April 2020

Great hotel, but the star of the show is the chef Paul Evans.  You will surely hear much more of him in the future.  Paul was brought in to lift the cuisine to the peak of the Eden Hotel Collection’s trophy hotel; Mallory Court, nearby Leamington Spa.  Our dinner was outstanding, it was both innovative but without gimmicks and very accomplished with balances of flavours working in harmony.  In talking with Paul, he said there is even more to come as he settles into his relatively new role suggesting a return visit next year, if not sooner as his team in the kitchen is still evolving their s

A quick glance at my Formex watch confirms it's 8.15 in the morning as I approach the Beaumont Hotel in Mayfair, London. Six new Bentley Continental GT's shimmer in the morning sun lined up in a perfect row on the pavement. It's going to be a pretty cool two days driving these over the Cotswolds on this extraordinary Bentley gastronomic luxury tour.

The new Bentley Continental GT has a 6 litre twin turbo W12 engine with 626 bhp and an eye popping top speed of 207 mph (you’ll need a long off road straight to hit that), accelerating 0-62 mph in 3.6 seconds, pleasant enough to dance effortlessly between cars in heavy traffic, or change lanes with insolent ease on the motorway.

Gweedore. Just take a moment to roll that word around your tongue. It’s a word worthy of folk-tales and enchanted forests – mystical, J.K.Rowling territory. A place, and a setting, worthy of Gweedore Court Hotel – or, as it’s also known, An Chúirt (you’ll have to ask someone else for the correct pronunciation I’m afraid!). A hotel as satisfying as the comfiest duvet on a crisp winter’s day, or that first summer sip of chilled-to-perfection Chablis.

The view from every window endorsed the fact that this was truly a ‘country house hotel’ set in spacious grounds surrounded by farmland.  Sipping pre-dinner cocktails on the sunny west facing terrace offered a timeless experience with the garden seamlessly flowing into the field with sheep quietly grazing, a couple of cock pheasants proudly strutting around, each asserting to be the most impressive and a lonely goose .  There was no fence to interrupt this idyllic scene as the ‘must have’ for grand houses since the 17th century was the ha-ha, that vista could have been any time in the last

The service received on the largest of yachts is unequalled; your every need and wish is anticipated but many yacht owners now demand a flunky service that does not allow for individuals to show any character.  Combining attentive service with personality without intrusion is very rare ashore; two examples are the Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath and the Tulchan Estate.  We have just enjoyed a stay on the estate which is on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park a picturesque hour’s drive south of Inverness.
 

• Sara, what is your show LadsLadsLads about? Why is it described as a ‘thinking person’s stag-do?
It’s sometimes hard to summarise what a show is about- but I wanted to give people the sense that it is fun and celebratory- but rather than about being about to get married- the exact opposite. Having fun, trying new things in a way of being braver and more self-reliant. Some of my shows in the past have had serious aspects, theories and research and this one is lighter. It’s like a party, except only I get to talk and you have to sit there watching me.
 

A selection of fine whiskies from around the world. The common theme here is they are not peaty whiskies (apart from the Lagavulin), but more akin to a fine cognac,  easy on the nose and palate, with a soft mellow flavour.
The Irish Midleton whiskey Dair Ghaelach Bluebell Forest is magnificent, smooth caramel and soft vanilla with a hint of coffee and nutmeg. This is one of the finest whiskies in the world and well worth the hefty price tag. This is the one to impress any connoisseurs amongst your friends.

A few weeks ago, far away from the media circus and as yet unpublished, three experienced endurance athletes - all with a Formex Swiss Watch on their wrist - started a 350-mile trek across the Namib desert. Their aim was to set a world record for the most consecutive miles ever trekked unassisted. The terrain they would be crossing is among some of the oldest, driest and most barren places on earth leading to early explorers calling the Namib Desert ‘The Gates of Hell’.

With runway models looking like extras from eighties soaps such as 'Dynasty' or 'The Bold and the Beautiful', Autumn/Winter continues with a jangling explosion of colour and sparkle in a manner that Iris Apfel would be proud of. Statement jewels, the chunkier and gaudier the better clamour for our attention, with layering and logo-mania on repeat.