Drink in Champagne for the Weekend

Top 7 Seven TIps

A city break to Reims

Do you love driving in France? I do. Of course the cities are busy, but get on the autoroute and generally you fly along, enjoying the countryside. Bliss after our clogged motorways.

Top 7 Seven TIps

Take a long weekend off and you could head for the Champagne region as we did. It was our first crossing using the Eurotunnel and we were seriously impressed. Giving ourselves plenty of time in case the infamous M25 was slow going, we arrived way before our set train time. We were waved through. Subject to availability you can travel two hours before or after your chosen time.

You might think that the carriages you drive in to are claustrophobic. Not at all. The carriages are light and airy. You can get out and stretch your legs. After 35 minutes, your through and as customs were passed through on the English side, you are straight on the motorway. We had 2 1/2 hours to drive.

Our focus was food and drink naturally so we planned ahead. Reims is a compact city. Astonishingly, after the First World War just 60 houses remained. So 400 architects were engaged to create the new city with very few constraints. Now the roads are wide and reminiscent of Paris with touches of art deco too. It’s an easy place to get around – we walked to most of our destinations.

We spent 3 days in Reims. Here are our Top 7 things to do

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Choosing a great gin for the summer

What's your tipple? Gin of course

Tasting at Gloucester Gin Festival

It is an exciting time for gin lovers as more and more distilleries open in the United Kingdom (233 according to HM Revenue and Customs at the end of 2015). With so many, how do you discover the gin for you?

What's your tipple? Gin of course
What’s your tipple? Gin of course

A visit to a gin festival is a must and luckily there are many planned across the UK. Jenni and I headed for Gloucester on one of the hottest days of the year on a journey of discovery. Something refreshing was our goal.

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Tasting and eating wine

White wish with rose wine recipe

If you’re not a wine expert, how do you discover a wine you’ll like? And will it inspire you to cook a great sauce?

In the pink. Make elderflower cordial

Elderflower cordial or syrup recipe

How to make elderflower cordial

If you want a non-alcoholic drink that is refreshing, what do you choose?  I often go for an elderflower option. Did you know it’s easy to make elderflower cordial or syrup at home? It’s the perfect time to go on the hunt and pick elderflowers.

Beautiful pinky purple elderflowers
Beautiful pinky purple elderflowers – perfect for cordial

What truly inspire me are the flowers on the purple leaved elder (sambucus nigra) in my garden. Each time I walk past, the flowers zapp their scent my way. I just had to do something with them. Of course, if you’ve not got a purple leaved elder, the standard white flowers will do very well. But as you see, the flowers from the purple leaved elder make a fetching pink hued drink.

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7 Tea Tips at National Tea Day

Imagine a beautiful garden with different courtyards, buildings dripping with wisteria, ducklings swimming in pools and even a few flamingoes and plenty of places to lounge. If I were to tell you that this was 100 feet up in the air from busy Kensington High Street atop a building would you believe me?

This is the fabulous Roof Gardens – now closed. A fitting place for this year’s National Tea Day in 2019

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Discovering Cotswolds food and drink

Cotswold Cookery Book

If you visit a new area, where do you choose to eat and drink? Of course you ask people you meet, but with an area as large as the Cotswolds, you’ll inevitably not find all the gems.

Cotswold Cook Book

The Cotswold Cook Book will help. It celebrates the amazing food and drink in the Cotswold and includes more than 40 recipes. I’ve been reading through and getting very hungry. I’ve also started to plan visits to many of the places mentioned. What better way than to read a recipe and think, “I’d like to visit and try more”.

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Gourmet pizzas and ciders at the Stable

Cider tasting board, West Country Porker, Neptune's Fortune

Cider tasting board, West Country Porker, Neptune's Fortune
Cider tasting board – a perfect match to pizza

My dream job

Andy Briggs has my dream job. He tours the region seeking out the very best local produce – meats, charcuteries, cheeses and other delights. He loves meeting producers and tasting their products to gain inspiration. He’s the creative chef behind Stable Pizza’s recipes inspired by this wonderful produce. With 17 different locations, local really does mean local. Each restaurant has a specially tailored menu including a GCHQ pizza for Cheltenham.

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Tasting beer at Hillside Brewery

Countryman beer ready for tasting

There cannot be many breweries that have a view that the aptly named Hillside Brewery enjoys – it is gorgeous. The Forest of Dean is close by. The location has a very important asset, its own water from a bore hole.

What a view from Hillside Brewery
What a view from Hillside Brewery

We were invited to discover Hillside Brewery by director Paul Williamson. It is a family run business and all are self confessed “beer geeks”. Their description, not mine!

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My 7 foodie favourites in 2016

Gloucestershire is just bursting with amazing produce

It’s been quite a different year for me this year – about half in Edinburgh, half in Gloucestershire. One half saying goodbye, one half hello. So, let me indulge, this is my year in food. It is in no particular order, nor does it cover everything, but I think it sets the tone!

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