Xanthe Clay, a well-known and respected food writer, wrote an article recently on fake food television; what if anything do the Nigellas, Jamies and Lorraines of this world actually offer us? She posits we have become addicted to a world of food porn (lite), where we are titivated by the notional food on offer, yet we remain glued to our sofas rather than being inspired to race to the kitchen.
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2012: The year of all things British. With the Olympics a mere 200 days away, national pride is set to soar. It’s time to show the rest of the world just how great Britain can be – and not just on the sporting front. Rumour has it they’re laying it on thick with the catering too, drafting in the heavyweights of British cuisine to show Johnny Foreigner we can cook. No, really we can. Read full post
So is the secret finally out? This week The Sunday Times reported on the hijacking by professional celebrity chefs of supper clubs and the underground restaurant trend — the one arena you might think remains chef-free. But no, the chefs are fighting back and hiring out their services or even hosting their own clubs in an attempt to gain back ground lost on the dining frontline. And they’re not cheap either: According to reports, they are charging close to £100 a head; your non-pro supper club comes in at around £30-£40.
The underground dining scene is a relatively recent invention and – somewhat surprisingly – we conformist Brits have taken to the rebellion like ducks to sauce à l’orange. Supper clubs are springing up across Britain, where food lovers and amateur cooks host dinner parties in their own homes for [usually] complete strangers and charge a small fee for doing so: the food is oftentimes as good as any restaurant without the high price tag. Read full post
First, some cyber news for all you foodie techno-geeks out there: Radisson Edwardian Hotels are putting QR codes beside every dish on their menus. If you scan it with your smartphone, it’ll show you a video of the dish being prepared. In addition, The Hilton has received over 100,000 bookings through mobile phone apps since launch in 2010. On the back of our last post, we’re just saying ‘Hellooo restaurateurs – is anybody out there? Because we are – with the technology – and we’re just waiting for you.’ Read full post
Hold on to your toques. 2011 promises to be – despite what you might think – an exciting year in Foodie Land. We’re setting our stall out now with our predictions of what’s gonna be hot for the next months. The rise and rise of Asian food continues with a wave of new restaurants opening across the country. Hey, even Blackpool can boast its own Vietnamese bistro. But it’s not just Vietnamese pho bars, look out for Korean barbecue coming to a table near you. And although we all love a good Chinese, you can forget sweet-and-sour; think instead Szechuan hotpots and Hunan Province dishes – it’s getting regional. And if you’re finally bored of sushi, panic not. Just get yourself along to an izakaya – Japanese drinking establishments serving bar snacks to soak up the sake. Read full post
It’s a grand tradition at the end of the year to summarise what’s gone before. This time we’re not only at the end of a year, but also a decade so it might be pertinent to reflect a little on our foodie culture and how far we’ve come – or not.
Many would say that, in a way, this decade has seen us go back to basics. We have never been more hyper-aware of provenance and welfare. If you eat out regularly – or even once in a blue moon – you can’t have failed to notice that a menu isn’t just a menu these days, it’s an address book. We have finally cottoned on to the fact that locally-sourced and ethically raised and reared results in better end products. We’re recognising that we can’t behave as if the world’s resources are in one giant supermarket, with the shelves continuously restocked by some benevolent deity – we are the caretakers and we are not taking care. Read full post
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