Verdura By Theo Randall
Theo Randall was head chef at The River Café when it won its first Michelin star. The magic he sprinkles over fresh Italian produce is second to none. So, the prestigious chef’s latest cookbook, which includes 100 Italian recipes based around 10 vegetables, can’t fail to be the treat of the summer. Buy it.
Fortnums X Sommer English Aperitif
Fortnum & Mason is so endlessly sophisticated, it is no surprise that they have come up with an elegant alternative to the ubiquitous Aperol. The new Fortnums X Sommer English Aperitif makes the perfect spritz throughout sun-dappled summer afternoons and balmy evenings. Buy it.
New M&S Dips Go Viral
Catering beautifully to picnic season, M&S has expanded its range of dips – and the new offering has gone bonkers online. There are posh ones, denoted by the swanky font on their packaging, including New York Deli Pastrami Dip, Chicken Caesar Salad Dip and Hot Smoked Salmon & Dill Dip. There are perky ones, in a subset called Viva Summer, including Green Goddess Dip. And there are multi-cultural ones, including Fully Loaded Indian-style Dip and Fully Loaded Mexican-style dip. All you need now is crisps to go with. Explore more.
Farewell To The TV Dinner
A new study has shown that children who eat in front of phones, iPads and TVs are 15 per cent more likely to be overweight ‘because they don’t understand when they need to stop eating or when they are full’. Dr Ana Duarte Mel, from the University of Minho in Portugal, who led the study, says: ‘They continue to eat and eat just because they are distracted by the screens. This is bad for society and dangerous for children because it is leading to them being overweight or obese. ‘We are so busy now that we don’t have time to sit all together for a family meal, but parents need to know that screen time during mealtimes is a really big problem.’ Eek. We always kind of knew it was bad practice but now there is actual proof.
The Chopped Sandwich
A chopped Italian sandwich has had over 10 million views on TikTok. The recipe, using salami, cheese, red onion, peppers, iceberg lettuce and tomatoes, is as basic as it sounds. You gather your ingredients, chop them all into tiny pieces, mix them together with mayonnaise (and optional olive oil and red wine vinegar) and then cram the mixture into a sub roll. What is the point, you may ask? The point is to get all of the flavours in one bite. There’s no accounting for Gen Z…
The Creamery, Somerset
Mega west-country hotel The Newt in Somerset is about to open the doors of its ‘careful, brick by brick’ renovation of the old creamery that has sat beside Castle Cary railway station since the early 20th century. This former milk factory is now home to The Newt’s new dairy, where producers will make by hand white cheeses and yogurts from locally sourced milk, as well as an elegant restaurant, deli and shop. Exquisite taste is assured.
