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Pairings | Uk travel

The Swan at Lavenham

The Swan at Lavenham

Posted on March 9 2013 at 15:53

We Londoners are spoiled for choice when it comes to weekend breaks. A lot of people are drawn west to the Cotswolds or south to Sussex, Hampshire and the New Forest. For me, though, East Anglia takes some beating.

Tags: English hotels hotels Uk travel
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Hotel TerraVina: what it's like staying with the World's Best Sommelier

Hotel TerraVina: what it's like staying with the World's Best Sommelier

Posted on September 30 2010 at 07:13

You might think an establishment run by the world’s best sommelier would be intimidating. After all if anyone knows what wine to choose and the right way to serve it it would be Gerard Basset, who scooped the title back in April (right). But happily Basset is a modest man who puts the comfort of his customers above any desire to flaunt his credentials.

Tags: sommelier Gerard Basset Hotel Terravina Hampshire UK travel travel
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More fridge foraging over the weekend built around half a jar of @boldbeanco’s fabulous queen butter beans which my generous neighbour @jennychandleruk had passed on to me as I’d run out and she knows I love’em. I used them to rustle up this quick tuna and bean salad with a tin of very good tuna from @thetinnedfishmarket, a handful of delicious cracked green Lebanese olives from @shorkk.food and a small preserved lemon it took me at least 5 minutes to find in the back of the fridge. I used the oil from the tuna tin and the brine from the olives and lemon as a dressing and mixed in some freshly chopped flat leaf parsley from my local greengrocer @regthe_veg. (I AM allowing myself fresh herbs) The sharpness of the olives and lemon really made it for me as I normally find tuna salads a bit bland. Incidentally the sharp-eyed among you may notice that there are two different shots of the dish - actuall 3 as I forgot to delete one. I recently bought some vinyl backdrops from @blackvelvetstyling in an attempt to raise my food styling game. Ideally there should have been a vase of flowers, some Scandi cutlery and a folded napkin in the shot, I know 😂. I still have a lot to learn. Which pic do you like best? . . #beans #pulses #tuna #tunaandbeansalad #olives #pickledlemons #fridgeforaging #storecupboardcooking #lovefoodhatewaste #frugalliving #givingupstockingup #foodphotograpyI’m conscious that wine is getting a bit neglected in this flurry of frugal posts so here’s a couple I’m rwally excited about. One was last night’s 2012 Gros Noré Bandol, a deeply coloured velvety red from Provence which ages spectacularly well (bit indulgent for a Monday night I know but I had a wine-loving friend over. At least that’s my excuse 😉) The other is the Pinot Meunier in this line-up of Aussie wines from @thewinesociety1874. It’s a grape more commonly found in champagne and other sparkling wines but has here been used by winemaker @mac_forbes_wines to create an utterly delicious fragrant light red or dark rosé - whichever way you want to look at it. I loved the Syrah too. You can find my write-up about them in the link in my biog. (The Blind Spot wines were press samples. I bought the Bandol - and wish I’d bought more!) . . . #wine #winelover #winestagram #instawine #redwine #rosé #bandol #pinotmeunier #blindspot #australianwine #thewinesocietyI’m not sure I ever enjoy marmalade more than the first time after I’ve made a new batch. Today it’s on the easy seed bread I made the other day (I froze half so had fresh bread to start the week) with glorious @ampersanddairy butter of which I still happily have a couple of packs. Made myself a proper cup of coffee (from @hasbean ana sora beans) to celebrate. I’m halfway through the #givingupstockingup challenge now (marmalade oranges don’t count cos a) they’re fresh fruit which I’m allowing myself and b) you can only buy them at this time of year) but I’m already realising this could easily go on for another month. Can I do it? Not sure I can or at least not with a bit of relaxing of the rules. But I should. Incidentally if you want to make my marmalade - or rather my mum’s - you’ll find a link to the recipe in my biog. . . . #sevilleoranges #marmalade #sevilleorangemarmalade #preserves #homemade #breakfastBit of a break from the #givingupstockingup challenge - Sunday lunch @bar44bristol which was really delicious and incredibly good value. We went for the overnight roasted lamb shoulder with chorizo Yorkshire pudding, jamon fat roast potatoes and Manchego cauliflower cheese. Hispi cabbage and carrots on the side. Classic British roast with a Spanish twist. . . . #sundayroast #roastlamb #roastpotatoes #cauliflowercheese #yorkshirepudding #eatlocal #clifton #bristol #bristolfood Follow on Instagram

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