UTAH, the 45th state, is known for various things – the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, copper, gold and silver mining, the 2002 Winter Olympics, a staggering collection of dinosaur bone finds, Jell-O, particularly of the green variety and our destination (Sundance) and the talented Robert Redford. When we arrived at the airport at…
by Simone Sekers RAISE a glass to the ever-increasing range of alcohols around at the moment. It started with gallant wine makers, bravely making the best of the then British weather (I’m thinking of 30 years ago now) and producing often tongue-raspingly acidic white wines that cost more than a premier cru white Burgundy. How…
CORN not only grows tall, as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Curly sings in Oklahoma!, it is also big business in the USA. Private chef Philippa Davis from Shaftesbury has been working on the millionaires’ summer resort of the Hamptons, north of New York and learning about this multi-billion dollar staple of American food and farming ……
AFTERNOON Tea Week, this year from 8th to 14th August, is an excuse to indulge in cake, and scones and cream, and wonderful jam and, well, cake! And you get them all at The Queens Arms at Corton Denham. The award-winning pub will be serving afternoon teas brimming with berries, Battenberg and bubbles, offering an…
by Simone Sekers CAN you judge the standard of food at a place by what the chef is wearing? And if there isn’t a chef, then who will give you the clues you seek? You can give a good sniff around the area of the extractor fans and give the place a wide berth if…
THE Greek islands are a delight – even when you are working, as Philippa Davis discovered An overnight stay in Athens was swiftly followed by a few hours boat ride across the Aegon to the pretty island of Paros where the gleaming whitewashed buildings lay backdrop to the colourful myths, legends and modern day lives of…
Philippa Davis has been catering for a group of cyclists in the Pyrenees – not the Tour de France, but still a pretty gruelling way to work off the calories! THIS week I’ve been cooking for a group of 30 athletes cycling three cols of the Pyrenees. It was like discovering a secret bizarre…
TUCKED away in the windy lanes west of Wincanton, the new Piggery Barns at the Queens Arms at Corton Denham are the perfect base to explore the peaceful countryside of rural Dorset and South Somerset.. The newly converted accommodation in the former pig barns is a natural extension of the snout-to-tail ethos that lies at…
THIS week’s recipe and travelogue from our resident private chef Philippa Davis combines three of our favourite things – Scotland, salmon and food in the open air. We’ve known Philippa for years. She comes from Shaftesbury and we first sampled her delicious and inventive cooking at the Mudchute Kitchen on the city farm in an unexpected…
SO far the forecast is fine for Iford on Friday 24th June, which is good news for Peto Prommers. The first of three annual proms this year features jazz singer and pianist Anthony Strong and Brass Hysteria, playing in the Casita. The Opera Cloister Bar returns, serving cocktails and more in the beautiful cloister while…