Last year, for many, RumFest appeared to be a good excuse to down as many rum and rum cocktails as you can get your hands on during the allocated serving times but for 2013 we found the party had become a more sedate affair. If RumFest intended this move towards more of an appreciation event then it is a positive step and one that will be interesting to review in 2014.
The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show (TWEWS) is the UK's finest whisky festival, which brings together distillers and whisky lovers from all over the world, into the heart of London, for a truly luxurious food and whisky experience. And once again, TWEWS 2013 has pushed the boundaries and shown that their knowledge of whisky pairing can bring together unexpected flavours with surprisingly good results.
What started as a sunny weekend soon turned into a tidal wave of rain with torrential downpours and westerly winds, yet nothing could dampen the enthusiasm of the crowds at this year's CarFest South. Together with CarFest North both events raise money for BBC Children in Need and are organised by DJ, TV presenter and mega car enthusiast Chris Evans.
Appleby Creamery is a traditional small artisan producer creating a range of locally inspired cheeses from time honoured Cumbrian recipes. We were excited to taste-test a selection from the Appleby Creamery range - and would certainly recommend them to cheese lovers everywhere.
When Charlotte Clarkson decided to send us a sample of last year's 2* winning rare Breed Chorizo little did she know that we have a chorizo lover on our team, who is absolutely passionate about the sausage. So with this is mind we peeled back the skin, thickly sliced the chorizo and waited for his reaction to this exciting new sample.
We were delighted to be invited down to the Honeybuns Bakery in Dorset to meet Emma Goss-Custard and the Honeybuns Team, for a weekend of 'glamping' in the newly-restored Ark; a cedar covered vintage caravan that Emma, Matt and The Team have lovingly repaired. Coupled with the opportunity to try the delicious menu on offer at The Bee Shack and to be able to get a first-hand look at the production line that produces the most amazing gluten-free cakes, we could hardly wait to begin our journey down to Dorset.
