Burnt is the name of a film that is set to be released next month. It tells the story of a chef who moves to London in his bid to win three Michelin stars. A reader has sent us the following interview with chef Marcus Wareing about his role as consultant chef for the film. It is a very interesting read not only about the film but also about Wareing's involvement and what he thinks the impact of the film will have on the industry. Wareing said that while the movie is not for the industry and is aimed at theatre-goers and for people to watch at home, it is still likely to attract people to the industry. "It is purely entertainment, but it will entice people to come and look at the industry and think: Yeah, that’s pretty rock and roll,” he says. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pCqItydBuw One sixth of a supermarket ready-made meal may contain sugar according to research carried out by The Telegraph. The British newspaper found that a crispy sweet and sour chicken weighing a total of 400 … [Read more...]

Novak Djokovic is a high tennis performer. His 10 grand slam career wins put him equal seventh in the all-time list but he is unlikely to stop here given he is at his peak at the age of 28. He clearly has the two contemporary players Rafael Nadal (14) and record-holder Roger Federer (17) in sight. But why are we mentioning this on a weekly round-up related to food and wine? In an interview (Lunch with FT), Djokovic spoke about how when he was younger he used to be affected by sudden medical emergencies which occasionally forced him to pull out of games altogether. He discovered the problem was related to the food he was eating. "I had thought I was eating healthily. I didn’t eat junk food, I wasn’t drinking Coca-Cola, no alcohol...I thought about it and realised I had eaten [gluten] every single day. It is in our culture, that we eat bread with everything. So I had over-consumed it a lot...Nowadays, about 50 per cent of what I eat is raw." Is 'food porn' making us fat? That is … [Read more...]

This was the week in which Massimo Bottura, Italy's most famous chef, received a perfect score in the Italian influential guide L'Espresso. If you've missed the article, you can read about it here. It is also the week in which the World's top 50 bars have been named. Here is the list. Which ones have you been to? Artesian in London tops the list. If there is one restaurant critic I really follow it is Nick Lander. So if you are heading near Oxford, UK anytime soon, then this is the article you should consult or save for a future visit. In our recent trips to Emilia in Italia we have discovered the 'real' Lambrusco which is completely different to industrial Lambrusco that is exported and which has such a bad reputation. Here is an interesting article about how to pair it with five of the most traditional dishes from the region. In this article, you can read about 4 outrageously expensive dinners from the past. We have often heard about soft-drinks and the link to obesity, and … [Read more...]

A 16-year-old boy Flynn McGarry has been in the news internationally when he revealed that he would be opening his first restaurant in New York. Having launched his own supper club at the age of 11 the has already spent time in the kitchens of Alinea, Eleven Madison Park and Alma. He has been on the receiving end of strong criticisms. He is taking it in his stride as he tells Grub street in this interview. British chef Jamie Oliver has launched a petition calling the British government to introduce a tax on sugary drinks in the UK to improve children's health. He believes a tax of 7p per regular sized can of soft drink with added sugar could generate £1 billion in revenues per year. It could be used to support much needed preventative strategies in the NHS and schools around childhood obesity and diet related disease. The petition has already attracted over 120,000 signatures. And to complement this petition, here are 10 reasons why you should never let children drink … [Read more...]

We may be biased because of our love for food and wine but Eve Turow has a point when she says that in a digital-first era, many people latch onto food as something that engages all of the senses and brings people together in a physical space. Read her views about millennials and why they are obsessed with food here. It might give us an indication on the future of food. Waiters can make or break your experience in a restaurant. Few would imagine that some waiters are forced to pay to work on some shifts because of a tipping policy that means they have to hand over cash to their bosses at the end of the night. Some end up paying more than the tips they receive that evening. Read about it here. Foodiva has a great interview with British chef Jason Atherton who will be opening his first restaurant in Dubai a decade after leaving Dubai. The new restaurant marks his 17th restaurant spanning from Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, London and New York. Jay Rayner can be one hell of a … [Read more...]

We are slowly approaching September and with it come many new things. One of the most-awaited restaurant reopenings is Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck which is set to open again next month. If there is one thing that you should read this week, then it should be this brilliant interview by Jay Rayner in The Guardian. The experience is set to be different. It will be all about story telling and he is questioning everything. He says perfection is the enemy of creativity. "All these ideas of success and failure just equal fear of failure, judgement of others and blame of others. It restricts creativity. The opposite of failure is discovery," he says. Read on here. We look forward to head to the Milan Expo in September. In anticipation, here is an article by Emily Teel of Civileats on whether the Milan Expo can bring food systems into the global spotlight. A small Italian bank gives a select group of dairy farmers the opportunity to finance their operations with Parmiggiano Reggiano. … [Read more...]

If there is one thing that makes me really nostalgic about my country it is the tomato. At its best, not much is needed to turn it into a meal for the gods. Just a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, sea salt, pepper, basil and you are sorted particularly at this time of year when the peak season of the tomato is fast approaching. Alas things have changed and it is now rather common to find imported tasteless tomatoes in supermarkets or shops which is really a pity. Many times I find myself having to ask whether the tomatoes are local or not. But here is a really interesting trick to make tomatoes taste better than they are. It is worth trying. Chris Dwyer who writes at Fine Food Dude has a very interesting article in the CNN on the hottest Asia food trends in 2015. It is worth a read. We love to support a good cause and this is really worth sharing. Virgin have teamed up with OzHarvest by turning food snaps on social media into real meals for people in need thanks to a … [Read more...]