We were fortunate in being able to book a table at Taste Restaurant at Hammersmith and Fulham College, one of the centres of West London College, for their End-of-Year fine dining dinner. The restaurant was full. The restaurant is open to the public in term time for lunch and dinner, all the dishes being prepared (and served) by their hospitality and catering students. …
IWFS EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR YOUNG CHEFS AT PILLARS
Members at London Branch lunched at Pillars, the training restaurant for catering and hospitality students at the University of West London in Ealing, one of the two top catering colleges in London. The lunch was followed by the presentation of an IWFS Excellence Award to Pillars by Alan Shepherd, Chair of London Branch, under IWFS’s initiative of building relationships with …
Post Christmas and New Year Dinner
Outside it was a miserably dark, cold and wet early January evening. But inside the Information Technologists’ Hall, London Branch members and guests enjoyed light, warmth and a hearty welcome, gathering for a combined post-Christmas and New Year Dinner. The Worshipful Company of Information Technologists is a modern Livery company, one of the more relevant and influential in the City …
WASHINGTON STATE WINES
Member Ian Shane presented wines he had selected from excellent suppliers in Washington State, an up-and-coming US wine region, the second largest in the US after California. Some were from the rare 2018 vintage, and several are unobtainable now, even in the US. Ian provided helpful information on the area. He introduced us to its American Viticultural Areas, AVAs, geographically …
A tasting of fine and mature wines from the cellar of Richard Duncan
We are fortunate to have several members who have excellent cellars, and occasionally they are prepared to offer us some bottles for a tasting. Richard had very kindly supplied some bottles which were tasted by our members last September, and we were delighted to have another batch from his cellar in May 2025. We started with 2 bottles which he …
AN ECLECTIC SELECTION OF FINE WINES
The third tasting of wines from the cellar of the late Carole Goldberg, for London Branch members at the Army and Navy Club in Mayfair, was led by Rachel Burnett, with grateful thanks to Roger Ellis who had inherited much of her extensive, but somewhat eccentric, wine collection, and who supplied the wines. We were aware that until we opened …
London Branch at Forman’s
Friday 5th July saw the London Branch make a return visit to H. Forman & Son following the success of the previous visit in 2018 as part of the Triennial Festival. Founded in 1905, H. Forman & Son is a family business, and one of the last, if not the last, traditional Smoked Salmon producers in London. Located next door …
Fine Wines from Oregon
This tasting of Oregon wines, mainly Pinot Noirs from 2018, was presented by Ian Shane. Willamette Valley in Oregon where the wines are from, is renowned for its Pinot Noir wines, thanks to unique climatic conditions and to talented and determined winemakers. It is the drainage basin of the Willamette River, which flows for 150 miles from north to south. …
Lunch at Mielo, Marylebone
A large group of us gathered to enjoy delicious Mediterranean cuisine at Mielo restaurant, near Baker Street. “Mediterranean” encompassed a variety of seasonal dishes from Sicily, Athens, San Sebastian, amongst others. Meat, fish, seafood and vegetarian options were all catered for. We had a free choice from the excellent set three-course lunch menu: six first courses, seven mains and three …
Is Dom Pérignon the best?
On 30th January at the Army and Navy Club, we tasted 10 Champagnes and English sparkling wines of different ages and styles. People scored each wine out of 20, so average scores could be worked out later. Approximate current prices are given for the younger wines but are not available (NA) for the older ones. 17 out of 18 who …