Soul Saturdays @ Tuatara

Russell Cowie has what can only be described as a natural gift for throwing parties and hosting events. He became so successful at it whilst studying at Durham University he set up his own events company. Now I don’t know about you but there were a lot of things I was doing at University in my free time and setting up a business was not one of them.

Sadly Russ has given it all up to knuckle down at law school but luckily for us he decided to celebrate the success of his first year and finishing his exams with a rooftop summer party at Tuatara, Kings Road.  The first time I saw Russ he was drumming the dance floor of Roof Gardens into a frenzy of excitement with his partner in crime, DJ Dan Browne (as posted here) and so we had very high hopes for this event.

The party, ‘Soul Sessions’, was due to run all afternoon with a variety of DJ’s performing different sets to suit all tastes. Up first was reggae and hip hop lover Dan Bean who pulled out some absolute classics including an epic mix of TLC, ‘scrubs’. He was followed by our personal favourite Dan Browne who hit the decks and instantly had the girls swooning as he played his usual cutting edge remixes whilst looking suitably cool in his Rayban wayfarers and hoodie despite the 25 degree heat.

Before long the outdoor terrace was heaving with attractive girls and boys guzzling the ever flowing supply of Belvedere and unwinding on the Moroccan day beds. As the sun shone, the terrace was more reminiscent of a summer scene in St Tropez as opposed to SW3 and it wasn’t long before girls were on up on the raised roof dancing like they were at Ibiza Rocks.

We partied all day until a combination of dehydration, sore feet and groggy afternoon drinking caught up with us and we decided it was time to re-enter the Saturday afternoon shopping reality of the KR, making the rooftop madness seem dream like. Thank you Russell and please organize it again before its dark, cold and December. 

One for the boys...

With the summer social season in full swing there is a constant array of events going on, from racing and polo to luncheons and garden soirées. For those who are not regulars on the privileged Ascot and Henley social scene and prefer to keep it a little closer to home then Concours D’Elegance is an ideal alternative. 

Concours D’Elegance is a light hearted and fun day out set in the beautiful grounds of The Hurlingham Club in Fulham. Relaxing in the sunshine and admiring the parade of impressive vintage and modern sports cars whilst sipping on a glass of Veuve Clicquot was an ideal way to spend a summer’s afternoon in SW6. For those less interested in the revving display of boys toys there is a delicious lobster buffet, various jewellery and luxury good stands and even a hot tub display complete with a demonstration! 

The event is on for three days and culminates in a super glitzy party where car enthusiasts and galmazons alike can quaff champagne and revel to the sounds of DJ Seb Fontaine courtesy of the party sponsors, Movida. For us we were more than happy to enjoy the buzzy atmosphere, lovely weather and naturally, a glass of something cold and fizzy. 

Made, Born, and Bred in Chelsea

When Made in Chelsea came into our lives earlier this year it began like your typical rollercoaster journey; there was apprehension, dread, fear, extreme regret but then came the highs, the adrenalin rush and that buzz which led to waking up on a Monday morning with a strange feeling of excitement, why? Oh god we were hooked and counting down the hours until 10pm when we could revel, laugh and cringe at the cast of these fortunate fulhamites. Jess and I were lucky enough to have already met these glamorous girls and boys who ruled our television schedule whilst we were reviewing JuJu for DV8 magazine (review here). They were shooting a feature for Grazia and mingled around the bar with their producers demolishing the free drinks in a hive of sloaney frisson.

                                                   

Anyway cue three months later and Kingsroad.co.uk decide to not only host their Summer party at this sexy venue, they invite one of the more genuine members of the MIC cast to perform-an invite not to turn down! With girlfriends in toe we headed down to the Kings Road last Wednesday evening to enjoy the impressive vocal range of Gabriella Ellis whilst rubbing shoulders with some of her friends from the show. Christian, the manager of JuJu, knocked up a constant flow of porn star martinis which were as delicious as ever, even if some emergency dentist appointments may have been needed afterwards. Luckily Jess and I are both posses sweet teeth!

                                         

After filling up on cocktails, all in the name of research, it was time to put on our X Factor panel hats and watch Gabriella do her thing. Now I don’t claim to be Simon Cowell but I thought Gabriella’s performance was entertaining and more importantly authentic. Her passion for singing and songwriting was evident and in particular her own song Fight was powerful and spine tinglingly emotive. You cannot deny that she has a great voice and working with what I can imagine must have been quite a tough crowd, Gabriella performed with gusto whipping us into the party mood. Thank you KingsRoad.co.uk and Juju for an evening that would be fit for any Chelsea girl, ‘famous’ or not.

                                                       

Pictures courtesy of www.kingsroad.co.uk 

Bye Bye Blue Elephant

As most of the SW6 locals will have heard, the beloved Blue Elephant's days are numbered. It will soon be replaced by a Whole Foods (bizarre choice opposite the existing successful Union Market) and this land mark in Fulham will be no more. The Blue Elephant is an institution, having become a destination in itself during the last thirty years or so in Fulham it rarely has empty tables amongst the jungle foliage.

Jess already reviewed her Thai Valentines dinner here, but I felt I must visit again and subsequently urge you all to pop in before the yummy mummies dominate the organic granola aisles that will soon replace the exotic fish filled ponds. The date of the big goodbye is still tbc and all the waiters are under strict instructions to tell you they are ‘re-locating’ as opposed to closing, possible contrasting proposed locations include the City and Imperial Wharf. I have pasted the pictures below to remind you how delicious the food is, sob sob.....

A Slice of Cupcake

For those of you who have already heard of Cupcake Mums, this feature may initially strike you as odd. I must start by clearly stating (especially for your benefit Mum and Dad - I know you read this...) that neither Sarah nor I are pregnant. Neither do we have small children. Nor do we intend on having small children any time soon. But all of sudden, our new favourite beauty hangout is, to the uninitiated, essentially a Mum's club.

But this is where I beg to differ. Yes, Cupcake Mums is a lovely members clubs for Mums, Dads and their little angels (or terrors as the case may be). It's one of a chain of 3 premises, the first was set up in Putney over 3 years ago, and they offer (surprisingly) tranquil and beautifully decorated surroundings including a cafe, crèche, licensed bar (for the parents of the little terrors perhaps...), dance studio, mini-gym, classes for the kiddies, classes for the kiddies AND their parents, parenting seminars, personal training, spa treatments and the whole nine yards. The downstairs of the club is light and airy, decorated in a mix of whites and hues of dark pink and purple, and manages the balance between chic and child-friendly very admirably. Meanwhile, The Treatment Rooms and 'Mummy Boudoir' upstairs follows the same colour scheme but feels luxurious and even a bit sultry. Essentially they provide almost everything (we would imagine!) a parent could want.... But why should the Mummies have all the fun?

The Cupcake spa at Parsons Green is award-winning, and crucially, also open to non-members. In fact, it goes out of its way to be accommodating to non-members (and non-parents!). It's open until 9pm some week nights (post-work, pre-date wax, check!), it's open on weekends (post-night out massage, check!) and if you really do struggle with children, there's also a separate entrance (I-cant-take-screaming-babies-on-this-hangover facial.... check!). They also offer the Galvanic Facial... which apparently is the reason Kate Moss and Simon Cowell are still looking so fresh despite their years of excess. If it can keep Kate peachy with all that she gets up to, I'm sure it can completely transform your average stressed up twenty-something! Or sleep-deprived mother for that matter...

Of course, there is also plenty for the Mummies... Their Cupcake in the Oven pregnancy massage is very popular (after the anti-aging facial - parenting is tough it seems!), and the showers in the treatment rooms are extra large to accommodate all those bumps! Of course, pregnant or not....we all like a roomy shower so we can claim that little bonus for Mums and non-Mums alike. And for non-member Mummies, spa visitors can also drop their kids off at the crèche while they pamper themselves. And the Dads don't miss out either. The Spa stocks Gentleman's Tonic products and apparently your average Sunday afternoon sees quite a few extra Y chromosomes in that part of the building!

So after a quick tour, and a quick coo over the "Wiggle and Dance" class taking place in the studio, Sarah and I took our decidedly not-pregnant selves up to the spa for some treatments: a massage for her and a facial for me. The spa has about four treatment rooms, and mixes those ubiquitous hues of dark pink and purple with dimmed lights and sophisticated mahogany panelling making for a very boutique and luxurious feel: a real mini-haven!

Up first, Sarah's massage. I'll let her describe it in her own words: she certainly raved about it enough afterwards...

With the St Swithin’s showers lashing at the window I couldn’t think of a better place to be than the cosy, warm and utterly relaxing treatment room at the Cupcake Spa. I instantly began to unwind as I squished myself on to the heated waterbed, a strange sensation at first but wonderfully comfortable once the water moulds around you and begins to heat your tummy. I explained to Sandra (our charming therapist) that due to being chained to my desk all day and walking to work with a heavy handbag my shoulders were starting to resemble knotted rocks ingrained with stress and anxiety. I did not need to say another word, like a mind reader Sandra began to ease every ounce of tension out of my back and shoulders with the perfect combination of repeated pressure and fluid movements. There is nothing worse than lying down on the treatment bed geared up for a massage and having strokey strokey  for an hour which inevitably makes you fall asleep and wake up 60 minutes later £60 poorer, groggy and still knotted. This was far from the case at Cupcake, Sandra gauged my needs instinctively and took real care and consideration into the treatment leaving me in a comatose state of profound relaxation. 

As for myself, I plumped for the express facial, which was really amazing. Usually with the half hour treatments I can't relax as I worry the bliss will be over before it's begun, but the combination of Sandra's mini-facial massage and that glorious heated water bed had me feeling totally tranquil right away. With a little bit of facial massage, a little bit of steaming, pore extraction, face-mask and moisturisation, my skin felt absolutely fantastic afterwards and when I met some friends for lunch afterwards they all commented on how much my skin was glowing. 

I couldn't recommend the spa at Cupcake higher. It really is a little haven, and is so close to Parsons Green so really very convenient. The spa feels luxurious, and if you're a Mummy (or Daddy!) the rest of the club is really delightful too. Karen, who runs it, says their ethos is to be a home away from home - but that little bit more blissful. She's really keen to ensure that they endorse no particular philosophy on parenting and she tolerates absolutely no judgemental comments on other members' parenting choices. So whether your an earth mother or have already pre-booked the C-Section, you'll find your haven there. When I'm pregnant... you'll have to drag me away! Until then, I'll be more than happy to be a frequent visitor to the spa.

Cupcake

11 Heathmans Road
London SW6 4TJ
020 3326 4986

SW6 Pub Grub at its best

Most people do not stumble across the Pelican pub, they know it’s there through recommendation. Tucked discreetly between the throngs of commuters, gym bunnies and shoppers at Fulham Broadway and the braying sloanes of the Kings Road, the crowd is reflective of this cross section of SW6. There are the regulars sipping pints quietly at the bar, the sloane rangers enjoying G+T’s, blonde hair flicking and marlborough lights outside and a handful of fulhamites enjoying supper inside. We slotted into the fulhamites having supper group and so having grabbed a delicious bottle of chilled New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc we began to unwind while debating between various mouthwatering dishes on the menu.

The Pelican is no frills delicious food at its best, there is no fuss or pretense and it is definitely not a swanky eye poppingly expensive ‘gastropub’ serving ‘Modern European’ cuisine. The Pelican offers a diverse menu, HUGE portions, very friendly service and an easy place to relax after a long day, it’s also very reasonable- something of a rarity in SW6 sometimes. We decided to go for 3 courses (when do we ever not...) and so I opted for a caramelized onion bruschetta to start and my boyfriend had the goats cheese salad, we nearly choked on the rapidly disappearing Sauvignon when they arrived! I will let the pictures speak volumes when I say the portions are generous, luckily my boyfriend is a 6 foot 4 keen rugby player and had an excuse, sadly I had been sat on my bum all day in the office and somewhat less of excuse but hey, all in the name of research.

Both the starters were fresh, delicious and thoroughly enjoyed- my boyfriend, somewhat bemused by the process of having to scrutinize and discuss everything after we had eaten it gave his a 10 out of 10! Having accepted it was going to be a gluttonous evening and maybe we could go to the gym tomorrow (yeh right) I opted for a chicken, pesto and rocket tagliatelle. Boyf decided to assert his masculinity following a rather feminine starter choice of goats cheese salad and ordered the steak and chips. Again, much eye bulging and belt loosening ensued when the main courses arrived and I thanked my lucky stars I was with my boyfriend who could at least help me out when I pathetically managed half of my pasta. This bowl of pasta was really what dreams are made of, Peter, the delightful owner of the Pelican and his chef have clearly never heard of no carbs before marbs. With a little help from boyf both plates were licked clean and miraculously before we knew it the wine bottle was empty (never understand how this happens) and so there was only one thing left to do...order melting chocolate cake obviously.

                 

So with the calorie count exceeding the 1,000 mark each we thought we better be sensible and share a pudding. Without a doubt we picked the best one, again the picture really can speak for itself; warm, melting, gooey, sweet, rich heaven- surely this would be worth 40 minutes pounding the treadmill tomorrow morning? Kate Moss says that nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels, I defy her to eat that chocolate cake and stick to her statement....it was as if the gates of chocolate heaven themselves had opened and invited me to a sweet land of the forbidden....anyway I’ll stop, you get the point, the chocolate cake was really good. It was a wonderful dinner, the prices are reasonable and the service is faultless- another great find in SW6 that is feasible at the end as well as the beginning of the month. 

Lovin' brunch at Love Walk

When I'm hungover, I'm not really much of an eater. There are some people who simply have to devour a Full English before they can get on with their day, but for me, the grease and the smell and the cheap variants of ketchup really churn the stomach and a venture to a greasy spoon is more likely to leave me bedridden than rejuvenated.

Hence, I'm not usually much of a brunch person. No matter how many of my friends wheedle away about they could "murder" a bacon sandwich - I tend to skip the part where they all consume around four pounds of Asda's cheapest bacon whilst rehashing the night before, and stay in with a piece of dry toast (yes, really!)

So last weekend, the one plus side of a night that just wasn't as crazy as planned, was that I woke up on Sunday fresh as a daisy and just craving brunch. As in really desperate for some coffee, some carbs and something god darn substantial.

There are tonnes of options around Fulham Broadway, but in the name of research (and blogging!) we decided to hit somewhere new, preferably with some outdoor seating to enjoy the sunshine, and settled upon Love Walk, hidden away from the main road on Jerdan Place. I admit, I only ever really venture beyond the Broadway towards West Ken when I want to hit the North End Road Market (a new favourite past time of mine!) and I only knew about this place because I use Jerdan Place as a cut through.

But it's really cute. Set in a small premises, an adjoining yard, and sprawling over plenty of pavement place, this little brunch and lunch spot has loads of outdoor seating, pretty nice wooden table and chair sets, hanging baskets galore and a brunch menu that goes on and on.

I must admit, this is where the spirit of adventure ends, as I plumped for an Eggs Florentine (with extra mushrooms) whilst the boy went for Eggs Royale, washed down with a 'large' cappuccino that would have kept a small army caffeinated for several hours (seriously - HUGE). Both dishes were really well done, though one of my eggs wasn't quite as runny as I might have liked. The hollandaise was of the perfect consistency, with just the right tinge of lemon. Thankfully, the portion sizes were a little smaller than we might have feared, having seen the size of the coffee! I felt really satisfied without having to wonder how I'd roll off my chair.

The menu is really great. There are all your traditional breakfast options (eggs done every which way, Full English, Veggie English, pattiseries, yoghurt and muesli etc...) as well as some more unusual options like the 'Turkish Breakfast'. You could go there with a whole gang of fussy eaters and I reckon everyone would leave pretty happy. And with the sun beaming down, my favourite breakfast inside me, and the gentle buzz of the Broadway around me, I was pretty happy bunny myself!

Love Walk,
Jerdan Place, Fulham Broadway.

Quintessentially British

When you think of the Great British Summer, that stuff of folklore that we pray might actually arrive each year, what do you think of? Myself, I'm immediately transported to something closely resembling a BBC adaptation of Brideshead Revisited. I think of clear blue skies, green green grass, cream teas, barbecues, cricket and tennis. And we got all of them last Saturday when our local pub, The Sands End, organised a charity cricket match to take on neighbouring pub rivals, The Hurlingham.

With a large screen showing the Wimbledon Ladies Final on one side, two-full teams in cricket whites on the other, and a jug of Pimms and a burger somewhere in between, Sarah and I had a perfectly English summer's afternoon. The Sands End had put on a full barbecue and bar (anyone who went to their Royal Wedding Street Party will remember how amazing their burgers are!), a steel band, a kiddie's entertainer and a full seating area complete with chequered table clothes, marquees and crucially, a big screen to make sure we didn't have to miss out on either sporting fixture.

While the prowess on the field might not have matched that of the ladies at Wimbledon (sorry guys!) there was a great turn out for the event, with young and old, toddlers, grandparents and puppies alike turning out to enjoy the day. Yet another hit for the Sands End we reckon!

Very Vintage Vino

As I'm sure most of you would have gathered if you've read the blog before, Sarah and I are rather partial to a glass (oh go on then, a bottle) of vino. We can just about distinguish the difference between some Sauvignon plonk, and some Pinot Grigio plonk, and we like to drink both, in good measure, and plenty more besides. However, the running theme seems to be.... cheap plonk. Cheap plonk in all it's whiffy, explosive hangover inducing, thousand-regrets-in-the-morning glory.

No more. It was time to get educated. It was time to make like a true oenophile and actually understand some of the wine-related commentary our more sophisticated peers bandy around at dinner parties (the frequency of which is becoming alarming - when did they all get so erudite? I'm sure last time we went out they were on the Jaegerbombs!) It was time to visit Jimmy, at the West London Wine School.

We wouldn't have heard about the school if it hadn't been for Twitter. Jimmy Smith (@WestLondonWine) is as prolific and enthusiastic in his social networking as he is about his wines. Although the school is very local to us, its position in the wine storage unit at The Big Yellow on Townmead Road makes it the ultimate hidden gem. But not that hidden it seems.... on closer inspection it seems the school has accrued a massive following, and some of the courses sell out within days. So, this is where all our more sophisticated Fulham neighbours have been sneaking off to...

The evening Sarah and I attended, Argentine wine was the focus of the session, and Jimmy had partnered up with the ebullient Christian, of Ruta 40 boutique wines, to introduce us all to the region. With fond (and not so fond) memories of drinking $3 vino tinto out of tetra paks whilst travelling through Mendoza on my gap yah, I was looking forward to seeing what all the places I'd visited could really produce. Eyeing up the eight (yes, EIGHT) glasses of wine laid out in front of us, along with a thoughtful selection of nibbles from smoked salmon rolls, to cheese and cured meats, Sarah and I began to wonder how on earth we'd not unearthed this place before!

And so our tour of Argentina began. From the high altitudes of Salta, to the famous wine region of Mendoza, Christian and Jimmy kept up a infectiously passionate, (extremely) well informed and fascinating commentary throughout. We learnt how everything from air temperature, to soil type, barrel materials and the thickness of the grape skin is delicately married together to produce a huge variety of finely balanced flavours. All the wines we tried came from the Ruta 40 selection of boutique wineries, 'boutique' being defined as producing less than 300,000 bottles per annum. Ex-financier Christian set the company up and has dedicated months of his life to travelling up and down the famous Ruta 40 in Argentina to unearth his smaller, often family-run wineries and bringing them back to the UK with the aim of introducing the British public to a slightly higher quality of wine than we are used to seeing in the supermarkets. After all, Argentina, we were informed, is the fifth largest producer (and consumer - lucky them!) of wine in the world, yet Argentine wine only represents 2% of the UK market. A Malbec is usually a very safe bet at a price point of £6-8 pounds, so imagine the value you get out of spending just that little bit more? We can tell you - a lot!

It's not for nothing that the West London Wine school has accrued a loyal following. A wine master at just 18, Jimmy is an exceptionally knowledgeable and passionate host, who manages to make you feel right at home, and encourages you to get the most of the session whatever your level of knowledge. It must have been patently obvious that Sarah and I had absolutely zero prior knowledge of the subject matter (Tetra Pak wine! Quelle horreur!) but Jimmy provided generous assistance (and top ups!) and made sure we captured the intricacies of the nose and palette, and ensured we didn't feel like the amateurs we really are. It also turns out that the Wine Cellars at The Big Yellow Storage is quite the wine-experts destination anyhow. It's the UK's first purpose-built wine self-storage facility, and apparently counts quite a few of the hotshots in the wine world as its customers. It's a really impressive affair, with huge care taken to ensure the temperature and humidity are kept at the optimum levels, and absolutely VAST amounts of storage.

Out of the eight wines we tried (you can imagine how we stumbled home!), our favourites were the Bodega Corvus 'Ala Negra' Torrontes from 2008 and the Bodega Vinecol, Malbec Oak Reserve of 2009. The former is a variety of white wine made from a grape we had not heard of before, and was brilliantly aromatic yet still crisp and refreshing. I'm not usually a fan of sweet wine but the acidity was very well balanced and we really enjoyed it, not least due to the surprise of finding a top quality white from a region not renowned for them. The second wine mentioned (a Decanter Bronze Medal 2011 winner no less!) was a soft, gentle and smooth red with a lighter appearance with a fruity yet also slightly spicy nose.

And, just to make sure we didn't slip back into nasty old habits, we picked up a bottle of each to take home with us. Tastings, it seems, provide an excellent opportunity to invest in a better quality of wine. You can try before you by, you'll have loads of background knowledge to impress your friends with and we got a small discount. Christian also deals directly with the managers of the Argentine boutique vineyards who provide his wines, so it's nice to know that a little more of your cash goes to those who've toiled over it.

Sarah and I enjoyed one of the best evenings we'd had in a long time. The wines and hosting were excellent, and there is a real sense of camaraderie amongst the guests that only grows as the glasses are emptied. There are absolutely tonnes of courses you can go (the 6-week introductory course looks right up our street!) and even more special one off events, from Tuscan to German evenings, and even British Beer Tasting ("A liquid study of our national drink from 2500BC to now" - I've already promised the boyfriend we can go to this!) and Champagne and Chocolate Matching (definitely one for the ladies).


And just incase you can't squeeze in a quick visit to Jimmy before your next dinner party, here is a brief "cheat's guide to wine" we'll certainly be referring back to in the future...




The longer the taste of the wine stays on your palette (the flavours should carry on developing) the better quality the wine.


Natural tannins are broken down by oxygen - some heavier red wines are best left to oxygenate for six hours or more


The greater the difference in air temperature at night and during the day in the vineyard, the thicker the skins that the grapes develop. This makes them rich in tannins and polyphenols, thereby producing wines that are concentrated and full of flavour.


Now go forth and blag it... and book into the West London Wine school quicksharp! 

All the fun of the Fete

Although Sarah and I are always "celebrating Fulham" (it's part of the job description!), last weekend gave us even more reason to shout it from the rooftops as the Hammersmith and Fulham Council's "Celebrating Fulham" initiative kicked off with the Wandsworth Bridge Road Fun Day.

The Wandsworth Bridge Road is our local high street, as it is for hordes of young Fulhamites who live in the Sands End area. However, amongst our age group I think sometimes the road's popularity suffers from its proximity to the bigger hubs of the Kings Road and Fulham Road. And it's a shame, because it's crammed full of great little restaurants, coffee shops and retailers (most of whom are independent) and this event was a fantastic idea to stir up some footfall and reintroduce Fulham to what a brilliant road it really is.

The event was organised by a newly formed retailers association (Cameronesque Big Society in action!) and a host of local volunteers, who donated their time and money to put on a whole day's programme of street performers, dance acts, kids activities and massive discounts across food, drink, beauty treatments and the majority of the local shops. 

Sarah and I spent a very happy day - in the sunshine no less! - flitting between the amazing paella and sangria deal at Lola Rojo, the fantastic music acts outside Greedy Buddha, and chilling out with a San Miguel and Sangria whilst the flamenco and guitar act got the crowds clapping at La Cuenta. We booked in some half price beauty treatments at Era, picked up balloon animals from Circus Circus and spied the Mayor of Fulham sampling the raclette outside Pret A Vivre. Even Elen Rivas made a little appearance. Unfortunately, she wasn't dancing, but she looked like she was having a great time with her kids and a group of friends enjoying the music in La Cuenta. 

Unfortunately we won nothing on the raffle but some lucky sods have won a free dinner at The Sands End and others have won race day tickets to Ascot! Still, since all the proceeds went to Help A Capital Child I suppose I can't feel too badly about it!

All in all, a fab day out, and a great way of reconnecting with the local community. I'll definitely be keeping it local more often in the future, and look forward to some of the other Celebrating Fulham events. You can see the full programme here.