Table talk
A request that was hard to refuse
Former football hard man Vinnie Jones successfully browbeat Winterhalter into donating a glasswasher to the Bedmond Sports & Social Club near Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. Jones and a group of his childhood mates helped renovate the old clubhouse as part of TV show With a Little Help from my Friends. It was at the club that the young Jones first kicked a ball around and learnt how to bruise opponents' shinbones and crush testicles in his vice-like grip.
Where beige is all the rage Beige Tokyo, a new restaurant, opened in the Japanese capital on Sunday (5 December). The unique collaboration between Alain Ducasse and luxury goods label Chanel is described in the following terms: "The name Beige is a reference to Coco Chanel's favourite colour. For Alain Ducasse, beige is the light caress of the bread; it is the timeless sophistication of a shimmering glass of Champagne. Beige gently melts in the mouth like the perfect harmony of foods. Beige tastes delicious." Well, who are we to argue?
Pay for your coffee then cool off on the ice The price of an espresso reached record levels last week when Cuthbert St George, the specialist coffee roaster, opened its new caf‚ at the Marble Arch Ice Rink, London. "We have managed to secure a tiny quantity of kopi luwak, a rare Sumatran coffee," said Lisa Clarke, managing director of Cuthbert St George. "It made sense to release the roast over the festive period, and we are delighted to be offering it here at the Marble Arch Ice Rink." She added: "I just hope we have enough to last through until the ice rink closes in mid-January."
Kopi luwak has the rare quality of having no aftertaste and has a rich, aromatic smell and smooth taste. The coffee will be priced at £12 for a double espresso and should be drunk without any accompaniment. Cuthbert St George's normal coffee is made with the organic Taipiplaya bean from Bolivia, which comes in at a more reasonable £2.75.
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 9 December 2004