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Hotel Indigo Chester

The staycation series: Hotel Indigo, Chester

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If you’ve dropped in before, you’ll know that we’ve been trying to make the most of our weekends by heading out to explore the country a bit more. I’ve got to be honest, Stratford-upon-Avon was so bloody good that it’s going to take a lot of beating. The Hotel Indigo there was just utterly gorgeous, so when the chance came up for us to try the new Hotel Indigo, Chester, we jumped at the opportunity. We only had one night away this time, so we knew we wouldn’t get to explore that much, but a hotel-centric night away in a gorgeous hotel, with dinner and a few drinks is sometimes all you need to recharge your batteries. Here’s how we got on:

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Cotswold House Hotel

The staycation series: Cotswold House Hotel

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We enjoyed our trip to Stratford-upon-Avon so much that we’ve decided to make heading out on a little weekend break a regular thing. Since I’ve never visited the Cotswolds and always wanted to go, we made our next booking at the dreamy looking Cotswold House Hotel in the pretty village of Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire. We booked a two-night break over a Sunday and a Monday, thinking that we could relax on the Sunday, then explore on the Monday when it was a little quieter. The drive was so easy - just over an hour and a half from us here near Tring, in Hertfordshire. I’d say it’s better to have a car to fully explore all the surrounding towns and villages, but you can get a train to nearby Moreton in Marsh, which is served by London Paddington and Birmingham.

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Copper House Bar is back

Copper House Bar, Berkhamsted is back!

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I’ve written about it before, but Copper House Bar, Berkhamsted is one of my favourite places to drink and dine. I love the friendly people, the stylish interiors (oh, Tom Dixon lights, I love thee) and the great food. After a really tough time over lockdown (owner Lyndsay told me last night that they were SO close to throwing in the towel), it’s back open and I’m happy to say thriving too. Slightly rebranded as a bar & brasserie, adorned with the most beautiful floral archway, and boasting all new menus (including a separate vegan/vegetarian offering), a new classic cocktail list priced at just £8.50 (the negroni is my absolute favourite) and a new lunch menu starting from just nine quid for classic sandwiches, light lunches and salads, it’s tempting me back big style. We booked last night (how I’ve missed dressing up) and headed down to try out the new menu. Read more

White and green pizza from Sal's Market Deli at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Universal Orlando Resort

White and green pizza from Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Universal Orlando

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How are you all? What is it, today? Lockdown day 44 or something? It’s not too bad here. We’ve settled into an uneasy truce where we’re mostly civil to each other, which is a lot easier for everyone. Anyhoo, I hope your lockdown home life is going okay. I’m missing travel and my favourite theme parks and hotels and restaurants and delicious food in general, so when the lovely chaps at Universal Orlando Resort mentioned that a few of their recipes have been put online for people to recreate at home, I jumped at the chance. Last night, I made the white and green pizza from Sal’s Market Deli at the beautiful Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, and woah, it’s delicious. I know a lot of people are talking comfort in taking time to create new dishes, so I’ve adapted it a bit from the US measurements so you can give it a go too.

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Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, Dominica

Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, Dominica

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After the joyous whirlwind of noise, feathers and sequins that was Dominica’s Mas Dominik carnival, we said a fond farewell to the lush surroundings of Jungle Bay, and headed north in Trevo’s van, windows down, Calypso music blaring, to our final hotel, the utterly gorgeous Cabrits Resort & Spa Kempinski, Dominica. Cabrits Dominica is like no resort I’ve ever seen before. It’s the most magical mashup between traditional local style buildings and a super high end resort. There’s an abundance of local stone and reed-topped roofs, matched with chic interiors, clever, functional rooms (UK plug sockets!!), jazzy tiling and tropical planting. The resort is surrounded by deliciously inviting pools woven into the landscaping - some in unexpected places, but always with the same delightful rule: ‘if it’s blue, you can swim in it’. It’s beautifully contemporary, relaxing, tranquil and being so far on the northwest tip of Dominica in Portsmouth, it has a magical, hidden away quality about it too.

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Finding myself in Dominica

How I found myself in Dominica - the Caribbean’s nature island

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Oh my goodness, I cannot wait to tell you all about my trip to Dominica. I completely fell in love with this beautiful island and had such a wonderful, life-changing trip travelling back to my Dad’s favourite place in the Caribbean and - not to sound too ‘new agey’, I really felt that I found myself in Dominica - truly discovered a sense of peace and confidence after the sadness and anxiety of our marriage breaking down at Christmas. A wonderful week of feeling so close to nature, of swimming in the endless azure sea, dipping my toes in icy waterfalls, eating delicious fresh fish, dancing with abandon, wandering lush forests and boating along peaceful rivers is, it turns out, exactly what you need to get your head straight.

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The great big foodie Christmas gift guide

The great big foodie Christmas gift guide

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So following on from my great big Christmas gift guide, it’s time to concentrate on our lovely food-loving friends (my favourites!) and get cracking on a great big foodie Christmas gift guide. As usual, my gifting philosophy is to err on the side of practical, useful and useable, and foodie gifts slot in very well here. I’ve added a couple of wines, some fab books and a couple of wonderful dining experiences too. Enjoy! Read more

Vegan dining options at Walt Disney World Florida

Vegan dining options at Walt Disney World, Florida

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You all know how I feel about the food at Walt Disney World. The dining there is some of the best in the world, and the restaurants - in the parks, the resort hotels and at Disney Springs, are some of my favourite in the world. If you follow a plant based diet, don’t eat meat, dairy or both, or have other dietary requirements, it can be daunting visiting a new place, so I thought to celebrate World Vegan Day, I’d take you through some of the brilliant vegan dining options at Walt Disney World, Florida. Read more

The Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road

A mini London break and Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road

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When I was at the Visit USA Ball recently I was lucky enough to win two tickets to School of Rock in the West End. We decided to plan a mini London break, cramming in as much foodie fun as we possibly could without actually booking anything in. Having loved our stay in Covent Garden, we thought we’d try another of the central Z Hotels, this time the Tottenham Court Road property (I guess the Soho one would probably have been nearer, but we really wanted to try a different one), and we weren’t disappointed. The Z Hotel Tottenham Court Road is actually on Poland Street, right in the heart of Soho, surrounded by shops, bars and restaurants, and about a five or six minute walk from the actual station.

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Copper House Bar

Copper House Bar - modern British dining in the heart of Berkhamsted

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Last week, we finally got to visit Copper House Bar, the brand new restaurant located in the very heart of Berkhamsted. The restaurant has moved in to the old Town Hall building - inhabited for many years by Carluccio’s, and wow - what a transformation. We chatted to joint-owner Lyndsey Simpson (all four of the partners are local) and it’s clear the restaurant has been an absolute labour of love, from making sure they kept as many of the original features of the Grade II listed building as possible, to creating a British, locally inspired menu and sourcing great quality partners like Moët Hennessy. From the beginning, for Lyndsey and her partners, Copper House Bar has been about creating a beautiful fine dining venue inspired by the sociable dining experience you’d find in the tapas restaurants of Spain. The service is attentive and friendly and it definitely feels high end.

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The stunning six course summer tasting menu at Paris House in Woburn

The stunning six course summer tasting menu at Paris House in Woburn

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I’m always looking for wonderful local restaurants to recommend to you, and this time I think I’ve really hit gold with the best restaurant I’ve experienced in a long time, and it’s just a stone’s throw from Woburn Abbey (near Milton Keynes), about an hour’s drive from London. Run by award-winning Michelin starred chef, Phil Fanning and his wife Claire, Paris House in Woburn is perfect for a romantic meal for two or a special celebration (they even have a gorgeous private dining room for special celebrations). We booked in for a spectacular six course summer tasting menu at Paris House last week and I can honestly say it was one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten.

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Bigfire at Universal CityWalk

The one where we went to Bigfire at Universal CityWalk

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While we were at Universal Orlando Resort for the opening of Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, we were really lucky to also be there for the opening of a brand new restaurant at Universal CityWalk, the brilliant location just outside the entrance to the parks that’s full of gorgeous places to eat and drink, and loads of things to do, from cinema to karaoke and mini golf to the Blue Man Group show. Here’s what we thought of Bigfire at Universal CityWalk.

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Walt Disney World news: the June edition. Photo by Benjamin Suter on Unsplash

Walt Disney World news: the June edition

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Honestly, there’s so much happening at the moment if you’re a Disney fan: there’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland (and opening end of August in Orlando), there are loads of new foodie treats to celebrate the 25th anniversary of The Lion King, new restaurants, new merchandise and loads more besides. There’s even some Christmas news filtering through. I thought I might start to do a regular (ish - no promises, now) update post for you with all the Walt Disney World news, including a bit of everything: attractions, food items, park news and updates, restaurants… So let’s begin then - here’s your Walt Disney World news: the June edition.

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Everything you need to know about St James Club, Antigua

What it’s like to stay at St James Club, Antigua

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So after my life-changing few days celebrating the launch of the W8 GYM, I thought you might be wondering what it’s like to stay at St James Club, Antigua, and I’ve been looking forward to sharing more about this beautiful resort. This was my first time in Antigua, but my Dad travelled and worked - and indeed played cricket - a lot in the Caribbean, and adored it there. I grew up listening to stories of Curtly Ambrose and Viv Richards so it was lovely to finally experience the island for myself. St James Club occupies a stunning 100 acre peninsula on the south east coast of Antigua, with pretty shell-coloured villas and small clusters of hotel rooms dotted around a wide, vanilla ice cream scoop of beach facing into sheltered Mamora Bay on one side, and the other, smaller Coco’s Beach open to the cooling breezes of the Atlantic. When we arrived, we were taken to our rooms by golf buggy, and snatching tempting glimpses of the turquoise bay and swaying palm trees, I wanted to pinch myself a bit just to make sure it was real. Tempted yet? Here’s everything you need to know.

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A weekend break at the Z Hotel Soho

A weekend break at the Z Hotel, Soho

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You might remember that a little while ago I told you about my trip to London to stay at the fab new Z Hotel in Covent Garden. Last weekend, we were due to meet a lovely friend in London for his leaving drinks (bon voyage, Kelly!), so we decided to make a night of it and have a mini weekend break at the Z Hotel in Soho. It’s a brilliant location, literally right next to the Palace Theatre in London, so it’s absolutely perfect if you’re going to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (we’re planning a return visit when this happens), or if you just want to be right in the centre of things for eating out, going to the cinema in Leicester Square, exploring Covent Garden, shopping on Oxford Street or whatever else you have planned.

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A new local recommendation: The Meating Room Berkhamsted

A new local recommendation: The Meating Room, Berkhamsted

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I feel like this was ages ago now, but it seems like we’ve done so many lovely things recently that I’ve got a bit of a backlog of recommendations for you. As you probably know, it was Charlie’s 21st birthday a couple of weeks ago, and as well as throwing a little get-togetther for family and friends, we wanted to take him somewhere local, just to celebrate quietly. I’ve been driving past The Meating Room for weeks now since it opened and have been dying to give it a go, plus Charlie had followed them on Facebook and noticed that if it’s your birthday you get a free burger (I think terms apply - check before you go!).

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