Pig and Hay - Chapel Street Market, N1

Pig and Hay is hands down the best kept secret on Chapel Market.  When I say secret that's probably a bit of an exaggeration as I've never seen it without half a dozen people queuing at lunch time to get their fill.

What your lunch says about you...

In a society obsessed with social media, instagram food porn, and blogging is it much of a stretch to see food as another status symbol? Where you choose to eat says as much about you as the clothes you wear surely?

Polpo - Beak Street, W1

Anyone heading down to the Wilderness festival this year is going to be in for a treat.  I was lucky enough to try out Russell Norman’s menu for Polpo this week and can safely say it has whet my appetite anew for the feasts to come. I’ve tried very hard to not sound like a smug wanker writing this... I don’t think I’ve succeeded but at least I tried right?

The perfect steak? Sous Vide on test...

I don't know what I was expecting when I got my hands on the Sous Vide Supreme.  Actually that's a lie; I was expecting something life-changing.

Oysters, Huitres, whatever...

If Oysters be the food of love basically I’m fucked. I can still vividly remember my first one; an experience etched deeply in my memory.

Burger Burger...

I’ve had so many awful burgers recently, which is part of the reason I’ve been so quiet of late. A bad burger is so truly uninspiring I’ve barely been bothered to write up my last few forays out.

The Sainsbury's Feed Your Family for Fifty Plan

Fuck me… Those were my first words when I took delivery of the Sainsbury's feed your family for fifty quid food shop. Where the hell was I going to put it all?

The Hangover Diet...

It’s Sunday morning and light is pouring in through the window like an unexpected golden shower.  My eyes, half sealed, seem to be telling me I’m swimming through Vaseline...  I’ve got one or two seconds before I realise what’s going on and the pain hits. 

The Liver Question?

Some things in life don’t often make sense; we put value on age in one breath and extol the virtues of youth in the next.  Take sheep for example, we put so much value in their youth that it’s almost impossible to buy mutton in normal outlets.

Is the Sprout just for Christmas?

The Sprout is not photogenic...

The humble Brussel Sprout doesn’t have the best of times does it? The chav cousin of the Brassica family is only welcome in some British households on one day a year. It’s such a shame as the plant is so plentiful and surprisingly versatile.

Dirty Food Secrets...

So dirty but so good...

I love dirty food secrets... Everyone’s got one lurking in the back of the cupboard or fridge. I’m talking about the kind of food you eat when you are on your own, when no one is watching or when you just need that little bit of comfort. I’ve known a lot of strange combinations over time that people think are perfectly normal until someone points out what they are doing.

Glastonbury 2010 - The 40th Anniversary

Otley's Butchers

So my time in Leeds is coming to an end, I’ve about 4 weeks left up North as the Lady and I are relocating to London town. There’s a lot I’ll miss, but near the top of the list is definitely the food.

How not to do a Guardian Article part deux...

Check out my second guest blog for the Guardian Leeds

It’s upon us… The summer, the World Cup both here and in full force. You can’t really escape the football, it’s everywhere quite literally. One thing that is ever pervasive is the advertising that comes with it, brands trying to jump on the band wagon and gain some advantage playing on that patriotic angle. With this in mind something our MP Greg Mulholland said got me thinking. He basically asked us to support England with English beer.

Pannier Market - Granary Wharf, Leeds

Getting out of bed on this cold and wet Saturday morning was tougher than I’d expected. Hampered by the beginnings of a pounding hangover I wasn’t sure that going out to stand in the rain was a good idea but needs must. I had to find out what all the fuss was about with the new Pannier Market based at Granary Wharf, we braved the rain to head down.

How not to do a Guardian article...

Check out my guest blog for the Guardian Leeds

There’s a lot to love about Leeds but for me it has to be to access to really good local produce. What I find difficult to understand though is that this amazing food isn’t available in our supermarkets. If you take even a casual glance at the labels on fresh veg in the average shopping basket you’ll quickly see the food you are about to eat has already chalked up more miles than even the most seasoned of travellers. When you start to think about it, this is pretty ludicrous when we have so much goodness nearby. Strangely though, it always feels like a bit of a secret and it seems to me that a lot of people just don’t know what we have on our doorstep.

Speck Rendena, Salame di Capriolo - Madonna di Campiglio

The Lady has done me proud, after neglecting me for a week to go Skiing with her folks she has brought back a wealth of treats from the Italian Alps around Madonna di Campiglio.