Young Ladies About Town

One of the great sounds of an English Summer is pounding hooves on turf whilst heady punters cheer their money over the line and champagne corks pop in celebration. But for me, like so many others, it’s all about the horses and names like Frankel and Black Caviar are as revered as equine gods and legends with almost mythical status.

I love getting close to horses and when Ascot held its third annual Free Raceday on 1 May it offered a great opportunity to see behind the scenes and into parts of the world famous racecourse normally restricted to the inner circle of owners, jockeys and stewards.


With the beautiful May sunshine greeting the 20,000 people who had dressed up for the occasion we headed into the parade ring to stand on the winner’s podium and for a brief moment feel what it was like to own a racehorse. Then into the jockey’s weight room to speak to the Clerk of the Scales. Who knew that jockeys could gain so much as 2lb if they ride in rainy and muddy conditions, or conversely can lose a pound or two on sunny days and that any dramatic weight changes could cause instant disqualification.


Next we were taken to the Stewards box directly overlooking the winning post and heard how a series of cameras and mirrors defined who won by a nose, a head or a length; a serious job for a steward considering how many millions are involved in the sport.


Perhaps my favourite titbit though was the story of how the Queen arrives at Royal Ascot from her back garden at Great Windsor Park, up the race course and almost straight into the Royal Box. No-one is allowed in or out at any point during the year and she brings her own food up in Tupperware whilst Prince Phillip watches the cricket in another room. It reminded me of my own Scottish Grandmother, always ready with a tartan flask and packet of cheese sandwiches for any outing. I like to picture Her Majesty, eyes glued to binoculars shouting for her horse to romp home whilst her husband is shouting at England who inevitably are about to lose another wicket.


I like it that for others racing is all about the hats, the champagne and the showing off, but for some of us we are happy with a cheese sandwiches and luke-warm tea as our races are truly all about the horses.

Words and photography by Kitty Buchanan-Gregory

The smell and taste of coffee is one of the things that helps us Britons wake up for a day of work in the morning. But finding your perfect coffee can be tricky.

Luckily for us, we went along to a class at Prufrock Coffee where John Thompson, master coffee blender at CaféPod would be demonstrating the art of blending coffee and the intricacies of creating coffee capsules. And at the end of the class we would be able to make our own pods, to our own flavor specification, with our newly learnt skills.


Before getting down to actually making own pods, we tried each of the beans available to us. Loudly slurping our coffee (I hadn't forgotten my manners, that's the proper way to taste coffee) John told us how the tastes of each one differed due to the location the bean was grown, the soil type and so on.


After tasting all of the coffees it was down to the business of making our pods. We mixed three blends in varying quantities depending on how strong we wanted our coffee.

Although I did make a bit of a mess along the way, two hours later I had a coffee blend that was perfect for me and i've been slurping away ever since.

CaféPod capsules are available in compact boxes of 10 from Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Ocado, Morrisons and Amazon, priced £2.75

Words by Melonie Clarke

Proud Cabaret's new murder mystery dinner is a delicious combination of 1930s glamour with a hint of Agatha Christie and is everything you could want from an evening of Burlesque.

I have seen countless videos of burlesque online but had never seen any live. So The Silencing of Miss Scarlet would be my first real foray into the world of burlesque.


Enjoying a three course meal, and a few drinks, the mystery unfolds as the venues performers sing, dance and perform acrobatic tricks, weaving clues into their performances.


You are supplied with a few pieces of information at the start of the evening to help you solve the case. I like to think I'm the female, 21st century equivalent of Poirot so perused these with much interest. But despite my confidence in my detective skills I sadly did not guess correctly – I won't tell you who I thought it was and who it turned out to be though as that's for you to work out on your visit.


The performances during the evening were fantastic. There is truly something for everyone to enjoy with a variation of musical numbers from the compare, acrobatic performances, and of course burlesque, with one incredibly exciting number involving fire and water – water was part of the act and not to put out anything that may have been singed.


The women were incredibly beautiful but the way they used their bodies to celebrate their sexuality, it didn't make me jealous of their stunning figures – it made me want to rip of my clothes and jump up on stage with them in my non-matching Primark undies!

Great food and cocktails, beautiful performers and a compère that made me laugh so hard I thought I had given myself a hernia at one point - I couldn't recommend this evening more if I tried.

www.proudcabaretcity.com

Words by Melonie Clarke

Afternoon tea, with its delicious scones, dainty sandwiches and tempting cakes is the ultimate traditional treat.

Now in its 28th year, The UK Tea Council's Tea Guild Awards (the Oscars of the tea world, with world) has awarded The Goring Hotel the highly coveted honour of Top London Afternoon Tea.

The Tea Guild judges dine anonymously and pay like regular clientele - follow strict guidelines and criteria that cover every aspect of the afternoon tea experience. The décor, the appropriateness of the crockery, staff attitude and tea knowledge, efficiency of service, overall ambience and very importantly how the tea itself is served are all taken into account.


The Goring gained a near perfect score from the Tea Guild's very impressed judges this year. Guests can enjoy an elegant afternoon tea by a roaring fire in the hotel's lounge. In warmer weather The Goring boasts a delightful garden, offering one of the few al fresco afternoon teas in the capital.

Afternoon tea at The Goring consists of dainty finger sandwiches, homemade buttery scones, and numerous hand-crafted patisseries, all served with an excellent selection of carefully selected and perfectly brewed teas.


Head of The Tea Guild Irene Gorman said: "Afternoon tea at The Goring Hotel is a truly special experience. The elegant surroundings and faultless presentation make it a memorable occasion aided by friendly, efficient and knowledgeable staff. It is easy to understand why this leading establishment attracts so many, of all ages, to take afternoon tea."

Food and Beverage manager at The Goring Stuart Geddes said "As a proud member of The Tea Guild we are delighted and honoured to receive this prestigious award. All of the staff at The Goring Hotel are passionate about creating a memorable guest experience and when it comes to serving the perfect afternoon tea, we strive to get every detail just right."

To book your afternoon tea at The Goring visit www.thegoring.com or call 020 7396 9000

This afternoon we were treated to a first look at TV presenter Holly Willoughby's high summer collection for Very. And we liked it. A lot.

The mother-of-two hosted afternoon tea at Claridges, and showed off her favourite dresses (and a playsuit) from the SS13 collection.



Eager to prove her designs look as good on "real women" as they do models Holly had recruited four fans of her collection to attend and model at the launch.

"As a busy working mum, I know how hard it is to look stylish when you are constantly on the go," said Holly, who was wearing one of her own designs. "That's why I design pieces that are trend-led but do not require a lot of styling."

And - as usual - she pulled this off in fabulous fashion. Personally we can't wait to get our hands on the lace trim tea dress, and the purple maxi dress, and the...

Words by Katy Pearson

Without wanting to step on Nigel's toes, I have a recipe I must share.

I went to a Kerrygold event last week, where the wonderful Rachel Allen was on hand to extoll the virtues of their their new softer block butter (bear with me). While many more spreadable butters are pumped full of vegetable oils and hydrogenated fats and other nasties, Kerrygold's version is rendered more malleable simply due to the way they heat and cool the milk. That is about as much of the science as I understand, but I am completely sold on the product. I have been using it to butter my pre-emptive Hot Cross Buns all week.

At said event, they served the most delicious savoury pancakes. I inhaled about six of the delights and would have eaten many more had politeness not prevailed. Anyway, now I have my hands on the recipe, I intend to rustle up a batch tonight.

Black Friday all week and Shrove Tuesday on a Monday? Seems I need to sort out my culinary calendar...

Enjoy!

SPINACH AND MUSHROOM PANCAKES




Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the pancake batter:
15g (1/2oz) Kerrygold block butter, now softer
150g (5oz) plain flour
pinch of salt
200ml (7fl oz) milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
For the filling:
25g (1oz) Kerrygold block butter, now softer
1 onion, finely chopped
400g (14oz) baby spinach
225g (8oz) mushrooms, sliced
100ml (4fl oz) single cream
1 teaspoon freshly chopped parsley
squeeze of lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
chopped fresh chives, to garnish (optional)

Method
1.    For the pancake batter, melt the Kerrygold butter over a low heat. Put the flour, salt, milk, eggs and water into a mixing bowl and beat together with a hand whisk to make a smooth batter. Whisk in the melted Kerrygold butter and leave to rest for 20-30 minutes.

2.    For the filling, melt the Kerrygold butter in a heavy saucepan until it foams. Add the onion, then cover and sweat over a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes, until soft but not coloured.

3.    Meanwhile, cook the spinach in a tiny amount of water in a large lidded saucepan, until the leaves wilt (about 3-4 minutes). Drain, then squeeze out the excess liquid with the back of a spoon.

4.    Add the mushrooms to the onion and cook for a few more minutes, then stir in the cream, parsley and spinach. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

5.    Cook ladlefuls of the pancake batter in a non-stick frying pan until set on the surface. Turn over to cook the other side. Use to make 4 large or 8 small pancakes.

6.    Lay the pancakes on warm plates and spoon the filling in the middle. Serve, sprinkled with chopped chives.

Tip: Use the filling as a sauce for pasta - simply stir it though your favourite cooked pasta shapes.

Tate & Lyle Sugars - Britain’s largest cane sugar brand - has created the world’s first hotel made entirely from cake to launch their new Taste Experience range of golden and brown cane sugars.

We popped along to check out the Soho-based cake hotel, which has been created using more than 600 kilos of Taste Experience sugar (600 kilos!) A team of 14 cake makers are behind the edible house, which took more than 2,000 hours to bake and 900 hours to decorate.



The eight differently-themed rooms feature are a cornucopia of sugary delights. Our favourites were the Treacle Tarts in the the British Inspired space, and the Giant Turtle Eggs (crack them open to reveal cake!) in the Barbados Inspired room.

One hour and a million sweet treats later, we had made serious headway into that 600 kilos...


The hotel will be available for an overnight stay, free of charge for one lucky couple on Thursday 21st March. For bookings, tweet @welovebaking and explain why you want to stay over in the first cake hotel, including the hashtag '#TastingHouse'.

For more information on Tate & Lyles eight new Fairtrade sugars visit www.tateandlyle.com 

As a fan of Alex Monroe’s delicate, nature-inspired jewellery – I am never without my Lucky Clover or Mr and Mrs Bird necklaces – I fluttered excitedly to the launch of their new collection, The Chase, at their London SE1 boutique. I was intrigued by the press release description: “there is a darker side, as we observe the hunter and its prey”.

Just as you would expect, the boutique is a heavenly nest of quirky, woodland gorgeousness with a surrealist twist. I was welcome by manager Jutta Pfannkuch and her team, and over a glass of fizz we discussed the new pieces, available in sterling silver or 22-carat gold plate. Inspired by nature and “all things English”, they have the freshness and lightness of touch typical of Monroe’s work, but in his latest offering nature is earthier, with hints of red in tooth and claw.

Sharp, streamlined foxes chase (but never catch!) adorable bunnies around a bracelet, or across a pair of earrings. And the fox, of course, is both predator and prey – although no hounds are featured. There is a sprinkling of irony too, in the Shotgun Wedding pendant, featuring two birds perched happily on a gun. Winged creatures make their nests on rings or stand on intricate, miniature garden gates. All of it is closely observed, finely detailed and beautifully crafted – and despite the theme of “the chase”, Monroe’s signature gentleness runs through the collection.

One way or another, all the pieces made me smile. And, with prices ranging from £105 to £195, they are affordable too. Top of my wish list was a running rabbit pendant, an understated piece that captured the energy and magical qualities of that much-loved creature. Another favourite was a ring with a sitting rabbit next to a tiny diamond – it made me think of Easter eggs. On which subject, the luscious displays included china bowls full of miniature chocolate eggs for guests to enjoy, as well as rabbit-shaped vases filled with daffodils.

Although here to view the new collection, I couldn’t help feasting my eyes on some of the other pieces. Many are well-known classics (the ring with two birds and a pearl that I’ve been lusting after for years) and some I had not seen before and instantly fell in love with, like a gold owl pendant with bright green gemstone eyes. Trying on different necklaces, I discovered they work really well layered together – so my beloved clover and birds needn’t stay at home once I’ve acquired a new one. There was universal cooing of appreciation from fellow guests, as we tried on pieces while sipping champagne and nibbling on mini eggs and cupcakes. Utter, utter bliss.

And after all that, back with a thud into the real and very cold world of a March evening– a bit like Alice in Wonderland waking up from her dream. All I have to do now is decide what my next purchase will be: a tough call, as obviously I want everything. Husband, friends and relations: if you are reading this and are stuck for birthday gift ideas, or even just-because present ideas, you know where to go.

www.alexmonroe.com 

Words by Juanita Coulson

It's safe to say when we heard that a fashion show was to be staged in the heart of the Buckingham Palace Gardens this summer, we were *pretty* excited!

And now we know a bit more about the planned Coronation Festival Catwalk Show we are even more excited.



Today we can reveal that a 400 seat raised catwalk, surrounded by a bed of flowers in the Buckingham Palace Gardens, will be the location for the series of unique fashion shows.

The exclusive shows will tell the story of British fashion and iconic style over the past sixty years, showcasing companies that have been awarded the prestigious Royal Warrant of Appointment.

There will be five catwalk shows for each day, a mix of four themes collectively paying tribute to the six varied decades since the Coronation of HM The Queen in 1953. Savile Row’s finest tailors including Gieves & Hawkes, Dege & Skinner, Henry Poole & Co and Johns & Pegg, plus tailors Benson & Clegg, Thresher & Glenny and Kent Haste Lachter will join fellow Royal Warrant holders DAKS, Austin Reed, Hunter Boots, Ettinger, John Lewis and Peter Jones to showcase their latest collections in this catwalk celebration of British style.

A few unlikely catwalk candidates may also find themselves creatively taking part in the shows including: fine china experts Caverswall, Roberts Radio, Bendicks Chocolates and celebrated food and drink experts Partridges, Valvona & Crolla and Charbonel Et Walker.

The catwalk will also feature specially commissioned pieces from contemporary London designer Joey Bevan who will take an original and creative approach to Royal Warrant holder products to show the wealth of companies and industry sectors that bear this Royal seal of approval. This will look to include dresses made from Jaguar Land Rover and Bentley car parts to origami paper dresses using materials from Talk Paper and Tom Smith c/o International Greetings, stunning designs using upholstery and fabrics from Hardy Minnis, and G.P and J Baker and dresses made from domestic electrical wires and Brinton Carpets.

We cannot WAIT!

The catwalk shows form just part of the daytime entertainment programme for the four day Coronation Festival (11 – 14 July) – a one off event hosted by the Royal Warrant Holders Association which will bring together over 200 Warrant holding companies to celebrate innovation, industry and excellence. Daytime tickets of £30 per person can still be purchased via www.coronationfestival.com

Words by Katy Pearson

"A Libertine is unrestrained by convention. A free-spirited individual that ignores constraints defined by the larger society and whose thinking goes beyond mainstream idea".

Last night we were at The Club at The Ivy for the launch of Libertine, a new jewellery collection from fashion designer Giles Deacon.

Mixing Edwardian eccentricity with a punk attitude, the collection will be available from 3pm on Sunday at QVC (www.qvcuk.com), with prices ranging from £14 to £70.

Want a sneak peek? Oh here you go then...


Words by Katy Pearson