If you’re as old as us, you’ll remember the futuristic delight of white sliced bread. Mother’s Pride was a staple ingredient at Cat’s childhood tea table, spread with a layer of margarine. Although seventies dinner party food porn now occupies a specialist corner of the overcrowded food blogging market,... Read more
Last summer we had a superlative supper at the Waxworks in Brading. Our five star review gushed about soft meaty slabs of succulent bacon loin, the playful juxtaposition of ingredients and artfully casual service. To our incredulity, the day after our review was published the restaurant closed. When we saw... Read more
We often get asked if we are recognised when we go out for dinner. We assume that most chefs are too busy rustling up some food magic in the kitchen to care what we look like. Front of house is trickier, but by the time we’re tucked our bibs... Read more
“Is chef Max trying to outdo Robert Thompson?” reflected one of our dining companions in amazement during our dinner at Brading’s newest restaurant, the Nordic-influenced Heima. Well, no, he isn’t. As the evening went on it became clear that Heima has very much a style and context all of... Read more
Throughout England the allure of Wetherspoons is quite irresistible. And it’s easy to see why. The budget pub chain has a reputation for its sympathetic treatment of historic town centre buildings – as we discovered for ourselves in Harrogate. And, of course, it’s cheap as chips. Regardless of its... Read more
Winter draws on, as they say. Back in the distant past, the Isle of Wight practically rolled up the pavements in autumn. The holiday season was bookended by Easter and October half-term; outside of these months was the hinter-winterland of grey skies and a sluggish anticipation of the return... Read more
Never let it be said that we’re cheap. Well, maybe just a bit. Truth is, we probably wouldn’t have set off for Cowes on a chilly Monday evening if it hadn’t been for the fifty per cent off food offer at the Union Inn. We’ve eaten at the pub... Read more
In October, chocolate chainstore Thornton’s announced that it was closing its last branch on the Isle of Wight. When we heard the news our minds once again turned to what the Island has rather than has not. As one by one the national stores withdraw their branches, local independent... Read more
Much is said these days of gentrification; the process by which overlooked and undervalued areas are upgraded, often by incomers. This has long been going on on the mainland and beyond. Unfashionable boroughs of London and even New York have incrementally been improved by the rising tide of hipsters,... Read more
When we started this food-reviewing lark more than a decade ago, we pretty soon spotted that quite a few venues seemingly played exactly the same unchallenging middle-of-the-road cheesy music to keep their diners in compliant mood. The familiar tones of Tina Turner or Phil Collins were the inevitable accompaniment... Read more
