Eat With Ellen’s January Round-Up – Welcome to 2018!

Greeting Belles and Beaux, I imagine you’re all feeling suitably stuffed by now and ready for a bit of normality!

The festive season is inevitably full of far too much food and booze, a lot of sitting around and general indulgence. I celebrated Hogmanay Scottish-style up at Loch Lomond and certainly took it all to excess, so have vowed to jump on the bandwagon of seeing if I can reign it in a bit for the rest of January. Having said that, one little look at what’s going on and the invitations that have started coming now people are planning 2018 and I’m fairly sure it won’t last long…

Here are a few little titbits for you to look out for whether you’re embracing indulgence and carrying it on to get you through the winter blues, or joining the gang of virtuous angels who are kicking the booze and planning to get all healthy for the new year. Whatever you choose, have a great start to 2018!

MUST GO

Burns Night at temper City with Neil Rankin and Hardeep Singh Kohli

Since I’m in bonnie Scotland, it seems obvious to include something that will keep the tartan party going this month. temper City is holding what it calls the ‘ultimate Scottish knees-up’ to celebrate Burns Night.

Hosted by Neil Rankin and comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli, it includes a four-course menu including traditional Scottish dishes like highland beef and others with a twist, like Malaysian spiced cullen skink. You’ll get whisky pairings too, plus Scottish piper and a quiz. It’s taking place on January 25 and tickets, priced £80, are available from Design My Night.

30 Throgmorton St, 2 Angel Court, London EC2R 7HJ. Nearest stations – Bank, Liverpool Street

Non-alcoholic masterclasses with Borough Wines & Beers

For those of you out there who are drying to steer clear of booze this January, fear not, at Belle About Town we’ve found you something that means doing dry January doesn’t mean you have to stay in. Borough Wines & Beers are holding two masterclasses and tastings with Henry Chevallier-Guild, founder of Nonsuch drinking vinegars.

Crafted from fruit, herbs and cyder vinegar, they’re an alcohol alternative and work well with food. During the masterclasses you’ll learn all about the history of drinking vinegars then get a guided tasting of the shrubs alongside a health menu of sharing plates from food from Elaine Chalmers of A Little of What You Fancy and Elaine & Pete’s Dining Room.

Tickets for the masterclasses, which include a non-alcoholic welcome drink, tasting flight and food pairings, are £25 and are available from the Borough Wines & Beers website. Dates and locations are below

Billy & Jack’s 24-hour Supper Club

Okay, so this technically takes place in February but it’s right at the start and I want to give you time to get involved as I think it’s great. Next month, MasterChef 2016 losers Billy and Jack have challenged themselves to cook for 24 hours straight in aid of Cancer Research uk.

Their one-off supper club will take place at  Plum + Spilt Milk in the Great Northern Hotel in Kings Cross on Saturday, February 3rd through to Sunday, February 4th, coinciding with World Cancer Day on the 4th. The pair are hoping to raise £12,000 for their chosen charity, which is close to their heart after Billy was receiving treatment for papillary thyroid cancer after a diagnosis in June 2017. 

Starting at 11am on February 3rd, Billy and Jack will prep and cook for nine consecutive supper club sittings, seeing them cooking through the night spanning brunch, lunch, dinner and late-night feasting to finish at 11am on Sunday. Each sitting will last two hours and will include a 3-course meal, plus nibbles including bread and a drink or two. They’ve enlisted help from a range of big names, including Plum + Spilt Milk’s own award-winning team, Ben Tish, Jane Devonshire, Emily Roux and Laura Jackson.

MUST TRY

Pieminister introduces ‘Kevin’

If you happen to be vegan and you’ve been cursing Pieminister for the fact their pies are out of your reach, then I’ve got some good news for you. Apparently creating a vegan version that’s good enough to live up to the Pieminister name has been a bit of a challenge – but they’ve done it.

‘Kevin’ is Pieminister’s first vegan pie, made with British chestnut mushrooms, tomato and red wine with baby onions, red quinoa and thyme. Apparently it’s got all the taste, texture and depth of flavour you’d expect from a traditional British pie, but Kevin is registered with the Vegan Society and carries their trusted Vegan trademark.

To coincide with Veganuary’s ‘Try vegan for a month’ campaign, it’s available now and will be on the menu in Pieminister’s restaurants and cafes, selected Waitrose branches and independent food retailers nationwide and call also be ordered direct from Pieminister’s online shop and through Ocado.

• Follow our resident foodie Ellen Manning on social media @eatwithellen