high. Staff were attentive without being stuffy and for such a newly opened restaurant they struck the balance of friendliness and professionalism perfectly.

Unfortunately, my food photos don't do the food any justice so here are a couple of Jodi's photos that do!

Photos: Jodi Hinds

Residents and workers of Victoria, I can't think of a better place to head when you deserve a 5 star treat.

http://mrestaurants.co.uk/victoria/
http://www.jodihinds.com

Why smart people choose Streatham

2012-04-29T02:46:00.002-07:00

I don’t know whether Jo Brand had any idea what kind of reaction her throwaway comment about Streatham might cause. As someone who’s lived in Streatham for the majority of her London life, I think she might have had a point back in the early noughties but while we don’t enjoy the same gentrification as the likes of Balham and Dulwich, these days Streatham isn’t bad at all. I’ve often said to friends and family, as long as I live in London, I want to be here in Streatham. There are several reasons for this...

Firstly, the people. Not everyone, there’s still more crime and litter here than I’d like but people don’t just move to Streatham to have babies and this results in a mix of people who have lived here for long enough to become locals. You can walk down the street with a good chance of seeing people you know and have a natter with the local business owners. Not only that but there’s a fierce community spirit on Twitter, people are proud to live here and supportive of local business. Streatham’s festivals have gone from strength to strength thanks to social media and our friends from Balham and Wimbledon were all impressed with our kite festival this Spring.

Secondly, you get more for your money. It’s a few years since I bought my first flat but after looking at some real sh*tholes in the likes of Wimbledon, Putney and Battersea it was a relief to find a Victorian conversion which I could afford - in Streatham. We now live in a cute cottage with a garden and there is no way we could afford similar in Dulwich or Balham.

Thirdly, eating out and drinking - two of my favourite pastimes - and Streatham has plenty to offer. It hasn’t always been this way, I recall nights out at the Jack Stamps quiz (safety in numbers), a few evenings at El Chicos and late night drinks at Bar 61, all good fun but we were restricted. Having returned to Streatham a few years later I then discovered Perfect Blend, great food and atmosphere and since then Streatham has gone from strength to strength. From tapas at Bar 61 and Casita, tasty Turkish kebabs at Troy, noodles and rice at Slurp to fine dining standard pub food at the Manor Arms, not forgetting our local, the Leigham Arms, Streatham has it all. We even have a fantastic music venue in the Hideaway Club which is cool, friendly and great value. I must give a big shout out the the Hideaway jazz cafe, especially the wine bar which is run by two talented and lovely people, Chix and Dan, and which serves a carefully chosen selection of delicious, unusual wines. The latest addition, Pratts and Payne, which serves a great selection of lager, ale and wine is the cherry on top.

And we are well connected to London. I don’t understand why everyone is so desperate to be close to a tube, when they are overcrowded and suffocating in summer. In any case there must be a bus to Brixton every minute and embarking the Victoria line at its first station has its benefits. We also have two commons, a lido and the beautiful rookery a few minutes walk away.

Streatham might have come in for criticism over the years but people who actually live here know its merits. In fact, I’d say it’s a smart move for anyone.

A Career Takes Flight

2012-04-17T01:48:00.000-07:00

Last year, I worked with Simon Hulstone on his application for the British Airways Great Britons competition. He’s a fantastic chef with a great personality so I wasn’t surprised when he reached the finals. A few weeks later he called to say that he’d won and since then (aside from heading up his team at The Elephant and representing the South West in the Great British Menu) Simon has been focussed on developing his menu for British Airways long haul flights.

Unfortunately, I have no plans to fly any distance with British Airways over the summer so I was delighted to receive an invitation to attend the launch party of Flight BA 2012. Flight BA 2012 is a pop up venue in Shoreditch, designed to showcase the work of the winners of the Great Britons art, film and food categories.

During the launch, we received canapés of Simon’s starters, rillette of Brixham mackerel with cucumber carpaccio and golden beetroot, with goats cheese and elderflower dressing. Also served were taster sized portions of his delicious fish pie, dressed with parmesan pomme puree and a warm tartare sauce and potted braised beef with a potato and horseradish topping, served with hispy cabbage, baby carrots and roasted shallots with a rich jus.

Flight BA2012 has been a PR hit for Cake PR and one which I believe will win awards. Whilst London pop ups are becoming a little old hat now, the multi-sensory experience within Flight BA 2012 takes the concept to a new level. The Great Britons campaign has received masses of coverage (I’ve received the press clippings) and almost all the coverage has been positive. The dining lounge, run by Simon, was fully booked before the venue even opened which demonstrates the power of communications, especially social media.

I’ve always believed that Simon deserved national recognition and judging by the response to his food so far, there should be plenty more visitors to The Elephant this year.

Food and Fun in Seville

2011-11-17T09:45:00.000-08:00

Whilst a few of my friends have been before, it was only after I caught the end of Rick Stein in Spain that I felt compelled to visit the city of Seville. The prospect of joining locals as they enjoyed authentic Spanish tapas, beer and sherry in traditional bars was so tempting we booked our trip the following week. My meat loving husband was easily convinced when told of all the jamon and chorizo hanging off the ceiling and walls.

And we weren’t disappointed. On arriving into Seville, the sun was shining bright and it was a good ten degrees warmer than where we’d left. A taxi took us around the winding streets to our hotel (Casa de la Juderia) which was quite something, as the porter took us underground, then overground, then up to the second floor around various corridors, I honestly didn’t think we’d find our room again.

Eager to make the most of the sunshine we headed out first to the Cathedral Square, where we were charged more than £5 for a pint of Carlsberg. We then headed to somewhere less touristy, over the river in Trianes. I’d done a little research on CNN Traveller beforehand to identify the best places to eat and drink which really paid off. We sat amongst the locals in Casa Manolo and picked dishes which we could translate. Espinaces con garbanzos was the biggest risk and I was very relieved to see chick peas nestling amongst the salty spinach, bacalao en tomate was very good as was the planca de pez espada - swordfish cooked to perfection. We had three beers, water and three tapas, which cost the same as the two beers in the more tourist friendly bar on the square.

We decided that we’d join the local celebrations on Friday and started our tapas tasting at El Rinconcillo (reputedly the oldest tapas bar in Seville). The staff here are very friendly and didn’t mind us choosing our dishes from what we’d seen the couple next to us eating. This included the delicious carrillada de cerdo (pork cheeks) which fell apart with a little dig of the fork and melted in the mouth. ‘Muy bien’ said the waiter and we agreed.

We also tried some tapas and vino at Las Teresas, where my husband had the ‘best ever’ chorizo. I didn’t notice the names of the bars beyond that - I think that we did six in total before we headed back to the maze to find our room.

Another highlight was the fried squid and tomato salad that we ate at the Kioscos de las Flores
the restaurant has tables overlooking the river and the habas con jamon (broad beans and ham) that we ate at Faro de Triana.

I have to admit that I found most of the jamon that I ate overrated, it was far too fatty and the fact that it’s served by people who hold money and don’t wash their hands before slicing is quite off-putting. However, in La Moneda (a fish restaurant) a waiter was dedicated to slicing the ham and this was lean and extremely tasty. This was followed by eight juicy langoustines and a salt crusted red mullet which was a little on the large side for two of us (as was the bill).

The next day we were both suffering from a food hangover so we worked up an appetite taking in the architecture and culture instead.

It’s worth noting that Seville is not a destination for anyone watching their weight, the food is extremely tasty but most of it is covered in oil and there’s an abundance of red meat and cheese (but also lovely fish). You are also surrounded by delicious wines, sherries and cold beers - so it’s hard not to indulge.

Why the shops should chill out this Christmas

2011-11-05T11:16:00.000-07:00

As I walked into my local WHSmith this afternoon I was hit by the heat in the store, I wasn't wearing a winter coat but it was unpleasant in there. Looking around the staff were wearing short sleeved shirts and seemed quite happy. It's a bugbear of mine that, when it comes to Christmas shopping we have freezing weather outside but tropical conditions in the shops. In my view this makes for an uncomfortable experience and as a result I try to make my shopping quick and increasingly (like many people) I'm ordering online.

It made me wonder whether this year, with electricity costs so high and money so tight, shops might take a more eco-friendly approach to their heating policy. After all, a jumper for each member of staff would surely cost less than 12 hour heating of large spaces. It might also mean that customers, like myself, are more inclined to spend longer and more.

Torbay Study Tour with Restaurant Magazine

2011-10-02T23:40:00.000-07:00

According to Simon Hulstone during his recent appearance on Saturday Kitchen, the English Riviera has its own micro-climate with plenty of warm sunshine throughout the year. Unfortunately, the sun was replaced by wind and rain when we arrived for our mackerel fishing trip in Torquay.

In my capacity as PR for The Elephant, I was invited by Emma Walker from Nestle Professional to join a chef study tour of Torquay, which was to be part-hosted by my client. The tour was brief and as you’d expect from a culinary tour of the area, the focus was on seafood.

The trip had been organised by Restaurant magazine and they’d recruited an impressive line-up of chefs - including Daniel Clifford from the two Michelin starred Midsummer House, Andre Garrett from London’s iconic Galvin at Windows and Dominic Chapman from The Royal Oak.

Soon after setting down our luggage at Torquay’s Grand Hotel, Simon Hulstone, chef manager at The Elephant, arrived to take us down to the harbour to catch the fishing boat. He’d prepared fresh, crab sandwiches which went down extremely well following a four hour train journey. As we cast our rods over the side of the boat, rain lashed our faces. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for the first catch, although this was a small whiting which had to be thrown back. Once the first mackerel was caught the competition began with the chefs teaming up on their respective sides.

Surprisingly, it didn’t take me too long to catch a mackerel but it’s more luck that skill and I managed to mess up my line at the same time. Fortunately, the experts were on hand to untangle the knots - something which I suspect happens a lot when faced with strong sea winds. My excitement at having caught another mackerel (my first catch was in a similar spot in July) soon subsided as my hands succumbed to the cold and wet.

Luckily, the boat did have an indoors so I popped inside with Becky Paskin, from Big Hospitality to talk with the skipper. I’d met him on my previous fishing trip and he runs Paignton Pleasure boats. Becky recorded an interview with him, asking for tips on catching mackerel which seemed to work as she caught one soon afterwards.

The evening was a much more pleasant and warm affair, a delicious seven course meal, prepared by Simon and his team. The emphasis was on seafood and we were all blown away by the Lobster and lemongrass with coconut milk, the smell and fish taste were well balanced with an addictive chilli heat throughout. The next course of mackerel ‘jellyfish’ was something to behold, the tail end of the fish, placed upright in a savoury jelly. The lobster and cuttlefish risotto was also a highlight.

Simon then took the chefs on a late night tour of some of Torquay’s bars and the fact that they were heading to Brixham fish market at 6am seemed to escape most of them!

Needless to say, that getting up at 5.20am was no easy feat and there were a few stragglers to the market. However, watching the sun appear over the bay was worth the early start and it’s always great to meet people like Phil Smith, managing director of Brixham Trawler Agents and David Walker, a Brixham fish merchant. Both were extremely knowledgable and passionate about their trade.

If anything stood out for us it was the extremely tight margins that fishermen make on their catch, theirs is a tough job under any circumstances and in recent years quotas have presented an even greater financial challenge. Then faced with powerful wholesalers and retailers these brave professionals are squeezed even tighter.

I’ve always felt strongly about welfare and fair trading but we generally think about poor countries when we consider these issues. However, there’s a lot of tough business going on much closer to home, that anyone visiting Brixham fishmarket will come to appreciate.

Trade shows

2010-05-19T04:12:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some research for a pitch that I'm working on and looking around for views and opinions on trade shows. Apart from direct feedback from people I've found it quite difficult to find any key stats on how the industry is going. We can all get a feel from experience and having been to a couple of trade shows recently the general feedback is - it's quiet, visitor numbers are low etc.

My feeling is that trade shows/ exhibitions can no longer survive on the basis of sexy stands and product launches, they need 'real-life experiences' to draw in the crowds. The upcoming Gourmet exhibition in Geneva is one example, the organisers must have been delighted when the Bocuse d'Or awarded them the European finals. Accommodation is already booked up and the place will be packed.

I wonder when it will be the UK's turn?

Let's champion the cauliflower

2010-05-18T00:37:00.000-07:00

Buying seasonal, local food seems to be the thing to do these days. Many of us will spend a few pence extra to ensure it's British and in the case of farmer's markets that often turns into pounds.

The recession saw us reaching back into our nostalgia basket, eating comfort foods that reminded us of the good times.

So why has the great British cauliflower fallen so much out of favour? Cauliflower cheese is a hugely comforting dish and a great way to get kids eating vegetables. It's certainly versatile and it isn't overpowering in terms of taste - and it tastes great raw. It also doesn't need transporting from Spain or further afield, which is often the case with broccoli. I blame the folk that invented the term 'superfood' and convinced us that eating a certain green would help fight cancer. Surely the cauliflower is good for you too?,

In this country we celebrate asparagus season. Isn't it time that we gave the cauliflower a break?