Top 5 Bars in South London for Heaver Magazine

"The 5 best... Local Bars. Maverick mixologists and decadent drinking dens, Craig Butcher gets lured
into the hottest local bars…"

To read the full article "South London's Top Five Bars" including Clapham's The Loft, Balham's The Clarence and the Tooting Tram and Social by freelance food and drink journalist Craig Butcher for the Winter 2009/2010 issue of South London property magazine Heaver Magazine, click here for the PDF.

Click here to read more about Craig Butcher, freelance food, drink and travel writer at the Craig Butcher website. Read More......

Prague Hotel and Spa Review for GQ website

"Visit Prague for some of the best-preserved architecture and luxury hotels in Europe.

Every Eastern European capital has gone through an awkward Easyjet phase - when mobs of not-quite-dignified British men descended en masse for superbly crafted beers at superbly low costs. Prague was no exception, but since the turn of the millennium, prices have steadily crept up and visitors are now much more likely to order a perfectly mixed Martini at an exclusive roof-top club, than clash beer tankards at one of Prague's few surviving cellar bars."

To read the full article "Reach for the Tsars" all about Prague luxury hotels and spas including the Mandarin Oriental Prague by freelance travel journalist Craig Butcher for the British GQ website of the UK's best men's magazine, click here.

Click here to read more about Craig Butcher, freelance food, drink and travel writer. Read More......

All About Cognac for delicious magazine

"Christmas may be the time to set fire to brandy over the pud, but as cognac brand ambassador Alexandre Quintin explained to Craig Butcher, he’d much prefer we drank the stuff instead."

To read the full article all about cognac with Remy Martin brand ambassador Alexandre Quintin by freelance food and drink journalist Craig Butcher for the delicious magazine website of the UK's best food magazine, click here.

Click here to read more about Craig Butcher, freelance food, drink and travel writer. Read More......

Scottish food and travel feature for delicious. magazine

"From tucked-away rural hotels to funky urban gastropubs, and from authentic whisky bars to windswept seafood cafes, Scotland has rich pickings for food lovers. We've rounded up some of the best places, all within easy reach of Edinburgh or Glasgow"

To read the full article on top Scottish food and drink venues by freelance food and drink journalist Craig Butcher for delicious magazine, the UK's best food magazine, pick up the January 2010 issue of delicious magazine, available on news-stands and at supermarkets now. Click here to see other highlights in the January 2010 issue of delicious magazine at the delicious magazine website. Click here to read more about Craig Butcher, freelance food, drink and travel writer. Read More......

Food, drink and travel features coming soon

There are lots of food and drink features coming soon across a range of magazines and online. Here's a brief list of what's coming up from freelance food, drink and travel journalist Craig Butcher:

GQ.com: A Spanish food feature for the website of iconic men's magazing GQ, online in December

Channel 4 Food: A drinks heroes feature for the UK's biggest food website from Channel 4 TV, online in December to accompany Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's new TV series

Heaver magazine: South London bar reviews for the Winter issue of Heaver Magazine, a lifestyle magazine distributed to homes across South London

delicious. magazine: A Scottish food and travel feature for the January 2010 issue of the UK's best food magazine, (out early December 2009)

delicious. magazine website: An alcoholic spirits feature for the website of delicious. magazine, the UK's best food magazine, online in December. The delicious. magazine website hosts over 2,000 recipes.

US coffee trade magazine Roast has a coffee feature, available January 2010

Sunday Times Travel Magazine: The monthly travel magazine from the experts at Sunday Times has a hotels feature, March 2010 issue (on sale early February 2010)

More news and features from Craig Butcher, freelance food, drink and travel journalist will be available on this site and at www.craigbutcher.co.uk Read More......

All About Martini for delicious. magazine

"James Bond liked his shaken not stirred but how do Italians enjoy the classic aperitif that originated from their country? Craig Butcher sought out celebrated mixologist Salvatore Calabrese, Italian chef Gennaro Contaldo, and Martini maker Beppe Musso at the Martini Stay Beautiful Lounge to find out."

To read the full article all about Martini by freelance food and drink journalist Craig Butcher for the delicious magazine website, click here. Read More......

Christmas wines for delicious. magazine

"While Christmas lunch usually decides itself, matching wines to the fruits of your labours on the big day can be a trickier affair. Craig Butcher got some corking advice from the experts at the brilliantly-named wine merchants Planet of the Grapes."

To read the full wine-buying for Christmas guide by freelance food and drink journalist Craig Butcher for the delicious magazine website, including reviews of Tanners Wines, Virgin Wines, From Vineyards Direct and Naked Wines click here. Read More......

Christmas Food Miles for Channel 4 Food

"Friends and relatives travel a long way for Christmas lunch, but you don’t necessarily want the same to be true of your food. Craig Butcher gets the low down for 4Food on which supermarkets lead the way in minimising Christmas lunch food miles.

Whole turkey
Nothing says Christmas Day lunch better than the centrepiece of the occasion - the bird. Waitrose sources its free-range turkeys from Lincolnshire although some also come from Wicklow in Ireland. ASDA’s turkeys travel from Norwich and Sainsbury’s most popular turkey is also reared in Norfolk. Marks & Spencer’s Simply Food whole turkey travels from Pembrokeshire."

To read the full article on Christmas dinner food miles by freelance food and drink journalist Craig Butcher for the Channel 4 Food website, click here Read More......

Celebrities name their favourite local restaurant - feature for Channel 4 Food

"While Gordon's on the hunt for Britain's Best Local Restaurant, Channel 4’s TV favourites, designers and Gordon’s own celebrity chefs reveal their favourite local gems to Craig Butcher for 4Food."

Read the full 'Top 10' feature by freelance food and drink journalist Craig Butcher, which details Channel 4 celebrities' favourite local restaurant, to coincide with Gordon Ramsay's new F Word series. Click here to read the feature on the Channel 4 Food website. Read More......

Milanese cookery masterclass feature for GQ.com

"Nestled in Italy's Lombardy province and overlooked by the snow-capped Alps, Milan rightly lays claim as one of Europe's most fashionable destinations. Home to the country's power-players and financiers, this haute couture city is also host to the five-star Principe Di Savoia hotel - a member of the Dorchester Collection, which includes The Dorchester, London and the three Michelin-starred Le Meurice, Paris."

To read the full review of the Italian cookery masterclass at The Dorchester's sister hotel in Milan, the Principe di Savoia by freelance journalist Craig Butcher, click here. Read More......

How to Match Beer and desserts - Esquire Magazine

"It's not just dessert wines that complement your spotted dick -- with some puds you'll find you can't fail"

Read the full article of 'How To Match Beer and Desserts' in the December 2009 issue of Esquire Magazine in the UK, out now, or click here to read the article on the Craig Butcher website, along with the rest of my food, drink and travel articles. Read More......

All About Cheese - delicious. magazine website

"With the World Cheese Awards recently announced and Christmas coming up, we sent Craig Butcher to the experts at La Fromagerie to discover everything there is to know about cheese, including how to craft the perfect cheese selection for Christmas Day and how to make cheese yourself."

Click here to read the full 'All About Cheese' article on the delicious. magazine website, one of the biggest food and drink websites in the UK. Read More......

Boar Hunting in Tuscany - GQ.com

"Autumn in Tuscany offers porcini, wild boar and the legendary white truffle.

Think of Tuscany and most people think of baking summer days, rolling hills and olive groves. But those in the know swear it is at its finest in Autumn, when the fields are bustling with grape harvests, the harsh sunlight gives way to early morning mists and porcini mushrooms, truffles and wild boar are in season. Autumn, they say, is when Tuscany's real cooks come out to play."

Click here to read the full boar hunting in Tuscany article by Craig Butcher for GQ magazine's GQ.com website. Read More......

How To Make The Perfect Espresso - GQ.com

"38 million cups of coffee are consumed daily in Italy - that's one for each man, woman and child in the country.

In Turin, there are more caffès per person than anywhere else. With their art nouveau interiors, intricate detailing and bow-tie bedecked baristas, it's fair to say there are few places in the world where coffee is taken so seriously and yet with such pleasure. GQ.COM joined the experts at Lavazza at their Turin academy to learn how to make the perfect espresso."

Click here to read the full article on the GQ magazine website at GQ.com, How To Make The Perfect Espresso by Craig Butcher. Read More......

Foraging for Supplies -- delicious. magazine

"Few restaurants are shy about proclaiming their local, ethically-sourced provenance message. But when you discover the owner John Rensten spends his weekends picking mushrooms in the New Forest, you wonder whether there might be something special on offer. Craig Butcher reviews John's restaurant, The Compass, to learn just how easy it is lay your hands on nature’s own larder."

Click here to read the full article on foraging and read the restaurant review of The Compass in Angel, North London. All available online at the delicious magazine website. Read More......

Deer stalking in Scotland - The Spectator online

"Crawling through a moss-strewn stream on my hands and knees after six hours tramping and trailing up glen and doon valley by Tayside in the Scottish Highlands, the water flowing through and around my attire, I’m reminded why hunting deer is called stalking."

Click here to read the full article on deer stalking in Scotland and some tips on cooking game on The Spectator Scoff! website. Read More......

The Best of The US in the UK - Channel 4 Food

While Jamie's making his way around the USA, you can make the most of everything Stateside right here in the UK. From bowling alleys to diners, bars to steakhouses, Craig Butcher brings the best UK American venues to 4Food.

Click here to read the Jamie Oliver American Road Trip feature in full on the Channel 4 Food website. Read More......

Homage to Fromage - For GQ.com

"Learn how to pair cheese and alcohol for the perfect match.

"Just because cheese often heralds a meal's finale, doesn't mean you can't continue enjoying a tipple alongside it. There are an incredible variety of drinks that complement cheese. From lively hoppy ales to a dry sherry or full-bodied white wine, there's no reason you can't find your ideal match and wrap up your cheese course with a quaffable little number."

Click here to read the full cheese and alcohol matching feature on GQ.com Read More......

Forthcoming features

In the past I've routinely just linked to food and drink features I've already written which are live on the web and available to read. But with the changing of the seasons I thought now would be a good time to highlight what's coming up over the next few months with various outlets for Autumn. Unfortunately I can't be particularly specific as features editors rarely enjoy their stories being aired to competitors, but here's what's coming up:

1) An Italian food feature for men's magazine website GQ.com due online in November.
2) A food and drink matching feature, also for GQ.com due online in October.
3) A drinks feature for Esquire magazine in the UK, coming out in the November issue which will be on the news-stands in early October.
4) An Icelandic travel and food feature for Foodtripper.com, online in October.
5) A Scottish travel feature for The Specator / Scoff, online in late September.
6) An Autumnal feature for the delicious. magazine website, online in late September.
7) A restaurant feature for Channel 4 Food, online in early September to accompany the Jamie Oliver American Road trip TV series.
8) A coffee feature for US coffee magazine Roast, available in their January/February 2010 issue, out early January 2010 I think.

Keep checking the Craig Butcher website which will have links for all the features above once they've gone live. Read More......

Top 10 hottest chefs in the USA: Channel 4 Food

"Celebrity chefs aren’t a uniquely British phenomenon - the USA has some serious talent of its own. Craig Butcher pits award-winning American chefs, old and new, against home-grown favourites here in the UK for 4Food."

This is a commissioned feature for the Channel 4 Food website to accompany Jamie Oliver's new American Road Trip TV series. Click here to read the full article on the Channel 4 Food website and keep an eye out for another feature to accompany the new Jamie Oliver American Road trip series coming soon. Read More......

Cocktail bar review: Foodtripper.com

"Unashamedly swanky, JuJu's crafted cocktails and Asian inspired nibbles draw a distinguished crowd. Craig Butcher plays barfly.

At the quieter end of the King’s Road where Babushka bar once stood, award-winning champagne and cocktail bar JuJu has cosied up next to Brazilian sushi sensation Sushinho..."

Click here to visit the Foodtripper.com website and read the article in full. Read More......

Lovely Bubbly -- Epernay and Reims for Foodtripper.com

The Champagne region is deliciously awash with fizz and a few foods to match, as Craig Butcher discovers.

Just 45-minutes from Paris on the high-speed TGV train, Reims and its neighbouring town Epernay lie at the heart of the Champagne region in north-eastern France. Famously home to the great Champagne houses including Moet & Chandon, Taittinger and Mumm, it’s impossible to dine out anywhere in this ancient Roman town without hearing the constant popping of corks, the gentle sloshing of ice buckets and contended sighs of appreciation. These towns live, breathe and are, Champagne.

Click here to visit the Foodtripper.com website and read the article in full. Read More......

All About Rum

"Once the fuel of choice for hard-drinking European navvies of the seventeenth century, rum is experiencing something of a resurgence, showing it can stand alongside the greatest Scotches and Cognacs.

There’s a diverse range on offer and it’s adaptable behind the bar and in the kitchen. Craig Butcher sought out renowned UK rum ambassador Ian Burrell to lift the lid on Caribbean rum."

Click here to read the article in full at the delicious. magazine website. Read More......

Spanish Tapas in London

Spanish tapas restaurants have taken London by storm in recent months. Craig Butcher reviews El Pirata de Tapas and chats with head chef Omar Allibhoy – protégé of El Bulli’s Ferran Adria – to learn just how easy it is to make superb tapas at home.

Click here to read the full article on the delicious. magazine website. Read More......

Food hotel: Kinloch Lodge, Isle of Skye

"Overlooking the sea-loch Na Dal in Sleat at the southern end of the Isle of Skye in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides, Kinloch Lodge retains the mystical other-worldliness so sought out by travellers the world over. With nothing but the loch, the mountains and the sky to hinder your view, the ancestral home of the Macdonald clan of Sleat is perfectly located and breathtaking from the outset."

Click here to read the rest of this feature on the Foodtripper website.
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Eateries Toying With Technology

"Hungry for your business, high end restaurants are going to extraordinary lengths to lure diners through the doors. From Damien Hirst artwork to Champagne call buttons, menu projectors to cigar humidors, Craig Butcher goes in search of restaurants toying with technology for 4Food"

Click here to read the rest of this feature on the Channel 4 Food website. Read More......

Latte art on Channel 4

"The Americans simply love their coffee - they caress it, they tease it, they make it look good enough to drink. Craig Butcher takes a 4Food look at a whole latte art from the world’s best baristas - American and otherwise."

Click here to read the rest of this feature on the Channel 4 Food website. Read More......

8 of the Best Wines for Summer

After the success of the Top 10 Wines for Spring round-up earlier this year, and with the mercury slowly rising across the UK, it's time for another installment. Again our friends at Oddbins on Marylebone High Street, London have tipped their eight best wines for summer. With the economic outlook improving, we've also upped the budget -- it's summertime, after all... This time, Oddbins manager Barbara Siembida guides us through her top tipples for toppy temps this summer.


WHITES

Contelucio, Pinot Grigio, Bellanote, 2007
£13.99/11.19 as a part of mixed case of 12
Pinot Grigio has earned an awkward reputation for itself from cheap versions found in pubs and bars and is often best avoided, though as a Pinot Gris it often makes a brilliant wine. This is admittedly very expensive for Pinot Grigio, which is a good sign, but the proof is in the glass. It is slightly tinged - with a pinkish hue to it (ramato or copper in Italian, neither white nor red), and that’s what it should be. Pinot Grigio as a mutation of the Pinot family is not really a white grape. The nose is intense with dry hay, elderflowers and dried tea rose; medium bodied with slight mineral oiliness similar to an Alsatian Pinot Gris, light dried fruit character, almonds and walnuts and a very refreshing streak of acidity. Should work wonderfully with vegetarian main courses - carrot ragout, roast pumpkin with butter and sage or even chunky, succulent soups.


Bourgogne Blanc, Francois Jobard, 2001
£24.99/19.99 as a part of mixed case of 12
Yes, it is a generic Bourgogne and yes, it is £25. But you should try it because of the legend behind it, Francois Jobard, and because it is produced in miniscule quantities. Don't quite know what our French buyer did to get it on our shelves, but the important thing is it's there. Mr Jobard is known for his classic whites - very clean and steely with an amazing ageing potential. This one is still fairly young on the nose and the palate, with lovely primary fruit of ripening Golden Delicious apple, dairy undertones and slight smokiness. Very complex, this should be drunk very slowly - fois gras anyone?


REDS

Barbera d'Alba, 'Il Ciotto', Bovio 2007
£12.99/10.39 as a part of mixed case of 12
Bright purple in colour, slightly earthy/mineral tones on the nose with oodles of cherries and red berry leads to a medium bodied palate with more juicy sour cherry and raspberry, fairly high acidity but in perfect balance with the fruit intensity and alcohol. Beautiful for tomato and olive based sauces and light casseroles.


Wiengut Niklas, Sudtiroler Lagrein, 2007
£11.99/9.59 as a part of mixed case of 12
We are having a bit of Italian epiphany as a team (though this one is as much Austrian as Italian, or probably neither as Alto Adige is its own territory) and this is our new favourite red. A grape rarely seen anywhere else shines brightly in this example. Intense and purple to look at, the nose is reminiscent of very good aged Merlot from California, with stewed plums, figs and dark forest fruits, some herbaceous notes and sweet spice. Light in body, also reminiscent of Loire reds (could be served slightly chilled - and on a hot day, probably should be) with very soft, ripe tannins and more plummy fruits follow. Medium length with a slightly bitter coffee-tinged finish. Would make a killer match with a lovely veal ragout, should be prefect for all the game birds as well, dried meats (Parma ham style) and hard cheeses.


SPARKLING

Codorniu, Pinot Noir, Rose
£7.00/6.39 as a part of mixed case of 12
Cava is not everybody's cup of tea - but this is different. The first in Penedes to be made of Pinot Noir, rather than the three traditional varieties, it screams summer. First of all, lovely shade of pale pink, the bubbles are just right and the mousse very soft on the palate. On the nose heaps of raspberry, strawberry and red currant, and that moves onto the delicate palate and finishes with a lovely lemony/citrussy kick. Great in the garden at the end of a summer day on its own, but it will go well with summer fruit based desserts just fine.


Louis Roederer, Brut Premier NV
£37.49/30.39 as a part of mixed case of 12
Drink this regardless of the season. Now back in stock, this is the Champagne to have. Very decently priced for the quality of the stuff that is in the bottle. Heavy on Pinots with the reserve wines aged in oak it's a biscuity, creamy style of champagne. On the nose - freshly baked brioche, yeast and hazelnuts, wonderfully soft mousse and stewed apples, more cream and nuttiness on the palate. The finish lingers in the mouth well. It matches wonderfully with shellfish or sushi.


DESSERT WINES

d'Arenberg, 'The Noble Wrinkled' Riesling
£9.99/7.99 as a part of mixed case of 12
d'Arenberg wines have a special place at Oddbins, and the stickies have long been favourite among the staff and punters. This Riesling made from grapes affected by Botrytis is yellow golden in colour with a delicate nose - white flowers, white fleshy stone fruit and lime. The palate is yet more peachy fruit, ripe grapefruit and lemony zestiness. Wonderful to drink now, but will get better/different with age, so it's best to get a few bottles, just to see how it develops! Wonderful with fruit desserts.


Domain Berthoumieu, Pacherenc du Vic Bilh
£9.99/7.99 as a part of mixed case of 12
The name comes from an old Gascon dialect and means (more or less) 'vines grown on slopes in the old country'. A blend of less common grape varieties - mainly Petit/Gros Manseng and L'arrufiac that are picked over-ripe for raisin-like richness. It's a match made in heaven for all creamy patisseries, brioches and crème Brulees or even soft, blue cheeses. Golden in colour with aromas of honey and citrus peel on the nose, the palate has marmalade and honey, with a touch of herbaceous notes (perhaps bergamot) and lovely, refreshing acidity on a long finish.

Note: Not all Oddbins stock these wines -- click here to find out if your nearest store has them in stock. Read More......

All About Taste for delicious. magazine

Let’s face it – regardless of the season or tipple, the British love to drink. Whether it’s a glass of fine wine, a pint of real ale or a cup of tea or coffee, there’s a world of flavour out there. Craig Butcher shows you how to appreciate them all fully with just one simple technique.

Click here to read the full article 'All About Taste' at delicious. magazine online. Read More......

Month of Taste starts Saturday 13th June

The Month of Taste is a national celebration of the best of British summer foods available direct from the farm, whether from farm shops, farmers' markets, pick your own farms and box schemes.

The festival from Saturday 13th June to 19 July 2009, highlights the abundance of UK seasonal produce available including soft fruit, salads, beans and peas, asparagus, herbs and edible flowers, as well as seasonal cheese, ice-cream and fresh fish.

Which is just a very long way of saying it's a great excuse to eat some great food and drink. Click here to take a look at their website. Read More......

Channel 4 Feature - Supermarket Psychology

Anyone who saw last night's television will have seen Channel 4's new supermarket programming, I'm Running Sainsbury's. My latest feature for the Channel 4 website looks at how supermarkets use colour to influence shoppers:

"Food brands spend tens of millions of pounds each year telling you who they are and what they stand for. What they don’t tell you is why discounts are always written in red, why Cadbury's is purple and why Sainsbury's branding is orange.

Craig Butcher met Angela Wright, the UK's foremost colour psychologist, to learn how supermarkets use colour to influence our purchasing decisions."

Click here to read the rest of the feature on the Channel 4 Food website.
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Channel 4 feature - Supermarket Design

Anyone who saw last night's television will have seen Channel 4's new supermarket programming, I'm Running Sainsbury's. My latest feature for the Channel 4 website looks at how supermarkets are designed to influence shoppers:

"It’s no coincidence that the sweets are right by the till in supermarkets, nor that the one thing you really came for is at the far corner, past the pet food you don’t need.

Supermarkets have designed their layouts to control the way you move around their stores and what you buy. Craig Butcher talks to the retail design experts to discover what the supermarkets are up to."

Click here to read the rest of the feature on the Channel 4 website. Read More......

Foodtripper.com: Tea in High Places - London

Iconic London buildings take centre-stage in an eccentric celebration of English tea-drinking, reports Craig Butcher

“Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors” wrote Pullitzer Prize-winner and author of The Colour Purple, Alice Walker. After a recent publicity stunt by London tourism chiefs Visit London, it seems we have dispensed with the charade once and for all.

To read my complete article at Foodtripper.com, click here Read More......

Insert Headline Here

Gearing up for the long bank holiday weekend, I for one will be looking forward to some well earned R&R. Two weeks is too long to leave the blog without an update. But where there is nothingness on the site right now, in time you can expect fullness elsewhere. I've been working on features for Channel 4 Food and FoodTripper.com which I'll post links to when they're live. In the meantime, have a great bank holiday weekend. Read More......

Nic Nac and Spaniel at Cabbages and Frocks

Nicky Hawtin and Anna Ford return to Marylebone High Street this Saturday 9th May for the Cabbages and Frocks market where they'll be selling cakes, biscuits and the like on Children's Day. I'll confess, I live with one and know the other, so clearly I'll be in and around the stall trying not to eat too much of the wares. Drop by if you're around -- it runs from 11am to 5pm Saturday, just off Marylebone High Street opposite The Conran Shop / Orrery. There's a good variety of stalls and the weather promises to be a whole heap better than today. Click here for more details from the Cabbages and Frocks website.
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Eat, Drink, Live…London Lunches

London’s lunch scene is preparing for change. Wave goodbye to the cardboard sandwich; say hello to a new breed of entertainers. Craig Butcher reports...

Click here to read the rest of the article in its original format at www.foodtripper.com. The article will open in a new window. Read More......

Eat, Drink, Live…Hong Kong

Craig Butcher grew up amidst the sights, sounds and smells of Hong Kong. Here he roots out the best new openings in the bustling city...

Click here to read the rest of the article in its original format at www.foodtripper.com. The article will open in a new window. Read More......

Foodtripper.com : New food and travel website launches

In recent weeks I've been contributing features for a new food and travel website and today I'm pleased to say Foodtripper.com launched. Foodtripper is an online magazine serving a niche market for people who travel to eat. Aiming to bring information and inspiration about food destinations, food culture, food history and events together in one place on the web. There's a diverse range of specialist food and travel writers based both in the UK and key food destinations around the world contributing and I'm delighted to be involved. Please do take a look and let me know your thoughts -- you can e-mail me via the contact page of my website here.



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Coffee feature in today's Evening Standard

Today's Evening Standard includes my coffee feature which focuses on World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies. See page 39 in the food pages of the Wednesday print edition. Online links will follow if it makes the transition to the Evening Standard online.

Update: 20th May 2009. This feature was only published in print. Contact me via e-mail at info@craigbutcher.co.uk if you would like to see the article and I'll happily send you a PDF version.
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Evening Standard food feature

Look out for new features which will be publishing in various media shortly and which have prevented me from posting to my blog. First out will be a feature for the Evening Standard appearing in this Wednesday's food pages so keep an eye out for that. This may or may not subsequently appear on their website but I'll post the link if so. Also keep an eye out on the Channel 4 Food website in early May when two new supermarket-related features will go live. A restaurant review and chef interview are due on the delicious. magazine website later in the Summer to tie in with a special in the print magazine. I'll post again as these features become available. In the meantime, I'm digging out new stories and welcome any suggestions. Read More......

UK & Ireland finalists in World Barista Championships

The World Barista Championships are well underway here in Atlanta, Georgia. Of the 51 national champions representing their countries over the course of Friday and Saturday, just six went through to the finals being held today, Sunday 19th April. Gwilym Davies, UK national champion and barista behind his coffee cart on Whitecross Street in London, and Ireland champion Colin Harmon will be fighting it out alongside entrants from Hungary, Korea, the U.S. and Canada.

Alongside the Championships is the world's largest gathering of coffee professionals - growers, producers, importers, exporters, roasters and baristas all gathered under one huge roof to talk shop. The expo winds up today and I'll be back in London on Tuesday to fill in the details of what's going on here. But in brief -- new home roaster from Behmor; interview with Cup of Excellence Executive Director to follow; Intelligentsia and Counter Culture Coffee leading the way in sourcing and roasting coffee here in the U.S.; and Has Bean owner Steve Leighton continuing to expand his quality coffee range.

Get in touch if you'd like any specific feedback from the show.

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Ditch your plastic

I was recently struck by a remarkably obvious idea. Granted, I was prompted in this, so I can't take any credit for it, but can it make any sense to repeatedly buy bottled water for the sake of wanting the bottle on the go?

Wouldn't it make so much more sense to have a reusable water bottle, that wouldn't taint the contents with plastics leeching into it and which wouldn't contribute to mountains of plastic in our landfill? I'm not ordinarily an eco-activist, but I think this idea has legs.

This April is Earth Month and Swiss water-bottle maker SIGG has teamed up with AVEDA salons to sell their co-branded 500ml water bottles to raise awareness not only for reducing plastic waste, but also to highlight the huge number of people around the world without access to safe drinking water. Additionally, they're holding an Aveda Walk for Water in London on the 22nd April. Covering five miles, this charitable walk will raise funds for the Global Greengrants Fund who provide grants for community based water projects around the world.
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Specialty Coffee Association of America

Later this month in Atlanta, Georgia, the great and the good of the specialty coffee world (i.e. the quality end of the coffee market) will meet for the largest coffee convention of its kind in the world.

Hosted by the Specialty Coffee Association of America from 16th to 19th April 2009, the Symposium plays host to the finals of the World Barista Championships -- essentially the World Cup of coffee. Representing the U.K will be Gwilym Davies whose coffee cart on Whitecross Street near the Barbican in London is increasingly swarmed by devotees. Gwilym serves the same quality coffee from Square Mile Coffee that I source my own from -- it's seriously good stuff.

Representatives from all the major coffee producing countries, their unions, the Rainforest Alliance, FairTrade, not to mention the cafes, bars and restaurant which pour your coffee will be there. Not least among them, Stephen Leighton of HasBean.co.uk-- a leading importer and online retailer of coffee and equipment I'm hoping to catch up with. They'll all be discussing the latest production methods, equipment, politics and policies.

I'll be there soaking it all up and seeing what's going on -- I'll report anything and everything when I get back.
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New York, New York

Ladies and gents I'll keep this news brief -- it's simply a prelude to more extensive and, hopefully, more interesting blogs to follow in the coming weeks.

I'm off to New York City tomorrow, Wednesday 8th April for the extended Easter break. While there, I'll be checking out the lively bars and restaurants of Bedford Avenue, in hip Williamsburg, get amongst the quality beer and burgers at BLT Burger (Bistro Laurent Tourondel) in West Greenwich, the food shops of Soho (including browsing uber-pricey Dean & Deluca), living it up in the Meatpacking District and generally getting amongst all the food and drink New York can throw at me. I'll be drinking Brooklyn Lager at every available opportunity and seeing exactly how far my increasingly worthless British Pounds will carry me.

On my return, expect food and drink news galore. Feel free to let me know of any recommendations of where I should go, what I should visit -- this is my third time to New York, but there's always something new to see and do. Let me know by e-mailing me info@craigbutcher.co.uk or following me on Twitter here.

In the meantime, Happy Easter.
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How to Buy A Knife

"Jay Patel of the Japanese Knife Company gives us the lowdown on how to buy a blade."

Click here to read the second of my features for the Channel 4 food website which offers top tips on buying kitchen knives. Read More......

Jay Patel: The sharpest knife in the drawer

"Chefs at Heston Blumenthal's The Fat Duck and 40-50% of all UK Michelin-starred chefs buy their knives from just one Englishman who spent eight years in Japan learning the trade."

Click here to read my latest feature for the Channel 4 food website. Read More......

Dark Side of the Cha Cha Moon

Alan Yau's Chinese noodle bar venture Cha Cha Moon opened back in 2008 just off London's Carnaby Street. The first time I went there, it didn't go well -- it was packed, the staff rushed and the menu both complex and unhelpful. When I ended up back there last Friday after a few drinks at The Clachan pub on Kingly Street, I thought I'd give Cha Cha Moon another chance.

Cha Cha Moon is Alan Yau's second attempt at Wagamama's, to my mind. I have a lot of time for the Hong Kong-born restaurateur behind some of the best recognised restaurants in London, including the high-end Hakkasan, dim sum palace Yauatcha, Thai chain Busaba Eathai and previously, Wagamama's. Not least because, having grown-up in Hong Kong myself, I love Asian cuisine.

The ambition is apparent -- its modern, sleek design is sophisticated and aspirational, and the Time Out award in 2008 as Runner-Up for Best Design is well-deserved. But on our visit last Friday, the front entrance on Ganton Street was boarded up for refurbishment. The back entrance in Kingly Court had a bouncer granting access. This didn't bode well. If bouncers are the new maitre d', then we really are in trouble. Inside, things didn't get much better. Staff were surly, the menu was ill-defined -- superficially Chinese there are still forays to Singapore and Malaysia, but it's testament to the lack of inspiration on the menu that I ended up with the same dish as my first visit. Except the notable difference is the prices -- they have quite literally doubled since opening. What was £3.50 last December is now £7.00. This is now fairly standard practice -- get in the journalists when prices are low, their reviews are published proclaiming good value and then the prices are inflated. Most reviews aren't updated, so the 'good value' proclamation remains. Hence a large beer at Cha Cha Moon now costs £6.00. There is only one type on offer.

Noodle dishes were bland, the Chinese chives side dish lacked the blossoming head so distinctive of this variety and the chilli oil condiment lacked depth of flavour or sizzling punch. Staff are so used to speeding diners on and turning around tables that they neglected to notice the place was only half-full, so we were still hurried on.

Central London is full of authentic Chinese restaurants offering a bowl of flavourful noodles, atmosphere and service for a reasonable price. It's just that Cha Cha Moon doesn't appear to be one of them. It wasn't all bad news though -- The Clachan, on the other hand, was a great find -- just tucked behind Liberty's, the upstairs bar has Timothy Taylor Landlord and London Pride on draught, a great space and good atmosphere.

Cha Cha Moon, 15–21 Ganton Street, London W1F 9BN
Click here to go to the Cha Cha Moon website.

The Clachan, 34 Kingly Street, London W1B 5QH.
Click here to see the location of The Clachan.

Note: The photograph does not show Cha Cha Moon.
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Add malt, hops, water and, er, fruit

Some wags at The Juice Brewery have decided that now is the time. It's Spring, it's sunny, and it's no time to launch a new alcoholic drink that'll be taxed off the shelves quicker than you can say 50p per unit. So they haven't. What they have launched instead is what they wittily refer to as 'the world's first soft-brew'.


Tucked behind the Old Vic Theatre behind London Waterloo is The Juice Brewery -- and they're churning out a new range of non-alcoholic soft drinks brewed with the malts and hops you'd expect from a thirst-quenching real ale, but without the alcohol or the hangover. These aren't beer replacements, but a refreshing alternative choice available at your local, provided your local is in London, mind.

The two flavours I tried are Blackcurrant and Citrus -- there is a crisp fruitiness that comes through in both flavours which is derived from the hops, while the malts add bitterness. The sweetness is controlled and not sickly and it's relatively flat, which avoids any bloatedness. Is it as good as beer? No. But then it's not meant to be. But they would probably make an excellent alternative at the pub to any of the other non-alcoholic drinks available. To get your hands on some, click here for a list of outlets from The Juice Brewery website, which incidentally includes The Natural Kitchen on Marylebone High Street in London -- a fantastic deli and cafe which has a great range of beers and real ales too. Click here to go to The Natural Kitchen website.
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Cast judgement on Great Taste

The Guild of Fine Food has launched a competition to find a judge for the Great Taste Awards 2009 -- a golden opportunity to impose your impeccable taste on an unsuspecting British public. One lucky winner will join the ranks of industry legends such as Mark Hix and Alex James by becoming a judge at the Great Taste Awards 2009. Which means lots of free food and drink and an eager audience for your unsubstantiated opinions.

You might not recognise the name but the Great Taste Awards stickers are widely recognised on quality food and drink from specialty producers as well as some larger producers who have made a name for themselves as a result. The categories range from cheeses to pies to sorbets to cider from every corner of the UK. Products are blind tasted by a panel of independent judges.

The competition winner will be able to bask in the reflected glory of better respected foodies including Charles Campion at the Real Food Festival 2009 at Earl’s Court on May 9th, where they will judge beer, wine, chocolate and espresso coffee -- basically all the important categories.

To enter, you'll have to write up to 400 words about why you should be chosen along with your foodie dreams and aspirations to gemma@completemediagroup.co.uk.

Click here to see the winners from the Great Taste Awards 2008.

Terms and Conditions:
The competition is open to foodies of any age and profession. The deadline is 30th April 2009. All applications will be judged by the Guild of Fine Food who organise the Great Taste Awards.
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London Restaurant Week kicks off

Today sees the start of London Restaurant Week, which actually runs for a fortnight until Sunday 29th March. An annual event where high-end restaurants open their doors for a fraction of the usual rates, there's a wide range of venues involved, including The Cinnamon Club, Galvin At Windows, Jim Thompson's Nahm and Roast at Borough Market. Booking is online through LastMinute.com. Discounts aren't as appealing as previous years, primarily because there are so many great deals on offer, but worth it nonetheless. Click here to go the London Restaurant Week site for more information and to book. Read More......

UPDATED Top 10 Wines for Spring

UPDATE – 3rd April 2009

Since this Oddbins blog was posted, the wine experts at Decanter.com have come up with their own Top 10 Wines from Oddbins –
Click here to take a look at their own take on Oddbins’ best.


After a beautiful sunny weekend across the UK, now's the time to be thinking about those refreshing Spring whites while still clasping to the big juicy reds of Winter. Who better to guide us through the best on offer at Oddbins than Peter Ingram, Assistant Manager at the Marylebone High Street store.

I have more wine at home than my wine rack knows what to do with, and it's primarily down to one man -- Peter Ingram, Assistant Manager at Oddbins on Marylebone High Street. I frequently go in for one bottle and come out with six -- sheer lunacy. But the man has a way with words, and with wine, so what can I do?

Oddbins was bought out several months ago by the original owners and this is welcome news -- Oddbins' focus over the coming months will be to return to their 'small bins' of exceptional wines from lesser-known producers in prime regions. The core offering will be reduced so that more of the wines are rotated. Which is a long way of saying they'll have a great range that's constantly changing. Here are Peter's tips of the best currently on offer:

REDS

Quinta de Bons-Ventos, Portugal, 2007. £5.99
A Portuguese blend from Casa Santos Lima in Estremadura in southern Portugal. They specialise in Portuguese varieties but using modern techniques. A medium bodied wine with red fruits but with lights tannins. Soft, well-rounded fruit.
Pair with: Very tolerant of most pairings being medium bodied. Any light meat or light stew.

Punta Final, Malbec, Argentina, 2007, £8.49
Argentine malbec, further south than Chile which is also well-known for its malbecs which are lighter fruited and more earthy. In this example, you get dark fruit aromas with a little licorice on the nose as well. On the palate, a certain amount of jammy fruit which melts into a very mineral finish with comparatively restrained alcohol.
Pair with: Something fuller-bodied -- a richer stew or anything a bit gamey.

El Quintanal, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 2007, £8.99
100% tempranillo from an up-and-coming region of Spain. Made by a co-operative but the winemaker is a family-owned bodega which is becoming something of a cult winemaker. This is unoaked, lots of very distinct, clear fruits -- red cherries, a little white pepper, medium bodied. Very smooth and approachable.
Pair with: Chicken and lighter meats or with vegetarian foods.

El Quintanal, Vendima Seleccionada, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 2007, £12.99
Similar spec to the wine above, but this is oaked, much fuller-bodied, getting into rich cedar flavours, darker fruit flavours.
Pair with heavier meats -- roasts, steak or any sort of Spanish tapas.

WHITES

Caves de Lugny, Macon-Villages, Chardonnay, 2007. £6.99
100% chardonnay from southern Burgundy, France. Unoaked so distinct cream fruit flavours, citrus and apples with a little bit of stonefruit coming through -- peachy. A little creamy butterness.
Pair with: Very light foods, a light starter or ideal as an aperitif.

Dr Loosen, Riesling, 2007. £7.49
Off-dry, so a little sweetness to it. A tangy acidity to balance the sweetness. Again, stonefruits with a little lychee. Fairly light-bodied, slightly lower alcohol than the others -- just 8.5%. A German wine.
Pair with: Goes very well with Vietnamese, Thai or Chinese -- sweet and spicy Asian foods.

Gemtree Vineyards, Tadpole, McLaren Vale, Australia, Chardonnay/Viognier, 2008. £7.99
This is a chardonnay / viognier blend from the McLaren Vale, Australia. A bit fuller-bodied, quite luscious, tropical fruits. Some stonefruits, but that's a lychee tinge. Unoakced, very clear fruits.
Pair with: Generally a wine to have by itself but can also go well with shellfish, scallops particularly.

Domaine de Villargeau, Coteaux du Giennois, Loire, France, Sauvignon Blanc, 2007. £9.99
Loire Valley sauvignon blanc and quite similar to an unoaked Pouilly-Fume -- lots of herbaceous cut-grass and flinty notes. A little more gooseberry than you'd normally get with a Pouilly-Fume and more towards a Marlborough, New Zealand style. A little more body, a little more fruit.
Pair with: Very much with seafood.

WILDCARDS

Gemma, Vigna Florita, Moscato D'asti, Italy. £6.99
An Italian moscati d'asti -- sweet but light and fresh. Quite low alcohol -- they're usually 5% to 7%. A great finish to any heavy meal. Refreshes your palate and doesn't weigh down with lots of alcohol.
Pair with: Dessert, but nothing too sweet. Goes really well with a pavlova or chilled with a Spring picnic -- chicken and cold cuts.

Lustau, Dry Amontillado, Los Arcos, Sherry, Spain. £10.99 A dry amontillado sherry which I've included because I think it's massively underrated. You get a rich, nutty character to it. The thing with sherries is that it's not that expensive but you're getting quite an aged wine. They blend in different barrels and some of the sherry you're getting is up to 30 or 40 years old. You get a rich, developed flavour for £11 which you'd normally pay alot more for.
Pair with: Suitable as an aperitif or with a coffee and cheeses. Read More......