Beckford Canteen – Bath One of my and Mrs Yapp's preferred pastimes is visiting new dining establishments, preferably before we've read or heard much critical feedback from other people. It is something we have really missed out on since the Covid crisis and so we were delighted to get back in the game with a […]

    David Chandler: "With Valentine's Day very much on their minds, Jason and David get fizzical with no less than eight Crémants from the eight Crémant regions of France: Bourgogne, Loire, Alsace, Bordeaux, Limoux, Rhône and Savoie. After such a record-breaking, horizontal tasting, other wine enthusiasts might feel inclined to adopt a similar position, […]

Moules Marinière There is currently much concern regarding the sustainability of lots of seafood and the impact of over-fishing and climate change. Happily, one type of seafood is simple to both source and cultivate and remains plentiful, inexpensive, delicious and easy to cook. Bring on, one of my favourite bivalves – mussels. Why mussels are […]

Sardine Spaghetti Sauce This recipe was taught to me, and served to me, by Pippa’s niece Ursula who is a resourceful and inventive force in the kitchen and a welcome visitor. This versatile store cupboard dish is useful to fall back on throughout the year.   Ingredients: (Serves 4 people) Dried Durum Wheat Spaghetti x […]

    David Chandler: "Caught up in the Christmas rush? Of course you are! Need wine? Of course you do! In this seasonal edition, Jason and David selflessly taste six wines that have been picked by the press as wholly appropriate for the holiday season so you don't have to! Kicking off with the cream […]

Roast Chicken with Roast Potatoes and Fine Beans When our sons were younger (OK when we were all younger) I used to enjoy playing the role of paterfamilias and I would order a large, free range Norfolk bronze turkey as the centerpiece of our festive feast. These days both of our sons have graduated and […]

    David Chandler: "In this brutally honest edition, our aging adventurers in wine, in acknowledgement of their advancing years, doff their battered pith helmets to Jason's son, Will, who happens to be in the first flush of adulthood, rather than David's and Jason's busted variety. But the question on Jason's mind is, 'Do young […]

The second post in our series about investing in wines focuses on some key considerations.   Part 1 listed five reasons why you might want to invest. We also recorded a 20-minute podcast on the subject of wine investment highlighting some 'dos and don'ts', which you can listen to here. 1. The wine market is […]

Five reasons for investing in wine. Fine wine prices have tended to perform well in periods of uncertainty and high interest rates - quickly shrugging off dips after both the financial crash in 2008 and the covid-19 stock market reverse in 2020. In July 2022, the Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 index (the industry benchmark for […]

Cheese Board A foodstuff to which I have an enduring penchant and has received insufficient attention on this website is cheese. Happily, I like many different types from many different places and, although I really appreciate British cheese, which is enjoying a Renaissance I never foresaw, I also hold the cheeses of France in high […]