An early morning slice of bread, toasted, and then covered in butter and (lime) marmalade is one of the simpler things in life that I enjoy from time to time. Come to think of it, I really do like a good bread and butter pudding as well.
Basically, I like bread – this recipe is great too by the way.
However there is one freshly cooked loaf that I think would have to be kept away from the toaster or the oven. Instead of finding a home in the breadbin, it is more likely to take up residence in a heavily guarded Swiss bank account.
Robert Didier, who at one point trained with Raymond Blanc, has baked what is set to become the United Kingdom’s most expensive bread.
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Today, Wednesday 12th October, is slap bang in the middle of National Curry Week.
The event, which runs from the 10th to 16th of October, celebrates over two centuries of Indian restaurants and cuisine within the United Kingdom.
Some 23 million people, just under half of the population, eat curry in United Kingdom every year and those behind the Curry Week forecast that the average Brit will spend nearly £34,000 on traditional subcontinent cooking in their lifetime.
With the average wage coming in at £26,500, that means we spend fifteen months’ worth of our salaries on vindaloos, jalfrezis and tikka masalas.
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As parents, we know that it can sometimes be slightly problematic to get children to eat a varied and balanced diet.
Some take to their greens like the proverbial duck to water whilst others view fresh fruit and vegetables with a slightly more sceptic eye.
However researchers from the University of Edinburgh believe that if you play to a youngsters’ competitive streak, children are more likely to eat greens.
According to a recent study, the Scottish-based scientists found that primary school children consumed a third more ‘healthy options’ if mealtimes involved some kind of game.
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When Saturday comes, opposing supporters visiting the Swiss town of Sion could be in for a gastronomic treat.
The city’s Raiffeisen Super League outfit, FC Sion, has adopted a forward-thinking strategy in an attempt to minimise crowd trouble at the Stade Tourbillon.
Instead of implementing a heavy-handed police-based strategy to root out troublemakers or imposing draconian restrictions on their rivals, Sion is attempting to refine their rivals.
Back in July at the start of their latest league campaign the club based with the western Valais canton issued a press release that said:
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We live in an increasingly connected world where customers can voice their opinions within seconds and be heard by thousands in minutes. This social media age has changed the face of how restaurants react and respond to customer service complaints. But, despite the negative aspects, there are a huge number of positives too.
One website at the centre of this debate is the review-centric platform TripAdvisor and they have just announced the launch of their inaugural Exceptional Service Awards.
This new honour is set to honour and recognise those “remarkable hospitality professionals” who work across the entire service industry, including those waiting and bar staff who work in restaurants and other such similar venues.
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Urban and rustic decors have become very popular within the restaurant trade in recent years.
Characterised by exposed brick and woodwork, antiquated character pieces and open hanging light fittings; this scheme has been picked up by a new wave of establishments that have taken gastronomy to new heights of popularity.
On the surface, it may appear that Christmas themes may be out of the question. However there’s always a style to suit any and all venues. But by adopting a neutral base palette with flashes of brighter colours of white, silver and gold, traditional festive colours can be injected without in any way being overbearing.
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There are many numerous and well documented benefits to eating your greens and gobbling up your vegetables.
However a new study, conducted by researchers based at the University of Warwick, has revealed that eating your fruit and vegetables can boost mental health.
The people based at the Medical School, located in Coventry, collected data from the national Health Survey of England.
After crunching the numbers it was revealed that there was a correlation between a person’s mental wellbeing and the amount of fruit and vegetables that they consumed.
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When on the receiving end of some poor service when dining out, a number of people would leave feeling somewhat disappointed while some might even take the establishment to task online and leave a negative review of their experience.
But one American couple, who described their meal in an Iowan restaurant as “terrible” bucked the trend.
Instead of moaning, they gave their waiter a £60 tip
“People all around us were making fun of the restaurant and how back the service was. At one point we counted [that the waiter] had twelve tables [to look after],” the duo, Steven and Makenzie Schultz, said.
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The tradition of the full English breakfast goes back centuries and the formation of this culinary staple can be attributed to the Victorians.
Though the meal’s lineage can be traced back much further.
Once upon a time it was the landed gentry who saw an importance in being able showcase the fruits of their lands by commissioning their in-house chefs to create an assortment of dishes to wow guests and fill stomachs.
But, as that aristocracy began to wane the traditional large-scale breakfast became common place on the plates of all – no matter their social class.
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As Noddy Holder once famously bellowed at the start of Slade’s seminal festive hit, “It’s Christmas!”
The snow might not yet be in the air but if you look close enough you can see that Christmas is gradually creeping up on us and it is therefore time to start planning for that December rush when families and parties all get together and dine out.
We know that the weeks, if not months, around Christmas is an exceptionally busy and lucrative time of the year.
So in order to help you out we have put together a number of useful tips on how to create that perfect atmosphere in your establishment.
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Author
Damien Wilde