NEW TEA TIME DELIGHTS AT FORTNUM & MASON
Tea drinking is one of Britain’s oldest traditions and with Fortnum & Mason, the institution of Afternoon Tea is brought to life with three different menu offerings in the St James’s Restaurant. From Classic Afternoon Tea, to Estate Tea to High Tea, there is something to delight and excite tea enthusiasts everywhere from the true aficionados to those who just have a love of all things tea time.

The three new menus are designed to help guests choose and enjoy their selections to the full. With the option of adding a glass of champagne and by pairing delectable treats with complementary teas, Fortnum & Mason makes the tea experience simple, indulgent and enjoyable.

Classic Afternoon Tea (£32 per person)

The New Classic Afternoon Tea offers a modern twist on the traditional menu. Choose from three classifications of tea; Stronger, Lighter and Aromatic and then pair with the perfect cake.

• Stronger teas tend to be more full bodied with a smooth malty flavour: Royal Blend is paired with seasonal Loaf, whilst Assam Superb is matched to scones or a delicious Plum and Almond Tart.
• Lighter teas are ideal for afternoon drinking or after a meal: Keemun is paired with Lemon Curd Meringue and Yunnan White with Madeira Cupcakes or Eclairs.
• Aromatic teas are typically smoked, scented or spiced: Smoked Earl Grey is partnered with more exotic flavours of a Mandarin Fondant Fancy and Rose Pouchong is matched with Sherry Trifle or Lavender & Honey Cake.

Estate Tea (£36 per person)

The Estate Tea takes guests on a journey through the history, origin and different styles of Estate Teas from China, India and Ceylon. This provides a fantastic opportunity to learn through tea tasting and will indulge both the senses and the mind. The Estate Tea is ideal for the discerning customer and is sure to enchant patrons of all ages. The selection of delicious finger sandwiches and rolls (as mentioned above) are also served along with the tea and sweet treats.

High Tea (£34-£38 per person)

For the ultimate late afternoon treat, Fortnum & Mason has reintroduced High Tea. Traditionally more of a man’s meal than a social diversion for the ladies, it presents a delicious assortment of both sweet and savoury treats. Choose from Fortnum & Mason’s classic Welsh Rarebit served with Confit Tomato; a toasted English muffin with free range poached eggs and hollandaise sauce and a choice of roasted ham, smoked salmon or baby spinach; baked pasta with spring vegetables & tomato sauce; St James’s famous fish pie or Duke’s Hill back bacon & chestnut mushroom tart with a salad of curly endive & soft boiled quails’ egg.

All three of the new tea menus come with both plain and fruit scones which are served with a side of freshly clotted cream and your choice of one of Fortnum & Mason’s fruit preserves – Apricot, Lemon Curd, Raspberry, Strawberry and Wild Blueberry. In addition, guests will also be offered selection of Afternoon Tea cakes as well as seasonal loaf, sweet jam biscuits and feathery light Madeleine’s.

Guests visiting the 4th floor restaurant will be treated to an ambience of quiet sophistication, completed by a pianist playing well loved classics whilst they have tea overlooking Piccadilly.

Perfect as a pre-theatre early supper, an alternate lunch, glamourous hen do, or a treat for loved ones, the new tea time menus at The St James’s Restaurant are pure indulgence for all to enjoy.

For reservations please call 0845 602 5694 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

DISNEY CRUISE LINE AND MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF CREATE PERFECT PAIRING WITH FRENCH-INSPIRED REMY ON THE DISNEY DREAM
London, 8 April 2010 – In an exquisite, top-deck restaurant with incredible ocean views, Disney Cruise Line debuts Remy – its first-ever premier dining option. With French-inspired, gourmet cuisine by two award-winning chefs, Remy melds classic and contemporary styles in a sophisticated new dining concept exclusively for adults on the Disney Dream.

Chef Arnaud Lallement from l’Assiette Champenoise, a Michelin two-star restaurant just outside Reims, France, and Chef Scott Hunnel from award-winning Victoria & Albert’s at Walt Disney World Resort, are collaborating to create a French-inspired menu featuring superior products and seasonal ingredients sourced from around the world.

Master Pastry Chef Erich Herbitschek of Victoria & Albert’s at Walt Disney World Resort and Chef Mattieu Gerard Siegrist of l’Assiette Champenoise will lend their talents to create Remy’s savory breads and delectable dessert offerings.

French-trained Chef Patrick Albert, executive chef for Remy, oversees an all-star culinary team that will provide guests with a superb experience and epicurean excellence each day aboard the ship.

“Remy, a first-of-its-kind onboard experience, takes Disney Cruise Line dining to new heights,” said Ozer Balli, vice president, Disney Cruise Line Hotel Operations. “The extraordinary success of Palo on the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder encouraged us to create this elegant, upscale and even more intimate dining experience for the Disney Dream.”

Dinner at Remy is a lavish and leisurely affair, starting with a signature chilled Champagne cocktail made tableside, followed by eight to nine small courses complemented by a stellar wine list. Lallement’s cuisine is simple and stylish, such as roasted lobster with cream, and fresh asparagus with black truffles and vin jaune. It earns l’Assiette Champenoise two stars (of a possible three) from Michelin, making the experience “excellent cooking and worth a detour.” Hunnel’s innovative dishes offer small tastes of everything from wild caviar to Kobe beef and Japanese Wagyu strip loin. His cuisine earns Victoria & Albert’s the coveted AAA Five Diamonds, a rating accorded a mere 0.19 percent of restaurants in North America and the Caribbean.

Polished touches at Remy include a tableside trolley for serving international cheeses, decanting stations for wines, and post-prandial coffee service including French press and grand crème.

With a subtle nod to the hit Disney•Pixar film “Ratatouille” and its diminutive French star Remy, the softly lit main dining room with seating for 80 is designed in Art Nouveau style with a palate of soft greens, deep reds and rich gold. The restaurant’s classic French design features graceful sinuous lines on chair backs, etched in glass and in wall treatments, and Nouveau-style floral and leaf design in the carpet and banquettes, and warm lighting. The famous Remy character is subtly and artfully integrated into the design.

Tables are elegantly set with Frette linens, Riedel glassware, Christofle silverware and china made exclusively for Remy, with gracious accents such as purse stools for women’s handbags. The attentive serving staff is part of the sophisticated story, dressed in long white aprons, black jackets or burgundy vests, and bow ties. “From the moment our guests walk through the door, they are seamlessly transported to a fine French dining experience,” said Balli.

The private Chef’s Table dining room seats 16 and offers a glimpse into the kitchen. The room is furnished with rich “Ratatouille”-inspired décor – bold red carpet, chairs and drapes with touches of gold, opulent chandeliers, and scenes of Paris on the walls. The private Chef’s Table dining room has its own entrance to the kitchen to allow the chefs easy access, and offers a special multi-course menu.

A glass-walled wine room with marble flooring has seating for up to 16 guests amid more than 900 bottles of wine including a fine rare selection of Old World wines balanced with a solid selection of New World wines. Once dinner is booked and guests are on board, they are invited to meet with a sommelier in Remy’s wine room to taste and pre-select their wines for the evening.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can visit disneycruise.com.

EXCLUSIVE SHOPPING CLUB VENTE-PRIVEE.COM
Wednesday 7 April was a heavenly day indeed for members of exclusive shopping club vente-privee.com, when tickets to the all-singing, all-dancing West End smash hit Sister Act go on sale, with great savings available on the best seats in the house!

Those in the know set their alarm clocks to snap up the hottest tickets in town during this exclusive one-off sale, courtesy of www.vente-privee.com – the worldwide leader and pioneer of online event-based sales – and Sister Act producers Stage Entertainment UK.

The divine musical comedy not to be missed, Sister Act, has been raising the roof of the London Palladium since June last year, featuring music from multi-Academy Award winner Alan Menken.

The Sister Act sale is still waiting to be discovered by you – virtual doors opened at 6am on 7 April 2010 and close at 11pm on 10 April 2010. Tickets will be available for performances at The London Palladium from Monday 19th April 2010 to Wednesday 30 June 2010.

Emulating the success of exotic sales in the French market forms part of the expansion plans for vente-privee.com in the UK, where exclusive entertainment sales for the best shows, such as Sister Act, are now offered alongside not-to-be missed top quality lifestyle events.

Leading the way in the event-sales sector, vente-privee.com nurtures an impressive portfolio of 1,200 top brands across fashion, accessories, jewellery, home furnishings, toys, electronics and much more.

As the vente-privee.com offering continues to stretch the imagination, savvy shoppers in the UK really can begin to expect the unexpected...watch this space!

GREAT BRITISH MENU
New series started on 6 April at 6pm and then every week night at 6.30pm on BBC Two
The best of British food is once again being served up as Great British Menu returns to BBC Two Daytime. In this fifth series, the chefs are competing to cook at a fabulous banquet celebrating the wealth of delicious produce grown, reared and fished across the UK.

The banquet will be hosted by the nation’s long-time advocate of local, seasonal food, HRH The Prince of Wales, and the guest list will be made up of some of the best British food producers and suppliers from around the country. All of the chefs are determined to win so they can cook for the people who toil to put the very best British produce on the map.

This year's competition is all about super local produce, so to make the challenge even harder the chefs will be out of their comfort zone - sourcing new food suppliers from a small part of their region. Each chef will be based at a National Trust property, which has a long history of local food production. From here they will have to unearth the very finest produce from the surrounding farms, estates and neighbourhoods.

Another twist this year will see three chefs compete in each week-long regional heat. With 24 chefs across eight regions, the competition will be fierce. Every heat will once again see the chefs joined by a former champion who scores each individual dish daily. The chef with the least total points on Thursday will be eliminated from the competition and only two chefs will go through to the Friday cook-off for the three Great British Menu judges, Prue Leith, Oliver Peyton and Matthew Fort.

The eight regional winning chefs will compete in the finals, to create a magnificent British meal that the judges consider fitting for the finale banquet.

This Great British Menu series consists of: 40x30' regional heats, 4x60' finals and 1x60' documentary showcasing the spectacular final banquet.

THE FITZWILLIAM HOTEL BELFAST in Conde Nast Traveller’s prestigious ‘Hot List’ for 2010 and Menu by Kevin Thornton wins ‘Best Hotel Restaurant in Antrim’

The Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast is one of just six UK hotels to be included in the new Condé Nast Traveller ‘Hot List’ of 66 hotels worldwide.

According to the prestigious travel magazine, these hotels are ‘the coolest new hotels in the world’. Condé Nast Traveller compiled the list according to independent reviews from its correspondents on every continent.

The stylish and luxurious ‘design hotel’, currently celebrating its first birthday, is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland. It is ideally situated beside the Grand Opera House, close to all of Belfast’s main attractions.

The review of The Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast highlights not only its distinctive design features but also its central location, friendly service and popular restaurant Menu by Kevin Thornton.

The restaurant, overseen by the Michelin-starred chef, has been named the ‘Best Hotel Restaurant in Antrim’ in the Restaurant Association of Ireland’s Irish Restaurant Awards 2010.

Menu by Kevin Thornton has quickly gained a reputation in its first year since opening for quality food and drink made with the finest local and seasonal Northern Irish produce.

For further information on the Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast please visit http://www.fitzwilliamhotelbelfast.com/ or call 028 9044 2090

LIVING THE HIGH LIFE

Long Tall Sally Launches National Stand Tall Week

April 11th – 16th April 2010

Long Tall Sally is proud to present National Stand Tall Week – giving tall women across the UK the chance to enjoy their extra column inches after spending years squashed into airplane seats and unable to find well fitting clothes.

Running from 11th – 16th April, Long Tall Sally’s National Stand Tall Week gives tall women a reason to celebrate their height. Being tall is to be public – there’s no hiding from a clothing disaster when you’re in full view!

Long Tall Sally wants to give tall women a reason to stand tall and feel empowered by their height and is here to re-educate women about tall fashion and feeling good about their extra inches!

Over the course of National Stand Tall Week, Long Tall Sally will be giving back to tall women with a series of customer events in their Manchester and London stores on the 14th and 15th April.

Over a glass of champagne, customers can browse the latest collections and will receive 20% off all purchases over the course of the week. Long Tall Sally’s National Stand Tall Week Ambassadors, ex-supermodel Lisa Butcher (6ft and proud) and US-based journalist and preeminent tall expert Arianne Cohen (standing high at 6ft 3”) will also be on hand to impart their knowledge on all things tall, from dressing those extra inches stylishly to anecdotes on how to live the high life.

Long Tall Sally’s National Stand Tall Week aims to bring tall women together to celebrate their height and give them a shopping experience fit to dress those extra inches. To sign up and find out more about the events and offers happening during National Stand Tall Week, log onto www.longtallsally.com.

MONTRÉAL PAYS TRIBUTE TO JAZZ ICON MILES DAVIS

“A painting is music you can see, and music is a painting you can hear...”
– Miles Davis

From April 30 to August 29, 2010, the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts will pay tribute to legendary jazz musician Miles Davis (1926 – 1991) in a unique exhibition titled ‘We Want Miles’.

Combining musical excerpts, rare and unseen footage, this multimedia retrospective will highlight the life and career of Miles Davis - one of the twentieth century’s most respected music icons.

Focusing entirely on Davis’ music and the visitor’s listening pleasure, ‘We Want Miles’ will offer visitors a sensory experience using image and sound, bringing to life precious moments from the artist’s past, also revealing a new and exciting insight into his world. With twenty listening stations on display visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the many musical styles invented by Davis himself.

A creative genius who once said he had “changed the course of music history five or six times,” Davis’ legacy continues to arouse passionate admiration and influence music far beyond the boundaries of jazz. From his birth to his last major concert shortly before his death in 1991, each period of the prolific musician’s life will be represented at the exhibit by a diverse range of hand-picked memorabilia.

From handwritten scores, lyrics, instruments, stage costumes and vintage pressings of his records, art lovers and music fans alike are sure to be enthused by the universe of this legend that transcends time.

Also on showcase will be paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat, photography by Annie Leibovitz and exclusive performances by the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (FIJM) who will evoke some of the artist’s most memorable concerts.

The exhibition was designed and organized by the Cité de la Musique, Paris, with the support of Miles Davis Properties, LLC, in collaboration with the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts.
For sweet deals to stay in Montréal check out http://www.montréalsweetdeals.com/

For further details on the ‘We Want Miles’ exhibit at The Fine Arts Museum, please visit The Fine Arts website http://www.mbam.qc.ca

MONTRÉAL PRESENTS A LEONARD COHEN FIRST
Never seen before artist’s notebooks on show

Leonard Cohen has chosen Galerie Lounge TD in Montréal to give the public an insight into his decorated notebooks for the first time ever.

On show until May 9th 2010, the must see exhibition of this cult figure titled ‘Leonard Cohen Artworks’, reveals the man behind the music and provides fans with a chance to discover yet another facet of Cohen’s boundless creativity.

Born in Montréal, Cohen is best known as a distinguished singer-songwriter, author and poet whose powerful lyrics, timeless melodies and enveloping voice have captivated the world for four decades.

For sweet deals to stay in Montréal check out http://www.montrealsweetdeals.com/
For further details on Leonard Cohen Artworks exhibit at the Galerie Lounge TD, please visit: http://www.Montrealjazzfest.com

BOOK NOW - UNTIL 30 APRIL 2010 SAS OFFERS FREE CITY CARDS FOR UK TRAVELLERS!
Three weeks to go to popular Scandinavian destinations… Only three weeks left for UK customers to benefit from Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS’s) complimentary 24 hour City Cards. The offer is available on return trips with SAS to Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo until 30 April 2010. SAS is giving British travellers more for their money with great offers to use on these Scandinavian city breaks.

Valid for 24 hours and worth up to £34 each, the City Cards offer families and solo travellers an easy and inexpensive way to experience the Scandinavian capitals. The benefits and attractions included vary for each city, but all holiday makers will benefit from:


- Free airport transfers at some cities;

- Free travel on public transport system;

- Free admission to more than 30 museums and attractions in each city;

- Discounts at participating restaurants, shops and some sightseeing tours;

- Comprehensive guides in English including maps

Whether it’s admiring the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen or learning about Swedish history in Stockholm’s museums, SAS free City Cards gives UK travellers a great value for money offer to make the best of their break.


For an example of return economy fares with SAS, please visit http://www.flysas.co.uk (all fares are inclusive of taxes) – SAS is a full service airline which offers in-flight meals and drinks as well as a choice of several check-in options.

For further information on this offer, SAS destinations and fares worldwide visit http://www.flysas.co.uk or phone the sales team on +44 (0) 906 294 2772

JERSEY ROYAL NEW POTATOES – THE TASTE OF BRITISH SPRINGTIME
Food lovers rejoice - it’s Jersey Royals time again! Jersey Royal new potatoes symbolise the end of dark winter days with a taste that is spring on a plate. Jersey Royal new potatoes form part of our spring consciousness along with the smell of cut grass, tennis whites and long evenings, and for good reason with their unique taste and flavour.

With ‘seasonality’ and going local being the buzz words on everyone’s lips, Jersey Royal new potatoes are one of the few truly British seasonal products still available – springtime is Jersey Royals time as the season runs from the beginning of April to the end of June. When you taste Jersey Royals, you taste the result of 125 years of hand planting and age old techniques in each bite.

Furthermore, when you see the name Jersey Royals, you know that you can trust you’re buying quality, as they are the only vegetable to have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, meaning they can only be grown on Jersey. They are often referred to as the ‘champagne of the potato world’ by people who care about where their food comes from.

Each bag of Jersey Royals sold can be traced back to the farm on which the potatoes were grown, guaranteeing taste and quality. The name Jersey Royals is emblematic of the sun soaked côtils, the fresh sea breezes and, in some cases, the ‘Vraic’, or seaweed, which is used by farmers as a natural fertiliser.

There is only one real Jersey Royal, but there are hundreds of ways to enjoy it, from recipes created by some of the world’s top chefs to Jersey Royal new potatoes simply boiled and finished off with butter and mint. However you choose to eat Jersey Royal new potatoes, rest assured that they are lovingly handled from field to fork.

• Jersey Royal new potatoes contain 70 calories per 100g
• To find recipes using Jersey Royals, please visit http://www.jerseyroyals.co.uk/
• Jersey Royals are in season between April and June
• Jersey Royals are available from all major retailers
• Côtils are steep south facing slopes that benefit from the maximum amount of sunshine

COVENT GARDEN CELEBRATES 180 YEARS AS ICONIC LONDON DESTINATION
Its mere design sent ripples across architectural London, Charles Dickens penned some of his life’s finest works here, the great Oscar Wilde was put on trial here for his sexual persuasion and, in 1980, the area changed function from fruit and vegetable market to modern day shopping and entertainment destination, in the process creating a cultural district in the heart of the West End that became known globally for theatre, opera, street performance and other forms of artistic expression.

Covent Garden has played a central role in the changing face of London for centuries. Now, on the cusp of another year of change, it also marks a momentous milestone by celebrating the 180th Anniversary of the Market Building, a structure so recognizable it has become a mecca for the worlds of fashion, food, entertainment and design to co-habit. The Market Building, now firmly established as offering some of the most diverse independent retail in the capital, also marks 30 years since its transition from fresh produce larder to dedicated shopping emporium, with a host of exciting new developments to come this year.

Marking a huge year of celebration will be a range of activities celebrating Covent Garden’s heritage, from food to fashion, shopping to architecture. Offering both a written and visual representation of Covent Garden will be two interactive, yearlong initiatives that will gather content from the Covent Garden community to celebrate the history of one of London’s most recognizable architectural and cultural spaces.

Creative in Residence This month sees the launch of Covent Garden’s first creative-in-residence, award winning poet and playwright Inua Ellams http://www.phaze05.com. From his vantage point on the Piazza, Inua will be gathering the sentiments and memories of those who visit the area and transcribing them into short stories, poems and drawings, to be shared via the Covent Garden website (http://www.coventgardenlondonuk.com/creative). He will also be engaging with the public via Twitter www.twitter.com\CoventGardenLDN and Facebook www.facebook.com\CoventGardenLDN, so that those who do not have the opportunity to share their musings of London’s most famous public space in person, can do so remotely.

The Covent Garden Canvas will invite residents and visitors to share their favourite images of Covent Garden by uploading them to the Covent Garden website (http://www.coventgardenlondonuk.com/canvas ) where they will be exhibited in testimony to a place that is loved locally and remembered globally. The images will be celebrated online before the best are printed to create a physical photography wall, to go on display in Covent Garden later in the year.

Other celebratory activity taking place will see the Market Building dressed in decorations, the return of the Covent Garden Real Food Market to a new weekly Saturday slot and a special celebration of the Apple Market, London’s premier craft market for hand produced goods from the UK.

June 18th – 20th marks the official anniversary weekend. Visitors to the Piazza will witness a street party for all to be involved in. Covent Garden will be awash with colour as the surrounding community and members of the public come together to celebrate the history of the area.

In July, the Royal Opera House, a cornerstone of the Covent Garden fabric for many years, will be producing a special one- off performance on the Piazza, to be announced.

Playing to the creative medley of the area’s roots, Autumn in Covent Garden is a time to celebrate food and fashion. Last year Covent Garden introduced the hugely successful Fashion Fete, a tongue-in-cheek take on London Fashion Week. This year it returns with more fun and more in-store offers.

October will see the return of Covent Garden’s involvement in the London Restaurant Festival. Now in its second year, the festival returns with a larger and more dynamic celebration of food. Come and enjoy festival menus in many of Covent Garden’s diverse restaurant and dining spots and an extended Food Market for the weekend of 7-10th October, with guest stalls from restaurants and suppliers.

Covent Garden Brand Director Bev Churchill commented, “This year we are celebrating the heritage of Covent Garden. It’s a place known and loved by many. Everyone has a memory or an experience of the area and through our two year-long initiatives we hope for these to be shared.”

Keep checking http://www.coventgardenlondonuk.com for more information about Covent Garden’s Anniversary celebrations in 2010, where throughout the year there will be celebratory exhibitions, festivals and events featuring every aspect of Covent Garden from past to present to future – fashion, food, design and architecture.

You can also follow Covent Garden on Twitter and Facebook @CoventGardenLDN Twitter www.twitter.com\CoventGardenLDN and Facebook www.facebook.com\CoventGardenLDN

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