August Food News With Eat With Ellen

What does summer mean for you? For me it’s barbecues, seafood, al fresco dining, white wine, G&T and these days, Aperol Spritz. All with a bit of camping and mucking around at the seaside thrown in. I’m happy to say there’s been a lot of that over the past month thanks to the heatwave, and I’m hoping for even more.

Needless to say, even though we all love escaping to the coast, it’s not always that easy so I’ve found some stuff you can do far closer that will still tick all the boxes that spell summer for me (and hopefully you). So sit back, relax, and get planning your summer food and drink fun right now.

Must Go:

‘Terrazza Martini’ in Covent Garden

Of course we’d all love to tootle off to Italy for some summer lovin, but you don’t have to go quite that far thanks to Martini’s pop-up Terrazza in Covent Garden Piazza. Think Aperitivo culture, think Milan, think sundrenched terraces. And now you can have it all right in the middle of London. From this week until the end of August, Martini has transformed Covent Garden Piazza into a little bit of Italy. There’s a Martini bar manned by Italian bartenders serving its new serve, a low-alcohol spritz called the Riserva & Tonic, as well as a Martini Negroni and Les Americanos. They’re all served with complimentary aperitivo plates and to make it that little bit extra special you can even book a Vespa pick-up from any zone 1 address straight to the Terrazza from 1-5pm on Fridays.

The Terrazza is open until August 29th from 1pm-10pm Wednesday to Saturday and 1pm-8pm Sunday to Tuesday. To book a Vespa pick-up, email martini@teamwass.com with your name, address and preferred pick-up time and confirmation that both you and your guest are of legal drinking age.

Martini Terrazza, Covent Garden Piazza, London WC2E 8HD. Nearest station – Covent Garden

Paella & Sangria Nights at Social Wine & Tapas

If you’d prefer a taste of Spain to Italy, how about trying the Paella & Sangria Nights at Jason Atherton’s restaurant Social Wine & Tapas in Marylebone. Every Monday and Tuesday until the end of August you can get a paella dish with a glass of white wine sangria created by Executive Sommelier Laure Patry  for £14.50. The restaurant itself is a way to taste Spain right in the heart of the capital, with tapas as well as a list of rare and fine wines from around the world. To book, call 020 7993 3257 or email reservations@socialwineandtapas.com.

http://www.socialwineandtapas.com/

39 James St, Marylebone, London W1U 1DL. Nearest stations – Bond Street, Oxford Circus

Nonna Rosa, Uxbridge

This family-run restaurant has been serving up authentic Italian dishes for more than 40 years but recently underwent an impressive new refurb. The stylish dining room is airy and vibrant, but the pièce de résistance is the stunning roof terrace. A brand new cocktail menu is a welcome addition, as is the Gin Serve consisting of premium and house-infused gins. Well worth a trip to the end of the Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines! See the full menus and gallery online at www.nonarosa.com

Must Do:

The London Summer Prosecco Crawl

If you want to skip the food and just enjoy a bit of fizz, this might be the one for you. This three-hour pub crawl on Saturday, August 11th, describes itself as a “classy mix of booze and views”. You’ll get a guided tour of South Bank sites including Tower Bridge and Shakespeare’s Globe, as well as regular Prosecco pit stops. For the £12 ticket price, you get the guided tour as well as five free prosecco samples and no doubt lots of laughs. Check out the website here (https://uk.funzing.com/funz/the-summer-prosecco-crawl-18567).

Tower Bridge Road, London (you get the exact address after booking). Nearest station – Tower Bridge

KRUG Encounters – Tracks on Tracks

At the other end of the scale, if you want to push the boat out you would opt for Tracks on Tracks, the latest food and music extravaganza from KRUG. On Friday, August 31st, guests will get on a private luxury train at London Victoria and travel across the English countryside before stopping at three private platforms for a series of exclusive musical performances. Each act has been hand selected by Jools Holland and will be accompanied by the recently-launched KRUG Grande Cuvée 166th Edition as well as food crafted by Luke Robinson of Evelyn’s Table.

The special occasion follows previous hits from KRUG – in 2016 it took over Osea Island for a night curated by The Clash’s Mick Jones and rock’n’roll Michelin star chef Michael O’Hare and last year the partnership saw acclaimed Argentinian chef Francis Mallmann paired with live acoustic sessions from Mahogany.

In short, it’s not cheap but it’ll no doubt be a night to remember. Tickets start at £450 including all food, drink and return travel to London and are available from www.krugencounters.co.uk.

London Victoria station

Hampton Court Palace Food Festival

If you’re looking for some Bank Holiday weekend fun, how about Hampton Court Palace Food Festival. From the Saturday through to the Bank Holiday Monday, you’ll be able to eat, drink and be merry at the historic venue. This year chefs and cooks include Michel Roux Jr, Nadiya Hussain, Lisa Faulkner, Melissa Hemlsey and Dr Rupy Aujla who’ll take part in live cooking demonstrations. There are also tastings and masterclasses, pop-ups, book signings, and a load of producers and your ticket also includes free entry to Hampton Court. The perfect Bank Holiday excursion. https://www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace/explore/hampton-court-palace-food-festival/#gs.VmiD5zo

Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey, Surrey, London, KT8 9AU. Nearest station: Richmond Station

Further Afield:

August Bank Holiday weekend sees the welcome return of The Big Feastival, a three-day celebration of food and music in an idyllic location. Blur guitarist Alex James’s Cotswolds farm is the setting for the extravaganza which must be the ultimate foodie festival for all the family. Pop-Up restaurants, celeb chef demonstrations and a huge street food market offer something for everyone, which headliners Paloma Faith, Craig David and Basement Jaxx provide the soundtrack. Buy tickets at https://thebigfeastival.com/

Something a bit different:

‘Scoop: A Wonderful Ice Cream World’

If you don’t want to eat food but maybe just look at it, how about an exhibition all about ice cream? Until September 30th, ‘Scoop: A Wonderful Ice Cream World’ will include memorabilia from the world’s largest collection of ice cream paraphernalia. Apparently you’ll be able to taste a glow-in-the-dark concoction as well as stand in a cloud of vanilla-flavoured fog and breathe it in. Cool huh? https://www.bmof.org/

Gasholder 11, 1 Lewis Cubitt Square, King’s Cross, North London, N1C 4BY. Nearest station – King’s Cross

‘Tetley Cold Infusions’

It’s all about hydration at the moment, and if you’re looking to jazz up your H20 intake I recommend you give the new Tetley Cold infusions a go. A naturally tasty range of fruit and herbal infusions, these bags are brewed cold for a fuller flavour, just add to cold water in a reusable bottle and leave to infuse for a few minutes. Available in Raspberry & Cranberry; Passionfruit & Mango; Orange & Peach; and Mint, Lemon & Cucumber the range is naturally free from caffeine, sugars and flavourings, so it’s guilt free refreshment all summer long. The Infusion Starter Kit (£7.99) comes with a reusable plastic bottle with strainer – for those who want to add even more goodness to their infusion by adding fresh fruits – along with a pack of 12 infuser bags. Refill kits are £2.49 each. For more information visit Tetley.co.uk, @TetleyUK on Twitter and Instagram or facebook.com/Tetley