Excuse me while I yawn

I've been tired for my whole life.

No, I know, you have been too. But really, I really, really have been. My tiredness beats yours. (Yes it's a competition, and for the purposes of this blog post, let me win this one please).

As a teenager, I used to come home from school and fall asleep at about half past four. I remember this really clearly because I was breaking in a pair of ice skates at the time, so invariably I'd fall asleep in my uniform, legs bent at an awkward angle above a pair of shiny white boots (complete with shocking pink blade guards). Then wake up an hour or so later with numb feet and a headache.

As an eight-year-old - you know, the age at which really you should be springing out of bed at 6am and irritating your knackered parents with demands to put children's telly on, my mum had to bribe me to come down for breakfast on time because I was always late for school. If I managed to make it downstairs by ten past 7, I was given 10p. I think by the time she gave up with that little experiment, I was in debt by about £3000.

(Actually one of my saddest everyday-tragedy memories is making a promise to my Dad, who I worshipped and adored, to have breakfast with him the next morning before he went abroad for work for a week. Predictably, I overslept, and scrambled downstairs at about half seven, only to find he'd carefully prepared my bowl of cocoa pops, spoon sticking out, glass of juice next to it, and left them sitting sad and forlorn on their own. Dad was long gone. I had Let Him Down and I cried with a devastation rarely matched before or since).

At university, it was OK, because everyone was tired. Everyone was out all night, drinking and having fun (this is something else I am terrible at FYI), so I just pretended the reason I was knackered was the same as them - because I'd been busy doing Cool Stuff and Being A Cool Student. This wasn't true, however, because I mostly spent every night arguing with my boyfriend and crying and getting stressed about the aorist form of Ancient Greek verbs.

After my first year at university, I got an internship at an investment bank in the city, and most of my memories of that experience revolve around me desperately trying to blowdry my hair under the hand-dryers in the loos, having not had time to do it at home. The whole working hours thing was a fresh hell. I was late EVERY day.

And thus it has been ever since. I simply cannot get out of bed in the mornings on time. I don't think I'm lazy - I don't think having written three novels by the age of 30 is possible if you are. I'm just tired. I like my sleep. I've tried going to bed early and all that jazz, but it just doesn't make a difference - I just sleep for longer. My optimum time to wake up is around 8.30. Unfortunately this isn't really conducive to working hours.

I've always worked 9.30-5.30, except for when I worked for Housetohome.co.uk and my editor (who was also one of my best friends, helpfully), frustrated at me shamefacedly rolling in at 9.45 every day, asked me if I'd like to work 10-6 instead. It changed my life. It was a revelation - I was more efficient, happier, never late...

I was checked for various things as a kid - people thought I was anaemic (I was very pale), anorexic (I was very skinny), had heart problems - I've had an ECG, which revealed an inverted T wave,  and an echocardiagram, but nothing serious was found. I do have low blood pressure, and tend to pass out with too much exertion, but other than that I'm healthy. Ridiculously so, actually - I was discussing with a friend the fact that I've not been to the doctor's since 2004 the other day.

But I just can't get enough sleep.

Anyway, I know, it's a high-class problem. I should shut up my spoilt whinging. I agree with you to some extent. But feeling absolutely exhausted all the time isn't fun. It's almost like feeling permanently a bit ill. And more than anything else, it means I'm absolutely terrified about having children. I barely function as it is - what on earth will I do when I'm truly sleep deprived? I'm totally going to end up being one of those mothers who has a mental breakdown and starts hallucinating... But maybe I'll be so tired I won't care.

Now if you'll excuse me, I think it's time for a nap...

PS check out this interesting article on Sunday night insomnia - apparently common in working Londoners. A quick poll of my friends revealed that 99% of us agreed we suffered from it.

Skin deep (pockets)

I never used to worry much about my skin. Well, that's not strictly true, when I turned 13 I suddenly developed (with hindsight) the most minuscule slightly enlarged pores on my nose, promptly lost the plot whilst weeping in front of the mirror and proceeded to nuke my skin for about about a year in a vain attempt to get them to shrink back to eight-year-old standards. Which of course, made my skin react in fury, resulting in the beginning of a long battle with reactive, sensitive skin.

For a short period I was obsessed with Clearasil, Biome pore strips and Oxy 10, and some weird toner/paint-stripper called 10-0-6. Not sure what happened to that, but I remember it had a jazzy bottle, was fluorescent, called itself a 'deep pore cleanser' and basically ruined my skin. It could probably get limescale off your taps, but I'm not sure it was a good idea to scrub my delicate teenage face with it twice a day.

My mum saved me, however, taking pity on me and packing me off for facials at the tender age of 15. I then became a Clinique devotee, following their 3-step system for years. And years. Without ever thinking about it again.

Until I turned 31. I don't know why that age was the trigger - I've always been told I look pretty young, which I used to hate but am now very grateful for. Perhaps it was because I had just had laser eye surgery and could suddenly see myself properly (!), but I started to notice the beginnings of lines around my eyes, which made me think about anti-ageing products. And it snowballed from there.

Last year, I spent a quite frankly disgusting amount of money on skincare. I was earning quite a lot last summer, and I remember one month my skincare/make up expenditure was in the region of £400. I know. I'm sorry. I'm disgusted with myself too. It was like the 13-year-old me had unleashed herself once again, armed with a bigger budget and the benefit/curse of beauty blogs promising great things from products.

It was a long year of experimentation anyway, with most of the products I tried not really doing much at all. The process sort of went like this:

1) I read about some miracle product on a blog/in a magazine 2) I marched off to Elys or Selfridges to purchase said product 3) I used product for about a week (often in conjunction with other new products I got talked into trying at the same time) 4) Product had barely noticeable but slightly positive effect on skin for a few days 5) I raved about brilliantness of product to everyone and anyone 6) A week later I got a spot 7) I blamed said product and angrily shouted at it as I shoved it to the back of my make-up drawer 8) Rinse and repeat

However, there were a few gems among the tons of products that basically didn't do... anything. So I thought they'd be worth a quick run down here. Like I said, I was obsessed with beauty blogs last year (and the wonderful vlogs - especially the US ones!) and it was always interesting reading how others got on with a product.

So here are the only ones I would, and have, repurchased. A few of these have become my new 'HGs' (that's holy grails, to those not initiated with beauty blog terminology).

 REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask

This is amazing! It smells of fruit and is quite sticky and weird - you basically slather it on and wash off after 15 minutes. The fruit acids chomp away at all your dead skin cells and the next day your skin is beautifully soft and your make up glides on much more easily. I love it.

The Sanctuary Polishing Hot Cloth Cleanser

I think this has been discontinued as I can't find it on The Sanctuary website, which is a real shame. It's similar to Liz Earle's much-lauded Cleanse & Polish (which I found too drying for my skin) but less astrigent and really moisturising too.

Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Glow Cream Gel

When I'm tired, I put a tiny bit of this on in the mornings if I don't want to look dead that day. And it works. It gives you a really, really subtle tan - more of a glow really.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil

I was completely obsessed with this last year and slathered it on my face every night instead of a night cream. Mistake. After a few months' use, I realised that, although it really does help fade spot scars and keep your face plump and soft, it also clogs pores. I'm now only using it around my eyes and making sure I only use the tiniest amount. It's beautifully gentle, so won't break you out, but it is very heavy and brings out the blackheads.

Opi Avoplex & Opi Nail Envy

Not strictly skincare and this is a bit gross, but my nails really dry out when I use polish on them (especially my toenails). I've been using cuticle oil to moisturise them and it's really helped. And Nail Envy is a revelation - it makes your nails look healthy and shiny, and 'polished' even without having a colour on them. The only weird thing is that it definitely makes your nails grow more slowly. And I cannot fathom why. Odd.

Ecotools brushes

I think brushes count as skincare as they have such a big impact on your skin! I've used Bare Minerals foundation for ages now but always used to use their brushes. Which are really scratchy and caused little bumps to appear on my cheeks. Ecotools brushes are just brilliantly soft and eco-friendly too. My favourite is the retractable kabuki brush, because it's hygienic and portable with the perfect size head for powder foundation.

Clarins Multi-Active Skin Renewal Serum

I've been really impressed with lots of Clarins products I've tried this year, and am also using their day cream at the moment. This is expensive, but the only serum out of loads of serums I've tried that actually really really made a difference. It plumps your skin out and makes you look all healthy and glowing. And like all Clarins products, it smells beautiful. I love it so much. I just don't love the price tag or the tiny bottle.

L'Occitane Almond Supple Skin Oil

I think this is meant for pregnancy bumps but I've been using it on my arms and legs! I bought it at Bicester as a two-for-one experiment and at first thought it was too sweet and sickly smelling. But it fades really quickly and leaves your skin with a lovely protective sheen. Also pricey sadly.

Other than that, I'm still searching for the perfect cleanser... Sigh. I've just bought Clarins' Cleansing Milk with Gentian so will be giving that a go once the one I'm using at the moment is finished. Cleansers are really really hard I find - either massively drying or massively cloggy. The search continues...

What about you? I'm genuinely dying to chat skincare with anyone reading this - let me know which products you can't live without!

Behind the brand: Elissa Miller from Magpie Miller

One of my favourite bits about my day job as an interiors journalist is stumbling across new inspiring and creative people. Actually that's a bit of a lie, it's not one of my favourite bits, it's the favourite bit.

I first came across the lovely Magpie Miller last year - a quirky online boutique selling carefully curated pieces, perfect for adding interest and whimsy to your interiors. Better still, each piece is handpicked with love and care by one lady - Elissa Miller.

Let's not be too rose-tinted about it, times are tough and there's a massive amount of competition out there - launching an online interiors shop is not for the faint-hearted. I'm always inspired and fascinated by people brave enough to follow their dreams, so I caught up with Elissa to find out what made her take the plunge...

How long ago did you start Magpie Miller, and how did the idea for setting it up come about?

I started Magpie Miller just over a year ago. My grandparents are antique dealers and my Mum started her career as a fashion designer before moving into the interior business for twenty years - so I grew up surrounded by trends and developed a keen sense of what does and doesn’t sell over the years. I’d always dreamed of having my own shop (selling items I loved) leading to a now-or-never moment about eighteen months ago where I realised it could stay as a pipe dream that I always wished I’d done or bite the bullet and go for it. I opted for the latter!

Can you tell us a little bit about what you did before?

I used to be an animator for a large corporate company making video games. Not the shooty kind though; more cartoon style, family friendly games which was a lot of fun. Working there for most of my twenties taught me to be very disciplined and how to stay creatively motivated and organised when dealing with such huge dependencies – all of which helped massively when establishing my high-level business goals and ensuring the day-to-day tasks were prioritised accordingly. It also means that I’m relatively technically astute which was a huge bonus when setting up the website!

What's the most interesting thing you've learnt since starting the company?

I’ve learnt so much since starting Magpie Miller it’s unreal! From buying, to marketing, branding, photography... phew! But I guess the most interesting thing I’ve learnt is to stay true to who I am and have confidence in what I believe. I always thought these sorts of things sounded corny when I heard other business owners say them; but as long as you retain a clear vision of what you want to achieve, anything is possible.

What have you enjoyed the most?

Without a doubt the most enjoyable part of running Magpie Miller is discovering and dealing with such fantastic design talent. My tummy literally flips when I find a gorgeous item to stock in the shop - it gives me a real sense of pride to be helping independent designers that love their work and are making a business out of it. I also really love sharing the items with customers and knowing how much they value and appreciate good design. The bottom line with the business is that I love selling items so I can buy more… Danger.

Any particular highs/lows you've experienced?

Actually getting the business up and running and receiving orders within the first two weeks of being online was a real high! Building the business up over the past year has been A LOT of hard work combined with trial and error. I also work on my own (Muffin the cat helps out sporadically…) which can be tough and allows self-doubt to rear its ugly head every so often - but I’ve always felt so passionate about the business which is what ultimately keeps me motivated. The business is going from strength to strength at the moment and Magpie Miller is being frequently featured in traditional press and blogs, with a feature in the Saturday Times Magazine recently a particular high. It’s all just been amazing!

Which products are you personal favourites?

Oh gosh, that’s a tough one as they’re all my favourites! I guess if I was to pick a couple of items that are representative of the type of item and design I love, the Button Trivet would come high. It repurposes the universally familiar shape and applies it fantastically, transforming a potentially humdrum kitchen essential into a cosy statement piece. Another example would be the letterpress number coasters which are hand-fed through a century old Chandler and Price letterpress – I just love how much care and attention goes into making items like these.

How does your personal design ethos influence the brand?

When my husband and I bought our first house together we could only afford Ikea products - augmented judiciously with a smattering of Habitat. While this was fantastic (and something we still do now) I found it difficult to find interesting, unique homeware items that didn’t cost an arm-and-a-leg. The solution was to treat this as the basis for my business. To add interest to the house I was always looking for unusual items on the internet and scouring antique fairs and markets to pick up one-off and individual pieces. This led me to establish the Rescued & Reloved range through Magpie Miller.

Can you describe your own home?

I’d describe our home as a true reflection of who my husband and I are: warm and welcoming with an eclectic mix of ideas and styles. I’m a huge Scandi-style fan which influences the furniture we buy; albeit without the starkness that can sometimes be associated with this aesthetic. It also houses my husband’s huge music collection and his weakness for vinyl toys which I’m always threatening to minimise -  but I secretly love that he has such a strong style stake in the house.

What's your hope for the company's future?

In the short term my plan is to treble the Magpie Miller range over the next year. I also want Magpie Miller’s style to evolve year by year and not get stuck in a certain ‘look’. Opening a shop would be a definite dream as it would be great to style all the items together - but really all I want to do is continue finding brilliant new talent and unearthing interesting and fabulous products!

Thanks so much to Elissa for sharing her experience in launching Magpie Miller with us! I'm already coveting far too many things myself...my personal favourites being the Mojave letterpress coasters, below left, (which I have just ordered, tut tut) and the Polyhedron Origami candlesticks, below right.

Magpie Miller is currently holding a super-duper January sale - check it out here>>

Pollen Street Social

I celebrated my 32nd (eeek) birthday last week, with dinner at Pollen Street Social. I'd heard good things from lots of friends who'd already been and loved it, but it far exceeded my expectations. It was truly wonderful - I can't recommend it enough.

The decor inside the restaurant is classy and understated. Unlike some fine dining places, it has an upmarket but laid-back feel - quite a feat. I felt completely comfortable and at home, but also as though I was in for a treat (which I was).

The service was fantastic - with at least four different waiting staff attending to us - including a really knowledgeable sommelier, who talked us into trying the cloudy Prosecco (which I stupidly forgot to record the name of). It was crisp and very dry, just how I like my wine.

We started our meal with some wonderfully chewy pork crackling - complete with an apple and mustard sauce, freshly baked bread and olives.

For my starter, I chose the hen's egg with parsley garlic puree, smoked haddock brandade, watercress and bacon. Every mouthful was packed with different flavours, which worked brilliantly together.

Meanwhile O had the fallow deer tartare, with smoked beetroot and berry pearls. This was definitely the standout dish of an evening of standout dishes, and I couldn't stop myself from poking my fork in to steal from it.

For my main, I went for Angus fillet with roasted salsify, which came with bone marrow pureed potatoes. The fillet was delicious and oh-so rich - it had the most amazing flavour but it was quite a big portion for little old me. I was really impressed with the sizes of the dishes in general. You certainly don't feel short-changed or leave feeling hungry.

O had salt marsh lamb, with black cabbage and a truffle puree. He smiled a lot while eating it. I'm not a big lamb eater but the forkful I tried was on a par with the lamb I'd overindulged in at The Cube.

Finally, I HAD to treat myself to pudding. Despite being pretty stuffed. After all, it was my birthday treat. Eschewing the chocolate-based desserts (which is most unlike me), I plumped for something more unusual: pear sorbet with apple in hibiscus. The apples were beautifully sharp and tangy, while the sorbet was incredibly sweet. It was just the thing to round off the meal, and was a picture to look at. My photograph doesn't do it justice at all!

I didn't want that pudding to end!

It wasn't a cheap experience - £160 for both of us, but we both agreed we didn't begrudge a single penny. I wouldn't hesitate to go back again for another special occasion. The staff were fantastic and the food was blow-your-mind brilliant. I'm already saving up for the tasting menu!

Farewell 2012...

I've been looking forward to 2013 for at least two months now, so I'm really happy it's finally here! My resolutions are all a bit hackneyed, but include: eating less sugar, going for a run twice a week, reading more books and finishing my third novel. But first, a look back on last year, with its enormous highs and lows...

January

The year started with my 31st birthday, and a lovely dinner with friends at Baltic restaurant in Southwark - recommended!

February

My little flat had five minutes of fame in February, featured in the Guardian.

And... I had laser eye surgery, which was AMAZING. Will do a separate post about that next month!

March

I took advantage of some early spring sun for a day in Brighton - god sea air is the best for getting you out of a winter fug.

April

I started a new part-time job, working three days a week on the websites for leading interiors shows Decorex and Interiors UK (that's me with some of my colleagues above). I only went in to meet the team there to discuss freelancing for them, and they ended up offering me a permanent job so it was quite unexpected really! I'm really really enjoying it - it's been great to get out of the magazine bubble and meet different folk, and I actually went up to four days a week at the beginning of November.

May

A much-needed week's holiday in Mykonos, where the shone ridiculously brightly for us. As ever, I had a wonderful time. It just went a bit quickly.

June

June was a strange month. I lost my beloved Grandad, who died exactly a month before his 100th birthday. He was 99 in the picture above, taken Christmas 2011. I miss him so much, and still think of him every day. But I'm trying to remember his positivity, his love for life and his ability to find the best in everything, and use that to inspire me. I'm very grateful that I saw him just a couple of days before he died, and that he was his usual smiley, lovely self.

The last day I saw him was also the day I found out I'd been offered a publishing contract for my novel. Life's a funny old thing. I have dedicated the book to my Grandad. I know he would be so happy for me.

July

I finally caught Olympic fever, after having had no interest whatsoever in the build up. This was my first glimpse of the Games - when the torch went past the Decorex office on the barge. Sadly I only had my iPhone, hence rubbish pic!

August

After spending hours - maybe days - of my life searching for tickets, I finally somehow wangled two £50 tickets to the Paralympics opening ceremony. I took my Mum, and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I only wish I'd been blogging back then, because I could wax lyrical about it for ages. It was fab. Unforgettable.

September

Olympic fever continued when I got press seats to the Paralympic athletics in September. This time I went with my friend Amy - I'll never forget the atmosphere in the stadium, and the park itself. Just brilliant. Wish we could make the 'Lympics an annual thing.

October

A flying trip with my Dad went a bit scary when we got stuck above thick cloud. And then my Dad decided to stall the plane for fun. I now know what kind of scream I'll give off in a near-death situation. It's loud.

November

I got to see the cover for my novel. I love it.

December

The festive season began with a bang, with a trip to The Cube. My culinary highlight in a year filled with culinary delights. Hopefully more of that in 2013...

I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store, and fully intend on recording as much of it as possible on this blog.

Happy new year to you all!

Merry Christmas!

Tis the season to be contemplative... especially if you're a cat called Henri

My Christmas traditions

I'm suddenly SO excited about Christmas. It's taken a while - I haven't really been feeling it at all up until last week, but I'm well and truly in the festive spirit now. Not least because this year I'm having more than two weeks off work - something I've never done before! In the ten years I've been working, the longest holiday I've ever had is just under two weeks, so this is VERY exciting indeed. I'm not even doing any freelancing.

Anyway, the reason I've managed to finally get in the mood is due in no small part to some of my favourite Christmas traditions, which I thought it'd be nice to share...

1) A real tree

I always have a real tree. My parents were (are) quite snobby about it so it's never occurred to me to have a fake one. Last year I bought a small potted tree, but it sadly died in my garden earlier in the year. So this year I've gone for a cut beauty - it's a 5 footer and is decorated with glass, white and silver decorations. Mostly because I can't be trusted with colour not to go mad and end up with something tacky (and not in a kitsch way).

2) A tin of Quality Street

The second these go on offer for a fiver a tin, or two-for-one, at the supermarket/petrol station, I know Christmas is around the corner. I usually manage to eat most of them before Christmas Day, which means that I end up taking the coconut and orange cremes to my parents' house, where they get ignored until someone gets desperate or we run out of cheese. My favourite is a toss up between the toffee penny and the toffee finger, in case you're wondering.

3) The Sounds of Christmas by Cavatina

This is THE album I put on when I want to feel Christmassy. I grew up with it - my mum bought it in Our Price (remember them?) when I was about 12. It's basically a combination of flute and harp, playing a variety of random Christmas songs, but the first one is the best - Sleigh Ride - literally I hear three bars of it and I feel ridiculously festive. It's the CD we always used to put on while we were decorating the tree, so I still do today. The original disc got lost somewhere when we moved house, but I managed to find it on iTunes about two years ago, so burnt my parents and my sister a copy. I love it.

4) Bacon and eggs on Christmas morning

Not much to say about this really. But Christmas starts with a fry up, and continues down its gluttonous path till my Dad whisks up his Boxing Day soup made with the leftover stilton.

5) Making gingerbread that no one eats

I can't cook, but I quite enjoy making this once a year. I usually eat about two of them, then throw the rest away as I always make loads, and no one seems to trust my baking enough to try them. But it's more about the journey than the destination anyway. These were last year's efforts!

6) Bendicks Bittermints

I'm obsessed with mint. My aunt always used to buy the yard-long box for Christmas every year, and even as a child I'd manage to eat three in a row without feeling (too) sick. They are, quite simply, amazing.

7) Presents on Christmas Eve, after dinner (which is always my mum's beef-in-beer stew)

I'm not sure when this started, or why, but I think it was something to do with the fact that my sister and I were such absolutely spoilt brats that we had so many presents there wasn't enough time on Christmas Day to get through them all. So now we usually do our immediate family (my Mum, Dad, sister and my) ones on Christmas Eve, then save the rest for Christmas Day.

8) Scrabble

I'll be honest with you. I NEVER play boardgames. Never. I'd like to pretend that I spend my evenings in ruminating over a tricky bout of Monopoly, but it's more likely to be the Glee boxset. No ruminating involved. But Scrabble is still my favourite game of all time. Because I usually win. I play this approximately twice a year, both times at Christmas - once with my Dad and once with O. Last year I was given the Christmas version, which is brilliant because you get extra points for words like 'mistletoe' (OK, admittedly have yet to use that one) and 'carol'. It will definitely be making an appearance again this year.

That's about it really. There's no midnight mass or carol singing, or trip to the pub for my family. We tend to watch whatever DVDs we've been given and eat a lot. And fall asleep. And bicker. And drink an awful lot of Prosecco.

I can't wait.

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas.

I'm spoilt: lunch at The Cube

So yesterday my colleague Grahame Morrison, web editor for KBB, made my winter by telling me he had wangled places for me and two other colleagues to have lunch at The Cube. For those not in the know, The Cube is the pop-up restaurant to end all pop-up restaurants. It's actually a self-contained restaurant 'pod', which has been touring Europe, and seats up to 18 for a blow-your-mind dining experience. It's currently moored on the top of the Royal Festival Hall, and each week a different Michelin-starred chef has taken up residence to cater for the ultimate dinner party.

I've wanted to go for absolutely aaaggggesss, but couldn't justify the £175 (lunch)/£215 (dinner) price tag. Which is why I literally danced round the office and squeaked in delight when Grahame told me he'd got us in. Yes, I know. Jammy journalists.

Cooking for us yesterday was Tom Kerridge, of Hand & Flowers fame. This was also mega exciting as I'd actually seen him on Masterchef just last week. You don't get to see the menu before you go - it's kept back right to the end of the meal, when you're given an autographed copy to keep as a memento. Every course was introduced by Tom himself, and we were able to mingle with him and watch him work throughout the meal.

So what did we eat?

To start with, we were treated to champers as we hung out on the roof terrace (despite the sub zero temperatures), admiring the view of the river. The south bank is my absolute favourite part of London, so it was a real treat to be supping champagne and scoffing canapes while gazing out. Here we are getting excited about our imminent gastrofest...

Our first course (of six!) was a delicious pumpkin soup, with king oyster mushrooms, blue cheese and garlic butter. Thick and heartwarming, it would be the perfect thing to eat on Bonfire Night! It was baked 'en croute' with a pastry lid which Tom cut into, and removed, so that we each got a piece to dip into the soup.

Next up was all the meat from a pig's head, rolled into a little croquette-type thing. I baulked a bit at the pig's head bit, but Tom ensured us that it didn't contain any ears or eyeballs, just the flesh around the head. It turned out to be a bit like pulled pork, rich, meaty and satisfying. It was accompanied by something that looked like a worm, but which was apparently a Jerusalem artichoke - its texture surprised me, being crunchy and sort of like celery (without the strong flavour). A piece of crackling finished it off perfectly.

Then came my favourite course of the lot - hake with grapes. The hake was perfect - beautifully moist and wrapped in vine leaves, with a beurre blanc and shallot sauce. Yum.

I should mention that we were given a different wine with each course - and these were described to us by the very knowledge and friendly waitress before being poured. I have to confess that I'm not used to drinking six glasses of wine at lunch, so I fell behind a little. I'd also been a bit overeager when the champagne was going round at the beginning so was already a little bit tipsy - but it WAS delicious!

The 'main' course was salt-baked lamb with salsa verde, pomme boulengere and sprouting broccoli. The rosemary-encrusted lamb was blow-torched before our eyes before serving - an impressive sight!

The lamb was a revelation - I actually hate lamb, but it was amazingly tender and packed with aromatic flavours, thanks to having been cooked for eight hours. I ended up having three helpings - which got me into trouble further on in the day (more on that later).

Apologies for my rubbish presentation, but we got to help ourselves to this course!

Finally, it was time for pud. A classic crème brûlée , with a beautifully crispy top that cracked satisfyingly when I tapped it with my spoon. This was accompanied by Innis & Gunn oak-aged ale. By this time I was feeling unsurprisingly tipsy and full...

After this, we were served coffee and biscuits. Overall, the whole thing was absolutely amazing - and I would heartily recommend it. It's very expensive, but such a fabulous experience that I don't think it's bad value at all. I loved the fact that Tom chatted to us throughout the meal, and it was great to hear about the cooking techniques involved before we ate dishes. I wish you got that at every restaurant. I can't cook to save my life, but I found it all fascinating.

My only regret? My eyes were bigger than my stomach. I felt fine after we left, but later on that day a mini mince pie sent me over the edge into the world of severe tummy ache! So if you're going to go, don't get carried away like I did and help yourself to three portions of lamb. Unless you're prepared to be in pain later that day. Although, to be honest, it was probably worth it...

The Cube stays in London until the end of 2012. For more details, visit The Cube website>>

It's time to Feast

It's December, which means it's officially OK to talk about Christmas.

Let's be honest, after the age of about 21, Christmas is all about food. By then, we've worked out that if we want something, we can buy it for ourselves, thus relegating presents to being things we a) can't afford to buy for ourselves or b) boring staples we trust our other halves/parents/siblings to buy, such as our favourite perfume (yawn).

Nope, by the time we're fully fledged adults, Christmas is all about FOOD. And time off. And alcohol. And to a significant extent, cheese.

With this in mind and embracing all things festively calorific, I headed off with my good friend Ruth to the Christmas edition of Feast yesterday. Feast describes itself as a 'Street Food Festival', and was held inside the former north London sorting office in Islington. They'd really gone to town with the decor, with fairy lights galore and suspended 'globes' giving it a very festive fairyland feel. It was really atmospheric - not least because the whole place smelled amazing, like one big delicious barbecue indoors (but without the smoke).

We'd paid £7.50 entrance, and so I was a bit surprised that that didn't include anything - not even a goody bag full of marketing crap you don't want. As we walked in, Ruth remarked it was a bit like paying to get into Borough Market, which is kind of how it felt, except all the stalls sold mini dishes, for consumption then and there, rather than random bits of cheese and dried jalapenos to take home. There were also some long benches in one corner for sitting, chatting and eating, and a little stage with live music.

We were a bit cynical to begin with, but once we'd warmed up and sampled a few things, we properly got into it. Our highlights included succulent pulled pork baps from Randall & Aubin, and a ridiculously tasty mac and cheese from Anna Maes.

But the winner by far was the Mayan hot chocolate which came with a floating cinnamon meringue from the Meringue Girls. Amazeballs, as someone still young enough to write a Christmas list might say...

I'd definitely go again - with more cash and a bigger appetite. It'd be a great place to while away a Friday evening with a huge gang of friends.

Behind the Brand: Tara Germain, Curio

Twitter has been abuzz lately with talk of new digital magazine Curio. I love the word Curio (definition: rare, unusual, or intriguing object) and am only a little bit cross that I didn't think of it for the name of this blog.  Describing itself as 'premium yet friendly', the mag piqued my interest immediately (I like to think of myself as premium yet friendly, truth be told).

The first issue went live today - you can check it out online now. It's packed full of insightful, original features and quirky offbeat photography - definitely a read to be savoured (oh if only it was safe to take iPads into the bath). And as an ex magazine sub-editor who's a stickler for detail, I'm pleased to report the magazine's production values are high quality, which is something that some online mags have struggled with.

I caught up with Tara Germain, the editor, earlier this month, to find out more about how the magazine came into being...

What inspired you to launch Curio?

The short answer is that I got bored of waiting for someone else to do it! I'd been thinking about doing something for a while as, although I was still reading all the print and online interiors magazines (and still do), I was finding it difficult to engage with them. They seemed quite formulaic and tied to an individual aesthetic and I wanted something that was a bit freer, something premium looking, but friendly and intelligent, which could talk about other things as well as interiors. It had to feel meaningful too, not just pushing the latest must-haves.

How did your background in PR help you in the process?

I was a PR director at Freud Communications and the BBC in London before doing an interiors course and then going on to work for Curio's Managing Editor Sarah Lidwell-Durnin's interiors brand Natural History as a director and stylist. Obviously, PR is all about communication so writing and pitching Curio as an idea came quite easily. However, not having a background in magazines and the contacts that would have brought has meant a steep learning curve. I have been learning as we go, which has been equal parts exciting and terrifying.

What have you enjoyed most so far about putting the first issue together?

I have loved meeting (and persuading!) interesting people to be involved. We had zero budget for the launch issue so everyone in the magazine has worked for next to nothing - which is amazingly gracious of them.

Any exciting features coming up you want to shout about?

I love the photo-essay by Jonathan Legge, a designer who has worked for Ilse Crawford, on his granny's beautiful house in Ireland and the memories he associates with it. The house is gorgeous, but it's the warmth and lyricism of Jonathan's reminiscences that makes it special.

And finally... how would you describe your own style?

It's a cliche, but classic with a twist.

Check out the first issue of Curio online now>>