Gourmet

Gourmet

An Unprecedented Rarity

Courvoisier Mizunara 2023, uniquely crafted

The beautifully orchestrated evolution of Courvoisier continues with the release of Courvoisier Mizunara 2023, a blend so exceptionally crafted that only 500 bottles are available. With this second edition, Maison Courvoisier – founded by Félix Courvoisier in 1828, in Jarnac, France – continues its history of presenting unique blends with a cognac that combines French tradition and Japanese craftsmanship. Naturally, this marriage, made in ancient oak casks, has proved to be as desirable as the inaugural edition of Courvoisier Mizunara.

Maison Courvoisier’s seventh Chief Blender, Thibaut Hontanx, is once again at the heart of this revolutionary collaboration with the House of Suntory’s fifth-generation Chief Blender, Shinji Fukuyo. Applying their combined mastery, Hontanx and Fukuyo have ensured that this rare cognac perfectly symbolizes the idea that innovative blends can be the result of the harmonious union of two distinct cultures.

Since being handed the reins from Courvoisier’s sixth Chief Blender, Patrice Pinet, early last year, Hontanx – previously the brand’s Master Distiller – has proved to be a worthy caretaker. Explaining what he loves about the role, he says, “I enjoy the landscape, the…

Gourmet

Bago du Vin

Intercontinental Cascais-Estoril, Portugal

With a list of more than 100 wines and a spectacular view of the bay of Cascais, Bago du Vin is the kind of place to sit back and enjoy one of those lunches that last well into the evening. The design and decoration follow the modern and sophisticated style of the rest of the […]

Gourmet

A perfect pairing

Restoring local flavour to the Milford Haven Waterway

Food is social glue. It connects us across customs and cultures, just as it has Andy Woolmer of Pembrokeshire Oysters and Jonathan Williams at Café Môr. Together, they’re restoring local flavour to the fishing village of Angle. I visited them a couple of months ago, to understand why customers drive hundreds of miles to eat […]

Gourmet

La Vie En Rose

Pink bubbles have never been more fashionable

The nation’s love affair with Rosé continues to grow year-on-year. Rosé Champagne is the second largest cuvée type shipped to the UK and has become synonymous with summer. This year in particular, with the much-anticipated film Barbie being released, there seems to be a total craze for all things pink. Victoria Henson, Director of Champagne […]

Gourmet

Petrossian South Kensington

Exquisite luxury in the heart of London

Over a century ago, two immigrant Armenian brothers opened in Paris their first shop at 18 boulevard de La Tour-Maubourg, selling caviar. A few decades later, they had established themselves as the purveyors of the finest caviar and other Russian specialties, such as Chatka crabs and vodkas. By the 1990s, they had incorporated smoked fish, […]

Gourmet

The Best of Seasonal Produce

The Galvin brothers’ proposition for the summer

Michelin-starred chefs, Chris and Jeff Galvin have come up with a “Taste of Summer” menu for each of their five award-winning restaurants which celebrate the best of seasonal produce and hope to inspire people to experience fine dining at accessible prices. Working with the head chefs of each of their restaurants, the five menus – […]

Gourmet

A Taste of the World

Whiskies from home and afar

A few years ago, it seemed that whisky (or whiskey, I leave it up to you) had lost favour with the public and was only consumed in rarefied circles by rarefied people. But the fact is that nothing could be further from the truth. In the UK, we love whisky and we drink it with […]

Gourmet

The Pantry

Hotel Arts Barcelona, Carrer de la Marina, 08005 Barcelona

When one does a lot of restaurant reviews, disappointment is, sometimes, unavoidable. Other times, one is surprised and finds the most magical places, food and people where least expected. This is the case of The Pantry, the newest restaurant in the Hotel Arts Barcelona. What looks like the back door of a delicatessen selling a […]

Gourmet

The French Art of Living

Chef Paul Stradner at Villa René Lalique

Nestled at the foot of the Vosges du Nord nature park, Villa René Lalique, in Wingen-sur-Moder, France, has become recognised as a unique destination for epicureans. René is a member of the Relais & Châteaux collection and boasts a five-star luxury suite hotel, that offers the opportunity to be emersed in Lalique and enjoy the […]

Gourmet

Delight Your Senses

A new kind of Afternoon Tea

Afternoon Tea is one of the most classic traditions one can think of in Britain. However, the tradition only dates back to the early 19th century, when the Duchess of Bedford started to serve tea and a few nibbles to her guest in the afternoon. Over the last decades we have seen it evolve and […]

Gourmet

Royal Bubbles

Champagne, The Goring, and the Royal Family

With the first coronation of a British sovereign in 70 years, the red, white and blue bunting has been hung across the nation and beyond. Saucepans are being filled with the curried chicken that marked the crowning of Elizabeth II, while ovens are heating up the veggie-conscious 2023 alternative: Charles III’s officially-sanctioned spinach quiche. However, […]

Gourmet

Wiltons

A Bastion of Britishness

Tucked in between tailors, business consultants and law firms lies Wiltons, an institution in Mayfair which started its journey more than 280 years ago. What started as a shellfish stall near Haymarket in 1742 ran by George William Wilton, grew into Wilton’s Shellfish Mongers and Oyster Rooms, a business that kept expanding under generations of […]

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