Food & Drink
Seasonal recipes, restaurant reviews and food and drinks features, from the experts at Country Life.
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Tom Parker Bowles: Welsh rarebit is the pinnacle, the apex, the triumphant apogee of this particular form
Welsh rarebit — cheese on toast in full dress uniform — is a dish that has been impossible to resist for at least three centuries.
By Tom Parker Bowles Published
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Meet the men trying to revive our pubs — and farms — for the price of one
When James Gummer, Phil Winser and Olivier van Themsche opened the Pelican in 2022, the pub became the sexiest place to see and be seen. It now forms part of a consortium boasting seven properties and an enviable farm-to-table model, which its founders believe can help revive the English countryside.
By Will Hosie Published
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The definitive guide to London's best afternoon teas
There's an afternoon tea for everyone — from gluten-free to art-inspired — if you know where to look. Here are some of our tried and tested favourites.
By Country Life Published
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Thomas Straker: ‘I don’t think anyone has ever left a restaurant going, “God I wish I’d eaten more purée”’
Britain’s ‘bad boy chef’ on dying his hair neon pink, serving ‘real’ food and going Stateside.
By Jo Rodgers Published
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A very brief history of brown sauce
Beloved of everyone from prime ministers to Sir John Betjeman, brown sauce — arguably Britain’s favourite piquant condiment — has a wonderfully rich history.
By Harry Pearson Published
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Forget museums, the pub is where real history happens
Ashleigh Arnott looks at how our favourite watering holes have been the epicentres of scientific discovery, affairs, literature, and the Invasion of Normandy.
By Ashleigh Arnott Published
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It's alive! The UK producers embracing fermentation to make delicious products teeming with life
Across the country, small producers are rediscovering the ancient art of fermentation, with delicious results. Tom Howells samples British-made kefir, kombucha, kraut and more.
By Tom Howells Published
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‘French pastries all look amazing… but I wish more British bakers would look at what we used to have’: Richard Hart on the joys of jammy dodgers and iced buns
Richard Hart has made his name as one of the world’s best breadmakers, but as Oliver Berry finds out, his latest project marks a return to his British roots.
By Oliver Berry Published
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Tom Parker Bowles: 'There is no dish more lusty and full blooded than boeuf à la Bourguignonne'
Our food columnist extolls the merits of the dish from Burgundy, France, and provides his perfect recipe.
By Tom Parker Bowles Published
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The 'chef's table' is off the ick list
What was once an interesting concept became tired and annoying, but restaurants are now figuring out the perfect balance between a 'peak behind the curtain' and a great meal.
By Emma Hughes Published
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Sophia Money-Coutts: A snob's guide to supermarkets and what to do when there's no Waitrose
First step: Do not panic.
By Sophia Money-Coutts Published
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Patrick Galbraith: 'The idea that a bar in Norfolk selling vinho verde would make it through even one winter was about as likely as the Madonna herself reappearing by the old water pump'
The success of a Walsingham wine bar shows that all is not yet lost in the English village.
By Patrick Galbraith Published
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Agromenes: The Food Waste Inspector is right to call out M&S, Waitrose and Lidl for throwing away food that is perfectly good to eat
The UK wastes more food than any other country in Europe, enough to feed 30 million people. This isn't write, Agromenes argues.
By Agromenes Last updated
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Gill Meller's recipe for wholesome and flavourful cauliflower cheese gratin
Gill Meller's cauliflower cheese is elevated thanks to the additions of ceps and parsley.
By Gill Meller Published
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Forget haggis — the humble swede is the real hero of the Burns Night meal
Douglas Chalmers makes his case for the underrated root vegetable.
By Douglas Chalmers Published
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Tom Parker Bowles talks tartiflette: 'This is not a dish worried about precision, elegance or nuance. It is all about beautiful ballast and you wouldn’t want it any other way'
Tartiflette is one of the most gloriously indulgent après-ski centrepieces, but you don’t need to have spent the day bombing down black runs to enjoy it
By Tom Parker Bowles Published
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For Hairy Biker Si King, the secret ingredients will always be hard work and community
Si King talks to Molly Pepper Steemson about proper pies, the importance of community, and a new whisky collaboration with Cask Trade.
By Molly Pepper Steemson Published
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The enduring allure of menus from ancient civilisations to modern day, via the revolutionary France
As time capsules offering a unique glimpse into our appetites, menus have always been highly collectible, finds John F. Müller.
By John F. Mueller Published
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The 12 types of hangover, from 'Backwards Binoculars' to 'Titanic', and how to cure them all
Have you been tricked by the Deceiver or flattened by a Steamroller? Wine expert Olly Smith sets out the 12 different sorts of festive hangover, and how to cure them.
By Olly Smith Published
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Six things that Britain should be proud of, from world-class restaurants and Championship-winning cars to the countryside
It is too easy to dismiss 2025 as a downbeat year of failure, but good things did happen.
By Kate Green Published
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Secrets from the world of whisky, from the 60-year-old bottle that sold for £650,000 to the tipple you get at the supermarket
In our last episode of 2025, James Fisher is joined on the Country Life Podcast by Kevin Balmforth and Andrew Simpson.
By Toby Keel Published


