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It’s later than you think! But delayed MFDF has jettisoned none of its bumper foodie appeal

Delayed by a week out of respect for the national mourning period for Queen Elizabeth II, the programme for the 25th Manchester Food and Drink Festival has emerged remarkably unscathed. Amid much rearrangement only the MFDF Curry Club has been postponed and will be rescheduled as soon as possible, while the the MFDF Wine Fest […]

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 Madeleine moment – Rambutan’s spicy mutton rolls redolent of old Colombo

Midnight at Colombo Airport, stepping out into the humid, slightly foetid tropical night after an 11 hour flight. The usual welcome on such trips, a taxi driver flourishing a card with my name, misspelt. All is not as it was meant to be, alas. A small group press trip has turned out to be just […]

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The Dormouse that roared – abstract expressionist pud at the Sao Paulo Project

Paul Jackson Pollock, born January 28 1912, Cody, Wyoming, died Springs, New York, August 11 1956; Caroline Gameiro Lopes Martins, born February 26 1986, São Paulo, Brazil, currently running a fine dining pop-up in Ancoats, Manchester, named after her birth city. Bespattered. It is one of my favourite words. Usually the ensuing messy chaos is […]

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Cooking on sizzling coals, Libertine is the latest hot property in a former bank

In a world of indie hospitality unease it’s wonderful to encounter a bold opening in a suburb. Yet even at the launch party for Libertine, featuring fire-grilled meats, cool cocktails and a real feelgood vibe, the very surroundings set me thinking.  Back in the day this beguiling building was home to Withington’s Old District Bank. […]

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Revisiting Daube à la Provencale – the legendary Lulu’s greatest hit?

Family holidays in Provence. Those were the days. Not always without incident. The first time I ever drove abroad was an eerie 3am hire car trundle along Nice’s Promenade des Anglais after horrendous flight delays. Two tots in the back too tired to even attempt: “Are we nearly there yet?” ‘There’ was the hilltop village […]

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