EPICURE Early Spring 2020

EPICURE 

SOUTH EAST 

WHERE GREAT TASTE BEGINS 

EARLY SPRING 2020 

£4.50 WHERE SOLD 

+ 

EVENTS 

ARTS 

TRAVEL 

FOOD & 

DRINK 

MOTORING 

HOME 

THE 

WELLNESS 

EDITION 

WEDDING 

SEASON 

PLANNING THE 

BIG DAY? WE’VE 

GOT SOME TOP 

TIPS AND 

TRENDS 

WELLBEING CREATING RITUALS, FITNESS & QUITTING SUGAR 

FOOD HEALTHY, HEARTY DISHES THAT HIT THE RIGHT SPOT 

INTERIORS REFRESHING SPACES & MODERN VICTORIAN STYLING 

EPICURE Early Spring 2020.indd 1 24/01/2020 15:29

Mayfield 

AN INDEPENDENT DAY AND BOARDING SCHOOL 

FOR GIRLS AGED 11 TO 18 

“THE QUALITY OF THE PUPILS’ ACADEMIC 

AND OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS IS EXCELLENT” 

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS INSPECTORATE 

“ONE OF THE FINEST 

SCHOOLS IN THE LAND” 

COUNTRY LIFE 

SET IN THE BEAUTIFUL AND EASILY 

ACCESSIBLE SUSSEX COUNTRYSIDE 

Open Mornings 

FRIDAY 20 TH MARCH 2020 

TUESDAY 21 ST APRIL 2020 

EDITORIAL GRID.indd 6 24/01/2020 15:19 

MAY_TDA33464 DPS 420w x 280h AW.indd 1

A MAYFIELD EDUCATION COMBINES 

ACADEMIC RIGOUR, BREADTH OF 

OPPORTUNITY AND A STRONG 

SENSE OF COMMUNITY. 

The School has an excellent academic record, 

exceptional pastoral care and an extensive cocurricular 

programme. Every girl is encouraged 

and supported to find her strengths and develop 

them in an inspiring learning environment, 

which encourages independent critical thinking, 

determination and resilience. Mayfield girls 

develop a lifelong love of learning, a range of 

transferable skills that will prepare them for their 

futures and friendships that will last a lifetime. 

Mayfield’s ethos reflects its Catholic foundation 

and encourages integrity, initiative, respect and a 

desire to be the best you can be within a vibrant 

and inclusive community. For the past 150 years, 

Mayfield has nurtured generations of enterprising, 

purposeful young women with the skills and confidence 

to make a positive difference in the world. 

To experience all that is special about Mayfield, visit us 

on an Open Morning. To reserve a place or to book an 

individual visit, please email registrar@mayfieldgirls.org. 

We look forward to welcoming you. 

FACILITIES INCLUDE 

• Equestrian Centre on-site with facilities for 

up to 28 horses 

• Olympic sized indoor and outdoor sand schools 

• Heated indoor swimming pool 

• Tennis Academy 

• Fitness Suite and Dance Studio 

• Concert Hall 

• State-of-the-art Sixth Form Centre 

• Weekly bus service to and from Central London 

• Close proximity to London airports 

TO ARRANGE A VISIT PLEASE CONTACT 

OUR REGISTRAR, MRS SHIRLEY COPPARD, 

REGISTRAR@MAYFIELDGIRLS.ORG 

WWW.MAYFIELDGIRLS.ORG 

EDITORIAL GRID.indd 7 24/01/2020 15:19 

19/12/2019 14:12

CONTENTS 

83 

71 

ON THE COVER 

41 WELLNESS MATTERS 

We catch up with Chinese Medicine practitioner 

Katie Brindle on boosting circulation and 

managing stress 

72 COMFORT FOOD 

Dishes to give you a hug, but also tick lots of 

nutritional boxes 

83 INTERIORS 

Creating a modern Victorian style plus giving 

the home a big spring interior overhaul 

106 

4 EPICURE | Early Spring 2020 



SOUTH EAST 

72 

24 EDUCATION 

Why it is never too early to think about 

careers education 

HEALTH & STYLE 

37 LIVE WELL IN 2020 

Our guide to inner/outer wellbeing, 

including fitness and diet 

41 

47 S/S 20 TRENDS 

The key trends for the spring that need to 

be on your fashion radar 

THE BEST OF THE REST 

51 WINE 

Why we are ditching Dry January for a damp one 

by hosting our own tasting parties 

110 STYLISH STAYS 

Three glorious English staycations - two 

London breaks and a coastal stay 

06 

110 

119 MAN ON THE MOVE 

Our roving reporter Dan investigates 

dog-friendly pubs, new sound technology and 

London's best chicken wings 

EPICURE | Early Spring 2020 5 


GOING DOTTY 

I've always been a big polkadot 

fan, so the fact they're a big trend 

this spring is a bonus! Top of my list 

is this fabulous ruffled maxi dress 

from Rat & Boa and this amazing 

tie top from Adriana Degreas 

THAT SOUND 

PUBLISHING EDITOR: 

KATIE THOMSON 

katie@epicuremag.uk 

EDITOR’S 

PICKS 

Before Dan, our Man on 

the Move, ferreted them 

away, I got to have a play 

with these nuraphones. 

They are INCREDIBLE. 

They measure your ear's 

responses to sound and 

tailor their output to best 

suit your hearing. Each person 

will hear the music differently and perfectly. 

Honestly, try them now! nuraphone.com 

MEET THE 

EPICUREANS 

A NOTE FROM THE 

EDITOR 

Wellness, self care, inner radiance... a whole world 

of wellbeing has opened up around us and 

tribes have formed - either you are fed up of 

pill-pedaling Western medicine and are looking 

for more holistic ways to transform your health...or you think this is a snowflakegeneration 

hippy-dippy load of nonsense. Well, if you're in the latter camp, I hope 

this issue can go some way to convince you otherwise. 

Now, I'm no saint. I can be half-hearted about a lot of the things I adopt (oil-pulling 

lasted all of a week, as did morning yoga practice), but some things have stuck, and 

that's the key to wellness - not to put yourself out on a limb and cramming more into an 

already packed schedule, but finding small, positive changes that can become habitual. 

This month I've been reading The Realist's Guide to Sugar Free by the hilarious Sherri 

Nicholds - I'm not proud to say that I was reading it whilst munching on a slab of 

Dairy Milk, but the message really got me thinking and whilst I might be kicking 

the can down the road as to when I'll start, more and more it seems reducing sugar 

really is the big lifestyle decision for anyone that truly cares about their health. I'm no 

expert though, so I'm having to put aside all of my impulsive tendencies (which you 

might have gathered from the aforementioned chocolate incident) to really research 

this and come up with a solution for me. I think that's at the heart of true wellbeing. 

I hope that whereever you are on your wellbeing journey, or not, this issue is enjoyable 

and informative. We will see you again just before Easter! 

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: 

OSCAR WILLIAMSON 

01225 308104 | oscar@epicuremag.uk 

PRE-PRESS MANAGER: 

KATE O’CONNELL 

CONTRIBUTORS: 

SALLY THOMSON, LUCY SAUNDERS, DANIEL 

WESTON, SUE COOKE, DARREN WILLMOTT, 

LOUISE THOMSON, BEN BOX 

Cover image: Outfit from Lipsy 

EPICURE Magazine is published by Minerva 

Publications. Registered Office: County Gate, County 

Way, Trowbridge BA14 7FJ. Printed on sustainably 

sourced paper. Please recycle this copy or pass it along 

when you are finished. ISSN: 2632-4938 

epicuremagazine.co.uk 

Katie Thomson, PUBLISHING EDITOR 

INSTAGRAM @epicure.magazine / @katietravel 

Subscribe to EPICURE for just £19 for six issues - plus get a free Ettinger Leather Luggage tag 

worth £45 - hurry, only 10 left to redeem. 

Visit epicuremagazine.co.uk/subscribe 

The publishers shall not be held liable for any loss occasioned by failure of an advertisement to appear, or 

any damage or inconvenience caused by errors, omissions and misprints. No part of this publication may be 

reproduced without prior permission from the publishers. The opinions expressed within are not necessarily 

those of the publishers. 

By submitting material to EPICURE magazine, Minerva Publications is automatically granted the royalty-free, 

perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use, reproduce, edit, distribute and display such material, in whole 

or in part, and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later 

developed for the full term of any rights that may exist in such content. The contributor agrees not to submit 

material where they do not own the copyright or do not have the necessary licenses or approval from the 

owner. Prices and details of products, services and events are believed to be correct at the time of print but 

may be subject to change. 




EPICURE home 



EVENTS 

GUIDE 


Spring is thankfully just around the corner, the days will be 

getting longer and with Valentine’s Day, Mothering Sunday 

and Easter to enjoy - it’s time to treat your loved ones to some 

exciting entertainment. 

LONDON PALLADIUM 

Argyll Street, London W1F 7TF 

0207 492 0834 | www.lwtheatres.co.uk 

THE MUSICAL BOX - A GENESIS 

EXTRAVAGANZA PART 11 

Wednesday 19 February 

As the only band ever licensed and supported by Genesis 

and Peter Gabriel, The Musical Box, presents a new, never 

performed show featuring fantastic music. 

With a few added surprised thrown in for good measure, it’s a 

performance that any Genesis fan will not want to miss. 

DOMINION THEATRE 

Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7AQ 

0207 492 0834 | www.nederlander.co.uk/dominion-theatre 

THE PRINCE OF EGYPT 

Wednesday 5 February - Saturday 12 September 

Experience the epic emotion and soaring music of The Prince 

of Egypt, the extraordinary new musical from three-time 

Academy Award®-winner Stephen Schwartz and writer Philip 

LaZebnik. 

Journey through the wonders of Ancient Egypt as two young 

men, raised together as brothers in a kingdom of privilege, 

find themselves suddenly divided by a secret past. One must 

rule as Pharaoh, the other must rise up and free his true 

people; both face a destiny that will change history forever. 

The Prince of Egypt is an exhilarating, powerful and joyous 

celebration of belief and the human spirit. 

THE PEACOCK THEATRE 

Portugal Street, London WC2A 2HT 

020 7863 8222 | www.peacocktheatre.com 

Whilst every effort has been made to check 

the accuracy of these listings, please make 

contact with the venue prior to visiting to 

check arrangements or details 

ALJAZ SKORJANEC & JANETTE MANRARA 

REMEMBERING THE OSCARS 

Monday 30 March - Saturday 4 April 

Star’s of Strictly, Aljaž and Janette, are Wishing on a Star, 

Swinging On A Star, and dancing in the City of Stars, for their 

brand new dance spectacular, Remembering the Oscars. 

In a celebration of musical movie magic, the couple brings 

together amazing dancers, stunning stage designs and a 

dazzling LED display, as they dance to songs from Academy 

Award-winners Lady Gaga, Adele and Barbra Streisand, 

legendary songwriters Burt Bacharach, John Barry and Irving 

Berlin, and other Oscar-winning icons. 



EPICURE events 

Discover - Learn - Have Fun 

Winter Season Opening hours: 11th January – 14th February – 10am to 4pm 

Main Season Opening hours: 15th Feb 2020 - 10am – 4:30pm 

www.amberleymuseum.co.uk 

New Barn Road, Amberley, Arundel, 

West Sussex, BN18 9LT 

01798 831370 

office@amberleymuseum.co.uk 

THE WEY GALLERY 

Visit us at the Surrey 

Contemporary Art Fair 

13 th - 15 th March 

(Sandown Park Racecourse, 

Esher, KT10 9AJ) 

Call gallery for tickets 

44 Bridge Street, Godalming, 

Surrey, GU7 1HL 

T: 01483 418013 

E: info@theweygallery.com 

www.theweygallery.com 




GREENWICH THEATRE 

Crooms Hill, London SE10 8ES 

020 7863 8222 | www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk 

THE NAUGHTY FOX 

Sunday 8 March, 2pm & 4pm 

Snuggle up with comfy creatures: Honk, Splash and TaWit 

TaWoo as they teach The Naughty Fox a very important 

lesson: it’s better to share. Feel your way through the 

immersive, multisensory journey of friendship and play 

for little ones and their grown-ups. 

Experience a world of puppetry,music, light projection 

and bountiful energy as our two storytellers bring magic 

to household objects. 

HACKNEY EMPIRE 

291 Mare Street, London E8 1EJ 

020 8985 2424 | www.hackneyempire.co.uk 

COSI FAN TUTTE 

Sunday 29 February & Friday 6 March 7.30pm 

Mozart’s combination of glorious music and farcical 

comedy make Così Fan Tutte an enduring favourite, 

a story of young love and fidelity. It is in many ways 

Mozart’s most perfect opera, and was his third 

collaboration with librettist Da Ponte, following their 

successes with The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni. 

CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE 

Oaklands Park, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 6AP 

Bookings can be made by visiting www.cft.org.uk 

THE BEAR 

Thursday 13, 2pm & Friday 14 February, 10.30am & 2pm 

One night when she’s fast asleep, Tilly is visited by an 

enormous bear. It has a big black tongue and a yawn as 

big as your head. But Tilly’s not scared. The story of a little 

girl who befriends a mischievous polar bear, this playful, 

funny and heart-warming tale is one of imagination and 

growing up. With dazzling puppetry, delicious music and 

dozens of laughs, The Bear is an unforgettable experience 

for the whole family. Minerva Theatre 

BBC CONCERT ORCHESTRA FAMILY 

CONCERT 

Sunday 16 February, 4pm 

Young composer Emily Presto needs you! Your mission 

is to help her write a brand new piece of music for the 

orchestra and then be part of the performance - in just 

one hour! Along the way you’ll meet some terrifying 

trolls, explore space, and dance with cowboys. 

So join us for an exciting musical adventure for all the 

family. Conducted by David McCallum with actor Lucy 

Wells (Emily). Festival Theatre 




ASSEMBLY HALL THEATRE 

Crescent Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells TN1 2LU 

01892 530613 | www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk 

JIMMY CARR 

Wednesday 26 February, 8pm 

One of the best-loved comedians in the world, Jimmy 

Carr announces his brand-new tour Terribly Funny. 

Terrible Funny contains jokes about all kinds of terrible 

things. Terrible things that might have affected you or 

people you know and love. But they’re just jokes - they are 

not the terrible things. Jokes are little lies. Nothing more 

than wonderful, funny, joyful tricks, constructed from 

language. 

RHS WISLEY 

Wisley, Woking GU23 6QB 

01483 224234 | www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley 

FEBRUARY HALF TERM - WHATEVER THE 

WEATHER 

Saturday 15 February - Sunday 23 February, 10.30am - 

3.30pm 

Youngsters can enjoy a range of fun all-weather activities 

including a chance to make sun catchers and wind socks 

during half term and discover more about the wild 

weather of the UK on a daily garden trail. 

SPRING PLANT FAIR 

Friday 20 March - Sunday 22, 9.30am - 4.30pm 

Meet the growers and choose quality plants from more 

than 30 specialist nurseries at the RHS Garden Wisley 

Spring Plant Fair. Plants on sale include many with an 

RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM). 

EARLY DAFFODIL COMPETITION 

Tuesday 24 March - Wednesday 25, 10am - 4pm 

Focusing on miniature daffodils, this is the chance to 

view these delightful spring flowers in the shelter of the 

Glasshouse. The competition is free to enter and open to 

all, for further details please contact georginabarter@rhs. 

org.uk. 

WINTER WALK 

Daily to 31 March 

The Winter Walk offers a fantastic assortment of plants 

chosen for their winter colour, shape, structure and scent. 

Wrap up warm and follow the hard-surfaced pathways to 

discover what makes these winter gardens extra special. 

Colourful stems of different dogwoods and willows create 

a rainbow of colours, which look especially spectacular on 

a sunny day. The bright red stems of Cornus alba Baton 

Rouge (‘Minbat’) are truly eye-catching, whereas the 

white, wiry stems of brambles look quite ghostly. 




McALLISTER THOMAS 

Discover the finest collection of luxury holiday 

homes in Northumberland. 

Visit our website to find out more. 

www.coquetcottages.co.uk 

EWA ADAMS 

made at 

Osterley Park 

A place to call 

your own, 

© National Trust 2020. Registered charity, No. 205846. © National Trust Images\John Millar 

McALLISTER THOMAS 

117 High Street 

Godalming 

Surrey GU7 1AQ 

T: 01483 860591 

www.mcallisterthomasfineart.co.uk 

Visit Osterley this 

year for beautiful 

vistas, iconic 

architecture and 

relaxing gardens 

These are the places that make us. 

nationaltrust.org.uk/osterley 


McAllister Thomas Half Page Epicure.indd 1 09/01/2020 12:13 



LOVE WINE GUILDFORD 

Guildford Harbour Hotel, High Street, Guildford 

www.lovewinefest.co.uk 

Saturday 21 March, 1pm - 8pm 

Surrey’s one-day festival for wine lovers - Love Wine 

Guildford is back! It’s all you need to love wine under 

one roof! Come and share your love with our amazing 

exhibitors, who’ll bring their wine (and fizz, gin and 

more). They’ll bring the drinks and the stories, you just 

need to bring your friends! 

MARYLEBONE FOOD FESTIVAL 

www.marylebonefoodfestival.com 

Tuesday 21 - Sunday 26 April 

Kicking off with a headline dinner hosted by awardwinning 

writer, journalist and broadcaster, Jay Rayner, 

Marylebone’s best restaurants, bars and food and drink 

boutiques will open their doors for one-off dinners, 

masterclasses, supper clubs, and exceptional menus in 

support of The Food Chain charity. Marylebone Food 

Festival returns with a packed and eclectic line-up. A 

dinner collectively cooked and executed by some of 

Marylebone’s best chefs from the likes of Jikoni, Lurra, 

Ooty, Caldesi in Marylebone, La Fromagerie and A.O.K 

Kitchen on Tuesday 21 April will be followed by dozens 

of fun, culinary events across the neighbourhood. Host, 

Jay Rayner and his jazz band, The Jay Rayner Quartet will 

entertain 120 ticket holders for drinks and canapés before 

the guests sit down for eight courses, each cooked by one 

of Marylebone’s talented chefs. 

EAT & DRINK FESTIVAL 

Olympia, London W14 8UX 

020 7385 1200 | www.eatanddrinkfestival.com 

27 March - 13 April 

The UK’s favourite indoor food festival- celebrating 

the best in modern cuisine, mixology and independent 

produce all under one roof. The show will not disappoint, 

you are sure to leave with new foodie ideas, inspiration 

and a taste for food you never thought you had. 

WINKWORTH ARBORETUM 

Godalming GU8 4AD 

01483 208477 | www.nationaltrust.org.uk/winkwortharboretum 

PERFECT PLACES WALK 

From now to Friday 28 February, 10am - 4pm 

Reflect, recharge and take some time for yourself. 

This event is free, but normal admission charges apply for 

the venue. Dogs on leads are welcome. 



V 

01483 802280 

WELLERS 

of GUILDFORD 

Auction House 

LIKE IT, BID FOR IT, WIN IT! 

• General Auctions Every Monday 

• Monthly Jewellery & Collectable Auctions 

• Hold Off-Site Farm and Architectural Auctions 

throughout the year 

• Viewing for General Auction 

Saturday 9:30am - 12:30pm 

• Live and Internet Bidding Available 

• Free Valuations Available 

• No Obligation to Enter Valued Items 

Bid online at www.wellersofguildford.com 

01483 802280 

guildford@wellersofguildford.com 

Wellers of Guildford, Bedford Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4SJ 

i 



EPICURE property 

Two-bedroom show apartment at 1887 The Pantiles 

PROMOTION 

INSPIRED BY THE PAST, 

DESIGNED FOR THE FUTURE 

DANDARA’S LONG-AWAITED DEVELOPMENT AT THE PANTILES, 

DANDARA’S LONG-AWAITED DEVELOPMENT AT THE PANTILES, 

ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT IS NOW ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS. 

ROYAL TUNBRIDGE WELLS, KENT IS NOW ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS. 

During the 18th century, famous and fashionable 

During 

Georgians 

the 18th 

flocked 

century, 

to Royal 

famous 

Tunbridge 

and fashionable 

Wells to sample 

Georgians the invigorating flocked effects to Royal of the Tunbridge town’s iron-rich Wells to waters, sample 

the facilitated invigorating by the effects “Dippers” of the – town’s ladies iron-rich who dipped waters, a glass 

facilitated into The by Pantiles the “Dippers” famous Chalybeate – ladies who Spring dipped for a visitors glass to 

into “take The the Pantiles waters”. famous Chalybeate Spring for visitors to 

“take the waters”. 

Today, you can also “dip in” to The Pantiles and view 

Today, details you of Dandara’s can also “dip much in” anticipated to The Pantiles collection and view of 

details exclusive of Dandara’s apartments much and mews anticipated homes, collection at their stunning of 

exclusive new 1887 apartments Marketing and Suite mews in the homes, historic at their heart stunning of Royal 

new Tunbridge 1887 Marketing Wells. Suite in the historic heart of Royal 

Tunbridge Wells. 

Inspired by the past and designed for the future, 

Inspired 1887 The by the Pantiles past is and a multi-award-winning designed for the future, collection 

1887 of new The one, Pantiles two and is a three-bedroom multi-award-winning apartments collection and 

of two-bedroom new one, mews and three-bedroom homes at the south apartments western and end of 

two-bedroom The Pantiles. mews homes at the south western end of 

The Pantiles. 

Visitors to the 1887 Marketing Suite now have the 

Visitors opportunity to the to 1887 view Marketing the exquisite Suite two-bedroom now have the show 

opportunity apartment to and view experience the exquisite the high two-bedroom standards of show design, 

apartment finish and and specification experience Dandara the high is standards recognised of for. design, 

finish and specification Dandara is recognised for. 

With elegant architecture that complements its historic 

With setting, elegant 1887 architecture The Pantiles that is designed complements for 21st its century historic 

setting, living 1887 and many The Pantiles of its apartments is designed offer for far 21st reaching century views 

living from and their many terraces of its and apartments balconies. offer far reaching views 

from 

Conveniently 

their terraces 

located 

and 

for 

balconies. 

all the best shopping and 

Conveniently socialising Tunbridge located for Wells all the can best offer, shopping this landmark 

socialising development Tunbridge is only a Wells few minutes’ can offer, walk this from landmark Tunbridge 

development Wells station is with only direct a few services minutes’ to walk London from Bridge Tunbridge in 

Wells just 44 station minutes, with making direct services it ideal to for London Bridge and City in 

just commuters. 44 minutes, making it ideal for London and City 

commuters. 


Royal Tunbridge Wells’ thriving cultural scene also offers 

Royal 

an eclectic 

Tunbridge 

combination 

Wells’ thriving 

of events 

cultural 

and activities 

scene also 

rarely 

offers 

an found eclectic outside combination major cities of – events including and fortnightly activities rarely artisan 

found food and outside craft major markets cities and – the including famous fortnightly annual jazz artisan festival 

food – all and with craft the added markets bonus and of the the famous peaceful annual countryside jazz festival on 

– the all doorstep. with the added bonus of the peaceful countryside on 

the doorstep. 

Louise Norman, Dandara’s Head of Sales and Marketing, 

Louise said: “With Norman, 1887 Dandara’s The Pantiles Head our of ambition Sales and was Marketing, to create 

said: homes “With which 1887 offer The customers Pantiles the our style, ambition comfort was and to create 

homes quality which they deserve offer customers in an unsurpassed the style, location. comfort and 

quality they deserve in an unsurpassed location. 

We have already taken reservations from eager purchasers 

We who have were already keen to taken secure reservations their new home from at eager the historic purchasers 

who Pantiles, were and keen we to look secure forward their to new welcoming home at new the historic visitors 

Pantiles, to our Sales and & we Marketing look forward Suite to and welcoming show apartment.” new visitors 

to our Sales & Marketing Suite and show apartment.” 

Reservations are now being accepted for 1887 The 

Reservations Pantiles, with are prices now from being £300,000. accepted for 1887 The 

Pantiles, with prices from £300,000. 

The 1887 Marketing Suite is adjacent to the development and located 

The off Linden 1887 Park Marketing Road, Suite along is Sussex adjacent Mews to the adjacent development to and located 

off The Linden Pantiles Park Car Road, Park along and is Sussex open 10.00am Mews adjacent – 5.00pm, to 

The seven-days-a Pantiles Car week. Park Alternatively, and is open telephone 10.00am 01892 – 5.00pm, 726 112 

seven-days-a or visit www.dandara.com week. Alternatively, to find out telephone more. 01892 726 112 

or visit www.dandara.com to find out more. 

1887 The Pantiles Sales & Marketing Suite 

1887 The Pantiles Sales & Marketing Suite 



A stunning development of 1, 2 & 3 bedroom 

luxury apartments and 2 bedroom mews homes 

in the heart of Royal Tunbridge Wells. 

For further details call 01892 726112 

email 1887@dandara.com or visit dandara.com 


EPICURE property 

HOT HOT PROPERTY 

PROPERTY 

Our pick of the best properties in the Home Counties on the market in the £1.1m to £1.3 million bracket 

Our pick Our of the pick best of the properties best properties in the Home in the Counties Home Counties on the market on the in market the £1.1m in the to £1.1m £1.3 million to £1.3 bracket million bracket 

SURREY 

SURREY SURREY 

GRANGE CLOSE, 

GRANGE GRANGE CLOSE, BLETCHINGLEY, CLOSE, SURREY 

BLETCHINGLEY, £1.1m SURREY SURREY 

£1.1m £1.1m BEDROOMS: 5 | BATHROOMS: 4 

BEDROOMS: BEDROOMS: 5 | BATHROOMS: 5 | BATHROOMS: 4 4 

There’s absolutely no surprise that this perfectly 

There’s absolutely There’s absolutely no 

proportioned 

surprise no that surprise home 

this 

is 

perfectly that only this available perfectly to buy now for 

proportioned proportioned home 

the 

is 

first 

only home time 

available is in only 30 available to 

years! 

buy 

With 

now to buy for 

all that now it for has to offer it’s 

the first time the first in 30 time likely 

years! in to 30 With 

suit years! the 

all that With next lucky all has that to 

owners 

offer it has it’s 

for to offer another it’s 30 years 

likely to suit likely the to next suit to come. 

lucky the next The 

owners lucky well-designed 

for owners another for layout 

30 another years 

allows 30 years this house to 

to come. The to come. well-designed 

suit The a well-designed wide 

layout 

range 

allows 

of layout buyers. 

this allows house 

The excellent this to house free to flowing 

suit a wide suit range a wide of 

living/kitchen/dining 

buyers. range of The buyers. excellent The area excellent free 

provides 

flowing free an flowing enviable space 

living/kitchen/dining living/kitchen/dining not 

area 

only 

provides 

perfect area for 

an provides entertaining 

enviable an space enviable friends space and family. 

not only perfect not only for 

www.houndandporter.co.uk 

perfect entertaining for entertaining friends and friends family. and family. 



DORMANS PARK, 

DORMANS DORMANS EAST PARK, GRINSTEAD, PARK, SUSSEX 

EAST EAST GRINSTEAD, £1.175m GRINSTEAD, SUSSEX SUSSEX 

£1.175m £1.175mBEDROOMS: 4 | BATHROOMS: 2 


This detached home was built in the late Victorian 

This detached This detached home 

period 

was home with 

built was adaptable 

in the built late in accommodation 

Victorian the late Victorian planned over 

period with period adaptable with the adaptable ground 

accommodation 

and accommodation first floor. 

planned 

The 

over 

main planned drawing over room is 

the ground the and ground first 

a particular 

floor. and first The floor. feature, 

main The drawing 

where main there 

room drawing is 

is 

a door room to is a veranda 

a particular a particular feature, 

with 

where feature, outstanding 

there where is a 

views there door 

over is to a door veranda 

the lake. to a veranda 

with outstanding with outstanding The 

views 

property 

over views the 

is 

lake. over approached the lake. by a gravel driveway 

The property The property is approached 

which is provides approached by a gravel 

ample by driveway a car gravel parking driveway space and a double 

SUSSEX 

which provides which provides ample 

barn 

car 

style ample parking 

car car port. 

space parking and space a double and a double 

SUSSEX SUSSEX 

barn style barn car port. style www.robertleech.com 

car port. 

www.robertleech.com www.robertleech.com 

SUSSEX 

SUSSEX SUSSEX 

DORMANS PARK, 

DORMANS DORMANS EAST PARK, GRINSTEAD, PARK, SUSSEX 

EAST EAST GRINSTEAD, £1.35m GRINSTEAD, SUSSEX SUSSEX 

£1.35m £1.35mBEDROOMS: 5 | BATHROOMS: 2 


Originally built as one house in the 1890s, the 

Originally Originally built as 

property 

one built house as was one in 

skillfully house the 1890s, in divided the the 1890s, in the the 1950s into 

property property was skillfully 

2 was completely skillfully divided 

self-contained 

in divided the 1950s the into 

residences, 1950s into now each 

2 completely 2 completely self-contained 

with self-contained their own 

residences, 

separate residences, now 

driveways. 

each now This each property 

with their with own their separate 

incorporates own driveways. separate the driveways. original 

This property 

hall This and property staircase together 

incorporates incorporates the original 

with the many 

hall original period 

and staircase hall features and staircase together 

including together high ceilings, 

with many with period many many 

features period with 

including features cornicing, including high 

and 

ceilings, 

panelled high ceilings, doors. 

many with many cornicing, with www.robertleech.com 

cornicing, and panelled and panelled doors. doors. 

www.robertleech.com www.robertleech.com 


EPICURE Early Spring 2020.indd 18 24/01/2020 15:29 

EPICUR 

STIX053

Go beyond luxury 

As soon as you open the door to an Aspire luxury property, you’ll sense you’re 

somewhere special. We build with integrity, refining every single element to 

create homes that are completely breathtaking and utterly unique. 

Your dream home, brought to life by Aspire. 

For more information about our luxury design and build solutions, and to 

book a no obligation meeting with us to discuss your dream build, please 

call us on 01372 621 162, email info@aspireluxuryproperties.com or 

visit www.aspireluxuryproperties.com 

Extraordinary homes for extraordinary people. 

EPICURE Early Festive Spring 2019.indd 2020.indd 65 19 24/01/2020 31/10/2019 15:29 11:58 

STIX053_2410_Aspire_Ad_Epicure_210x280mm_AW.indd 1 24/10/2019 11:34


Seeing 

is believing 

“I was given a tour of the show home and was blown away by the space in the 

living areas. My partner had stayed in the car with the boys, but I knew he needed 

to see this too, so I encouraged him to come in and he was equally astounded’’ 

Ms B, Clock Field resident 

Prices from £465,000 

3, 4 & 5 Bedroom homes in a beautiful Sussex village location, 

yet only 50 minutes into London, and 7 miles from Gatwick. 

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT TODAY, CALL 01342 616105 

Show home open Thursday – Monday, 10am – 5pm 

clockfield.co.uk 


EPICURE Clock Field Early Print Spring Ad Epicure 2020.indd Magazine 20 AW.indd 1 24/01/2020 19/09/2019 15:29 09:07

9 09:07 EPICURE Early Spring 2020.indd 21 24/01/2020 15:29

THAMES 

RETREAT 

LUXURY RESIDENTIAL HOMES 

ON THE RIVER THAMES 

FROM £395,000 

Private boat moorings also available 

Thames Retreat, 141 Chertsey Lane, 

Staines-upon-Thames, Surrey, TW18 3ND 

T: +44 (0)203 985 8875 

M: 07464 731665 

E: info@thamesretreat.com 



HOME FRONT 

How to create “Kerb Appeal” from just £150 

to attract buyers and sell for a top price... 

More than two thirds (68%) of homeowners say kerb 

appeal was important in their choice of home. 

Homeowners have revealed a list of the features 

most important to them in creating a positive first 

impression in the home they wanted to buy. 

In the HomeOwners Alliance survey, of more than 2,000 UK 

adults conducted by YouGov, the most important aspects 

were well-maintained windows and a roof that appeared in 

good condition. A well-maintained front garden, pathways 

and fences were also highlighted as important, in addition to a 

well-painted frontage. 

The HomeOwners Alliance has teamed up with the Federation 

of Master Builders (FMB) to see how much it would cost to 

improve these features in your home. The good news is that 

homeowners can have a tidy front garden from as little as 

£150, while fixing broken tiles on a roof to make it look top 

notch can cost as little as £190. 

Each of the ten features that contribute to kerb appeal can 

be delivered for under £2,830 (based on an average threebedroom 

house) and could be completed within a week by a 

small team of tradespeople. 

The HomeOwners Alliance survey asked homeowners what 

kerb appeal features mattered most to them when they bought 

their home, and found the most important features were as 

follows. This list also gives indicative costs provided by the 

FMB to enhance, fix or deliver these kerb appeal features for 

your home: 

Windows in good condition (71%) 

Cost: The FMB say the cost of repairing and redecorating 

wooden windows that have not been touched for a decade 

would be between £1,000 and £2,000. For upstairs windows, 

scaffolding may be required instead of a ladder and, if so, it 

typically costs £400 a day to rent. 

A roof that appears in good condition (68%) 

Cost: The FMB say replacing five missing, loose or cracked 

roof tiles would cost around £190 and would take up to one 

day. Scaffolding may be needed. 

A tidy front garden with no weeds and trimmed hedges (67%) 

Cost: The FMB say the cost of tidying an overgrown front 

garden would be around £150 for a day’s work. 

A well maintained pathway/drive (59%) 

Cost: The FMB say repairing and improving the pathway or 

drive up to the house could typically cost between £100 and 

£500 depending on the extent of the damage and the surface. 

Well-maintained fences and walls (56%) 

Cost: The FMB say repainting a fence costs about £90 per 

panel (including labour) while building a new fence could cost 

up to £1500, depending on the materials used. 

A well-decorated exterior (54%) 

Cost: The FMB estimates it would cost around £550 to repaint 

the front of a house. Scaffolding may be needed. 

A well-maintained and attractive front door (52%) 

Cost: Redecorating a front door would typically cost £200, 

according to the FMB. 

Clear, functioning gutters (50%) 

Cost: The FMB say clearing and repairing gutters would cost 

around £250. Scaffolding may be needed. 

Hidden wheelie bins (36%) 

Cost: A natural willow wheelie bin screen storage costs as little 

as £49.99. 

A well-lit house (26%) 

Cost: The FMB say adding an exterior light to the house can 

cost between £250 and £750 and should be completed by a 

qualified electrician. 

Paula Higgins, Chief Executive of the HomeOwners Alliance, 

says: “Kerb appeal creates a lasting first impression – most 

buyers make up their minds in the first few minutes of arriving 

at a property. So if you’re about to put your home on the market 

this autumn or your house has been on sale for a while, it’s 

worth going through this list and seeing what improvements you 

can make.” 

For more great free advice please visit the HomeOwners 

Alliance website: 

www.hoa.org.uk 



EPICURE education 

THE IMPORTANCE OF 

PREPARING STUDENTS 

FOR THE WORKPLACE 

Dr Joseph Spence, head of Dulwich College, discusses the 

value careers-based workshops can bring to independent 

schools and their state school partners... 

Careers education is an important element of a school’s 

provision, and a service one cannot introduce to pupils 

too early. Prospective parents, even of 11‐year‐olds, 

are asking far more questions than they used to about 

how we are preparing children for the workplace of the 

future. This is inevitable given all of the rhetoric about the 

percentage of jobs not yet created into which our pupils will 

move, and the fact that they will likely have multiple careers, 

possibly across many countries or continents, over the course 

of long working lives. 

Networking events focused on particular professions or 

industries have proven immensely popular. These bring 

together former pupils and current and past parents, 

alongside pupils from both independent and state schools. 

However, it is also useful to look for ways older pupils can 

deliver light‐touch advice to their younger peers at partner 

schools. As co‐director of the Southwark Schools Learning 

Partnership, I have been delighted in recent years to be able 

to encourage a hub of careers advisers from a good number 

of our 16 schools (12 state schools and four independent 

schools) to share best practice between schools and across 

the sectors. 

Last June, a group of Year 10 students from City Heights E‐ 

ACT Academy in South East London had a careers workshop 

with our careers adviser at Dulwich College, and a group 

of the College’s Year 12 students. The workshop introduced 

the UCAS process with a short ‘true or false’ activity, with 

students from both schools working in teams to decide on 

the veracity of various statements. The statements included 

the number of applicants to university through UCAS, World 

University Rankings, average graduate salaries and deciding 

what degree courses some famous people had taken. 

The Year 10 City Heights students were given a brief 

overview of the UCAS applications process and the Year 12 

students explained what A‐levels they were doing and the 

different courses and universities they were planning to apply 

to. The City Heights pupils were introduced to course and 

career options they had not previously considered, while the 

Dulwich College pupils said it really helped them to clarify 

their own plans by having to articulate them for younger 

pupils. 

The next activity consisted of a wide‐ranging discussion 

of the likely nature of jobs in the future that haven’t been 

created yet. Students were also advised about courses and 

careers on to which one could move later, e.g. becoming 

a solicitor or barrister via a post‐graduate law conversion 

course. 

The final part of the workshop consisted of a question and 

answer session, much of which focused on what subjects 

were needed for certain careers. This also gave the Dulwich 

students and their careers adviser the opportunity to talk 

about the importance of engaging in co‐curricular activities 

that might support a career aspiration, such as volunteering 

in a hospital or care home for healthcare related careers. 

There was a time when the only careers advice the head of 

an independent school needed to offer sixth formers was 

on how to write a personal statement. Those days are long 

gone. Whether explicitly or implicitly, the new order is that 

everything we do with our students has some bearing on 

preparing them for the fast-changing workplace. The jobs 

they will go into may be newly minted or newly branded, but 

the skills and aptitudes they will require to succeed in them 

are, in fact, those which have always been needed in the 

world of work: the ability to lead on a project, to work in a 

team, to communicate clearly and the ability to think outside 

the box. 

All this they learn in their representation of the school 

on its sport field, in the joining of musical and theatrical 

ensembles, in their community projects and charitable 

fundraising and in their adventurous activities. We are all 

careers educators now – but explicit, nuanced careers advice 

delivered by those who work hard to keep up to speed with 

changes in the major (and new) professions, is still absolutely 

essential. 




GRE T 

DON’T 

THINK 

ALIKE 

Learners Today, Leaders Tomorrow 

Situated in the heart of Surrey 

with a wide range of transport 

options serving the area. 

School at Work Day 

Tue 11th February 2020, 11am - 12.15pm 

Open Morning 

Sat 14th March 2020, 10.15am - 12pm 

School At Work Day 

Wed 6th May 2020, 11am - 12.15pm 

Open Evening 

Thurs 11th June 2020, 6.15pm - 8pm 

For all 2020 open events please visit our website 

Scholarships available for Year 7, Year 9 and Sixth Form 

At Box Hill School, we understand all students are individuals and approach learning in 

different ways. Our holistic approach to education develops our children’s intellectual, 

social, physical and artistic talents. 

It encourages them to explore a path of self discovery thus stimulating the unique 

abilities within each child to achieve success. 

DAY, WEEKLY & FULL BOARDING 

Box Hill School | London Road | Mickleham 

Dorking | +44 (0)1372 373382 

boxhillschool.com 

Geographer 

Actor 

Sailor 

GRACE, AGE 12 

Millfield and Millfield Prep’s next 

Open Day is on Saturday 29 February 

millfieldschool.com/mymillfield 

Millfield_Epicure_Dec2019_172x117_Grace.indd 1 12/12/2019 09:52 




EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 

Downside School, based in Stratton-on-the-Fosse near 

Bath, represented the UK at the Asia-Europe Foundation 

Conference in December in Tokyo. 1,700 schools from 

across Asia, Europe and Oceania applied for a chance 

to present at the policy-making event, which focussed on 

Educational Sustainable Development (ESD) and the use of 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the classroom. 

The conference was attended by 51 countries in Asia, Europe 

and Oceania, as well as businesses, professionals and experts 

in the field of education and more specifically, technology in 

education. The event involved round-table discussions with 

representatives from the Japanese government, NGOs and 

other charities, looking at how Japan is implementing the 17 

sustainable development goals set down by the UN, and how we, 

as educators, can shape the future and empower young people 

to make sustainable choices. The three pillars of sustainable 

development are environmental, economic and social, and they 

underpin the strategy to change the mind-set of the human race 

and our impact on our world. 

The goals for the conference were to expose teachers to ESD 

and AI. A key aspect was to gauge educators’ readiness on these 

subjects, and to explore the developing role of the teacher in this 

new age of digital technology and AI in the classroom. 

During the conference, Downside Deputy Head Mike 

Randall, along with Alex Wright from ScienceScope, the 

school’s education tech partner, presented their exciting new 

collaborations project which aims to bring the Internet of 

Things (IoT) and ‘big data’ into classroom. The project will lead 

best practice in over 20 schools in Asia, Europe and Oceania, 

and to empower young people to be creative in dealing with 

real world issues, using ‘big data’ to make better informed 

decisions. For example, one aspect of the project involves 

the use of weather stations connected to the internet across 

the globe gathering data in real time to use in the classroom. 

Students will be able to track the progress of hurricanes 

or typhoons across countries, to see what is happening to 

global temperatures as well as using other sensors to monitor 

ecosystems and human effects on them. 

To find out more about ScienceScope, please visit 

www.sciencescope.uk. 

To find out more about Downside you are most welcome to come 

our next Open Mornings on 7th March and 16th May 2020. 

Alternatively, you can arrange a private visit on a day to suit you: 

+44(0)1761 235103 / admissions@downside.co.uk 

www.downside.co.uk 

WANT TO EXPLORE THE WORLD? 

YOU HAVE ENDLESS 

OPPORTUNITIES 

We give you the strength to discover 

OPEN MORNINGS: Sat 7th March & Sat 16th May 

WWW.DOWNSIDE.CO.UK 





TALKING HEADS 

WE MEET SOME LOCAL 

HEAD TEACHERS 

MAYFIELD 

SCHOOL 

Antonia Beary has been the 

Headmistress of Mayfield 

School since September 2008. 

She was educated in the state 

sector before reading English at 

Trinity College, Cambridge. 

How would you sum up the 

ethos of the school? 

At Mayfield we believe in 

nurturing the unique talents 

and promise of each individual girl, supporting and guiding 

her to achieve her full potential in everything she does. Our 

motto, Actions Not Words, inspired by our founder Cornelia 

Connelly and rooted in our Catholic foundation, encourages 

initiative, personal and social responsibility, and a commitment 

to make a positive difference. Every girl is accepted for who she 

is and is encouraged to be the best she can be. We have a vibrant 

and supportive community, with a strong boarding tradition, 

welcoming girls from all backgrounds, and we value the 

importance of cultural, spiritual and physical enrichment. Our 

ethos is one in which we educate mind, body, heart and soul. 

A single sex environment typically allows students to flourish 

in subjects they might ordinarily shy away from – is that the 

case at Mayfield? 

Yes, as specialists in girls’ education, we have the expertise to 

focus our teaching methods in ways that inspire and capture 

the girls' interest and understanding, and this is undoubtedly 

reflected in the popularity of mathematics and the sciences. 

We challenge gender stereotypes and nurture creativity in 

everything we do, inside and outside the classroom. It is a myth 

that the sciences and the arts are mutually exclusive. To be 

successful as a scientist, you need to be creative and innovative, 

and to be a successful artist, actor or musician, you need 

discipline, logic and focus. 

Does boarding help to enhance the lives of students? 

Boarding houses today offer plenty of home comforts, and with 

increasingly sophisticated technology, pupils can remain in 

close contact with home. At Mayfield we offer weekly and flexi 

options as well as full boarding, and we have a large number of 

local girls who choose to board. We have extensive grounds, and 

our pupils benefit from a range of sports and outdoor activities 

in school and the surrounding countryside. Working hard and 

playing hard is easy! 

BOX HILL 

SCHOOL 

Mr Cory Lowde is Box 

Hill School’s fourth 

Headmaster and was 

appointed in 2014 from 

his position as Deputy 

Head. He joined the 

School in 2010 and prior 

to this, Mr Lowde was the 

Deputy Headmaster of the 

British School of Boston, 

Massachusetts, USA. 

What attracted you to your school? 

An education at Box Hill School is a holistic experience. 

Academic grades seem to obsess the press but we believe 

that they are an outcome of good character, which is 

our primary focus. I love that. I quote an old Victorian 

Headmaster and say that a Boxhillian should be ‘useful at 

a dance and indispensable in a shipwreck’! 

How would you describe the ethos of the school? 

For nearly 60 years, we have followed the principles of 

Kurt Hahn, who famously said that “there is more in us 

than we know. If we could be made to see it, perhaps, 

for the rest of our lives we will be unwilling to settle for 

less.” As a founder member of the Round Square family 

of schools, we promote international understanding, 

democracy, a care for the world around us, a sense of 

adventure and the qualities of leadership and service. 

We see excellent academic results as an outcome of this 

and we are determined that all pupils should reach their 

maximum potential in all that they do. 

In an increasingly globalised world, what skills do you 

think Round Square equip students with? 

Our value added education means we prepare our students 

for life. We focus on the development of character and 

define success through personal growth. Our students are 

encouraged to be sensible risk takers, to be kind, resilient 

and have courage, the combination of these make our 

children successful in an ever changing world. 

What makes you most proud of your pupils? 

Their energy, enthusiasm, compassion and belief that they 

can and will make a difference. They are fun and delightful 

to be around – most definitely our best ambassadors! 



Farr Sc

OPEN MORNING 

Thursday 5th March 2020, 

9.15 -11.00 

Creating a culture of high expectations 

A leading independent co-educational day and boarding school offering 

high academic standards, excellent pastoral care and a wide extra-curricular 

programme within a supportive Christian environment. 

Co-education: Juniors 3–11, Seniors 11–16, Sixth Form 16-18 

Perry Street, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6LR 

T: 020 8467 0256 

www.farringtons.org.uk 

EPICURE Farr Sch Open Early 2019-20_280x210.indd Spring 2020.indd 29 1 24/01/2020 22/01/2020 15:29 16:45


MEET THE HEAD 

Education is a hot topic and seems to have been 

so for a long time, with arguments being batted 

back and forth so it was good to get ‘a view from 

the coal face’ when we spoke to Mark Hammond, 

headmaster from the delightfully named Skippers 

Hill School... 

What makes you smile every day? 

It may be predictable but I am afraid the only answer to this 

question is of course the children. I am privileged to serve 

a warm, friendly community where relationships between 

parents, pupils and staff are highly valued and so it is a 

genuine pleasure every morning to stand outside the school 

at drop-off and welcome the children in with a handshake to 

start their day. 

It can sometimes seem that we are becoming more and 

more protective of our children, and muddy knees and den 

building seem to be a thing of the past – what do you think? 

It is certainly the case that parents feel greater pressure these 

days to be protective but there is also a healthy recognition 

among my parent community that a broad education makes 

all the difference. Parents are increasingly supportive of the 

need to build resilience and a healthy growth mindset in 

their children, even if it can be challenging to see their child 

struggling with a particular problem or obstacle. 

At a time when children’s online lives and social media 

pressures present unprecedented challenges, the importance 

of sport, performing arts and outdoor pursuits has never 

been greater. These are fields where you cannot hide from 

competition and the inevitable risk of failing - so vital in 

building strength of character. Working as part of a team, 

being outdoors, climbing a tree and getting muddy have 

timeless value and we are very lucky at Skippers to be able to 

integrate all of this into our curriculum. 

And finally, what would you like your pupils to say about 

you when they are your age? 

Irrespective of what they say about me, I trust that all the 

children that come through Skippers will look back on 

their time at Prep School and remember the woodlands, 

the sport, the friends they made and enjoy a passion for 

learning throughout their life. If I have done my job well, 

they will see their time at Skippers as a happy period in 

their life which provided them with the opportunity to 

understand who they are and what they can contribute to 

their communities, as well as getting stuck into everything 

that life offers! 

For boys and girls aged 2 to 13 

Come along to our Whole School Open Morning Saturday 7 March 2020, 10am-12pm 

For full details and to book your place, visit: 

www.skippershill.com/visit 

☎ 01825 830 234 www.skippershill.com 

Five Ashes, Mayfield, East Sussex, TN20 6HR 




SCHOOL 

report 

IMPORTANT UPDATES FROM 

LOCAL SCHOOLS 

ST HILARY'S MAKES STRIDES TOWARD 

BECOMING FULLY CO-EDUCATIONAL 

St Hilary’s Prep School in Godalming has had many good 

reasons to celebrate in the past year, from successfully starting 

their transition to becoming fully co-educational, to their 

many awards and achievements. The school is going from 

strength to strength. 

Plans to become fully co-educational by 2022 have been 

successfully implemented as they accept boys into Year 3 for 

the first time. Headmistress Jane Whittingham said, “The boys 

have moved seamlessly from Pre-Prep to Prep and the boys 

and girls are enjoying the ability to continue learning together. 

As a family orientated school, it has been fantastic to see the 

boys integrating so well.” 

The School was recently awarded the full accreditation of the 

International School Award from the British Council, which 

recognises their commitment to embedding international 

awareness and understanding across the school and in 

curriculum teaching. This accreditation was achieved by St 

Hilary’s demonstrating their commitment to international 

education throughout the entire school, involving clear plans 

of activity and impact assessments to develop the quality of 

international education. 

St Hilary’s also recently opened ‘The Hive,’ one of 60 Lego 

Innovation Studios in the UK, with most of the others mainly 

found in Senior schools, colleges and Universities. The 

Hive Studio provides pupils with an opportunity to engage 

in 21st century skills including critical thinking, creativity, 

collaboration and communication, through a hands-on 

learning approach in their STEAM (Science, Technology, 

Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) subjects. St Hilary’s will 

be working with Lego Education over the next three years to 

further develop ‘The Hive’ as a hub for training educators and 

engaging children in the local community. 

FORWARD-THINKING DEVELOPMENTS 

AT GREAT BALLARD SCHOOL 

It is important that schools take a forward-thinking approach 

to education. In an ever-changing world, schools must invest 

in the future and prepare children for jobs that likely do not 

yet exist. As Professor Sir Roy Anderson said “The modern 

workplace needs workers who have broad cognitive skills 

which include being able to solve complex interdisciplinary 

problems, thinking critically about work tasks, communicating 

effectively with people from a range of different cultures, being 

able to collaborate with others, and also being able to adapt to 

rapidly changing environments or conditions.” Senior schools, 

universities and employers are looking not only for evidence of 

academic, sporting, creative learning and achievement but need 

to know about what are often called “soft skills”. By this they 

mean such skills/attributes as communication, collaboration, 

resilience, creativity, curiosity, reflectiveness, and reciprocity. 

With this in mind, Great Ballard has announced some significant 

changes to its educational offerings. In September 2020 the PSB 

qualification will be launched. This is a programme of study 

for children that has at its heart the development of the values, 

skills, attitudes and behaviours to best prepare children to meet 

the challenges of life and flourish in an ever changing world. 

It focuses on the progress a child makes in different areas of 

learning, actively developing and tracking social, leadership and 

teamwork skills. 

In addition to this, from September 2021 the school will be 

broadening its age range to offer education to children aged 

2½-16! This means that the first Year 9 class will walk through 

the school gates to begin their GCSE studies and be the first 

cohort to sit GCSE exams in September 2024. Great Ballard looks 

forward to celebrating their achievements. 

If you’d like to find out more about the exciting developments 

happening at Great Ballard School, their next Open Morning 

is taking place on Saturday 14th March 2020 from 9.30am- 

11.30am. If however you are unable to attend on this date, Great 

Ballard’s doors are always open and a tour with the Headmaster, 

Mr Richard Evans is just a phone call away. 

With new Bursaries and Scholarships available for Year 3 

entry, why not visit the school at one of the upcoming open 

mornings on Friday 28th February or Friday 6th March. 

Please contact the Registrar for more details on 01483 416551. 




TIME TIME TO TO TRUST 

IN IN THE THE FUTURE OF 

PREP SCHOOLS 

It can’t 

It can’t 

be 

be 

easy 

easy 

being 

being 

a prospective 

a prospective 

parent 

parent 

of 

of 

a 

a 

prep 

prep 

school school child. child. If you If you fall fall into into this this category category you you might might 

have have been been forgiven, forgiven, prior prior to to the the December December election, election, 

for for thinking thinking that that there’s there’s not not much much point point as as the the 

whole whole fee fee paying paying independent school school sector sector could could 

have have been been abolished... 

If If the the outcome outcome of the of the election election had had been been different 

don’t don’t underestimate the the independent school sector’s 

determination to fight to fight for for its its existence with with every legal 

pathway pathway being being followed to test to test the the legitimacy of of such a a 

policy. policy. As it As is, it the is, the immediate prospect of of a political a threat 

has has greatly greatly subsided subsided and and the the sector sector has has the the breathing space to to 

make make its case its case more more forcefully forcefully that that we we have have a right a right to to exist exist and and 

parents parents should should be presented be presented with with options options for for the the education 

of their of their children. children. It is It for is for parents parents to to choose choose the the school school which which 

is best is best suited suited to their to their child’s child’s needs, needs, aspirations aspirations and and talents. talents. 

In the 

In the 

meantime, 

meantime, 

there 

there 

is every 

is every 

reason 

reason 

to 

to 

have 

have 

confidence 

confidence 

in prep schools and their future. IAPS (the Independent 

in prep schools and their future. IAPS (the Independent 

Association of Prep Schools) has over 600 of the top prep 

Association of Prep Schools) has over 600 of the top prep 

and fee-charging junior schools in the UK. The first step 

and fee-charging junior schools in the UK. The first step 

in your search for quality is to check if your possible short 

in your search for quality is to check if your possible short 

list of schools for your son or daughter carries the mark of 

list of 

quality 

schools 

by being 

for your 

a member 

son or daughter 

of the heads’ 

carries 

association 

the mark 

known 

of 

quality 

as IAPS. 

by being 

This 

a 

association 

member of 

has 

the 

a history 

heads’ association 

extending back 

known 

as IAPS. over 126 This years association and the has criteria a history for membership extending back is strictly 

over monitored 126 years to and ensure the criteria both the for head, membership and the school is strictly they work 

monitored at, maintain to ensure the highest both the standards. head, and School the school inspection they reports work 

at, maintain are received the by highest IAPS, standards. for example, School and any inspection failings identified reports 

are received have to be by rectified IAPS, for in good example, time and to maintain any failings membership. identified In 

have one to be sense, rectified therefore, in good the first time level to maintain of due diligence membership. a parent In 

one might sense, feel therefore, it necessary the first to undertake level of due is already diligence done a parent for them 

might if the feel school it necessary can demonstrate to undertake they is are already members done of for IAPS them and, 

if the better school still, can have demonstrate been a member they for are many members years. of IAPS and, 

better still, have been a member for many years. 

What should you do next as you are feeling your way 

What through should the you maze do next of glossy as you publications are feeling and your enticing way 

through web sites the maze placed of in glossy front publications of you. The temptation and enticing is to look 

web for sites a ‘brand’ placed name in front and, of to you. some The extent, temptation this has is merit to look as 

for a it ‘brand’ will more name often and, than to not some lead extent, you to this a school has merit with as a 

it will 

fine 

more 

reputation 

often than 

polished 

not lead 

over 

you 

many 

to 

years 

a school 

of conspicuous 

with a 

achievement. The question to ask, of course, is has the school 

fine reputation polished over many years of conspicuous 

a reputation for success in the areas which co-incide with the 

achievement. The question to ask, of course, is has the school 

talents and interests of your child. A fine school’s sporting 

a reputation for success in the areas which co-incide with the 

tradition is of little relevance if your child is a talented and 

talents and interests of your child. A fine school’s sporting 

developing musician – not that those two areas have to be 

tradition is of little relevance if your child is a talented and 

mutually exclusive. 

developing musician – not that those two areas have to be 

mutually exclusive. 


The resort to social media and discussion forums is is a a likely 

step many will take but if your chosen pathway takes you you in in 

this this direction then, at the risk of patronising you, the the reader, 

beware. Do Do you use Tripadvisor when planning a a stay stay away? away? 

Do Do you you believe all all the messages posted there there and and would would you you 

base 

base 

your 

your 

whole 

whole 

view 

view 

of 

of 

a school 

on 

on 

the 

the 

postings 

postings 

of 

of 

a 

a 

few 

few 

with 

with 

most 

most 

likely 

likely 

a proproor 

or anti-line 

anti-line 

to 

to 

promote 

promote 

for 

for 

their 

their 

own 

own 

reasons. 

reasons. 

There might be themes to pick up on but it really needs each 

There might be themes to pick up on but it really needs each 

parent to seek out the things that are most important to you 

parent to seek out the things that are most important to you 

and your child. 

and your child. 

That brings me then to what you should do. The most 

That important brings thing me then is to to visit what the you school should and do. not The just on most an 

important official Open thing Day. is to If a visit school the can’t school buff and itself not up just to look on an good 

official on an official Open Day. Open If Day a school it really can’t is a buff poor itself do. up However, to look good 

on chose an official a day and Open time Day to suit really you, is though a poor be do. reasonable However, when 

chose negotiating a day and this. time Nothing to suit much you, is though likely to be be reasonable gained from when 

negotiating a visit if a good this. proportion Nothing much of the is school likely to is off be their gained normal from 

a timetable visit if a good or routine proportion because of it’s the the school day of is the off annual their normal whole 

timetable school cross or routine country because event. Ask it’s to the see day the of class the annual your child whole 

school would cross likely country join at work event. and Ask then to visit see the older class age your groups, child 

would looking likely for obvious join at work positive and progression then visit older as revealed age groups, by the 

looking work displayed for obvious on the positive wall displays. progression Find as out revealed the answers by the 

work to the displayed questions on you the have wall about displays. the areas Find important out the answers to you 

to and the judge questions how open you have and direct about you the find areas the important responses to from you 

and the judge school. how In short open trust and direct your instincts you find and the not responses wholly what from 

the others school. tell you. In short trust your instincts and not wholly what 

others tell you. 

If you follow this advice you won’t go far wrong and then 

don’t lose any sleep at all over the long term future of 

If you follow this advice you won’t go far wrong and then 

your prep school. Let IAPS do that bit for you whilst you 

don’t lose any sleep at all over the long term future of 

concentrate on finding the right school for your child. 

your prep school. Let IAPS do that bit for you whilst you 

concentrate on finding the right school for your child. 

Christopher King, CEO, IAPS 

Christopher King, CEO, IAPS 



Co-educational 2-4 years, boys ages 4-13 

Next Open Mornings 

Friday 7 February and 

Friday 15 May 2020 

Welcome at 9:30am 

To register please email 

office@parkside-school.co.uk 

Tel: 01932 862749 

Built on Tradition, Embracing the Future 

Set in 45 acres of beautiful Surrey countryside with school bus routes from SW London. 

www.parkside-school.co.uk 

twitter.com/parksideprep 

facebook.com/parksideprep 

Co - educational prep school 

and nursery for girls and boys 

aged 2-11,where there’s 

more to a good education 

than learning. 

Open Mornings 

Thursday 6 February 

Friday 20 March 

book online 

bansteadprep.com/visit 

SUTTON LANE | BANSTEAD | WWW.BANSTEADPREP.COM | 01737 363600 



UNPARALLELED 

Unparalleled Hair 

HAIR 

REASONS WHY WE THINK YOU SHOULD TRY; 

REASONS WHY WE THINK YOU SHOULD TRY; 

'KEUNE SO PURE COLOUR' 

'KEUNE SO PURE COLOUR' 

OFFER 1 * 

OFFER 1 

Unparalleled Hair 

Contains certified organic ingredients 

Contains certified organic ingredients 

No animal testing 

No animal testing 

Vegan friendly 

Vegan friendly 

Ammonia Free 

Ammonia Free 

PPD free 

PPD free 

Coconut oil formula protects scalp 

Coconut oil formula protects scalp 

OFFER 2 * 

OFFER 2 

KEUNf 

SOPUR SOPUR 

NATURAL BALANC!;: 

NATURAL BALANC!;: 

COLOR 

COLOR 

We are Sulphate Free and 

We Paraben are Sulphate Free Salons Free and 

Paraben 

STOCKISTS 

Free Salons 

OF: 

[g] 

STOCKISTS OF: 

IKEVIN.MURPHYI 

[g] IKEVIN.MURPHYI 

*OFFERS APPLY TO SO PURE 

COLOUR RANGE ONLY 



STYLE, HEALTH 

& WELLBEING 

WAYS TO LIVE WELL IN 2020 // FITNESS TIPS AT HOME 

CHINESE MEDICINE EXPERT KATIE BRINDLE // SPRING STYLE FASHION GUIDE 



VOTED IN THE TOP 10 WELLNESS & 

DETOX SPAS IN THE WORLD 

Detoxing - it’s our speciality 

20 Year Family Run Business - 1 hour from London - in West Sussex 

Detox in ‘5 star gold’ Luxury 

Alliblaster House is a beautiful 18th century 

Sussex style country house set in 15 acres of 

lush countryside, offering beautiful woodland 

walks, nature and fresh air! 

Simply Call 

01403 822117 

www.simplyhealingcentre.com 

info@simplyhealingcentre.com 

Colon cleansing and Support herbal Supplements, with Psyllium Husk and Bentonite Clay. 5 Freshly prepared fruit and vegetable juices throughout the day. 

Specialised detox soup each evening. Caffeine Free Detox Teas, freshly made herbal infusions and spring water. Group Meditation Sessions. Group morning 

yoga session (one to one sessions can also be booked at an additional charge). Group detox talk. Use of chi machine, treadmill and toning plates. Juicing 

demonstration and detox maintenance booklet. One to one consultation on arrival . 

Polo Club Ad Full Page.indd 8 09/11/2018 12:46:46 



LIVE WELL IN 

2020 

CREATE HEALTHY HABITS IN THIS NEW 

DECADE - ONES YOU CAN STICK TO 

1SPICE THINGS UP 

Please consult your doctor before making any 

major changes to your fitness or diet regime 

We all know we should eat more veggies (ideally 

10 portions per day), but we could also be reaping 

huge health benefits from herbs and spices by 

introducing them into our diets. Here are just a few 

with phenomenal healthy stats. 

SAGE - Current research indicates that sage may 

be able to improve brain function and memory, 

especially in people with Alzheimer's disease. 

Alzheimer's disease is accompanied by a drop in the level 

of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger in the brain. Sage 

inhibits the breakdown of acetylcholine 

CINNAMON - Cinnamon has potent antioxidant activity, 

helps fight inflammation and has been shown to lower 

cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. 

Cinnamon can lower blood sugar by several mechanisms, 

including by slowing the breakdown of carbs in the digestive 

tract and improving insulin sensitivity. The effective dose per 

day is 0.5 - 2 teaspoons. 

TURMERIC - Turmeric contains Curcumin - a 

remarkably powerful antioxidant, helping to fight oxidative 

damage and boosting the body's own antioxidant enzymes. 

Curcumin is also strongly anti-inflammatory, to the 

point where it matches the effectiveness of some antiinflammatory 

drug. Inflammation is the root cause of most 

Western diseases, so the regular inclusion of turmeric is a 

no-brainer. 

GINGER - Ginger is known for its efficacy in 

treating nausea, but alongside that it is said to have antiinflammatory 

properties. Research found that a mixture of 

ginger, cinnamon, mastic, and sesame oil decreased pain and 

stiffness experienced by those with osteoarthritis. It had a 

similar effectiveness as treatment with aspirin or ibuprofen. 

2 

TAKE A 

BREATH 

According to the Mayo Clinic, 

there’s sufficient evidence that 

intentional deep breathing can 

actually calm and regulate the 

autonomic nervous system 

(ANS). This system regulates 

our involuntary body functions such as temperature, heart 

rate, digestion and respiratory rate. It can lower blood 

pressure and provide an almost immediate sense of calm. 

The slow holding of breath allows CO2 to build up in the 

blood. An increased blood CO2 enhances the cardioinhibitory 

response of the vagus nerve when you exhale and 

stimulates your parasympathetic system. This produces a 

calm and relaxed feeling in the mind and body. 

BOX BREATHING - Box breathing, also known as 

square breathing, is a technique used when taking slow, deep 

breaths. It can heighten performance and concentration while 

also being a powerful stress reliever. It’s also called four-square 

breathing. 

It's very simple - the cadence is 1:1:1:1. Deeply and slowly 

inhale for five seconds, hold your breath for five seconds, 

exhale slowly for five seconds, then hold your breath again 

for five seconds. Repeat at least four times. 


:46:46 

0 16:00 


EPICURE Christmas 


LIT TREE WALL 


ART

3 

MYOFASCIAL 

MASSAGE 

Myofascial release is an alternative 

medicine therapy claimed to be useful 

for treating skeletal muscle immobility 

and pain by relaxing contracted 

muscles, improving circulation, and 

stimulating the stretch reflex in muscles. 

You can reap the benefits at home using 

a simple foam roller to work out areas of tension 

in the body. The stretching motion helps to increase joint 

mobility and the targeted pressure on 4your fascia helps to 

release trigger points where you’re feeling pain. 

WEIGHT 

TRAINING 

It's a common misconception 

that the only way to get leaner is 

lots of cardio. Whilst its fat-burning 

positives are important, some form of 

weight training is also essential if you want 

to change your body composition - there are a 

myriad of benefits - here are just a few: 

INCREASES BONE DENSITY - weight 

training can help limit the effects of age-related 

bone mass loss. It also increases joint stability, 

helping to avoid injury in both training and 

everyday activities. 

If you are more active or you have 

existing pain from joints, arthritis 

or sciatica, you might find 

something more intense 

necessary for muscle 

recovery and pain relief. 

The Theragun liv (£229, 

theragun.com) uses percussive therapy to 

stimulate circulation, generate heat, and release 

your deepest tension. It's a pill-free approach to pain 

management that gets deep into the muscle - perfect 

for those carrying persistent back 

and shoulder pain. 


REDUCE 

SUGAR INTAKE 

The tide is beginning to turn against the sugar rush - we 

are becoming more aware that it's the white stuff, not fat 

that is the enemy. Loaded into all manner of processed 

foods (some you might not event expect), sugar plays havoc 

with our liver, teeth and gut health - not to mention our moods. 

Our bodies are equipped to metabolise and store glucose (for hard 

times of starvation), but fructose, which makes up most of the 

sugar content of our favourite foods, is an unwelcome guest which 

our body can't process properly - ending up being deposited as fat 

in unwanted places, most notably furring up our arteries. So, what 

can you do to combat the ingredient that's in everything? 

SIMPLE SWAPS & TIPS FOR REDUCING SUGAR: 

REPLACE THE HABITS - the ones that have you reaching for 

sugary treats - try replacing watching TV with reading 

OVERALL STRENGTH - strength training 

increases our ability to perform daily tasks well, 

like squatting, rising from a seated position and 

lifting bags - it is a functional form of training. 

INCREASES LEAN MUSCLE MASS - 

as well as making you look slimmer overall, lean 

muscle also increases metabolic rate, so it's a calorie 

burning win-win. 

BLOOD PRESSURE - improves heart health 

by decreasing both systolic and diastolic blood 

pressure. 

INFLAMMATION - weight training helps 

reduce inflammatory molecules and also improves 

the efficiency of the cardio-vascular system - try to 

weight train at least twice a week for these benefits. 

Consult a personal trainer to help devise a routine 

that works for your level of ability and which 

targets the particular improvements you would like 

to make, or concerns you might have. 

DITCH SUGAR-LADEN DRINKS - fizzy drinks and 'healthy' 

fruit drinks are laden with masses of sugar. If you can't beat the 

refreshing taste of something fizzy, a SodaStream Crystal (£149.99, 

sodastream.co.uk), makes carbonated water in seconds, and comes 

with a lovely glass carafe to store or serve your water in - the 

added benefit is it's more environmentally friendly too than 

buying lots of plastic bottles. 

EAT WHOLEFOODS - best way to avoid overly processed 

foods laden with secret sugars? Don't buy them. Try to make 

5most of your food from wholefood ingredients and avoid 

processed foods with more than three ingredients listed. 

PLAN- don't let moments of 

weakness catch you off guard - if 

you're going out for a meal, find 

the menu online and make 

your decision before - then 

don't pick up the menu again! 

Have savoury snacks in the 

house when the 8pm sugar 

craving hits too! 




6TAILOR YOUR WORKOUT 

We are all very different - the requirements in diet and 

fitness terms from one person to another vary hugely, as do 

our needs as we become fitter - that's a common issue with 

fitness equipment for the home - workouts can stagnate easily, 

leading to slowed progress and ultimately disenchantment. 

The new Bowflex Max Trainer M8 is the first home exercise 

equipment to possess an Artificial Intelligence platform that can 

help people reach peak fitness and keep their home regime dynamic and 

interesting. The AI platform, called JRNY, uses AI algorithms, data from an 

initial assessment, and tracking from previous workouts to create personalised 

daily workouts based on the user’s fitness goals. Each custom workout is adjusted 

automatically based on how the user is feeling, how much they improve, and their 

past performance. 

TONE AT HOME 

Created by celeb trainer Stephen Pasterino, P.volve is a unique 

fitness method that not only helps reduce bulk in thighs, it 

opens the hips and creates that perky, lifted posterior that we 

all dream of, without the need for endless squats, lunges and 

crunches! Stephen designed his own proprietary equipment 

the P.ball and P.band, which sculpts hard to reach areas like 

the inner thigh, lower glutes and underarms. 

Loved by celebrities, models and influencers alike, the 

P.volve method if one you can do anytime, anywhere, either 

online or via the P.volve app, making it the perfect work 

out for busy millennials, mums and travellers alike! His 

method uses a unique 'pre-hab' approach that integrates 

physical therapy principles to activate and strengthen the 

muscles without pulsing or fatiguing them. It is low impact, 

and works with your body to help further strengthen and 

tones your muscles, trimming bulk and helping to create the 

visible definition women long for. 

For best results working alongside the P.volve videos, 

Stephen recommends buying the p.3 trainer. Consisting of 

a resistance band, 1.5lb ball, a handle (which 

is interchangeable with the weighted ball) 

and two ankle straps, this multi-use system is 

designed for exercises standing up or on-themat 

to help achieve long, lean muscles. 

In addition to the new AI platform, the new Bowflex Max Trainer M8 boasts 

enhanced features over its predecessor, the M7. Combining the full-body, lowimpact 

motion of an elliptical with the calorie-torching power of a stepper, the 

fat-burning capability of the Max Trainer M8 is unmatched. At a fraction of the 

size of most ellipticals and treadmills, this space-saving machine is designed to fit 

in every home gym environment, and with handy integrated transport wheels, it 

can be moved about with ease. The Max Trainer M8 is available exclusively from 

Fitness Superstore for £1999. 

The P.volve app or website is a fantastic way 

to keep track of your progress. Key in a few details about 

yourself, such as what areas you want to focus on and what 

days you want to exercise and you will receive a plan 

tailored to your wishes. 

You can also get access to a nutrition plan, which 

will give you some healthy recipe ideas, including 

some naughty but nice treats! There is plenty of 

advice on the website too, particularly useful if you are a 

beginner to exercise. The key is not to rush the program - it's 

recommended you are on the first phase and then the second 

phase for about 30 days each. 

For more information about P.volve and how it can help you 

reach your body goals, please visit the website - pvolve.com 

7 



ANCIENT WELLNESS 

WE CATCH UP WITH WELLNESS EXPERT 

AND CHINESE MEDICINE PRACTITIONER 

KATIE BRINDLE ON THE GAPS IN WESTERN 

MEDICINE AND INCORPORATING 

WELLBEING TECHNIQUES INTO EVERY DAY 

EPICURE style, health & wellbeing 

learning from C hinese medicine 

What brought you to the discovery of Chinese medicinal 

techniques? 

I have been working in Chinese medicine since 2002. I 

had a car accident that ended my dreams of becoming an 

opera singer, followed by years of health issues. After trying 

every form of medicine and alternative therapy going, I was 

eventually healed by Chinese medicine – and was so inspired 

that I decided to train as a practitioner. 

You are a firm believer in preventative medicine and self-care 

– where does that fit within Chinese traditional methods and 

what does it entail in practical terms? 

My mission in life is to help others using the remarkable 

healing system of yang sheng, the self-care part of Chinese 

medicine. Prevention alongside cure is a cornerstone of 

Chinese medicine. Rather than suppressing the symptoms, it 

focuses on finding the root cause of illness. 

In our fast-paced modern society, there is a lack of 

understanding into preventative treatment. From 20 years of 

studying Chinese medicine, I could see that it had an answer 

to the Western illness epidemic. 

Whilst Western medicine has transformed health care as 

we know it, there’s a gap that it doesn’t address and that’s 

the ‘almost-well’, the ‘not feeling so good’, the tired out and 

over-stressed. This is a gap I have seen Chinese medicine – 

specifically yang sheng – fill beautifully. 

In Western medicine we are so focused on reactive treatment 

of symptoms, rather than preventative care – we can be 

healthy outwardly with active lifestyles, but not in good 

health – how can these methods help that? 

Any symptoms of ill health will always relate to one of the 5 key 

organs we consider when we are treating in Chinese medicine. 

These are Heart, Lung, Liver, Stomach/Spleen and Kidney. 

Depending on what your symptoms are, it will usually 

indicate to us an imbalance in a specific organ. For example, 

palpitations are concerned with the heart. 

An energetic imbalance does not mean you have a dramatic 

health issue. In this aspect of Chinese medicine, we are about 

prevention not cure. And that means reading the subtle 

signs and symptoms of the body daily. Imbalance starts at an 

energetic level and you rectify it at an energetic level. 

"USE LOW LEVEL SYMPTOMS 

AS A BAROMETER OF YOUR 

WELLNESS. ADDRESS THEM TO 

KEEP THE BODY HEALTHY AND 

THEY ARE MUCH LESS LIKELY 

TO BECOME A DEEPER ISSUE." 

The more serious the symptoms, the deeper the imbalance. If 

the symptom is mild – e.g. low-level anxiety before a meeting 

or mild rosacea after a glass of red wine, the imbalance will be 

easier to rectify. 

Heart imbalance does not mean heart disease, it is a subtle 

signal that your body is not in balance and the strain of that 

is impacting your heart energy, which may eventually lead 

to an issue over time. In the first instance, it could be felt as 

low level anxiety, occasional palpitations or a lack of desire to 

socialise. We look for the low level signs to stop things getting 

a foothold in the body and causing a greater problem further 

down the line. 

Use low level symptoms as a barometer of your wellness. 

Address them to keep the body healthy and they are much less 

likely to become a deeper issue. This is the principle behind 

yang sheng and self-care. 

Can you tell us about your Hayo’u Method? 

I founded the Hayo’u Method to translate the remarkable but 

complex wisdom of Chinese medicine into simple self-care 

techniques for a modern Western world. 




"IN SIMPLE TERMS, IT 

REFLECTS THE CHINESE 

PHILOSOPHY THAT GOOD 

CIRCULATION IS THE 

FOUNDATION OF OUR 

HEALTH. BUT, THE STRESS 

AND SEDENTARY NATURE OF 

MODERN LIFE FREQUENTLY 

DISRUPTS OUR CIRCULATION." 

There’s a famous Chinese proverb: ‘Flowing water never 

stagnates. And the hinges of a moving gate will never rust’ 

In simple terms, it reflects the Chinese philosophy that good 

circulation is the foundation of our health. But, the stress 

and sedentary nature of modern life frequently disrupts our 

circulation. Therefore, encouraging your circulation to flow 

smoothly will transform your beauty and your wellbeing. It’s so 

straightforward, yet hugely effective. 

The theory is simple: by doing the 3 steps below you assist 

circulation, helping natural bodily functions work to their 

full potential: 

RESTORE: WITH GUA SHA. 

RESET: WITH TAPPING. 

3 RESCUE: WITH BREATH. 

Many of us are overstretched, highly stressed and 

functioning on too little sleep – introducing more into the 

routine is challenging. How do you make your methods 

habitual, instead of another task to fulfil in the day? 

The secret to wellness does not lie in radical diets, extreme 

work outs and lifestyle overhauls that prove impossible 

to stick to. It’s much easier and more sustainable to create 

moments for yourself throughout the day. These should be 

simple, pleasurable and fit effortlessly into your daily life. 

Do this and you’ll set yourself up for success, even on the 

toughest of days. This is why I made sure that my rituals 

are both enjoyable and as simple as teeth brushing. 

Can you share your top 5 or 10 healthy habits to 

introduce into daily life? 

I’m all for simplicity and doing things that are easy to 

manage every day without fail, just like brushing our teeth. So, 

I always recommend just 3 steps to health and beauty to get 

you started. But, they are 3 really powerful steps and really will 

make a difference in minutes. 

STEP 1: RESTORE. 

RELAX AND REJUVENATE WITH GUA SHA 

Firstly, restore your complexion with the self-massage 

technique of gua sha. 

WAYS TO WELLNESS 

Katie's Hayo'u method takes her extensive 

knowledge of Chinese medicine and distils it 

into easy-to-incorporate lifestyle techniques. 

These practices help to relieve stress, enliven 

your complexion and supercharge your 

wellbeing, with no pill popping, crash diets or 

plastic waste. 

OUR FAVOURITE PRODUCTS: 

Mineral Shower Wash (£30) - a wonderful way 

to start the day with a potent combination of 

nutrient rich salts and aromatherapy oils 

The cult Jade Beauty Restorer (£38) - for gua 

sha massage at home. 

Body Tapper (£28) - inspired by a powerful, yet 

little known ancient Chinese massage therapy 

called Pai sha. The practice involves tapping 

firmly all over your body for a few minutes a day 

to improve your vitality and achieve glowing 

radiant skin. 

hayoumethod.com 

GUA SHA: 

• boosts collagen and elastin 

• supports lymphatic drainage 

• maintains skin elasticity 

• nourishes skin from the inside out, reducing the 

need for topical skincare 

• releases muscular tension 

• is anti-inflammatory 

Simply press-stroke a facial gua sha tool such as the 

Hayo’u Beauty Restorer across your face during your 



"THE SECRET TO WELLNESS 

DOES NOT LIE IN RADICAL 

DIETS, EXTREME WORK OUTS 

AND LIFESTYLE OVERHAULS 

THAT PROVE IMPOSSIBLE TO 

STICK TO. IT’S MUCH EASIER 

AND MORE SUSTAINABLE TO 

CREATE MOMENTS FOR YOURSELF 

THROUGHOUT THE DAY." 

morning shower. Or use it for a more decadent treatment by 

using with facial oil in the morning or evening. 

STEP 2: RESET. 

SUPERCHARGE YOUR CIRCULATION BY TAPPING 

After your shower, stimulate your circulation by tapping 

the body, either with your hands or a body tapper. Use the 

Bamboo Body Tapper after your shower or whenever you 

feel sluggish throughout the day - it is both relaxing and 

awakening. 

TAPPING: 

• instantly invigorates your circulation 

• clears any stagnation 

• supports lymphatic drainage 

• encourages a smooth flow of blood and qi around the body 

• ensures a well-nourished body and stimulates cell growth 

STEP 3 RESCUE. 

WITH OUR RESCUE BREATH RITUAL 

Now we’ve got the blood flowing well around your body, make 

sure it’s well oxygenated by breathing properly. 

PROPER BREATHING: 

• oxygenates your blood, carrying vital nutrients around 

the body 

• slows the heart-rate 

• reverses the stress response 

• reduces inflammation 

• alkalises your system 

In your shower, take 5 deep breaths, exhaling right down 

into your stomach and imagining a smile extend across your 

lower abdomen. Combine with our highly potent Mineral 

Shower Wash for a dynamic combination of water, oxygen and 

aromatherapy. 

Just like brushing your teeth, this is a basic framework 

to protect your health. Having established this as your 

foundation, you can layer in any other wellbeing practices that 

you like: qigong, yoga, meditation, dietary supplements or 

therapeutic relationships. 

BODY 

Skulpt 

Body Skulpt’s unique and affordable 

body-rolling courses work on the 

lymphatic system to eliminate excess 

fluid from the body, helping it repair and 

restore balance for a healthier you. 

And with the addition of the infrared lamps, 

you can… 

• Tone 

• Detox 

• Roll out muscles after exercise 

• Get relief from referred pain 

• Improve circulation 

• Increase metabolism 

• Improve posture 

• Relax the body 

• Lose weight 

• Eliminate cellulite 

• Improve skin tone and elasticity 

• Strengthen your body 

• Reduce hot flushes 

01444 672847 

bodyskulpt.co.uk 

info@bodyskulpt.co.uk 



Don’t lose sight of the 

important things in life 

Pay for cataract surgery and get treatment within two weeks 

of your initial consultation. Start your journey back to better 

vision today. No insurance required. 

Why pay for your cataract 

surgery at Nuffield Health? 

At Nuffield Health, there are no waiting lists. You 

can pay for yourself at one of our hospitals and get 

an appointment with a Consultant in just 48 hours. 

You may already know that you need cataract 

surgery, or may just be experiencing problems 

with your vision that you want to get assessed. 

Whatever stage you’re at, we know that concerns 

about your eye health can be worrying, and we’ll 

give you the one-to-one care that you deserve. 

Cataract surgery at Nuffield Health is like nowhere 

else. We’ll support you every step of the way 

through The Nuffield Health Promise where we 

ensure that you receive a clear and transparent 

price for your cataract surgery with no limits on 

your care. 

How is it treated? 

Cataract surgery is the most common procedure 

carried out in the UK and is both highly safe and 

effective. It’s usually done under local anaesthetic 

and completed within 20 minutes. 

An ultrasonic probe is inserted through a tiny 

incision in the cornea (outer layer) of the eye. This 

breaks down the lens so it can be easily removed 

before a synthetic lens is inserted to replace it. 

How long does it take to recover? 

You can go home within a few hours of surgery 

but should have someone to drive you and help 

at home for the first 24 hours. While taking some 

precautions, you can get back to normal activities 

within 48 hours. Your vision will improve over a few 

weeks with most patients fully recovered within a 

month or two. 

Nuffield Health Tunbridge Wells Hospital 

01892 882 241 

Email: tu_custenq@nuffieldhealth.com 

Visit: nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/tunbridge-wells 

Nuffield Health Haywards Heath Hospital 

01444 476732 

Email: haywardsheath.enquiries@nuffieldhealth.com 

Visit: nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/haywards-heath 

Nuffield Health Guildford Hospital 

01483 331 880 

Email: guildford.enquiries@nuffieldhealth.com 

Visit: nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/guildford 

Nuffield Health Chichester Hospital 

01243 884 576 

Email: chichester.enquiries@nuffieldhealth.com 

Visit: nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/chichester 

EPICURE J10800-30 Early - NH Spring Guildford 2020.indd Hospital_Don't 44 lose sight advert_420x280_alternate version.indd All Pages 

24/01/2020 15:29

Here’s four common symptoms of cataracts: 

1 2 

BLURRY VISION 

DAZZLED BY LIGHT 

One of the most common symptoms 

of cataracts is blurry vision. If you wear 

glasses, they may seem dirty. You may 

find it difficult to see and drive at night. 

Don’t ignore blurred or misty sight. 

If car headlights and other bright lights 

leave you dazzled or unable to see 

clearly for a few moments, cataracts may 

be to blame. 

3 4 

COLOUR CHANGES 

SPECTACLE CHANGE 

Cataracts can affect the colour of the 

world around you, and make things 

appear faded or washed out. Commonly, 

objects take on a yellow hue. 

As your cataract begins to form, the lens 

inside your eye increases in size, often 

resulting in a need to frequently change 

your spectacle prescription. As this 

becomes more frequent, it may be an 

early sign of developing a cataract. 

EPICURE Early Spring 2020.indd 45 24/01/2020 21/01/2020 15:29 

16:49

COULD DRINKCOACH 

HELP YOU TO HANDLE 

STRESS MORE HEALTHILY? 

It’s challenging to achieve a healthy 

work-life balance, especially when 

juggling career and home commitment 

It can be easy to get into the habit of turning to alcohol to 

unwind at the end of a long and busy day, using a drink or 

two as a short-cut to stress relief. However alcohol is actually a 

depressant, so while it may help to cope with feelings of stress 

in the short-term, in the longer term in can increase anxiety and 

low mood. Over time, it’s not uncommon to need increasing 

amounts of alcohol to achieve the same relief from stress. 

This was Karen’s* experience, who realised she has developed an 

unhealthy relationship with alcohol. 

“I was in a high pressure job and felt I deserved to relax with 

some wine in the evening. It started off innocently enough, 

switching from work to home life with the help of a glass of 

wine, but this quickly became two and three and before too long 

a bottle a night was a regular thing.” 

For many, drinking too much can be a psychological battle, not 

a physical dependency, and it’s a habit that can prove challenging 

to break. Karen knew she needed help, but felt uncomfortable 

seeking help via traditional routes. Then she discovered 

DrinkCoach, the online coaching service. 

“I could talk to someone in my own home over Skype and it 

seemed like a logical choice. I didn’t have to risk being seen 

and I could book appointments for the evening when I got 

home from work. I was nervous at first, but my coach was 

understanding and I found that once I started talking I couldn’t 

stop.” 

DrinkCoach sessions are free for people living or working in 

West Sussex. As the sessions are via Skype they can be done 

from anywhere with internet access, so can be done in total 

privacy. Sessions are available at evenings and weekend, as well 

as during the working week, making it easy to fit around busy 

lives. 

“I was nervous at first, but 

my coach was understand 

and that once I started 

talking I couldn’t stop.” 

“Now my evenings after work are different. There is no cracking 

open the bottle of wine while I cook dinner every night and I try 

to make time for some light exercise to help me transition from 

work to home mode.” 

To book an appointment or find out more, visit 

DrinkCoach.org.uk. 

West Sussex residents can 

enter the code ‘EPICURE’ to 

get your sessions for free. 

In her sessions, Karen was encouraged to set her own drinking 

goals and got the support she needed to achieve them. 




SPRING STYLE 

fashion guide 

In this new decade, throwaway trends are 

becoming increasingly passé, and we are all 

looking for clothes that will have a lasting 

impact, forming a part of a capsule wardrobe. 

The spring/summer 2020 catwalks were notably 

more commercial than usual, with a focus on 

classic, long-lasting legacy buys rather than 

whimsical and artistic creations - goodbye 

impracticality, hello wearable pieces that deliver 

season after season. 

'Realistic' seems to be the overarching theme. 

Another buzzword for spring 2020 fashion is 

'wearability'—a word not usually associated with 

fashion and one we are usually loathe to use to 

describe clothes, given it is their basic function! 

But you'll see pieces that tick lots of boxes, some 

that can combine trends and transcend seasons. 

The headlining trends will all seamlessly 

transition into many of our wardrobes and stay 

there for the foreseeable future. One of the most 

in-demand items for spring, for example, is a 

simple blue Oxford button-down shirt, along 

with bodysuits, little black dresses and relaxed 

suiting. 

"Keep it simple but never boring," is how Moda 

Operandi's Lisa Aiken sums up the tone of this 

sensible season. "The large majority of the runway 

collections have been incredibly wearable, the 

brands have showcased the ultimate wardrobing 

heroes in a new and interesting way: the suit, the 

Bermuda short, the white shirt, the tank top…" 

says Elizabeth von der Goltz, Global Buying 

Director at Net-a-Porter. 

Behind this desire for more timeless pieces is the 

topic that's now at the top of the agenda of every 

fashion office in the world: sustainability. 

The world was rocked last year amidst 

the news that Burberry burns millions of 

pounds worth of clothes at the end of each 

season to limit market saturation or low 

selling points - the fashion industry is a 

carbon nightmare, but designers are waking 

up. There's no doubt sustainability will 

have a significant impact on how trends are 

shaped over the next decade. 

Heather Gramston, BrownsFashion's 

Buying Manager, said what is particularly 

notable for 2020 is how new talent is 

responding to these challenges, finding 

new ways to produce and create clothes: 

"I think the innovation coming out of 

the new wave of talent look to creating 

sustainable collections. Designers like 

Ancuta Sarca, Mariah Esa and Duran 

Lantink are all creating something 

incredibly unique and pushing the 

conversation on conscious dressing forward." 

We've also begun to see the blurring of the 

lines between seasons - they are much less 

defined than they used to be —the spring 

summer 2020 collections make a case for 

building a capsule that you can layer and 

adapt twelve months a year. In fact, you were 

as likely to see coats and partywear as you 

were swimwear on the runways for these 

collections, which is reflective of the how 

we no longer buy something to wear for one 

season only. 

Putting the trend for Bermuda shorts 

aside, because, we just aren't ready for that, 

we've collected some of our favourite look 

inspirations for the coming season. .. 




2 

3 

in a LEATHER 

Lisa Aikin wearing Bottega 

Veneta coat | GETTY 

1 

Once reserved strictly for autumn and winter, 

leather is ready to have its moment during 

spring too. The material was spotted on spring 

2020 runways from New York to Paris in just 

about every form—from colourful jackets at 

Coach 1941 and Bottega Veneta to skirts and 

trousers at Marni and Alexander McQueen. 

Pair with soft finishes like silk or cashmere to make it 

wearable. 

4 

6 

1 Victoria Beckham, Leather Trench Coat, £1,330, farfetch.com 2 Leather 

Jacket, £229.99, Banana Republic 3 Grace Leather Pencil Skirt, £265, 

Reiss 4 Cashmere Bardot Sweater, £150, Pure Collection 5 Art School 

Lamé Dress, £700, matches.com 

5 

7 

9 

8 

crochet THIS WAY 

A few seasons back, it was 

quilting. For Spring 2020, the 

trend continued to evolve, and 

this season another handmade 

fibre art ruled the catwalk: 

crochet. Whimsical and light, 

it makes great transitional 

knitwear and looks great on the 

beach slung over a bikini. 

12 

11 

6 Colville Floral crochet midi dress £1,290 

matches.com 7 Staud Guppie Top, £57, 

matches.com 8 Self-Portrait Crochet midi 

dress, £259, mytheresa.com 9 Jil Sander 

Pompom hem crochet cotton dress, 

£880, farfetch.com 10 Kilometre Paris 

undercover crochet and raffia basket 

bag £478, matches.com 11 Spreadcollar 

wool-blend knitted polo 

shirt, £720, Missoni 12 

Zigzag striped crochetknit 

shirt, £700, 

Missoni 

10 




2 

Jennifer Lopez in Versace 

GETTY 

1 

3 

4 

in the JUNGLE 

5 

11 

12 

We have Jennifer Lopez to thank for this one, thanks to her 

plunging Versace dress. But that wasn't the only jungleleaf 

print to make an impact for spring: "From Fendi's 

and Dolce & Gabbana's luxuriant green leaves to Marni's 

abstract blooms, tropical prints have been flowering during S/S 

20, with palm trees and vivid colours invading dresses, jackets and 

footwear," says MyTheresa's Tiffany Hsu. 

1 Printed Collared Dress Opulence Print, £72, Pure Collection 2 Boots, £79.95, Moda in 

Pelle 3 Shirt (also on front cover), £38, Lipsy 4 Dove Maxi Dress in Green Alligator, £57, 

Dancing Leopard 5 SALONI Alya, £650, matches.com 6 San Diego Shirt, £39, Dancing 

Leopard 7 Gola Trainers, £75, House of Fraser 8 Palm Print Dress, £39, John Lewis 9 

F.R.S Dioscuri Trousers, £625, matches.com 10 Figleaves Floral Swimsuit, 

figleaves.com 11 Gold Plated Moonstone Earrings, £22, hauslife,co.uk 

12 Snake Embossed Leather Trousers 

£239, And Other Stories 

6 

10 

9 

8 

7 




3 

Alexandra Daddario 

in Carolina Herrera 

GETTY 

1 

2 

go D OTTY 

Call it the Zara 'it' dress effect, or a spring fling —the spotted pattern is 

back once again for S/S 20. In reality, this is one print, much like check 

or leopard, that remains a constant in our wardrobes so it never really 

goes away. However, it can get a little repetitive when it's all black-onwhite 

or white-on-black versions. Which is why the latest take on the 

pattern is genuinely much more exciting than we've seen in a while. 

On the runways of Balenciaga, Richard Quinn, Dries Van Noten 

and Gucci, there were polka dots in different colours and sizes. 

Designers also played with putting polka dots on more interesting 

silhouettes, such as the oversized shoulders over at Richard 

Quinn and Balenciaga. In essence, there was nothing run of the 

mill about these polka dots—it was go bold or go home. 

4 

9 

1 Top, £770 and trousers, £815, Adriana Degreas, matches.com 2 Reformation dress, £255, 

netaporter.co.uk 3 Ganni blouse, £120, matches.com 4 Piper dress, £179, Hobbs 

5 RedValentino dress, £915, redvalentino.com 6 Saloni mini dress, £550, matches.com 

7 Rat & Boa maxi dress, £255, matches.com 8 Zimmermann midi dress, £575, matches.com 

9 Polkadot jumper, £55, Fatface 

Carolina Herrera 

GETTY 

7 

5 

6 

8 




ICONIC, TIMELESS LOOKS 

Pure Collection has 16 years’ experience sourcing 

cashmere that’s sustainable, superb quality and 

fairly priced. 

Pure Collection has 16 years’ experience sourcing 

cashmere that’s sustainable, superb quality and fairly 

priced. 

We have crafted sweaters in a range of weights and textures, 

giving you the choice of lightweight layers that will see you 

through every season. 

We believe there’s space in every wardrobe for a beautifully 

made piece of signature cashmere, as the divine softness and 

indulgent feel of our knitwear is beyond compare. Our unique 

designs and classic choice of colours are just part of what 

makes us cashmere specialists. 

Define the season your way in looks that work in any setting 

and map out a new set of styling separates for a solution 

to dressing for any destination. Transition into spring and 

meet your new season palettes as an elegant selection of 

refreshing colourways, sleek silhouettes and sumptuously soft 

fabrications enrich each of our new collections. This season, 

map out a new set of styling separates and discover a solution 

to dressing for any destination with our voyager collection of 

crisp whites with tonal touches of beige crafted in luxurious 

linens and rich cotton textures perfect for any occasion. 

We’ve also placed a special focus 

on our jeans collection reinvented 

in designs that complement the 

richness of our cashmere with our 

unite with colour collection, offering 

a combination of both luxury 

and longevity with endlessly chic 

outfit options that work for every 

setting. Discover day-to-evening 

style solutions exclusively with our 

new collection that promise to slot 

seamlessly into your new-season 

wardrobe and instantly elevate any 

outfit for an iconic look that is truly 

timeless. 

1) Cashmere lofty sweatshirt in Heather Cornflower 

Our luxuriously soft cashmere lofty sweatshirt is perfect for 

easy weekend dressing, perfect for pairing with our bestselling 

wool pencil skirt or slim leg wool blend trouser. 

2) Cashmere cropped sweater in Pink Petunia 

Designed to accentuate a smaller waist, this neat knit is the 

perfect, feminine cover-up for any occasion you cans style 

with almost anything. 

www.purecollection.com 

1) 

2) 

the 

fig tree 

A shop full of charm, full of the most 

sumptuous home accessories and gifts... 

We are open 

10.00am – 5.30pm 

Tuesday to Saturday 

Closed Mondays 

01306 877994 f 

thefigtreedorking.co.uk 



visit your... 

local store 

and enjoy £20 off 

offer code: UKMN0111 

Enjoy our exceptional customer service and 

experience the luxury feel of our cashmere 

and other fine fabrics first hand. 

Guildford 

London - Northcote Rd 

Marlow 

Tunbridge Wells 

click and collect at 

purecollection.com 

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Offer valid on full priced items on 

a purchase over £70 until 7th May 2020 in retail stores only. 

This offer is one time use only. Offer is not valid on sale items, 

cashmere care products or services; it is non-transferable and 

cannot be used in conjunction with another offer. No adjustments 

may be made to prior purchases. Offer cannot be used in Pure 

Collection department store concessions or on their websites. 

Pure Collection reserves the right to amend / withdraw this 

offer at any time. For full terms and conditions visit our website. 


PROMOTION 

A BETTER DENTAL PRACTICE 

ALAN WILSON DENTISTRY 

Alan Wilson Dentistry opened its doors in April 2019 

with a clear goal- to provide high quality dentistry and a 

superb customer service. Our very chic modern practice 

has a range of visiting dental professionals each with 

specific skills all available under one roof. For patients needing 

a range of treatments, this allows us to treatment plan your 

case as a group and ensure you see the dental professional best 

suited to treat your needs. 

Our Ethos 

At Alan Wilson Dentistry our priority is providing excellent 

customer service. The aim is to provide painless, on time 

dentistry during flexible working hours to suit your busy 

lifestyle. We believe dentists only hurt patients when they 

rush! At Alan Wilson Dentistry our aim is to always provide 

adequate time for your treatment and avoid the need for 

rushing. The practice has early morning, late evening and 

Saturday morning appointments available. 

As the practice has a team of visiting specialists this allows 

us to provide you with a large range of dental treatments. 

Alongside general dentistry, at Alan Wilson Dentistry the 

following treatments are available: 

Invisible Braces - braces are no longer just for the kids. Clear, 

invisible braces are becoming very fashionable amongst all 

adult groups with a huge range in ages showing a genuine 

interest in this form of teeth straightening. Here at Alan 

Wilson Dentistry we have a specialist orthodontist Dr Lee 

Ng who can advise on the range of orthodontic treatments 

available including Invisalign and ceramic fixed braces. 

Composite Bonding – If you’ve got worn teeth and chipped 

edges, very often we can simply add white filling material to 

replace these broken areas without damaging the underlying 

tooth. With modern techniques these can look very natural 

and a great alternative to veneers. 

Implants – “Teeth in a day“- If you have broken down, 

failing teeth or are fed up wearing dentures, we could have the 

solution. Very often, it is now possible to remove the failing 

teeth, insert implants and place new teeth all in one session. 

This is a wonderful treatment solution for people who don’t 

want to wear dentures. 

Anti wrinkle Injections – These treatments are becoming 

very popular across a wide age range and are a very simple 

way of either keeping that youthful appearance or restoring it! 

Find out more on our website: 

Before 

After 

01372 417872 

www.alanwilsondentistry.co.uk 

50% OFF NEW PATIENT CONSULTATION 

NOW ONLY £37.50 

Valentine Special 

TEETH WHITENING OFFER £195 



EPICURE weddings 

RETRO & MODERN PHOTO BOOTHS 

GRAB SOME FRIENDS & STRIKE A POSE 

STYLISH ACCESSORIES & PROPS 

MODERN BACKDROPS 

ABSOLUTEBOOTH.CO.UK 

HELLO@ABSOLUTEBOOTH.CO.UK 

0845 544 3855 

EXPERIENCE 

AT 

excellence 

STANHILL COURT 

Stanhill Court is a magnificent country manor house, built in 1881 and surrounded by 35 acres of beautiful 

landscaped gardens and woodland. A stunning venue with idyllic views overlooking the Surrey Hills creating a 

romantic and picturesque setting. 

The new owner’s enthusiasm and passion for this historic building has led to a completely refreshed venue with a modern, 

contemporary feel that also respects the character of the existing manor house. The eagerly awaited restoration of the 

Amphitheatre offers our couples the opportunity to hold an outside private ceremony within stylish surroundings. 

Contact us today and start planning your fairy tale wedding 

01293 862166 | weddings@stanhillcourthotel.co.uk | www.stanhillcourthotel.co.uk 

54 98 EPICURE | Early High Spring Summer 2020 2019 

EPICURE Early Autumn Spring 2019.indd 2020.indd 98 54 24/01/2020 16/09/2019 15:30 11:42

EPICURE health & style 

WEDDINGS 

STUNNING WEDDING VENUES // 2020'S HOTTEST WEDDING TRENDS 

BRIDAL BEAUTY PREP // HONEYMOONS WITH A DIFFERENCE AND WEDDINGS ABROAD 


9 11:42 EPICURE Early Spring 2020.indd 55 24/01/2020 15:30


WEDDED BLISS 

Planning your nuptials this year? Read on for top trends 

and lots of inspiration... 

Planning your wedding is a personal experience and to a large 

extent the format, style and little touches are more likely to be 

representations of your personalities and tastes over any trends. 

There is, however, an overwhelming body of inspiration online 

which can put even the most dedicated planner into a spin - 

sometimes some fresh, trend-led ideas might be just the spark 

to help you plan. 

Personal Details 

The wedding will be full of details that nod to you as a couple, 

but more and more brides are opting for personalisation in their 

outfits too. Some with meaningful words or dates embroidered 

into their veils or others more edgy with painted or stitched 

leather and denim jackets for the evening (these have the added 

bonus of being an item you can wear after the day!) 

Sustainability 

With a big shift toward eco-friendly choices in everyday life, 

it’s natural that wedding venues and suppliers are upping 

their green 

credentials 

to meet the 

demands of 

green-thinking 

couples. Some 

considerations 

to make: ethical wedding rings and outfits, even consider hiring 

a dress (dresses take a lot of energy to create but are seldom 

worn after the event), give guests wildflower seeds as favours, 

employ caterers who only use bio-degradable packaging, print 

eco-friendly invitations on recycled paper and for flowers pick 

seasonal blooms grown locally where possible. 

Princess Dresses 

Channel your inner Disney princess - the more streamlined 

dresses we’ve been used to are making way for fuller skirts 

and ball-gown styles. For evening, lots of brides are opting for 

a second dress which is less constrictive - meaning they can 

dance the night away, carefree. 

Wall Decorations 

In more non-traditional venues with plainer walls or in 

marquees, decor is key for setting the mood. ‘Green’ walls made 

from foliage and picked out with white lights look elegant 

and timeless, whereas paper pom poms in bright colours are 

cheerful and inviting. A new trend is a balloon wall - making 

arches to frame the ceremony. Lots of couples can add a DIY 

element here, making some of the decorations themselves (with 

a small army of bridesmaids or ushers to help!) 



THE OLD TOLLGATE 

HOTEL & RESTAURANT 

HOTEL RESTAURANT 

THE OLD TOLLGATE 

HOTEL & RESTAURANT 


Wedding 

Wedding package 

package offer 

offer from 

from £2,020 

£2,020 

SELECTED DATES THROUGHOUT 2020/2021 

2 course wedding breakfast for up to 40 guests 

course wedding breakfast for up to 40 guests 

Reception drink per person 

Reception drink per person 

Glass of house wine per person 

Glass of house wine per person 

Toast drink per person 

Toast drink per person 

Evening buffet for up to 40 guests 

Evening buffet for up to 40 guests 

For more information on our 2020/21 wedding packages 

Call 01903 879494 or email debbie@oldtollgatehotel.com 

www.oldtollgatehotel.com 

For 

For more 

more THE information 

information STREET, BRAMBER, on 

on STEYNING, our 

our 2020/21 

2020/21 WEST SUSSEX, wedding 

wedding BN44 packages 

packages 

3WE 





THE STREET, BRAMBER, STEYNING, WEST SUSSEX, BN44 3WE 

THE STREET, BRAMBER, STEYNING, WEST SUSSEX, BN44 3WE 




Table Settings 

One of the biggest transformations in recent years is the 

style of tables and the seating arrangements. The more 

ornate chair covers with bows have made way for elegant 

chiavari chairs and tables are bursting with informal 

arrangements, made predominantly of foliage, picked out 

by the twinkle of fairy lights and mirrored platters. 

Incredible Venues 

Stately homes and castles are having a moment, making 

perfect backdrops for the big day. As well as being 

historic places to tie the knot, they are full of character 

and have many architectural gems - perfect for capturing 

those unforgettable photos. 

As ever, Pinterest is a great source of inspiration - but try 

not to get too bogged down and stressed with including 

every detail - the most successful weddings focus on 

bringing together a happy couple in an atmosphere of love 

and support - guests will remember how they feel on the 

day above all else. 

BOTANICALS 

COLLECTION 

wedding 

Your 

Crowne Plaza Felbridge- Gatwick 

at 

NOW ONLINE 

A dream wedding venue in the Sussex Countryside. 

Unique wedding spaces to suit large or small celebrations. 

Bespoke wedding packages | Stunning courtyard garden 

Stylish Honeymoon Suite | Luxury spa 

Crowne Plaza Felbridge - Gatwick 

STERLING SILVER AND GOLD 

VERMEIL JEWELLERY WITH 

SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES - FROM £10 

London Road | East Grinstead | West Sussex 

www.hauslife.co.uk 

01342 337700 | www.cpfelbridgegatwick.co.uk 




Your perfect all year round wedding venue 

In the heart of the Surrey Hills 

Civil ceremony up to 180 guests 

Intimate vineyard weddings from 20 guests 

Celebrations for up to 350 guests 

Vineyard Hotel Accommodation 

Denbies Wine Estate Ltd, London Road, Dorking Surrey RH5 6AA 

T. 01306 876616 www.denbies.co.uk Email: events@denbiesvineyard.co.uk 

Company Registered in England No 9822843 

Designed by pre: www.designbypre.com Photo credits: visit www.denbies.co.uk 

Local s for Local Couples 

l 

•• 

26th Jan: The Bull Hotel* 

Oxford Rd Gerrards Cross SL9 7PA 

9th Feb: Farnham Maltings 

Bridge Sq Farnham GU9 7QR 

16th Feb: Frensham Heights * 

Frensham Heights Rd 

Rowledge GUl0 4EA 

23rd Feb: Charterhouse 

Prince's Ave Hurtmore Rd 

Godalming GU7 2DX 

1st March: St Anne's Manor* 

London Rd Wokingham RG40 1ST 

8th March: Macdonald Compleat Angler 

Marlow Bridge Marlow SL7 lRH 

Free Entry @ All Fairs 

11am-3.30pm 

www.prestigeweddingfairs.co.uk 

* Fashion Shows at these Fairs 




WEDDING CELEBRATIONS 

AT THE BARBADOS CELEBRITY 

HOT-SPOT – LONE STAR 

The luxury, beach-front hideaway, Lone Star Boutique 

Hotel and Suites, is one of the Caribbean’s most idyllic 

places to celebrate your wedding. Located in the exclusive 

St James area of Barbados and popular with the island’s 

celebrity residents, this boutique hotel and restaurant has 

introduced new luxury bridal party breaks and romantic 

honeymoons escapes. In addition, couples can exchange vows 

in the Hotel’s tropical gardens, and then celebrate with an 

unforgettable beachside wedding party. 

Wedding Ceremonies 

Looking to get married in Barbados? Lone Star’s wedding 

concierge can take care of all the details. Exclusive 

wedding ceremonies in the lush, tropical garden at the 

hotel are available for up to 20 people and include: 

• Wedding Planning Services from our wedding 

concierge 

• Transport of Registry to obtain Marriage License 

• Marriage License, Stamp Duty, Marriage Certificate 

• Minister 

• Bridal Bouquet & Boutonniere for Groom 

• Decorated Arch with Voile 

A Beach Ceremony is available for up to 100 guests. 

Prices start from USD $3,750.00 (£2851). All rates are 

subject to availability and exchange rates at the time of 

booking. 

Wedding Receptions 

If you have imagined your wedding reception taking 

place right by the ocean, Lone Star is the ideal venue. It 

is the only restaurant in Barbados located directly on 

the beach. Couples can enjoy the breath-taking ocean 

backdrop, bespoke cocktail collection and a menu fusing 

the best of fresh, local Caribbean food with European 

classics. Lone Star restaurant can accommodate up to 

120 guests for a seated wedding breakfast or 250 guests 

for a cocktail and canapé reception. Every wedding 

party is planned individually, and so prices are available 

upon request. For details or to book visit 

www.thelonestar.com 

Bridal Party Breaks 

Before the big day, the bride-to-be and members of her 

wedding party can relax and unwind with a luxurious 

‘pre-wedding celebration’ stay that includes: 

• Breakfast (room service or beachside in the restaurant); 

• A welcome “Forever Flowers” Cocktail – a blend 

of Gin, Limoncello, Elderflower, Lemon Juice and 

topped with Prosecco; 

• Luxury transfers to and from the airport; 

• A Lone Star Signature Indulgence Warm Stone 

Massage and Facial Cleanse and Honey and Citrus 

Manicure or Frangipani and Coconut Foot Ritual. 

From USD $2495.00 (£1903.00) per couple. Minimum 

four-night stay applies, rates are subject to availability 

and exchange rates at the time of booking. 




Honeymoons 

For couples seeking that dream honeymoon destination, 

Lone Star Boutique Hotel and Suites offers an unrivalled 

setting – the only restaurant to be located directly on the 

beach makes it truly a unique experience. Included in the 

new ‘honeymoon retreat’ break is a six-night stay with: 

• Breakfast (room service or beachside in the 

restaurant); 

• A bottle of Champagne on ice on arrival; 

• Luxury transfers to and from the airport; 

• A special couple’s ‘Journey Together’ spa experience 

including side-by-side massages, facials and Foot 

Bath Rituals. 

The Honeymoon Retreat starts from USD $3695.00 

(£2819.00) per couple. All rates are subject to 

availability and exchange rates at the time of booking. 

Known as the ‘Ivy of the Caribbean’, Lone Star 

restaurant occupies a unique location, with dining on 

the beach. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, 

with menus that fuse European fare with Caribbean 

influences and much-loved timeless Lone Star classics. 

The Lone Star boasts a distinctive boutique hotel 

offering a sophisticated retreat. The Hotel offers the 

air-conditioned Cadillac and Lincoln penthouses, two 

ocean front suites, Buick and Studebaker, and the Shelby 

and Corvette deluxe garden rooms. All rooms are 

en-suite and are beautifully presented with individually 

designed décor and a stylish, relaxed elegance. 

Complimentary Wi Fi and a butler’s tray with Lavazza 

coffee, Lone Star teas and welcome snacks are included. 

The Coral Stone Beach House also offers bespoke breaks 

to include pre-wedding, wedding and honeymoons. This 

can be tailored to suit exacting individual requirements 

and can be booked as a three or four-bedroom private 

retreat. For details or to book visit 

www.thelonestar.com 

SUNSTYLE UK 

Located in the heart of beautiful Cobham, Sunstyle UK opened its doors in 

2013. With a highly skilled team of therapists, we provide a full range of 

services to achieve your every beauty/ tanning goal. 

We pride ourselves in our knowledge, expertise and friendliness and are 

continually in pursuit of the latest in beauty trends, 

Arrive in the morning & leave in the afternoon Holiday/Party ready! 

• TANNING • LASH LIFTS & EXTENSIONS • DERMAPLANING 

• NAILS • WAXING • FACIALS • HD BROWS • BEAUTY ANGEL 

• SPRAY TAN • BROW LAMINATION • HAIR EXTENSIONS 

24 ANYARDS ROAD COBHAM, SURREY KT11 2LA 

01932 864 100 WWW.SUNSTYLEUK.COM 

20% OFF 

Your first treatment 

with us - mention 








HAIR REMOVAL 

Being fuzz free on the big day is a 

must for most brides, but the hassle of 

shaving, especially on honeymoon, is a 

bore. More permanent solutions are a 

great idea. 

If you're fed up of constant trips to be 

waxed, home IPL kits are a dream. Silk'n 

build on the world-renowned HPL 

technology with Galvanic Energy and 

Optical Energy. 

These energies combine to give you a 

more efficient hair removal solution. 

Working together with 5 different 

energy levels, they open the skin pores 

and allow the light to reach 

the hair follicles without pain, 

irritation or ingrown hairs. 

This means that you can remove 

your hair up to twice as fast, and 

even do a full-body treatment in 

less than 20 minutes. With 400,000 

light pulses, you don't have to worry 

about cartridge refills either. 

Easy to use, the Silk'n Infinity is quick too - 

you can cover your whole body in less than 20 

minutes. Start your treatment a few months 

prior to the big day to ensure complete results. 

It's safe for dark and black skin on the lowest 

intensity levels too. Silk'n Infinity, £229, 

CurrentBody.com 

If you're needing some wax to banish a little 

bit of lip fuzz, it's essential you choose sensitive 

formulas - we recommend Jolen's specially 

formulated strips for sensitive skin which offer 

up to 4 weeks of results. Jolen Facial Wax 

Strips, £3.99, Available from Ocado 

INSTANT SKIN SAVIOURS 

bridal 

BEAUTY 

SMELL THE ROSES 

Skincare with a beautiful scent is perfect for your 

wedding day - using it after the event will evoke 

special memories of the day. We love Elemis's Pro-Collagen 

Rose Facial Oil for a fresh dewy glow and their Pro-Collagen 

Rose Cleansing Balm for cleansed skin as smooth as a rose 

petal. Oil, £67 and Balm, £44, elemis.com 

The very radiance of a bride on 

her wedding day will have her 

looking amazing...but a little bit 

of groundwork is helpful to look 

and feel the absolute best. Here 

are our bridal beauty heroes... 

Some products can have a really 

quick transformative effect and we 

love the natural, ethical ranges 

from Grounded. Originally specialising in body scrubs made from 

coffee grounds, the brand has expanded to offer lots of skincare 

and beauty options. The scrubs help to moisturise, cleanse, tone, 

tighten and brighten skin and the great under eye pen gives 

an instant Vitamin C boost to awaken tired eyes. Chocolate 

Orange Body Scrub, £15, and Under Eye Serum with Collagen, 

Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid, £24.99, both avialable from 

groundedbodyscrub.co.uk 

VEGAN BEAUTY 

Perfect buys for the vegan bride 

- Codex Beauty’s first range, the 

Bia collection, is responsibly 

revolutionising how the world 

views and maintains optimal 

skin health using ancient herbal 

traditions, vegan formulations, 

unprecedented 

quality standards and 

pharmaceutical-grade 

manufacturing, science 

and transparency. 

We love the Bia 

Exfoliating Wash (£43) 

- A gentle everyday 

cleanser with exfoliating 

and polishing natural 

Jojoba grains, infused 

with Elderflower water, 

Grapefruit, Safflower 

and Milk Thistle Oils 

for both toning and 

cleansing benefits. 

And our ultimate allpurpose 

honeymoon buy is 

the Bia Skin Superfood (£48) 

- A hydrating and nourishing 

treatment cream for face, 

hands and body. Made with 

our unique BiaComplex 

herbal formula, this cream 

helps treat dry, flaky or 

irritated skin and leaves it 

silky smooth. 

uk.codexbeauty.com 



EPICURE health & style 




FOOD & 

DRINK 

Image courtesy of Cyan Restaurant 

BRIGHTON’S HOTTEST NEW RESTAURANT // WINE TASTING AT HOME 

HEALTHY, HEARTY RECIPES // CHEF MICHAEL CAINES // GOING MEAT FREE 



EPICURE food & drink 

INTRODUCING CYAN 

BRIGHTON SEAFRONT’S NEWEST 

ALL-DAY DINING DESTINATION 

An exciting new restaurant has launched in Brighton offering 

an all-day dining experience in one of the most loved hotels 

in the city. Cyan, which has replaced GB1 at The Grand 

Brighton on the south coast’s seafront, opened at the end 

of 2019 and offers something for everyone, with no meat eater or 

vegan feeling left out. 

With a big emphasis on local produce for its offering of small 

plates and sharing platters, Cyan’s chefs blend locally sourced 

produce with a handpicked selection of seasonal, high quality 

ingredients from around the world to create a medley of 

unexpected taste, texture and flavour combinations. 

Cyan’s sustainability interest is also reflected in the restaurant 

design with bespoke marbled artwork and items made from 

recycled plastic waste by local artists, Weez & Merl. 

The new, sea-blue restaurant space also provides an interactive 

and welcoming atmosphere where guests can drink an 

extensive selection of organic wines by the glass, enjoy watching 

the bar tender’s flair while making cocktails complete with a 

selection of garnishes from the in-restaurant micro-herb fridge 

or see their food being prepared in front of their eyes with live 

cooking and homemade charcuterie. 

While the restaurant has had a contemporary redesign some 

aspects which made GB1 unique have remained. The 155-year 

“CYAN’S CHEFS BLEND LOCALLY 

SOURCED PRODUCE WITH A 

HANDPICKED SELECTION OF 

SEASONAL, HIGH QUALITY 

INGREDIENTS FROM AROUND 

THE WORLD.” 

old marble columns are still a central point and continue to be 

surrounded by a circular bar. However, the bar has been reworked 

to provide an area for remote workers to settle down in during the 

day and for groups of friends to be entertained with an interactive 

dining experience by night. 

Pedro Watson, restaurant manager at Cyan, added: “We are 

extremely excited to launch Cyan at The Grand Brighton and 

believe it will breathe a fresh lease of life into Brighton’s dining 

offering. We want people to feel comfortable and relaxed, whether 

they are grabbing brunch, wanting a place to work with a coffee or 

a fun and vibrant atmosphere to share dinner and an organic glass 

of wine with friends.” 

“The restaurant seats 80, and with 15 to 20 ever changing dishes, 

we’re looking forward to keeping things interesting for our diners 

with a variety of options for meat eaters, pescatarians, vegetarians 

and vegans.” 

“We’re also bringing theatre to the dinner table with interactive 

dining experiences, live cooking with our chefs and a flair to 

drinks with our specially designed micro-herb refrigerator ready 

for any finishing touches.” 

Find out more at www.cyanbrighton.co.uk or book a table at 

bookings@cyanbrighton.co.uk 



Kamado


GET READY 

FOR SUMMER 

Visit kamadojoe.co.uk 


EPICURE KamadoJoe Early - EPICURE.indd Spring 2020.indd 1 67 24/01/2020 26/03/2019 15:30 09:02


SILENT POOL ROSE 

EXPRESSION GIN 

Discover Silent Pool Rose Expression Gin, a new and 

floral variation of this award-winning gin. 

Silent Pool Gin was created just five years ago, but in 

that short time it has gained a reputation as one of the finest 

handcrafted gins in the world. 

The Silent Pool Gin Expressions series, new and available 

this spring, is a range of limited edition gins that are the first 

variations on Silent Pool Gin since its original launch. Each 

one of these unique blends amplifies one of the gin’s key 

botanicals to create a new and delicious spirit. The iconic 

Silent Pool Gin teal glass bottle with its signature botanical 

design is enhanced with copper ribbons to denote each 

flavour. 

The first in the series is Silent Pool Rose Expression Gin and, 

as befits a rose gin, it will be available just in time to celebrate 

the romance of Valentine’s Day and summer weddings, as 

well as being an ideal treat for Mothering Sunday and special 

occasions. Look out for the teal bottle with the pink ribbon! 

Rose Expression shares the Silent Pool Gin DNA in terms of 

its complexity and refreshingly individual character, however 

the core recipe has been refined to compliment 

and enhance the more forward floral notes. 

Its beautiful rosy essence is imparted during 

distillation thanks to a unique tea infusion 

of rose petals sourced from Devon. These 

flavours are underpinned by the Silent Pool 

Gin recipe but some of the original botanicals 

that give the classic gin its delightful flavour 

- pear, bergamot, cubeb and cardamom - 

have been amplified to compliment the rose. 

Meanwhile, fresh lemon peel replaces fresh orange and lime 

peel to perfect the blend of flavours. The result is a London 

Dry gin that has a distinctive yet delicate rose flavour. 

The recommended Silent Pool Rose Expression Gin serve is 

simple yet delicious: in a Copa glass, pour a single or double 

measure over ice, add Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic and 

garnish with a sweet slice of fresh pear. 

Available at independent retailers throughout the UK and at 

the Silent Pool Gin distillery shop. 

www.silentpooldistillers.com 




NOTES 

from the pass 

Michael Caines MBE, chef/patron of Lympstone 

Manor, is one of Britain’s most decorated and wellknown 

chefs. Sally Thomson caught up with him to 

discuss his ventures in wine, his passion for teaching 

and his need for speed... 

When we last met you were at Kentisbury Grange, and I 

note that you received some awards for that? 

Yes, the Small Hotel of the Year and Restaurant of the Year. 

It’s great! Kentisbury Grange is owned by my old school 

friend Mark Cushway. Mark asked me to get involved and 

help him with his project, which I did, and it’s great to see 

that over the years we’ve managed to acquire many awards 

which is a tribute to the team. The chef there at the moment 

is James Checkley and he is doing a great job, and we just 

continue to advance and improve. There are challenges being in 

North Devon that are different to being located in South Devon, 

unfortunately places in North Devon can get overlooked on the 

culinary map, so it’s nice to be able to contribute to the North 

Devon economy by creating a lovely venue, and to see it do well. 

When we last spoke you mentioned that your pride and joy was 

Lympstone Manor. You are now into its third year… 

It’s incredible to think that when we last met, it was just in its 

infancy. We won a Michelin Star within six months, and we are 

very pleased to announce that we have been given five rosettes this 

year, so it is great progress and we just look to the Michelin gods 

that we might advance to two! But the main thing is that since we 

spoke we planted a vineyard and the whole property has settled 

and matured. It really is the best of me and everything that I have 

achieved in my career combined into this wonderful place. 

Do you draw back the curtains and pinch yourself to remember 

that it’s yours? 

Every day! When I walk into that property and I look at that 

view…I do pinch myself! But I also recognise that it has been a 

huge amount of hard work and it still continues to take a lot of 

commitment. 

“LYMPSTONE MANOR REALLY 

IS THE BEST OF ME, AND 

EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE 

ACHIEVED IN MY CAREER 

COMBINED INTO THIS 

WONDERFUL PLACE.” 

So about your vineyard! The harvest in 2018 was good wasn’t it? 

The harvest in the UK in 2018 was brilliant, it was the best harvest in 

the history of English wine making, it’s been incredible. We planted 

our vineyard in 2018, and in its second year it will produce grapes 

that we can harvest (next year), those grapes will then be vinified 

and we will be releasing our first wine in 2024. So it takes three years 

for the vineyard to establish. We are now beginning our third year. 

We planted, in eleven acres, 17,500 vines, of which 50% are Pinot 

Noir, 20% Meunier and 30% are Chardonnay. They are the classic 

champagne varietals, so we are looking forward to producing some 

wonderful English sparkling wine. Hopefully they will have their 

own story to tell, alongside the story of Lympstone Manor. 

I watched Jason Atherton in The Chef ’s Brigade, and what I 

hadn’t really realised is the interaction between each person in 

the kitchen and how it can affect the cuisine. I work in an office, 

and each person does their own thing, whereas in a kitchen, the 

relationship between each person is quite a complex one! 

In all honesty it’s not that different! Similar to what you described 

with your office, everyone has different disciplines. The editor 

brings into the magazine all those different skills that contribute 

into a great publication. In a kitchen it is similar, it’s like an 

orchestra, and we conduct that orchestra, but we edit it and so 

we are the curators but it requires an individual team working 

alongside each other and communicating. Our deadlines 

continued overleaf 




however are very immediate! It requires massive amounts of 

effort and discipline, and that discipline is not self-indulgent, 

it’s selfless, as it is a requirement. It is a very tough environment. 

We are all interconnected and intertwined, but it’s also like the 

analogy of a swan, where on the surface to the customer we 

appear very calm, but underneath there’s two legs paddling! But 

we’ve got more than two legs on the team, and those legs are 

components, all working together. It’s fascinating and it’s a good 

insight into what goes on behind the scenes. 

On a completely different note, did you go to Silverstone this 

year? If so, how many Grand Prix’s did you get to attend? 

I did go this year, it was great! I’ve seen four this year, sometimes 

it’s five. But I did three Europeans and one fly-away, and so we 

send a chef out to all the Europeans to support ROKiT Williams 

Racing, and I go to Monaco, British, Monza and America. 

Sometimes I do Abu Dhabi and I might try and do Singapore 

next year. I do as many or as few as I want, but no less than three. 

What’s your favourite? 

Monaco is amazing but the racing is dull. Monza is the fastest 

track. Italy, I love Italy. But I love Silverstone for pure racing, 

it’s a great track. It’s a fascinating sport, and I think as much as 

we criticise it, one minute you can have a dull race and the next 

minute you can have the most exciting race. 

I know you are very involved with charities, and you have the 

Michael Caines Academy at Exeter College? 

It’s probably more of an educational programme at Exeter College 

where we take sixteen students through two years of training and 

they then graduate as a Michael Caines Academy student. In that 

time they have a slightly shortened curriculum where they spend 

six weeks in work experience and they have do one ‘experience 

day’ a week, which are cooking demonstrations, visits to the 

industry etc. After these two years when they graduate they are 

very sought after, because of the experience they have gained. So 

the academy is very important and it’s doing a great job supplying 

the industry with some much needed talent. 

“IF YOU ARE A PUBLIC FIGURE... 

THEN I THINK YOU HAVE A DUTY 

OF CARE TO DO SOMETHING AND 

PUT BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY” 

They are all like-minded and are fabulous kids, and now in its 

eighth year we’ve had sixty cohorts going through, and we will 

continue to develop. But in terms of the charity work I do, I work 

with seven different charities. I’m patron of Families for Children 

which is an adoption charity, I’m the president of the wonderful 

charity Farms for City Children, I’m on the board for the Exeter 

Chiefs Foundation, which is the charity for the Exeter Rugby team 

which do a fantastic job. I’m also an ambassador and advisor to the 

board of the Calvert Trust, and I also work alongside Damon Hill’s 

Charity who support people with Down’s Syndrome. 

So it’s lots of different charities! But it increases public 

awareness, and I’m particularly proud to have been made a 

deputy lieutenant to the lieutenant of Devon, because through 

this position I am able to work on improving the network of 

charities in Devon, and get them working together. 

In terms of the success of the Exeter Chiefs, and the work that 

they do – we support seventeen charities every year, but alongside 

that we donate un-designated funds to a huge amount of different 

charities. What we are seeing is a way in which we can help 

charities with capital projects, and last year we got together 

with the Property Ball. They raised £55,000 last year towards 

charities, and we chose to match fund that, and so between the 

two charities we raised £110,000 to refit Devon Hospice in Exeter, 

which was a well-worthy cause and an incredible thing to do. But 

it’s things like that, that are about the community, that inspire 

you to get involved. If you are a public figure or you are someone 

who is perceived to be a celebrity or you are successful then I 

think you have a duty of care to do something and put back in the 

community. Not everybody does it but I think it is important. 

You can find out more about Michael Caines at michaelcaines. 

com and Lympstone Manor at lympstonemanor.co.uk 




HOW CAN I GO MEAT-FREE 

AND BEETROOT TO MYSELF? 

Greener Greens can help! 

The current focus on increasing plant-based eating and 

being more aware of where your food comes from is 

welcomed by us at Greener Greens, our local growers 

and our nutritionists – it fits right in with our core values 

of making those small day-to-day changes that can help the 

environment, as well as improving our own health, so that 

everybody wins! 

Sceptics among us worry that plant-based eating and 

Veganuary is becoming more of a marketing ploy - and whilst 

we welcome the current trend of having a meat-free diet and 

eating higher quality, locally produced foods, we also believe 

that radical changes in diet should not be made without 

understanding what is involved and how to do it successfully 

so that you remain healthy and happy. 

One of our customers made the change to a vegan diet after 

a lifetime of eating meat and dairy and was astounded by the 

results as she explains: 

A recent switch over the last 6 months to a plant-based 

diet has reaped definite benefits to my health and 

wellbeing. This has included an improved sleep pattern, 

less frequent and less intense migraines, glossy and wellconditioned 

hair, more healthy and natural glow to skin 

tone. Along the way excess weight has disappeared and 

energy levels have improved. 

The most amazing part of this journey into adopting 

a plant based diet? My firmly entrenched carnivore 

husband has dropped all resistance and is a convert too! 

Her experience is echoed by many people that we speak to. 

They find that the everyday feeling of good health is far greater 

than just the science-based health benefits – which include 

weight loss, lower blood sugar, improved kidney function, a 

lower risk of heart disease and a reduction of arthritis. 

Here are a few tips which we have collected from our clients 

and nutritionists which will help you to start your journey on 

a successful transition to a vegan or vegetarian diet: 

• Get enough protein Incorporate legumes, seeds/nuts or 

soy foods in each meal 

• Add Vitamin B12 Vegetarians source B12 from eggs 

and milk, but vegans may need to use supplements or 

products such as Engevita 

• Eat enough calories Vegetarian/vegan diets tend to be 

lower in calories, so make sure that you’re eating enough! 

• Drink more water Plant-based diets are higher in fibre 

and water is needed to aid digestion 

• Get enough iron Iron from plant-based food is less easily 

absorbed by the body than that from meat. Eat lentils, 

beans, greens, nuts alongside foods rich in Vitamin C to 

aid iron absorption 

• Get enough calcium for bone density, healthy nails and 

hair. Eat kale, broccoli, figs and oranges 

• Eat enough Omega 3 fatty acids Often derived from fatty 

fish, include chia seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, flax seeds, 

brussel sprouts in a vegan diet 

• Use wholefoods, not processed Many plant-based 

processed foods do not contain essential nutrients. Cook 

from raw ingredients, making larger amounts of a dish 

for several days. 

If the above sounds daunting see www.forksoverknives.com 

and www.pcrm.org for balanced recipes. It’s not as scary as it 

sounds! 

And remember – those cravings like butter on toast can make 

any diet transition daunting but substitutes do exist – and you 

may not even notice the difference! 

• Dairy Use nut butters or avocado or coconut oil with a 

pinch of sea salt on toast, coconut milk in coffee and oat 

or nut milk on cereal 

• Desserts and cakes Make meringues with chickpea liquid 

and coconut sugar, cream from whipped solid coconut 

milk and cakes/cheesecakes using dates and maple/agave 

syrup 

• Meat texture Jackfruit flesh is a very meaty vegan 

mainstay and full of nutrients. It is available either plain 

or ready marinated 

Greener Greens delivers to London, Surrey and Sussex 

and is at Horsham Market and Clapham Market weekly. 




PAN-FRIED SEA BASS 

with tomato and mango salsa 

Serves: 2 | Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 45 mins 

INGREDIENTS 

2 sea bass fillets 

1 tbsp olive oil 

0.5 mangoes 

1 punnet M&S Select Farms tomatoes 

1 lime 

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

half bunch coriander 

half a red onion 

PREPARATION 

Peel and finely dice the mangoes. Dice 

the M&S Select Farms tomatoes. Zest 

and juice the limes. Finely chop the red 

onions. 

METHOD 

Mix the mango, tomatoes, lime, extra 

virgin olive oil, coriander and red onion 

together for the salsa and set aside. 

Season the sea bass fillets with salt and 

black pepper. 

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, 

add the olive oil, then place the sea bass 

fillets skin-side down. 

Cook for 6 minutes so the skin becomes 

crisp and golden. Turn the fish onto the 

flesh side for 1 minute, then remove. 

Top each fillet with a generous spoonful of 

salsa and serve. 

PAN-FRIED SCALLOPS 

with peas, and fennel 


INGREDIENTS 


2 large fennel bulbs 

1 tbsp fresh dill 

380g wild Atlantic scallops 

2 tbsp fresh green pesto 

300g fresh peas 

1 lemon 

150ml dry white wine 

PREPARATION 

Chop the fresh dill. Grate and juice the 

lemons. 

METHOD 

Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/ 

gas 5. 

Cut the fennel into quarters and remove 

the tough core. 

Cut each quarter in half again and arrange 

in a shallow roasting tin. 

Drizzle over the half the oil, the wine, 

lemon zest and juice, and season. Roast 

for 40 minutes, or until the fennel is just 

tender. 

Meanwhile, cook the peas in boiling salted 

water for 2-3 minutes, until tender. 

Drain well and stir through the fennel 

mixture, along with the pesto. 

Heat the remaining oil in a large, nonstick 

frying pan and add the scallops. 

Cook for 1-2 minutes each side, until just 

cooked through. 

Divide the fennel and peas among four 

serving plates and arrange the scallops 

on top. 

Scatter over the dill and serve. 



A BOWL OF 

HEARTY DISHES THAT COMFORT THE SOUL 

BUT ALSO FEED THE BODY WITH GOODNESS 

- A HUG FROM THE INSIDE OUT. ALL FROM 

THE FANTASTIC COOKWITHMANDS.COM 

comfort 

LAKSA NOODLE SOUP 


INGREDIENTS 

1 pack Cook With M&S diced butternut 

squash 

1packet Prepared garlic ginger & chilli 

1pot Cook With M&S fragrant Thai green 

curry sauce 

500ml vegetable stock 

125g tenderstem broccoli 

1 pack baby corn and sugar snap peas 

1 pack vermicelli noodles 

1 handful coriander 

1 handful salad onions 

1 handful salted peanuts 

METHOD 

In a large pan, fry the squash with the 

garlic, ginger and chilli mix (saving a little 

chilli to garnish) in a splash of oil until 

golden. 

Stir the Cook With M&S Fragrant Thai 

Green Curry Sauce together with the 

stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 

minutes. 

Add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. 

Add the baby corn and sugar snap peas 

and cook for 2 minutes. 

Pour boiling water over the noodles 

and leave to stand for 4 minutes, then 

drain and spoon into four bowls. Ladle 

the broth on top, then finish with the 

coriander, salad onions and peanuts 

SUPER WHEATBERRY 

with roasted carrots and salmon 


INGREDIENTS 

300g baby carrots 


1 garlic clove, crushed 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

200g M&S Super Wheatberry 

125g M&S flaked Arbroath honey roast 

salmon slices 

25g fresh dill, roughly chopped 

50g pomegranate seeds 

3 tbsp buttermilk 

METHOD 

Preheat the oven to 190˚C/375˚F/gas 5 

(170˚C for fan ovens). Put the carrots in 

a roasting tin and drizzle over half the oil. 

Scatter over the garlic and cumin seeds, 

then season. Roast for 30 minutes, until 

the carrots are just tender. 




Cook the Super Wheatberry according 

to the packet instructions. Gently mix 

together with the carrots, salmon and dill, 

and arrange on a serving dish. Scatter 

over the pomegranate seeds. 

To make the dressing, mix together the 

buttermilk, remaining olive oil and 1 tbsp 

warm water, then season. Drizzle the 

dressing over the dish to serve. 

MUSHROOM AND 

LENTIL BOLOGNESE 

Serves: 4 | Prep: 5 mins | Cook: 1 hour 

INGREDIENTS 

320g spaghetti 


300g chestnut mushrooms 

1 pack Cook With M&S soffritto mix 

1 tsp oregano 

half a jar Cook With M&S roasted garlic 

and mushroom paste 

1 tin chopped tomatoes 


200g Puy lentils 

1 garlic clove 

3 tbsp dried breadcrumbs 

half a pack of fresh parsley 

PREPARATION 

Cook the Puy lentils. Mince the garlic 

cloves. Finely chop the fresh parsley. 

METHOD 

Heat the 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over 

a medium-high heat and pan-fry the 

mushrooms, tossing occasionally, until 

caramelised. 

Add the sofrito mix and oregano, turn 

down the heat and cook for a further 

10 minutes, until the veg softens and 

becomes lightly caramelised. 

Add the Cook With M&S roasted garlic 

and mushroom paste and cook for 

another 5 minutes. 

Add the chopped tomatoes and stock, then 

simmer for another 20 minutes. Add the 

lentils and cook until the sauce has reduced 

and thickened, so you have a rich ragu. 



Cook the pasta according to the packet 

instructions. Meanwhile, add the 

remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan and, 

once hot, add the grated garlic and cook 

for 1-2 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs 

and toast until golden, then stir through 

the parsley and take off the heat. 

Serve the ragu tumbled through the pasta, 

topped with the breadcrumbs. 

PEANUT AND ALMOND 

CAULIFLOWER CURRY 


INGREDIENTS 

1 cauliflower 

1 can coconut milk 

2 cans chickpeas, drained 

100g crunchy peanut butter 

1 tbsp cooking oil 

1 bunch fresh coriander 

1 onion, finely sliced 

2 large garlic cloves, crushed 

1 thumb ginger, peeled and diced 

1 chilli, finely sliced 

1 tbsp tomato puree 

1 tsp mustard seeds 

1 tsp Garam masala 

1 tsp ground coriander 

1 tsp ground cumin 

60g flaked almonds, lightly toasted 

1 lime 


METHOD 

Cook some brown rice in a saucepan with 

boiling water whilst you make the curry. 

With a large knife, cut the cauliflower 

head into quarters, remove the stem and 

separate the florets. 

Cook the florets in boiling salted water for 

four-five minutes and drain 

Chop off the coriander stems and finely 

slice. Set aside the leaves for later. 

Heat the oil in a large pan over a lower 

heat and cook the coriander stems, 

onions, ginger, chili and garlic until soft 

Add a tablespoon of water if the pan is 

getting quite dry. Season with salt and 

pepper. 

Stir in the spices and cook for a couple of 

minutes followed by the tomato puree. 

Add the coconut milk and peanut butter 

gradually, mixing everything together 

well. Then add the cauliflower, chickpeas 

and vegetable stock. Stir and season. 

Simmer for 10-15 minutes 

Transfer to serving bowls, top with 

coriander leaves, toasted almonds, lime 

and a side of brown rice. 

CHOCOLATE AVOCADO 

MOUSSE 


INGREDIENTS 

150g 70% dark chocolate, cut into pieces 

300ml double cream 

1 large Peruvian Hass avocado, stoned 

and peeled 

2 egg whites 

2 tbsp caster sugar 

pistachio nuts, chopped to serve 

chocolate shavings, to serve 

METHOD 

Put the chocolate into a large mixing 

bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan until 

almost boiling, then pour it over the 

chocolate. Leave to stand for 5 minutes 

without stirring. Stir the chocolate and 

cream mixture until smooth. Cool for 5 

more minutes. 

Meanwhile, wrap and set aside a small 

amount of avocado for decoration, 

then puree the rest using a hand-held 

stick blender, or mash well with a fork 

until smooth. Stir it through the cooled 

chocolate mixture. 

Put the egg whites into a large mixing 

bowl. Make sure it’s super-clean, as traces 

of grease would prevent the egg whites 

from whisking (as would egg yolk). Whisk 

to soft peaks using a hand-held electric 

mixer, then add the caster sugar and 

whisk for a few more seconds until glossy. 

Fold about a quarter of the egg whites 

into the chocolate mixture with a large 

metal spoon to loosen it, then fold in the 

remainder. 

Share between 6 serving glasses and chill 

until ready to serve. Remove from the 

fridge 15 minutes before eating. 

Decorate with thin slices of the reserved 

avocado, pistachio nuts and grated chocolate. 



Award winning family-friendly pub near Epsom 

Family and dog friendly welcoming pub, packed with all the character 

and charm you want from a proper country pub. 

Winner of ‘Pub of the Year’ - Surrey Life Food & Drink Awards 2017 

Seasonal menus containing fresh, locally sourced ingredients 

The nation’s favourite pub classics, alongside unique daily specials 

Large pub patio with outside seating and stunning views 

Local ales, artisan gins and delicious cocktails 

ENJOY £10 OFF YOUR BILL AT THE COCK INN! 

EXCLUSIVE TO EPICURE READERS, WHEN YOU SPEND £40 OR MORE. 

Present this voucher to redeem your discount. 

Terms and conditions apply. Discount valid to Monday to Sunday inclusive, until 30.04.20 (excludes 22.03.20) . Only valid on drinks when purchasing 

alongside a meal. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers or promotions. See website for full details. 

www.cockinnheadley.co.uk | Church Lane • Headley • Epsom • KT18 6LE 




FISH OF THE DAY 

A DELICIOUS, COMFORTING 

HAKE CHOWDER RECIPE 

The afternoons are getting lighter and the early signs of spring 

are within arm’s reach, yet the weather still tells us we’re in 

the midst of winter. Bring sunshine to your home this week 

and fill your kitchen with the delicious aromas of a creamy 

and nutritious chowder, with a twist! We asked award-winning 

independent pub company, RED MIST LEISURE, who own 

and manage ten pubs across Hampshire and Surrey, to reveal 

the recipe to one of their favourite dishes, which can be found 

on their pub menus this winter. Enjoy this light, but incredible 

moreish dish with a chilled glass of white wine. 

FILLET OF HAKE WRAPPED IN 

PARMA HAM 

served on a mussel and prawn chowder with new potatoes 

Serves 4 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 30-35 minutes 

TO PREPARE AND BAKE THE FISH: 

4 skinless Hake fillets 

8-12 slices of Parma ham 

2 sprigs of rosemary 

coarse sea salt and cracked black pepper 

6 cloves of garlic, cut into slivers 

100ml olive oil 

METHOD 

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Place the garlic slivers in an 

oven-proof dish together with the sprigs of rosemary. Season 

and then pour over the olive oil, place in the oven for about 15 

minutes to roast/infuse. 

On a chopping board lay flat, but overlaying one another, 2-3 

pieces of Parma ham per piece of fish. Place each Hake fillet on 

top of the Parma ham, brush with oil and some seasoning and 

then wrap the ham around the fish. Sit the wrapped fish (ham 

ends sitting on the bottom) on the garlic-infused baking tray and 

bake the four parcels of fish for 15-20 minutes. Discard the garlic 

slivers once baked (for flavour). 

TO PREPARE AND COOK THE MUSSEL AND PRAWN 

CHOWDER WITH NEW POTATOES AND WILTED SPINACH: 


2 onions, finely chopped 

2 organic carrots, thinly sliced 

2 organic leeks, roughly chopped 

1kg mussels (must be debearded and cleaned) 

1 litre organic fish stock 

250ml double cream 

200g fresh raw prawns 

1 bunch of chopped fresh basil 

2 medium potatoes peeled and chopped 

Handful of fresh spinach 

METHOD 

In a pan, boil the potatoes gently for 10 minutes or until the potato 

is soft, drain and set aside (you will add the potatoes in later). 

In a separate large pot (for the chowder), heat the oil over a low 

heat, once hot add the chopped onions and carrots and sweat for 

approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid catching. Add 

the leeks and continue sweating/ stirring for a further 5 minutes. 

Add the mussels, cover with a lid and allow them to steam for 2-3 

minutes until their shells begin to open, (note: discard any shells 

that remain closed). 

Pour in the stock and stir well to combine with the mussel/ 

vegetable juices and bring to the boil. Once at the boil, add the 

prawns and chopped basil and cook for 3-4 minutes until the 

prawns are cooked. 

Reduce the heat to simmer and stir in the double cream. At this 

stage, feel free to add additional milk, stock or water to adjust the 

consistency of the chowder to your liking, however it should be 

thick consistency (not thin like a broth). 

Finally, once the consistency is right, add the potatoes into the 

pot alongside a handful of fresh spinach and cook gently to allow 

wilting, approximately 3 minutes. 

Take a portion of the chowder, serve into a bowl and place the 

fillet of wrapped hake on top. Feel free to omit the cream or use a 

dairy-free alternative should you have intolerances. Be sure to use 

a gluten free stock to ensure this remains gluten-free friendly. 

To learn more about Red Mist Leisure and its portfolio of 

Hampshire and Surrey pubs, visit: www.redmistleisure.co.uk 



Photo: Aspire Luxury Properties Limited 


EPICURE EPICURE food & home drink 

DRY JANUARY? 

NAH, HOW ABOUT A DAMP ONE? 

Our resident wine expert Darren Willmott 

encourages you to broaden your wine horizons this 

issue by hosting your own wine tasting party... 

By now you will have certainly made, perhaps even broken, 

your New Year resolutions. When it comes to wine there’s 

the obvious option to do dry-January but, as I tend to steer 

clear of attempting it, I’ll share the one resolution I always 

make at this time of year, and that’s to drink wider. 

A few years back Wine guru Jancis Robinson co-authored the 

weighty book ‘Wine Grapes: A complete guide to 1,368 vine 

varieties…’ which (and I’m not spoiling the ending here) details 

nearly 1,400 different grapes you can try. And these are just the 

ones that have been thoroughly mapped! 

With a bit of searching, it’s easy to step away from the normal 

Chardonnay. For example, Spanish estate Torres have made 

it their mission to keep a sense of heritage and locality by 

championing obscure indigenous varieties. Garró, Querol or 

Sumoll anyone? 

A fun way of stepping outside your comfort zone from the 

comfort of your own home is to organise a tasting evening. With 

a little planning it can cost as little as £20 per person (less if you 

want), a bargain price for a full and fun night! 

TIP #1 – Ask each guest to bring an assigned bottle of wine 

Your evening would ideally take the form of several mini tastings, 

each consisting of 3 or 4 different wines of one particular theme. 

For example, if there’s 9 of you attending, that’s 3 mini tastings of 

3 bottles. 

A theme can be anything that you want, such as comparing 

the red wines from one country, or a particular grape variety 

produced in 3 different countries. Try and come up with 

something that will spark originality such as asking people to 

bring a bottle from a grape variety they’ve never tried before, 

otherwise you may end up with 9 different bottles of ‘on-offer’ 

Sauvignon Blanc. 

TIP #2 – Budget 

A tasting isn’t necessarily about bringing the most expensive 

wine (although you can do a flight comparing wines at different 

price-points to gauge the step up in quality). It’s more about 

contrasting, comparing and playing spot-the-difference. To 

ensure everyone spends fairly set an appropriate budget for each 

bottle purchased (perhaps £10-£15). 

TIP #3 - Glassware and props 

At this point you may be thinking, hang on, 3 glasses per person 

(9 if you don’t rinse as you go) multiplied by 9 people equals 

more glasses than I have at home. The good news is that high 

street merchants like Majestic, and pretty much all of the major 

supermarkets offer free glass loan (with a fee only payable for 

breakages). 

In terms of props, white A4 paper is useful as a table/place mat for 

each guest as the plain surface allows you to clearly contrast the 

colour/appearance of each wine against it. 

If you have an atlas or world map handy (or can make one 

viewable on a device) it can help people understand why a wine 

tastes the way it does. For example, tasting ripe fruit flavours in a 

wine produced in a warm climate versus leaner fruit from a cooler 

climate country. 

TIP #4 – Food and Water 

It makes good sense to lay on a few light bites to soak up the 

alcohol, and this can be as simple as breadsticks and crisps. To 

add a further dimension to your night why not try a bit of food 

and wine matching against cheeses or meats? Jugs of water are 

also a good idea, not least for keeping you hydrated, but also to 

rinse out glasses and cleanse your palate between wines. 

"A FUN WAY OF STEPPING 

OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE 

FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR 

OWN HOME IS TO ORGANISE A 

TASTING EVENING." 

TIP #5 – Have fun! 

The most important tip of all. If you can’t taste the difference 

between any of the wines (which may happen towards the end of 

the night if you’re finishing off the bottles), it doesn’t matter at all, 

just have fun! 

Cheers! 

Read more about wine at Vinesight.me 





HOME & 

GARDEN 

VICTORIAN REVIVIAL - MAKING THE MOST OF PERIOD FEATURES 

AMAZING GLAZING // SPRING INTERIOR REFRESH // NOTES FROM THE GARDEN 



Your satisfaction 

is our success 

With over 25 years experience Stephen Farmer has 

transformed 100s of lofts. 

We are the loft company others are talking about. 

100% of works completed on time and on budget 

Don’t take our word for it - look at the reviews on our Facebook page! 

loftdoctors 

f 

01795 481265 | 07715 312576 

www.loftdoctors.com | info@loftdoctors.com 

30 New Road, Sheerness, Kent, ME12 1BW 


2 

3 

3 

1 

STYLE WATCH: 

MODERN VICTORIAN 

Move over Scandi minimalism - it’s time to maximise - make 

the most of period features and be bold with colour and 

pattern - these beautifully proportioned spaces can take it 

STYLE TIP: 

Victorian and Edwardian staircases are 

beautiful and deserve to be centre stage. 

They look wonderful styled with carpet 

runner over wood alongside restored 

original tiles or painting the staircases to 

match the wall. 

Dark colours like F&B’s ‘Railings’ 

look fabulous in well-proportioned 

Victorian rooms 

5 

1. Marylebone, £1769, sofasandstuff.com 

2. London Graphic Map (50x50cm), made.com 

3. Haslemere Armchair, £1291, sofasandstuff. 

com ; 4. Leather Pouffe, £95, hauslife.co.uk; 

5. Alana 6 Lighting Pendant, £96, darlighting. 

com; 6. ‘Railings’ Paint by Farrow & Ball; 

7. ‘Deep Water’ Paint by 

dowsingandreynolds.com 

4 

Image from 

craftberrybush.com 

7 

6 

GET THE LOOK: 

The alcoves either side of a chimney breast 

lend themselves well to bespoke fitted 

wardrobes in a bedroom. 

The colour scheme in this room is calming, 

with a touch of brightening yellow. Image 

from Colin Poole. 

EPICURE | Autumn 2019 83 


We rescue vintage chairs that are no longer loved or wanted, 

tucked away in attics, sheds and garages and give them a new life. 

Buy something different, a unique, stylish vintage chair! 

Forever Green 

Vintage Large Wing Back Chair with 

Voyage Woodland Trees Fabric 

The Twins - G Plan Chairs 

Eleanor 

Elegant Victorian High Back Chair 

Clover - Victorian High Back 

Wing Chair 

01403 823328 

www.vintagechairsreimagined.com 

info@vintagechairsreimagined.com 

25A Smithbrook Kilns, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8JJ 

Angelina Ballerina - Late Victorian 

Button Back Nursing Chair 

We also have a showroom in Chiswick: 

The Old Cinema, 160 Chiswick High Road, W4 1PR 

07944 202903 

Bella - Victorian Button Back 

Nursing Chair 

Out of Africa 

A Pair 1960’s Cintique Vintage Fireside Chairs 

Natasha’ & Geoffrey 

Georgian Style Wing Back Arm Chairs 

Forever Autumn 

Retro Wing Back Chair 

VINTAGE CHAIRS REIMAGINED have re-upholstered these chairs using stunning designer fabrics that will suit any 

room in your home. Come and meet Oscar, Arthur, Willow, Bear, Out Of Africa and more! Call us and you can make an 

appointment to suit you or email us at info@vintagechairsreimagined.com for a price list. 

SITTING IS BELIEVING... 


GET THE 

LOOK: 

1 

STYLE TIP: 

Victorian spaces look great with mixed 

era furnishings, like bold Sputnik 

chandeliers, boho soft furnishings and 

mid century modern pieces. 


The dark wall here is an 

excellent foil for the period 

features - it brings out the 

cornicing, picture rail and marble fire place, 

with complementary period-style lighting. Then 

modern touches are added, like the bookcases, the 

luxurious coffee table and fun typography. 

Main image from Rachel Smith 

2 

3 

5 

6 

4 

8 

1. Eichholtz Infinity Chandelier, 

£1989; sweetpeaandwillow. 

com; 2. Industrial Mesh 

Cupboard, £825, vincentandbarn. 

co.uk 3. Atlantis Oval Coffee 

Table, £208, sweetpeaandwillow. 

com 4. Doris Occasional Chair, 

£179.99, my-furniture.com; 

7 

5. Lumbar cushion cover with 

tassels, (30x70cm), £36, hauslife. 

co.uk; 6. Gold Window 

Style Wall Mirror 

(82x100cm), £160.95, 

melodymaison.co.uk; 7. Sabra style pillow, £32, 

hauslife.co.uk 8. Merrick Dark Antique Brown 

Trapeze Pendant, £175, artisanti.com; 9. Large 

Round Mirror (80cm), £195, minkinteriors.com; 

10. Wicker Grey Floor & Wall Tile, £12.27 per m² 

tonsoftiles.co.uk 

9 

10 

GET THE LOOK: 

Restore fireplaces in bedrooms and living 

rooms - if the old tiles are past the point 

of repair, modern tiles with a Victorian 

feel work well. This room showcases a soft, 

calming palette. 







Industrial Shoe Storage Bench, £91.99, 

songmics.co.uk 

10 WAYS TO REFRESH YOUR INTERIOR 

From sleek storage solutions and 

grand centre pieces to a fresh coat of 

paint and de-cluttering your wardrobe 

this spring 

The start of a new year often leads us to make positive life 

changes, goals for the coming year and is the time we want 

to refresh our interiors in the process - hello spring clean! 

Sometimes we anticipate an interior change to be expensive 

and timely, however, we have gathered 10 quick and easy 

refreshing ideas to update your humble adobe ready for Spring. 

There are a myriad of ways to make a room feel refreshed - 

whether that’s a new piece of furniture, swapping in different 

soft furnishings, a fresh lick of paint or even clearing down the 

clutter. Here are our top tips for a quick and easy refresher! 

1SLEEK STORAGE SOLUTIONS 

These sleek storage solutions are the perfect, decorative way to 

de-clutter your living space. Don’t fall into the trap of just moving 

your stored items from a drawer to a prettier box - set aside 

uninterupted time and file, sort or discard items as you go. 

Sometimes storage solutions do not have to be enclosed boxes, 

wardrobes or drawers, but sophisticated magazine holders that 

can be placed beside your favourite reading chair, adding texture 

to your room, or a tidy utility bucket for your cleaning products 

or muddy gardening tools. 

Garden Trading Utility 

Bucket in Chalk, £25, 

gardentrading.co.uk 

Rustic Wire Shelf with Towel Rail, 

£19.95, MelodyMaison.co.uk 

Grey Rattan Magazine Holder, £60, 

hudsonhome.co.uk 

Vox Lori Coffee Table with 

Storage in Cashmere, £225, 

cuckooland.com 



EPICURE home & garden 

2INTRODUCING WARMTH 

On a late afternoon in early spring light becomes your 

friend with dappled sunlight often peering in through your 

windows. This light creates warmth in an interior and can 

be spread around the house using a collection of warming 

textiles. Pair warming colour tones with raw fabrics and rich 

prints with smooth pale marble. 

Left: Studio Altar Alpaca Wool 

Throw - Top Drawer Exhibitor S/S20 

+ Studio Altar. 

Right: Himla Linen Cushions- Top 

Drawer Exhibitor S/S20 

topdrawer.co.uk 

Whilst the sunlight is not always available create the same 

effect with soft lighting from an over hanging light or create 

a cosy feeling with a candle and multi-level lighting. 

3FRESHEN UP YOUR WALLS 

WITH A COAT OF PAINT 

Painting your interior walls is probably the most 

important way you can make a room look refreshed. If you are 

on a budget or looking for something quick and easy, a few coats 

of paint can actually go a long way. Add your personality into a 

room with new eye-catching colours on feature walls or use soft 

neutral hues to create a serene escape. 

1 

You can also use paint on your 

furniture, up-cycling rather than 

discarding. Sanding, priming, painting 

and using a protectant coat will help 

you achieve beautiful painted results. 

Use new handles or nobs to lift a tired 

looking drawer or cupboard. 

CREATE NEW AND 

EXCITING FLOORING WITH 

ADDITIONAL RUGS 

4 

5 

If you have hard flooring and want to add warmth or feel your 

decor isn’t compelling enough, a rug can help define or separate 

areas in your room. Use a rug to help define a new colour tone 

peppersq.com 

2 

throughout a room or you can create striking visuals by picking a 

rug which echoes the paint on the wall. 

When picking a new rug it is better to pick a rug which 

compliments the room, linking into other textures and patterns 

of your furniture. Too many different patterns can create an 

overwhelming feeling and becomes a focal point which is jarring. 

Rugs can be in-expensive and can be the ideal way to update a 

room according to the seasonal changes, allowing you to keep up to 

date with new trends. 

DEEP CLEAN 

1. Get Plastered Emulsion 

and Eggshell Paint, £49.99, 

dowsingandreynolds.com 

2. 2019 Swooshes Soft Stone, £29.16, 

dulux.co.uk/en/products 

After a busy festive period, the new year is the most 

satisfying time for some spring cleaning - dramatically altering 

the way your home looks and feels. In our homes there are many 

easy-to-overlook areas which we often miss with our weekly clean. 

Before you start clear away clutter on your work surfaces, plan to 

clean one room at a time, and make sure you get all your cleaning 

products to hand. Pull large pieces of furniture away from the wall 

and clean behind them. 

For the kitchen wipe down the fronts of your cabinets, cleaning 

dust and dirt on the inside and outside of the doors. Clean out your 

fridge and defrost your freezer. In your living room and bedrooms 

make sure you hoover off any cushions, shampoo your rugs and 

carpets and polish down your furniture. 

88 EPI- 

CURE | Early 



OVERMANTELS 

FINEST MIRRORS SINCE 1985 

TRADITIONAL, MODERN & ANTIQUE TV MIRRORS 

www.overmantels.co.uk 

66 Battersea Bridge Road, SW11 3AG 

0207 223 8151 





Try to sort your closets, wardrobes and draws into tidy and 

organised sections, rotating your seasonal items to the front, 

creating a more functional and less stressful space. 

INJECT CALM VIBES INTO YOUR INTERIOR 

WITH BOTANICALS 

6 

Exotic patterns can add a brighter tropical feeling to a room 

refreshing your interior for spring and summer. Real plants in your 

home can also bring a sense of psychological wellbeing, lower stress 

and helps bring the outside inside. Not only do indoor plants help 

to keep your home’s air healthier, they are 

a great way to make a living space look 

inviting and luxurious. Plant pots can 

become a large centre feature for a room, 

trailing house plants create great vertical 

play on a mantle piece, and large, leafy 

tropical house plants with look great with 

bright wall colours. 

Clear Glass Diego Bottle, £14.00 

The Aromatherapy Co. Wild Mint & 

Lime Hand Cream, £12.00 

Toasted Crumpet Fern Art Print, £19.99 

Growing House Plants Book, £9.99 

dobbies.com 

7WELCOME WITH ART 

Adding art into your home gives character 

and warmth, often transforming a room 

and inviting engagement. Original art 

can be expensive, so head to a gallery for 

advice on picking something you'll love 

forever, however prints can be seen as a 

less permanent feature and can easily be 

changed. 

Large Vintage Gold Metal Plant Pot on Stand, 

£48.95, MelodyMaison.co.uk 

(Above) Serax Green Textured Planter- Top Drawer Exhibitor S/S20, topdrawer.co.uk 

(Below) Multi Circle Art Print Framed Poster, Black and Blue, A2, £30, cultfurniture.com 

Abstract Print Framed Wall Art, Pink, £35, cultfurniture.com 

BECOME A MINIMALIST BY 

DE-CLUTTERING 

8 

Becoming a minimalist can be hard and is not 

for everyone, but it is a great start to freshening up your home 

for 2020. Clutter can account for a lot of lost space in your rooms 

and by de-cluttering some of this you can maximise the space 

in your home. Ask yourself the hard questions.... do I use this? 

do I like it? or as Marie Kondo would say “Does this item spark 

joy?”. If something is useful, has an emotional connection or 

something you look at and love, then keep it. If it doesn’t then 

lose it. Follow this by using step 1, sleek storage solutions, to keep 

all your goods in a neat and tidy place. 




9 

NEW FURNISHINGS 

You don’t need to change big furniture pieces in your home to 

spruce up your interior. Buying new textiles and products can lend 

an instantly refreshing new tone. Here we have selected a couple of 

on-trend items to furnish your home with. Already inundated with 

cushions? Just move existing textiles to different rooms! 

Leopard in the Tropics Velvet Cushion, £50, 

frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk 

Set of 2 Seagrass Woven 

Basket, Natural, £79, 

cultfurniture.com 

Moody Florals Velvet 

Cushion, £64, 

mintandmay.co.uk 

LED Solar Plant Jar, £7.99, 

dobbies.com 

CREATE A CENTRE PIECE 

Annie Sloan - Living 

room - Chalk Paint 

in Oxford Navy and 

Athenian Black, 

anniesloan.com 

10 

Creating a centre piece for your home can be the ideal way 

to freshen up a single room. A centre piece could be for 

your dining room table, a stand out piece of furniture, or an 

explosive vase of seasonal flowers on your hearth. There is a 

huge trend at the moment for sculptural pampas grass with its 

feathery sprays as decorations in the bathroom or in tall vases. 



M

MA2932 Design Service Minerva press ad_ARTW.indd 1 29/10/2019 12:17 


INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICE 

Let us help you transform your home 

If you are looking to update your 

entire home or just one room and 

need some inspiration or ideas on 

where to start, our team of highly 

trained designers would love to help. 

TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT 

CALL: 0333 202 1197 

EMAIL: design.services@lauraashley.com 

Your fee will be reimbursed onto a voucher when you spend £1,000 or more in one transaction. 



Amazing 

GLAZING 

When we think about our homes, it’s really the 

windows and doors that create the wow factor. 

We are all so keen to flood our properties 

with natural light and the constantly evolving 

technology in the world of glazing is making some truly 

astonishing designs achievable, not to mention more 

affordable than ever. 

Whether you are self-building, extending or even 

renovating your home, apportioning budget to windows 

and doors is a savvy move. As well as making your home 

more valuable - 69% of people say that light rooms make 

them more inclined to buy - investing in clever glazing 

can make you fall in love with your space once more. 

69% OF PEOPLE SAY THAT 

LIGHT ROOMS MAKE THEM 

MORE INCLINED TO BUY 

- INVESTING IN CLEVER 

GLAZING CAN MAKE YOU 

FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR 

SPACE ONCE MORE... 



SINGLE STOREY 

EXTENSION? 


In a single storey house build or extension, built with an 

open floor plan, skylight shafts can bring much needed 

natural light into the centre of large spaces. 

SLIDING: 

BI-FOLD VS 

SLIDING DOORS 

BI-FOLD: 

PROS - for those looking for that wonderful sense of 

a garden room that brings the outside in, bi-folds can 

help create the sense of one open-plan space as the 

panels fold away fully to the walls. 

CONS - an expensive option - poorly constructed bifolds 

can also suffer from air-tightness issues around 

the joins so do your research and get guarantees. 

SLIDING: 

PROS - generally cheaper than bi-fold doors, sliding 

doors also have fewer frame elements, meaning when 

they are closed your view is less obstructed. 

CONS - you won’t get the full, uninterrupted view of 

the garden - instead only a portion of the doors are 

openable. 

BI-FOLD 




LOYAL. RELENTLESS. 

UNFLAGGING. 

Get in touch to find out how 

we will help you sell your home. 

Being a new, small-ish company means 

we can offer you a personalised service 

that is highly competitive. 


58 Castle Walk, Reigate, RH2 9PX 


BOOK YOUR VALUATION | 01737 317 880 



ROOF LANTERNS 

AND SKYLIGHTS 

Compared to windows of the same surface area, skylights and 

roof lanterns can increase light in a room by up to five times. 

They are particularly good in extensions and for channelling 

light to darker corners of the home and adding opportunities 

for ventilation. These additions are no longer considered just a 

luxury and can be used in a wide variety of scenarios: 

• In a loft extension, tucked beneath sloped rooflines, the 

presence of skylights may spell the difference between a bright, 

friendly space and a murky cave. 

• In a home built between closely adjoining neighbouring 

houses where overlooking might be an issue, skylights may 

be the best solution for introducing good natural light into 

rooms. 

• In a single storey house build or extension, built with an 

open floor plan, skylight shafts can bring much needed natural 

light into the centre of large spaces. 

Many of the issues experienced in the past of rooms 

overheating or being hard to clean have been mediated with 

a tranche of new technology, including glass panels with heat 

regulatory and storage abilities and self-cleaning glass. 

ENERGY 

EFFICIENCY 

Our homes are one of the biggest energy wasters out 

there and traditionally windows are the biggest energy 

leakage point, so with any renovation, it can really pay 

to invest in glass tech to ensure the best temperature 

regulation - creating huge savings down the line. We all 

know that double glazing is much more efficient than 

single, but newer technologies like triple glazing are 

making windows nearly as efficient at energy retention as 

the walls they are installed within. 

As well as the glass, it is important to do you research into 

frames and opt for the most airtight models. 

With great green credentials, triple glazed units have the 

added benefits of better thermal comfort, noise reduction 

and a reduced risk of condensation between panes – so 

for the self-builder or home improver looking for a 

premium finish with added benefits, it’s a natural choice. 




A PLANT FOR 

EVERY SPACE IN 

YOUR HOUSE 

The sale of houseplants has grown considerably in the last 

few years - a 10-15% year on year increase since 2013 

according to the RHS. It is particularly prevalent among 

young people - not so much as part of a décor choice 

but more to fulfil a desire to have something to care for and 

look after. For urban dwellers and workers there are also the 

perceived health and well-being benefits. The RHS website has 

the following: ‘As well as looking good, houseplants support 

human health in homes, offices, school and hospitals. 

If you have never had a plant in your life, having a plant at 

home is the perfect place to start – and there is such a lot of 

choice! My first books were on the subject of house plants and 

I love to have plants of all types sharing our family home. 

There is an enormous body of research going on at the 

moment into the beneficial effects of various species, how 

many you need to benefit either physically or mentally, what 

specific problems they can alleviate and which species can best 

tolerate the various conditions they are exposed to indoors. 

Lack of light, temperature fluctuations, infrequent watering - 

or too much watering - pity the poor indoor plant and yet for 

all of the privations we put them through they still flourish! 

As I travel around the country I see so many lovely orchids 

on windowsills and the moth orchid or Phalaenopsis must be 

present in a high percentage of British homes. You could also 

chose a Spathiphyllum or peace lily, a Madagascar Dragon 

Tree, Dracaena marginata or an English ivy Hedera helix - 

drape them from cupboards and bookcases, group them for 

more impact, have one large statement plant for a Wow factor, 

whatever you choose make room in your life for a plant! 

A Practical Guide to Growing Healthy Houseplants by 

Matthew Biggs - matthewbiggs.com 



Entertain, Relax, Enjoy. 

The possibilities are endless. 

Kingston Modular Set with New Adjustable Height Table 

Luxury Home & Garden Furniture 

Inspirational design and comfort since 1977 

INSPIRED LIVING 

Founded over forty years ago, Bridgman has a proud heritage of 

supplying quality, luxurious furniture. 

Visit our Walton on Thames showroom and pick up a 2020 catalogue 

featuring an exclusive collaboration with The National Trust and 

many new additions to existing ranges. 

New Zealand Avenue 

Walton on Thames 

Surrey KT12 1PL 

01932 242707 

www.bridgman.co.uk 

Showrooms also in : Enfield Old Amersham Wilmslow Winchester 


PROMOTION 

TAKE OFF THE EARLY SPRING CHILL 

WITH A MARBLE HILL FIREPLACE 

THE MOST IMPRESSIVE & EXTENSIVE SELECTION OF FIREPLACES IN THE UK 

W 

hilst we can start to enjoy longer spring days, there is 

still a definite winter chill in the air - and there are few 

pleasures in life as wonderful as curling up in front of 

a fire. Marble Hill Fireplaces was established in 1974 as 

a family business and has grown exponentially over the years 

but, they still offer a very personal and professional service from 

first enquiry to design, with full CAD drawings, and the final 

installation - perfect when you are considering a new feature but 

are looking for minimal upheaval at home. 

Marble Hill employ their own teams of Hetas and Gas registered 

fitters and therefore have full control over the installation from start 

to finish and work closely with architects, designers, site foreman 

and private clients to ensure the fitting runs smoothly and on time. 

As they can also undertake the installation of new flue liners they 

really are a one stop shop offering everything you may need. 

Their stone and marble mantels are made in England from the 

best quality material and they can therefore offer bespoke sizes if 

required. Marble Hill also offer a good range of solid fuel burners 

and stoves with the all important Defra approval for use in 

smokeless zones. 

They are the agents for Planika fires who offer a range of Bio 

Ethanol line fires (which require no chimney at all and give 100% 

efficiency) and are the main agents for the Dutch company Bell 

Fires, who have a superb range of balanced flue gas fires which 

do not require a traditional chimney. Bellfires are at the top of the 

range for quality, design and the majority of their fires are up to 

‘A VERY PERSONAL AND 

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE 

FROM FIRST ENQUIRY TO 

DESIGN...’ 

85% efficient and can give between 2kw-10kw of heat, creating 

stunning warmth and making any room cosy and inviting. 

If you are looking for exceptional service and quality products at 

competitive prices then make Marble Hill fireplaces your first and 

last port of Call. With over 4 floors of stunning showrooms they 

really are worth a visit. 

70-72 Richmond Road, Twickenham, Middlesex TW1 3BE 

Tel: 020 8892 1488 | info@marblehill.co.uk 

www.marblehill.co.uk 


N 


EPICURE escapes 

102 EPICURE | Autumn 2019 


EPIC 

ESCAPES 

An opulent bedroom in The Ned, in the City of London 

A FOODIE TRIP TO SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA 

WHAT'S NEW IN JAPAN IN THIS OLYMPIC YEAR // STYLISH UK STAYS 

EPICURE | Autumn 2019 103 



a 

Slice 

of 

SANTA 

BARBARA 

Kate O’Connell tackles 

the culinary scene of 

Santa Barbara. One 

mouthful at a time... 




When it comes to traveling, shockingly enough I had yet to 

actually get round to visiting the USA. This also came as a 

surprise to my fellow journalists on this trip. Our two nations 

are bound together by much history, an overlap in religion, a 

common legal system and language, so how had I not visited at least 

one state at one time or another? 

Who knows. Our family holidays didn’t stretch that far I guess. Which 

may explain my eagerness when I was offered the chance to explore 

Santa Barbara. Quite the destination for a first time visitor to the USA! 

Aptly nicknamed ‘The American Riviera’, Santa Barbara is situated 

90 miles (a 2 hour car journey) north of Los Angeles, tucked within 

a south-facing pacific coastline on one side, and the rolling hills that 

stretch into the Santa Ynez Mountains on the other. But it is its charm 

and sense of style that makes this small city so tempting - indeed it is 

a hotspot favourite for the rich and famous, with a whole host of A-list 

celebrities calling Santa Barbara home. 

If there’s one things that strikes you, it’s that Santa Barbara doesn’t 

really feel like a city at all. There’s no hustle and bustle here, instead 

just a wonderfully laid-back, chilled vibe. Infused with the spirit of 

Spain, we were informed that 6.8 magnitude earthquake near enough 

flattened the city back in 1925. Devastating yes, but like a phoenix from 

the ashes, this proved the making of the city in terms of architecture, 

as the city planners were convinced to rebuild the city in a unified, 

Spanish Colonial Revival style inspired by the historic Old Mission 

(founded by Spanish Franciscans in 1786). Red-tiled clay top roofs and 

white washed walls litter every building, and in addition to the climate, 

give the city it’s Mediterranean charm. 

Our first stop; checking in to the newly developed North Wing of 

Harbor View Inn hotel. A premier beachfront hotel, Harbour View Inn 

is centrally located within the city, and made for a fabulous base to start 

our trip. My room featured a very inviting king size bed, complimented 

by gorgeous modern Spanish Colonial furnishings, and to top it off - a 

balcony view, a chance to sip on a morning coffee and watch the world 

go by. But not yet. First; dinner! 

We made a short walk around the block to Loquita Restaurant for 

some authentic Spanish tapas. Created as a love letter to the Spanish 

origins and history of Santa Barbara, Loquita’s showcases a medley of 

paellas, charcuterie, cheeses and seafood. We were offered a sample of a 

variety of dishes on the menu, with the squid ink seafood paella being a 

personal favourite of mine. 



After a restful nights sleep in my luxuriously comfy bed, I 

was ready for a day of exciting activities. To get us started, we 

required a hearty breakfast, and Goat Tree was just the place 

to go. A gourmet cafe with a relaxed vibe, Goat Tree offers 

everything from fresh pastries and baked goods cooked inhouse 

by their resident pastry chef, through to cooked breakfasts 

with a Mediterranean twist. I opted for the classic Shakshuka, 

accompanied by homemade flat bread. Possibly the best, tastiest 

start to a morning ever. 

Harbor View Inn Hotel 

Feeling suitably energised, it was time for a spot of kayaking 

down at the harbour front, courtesy of Santa Barbara Adventure 

Company. Kayaking is a great way to view a side of Santa Barbara 

that perhaps few visitors get to see, so it felt like such a treat. Not 

only this, it was a perfect opportunity to spot some of the resident 

wildlife. 

It was perhaps my enthusiasm at this opportunity that had me 

labelled a ‘Twitcher’ on this trip. On every dock we manoeuvred 

around brought hoards of enormous pelicans, gangly herons 

and rather amusing loons to name but a few. We even managed 

to paddle right up to a raft of sealions. So much of the wildlife 

on show were species that I had never seen out of captivity, it 

was a very special morning indeed. I can’t say I am a particularly 

experienced kayaker, having only dabbled on holidays in the past, 

but I needn’t have worried. The Adventure Company specialise in 

providing tours for all abilities, so I was in safe hands! 

A great way to experience the harbour front is to sample some of 

the specialities, and so with this we took a stroll over to Stearns 

Wharf; California’s oldest wharf named after builder John P. 

Stearns. There we took some seats at Santa Barbara Shellfish 

Company, and were served an array of locally caught seafoods, all 

washed down with some local beer. 

Kayaking around Santa 

Barbara harbour 

To garner more of an overview of the city, we then took a ‘trolley 

tour’ via Santa Barbara Trolley Co. This 90 minute tour is lead by 

a highly insightful guide, who relays all sorts of interesting facts 

about the city, as well as a little local celeb gossip on the side! 

After a quick freshen up it was time for a bite to eat. Cue... 

Cubaneo! Californian Cuban cuisine served alongside cocktails 

from Shaker Mill who neighbour within the same premises. It is 

easy to see how you could happily waste away an evening here, 

and we did just that! With a cubano sandwich in one hand and a 

‘Bay of Santiago’ cocktail in the other, you could have easily fooled 

us into thinking we were in Havana! 

Loquita Restaurant 

After another restful nights sleep, I skipped breakfast in order 

to make room for the immense amount of food we would be 

sampling on the Eat This, Shoot That! Funk Zone Food & Photo 

tour. A three-hour expedition, this is a chance to sample some of 

Santa Barbara’s finest fodder, as well as learn a little more about 

the city’s history, all while discovering how best to maximize your 

photo-taking ability, achieving the most Instagram-worthy images 

that will make you the envy of all your friends. 



Belmond El Encanto Hotel 

The tour is also a great chance to get to grips with the layout 

of the city. Santa Barbara is made up of several districts, one of 

which, The Funk Zone, has seen its popularity boom in recent 

decades. Comprising of a series of converted warehouses, this 

contemporary district is very much the place to be to sample 

artisan foods from up-and-coming chefs, and out-of-this-world 

Santa Barbara Country wines. Shop fronts and walls are adorned 

with graffiti murals and art pieces; this district really is an everevolving 

artistic neighbourhood that is well worth a visit. 

It was then time to travel up into the foothills to our next hotel. 

And what an iconic hotel indeed. The Belmond El Encanto. 

Recently renovated in 2013, Belmond El Encanto offers stunning 

views of the American Riviera and a whole heap of Hollywood 

glamour on the side. This resort manages to feel relaxed and lowkey, 

while at the same time feeling like the most exclusive place 

on earth. Sitting poolside whilst sipping a glass of ‘Belmond El 

Encanto Cuvee’, life truly feels timeless up here. It’s little wonder 

that it was a favoured getaway of the Hollywood elite. 

We made our way back down from the hills to State Street for 

an Italian feast at Due Lune Cucina. Serving fresh ingredients 

and hand-made pasta, I would have been mad not to order 

the Linguine alle Vongole. This was paired with some fabulous 

local wines, and the staff couldn’t have been more friendly and 

attentive. We topped off the night with a nightcap at Pearl Social; 

an intimate and beautifully furnished cocktail bar. The night felt 

like a very classy affair indeed. 

Somehow, our final day had sadly rolled around already! It was 

time to do a spot of botanical sight seeing. Lotusland was our 

destination. This 37-acre estate and botanic garden is situated in 

the foothills of Montecito, which is located to the East of Santa 

Barbara. Purchased by the rather marvellous socialite Madame 

Walska (Google her, honestly!), she spent 43 years designing 

the gardens to her liking. To say they were breathtaking is an 

understatement. Home to all sorts of exotic, rare collections of 

plants, this is truly a garden like no other. 

After another spot of wine tasting at some of the local 

establishments (it would be rude not to!), we made our way to 

Bibi Ji for dinner. A modern take on traditional Indian cuisine, 

Bibi Ji are experts at pairing quality, local wines with the most 

brilliant of dishes. The moment came when the aptly nicknamed 

‘Californian Gold’ was bought out; Santa Barbara’s locally caught 

sea urchins. Beautifully presented, and filled with biryani rice, I 

couldn’t lie...I was a little hesitant to try them. After all, my only 

knowledge of them was to avoid standing on them when on sandy 

beaches abroad. I needn’t have worried. Creamy and indulgent, 

they were fantastic. 

What a dish. And what a trip. 

AT A GLANCE 

2 nights at harbor view inn hotel, 2 nights at 

belmond el encanto hotel, private transfers and 

return flights with Norwegian air. Parking and 

lounge access with holiday extras. 

No1 Lounge at Gatwick Airport (South Terminal) 

from £26 PP 

Harbor view inn - Nightly Rates vary from 

$268.00-$400.00 

Belmond El Encanto - Nightly room rates start from 

$560 (inc tax), suites from $811 (inc tax) 

www.santabarbaraca.com 




THE OLYMPIC YEAR 

WHAT'S NEW IN JAPAN? 

With Japan gearing up for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic 

and Paralympic Games, attention is being focused on 

the Tohoku region in northern Honshu, which was 

heavily affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. 

Prefectures within the region such as Aomori, Fukushima and 

Miyagi will be some of the first to receive the Olympic Torch 

Relay and will play host to part of the games. Tohoku is easily 

accessible from Tokyo by shinkansen and is celebrated for its 

local produce and vast natural beauty. 

THE OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY FOR TOKYO OLYMPICS 2020 

TRAVELS THROUGH TOHOKU 

Following a tradition of peace and hope, the touch relay theme 

this year is ‘Hope Lights Our Way’, uniting the Japanese people 

around messages of support and acceptance. The flame will 

initially be put on display at various locations in the Tohoku 

region, to help underscore a message of hope in areas affected by 

the 2011 earthquakes and tsunami, including Miyagi, Fukushima 

and Iwate. The Olympic Torch Relay will commence on 26 March 

2020 in Fukushima Prefecture and will then travel to each of 

Japan’s 47 prefectures, showcasing the varied cultural and scenic 

attractions of each region. 

Miyagi is lucky enough to play host to the Olympic flame twice, 

once on 20 March 2020 when it arrives from Greece and displayed 

in recovering areas and again from 20-22 June 2020 on its way 

to Tokyo for the Games. A place of natural beauty, Miyagi boasts 

both beautiful coastline and lush wilderness. Visit Zuiganji, one 

of the region’s most prominent Zen temples well-known for its 

beautifully gilded and painted sliding doors. Originally founded 

in 838 AD, it was converted into a Zen temple in the 12th century 

and remains a training ground for Buddhist monks. 

TOKYO 2020 VICTORY BOUQUET FLOWERS FROM THE 

TOHOKU REGION 

Early this year, the Tokyo Organizing Committee of the Olympic 

and Paralympic Games announced the decision to present 

victory flower bouquets to medalists. These flowers will be 

made up of flowers from the hardest hit prefectures in the 2011 

Great East Japan Earthquake disaster as a symbol of recovery 

including; Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima. Flowers that will 

be used in these bouquets include sunflowers and roses from 

Miyagi and gentians from Iwate. 

NIPPON 2020 CULTURAL OLYMPICS 

Tokyo 2020 Nippon Festival has been created to build energy 

around the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The 

festival welcomes people and cultures from around Japan 

"THE MIYAGI PREFECTURE IS A PLACE 

OF NATURAL BEAUTY, STUNNING 

COASTLINE AND ADORABLE 

WILDLIFE AND IN 2020 WILL BE THE 

HOST TO SEVERAL MEN’S OLYMPIC 

GAME FOOTBALL MATCHES." 

and beyond to interact and celebrate the Games, events will 

be organised to encourage diversity and regeneration in the 

Tohoku region opening new gateways and introducing new 

possibilities for Japan. 

MIYAGI PLAYS HOST TO THE FOOTBALL MATCHES DURING 

THE 2020 OLYMPIC GAMES 

The Miyagi Prefecture is a place of natural beauty, stunning 

coastline and adorable wildlife and in 2020 will be the host to 

several men’s Olympic Game football matches. Catch the Men’s 

Quarterfinal at Miyagi Stadium on 1 August 2020. The stadium is 

just a stone throw’s away from Matsushima Bay, enjoy some down 

time after the games and explore the collection of over 260 pineclad 

islands that have been designated one of Japan’s Three Most 

Scenic Views. Visit the region’s cosmopolitan capital Sendai, fondly 

nicknamed the City of Trees, and sample some of the prefecture’s 

culinary delights such as, gyutan (cow tongue) and kamaboko 

(white fish cakes). Additionally, Zao Fox Village is a must whilst in 

Miyagi, the village is home to six different types of fox, here visitors 

can feed and play with the adorable creatures, the animals are 

friendly up close and play a key role in Japanese folklore. 

RESTORATION AND THE REOPENING OF THE KABUSHIMA SHRINE 

Whilst travelling to Japan for the 2020 Olympic Games it is worth 

extending the trip of a lifetime to nearby areas. Located in the 

Tohoku region in Aomori Prefecture is Hachinohe City, here is 

where the renowned Kabushima shrine stands. The shrine was 

completely destroyed in a fire on 5 November 2015, the new 

shrine is under construction and is scheduled to be reopened in 

March 2020.The shrine was incredibly picturesque located on a 

small hill surrounded by the sea, it enshrines goddess Benzaiten. 

Kabu in Kabushima can mean both turnip and stock in Japanese, 

the shrine is therefore a popular place for local fishermen and 

townspeople to come and pray for good luck in the stock market 

and business, as well as fishing. 

For more information on Japan 2020 visit: japan.travel/en/uk 



BE AT THE TOKYO 2020 

OLYMPIC GAMES 

WITH TEAM GB’S OWN 

TRAVEL COMPANY 

VISIT TEAMGB.COM/TRAVEL 

OR CALL 0344 788 4002 

TEAMGB LIVE DRAFT A4_Full_Page_with_Bleed_297mm_high_x_210mm_wide 0104.indd 1 07/01/2020 11:17 


HOLMES HOTEL 

MARYLEBONE, LONDON 

I am a lover of many styles and genres, but prior to my visit to 

the Holmes Hotel in London, you many well have found that I 

would turn my nose up at the thought of a themed hotel. But 

this delightful retreat, just steps away from Baker Street station, 

has entirely changed my mind. 

Indeed, it’s no mystery why this hotel is proving popular with 

a myriad of guests - from those looking to delight in the many 

nods to this eponymous deceptive to others just looking for a 

stylish city bolt-hole. 

Travellers of both the seasoned and novice variety will uncover 

countless little luxuries waiting for them in the bedrooms. From 

cosy hideaways for two to luxurious duplex Loft suites, the 

rooms at Holmes Hotel perfectly straddle classic architecture 

and plush, modern interiors. Rooms feel like luxurious 

sanctuaries away from the bustle of the Marylebone high street 

and Baker Street station - only steps away. It's tempting not 

to leave, especially with so many amenities, like the fabulous 

nineteenth-century style gym, in the building. 

Should you decide to dine in, the Kitchen at Holmes offers a 

warm, buzzing atmosphere and delicious seasonally-inspired 

cuisine with inspirations from all over the world. Led by Head 

Chef Stefano Motta, this sought after all-day dining destination 

epitomises an exciting blend of cultures that is unique to 

London. We loved the mezze small plates - perfect for sharing. 

The standout star dish was lighter-than-light ravioli, lavished in 

butter, garlic and rich heady slices of black truffle. 

Whether you are a curious mind with a penchant for intrigue or 

a world-weary traveller in need of somewhere sumptuous to rest 

your head, your perfect room mystery is solved... 

Dan Weston 

AT A GLANCE: 

Stays start at £246 per night | holmeshotel.com 

83 Chiltern St, Marylebone, London W1U 6NF 



stylish 

STAYS 

Some perfect boutique breaks and 

weekend getaways 

VAUSE AT SEA, 

WALMER, COASTAL KENT 

There, on your doorstep, the sand and the sea. Yours to enjoy 

from every corner in this luxury pad where nothing is too 

much for your comfort. Holidays surely don’t come more 

blissful than this. 

The clue comes of course in the name, but as you walk up to 

your holiday home you didn’t expect the sands and the sea 

to be quite this close. You are literally at sea. And it’ll be the 

ocean tides and the ever-shifting sea views that accompany you 

throughout your stay. 

But as well as the sea on your doorstep, this modern pad is all 

about the luxury touches. The list runs very, very long but to 

give you a taster, think Sonos sound systems in every room, 

Lutron touchpad lighting, Amtico floors (heated throughout), 

electronic blinds, wine cooler, Bosch coffee machine… Oh, and 

the cinema room with 75” screen. 

The sea and the sky dominate the view through the giant 

picture windows in the elegant living room. Step onto the deck 

for fresh sea air and a little something you chilled earlier as 

you sit back on the comfy rattan. Everyone at the long dining 

table has sea views, also enjoyed from the stylish kitchen 

with all the mod cons you’d expect integrated into sleek grey 

cabinets under white countertops. 

Upstairs lie five generously sized bedrooms, all with king-size 

beds for truly regal sleep as you listen to the waves. Most have 

en suite shower rooms. Be first up to the top floor to bag the 

family suite where the dormer windows cleverly convert to Juliet 

balconies for even better views of the sea beyond. 

Go downstairs to see your favourite film or a spot of table 

tennis. Step outside for your BBQ and garden (with a sound 

system of course). Or to the beach and then to Kingsdown with 

three good pubs. Walk or cycle just a little bit further to the 

delights of the pretty town of Deal before you return to your 

very own retreat by the sea. 

Vause at Sea sleeps 10 in five spacious bedrooms, all with kingsize 

beds and several with sea views. There are six bathrooms 

(5 shower rooms and 1 family bath) plus a handy ground floor 

cloakroom. 

AT A GLANCE: 

Stays start at £2540 per week. 

Visit kentandsussexcottages.co.uk 



THE NED, 

CITY OF LONDON 

There can be few places in London that can create both an 

atmosphere of celebration and intimacy - a place to rejoice in 

big birthdays and somewhere to whisper in your lover's ear at 

your corner table. Never has one venue had it all. 

This former bank’s high ceilings and acres of marble, coupled 

with banquettes of leather and grand hall-esque wooden tables, 

exude pure glamour - this exuberant style is echoed in the 

bedrooms, with 1920s styling nodding to the hotel's former life, 

but with added home comforts - you'll feel so cosseted, you'll 

never want to leave. 

Visiting the Ned is an event - I've been four times and still not 

managed to take in the full works of the offerings. It boasts ten 

restaurants from Paris to New York, via the Asian Pacific, each 

exemplifying the same standards of excellence. 

Residency overnight at The Ned also lets you join an illustrious 

club, with access to Soho members-only areas of the hotel. 

Upstairs at The Ned is a summer hotspot with its rooftop pool 

and panoramic views of the city, whilst the Vault bar in the 

Downstairs area is one of the coolest drinking establishments 

in London - occupying the underbelly of the building and still 

furnished with its 16-inch thick door and lined with more than 

3,000 original safety deposit boxes. 

If you're at The Ned for the weekend, a must is the famous 

Sunday Feast, occupying the whole of Millie's restaurant. A 

cornucopia in every sense of the word, you'll dine on lobster, 

Ottolenghi-worthy salads, roasted joints of meat and a 

spectacular banquet of puds. You can eat yourself into a moment 

of quiet reflection as you take in the rest of the scene, with live 

jazz playing around you. 

Katie Thomson 

AT A GLANCE: 

Medium rooms starts from £450. 

27 Poultry, London EC2R 8AJ | thened.com 



Belong in Luxury 

We’re seeking all kinds of unique retreats from coast 

to countryside in Kent and Sussex 

Join our exclusive group of homeowners and discover 

all the benefits being with us brings 

76 Castle Street, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2QD 

www.kentandsussexcottages.co.uk 

01580 720770 info@kentandsussexcottages.co.uk 



PROMOTION 

WORK IS STRESSFUL ENOUGH 

YOUR HOLIDAY TRAVEL EXPERIENCE SHOULDN’T BE. 

For many of us, travel is unavoidable and part of our 

lives, whether it’s for business or that much needed 

luxury holiday. However the whole journey, from airport 

arrival, check-in, customs and immigration and security, 

and even the lounge experience can feel unpredictable and 

unproductive. 

Now there is a solution to the more stressful aspects of air 

travel, making your holiday even more enjoyable: Signature 

ELITE class, which gives you back control over your ground 

experience and makes sure that your journey starts and ends 

in style. 

With ELITE Class, you can avoid the stress and 

unpredictability of the main terminal. It’s the private jet 

experience for the commercial traveller. Upon arrival directly 

at the private terminal, you are shown to a private lounge 

where you can relax with a glass of champagne and light 

refreshments whilst the team complete the airline ticketing 

process. When your flight is ready to board, you are escorted 

through dedicated security and customs screening and 

whisked off in a luxury vehicle directly to your aircraft. 

There’s also an arrivals service: after your relaxing holiday, 

you will be met at the aircraft and driven back to the private 

terminal, where customs and immigration are waiting for 

you and your bags will be brought to you. You will be in 

your car and on your way home within minutes of leaving 

the aircraft shaving significant time off your journey and 

allowing you more time to spend the way you choose. 

The ELITE Class gift card is the perfect gift, offering a 

departure or arrival experience at London Gatwick or 

London Luton. 

ELITE Class is the world’s number one provider of VIP 

airside transfer services, available at London Gatwick, 

London Luton, in the Caribbean at Barbados, St Lucia, 

Grenada and Tortola and more destinations opening in 2020. 

eliteclass.com 

eliteclass@signatureflight.com 




Fly commercial 

and bypass the terminal. 

Bypass the stress of the main terminal and enjoy the 

luxury experience of boarding like a private jet with 

Signature ELITE Class. 

With VIP lounge access, private and dedicated screening, 

customs and immigration processing, and a discrete transfer 

to and from the aircraft, it’s a whole new way to travel. 

To learn more, visit eliteclass.com. 

LONDON-GATWICK | LONDON-LUTON 

EPICURE EPICURE | Early | Festive Spring 2020 2019 115 


LEXUS UX F SPORT 

Motoring Journalist Sue Cooke reviews the 

versatile ‘urban explorer’; the new Lexus 

UX F Sport 

If you were to buy a new car tomorrow what powerplant 

would you choose? According to research from 

GoCompare Car Insurance 22% of motorists would 

choose to buy a hybrid. They are more eco-friendly than 

conventional petrol or diesel cars and fuel costs and road tax 

can be cheaper. 

And I fell completely under the spell of the Lexus UX hybrid. 

This compact SUV is powered by a petrol engine and an 

electric motor. A green EV icon lights up when electric 

only is engaged. Accelerate hard and the indicator moves to 

power. Coast down a hill and the indicator moves to charge. 

What the UX can also do is to regenerate the electric motor 

through gentle braking. It’s a marvellous system and with 

CO2 emissions of 97g/km, the UX sits in a very low VED 

band of E. 

I normally find one or two things about the cars I road 

test which I don’t like but there isn’t a single thing with the 

UX, oh, apart from the silly name which has prehistoric 

connotations. However, there is nothing ancient about the 

technology in this SUV. Slide into the very supportive bucket 

seats and Lexus’ signature luxury and attention to detail is 

impressive. Press the power button and a wow factor galaxy 

of stars appears in front of the driver. Press it again and a 

digital display of dials emerge behind the steering wheel. Just 

to assure you that the car is ready to move off in soundless 

electric mode, the word ‘Ready’ appears on the screen. 

I like the soundless electric drive, but press hard on the 

accelerator and an adrenalin inducing sportscar roar is 

emitted. Active Sound Control generates the aural effect 

of up and down shifts like those of a geared automatic 

transmission. An additional Sonic Interaction Design 

function adjusts the sound the vehicle makes when driving 

in Sport S+ mode.. 

Adding to the anticipation are two levers which jut out of the 

steering wheel column. They look like horns and certainly 

one has a very racy purpose. Turn this to Sport S+ and the 

digital dial turns red and white and a distinct deep heart beat 

can be heard. Or perhaps it was mine! This mode enhances 

the car’s handling and stability when cornering and provides 

a more dynamic driving feel. Other modes are Sport when 

the dial goes red or Eco and the face goes blue. 

Lexus calls the UX an ‘urban explorer’ and the plethora of 

futuristic standard equipment is much too long to list here. 

There is even an easy to use mini ipad which operates the 

radio, sat nav etc. What I also like is the braking system. 

You can just forget about it. The ‘hand brake’ automatically 

engages when you stop and disengages when you accelerate. 

Lexus says the UX is a gateway model to help the company 

achieve its target of 100,000 annual sales in Europe by 2020. 

In my opinion, this compact SUV has everything to support 

this target. 

FACTS AT A GLANCE 

MODEL: Lexus UX F Sport Hybrid 

PRICE: £33,900otr 

ENGINE: 2 litre petrol and 181bhp 

electric motor 

PERFORMANCE: 0-62 in 8.5 seconds and on to a 

top speed of 110 mph 

CO2 EMISSIONS: 97g/km 

COMBINED FUEL CONSUMPTION: WLTP 49.5- 

53.2mpg 







EPICURE man 

COUNTRY LIFE 

CITY LIFE 

A DOG'S LIFE 

I've yet to mention my children in this column. I have 

a boy called Ted, 5, and a girl called Molly, 4. They're 

wonderful, playful...furry. They're shih tzus (that's Molly 

above). And they love a meal out as much as I do. I've 

done some thorough research for you, and these are just 

some of my favourite doggo-friendly pubs in the local 

area - I'd love to hear yours! 

The Woolpack, Elstead - Fabulous Italian dishes and a 

cosy atmosphere with a log fire 

The Wheatsheaf, Esher - An historic pub on Esher Green 

with comfy chairs and abundant reading materials 

The Mulberry Inn, Chiddingfold - Head there for an ace 

Sunday Roast 

The Parrot, Forest Green - Great ambiance and a classic 

country pub interior 

The Bell, Fetcham - 

Local ales and comfy 

armchairs - perfect 

IT'S PRO TIME 

THE MAN ON THE 

MOVE 

If you read this page 

regularly, you'll know 

I'm a golf fan. Well, fan is too strong I think, because I 

spend most of my time playing oscillating widely from 

enjoyment to pure frustration - how can my hitting it 

EXACTLY the same (in my opinion) result in such wildly 

different trajectories? Santa obviously heard my shouts of 

despair as for Christmas I was lucky enough to be gifted 

a golfing pro session at the Wisley - watch this space for 

improvement. If not, it's on to anger management... 

ABOUT THE MAN - 

DANIEL WESTON 

Like many of our readers, Daniel lives 

in the home counties and commutes 

to the City. Hailing from Godalming, 

Surrey, the countryside still holds 

great appeal. Each issue we get the 

low-down on the London spots we 

need to try and why the Surrey Hills 

keep calling him home... 

WINGING IT 

I don't mean to go low brow here, but if you know 

me, you'll know that 9/10 the dinner gavel falls 

on chicken wings. I think of myself as a bit of a 

connoisseur and from extensive sampling (you're 

welcome) the top spot is a fightout between 

Wingmans (above) and Thunderbird. I defy anyone 

(apart from vegetarians) not to devour a basket of 

fresh wings - go on, next time you're in London try 

it - you won't regret it! 

NEW SOUND GLORY 

I have found the holy grail 

of audio technology, and 

I'm wondering how I 

ever coped with anything 

else? You may have heard 

of them, but if you've yet 

to sample nuraphones, I 

implore you to try them. 

Here's the technical bit for why 

they sound so good - nuraphones 

measure your hearing by detecting activity 

in the cochlea inside your inner ear. They 

use highly sensitive microphones (the same series 

of Knowles ® microphones used by NASA for the 

Mars2020 mission) and advanced signal processing 

techniques to measure Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) 

- sounds coming out of your ear - to understand 

how sensitive your hearing is to different tones. By 

detecting the ear's response to a variety of frequencies, 

the nuraphone can create a hearing profile. Once 

complete, this hearing profile is used to adapt the 

music to match the nuraphone "sound system" to 

your "hearing system" delivering perfectly balanced 

and crystal clear detail. 

Go and give them a go - you'll never have heard 

anything like it, literally. £349, nuraphone.com 



EPICURE later life 

PENSIONS ACROSS 

THE GENERATIONS 

Whatever your age, we all like to think that 

other generations have it better. Anna Murdock 

takes a subjective look at the three generations 

currently making up the UK’s workforce. 

Millennials 

Millennials often gripe that their future wealth has been 

squandered by the baby boomers, who are now retiring en 

masse. For their part, older people often accuse millennials 

of living only in the now and being spoiled for choice with 

education and life experiences. But amid a swirl of other 

day-to-day financial concerns, few could deny that spiralling 

house prices and astronomical rental costs represent a major 

obstacle to starting pension savings. 

One key question is, will there be as big a generational 

pension gap as millennials fear? Perhaps not. With the 

government’s shift towards ‘auto enrolment’, employer 

pensions could well plug some of this potential divide. 

Pension contributions through auto enrolment look certain 

to grow, and according to the Office for National Statistics 

(ONS), while in 2012 less than half of UK employees were 

saving into a pension plan, now more than 70% are – and 

this number is growing. While millennials don’t account for 

all of this increase, automatic enrolment is certainly nudging 

them towards saving for retirement. 

Generation X 

Straddling some of the biggest shifts in the pension industry, 

Gen Xers may be the ones that feel the pinch the most. In 

terms of sheer numbers, Gen-Xers make up more of the 

workforce than the other two generations put together. 

While some will have been lucky enough to get in on the 

golden ticket of final salary schemes, millions of others 

haven’t. Instead, government policies designed to get them 

saving more, prompted by the dwindling generosity of final 

salary schemes have fallen short of their aims. 

The baby boomers 

Younger people might view today’s pensioners as being 

the lucky ones: in addition to having accumulated wealth 

through housing, many have the luxury of a guaranteed 

income of final salary schemes. Accordingly, there has been 

a temptation to point the finger at the baby boomers who 

gave rise to the expression ‘The Bank of Mum and Dad.’ 

The generations that follow them could stand to benefit 

from some of this accumulated wealth, especially as the 

new pension freedoms might enable more flexibility around 

leaving assets for future generations. 

However, for every baby boomer that benefits from a 

generous final salary provision, there will be another falling 

way short of what they need to live comfortably. Such people 

might have to work later in life, bursting the traditional 

dream of that picture-postcard retirement. ONS statistics 

show that the number of people working between the ages 

of 70 and 79 has doubled, from 4% to 8%, since 1992. For 

the less fortunate that do not have adequate provisions and 

have mistakenly assumed that the state would make up the 

difference, there is not much time to make up the shortfall 

– unlike younger generations who are more aware and can 

benefit from the cumulative effect of investing into pensions 

early in life. 

Perhaps the biggest challenge for the pension industry 

and the government is getting us all to save more towards 

retirement. Many of us know we should, but this does not 

always translate directly into action – especially when more 

pressing financial needs have to be covered. 

As useful as the broader categories of different generations 

can be in highlighting differences, the lessons of intragenerational 

disparity should spell out that no two people 

share the same financial circumstances. The reality is that 

if you are a working adult and you are not sure about 

whether your current course of retirement provisions will be 

sufficient to meet your needs, then the chances are you will 

be off target. So whatever stage of life you are at, doing some 

form of retirement planning is probably the single most 

important thing you can do right now to ensure you have 

enough to retire comfortably. 

Anna Murdock, Head of Wealth Planning 

JM Finn 



From 

generation 

to generation 

We look after your wealth so you 

can nurture your passions. 

Call us to learn how we can help build 

the future you want to see: 

020 7600 1660 

www.jmfinn.com 

Follow us on: 020 01962 7600 3921660 

130 

info@jmfinn.com 

www.jmfinn.com 

2018 

The value of investments and the income from them 

can go down as well as up and investors may not get 

back the amount originally invested. 

JM Finn and JM Finn & Co are trading names of 

J.M. Finn & Co. Ltd which is registered in England 

with number 05772581. Authorised and regulated 

by the Financial Conduct Authority. 



CARE CONSIDERATIONS 

Assessing the care needs of your elderly loved ones can 

be a testing and very emotional process. We have some 

advice on how to know when to make those difficult 

decisions. 

The Most Obvious Signs 

These signs are often the ones that would cause you concern 

straight away - often it involves an accident like a fall or a 

health scare. It may also include a chronic health problem 

which is worsening or a susceptibility to illnesses which take 

hold for a while. 

The most crucial thing to look out for is whether your 

relative is coping with essential everyday tasks like dressing, 

shopping, cooking, managing medications and so on. If there 

are no immediate worries for health problems, it may be 

that your relative just needs a little more help in the home. A 

really useful website is www.housingcare.org which can help 

you find a list of home services available to help enable them 

to live more happily at home. 

If frailty or the frequency of injuries in the home is 

increasing, it may be worth looking into assisted living 

of some sort. For those who are still relatively mobile, 

retirement apartments are an excellent option. Many have 

a great little community at their heart with easily accessible 

amenities, 24-hour support in case a fall happens again but, 

vitally, maintain that element of freedom that is so important. 

Changes in Appearance 

The way your relative looks and feels when you hug them 

can tell you if they are well. If there are noticeable weight 

gains it may be that their mobility is being impeded or that 

they have developed diabetes. On the other hand, weight loss 

could indicate forgetfulness to eat or shop for food, or more 

serious underlying health problems like depression or cancer. 

Bad body odour and dirty clothes can tell you if they are 

struggling to wash themselves and manage their household. 

Whilst often quite subtle, these signs can indicate important 

changes that are the result of declining health or mobility. 

If you aren’t sure, accompany your relative to the doctor to 

make sure all their needs are being addressed. The issues with 

personal hygiene could be as simple as an inability to climb 

in and out of the bath, so consult a fitter who can install a 

new one. Other problems relating particularly to mental 

health are more serious and could mean your relative needs 

to move from home for more specialist or nursing care. This 

is by no means an easy decision and must be undertaken over 

time. 

Social Activity 

When people enter retirement, their hobbies and social 

meetings generally increase. Active friendships are vital for 

happiness, be it lunches with friends or a regular meeting 

with a hobby or religious group. If you notice that your 

loved one has started to shy away from these meetings or go 

for large chunks of time without leaving the house, this is 

cause for concern. Lack of companionship is associated with 

depression and heart problems in older adults. If you know 

that your relatives friends have died or moved away, moving 

them to somewhere where there are opportunities for new 

friendships could be lifesaving. 

In the Home 

If you have assessed their well-being in person and believe 

there is a problem, it is definitely worth visiting their home to 

see how well they are taking care of things. Can you find lots 

of expired food in the fridge, dirt and grime in the kitchen 

and bathroom and lax housekeeping? These could be signs 

of a lack of mobility, in which case an in-house cleaning 

service could help. More worryingly, they could be the onset 

of dementia - meaning your relative is losing the ability to 

remember to follow through on cleaning mess and run their 

home. 

Making the decision to change the lifestyle of your loved one 

is huge and the emotional and financial implications must be 

carefully considered, but at the centre of it is the importance 

of making sure they are as safe, happy and well as possible, in 

an environment that meets their needs. 




We provide first-class care for veterans 

Residential nursing care, 

rehabilitation, respite and 

award-winning end of life care 

for physically disabled ex-Service 

personnel and their families 

Specialist services include 

physiotherapy, occupational 

therapy, speech therapy, 

neuropsychology, and 

social and recreation activities 

For more information, call us on 01903 213458 

or visit www.careforveterans.org.uk 

Care for Veterans 

Gifford House, Boundary Road, 

Worthing, West Sussex, BN11 4LJ 

T: 01903 213458 

E: pauline.jones@careforveterans.org.uk 

The Queen Alexandra Hospital Home since 1919 Registered Charity No. 1072334 




OVER-55S CAN IMPROVE 

THEIR LIFESTYLE WITH 

EQUITY RELEASE 

The family home represents a significant asset in 

many people’s portfolio, but the money tied up 

within its walls is often untouchable without having 

to downsize. With equity release however, this is no 

longer the case... 

By utilising a Lifetime Mortgage, you can access a 

portion of your home’s value as a tax-free cash lump 

sum. There are no required monthly payments and you 

will retain complete ownership of your home. Interest 

is charged monthly and is simply added to the mortgage, 

with the total not being due for repayment until you have 

passed away or entered permanent long-term care. 

The mortgage is typically repaid with the sale of the home, 

but your estate can use other means that may be available to 

them if they wish to keep the home. 

Who am I? 

My name is George Wotton, a fully qualified equity release 

specialist with over 35 years of industry experience. You 

can book a no-obligation, face-to-face meeting with me to 

discuss your financial needs. I will be able to provide you 

with a personalised illustration, indicating how the mortgage 

can grow over time, helping you to understand the impact 

that releasing equity could have on the value of your estate 

and entitlement to means-tested state benefits. 

Why consider equity release? 

The tax-free cash injection to your finances can be used 

however you wish. Many of my customers like to use it to 

make improvements to their home, updating their décor and 

ensuring their home is future-proofed. 

As releasing equity from your home will reduce the value 

of your estate, you could also use a Lifetime Mortgage as an 

effective Inheritance Tax planning tool, though it is worth 

being aware that the Financial Conduct Authority do not 

regulate tax planning. 



EPICUR MP Epic

Live life to the full 

From the moment you step into Moore Place, you will feel at home. Our beautiful contemporary 

care home is finished to a high standard and it is set in luxurious landscaped gardens. 

We offer personally tailored care, specialist dementia care and short breaks. 

Proudly not-for-profit. 

Moore Place care home Portsmouth Road, Esher, Surrey, KT10 9LH 

If you’d like to find out more about the choices Moore Place offers our 

residents, please call 0808 102 5257 or visit Moore-Place.org.uk 

Rated September 2017 

Good 

EPICURE MP Epicure Early Festive Mag 280x210 Spring 2019.indd 2020.indd 270919.indd 131 125 1 26/09/2019 24/01/2020 31/10/2019 12:19:42 

15:31 13:14

PROMOTION 

Join the rental revolution 

at Inspired Villages 

When we reach retirement age, 

many of us consider moving 

somewhere that better suits our 

needs, whether that’s swapping 

an older home that requires lots of upkeep for a 

modern property or finding a house that’s a more 

suitable size once children have flown the nest. 

But not everyone wants to buy somewhere new, 

research conducted by the Centre for Ageing Better 

has shown that as many as a third of all over-60s 

in the UK may be renting privately by 2040. 

“In uncertain times, people tend to make fewer 

big decisions,” says James Cobb, Group Sales and 

Marketing Director of Inspired Villages, one of the 

few retirement living providers in the UK to offer 

both the option to rent and to buy. 

Some people might choose to rent a retirement 

property and free up equity by selling their old home. 

James Cobb added: “Helping your family get on the 

property ladder or freeing up money for your own 

ambitions are common reasons that people want 

to unburden the capital tied up in their properties. 

Later living can, and should, be the best years of 

your life, and liquidity does certainly give you 

greater freedom of choice.” 

The Inspired Villages rental plan offers buyers 

a flexible and easy move, financial freedom to 

release equity, and the opportunity to put equity 

towards funding enriched life experiences. 

Increasingly, over-55s are expressing the desire 

to embrace later life which is supported in research 

conducted by Inspired Villages. Research conducted 

earlier this year, asked more than 2000 over-55s 

across the UK, to disclose their top tip for ‘enjoying 

getting older’, with results showing that the most 

popular answer is to ‘enjoy life as much as possible’. 

For those who don’t wish to sell the family home but 

still want to move, another option is to rent out your 

property while you also rent elsewhere. “Rent to rent 

is a fabulous solution for many,” he says. 

Inspired Villages’ Try Before You Buy option allows 

you to rent a property while selling your old home, 

with the option to continue renting or buy it after 

six months. 

“We are so confident our 

buyers will love living in 

one of our villages that rental 

can either offer a stepping 

stone or a long-term solution” 

James Cobb, Group Sales and Marketing Director 

Inspired Villages renters are part of a vibrant 

community and enjoy all the same benefits 

as homeowners, with access to facilities 

including a restaurant, wellness spa and pool, 

gym, bar and cinema. 

Properties range from two- and three-bed cottages 

with gardens to one- and two-bed apartments. 

Inspired Villages offers a rental option with an 

inclusive charge, including all utility and energy 

costs, tied to the Consumer Price Index. There is 

also a package of care and hospitality services 

to suit an individual’s needs, providing an 

alternative to a care home. 

For more information about the 

homes available at Inspired Villages, 

contact the team on 0808 3019 801, 

or visit: InspiredVillages.co.uk/Rental 


F_IVG_0524_Epicure_DPS_Editorial_January 2020_v2.indd All Pages


A new way to retire? 

Renting in retirement, now there’s an idea. 

Dine in or eat out? Swim or spa? The choice is yours. 

Release that all-important equity in your home, 

enjoy the freedom and flexibility, and live life 

your way at an Inspired Village. 

And now Inspired Villages offers a 

choice of homes to rent as well as 

buy. It’s the new way to retire. 

Get in touch for more details: 

Call 0808 3019 801 

or visit: InspiredVillages.co.uk/Rental 

*Limited number of rental properties available. Excludes Bramshott Place. 


08/01/2020 17:32

Care 

A Luxury 

Home 

in Camberley 

COME AND VIEW OUR BEAUTIFUL HOME 

IN 15 ACRES OF STUNNING WOODLAND 

Please call to discuss rates and special offers on 01276 581 371 

RESIDENTIAL 

CARE OFFER 

£1250 from £1050p/w 

LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE 

Please contact us for further details. T&C's apply. 

OPEN DAYS 10am – 4pm 

29 th FEBRUARY 28 th MARCH 

25 th APRIL 

Champagne and Cakes served, later life living advice will 

also be available on the day. 

VOTED 


9.9 

IN CAMBERLEY 

enquirieskl@auracareliving.com 

auracareliving.com 

Kings Lodge, 122 Kings Ride, Camberley, Surrey, GU15 4LZ 


PROMOTION 


A SERENE AND 

BEAUTIFUL RETIREMENT 

COMMUNITY 

Care planning for loved ones and elderly relatives can be 

a daunting and emotional journey, with so many things 

to take into consideration and so many options available. 

Many relatives will also experience guilt when making 

the decision to opt for a residential care home. Company, 

‘Aura Care Living’, has been established to revolutionise the 

usual perception of care homes and pioneer significant new 

strategies in care of the elderly. The teams of people working 

in Aura Care Living’s establishments are some of the best in 

the industry and the luxury environments that residents live in 

are exceptional and completely unique. 

Aura Care Living’s Surrey-based King’s Lodge is a multiaward-winning 

luxury care home set in tranquil countryside 

on the edge of the historic town of Camberley. It is 

headed up by General Manager, Sarah Parkin, who has an 

exceptional pedigree in the care industry, and leads her loyal 

and passionate team to continually deliver a safe, nurturing, 

rich and interactive family environment for their residents. 

Respect is at the core of everything they do, as is their drive to 

ensure every day is rewarding and happy. 

Stepping inside King’s Lodge has been likened to walking into 

a 5* hotel. One relative said that the relief having looked at 

other care homes was palpable – that the guilt faded upon 

seeing the beautiful décor, the incredible facilities and the 

fresh, kind, smiling staff. One look at the website gallery gives 

a hint of what living at King’s Lodge would be like – a visit 

though takes the experience to a whole new level. This is a 

care home unlike any other…how lucky is Surrey to have such 

an incredible facility… 

01276 581 372 | www.auracareliving.com 

122 Kings Ride, Camberley, Surrey GU15 4LZ, UK 




PROMOTION 

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO 

SELF-FUND YOUR CARE? 

In West Sussex care home fees could cost up to £1500 a week 

(the cost will vary, depending on the provider and your 

needs). Deciding on the best way to fund this could turn out 

to be one of the most important financial decisions people 

will have to make – either for themselves or on behalf of 

relatives. Getting independent and expert advice and support 

could make all the difference. 

Get independent financial advice 

Both Which? and the Money Advice Service recommend that 

people seek independent financial advice from a member of the 

Society of Later Life Advisers (SOLLA) before deciding on how to 

pay for long-term care. Currently, not enough people are aware of 

this and are simply funding care fees with savings or the proceeds 

of a house sale. 

If you’re considering care options in West Sussex for yourself 

or a relative, the Carewise care funding scheme can provide 

you with information and advice to guide you through the 

decision-making process. The scheme was introduced by West 

Sussex County Council in partnership with the Society of Later 

Life Advisers (SOLLA), Age UK West Sussex, and West Sussex 

Partners in Care. 

For your peace of mind, all the Carewise care fees specialists are: 

• Accredited members of the Society of Later Life Advisers 

(SOLLA); 

• Approved under the Trading Standards ‘Buy with 

confidence’ or equivalent scheme approved by the local 

authority; 

• Checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS); and 

• Trained in safeguarding adults. 

"I found carewise helpful in getting 

referred to a care fees specialist 

who was able to advise me on the 

options of funding my godmother’s 

care fees. This enabled me to 

make an informed decision on the 

most suitable option. My decision 

to purchase an annuity provided 

peace of mind, knowing that her 

care fees could be paid for the rest 

of her life." - Mrs G, East Grinstead 

all your options and made an informed choice about the best way 

to pay for the care, for as long as it is needed. 

Book your free consultation 

Your first consultation with a care fees specialist is free of charge 

and there is no pressure to go ahead with the advice unless you 

choose to. So there’s nothing to lose to find out more about the 

expert support available from Carewise. 

Visit www.carewiseadvice.com to find out more about the care 

fees specialists and to arrange your free consultation. 

Alternatively, if you would like us to make a referral on your 

behalf, please phone Adults’ CarePoint on 01243 642121 or email 

socialcare@westsussex.gov.uk 

Each adviser can provide advice on products from across the 

whole market, giving you peace of mind that you have explored 



LUXURY CARE RESIDENCES ACROSS 

SURREY & SOUTH LONDON 

Longdene Homecare 

RESIDENTIAL | RESPITE | NURSING 

DEMENTIA CARE | PALLIATIVE CARE 

RESPITE CARE | NEUROREHABILITATION 

AND POST-OPERATIVE REHABILITATION 

HOMECARE | LIVE-IN CARE 

Let our family take care of yours 

Established since 1984, we are proud to be an award 

winning, family owned, group of care services in Surrey 

and South London. With more than 35 years’ experience 

of providing the best quality care to our community, we 

understand how important this decision is for you. 

“ 

The care my father received was 

exemplary, ending in a goodbye among 

people he knew. We were kept fully 

informed and involved in planning and 

decision making, allowing my father’s 

wishes to be considered and acted on. 

We are very proud to have achieved a reputation 

for delivering superior care. That is why we always 

build and design all of our homes with our residents 

in mind, ensuring you can continue to live your life 

your way, in safe and caring CHD Living homes. We 

are passionate about providing care in comfortable, 

homely settings that enhance your quality of life. That 

is why our centres offer an atmosphere not unlike that 

of a country house hotel, with attentive staff available 

twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to cater 

to your every need. 

Each of our thirten luxury care and nursing homes 

is set in picturesque countryside, all of which are 

finished to the highest specifications, ensuring you 

will always find a home that suits your needs. 

“ 

I would like to thank you for the 

wonderful care that you gave mum 

and for making myself and my family 

feel so very welcome all the time. 

q01483 413 121 

www.longdene-homecare.com 

www.chdliving.co.uk 

E enquiries@chdliving.co.uk 

Lifetime Achievement 

Award 

Residential Care (Smaller) 

FINALIST 

98% of CHD Living’s services 

inspected and rated 

Good 


EPICURE Early Festive Spring 2019.indd 2020.indd 132 132 24/01/2020 31/10/2019 15:31 13:12

EPICURE Early Spring 2020

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?