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May 13, 2018 by Christine

Afternoon Tea at Mottram Hall, Cheshire

Afternoon Tea at Mottram Hall, Cheshire: You’ll all know by now that I’m partial to a fabulous afternoon tea. This week I had the pleasure of enjoying Afternoon Tea at Mottram Hall, Cheshire with my oldest pal, Gina.

We drove to Mottram Hall from Knutsford admiring the scenery and catching up on life. The drive up through the grounds of Mottram Hall is picturesque with its sprawling golf course and tree lined driveway. Mottram Hall stands proudly in 270 acres of rolling, luscious green Cheshire countryside.
Former country house, Mottram Hall dates back to 1750, since the 1940s Mottram Hall has served as an exclusive hotel. Mr T and I attended a splendid wedding at Mottram Hall last summer, so I knew I was in for a treat.As we were having Afternoon Tea, I thought it only right to don a 40s style tea dress. I wore the floral Cassidy Floral Midi Tea Dress from Joanie and my Lotta from Stockholm clogs. I love that the Cassidy Tea Dress has pockets and is a midi length, oh and the floral print matched the daisies in the grounds of Mottram Hall.

Mottram Hall is a vision of elegance with beautifully formal gardens and lake complete with resident swans. Before we were seated for Afternoon Tea we took a stroll around the grounds admiring the formal gardens, the pond and pink blossom.

We were seated in the Garden Room which is a bright, light elegant space with windows down one side of the room looking out over the pretty gardens. There was a jolly impressive ‘pimp my prosecco’ station set up with fresh fruit, syrups and various accoutrements.

Mottram Hall have introduced their very own bespoke tea ‘Mottram 40’ in celebration of the year that the Manor House became a hotel. ‘Mottram 40’ is made up of a premium blend of Assam, Ceylon and Darjeeling leaves.

The Afternoon Tea selection of open top sandwiches and freshly baked scones was delicious. As I’m gluten intolerant this can often make indulging in afternoon tea a little difficult, however at Mottram Hall there was no fuss and my needs were catered for with ease. I was very impressed by the seamless service and accommodating staff.
Afternoon Tea at Mottram Hall, Cheshire is the perfect way to while away an afternoon or celebrate a special occasion. Champagne Afternoon Tea starts at just £30pp. To book Afternoon Tea at Mottram Hall you can do so HERE

We’re already planning our next trip to Mottram Hall, maybe next time we’ll indulge in a spa day!

Stay fabulous,

Christine

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May 9, 2018 by Christine

Family Picnic- Lyme Park, Cheshire

Family Picnic- Lyme Park, Cheshire: As the glorious sun was shining, we headed to Lyme Park, Cheshire for our first family picnic of the season. Lyme Park is a large estate managed by the National Trust– it was my very first trip to Lyme Park, so I was excited to see the deer, gardens and of course the mansion house.

First impressions: Arriving at the outer gates of Lyme Park it was clear that the grounds were vast, the drive up to the car park from the gates must have been a mile at least! The long winding drive through the rolling hills revealed the Hunting Lodge, an impressive structure that sat proudly on top of the hill.

The Picnic: We arrived around lunchtime, so we set about having our picnic pretty much straight away. Theresa made gluten-free sausage rolls and potato salad, Mother had packed a veritable feast including our favourite homemade Glo bars and I brought the dips and chips- perfect! The sun was beaming down on us as we grazed and napped in the heat.

Following our picnic we dumped our bags in the car and set off exploring beautiful Lyme Park…first stop the Hunting Lodge!
The Hunting Lodge: The first building you see upon entering Lyme Park is the rather impressive Hunting Lodge, the first structure was built on this site in 1580 and was later rebuilt in 1737 and repurposed as a place to lock up prisoners! The Lodge is very symmetrical and felt a little like something from a Monty Python sketch as we approached, like we should’ve have been clapping a pair of coconut halves together and galloping in a comedic fashion (in case you don’t know the scene, watch it HERE)At the very top of the hill we sat in front of the lodge, due to its elavated position it was pretty windy (which was most welcome as the sun was hotting up) it proved a great place to sit and stare at the view.

The Mansion House: Lyme Park mansion house is the largest in Cheshire and dates back to the 16th century. Most unusually, the house was privately owned by the Legh family from 1346 and was passed down through the generations right up until 1946, when it was given to the National Trust.

The Gardens: Lyme Park mansion house is surrounded by extensive parklands (1,359 acres!) with mature trees and deer that graze peacefully. Immediately surrounding the house are 15 acres of formal gardens, including the beautiful Italian Gardens, the rose garden and an of course an orangery. I particularly appreciated the Italian Garden and only wish I could’ve seen it a week or two earlier when the tulips would have been in full bloom!
What could be better than a sunny day, family, walks and a delicious picnic! Ah the unbridled joys of spring…

‘Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower’ -Hans Christian Andersen

Stay fabulous

Christine

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April 26, 2018 by Christine

5 reasons why Japan is a top foodie destination

Japanese cuisine is famous around the world, thanks to Sushi and a other exported delicacies- but anyone who has ever visited the country can testify that, when it comes to dining, it has a lot more to offer. My love of Japanese culture, in particular the food has been ongoing for many years- I love going out to my favourite spots for sushi! Here are 5 reasons why Japan is a top foodie destination:

Japanese cuisine is versatile, full of traditional recipes that can transform even an ordinary dining, into a ceremonial experience. No wonder, Japan is home to many culinary locations that every year attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. Tokyo is, of course, one of them. Having the most Michelin starred restaurants for nearly a decade, the Japanese capital has held the record of being world’s best place to eat, leaping ahead of Paris.

If you are a dedicated food – lover, Japan is a place to visit. Below are five fabulous facts about Japanese cuisine that you might not know. If you want more information, you can find the longer version of this guide at Japan for foodies.

Five rules of the Japanese cooking game: There are few temperamental characteristics and physical features that can make a chef superior, diligence is one of them. Yet, finding an eager, patient cook is not an easy task, especially when dinners aren’t prepared to wait more than 20 minutes for a dish. But not in Japan, a country where diligence is recognised as an obligation rather than an inborn feature. In the Japanese language, there is even a special word to describe this type of commitment to work, that is called – ganbaru.

There’s a special set of rules to eliminate the tiniest bits of chaos from cooking. The traditional rule of five was invented to emphasise the balance and variety of the country’s delicious cuisine. This is usually achieved by blending five cooking techniques (raw, simmered, fried, steamed and roasted or grilled), five flavours (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, spicy) and five colours (white, black, red, green and yellow). Add to this attention to detail and aesthetics of arranging dishes and you will have an idea, how an average Japanese meal might taste and look!

Japanese street food can beat restaurants: The exquisite restaurants in Japan are known to exceed expectations even of the most sophisticated foodies but abandoning any prejudices and trying something out-of-the ordinary won’t disappoint you either.

Although street food culture is usually associated with other Asian countries like Thailand or Taiwan, a Tokyo street food tour is unmissable. Japan is one of the few places in the world serving hot dishes even at tube stations. And they are all delicious.

From tender, grilled squid on a stick (ikayaki), to the variety of sweets like coated bananas, or bite-sized, donut-like sponges ( imagawayaki), filled with cream or chocolate, Japanese food stalls are true sensory wonderlands. Contrary to what you might think, most street vendors offer high-quality, budget-friendly delicacies, that can’t be missed if you want to taste the original, Japanese cuisine.

Japan has the best seafood and fresh fish: With almost all major Japanese cities on the coast alongside the abundance of clear water streams across the country, Japan can’t complain when it comes to the supply of fresh fish and seafood including species such as ayu [sweetfish] and ugui [dace]. It is just one of the reasons why they are an indispensable element of traditional Japanese washoku cuisine, due to the amazing variety they can be enjoyed seasonally, and at a good price!

You can drink sake with your dish: This fermented rice wine (although some people think it should be called a beer) is best with light dishes such as sashimi and can be drunk both cold or warm. It also goes particularly well with all sorts of spicy food, as the refreshing, robust rice flavour nicely contrasts with intense spices. If you want to see how traditional sake is made, why not to visit the famous The Fushimi Sake District in Kyoto that is a home to nearly 40 sake breweries?

A charm of Japanese food etiquette: In Japan, everything, from meeting and greeting, to food preparation seems to be saturated with a respect to tradition. Eating habits are not an exception. There are plenty of grand rituals attached to brewing a tea, drinking sake, and of course eating your meal. Although like Western manners, the Japanese etiquette expects certain kinds of behaviour, be prepared to experience striking differences between these two codes of conduct. If you want to avoid looking disrespectful at the table, reviewing at least a chopstick etiquette might be a good idea.

Eat fabulous

Christine

(#Sponsored | Images: Flickr)

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