Another cocktail for Julian Assange   Yesterday, we suggested five of the best things that could be sent to cheer up Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who “celebrates” a year of costing the taxpayer some £4 million policing his having fled bail, in the Ecuadorian Embassy in Knightsbridge.  

A floral afternoon tea at the InterContinental London Westminster   “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me” the novelist C. S. Lewis is reported as having once said in the Little Giant Encyclopedia: Tea Leaf Reading. He is right on both fronts and tea lovers in London would do well to head to the new InterContinental London Westminster to sample their floral afternoon tea.  

Matthew Steeples of ‘The Steeple Times’ joins the judging panel of the No. 3 London Dry Gin 2013 competition   Last week, I was invited to sit on a panel that many of my friends would envy a position on by Berry Bros. & Rudd. I was asked to judge gin cocktails.  

The Steeple Times asks Matthew Gilpin, the creator of Gilpin’s Gin: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”   The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? Creativity: The only thing that endures.   “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? Stay jolly. However bad things get being grumpy is rarely the answer.   Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013? Most TV celebrities from my childhood. Allegedly…   Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life? The rites of passage of youth – which get fewer as you get older. And my father – if he were alive…

The Steeple Times asks The Palm’s barman Fillipe Ricchi: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”   The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? “Happiness and success”.   “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? “Trust yourself”.   Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013? Racism.   Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life? I don’t miss anything. I’m very, very lucky.   What might you swap all your wealth for? I’d love to open a business. I’d love to open a bar.   Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank a…

London restaurants where diners got more than they bargained for   In the first in a series, we tell the stories of five restaurants in Central London where diners sadly got a little more than dinner. All bar Walton’s are still open.  

The Steeple Times asks The Palm’s supervisor Ezio Arceri: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”   The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? My family and girlfriend.   “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? “Let’s do it”.   Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013? Who is Kerry Katona? That the average life is just 90 years. People should live longer.   Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life? My family as I am far away from them.   What might you swap all your wealth for? I’m happy as I am.   Donald Trump…

The Steeple Times asks The Palm’s barman Dale Thomson: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”   The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? “A positive attitude”.   “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? “Live and let others live”.   Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013? The way we continue to treat one another.   Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life? Home.   What might you swap all your wealth for? Health is my wealth. I wouldn’t want to swap it.   Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you owe the bank…

The Steeple Times suggests five of the best deals to accompany the RHS Chelsea Flower Show   ‘The Season’ is nearly upon us and we at The Steeple Times especially look forward to a number of events. Our favourite has to be Masterpiece (26th June to 3rd July) but we also love the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (21st to 25th May). Below, we suggest a few other ideas for readers visiting the show

The Steeple Times asks chef Chris Rabout: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”   The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? “If you’re not first, you’re last”.   “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? If I did have a motto, it would be: “Hold on and be strong”.  

The Steeple Times asks hospitality consultant Debbie Eybers: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”   The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? “My belief in right and wrong”.   “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? “We plan, God laughs”.  

The Steeple Times asks Michelin starred chef Michael Wignall: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”   The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? The quest for perfection and happiness.   “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail”.   Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013? Hoop earrings, pink velour tracksuits and Crocs.   Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life? Going to work when it is light, and coming back from work when it is still light.   What might you swap all your wealth for? Youth.   Donald Trump…

The Steeple Times asks head sommelier of The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant Louise Gordon: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”   The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? Family, friends and the aim of one day owning my own business.   “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? “Per Ardua ad Astra” – “Through Adversity to the Stars”. Both my parents are ex-RAF so it is the first motto that I learnt and the one that has stuck with me.  

The Steeple Times asks drinks industry guru and blogger Gary Hazell: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”   The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? “Go with your inner instinct”. I always think that most of us know instinctively what is right or wrong.   “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? I’d agree with that. I have a salmon priest in my backpack right now to prove that.   Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013? She still is.   Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life? I miss Tony Blair.   What might you…

The tale of a thief with taste   Nobody likes at an alcohol thief but sadly, here at The Steeple Times have to write about a fair few of them. Most recently, we wrote of the case of Romain Brunot, a man so partial to Krug and Belvedere that he helped himself to some £75,000 worth of the stuff. Brunot got a short jail sentence but today we feature a man exposed by Conrad Black’s National Post for stealing a $26,000 bottle of whisky.

Aldi’s £9.65 a bottle gin sees off premium spirits in a taste test   Gin, in its simplest form is effectively a neutral spirit plus juniper berries. Other botanicals, such as cassisa bark, saffron and grapefruit peel, are added and create the taste difference that distinguish Bombay Sapphire from Plymouth and Sipsmith from Martin Miller’s. Of course, the magic that sets a great gin apart from a bad‘un is a little more complex but though drinks industry “experts” bang on about this, does the layman really care?

A happy hour with a difference launches at The Palm in London’s Belgravia   Opened in May 2009, The Palm replaced the legendary restaurant Drones of Pont Street. Amongst the original backers of Drones were David Niven Jr. and Sir Roger Moore. Nicky Kerman, a titan of the restaurant world, was another part owner. A later reincarnation was the brainchild of television chef Antony Worrall Thompson. Of the décor of this era, critic Nick Foulkes described it as: “Daphne’s meets The Magic Roundabout with a touch of Swedish sauna”. Next came a lady named Annie Foster Firth and most recently it opened as Marco Pierre White’s Drones in 2001.  

The average cost of a pint of real ale passes £3   The late Margaret Thatcher had two connections with milk. First the “Milk Snatcher” was credited with being responsible for stopping free milk for school children in 1971 and then in a letter to her agriculture minister, Peter Walker, in 1979, she stated:   “I do not believe such a large increase is possible politically. 1.5p is a great addition to the housewife’s budget. 1p is all she will bear”.  

Forthcoming restaurant openings in Chelsea   The restaurant business is a transient place and it seems no more so than in Chelsea.   Places come and go here and though there are a number of mainstays that have lasted for a considerable length of time, some last barely even two years. Beauchamp Place, commonly known to many as “bankrupt alley” is a prime example and despite rave reviews, venues such as Galoupet lasted less than a year. Equally, Farhad Farman-Farmaian’s Beauchamp Club, lauded as a rival to Annabel’s by Vanity Fair and W Magazine, is now empty and elsewhere on Sydney Street, Frankie Dettori’s Sette has now become Marco Pierre White’s Sydney Street Grill.  

The Steeple Times asks Blue Boar Smokehouse chef Jon Ingram: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”   The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? Seasonality, traceability and simplicity.   “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple Stupid.   Kerry Katona was considered unacceptable in 2007. Who or what is unacceptable in 2013? Green peppers and bad personal hygiene. They both stink.   Tony Blair misses being Prime Minister. What do you miss most in your life? My family.   What might you swap all your wealth for? I don’t have any wealth. I’m a chef   Donald Trump was once a case of: “If you…