Johanna Derry
Contributor
This Pig Farmer Is on a Mission to Rebrand Pork Rinds
After discussing the idea at the bar, Matthew Fort and Tom Parker-Bowles joined with farmer Rupert Ponsonby to create a pork scratching with high quality British pork.
All the Food in This Supermarket Has Been Rescued from Landfill
Community Shop in West Norwood, London sources retail surplus food destined for landfill, and sells it to locals struggling on low incomes. “It’s not just about cheap food, it’s about good quality products,” explains manager Clara Widdison.
How to Judge a Good Chippy According to Britain’s Longest-Serving Fish and Chip Inspector
I joined Michael Pili, the longest-serving judge of the Seafish Fish and Chip Shop of the Year Award, for a day’s secret inspection of a London chippy. “I go in eyes open, open mind, and record everything,” he tells me.
This Guy Is Selling Sustainable Fish From a Motorway Service Station
Veteran fishmonger Francis Phillips is heading up the UK’s only service station-based fish counter, selling sustainably caught sardines, ling, and pollack.
This Guy Eats Chocolate for Every Meal and Is Probably Healthier Than You
Chocolatier Willie Harcourt-Cooze reckons he eats the equivalent of 36 kilograms of 100 percent cacao a year, which is like eating the chocolate content of 137 kilograms of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk.
This Guy Figured Out How to Make Butter Taste More Buttery
In a small cabin in the middle of a field in Oxfordshire, ex-chef Grant Harrington has dedicated his life to making the best butter he possibly can.
This Cheese Shop Owner Might Refuse to Sell You Cheese
“The biggest thing we found when we came to this country to sell cheese was that people don’t like to wait,” says Alex Guarneri, French-born owner of London's Androuet fromagerie and seasonal cheese advocate.
Inside the Welsh Distillery Taking on the Irish and Scottish Whisky Dons
Ireland may have Jameson and Scots their Scotch, but Penderyn Distillery is making a name for Welsh whisky. “The Scots do a double distillation, the Irish distil three times, but we only distil once,” says Penderyn’s Jon Tregenna.
Why Mutton Actually Tastes Better Than Lamb
Mutton, the meat of an adult sheep, isn’t the tough old meat we spurn in favour of juicy lamb—it’s meat with added flavour. That’s according to the Lake District’s Herdwick sheep farmers.
This Bar Treats Martinis Like Religion
Each time a martini is ordered at London’s Dry Martini, bar staff issue a certificate commemorating the event—as if the drinker has just taken their first communion. “I’m the bartender-priest and the cocktail is my offering,” explains Craig Petrie.
The Amputee Rowers Who Conquered the Atlantic
Last December, four guys with three legs between them set out in a rowing boat aiming to become the first all-amputee team to cross the Atlantic. We spoke to them about their incredible journey.
Inside Lord Byron’s Favourite Wine Shop
Berry Bros. & Rudd in London is Europe’s oldest wine merchants. Opened in 1698, the shop was frequented by Beau Brummell and Lord Byron, and once became political hide-out for Napoleon III.