Food & Drink

So for our final day on the Jaguar F-Type tour, we stopped for lunch at The Watermill in Dorking, a gastro pub set in the rolling hills of Surrey, a designated area of natural beauty.

The nearest village is the quaintly named Pixham, noted for the Pixham Church designed by the famous English architect Edwin Lutyens. A rare corner of old England with narrow winding lanes peppered by Victorian and Edwardian buildings. Pixham was also the home of revered writer Daniel Defoe author of Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders.

The Whisky Event brings together some of the finest producers and enthusiasts in central London later this month. Held in the ballroom at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, it is set to be one of the highlights of the year.

The Macallan Estate has announced the highly anticipated return of its immersive theatre experience, The Macallan Estate Pioneers Experience, which has been adapted for 2023 with an inspiring new script featuring the remarkable story of former managing director, Janet Harbinson.

Readers may recall my enthusiasm for Glenturret, which I previously extolled in a prior article (accessible here). Thus, when an invitation arrived to return to this historic distillery and sample the newest entry in their Trinity series, Prowess, I eagerly cleared my schedule. As an added treat, I was also afforded the opportunity to dine at Lalique, the distillery's Michelin-starred restaurant - a long-standing aspiration of mine since my initial visit to Glenturret in 2021.

For those seeking an exquisite Cantonese meal in central London, the recently opened Chop Chop restaurant by Four Seasons, nestled in the basement of the Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square, is a must-visit. I had the pleasure of dining there recently and was blown away by the quality of the food, which exceeded my expectations, and transported me to the streets of Hong Kong.

Blended and grain whiskies have historically been regarded as inferior to single malt whisky. Unfortunately, this category is often subject to gross generalisation, as many people form negative opinions based solely on experiences with brands such as Bells or Teachers, without exploring other options. However, if they had sampled premium blends like Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker, or Royal Salute, their perception might be different.

Sometimes innate intuition, entrepreneurial vision and the belief in the natural resources of a country can all combine to create a truly superior and premium product.

Dr Nawaf Salameh, Founding Chairman of the Alexandrion Group has always been laser-focused on producing Romania's first ever single malt whisky, since initiating the project back in 2016 and holding the title of Keeper of the Quaich. He has gone on to achieve this goal, with the whisky going from strength-to-strength.

As far as modern immersive vacations go, the one offered by the iconic Chateau du Plessis is the most luxurious. 

Located in the heart of the Borderies, the smallest and oldest cru in the Cognac appellation, Château du Plessis is the home of Camus. 

Sometimes an invitation arrives that I clear my diary for, such is my intrigue and thirst for whisky exploration. One such invitation was to attend an event at Canary Wharf where I would be afforded the opportunity to sample the rarest and oldest bottle of Highland Park whisky ever released. A 54 Year Old with a retail price of £39k. 

Our last stop on the Audi R8 V10 Tour was the Great Fosters, a Tudor estate just outside Windsor in Surrey. 

Great Fosters is the quintessential historic English Manor estate, offering exquisite dining under new head chef Alex Payne. Plus indulgent pampering with massages, afternoon tea packages and luxury suites frequented by kings and queens set in ornate gardens filled with outstanding and immense topiary (hedges sculpted into a variety of forms).