Breakfast tasting menu
Lincolnshire restaurant Winteringham Fields is taking the tasting menu to a new height – by offering it at breakfast. The eight course Sunrise Menu Surprise, a twist on chef-patron Colin McGurran’s dinner tasting menu, features dishes such as Porridge Beignet with Rhubarb and Whisky Compote; Yogurt and Honey Panacotta with Raspberry and Balsamic Dressing with English Breakfast Tea; Iberico Ham and Quail’s Egg Benedict with brioche and Darjeeling tea; and Lincolnshire Sausage with Black Pudding and Caramelised Apple with Lapsang Souchong tea. The menu, claims McGurran, is to offer guests the chance to “start the day as magnificently as they are used to concluding it with us.” The tasting menu is priced at £75 per head and served between 8am-9am only.
Wedding venues collaborate
London venue 195 Piccadilly, home to the BAFTAS, has announced a collaboration with The Ritz hotel to offer a wedding package thought to be the first of its kind in the capital. Couples choosing 195 Piccadilly for their wedding ceremony will be offered a complimentary room upgrade at The Ritz, plus a bottle of Champagne and breakfast for two. Additional guests in the wedding party will also be given a complimentary breakfast at the hotel. The partnership is thought to enable both venues to offer exclusive wedding packages to couples due to their proximity.
Wheat-free zone
Fifth Floor Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge will become a wheat-free zone during British Food Fortnight (17 September- 2 October) following a collaboration with spelt producer Sharpham Park. While the Foodmarket will host a Sharpham Park pop-up shop featuring a range of organic wheat-free spelt products, the Fifth Floor Restaurant will serve a wheat-free afternoon tea, created by executive chef Jonas Karlsson. Featuring a number of organic spelt items such as Sour Cherry Spelt Tart and Lemon Drizzle Spelt Cake with Almonds, the afternoon tea will be available with a choice of teas for £22.50, or £29.50 with a glass of Champagne. In addition to the afternoon tea, the restaurant and café will also be serving a number of wheat-free dishes during the fortnight.
Book Club
The Radisson Edwardian Bloomsbury Street Hotel is taking advantage of its literary roots and offering guests the chance to participate in a book club. Each month a new book is chosen and reviewed by critic in residence Chris Moss of Time Out magazine, before being distributed to guests to read during their stay or take away with them. June’s Book of the Month is E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View.