Month: December 2016

Exploring Luss, Loch Lomond

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You might have read my previous post about our visit to the beautiful Cameron House on Loch Lomond. During our stay, we thought we’d hire some bikes and cycle to the nearest place to the hotel, Luss. Google Maps had said it was about half an hour, but when we hired the bikes from Lomond Shores, we were told it was more like double that. Thanks Google Maps! At which point Tim asked if I could actually ride a bike! Cheeky git! And when my mum called to say ‘Happy Birthday’, she nearly choked with laughter when I told her our plans for the day. There’s a theme here…To be fair I hadn’t been on a bike since I was about 11 years old in Yorkshire when my friends and I used to practically live on them. But after nearly 20 years (blimey) I was pleased to say I could ride it, although it took some getting used to (and I had an extremely sore bum at the end of it, I clearly hadn’t got …

Lunch at Temper, Soho

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I don’t think I’ve ever been quite so excited about a new restaurant opening as Neil Rankin’s ‘Temper’ in Soho. I read about it in the Evening Standard earlier in the year, and their description of the new BBQ restaurant where diners would be able to see their meat being prepared and cooked before them had me drooling from the start. I’ve got a bit of a gripe with many British BBQ restaurants, in that most of the ones I’ve been to slather their ribs, chicken etc with a thick, sticky BBQ sauce. In Cyprus we had an enormous gas BBQ in an outdoor kitchen area which was my Dad’s pride and joy. He was infamous for his BBQs amongst our family and friends, both when we lived in Yorkshire and in Cyprus. And there was no glimpse of a burger or sausage in sight – he would do steaks, pork chops, lamb chops (to name just a few!) and a plethora of side dishes and even puddings cooked in silver foil. You hadn’t had …

A Fancy Trimmings Hamper from Harvey Nichols

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How are you getting on with your Christmas shopping? I think I’m just about there with mine – I’m fortunate to have fellow food-loving friends and family and so it’s always a pleasure thinking of things to buy them. Something that always goes down well is a good food hamper! In the run up to Christmas I love to try out a new hamper, and this year it was my first experience testing out the fabulous ‘Fancy Trimmings’ hamper from Harvey Nichols. It would make such a great Chrimbo pressie and has all the important elements of a very tasty Christmas! As well as the iconic black Harvey Nichols hamper, inside you’ll find (beautifully presented!)… Christmas Pudding 230g Brandy Butter 210g and Cranberry Sauce 200g Bag of Chocolate Coins 80g Milk Chocolate Marc de Champagne Truffles 125g Almond Butter Biscuits 175g Christmas Loose Leaf Tea 125g Prosecco di Valdobbiadene NV Italy 750ml and Mulled Wine Germany 750ml Taxi Christmas Tree Decoration I haven’t tried everything yet as I’m saving most of it for over Christmas, but …

Dinner at The Square Pig, Holborn

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A few weeks ago I was invited to try out the new menu at the recently refurbished ‘The Square Pig’ in Holborn. It’s a short walk from my office and it’s always useful to find good restaurants around that area, as it’s a great spot for meeting friends for a quick bite after work. As you walk into The Square Pig, it’s got a typical ‘gastropub’ feel to it, with a lively buzz and mix of people drinking and eating. Now I have to point something out right away in this review – it was particularly dark on the night I visited, and my camera was having absolutely none of it! I tried the flash a few times, but no fellow diners want to have a paparazzi show on the table next door. So The Square Pig kindly gave me some photos for this post, which were much needed. I’ve never had to do this before, so it must have been particularly dark in there! But hey, dark means cosy, and there’s nothing better than a …