Kelefa Sanneh has been obsessed with music since he went to a wild punk gig in his early teens. As a music critic for both the New Yorker and the New York Times, he’s spent a lot of this century living out that obsession. Kelefa filled Tobias Gourlay in on where everything’s at right now: from the classic albums you might have missed to the new acts to know – and how Lionel Richie once wrote the perfect song.
Chef Jackson Boxer is from a family that’s serious about food. He was always going to end up in hospitality and has become known as the creative mastermind behind much-loved restaurants like Brunswick House and Orasay. Now he’s teamed with his brother to launch a dive bar in Soho. He told SLMan where he loves to eat, why he loves to eat – and how on earth he’s going to open a dive bar now he’s sober.
If you grew up listening to Radio 1 in the 90s, you’ll know all about Pete Tong – his Friday-night Essential Selection show made him a legend of the airwaves. In 2014 he was awarded an MBE for services to broadcasting and music. Here, he tells us more about his incredible career, how the pandemic has affected the capital’s dance scene, and his upcoming album release.
If there’s one man who knows what goes into a good drink, it’s Saturday Kitchen’s resident guru Olly Smith. For his new Home Cocktail Bible, he’s put together a collection of easy recipes – all using spirits you’ll find in any self-respecting drinks cabinet. In time for the festivities ahead, he gave us four showstoppers to serve this season.
Matthew Jukes entered the drinks industry at 19. Three decades later, he’s owned a wine bar, looked after the wine list at a legendary London restaurant and hosted Wine Hunt on Channel 4 – all while writing a longstanding wine column for the Daily Mail. Most recently, he launched Jukes Cordialities, a luxe take on non-alcoholic wine that might be the first genuinely viable alternative to the real thing. We asked Matthew what he’s learnt throughout all of this…
One in ten British adults now owns a second home. For some it’s an investment and provides a rental income, for others it’s somewhere to escape to every weekend. Either way, there are important things to consider before you take the plunge – as well as some key extras to know if you want to let your property out. To help you make the decision, we went to the full range of legal, property and tax experts…
It may sound like something from the dark age, but blacksmiths are still very much at work – and have an important part to play in everyday life. Alex Pole is founder of Alex Pole Ironwork in Somerset, and has spent more than 20 years working in forges around the world. Now, he’s written a fascinating book about his trade. From the 20-year journey to becoming a master to unique collaborations with top London restaurants, he spoke to Tobias Gourlay about what it takes…
After a volatile upbringing, Liam Meredith was 18 when he went to prison for drug-related offences. Behind bars, he was introduced to rehabilitation charity Key4Life, which helped him find employment and then go on to start his own food truck business. Here, he tells that story in full – before Sarah Mead, his mentor at food company Yeo Valley, explains why more businesses need to get involved and support Key4Life.
For many of us, steak, peppercorn sauce and a bold red represent the holy trinity of home cooking. Two of those things are easy to come by, but an exquisitely cooked cut of beef is not. To help you achieve greatness in the comfort of your own kitchen, we asked seven meat pros what to do…