Today marks 100 days of lockdown here in the UK. I have just written my latest column for Norfolk Online and in that I lament the loss of one of life’s greatest pleasures – one that we definitely all took for granted – and that is a cup of coffee with a friend. Whether spontaneous or planned, a cup of coffee – or tea, or wine, or water – with a friend is truly the thing that puts the world to rights. It resets the mind, and it balances the soul. It helps us make sense of our lives –…
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Continue ReadingSign the petition here: https://www.nfuonline.com/news/latest-news/food-standards-petition/ While all our attention has been on getting through the COVID-19 pandemic with friends and family unscathed, the British government is close to putting through a Bill that will have a huge impact on food standards – and we all need to act now to prevent this from happening. In essence, the government has voted against an amendment to the UK’s Agriculture Bill that would have guaranteed high standards for food imports entering the UK post-Brexit. This would mark the biggest reform in British farming since 1945. Needless to say, farming groups had already lobbied…
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Continue ReadingIt is so hard to put thoughts into words right now. I think we are all a little bit afraid – afraid of the unknown, afraid of the future, and afraid of what may come. We are living in unique times for this generation. And it is showing an ugly side of society that, normally, we manage to avoid. But the ‘me, me, me’ culture is everywhere – people out for themselves and not caring about their neighbours. It is toxic – there is no other word for it. And it is horrible. Consumerism and materialism has sunk to a…
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Continue ReadingNorfolk Online is a new website celebrating all things Norfolk, and I am delighted to be their food and drink columnist. The site went live last year, and you can read my columns here. The are also features focusing on business and career, fashion and style, healthy and beauty, home and leisure, and out and about. Bookmark the site today and enjoy this one-stop portal for Norfolk.
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Continue ReadingIt is that time of year when the tills are ringing, the plastic is flexing, and big conglomerates are rubbing their hands in glee. Which is exactly why I spurn them and stick to local, buying from my favourite producers; supporting them means a lot more financially – it puts money back into the local economy, you are supporting their dream, and you receive a much, much better service. So, what is on my Christmas Foodie wish list this year? Number One – Flint Vineyard Bacchus 2018I love our local wines. Norfolk has such a rich variety of English wine…
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Continue ReadingThank you all for so many amazing messages following my all-too brief appearance on MasterChef tonight.. Dreams are funny things. They keep us going and inspire us, motivating us to do better. But as I have learned from this experience, you really do have to have absolute confidence in what you do and what you are aiming for The photo with this post shows the plate I planned to cook: cannon of lamb with tomato and gigantes and pesto. I had perfected it. Spent weeks working on it. And I panicked. I panicked that the celery wouldn’t be cooked enough.…
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Continue ReadingWhat a foodie year I have had! There has been so much to enjoy, to celebrate, and to have fun with. From visiting favourite local restaurants to going on cooking demos and brilliant foodie courses, there has been much to enjoy. The Delicate Diner has grown a lot over this past year and I have to thank you all for your likes, your love, your messages, and your support. Food has long been a passion of mine and I have enjoyed spending more time following this dream this year, and working out how I want to work with food in…
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Continue ReadingWednesday. November. Before all the chaos begins. Next week sees me head off to Paris with The Arabian Magazine for the Paris World Championships, the pinnacle of the halter showing year. The latest magazine come back this Friday. So now is the time to breathe and pause, and spend treasured time with family before incredibly busy times return. So with this in mind, I needed to follow a desire that has been nagging me for a few weeks now. Lunch at Benedicts Restaurant. And it didn’t disappoint. The moment you walk past the curtain, it is as though you are…
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Continue ReadingBonfire night. The night that could have dramatically changed the UK had the Gunpowder Plot gone ahead. Instead, people celebrate the macabre execution of Guy Fawkes et al by letting off fireworks into the sky. Over the centuries, the reason for the celebrations has been lost, but the ingrained need for earthy flavours that warm has remained. There is something about November. I find this is the month when all our deep-rooted instincts come to the fore. The darker days signal hibernation, and the need to feed our souls to keep us warm through these months. And the two seem…
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Continue ReadingHappy Christmas – belatedly! I hope that you all had a wonderful time with friends and family, and that the table was laden with beautiful produce from across Norfolk. I will be brief, today. Nobody has time or inclination to read a long missive, but I do have a big problem with Christmas, and it needs to be shared. In one word… Leftovers. From Christmas Day night, foodie social media sites and magazines were posting ‘how to use your Christmas leftovers’. I don’t know about anyone else, but most of us have a turkey that is much bigger than a…