September

How is it September already?! If the news is anything to go by we’re in for an Indian Summer and I’m all for that as I’m not quiet ready to welcome Autumn. If you’re looking for some inspiration of what to get up to this month then look no further. Here are a few of our tops picks from all over the UK for you to check out. Enjoy x

Disco Carbonara by Martino Gamper at Coal Drops Yard

London Design Festival - London

14th-22nd September

London Design Festival celebrates and promotes London as the design capital of the world. The Festival returns to venues and institutes across the city from 14-22 September 2019. There are lots of installations, projects and events taking place all around the city, a lot of which is free and fun for all the family. During the festival there is also the London Design Fair located in the creative heart of East London, the London Design Fair is a four-day event that brings together 550 exhibitors from 40 countries, including; independent designers, established brands, international country pavilions, features and exhibitions.

Words and Source: The Design Festival for more info click here.

Photo : Matt Clayton

Open House Weekend - London

21st - 22nd September

One of our favourite events in the London calendar, Open House Weekend is a chance to go behind the scenes, on roofs and inside London buildings which are usually off-limits to the public. The full programme of over 800 buildings for this year was announced on the 20 August. The more exclusive openings need to be booked in advance and sell out almost instantly — for others, it's a case of perusing the programme, turning up during the opening hours, and being prepared to queue for your peek inside.

Source/Words Open House London for more info click here.

The London Standard - London

Now Open

Housed in the former Camden Town Hall Annex in London’s thriving King’s Cross neighbourhood, the 1974 Brutalist building has been meticulously restored and sets the perfect stage for The Standard’s first hotel outside America. The Standard, London has 266 rooms in 42 unique styles ranging from Cosy Core rooms to terraced suites with outdoor bathtubs overlooking St Pancras station. The lobby lounge, with a carefully curated library pays homage to the building’s original use, with a Sound studio hosting weekly live music and talks. Executive Chef Adam Rawson’s street facing bar, Double Standard, offers lunch, happy-hour and casual drinking and dining, while his garden restaurant, Isla, features a seasonally-driven, coastal inspired menu. Board the street level, exterior red lift directly to the 10th-floor where Chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias’ forthcoming restaurant will showcase his live fire cooking and the building’s 360-degree views of London.

Source/Words The Standard London for more info click here.

Coworth Park - Instagram

Dine under the stars - Coworth Park - Buckinghamshire

Now - until mid September

Until mid-September, country house hotel Coworth Park is hosting an al fresco summer dining concept in collaboration with Dom Pérignon. ‘Dining Under The Stars’ is a pop-up private dining concept held in Coworth Park’s Lime Grove, devised by executive chef Adam Smith. Here, guests can dine under a starry night’s sky in a geodesic dome, where the menu perfectly pairs with a hand-picked selection of Dom Pérignon. Dinner packages offer three or five courses, offering best-of-British dishes such as langoustine with tomato, kimchi and ginger; Kentish lamb kebab with buttermilk, salted cucumber and mint; BBQ veal cutlet with garden salad, pickled tongue and truffle; and Kentish mango and coconut sorbet with lime and chocolate mint. An afternoon tea is also on offer, and a telescope will be on hand during the evening sessions to allow guests to explore the galaxy.

Words and Source from Sheerluxe. For more info visit DorchesterCollection.com

York Food Festival - Instagram

York Food and Drink Festival

20th-29th September

One of the biggest foodie festivals in Britain, York Food and Drink Festival celebrates the best local and regional food and drink.

Make sure you call by for some of the best street food the region has to offer along with a huge range of product traders throughout the ten days. Festival bars will be well stocked to grab a drink from on the way to check out demonstrations from some of the best chefs York and Yorkshire has to offer.

We’ll again be hosting our Food Factory to give you the opportunity to learn more about how our food is produced, this will again feature a strong community element that engages with many local schools.

Entry to demonstrations and the Festival is free but we’ll also be putting on some exciting ticketed events in conjunction with many of our favourite local food & drink businesses.

Words and source from York Food and Drink Festival. For more info click here.

Turner Prize 2019 Nominees - Turner Contemporary Website

Turner Prize 2019 - Margate, Kent 

28 September 2019 – 12 January 2020

One of the best known prizes for visual arts in the world, Turner Prize 2019 is coming to Turner Contemporary in Margate. Every other year, the prize leaves Tate Britain and is presented at a venue outside London. Four of the most exciting artists working right now are shortlisted to win the prize based on an outstanding exhibition that has taken place in the previous year.

Words and Source Turner Contemporary for more info click here.

Mahe Padstow - Instagram

Mahé Cookery School, Cornwall

Now Open

Paul and Emma Ainsworth have opened their fourth Padstow venture, Mahé Cookery School and Chef’s Table. The cookery school, which can host up to five guests at a time, offers a space for students to develop their kitchen skills while learning how to master a selection of delicious dishes from their chosen course. Each class has been designed to ensure each student receives one-to-one time with exec chef John Walton and leaves with expert skills and know-how from his wealth of experience. Courses throughout the year include ‘Dinner Party Secrets’, ‘Sugar and Spice’, ‘Pasta Masterclass’, and ‘Bistro Cooking’. Seating ten guests, The Chef’s Table element of Mahé offers visitors the chance to witness the creation of restaurant-quality food from start to finish – and then sample it.

Words and source Sheerluxe. Visit Paul-Ainsworth.co.uk for more info.

The Gin Society - Instagram

The Gin Society Festival - Multiple locations throughtout the UK.

From the 31st August- Onwards

Friendly and sociable Gin Festivals for gin-lovers. The Gin Society brings you the opportunity to discover over 120 different Gins in a friendly and sociable environment in a beautiful venue near you. Our dedicated and approachable staff will be able to make recommendations, whilst local and national distillers will showcase their expertise and share their knowledge in masterclasses. The Gin Society brings you not only unique gins but also amazing entertainment and street food, making it the perfect night out. Source and words by The Gin Society - Eventbrite

What you can expect:

*Free Gin! A voucher for your first Gin & Tonic
*Your own Copa Glass and booklet to take home
*Access to over 120 gins, plus selected cocktails, Rums, prosecco and ales
*Gin sampling and Masterclasses from Distillers
*Live entertainment
*Street food and snacks to purchase separately
*Festival Gin Shop
*Environment friendly festival: biodegradable straws, glass and cardboard recycling.

April

April has arrived and we’re full of excitement with the promise of longer and warmer days. With the Easter holidays creeping upon us, we have some ideas of what to get up to this month in and around London, and not just for the kids, we’ve got the grown ups covered too.

The Chocolate Cocktail Club

19th-23rd April Easter weekend

Looking for a chocolate fix with a difference this Easter why not head over to The Chocolate Cocktail Club. Their mouth-watering cocktails range from creamy and intense to cool and refreshing, each drink is garnished with a treat to get the tastebuds flowing for a night of heavenly cocktails, what’s not to love...Chocolate and Cocktails! For more details click here.

Easter Egg hunts

1-28th April - Cadbury Easter egg hunt.

Looking to exhaust the kids over the Easter holidays? Why not explore one of the National Trust properties across the UK. With their enormous grounds and lush gardens the National Trust properties were clearly made for Easter Egg hunts. Make sure you’re breaking into a Cadbury egg come Easter by joining the big Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt. For more details just click here.

Sunrise Yoga at Sky Garden

From 2nd April - Sunrise Yoga at Sky Garden

36 floors high - Sky Garden is the perfect setting for sunrise yoga and a delicious breakfast.

Set among Sky Garden's luscious tropical greenery with a backdrop of incredible city views, take to the mat in the idyllic City Garden. With a dynamic, vinyasa flow style, this class is suitable for all levels and abilities and they offer two ticket options for each class - yoga and breakfast package or yoga-only ticket. For tickets and more info click here.

The London Marathon

28th April - London Marathon

The race is on and the 2019 London Marathon is nearly upon us! Join cheering crowds and fancy dress fundraisers at the world-famous London Marathon. Covering 26.2 miles and shutting down roads left, right and centre, it takes over the city for one weekend every April. If you want to cheer all the runner’s on just click here to find out all the spectator info.

Gin-House Burlesque

12th April - Gin-House Burlesque

Following a year of sold out roaring gin-house parties, London's premium vintage showgirls welcome you back to east London's best kept secret speak easy, The King's Head Members Club for evenings of Burlesque, Circus, Music and Vaudeville delights! For tickets and more info click here.

The Prince

Now open - The Prince

The Prince is from the same team behind Pergola on the roof so you know its going to be a good time. It’s made up of 1 street, 3 bars, music, food, drinks, 3 restaurants and an enclosed woodland garden.

Whether you’re looking for a stunning spot for a romantic date, an unusual location for those after-work drinks, or somewhere truly unique to celebrate a special occasion, The Prince has what you’re looking for. For more info and reservations just click here.

The B&H Garden Room

Now open - The B&H Garden Room

The next in line of London’s increasingly innovative drinking experiences, comes from stepping into this living, breathing botanical bar. Brought to you by experiential drinks aficionados Bourne and Hollingsworth, The B&H Green room will feature an array of fresh ingredients and garnishes ripe for the picking (and then promptly adding to your booze) in its brand new ‘Living Bar’. Green life will be running up the walls, along a trellis behind the cocktail bar, and across the room’s ceiling, helping punters to get inspired before they sip. For for info and reservations click here.

March

March is an exciting month as there is lot’s going on, the days are getting longer and sunnier with spring on the horizon. It’s time to get outside and embrace the warmer weather. To help inspire you we have a round up on all the different things to get up to this month in and around London.

Tom Daley’s Banana and Blueberry Pancakes

5th March - Pancake Day

Have your frying pans at the ready because Pancake Day is just around the corner. If you’re looking to perfect your pancake toss at home or venture out to explore some yummy treats check out the previous blog post for inspiration. If you live in the Greenwich area of you fancy a good giggle, check out the Flippin’ Good Pancake races at Greenwich market on the 2nd and 5th March. For more info just click here.

7th-10th March - The Affordable Art Fair - Battersea

The Affordable Art Fair returns to Battersea Park this month. Whether you know your Hockney’s from your Hirst’s, or are simply looking to dip your toe into the world of contemporary art. Friendly, expert gallerists will be on hand to help you choose the perfect piece to suit your space, taste and spend. Discover an array of original artworks from their curated collection of living artists, all priced between £100 and £6,000, and find that perfect piece to bring your home to life! For info click here.

WOW Festival

8th March - International Women’s Day - WOW Festival at the Southbank.

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. To mark the day why not attend WOW festival.

WOW festivals began in the UK in 2010, launched by Kelly at Southbank Centre London, where she was Artistic Director, to celebrate women and girls, taking a frank look at what prevents them from achieving their potential, raising awareness globally of the issues they face and discussing solutions together.

This year WOW presents an incredible line-up of events to mark the launch of The WOW Foundation and begin the countdown to 2020 – the 10th anniversary of WOW. The programme includes two very special conversations, including on Friday 8 March – International Women’s Day – with Angela Davis, and with Naomi Klein on Saturday 9 March, as well as two full afternoons: WOW: What Now? and WOW: What Next? led by Jude Kelly – and more. For more info and tickets click here. Source: Wow Festival Southbank.

Source - Blue Plant II at the O2.

17th March - St Patricks Day

On the 17th March it is St Patricks Day, the pubs will be full to the brim and the rugby will be on. But if you want to do something a bit different why not check out what is happening at the O2 on the 17th March. We were all obsessed by Blue Planet II and now you can relive the best bits of the action as the show is going on a UK concert tour and it hits Londons O2 this St Paddy’s Day. Stunning film sequences from the series will be screened alongside the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra playing live, featuring music by Hans Zimmer, Jacob Shea and David Fleming for Bleeding Fingers Music. And if you thought the programme looked epic on your telly, just wait until you get a look at it on the state-of-the-art 200sqm 4K Ultra HD LED screen…it’s going to be epic. For more info and tickets just click here.

The London Coffee Festival

The London Coffee Festival- 28th-31st March

Returning for 2019, the London Coffee Festival is the UK’s largest coffee and artisan food event, a celebration of London's vibrant coffee culture featuring gourmet coffee, speciality tea, artisan food, demonstrations from world-class baristas, live music and a comprehensive ‘lab’ seminar programme that will educate even the keenest of coffee lovers. 

The festival is once again the flagship event of UK Coffee Week. Highlights include the Latte Art Live workshops where you can learn to craft milky masterpieces, home barista workshops and a brand-new multi-sensory, guided and meditative coffee tasting experience. For info click here. Source - London Coffee Festival

The Gloria

With the warmer weather and longer evenings just around the corner, it’s time to get out of hibernation and explore again. It’s also Mother’s Day on the 31st so if you’re looking somewhere new to treat your mum look no further. Here are our top picks of restaurants and bars to check out this month.

The Gloria - We all have dreams and fantasies. Today, one of our wildest ones at Big Mamma is coming true (spoiler: it’s not taking pizza to the moon ). Since the beginning, we’ve always wanted to open in London, the most exciting city with the craziest vibe.
So meet Gloria, a 172-seat traditional Italian trattoria in the middle of Shoreditch.
Joyful and lush by day, it also gets funky with a buzzing atmosphere and house made playlists.

For info and reservations click here.

EartH Kitchen

EartH Kitchen - Earth kitchen is situated in the recently launched music and arts venue Earth (Evolutionary Arts Hackney), a former art deco cinema in Dalston’ bustling Stoke Newington road.

The kitchen was established by Auro Foxcroft, founder of Village Underground and EartH, and Chris Gillard, who previously helmed the St. John Group as Executive Chef.

EartH Kitchen reflects Head Chef Chris’ passion for using the best available ingredients in line with the changing seasons. Restaurant Manager Toni Castillo, also formerly of St. John, will be running the floor and curating the wine list with a European focus, while the cocktail list will make the most of seasonal ingredients.

For more info and reservations click here.

BBQ Dreamz

BBQ Dreamz - Fresh from their triumph on My Million Pound Menu, where they secured investment from Draft House founder Charlie McVeigh, street food faves BBQ Dreamz will be popping up at MEATLiquor Kings Cross for a six-week residency. The 11-course tasting menu will consist of dishes that featured on the show, including grilled satay duck hearts (in homage to co-founder Lee Johnson’s auntie who runs a skewer stall back in the Philippines), their signature lechon kawali, adobo glazed chicken wings with lime aioli, and sour papaya noodle salad, with calamansi lime-spiked Bloody Marys on offer too (plus other drinks from the MEATLiquor bar). For more info click here.

DND

DND — Do Not Disturb. Is the cocktail bar hidden in the basement of the Vintry and Mercer Hotel in the City of London — it is the place for a clandestine drink in the City. Hand-beaded images of Ziegfeld Follies girls line the walls, beckoning guests into this secret bar through a darkened entrance tucked back on Garlick Hill.