Thirty-one steps from tree to packet - some of them secret...that's what we found when we slipped into Blenheim to visit our 'Mr Pine Nut', Lee Paterson.It's literally a straight 30 minute drive from Renwick, though if you were going on a Sunday, should the urge take you, you...
Posted 13 Feb 2012
Small indulgences can provide you with a lot of pleasure really. My daughter's very specific instructions (and if you know Helen you will know exactly what I mean - she's a Virgo - so made able to issue direction with ease!) were: "THIS YEAR YOU MUST WRITE A...
Posted 8 Feb 2012
We hope those of you back at the coalface managed to grab at least a few rays of summer sun between the deluges. We escaped to Russell for what turned out to be four extremely gorgeous days just after New Year. Realistic enough to know our seaward limitations, but keen to...
Posted 18 Jan 2012
Home to Fieschi, our mustard fruit maker, and also to the violin. In this beautiful medieval historic city reside what sound like the entire world population of violin makers. One hundred and eighty of them apparently, many of them visible through the doorways and windows of...
Posted 15 May 2011
This trip we figured that seven weeks of changing hotels every second night might be just a little too arduous for the entire time, so decided to return to Verona for Easter. Home to Salvagno and close to Ferron who we were also going to see. Verona... Our...
Posted 12 May 2011
Why does Rustichella rock? We recently enjoyed a lightening visit from Gianluigi, the third generation owner of the family company Rustichella pasta, and decided to pass by Pianella in Abruzzo on the way north. We have visited Rustichella before and the setting for the...
Posted 7 May 2011
Our last experience of driving around the towns near Bari in Puglia involved hotels which weren't open till later in May, closed restaurants and local youth playing chicken on their skateboards in front of the French registered car we were driving. I was so glad we did not hit...
Posted 3 May 2011
It had been a while between visits to our friends at Augustus in El Vendrell, Penedes - home of the very special Forum vinegar. Many of you will know and enjoy their delicious Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon vinegars as they have been staples of our range for many years now...
Posted 28 Apr 2011
Apparently it's not uncommon practice for the taxi drivers to add a few extra blocks to your trip in Madrid according to a friend of ours from further north. He's Spanish and was indignant we'd paid far less for a trip than he had. We were quite amused the practice...
Posted 21 Apr 2011
Passing through Los Angeles on the way to Europe I thought it strange that my old nursing buddy - as creative as she was when we worked together - insisted that a great thing to do would be to get a Brazilian the afternoon we arrived. Really?!? That's her idea of a good...
Posted 19 Apr 2011
Our sourcing trips are best described as snapshot tours of places. As they have a business purpose – usually a supplier visit or a stop on the way to one, we spend a day – sometimes two, in a lot of different places and are always trying to extract the best in a...
Posted 11 Apr 2010
Thirty one days, 15 changes of accomodation and 5500km later, we are back to share with you our tales – and to tell you more about the ingredients you enjoy. Our sourcing trips are best described as snapshot tours of places. As they have a business rather than...
Posted 9 Apr 2010
Jetlag and small delays become irrelevant when faced with the challenge of an Icelandic volcano as a travel barrier. So, we experienced feelings of great relief when our plane made the final approach to Milan airport. This was possibly heightened by the hands clasped in...
Posted 1 Apr 2010
Extra long travel times, lost luggage and colds punctuated our recent journey to Spain, but we travelled widely, saw a lot, and ate and drank, on the whole, extremely well. Would you like to know more? Barcelona... Go there! It is one of the most civilized cities...
Posted 14 Mar 2010
