Skye McAlpine, best known for bestselling cookery books — A Table for Friends, A Table in Venice and A Table Full of Love – has a new pop-up shop in Belgravia.
The Sunday Times recipe columnist is best described as a kind of wholegrain It-girl. Take, for example, her Instagram feed. There's pictures of ruby-red rhubarb lined up neatly on sheets of pastry near a bunch of miniature daffodils; strawberry-patterned teacups dangling from hooks above a sink the size of a small bathtub, filled to the brim with flowers; enough floral-patterned midi-skirts to clothe a small, and extremely fashionable, army. It’s a digital buffet of wholesome luxury.
Underneath one of the posts, someone has commented: 'It's like you live in heaven', so it's easy to understand why people might be eager to buy a slice of McAlpine’s life.
The chef's Tavola brand sells ‘tableware for the everyday, for parties, celebrations and those deliciously long lazy lunches with friends'. Born in London, but brought up in Venice from the age of six, it is McAlpine's love letter to Italy, combined with her British roots.
The pop-up is open now until June 7, 2025, on 48, Elizabeth Street — in between Sloane Square and Victoria Station —and stocks Tavola’s full collection, alongside a selection of antique homeware, including vintage wicker picnic baskets, sourced by McAlpine herself. There's space too for some C.Atherley products — the new scent and bodycare brand from Cath Kidston Padgham, the undisputed Queen of florals.
McAlpine has also designed the interiors — and it's like stepping inside a dollshouse. Potted plants line the entrance where some of the first customers through the door were greeted by McAlpine proffering iced-coffee, tea and an array of cakes, pastries and fresh fruit.
One of McAlpine's aims going into this pop-up was to ensure that the collection felt summery and my favourite pieces are the quirky ice-coolers — vintage and shaped like various fruits. 'I think we talk a lot about celebration in winter — Christmas, New Year's Eve, Thanksgiving — but actually summer is such a celebratory time of year,' she says, highlighting how special a long lunch in the garden is to her. A tablescape set with fresh flowers and plates each adorned with pale yellow and pink petal detailing — 'ice-cream colours' — illustrates her point perfectly. 'I like colour because it lifts my mood. I would love it to lift people's moods.'
Unsurprisingly, McAlpine is a self-confessed 'more is more person', but admits that the charm of making everyday meals magical may have worn off on her nearest and dearest —her husband struggles with their ever expanding plate collection.
Tavola dates for your diary
- May 10: A children’s art workshop by sustainable childrenswear brand Forivor
- May 23: A floral design seasonal tablescaping workshop with Skye McAlpine & Minnow and Wolf
- May 25: A watercolour workshop to paint your own floral menu cards with Imogen Partridge
- May 27: Spring menu planning and table decoration led by Skye McAlpine
- June 1: A menu card illustration design workshop with Imogen Partridge
- June 3: A panel discussion hosted with the interior designers Salvesen Graham
Plenty of the shop's products are exclusive to the pop-up and not available online and it will all be part of the upcoming Belgravia in Bloom festival — part of Chelsea in Bloom — which kicks off on May 19 to complement the 2025 Chelsea Flower Show. If you are in any way a wicker aficionado or a fan of chintz and beautiful blooms, we think a trip which be highly worth your time.
Tavola is open until June 7, 2025, from Monday to Saturday, 11am-6pm, and Sunday, 12noon to 6pm
The Country Life 'Outdoor Drawing Room' is at stand PW210 at the Chelsea Flower Show from May 19 to 24 May. For more information, visit the Country Life Chelsea Flower Show hub or the RHS website
-
Beyond Royal Portrush: Castles, country houses and ancient towers in the other dimension of golf in IrelandRory McIlroy's history-making exploits and The Open arriving at Royal Portrush have made 2025 a banner year for Irish golf — but there's far more to golf on the island of Ireland than those headline-grabbers, as Toby Keel finds out.
-
Crown yourself quizmaster: Country Life Quiz of the Day Kings and Queens special, July 14, 2025Today's Quiz of the Day tests your knowledge on all things British Kings and Queens.
-
Beyond Royal Portrush: Castles, country houses and ancient towers in the other dimension of golf in Ireland
Rory McIlroy's history-making exploits and The Open arriving at Royal Portrush have made 2025 a banner year for Irish golf — but there's far more to golf on the island of Ireland than those headline-grabbers, as Toby Keel finds out.
-
14 ways to keep your dogs cool in the heat, by A-list dog trainer Ben RandallDogs can't regulate their body temperatures as well as humans can, so at this time of year they need your help keeping cool, whether you're on the road, out and about or leaving them with someone else while you go away.
-
The red kite is a soaraway success story, having escaped extinction to become a familiar sight in our skies againUnhurried in flight and with a sideline in stolen goods, the handsome red kite is the gentleman thief of the raptor world, writes Mark Cocker.
-
Brideshead Revisited (again): The 10 scene-stealing British country homes from film and televisionWhat do an enigmatic Caped Crusader, a sopping-wet Mr Darcy and Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell have in common? Believe it or not, British country houses.
-
Sophia Money-Coutts: Is it ever okay to throw your dog a birthday party?Sir Lewis Hamilton did it, so why not throw a birthday party for your canine companion, Sophia Money-Coutts asks.
-
Tuning in with the past: Monk music will ring out for the first time since the Dissolution after medieval manuscript is rediscoveredBuckland Abbey once thronged with monks who sang for hours every day. Now, some of their newly rediscovered medieval music will ring out once more.
-
'Never willing to pardon where I had a power to revenge’: The history of the duelling classSettling a dispute with swords, pistols and, if legend is to be believed, sausages and guitars, has long been a matter of honour even among modern-day rock stars, discovers John F. Mueller.
-
What everyone is talking about this week: 'People who tended to be more obedient about lockdown are now its fiercest critics'Week in, week out, Will Hosie rounds up the hottest topics on everyone's lips, in London and beyond.
