July Food News With Eat with Ellen

I tentatively mentioned it last month, but I think it’s now safe to say summer has definitely landed. Yes, most of us have spent some of it complaining about sweaty offices, sunburn and the usual moans, but the high temperatures have also brought summery salads, barbecues galore and plenty of chilled drinks. I’ve got plenty of treats planned for you, most with a summer theme, so you can take advantage of those long balmy evenings testing out top tipples and fun food before it gets cold again. Here’s July’s food news…

MUST GO

Cocktails in the City: Summer Edition

If you’re a cocktail queen this is one for you. On July 28 and 29, Cocktails in the City brings together pop-ups from London’s 25 most inventive and original cocktail bars, all in Bedford Square Gardens. There will be tastings, workshops and games, live music, DJs and street food – and yes, plenty of cocktails along the way. What better to do on a summer weekend! For more info visit www.cocktailsinthecity.com. Tickets are priced £15 and include a cocktail.

Bedford Square Gardens, Bloomsbury, WC1B 4DA. Nearest stations – Goodge Street, Tottenham Court Road

Krug Festival – Into the Wild

If you’re looking to blow the budget, I’ve got just the thing for you. Imagine open fire cooking, Krug champagne, music and general merriment… Sounds good, right? That’s exactly what Krug Festival – Into the Wild promises.

The festival, held on July 29, follows last year’s Krug Island, bringing it to the English wilderness. Held at The Grange, an 18th century heritage site in the county of Hampshire, the evening will see Argentine culinary king Francis Mallmann – best known for his dramatic open-fire-style cooking – prepare a feast for 300 people, with each dish paired with Krug champagne.

Using sand pits, trenches and home-made dome-shaped frames, Mallmann and his team will smoke, roast and char the menu across the three sites on The Grange – pairing each dish with a champagne from the Krug portfolio, including Rosé, Grande Cuvée and Vintage 2002.

The whole event will be accompanied by music from specialist music and online platform, Mahogany. Sounds good, right? Tickets are £395 per person or £750 for two – buy them through the Krug Festival website.

The Grange, Northington, Northington Road, Alresford SO24 9TG. Nearest station – Basingstoke

Fitness brunches at Aster

If that’s all a bit too indulgent for you, how about a fitness brunch? D&D London’s new Nordic-French restaurant Aster has teamed up with  The Wellness Collective to bring a series of fitness brunches to Victoria.

Available every Sunday at 11am until the end of July, guests will take part in a 45-minute full body workout session led by elite personal trainers. After that, enjoy a two-course Nordic brunch in the café at Aster including dishes like hot smoked salmon rillettes with potato blinis and Eggs Victoria –  seeded sourdough bread topped with crab and truffle hollandaise. Tickets, priced £36, can be purchased from the D&D gift shop.

Aster, 150 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 5LB. Nearest station – Victoria

Gastrophysics Dining by Chef Jozef Youssef

For the full-on foodies out there, here’s some food news you will love. Gastrophysics Chef’s Table is the latest project from Kitchen Theory, founded by Chef Jozef Youssef and aims to explore the science and psychology behind how we perceive flavour.

To do that, Jozef has created a 13-course multisensory menu, using research he has collated over the past five years with leading experimental psychologist Professor Charles Spence of the University of Oxford.

The Chef’s Table, in an intimate studio in north London, seats up to 10 guests who will take part in a series of taste tests designed to explore each person’s sense of taste and the strong psychological associations we have with the different tastes: salty, bitter, sour, and sweet, before enjoying a full meal of carefully-designed dishes using seasonal ingredients.

Taking place on the last Friday and Saturday of each month, the evening costs £160 for 13 courses, including a welcome drink, a selection of wines and cocktails paired to the dishes.  The space can also be booked for private groups of up to ten.

Kitchen Theory Studio, Unit 9a Alston Works, Falkland Road, High Barnet, EN5 4LG. Nearest station – High Barnet

Gelato Experience with Remeo Gelato

Here’s a good one for those warm evenings. On Tuesday, July 11, Remeo Gelato (the gelato sold in a jar) will be hosting a luxury multisensory gelato experience at the Pantry Kitchen in the Hoxton Shoreditch Hotel. You’ll be able to see the differences between ice cream and proper Italian gelato from Remeo Gelato’s in-house ‘Mastri-Gelatieri’ as well as learn how its handmade in Italy. Oh, and there’s a goody bag! Register for tickets through the Eventbrite page here.

Hoxton Shoreditch Hotel, 81 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3HU. Nearest station – Old Street

MUST TRY

Cointreau’s Fizz Cocktail Kit

You might not associate Cointreau with summer, but this could well change your mind. The popular brand has unveiled its Cointreau Fizz Cocktail Kit – apparently perfect for any picnic, barbecue or summer soiree.

Each kit comes with a bottle of Cointreau, cocktail makers, stripy straws, a copper bar spoon and a juicer as well as sparkling water so all you need is ice and fresh fruit to make your summer cocktail.

The Cointreau Fizz Cocktail Kit is available exclusively at Selfridges, RRP £44.99.

Minioti

I know, it’s more ice cream – but it’s summer! July’s BIG food news is that I have recently discovered Minioti. Made in Jersey it’s got no added sugar so is apparently healthier than your average icecream. Minioti was founded by best friends Anna Boletta and Natasha Dowse who, as mums to young children, wanted alternatives to sweet treats overloaded with refined sugar.

Their ice cream is made with pure Jersey milk and sweetened only with natural sweetener Stevia. They also add live cultures – pre and probiotics – making their ice creams even better.

Minioti ice creams are £2.75 for a 125ml pot and £4 for a 500ml pot, available in Whole Foods in the UK as well as M&S, Waitrose and the Co-Op in the Channel Islands

• To refresh your memory and palette and catch up on all the food news Eat With Ellen has covered this year, just click here.