Guardian: (on the £38/$53 McCarthy salad) “There are separate sections for chopped beetroot, skinned tomato, bacon minced to a paste, chicken breast with the texture of value-range cotton wool, cubes of sweaty, squeaky cheese, shredded egg and, on top,…
Can hospitality’s recruitment crisis ever be fixed?
Brexit and Covid have exacerbated a problem that has been building for years. But some restaurants are trying to attract and keep staff by changing the culture of the industryWhen Danny first entered professional kitchens he did so as a star-struck fan…
The Polo Lounge at the Dorchester Hotel: ‘Dismal food at inexplicable prices’ – restaurant review
A Park Lane pop-up produces an eye-popping dinner53 Park Lane, London W1K 1QA (020 7629 8888). Starters £16-£42, mains £32-£135, desserts £16-£20, wines from £84Editors don’t send their journalists to cover wars because they like misery and carnage. Th…
Why France’s well-travelled grapes conquered the world
New world winemakers have long revered French grapes – but now southern European varieties are making their markWhether it’s the Académie française taking its Canute-like stance against the waves of English words flowing into the French language, or ch…
There is holiday hell and then there is self-catering
No salt and pepper, no spices, not enough loo roll – welcome to your holiday cottage“Welcome basket”. It sounds so nice, doesn’t it? So … welcoming. Driving up the M1 to the holiday cottage you booked online, you picture the delights that await you, an…
London’s cafe culture has left a sour taste for stressed residents
Licensing outdoor seats saved countless jobs but brings noise and antisocial behaviourContinental Europe has come to the UK – at least when the sun shines. In towns and cities all over the country, alfresco dining has exploded, with thousands of extra …
Fred Sirieix: ‘I was training to be a chef, but I thought it would kill my soul’
The First Dates star and maître d’ on what his parents taught him about service, the value of hospitality and his pride in his Olympian daughterI was born in food. My dad used to say: “We don’t have much money and we don’t have fancy cars, but we alway…
‘Ten years ago this was science fiction’: the rise of weedkilling robots
The makers of robot weeders say the machines can reduce pesticide use and be part of a more sustainable food systemIn the corner of an Ohio field, a laser-armed robot inches through a sea of onions, zapping weeds as it goes.This field doesn’t belong to…
Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for apricot camomile cake | The sweet spot
It’s straightforward to make this nutty, summery cake featuring sharply sweet apricot with camomile overtonesApricots rank pretty high up on my list of favourite stone fruits, and they score extra points when they’ve had some time in the oven to soften…
Not So Paleo, Actually
Wild grain by ibm4381 (cc by)clew’s post Stones speak and ashes live explores recent archeological research and evidence that “shred the long-standing idea that early people subsisted mainly on meat.”