London Food & Drink News: 13 October 2011

By tikichris Last edited 149 months ago
London Food & Drink News: 13 October 2011


UK RumFest
, the world’s biggest festival dedicated to celebrating rum and sugarcane spirits, takes place on 15 and 16 October at Kensington’s Olympia 2. Expect live bands “playing exotic rhythms”, salsa dancing, masterclasses, seminars and of course the opportunity to sample plenty of cocktails and more than 400 rums.

From 17 to 23 October, the Cookbook Cafe at the Intercontinental Park Lane will host “Flavours of Peru” - a week-long food festival featuring the cooking of chef Virgilio Martinez of the Lima-based Central Restaurante. This pop up festival will provide a taster for what is to come at Virgilio’s new restaurant, Lima London, opening next year. Dinner will be à la carte and based on dishes from Central restaurant and lunch will be served on Cookbook Cafes market table, with a selection of more traditional dishes in the option of three starters, three main courses, and three desserts (priced at £30 for two courses, including a Pisco Sour, water, tea/ coffee.) Musical entertainment will accompany dinner and during a special weekend brunch. Email hello@cookbookcafe.co.uk to make a reservation.

Waitrose has introduced a giant “Linda” avocado to its shelves with “up to ten times as much flesh as standard varieties.” It can weigh up to 1.5kg (more than the weight of two rugby balls) and is supposedly creamy in texture with a “very intense and slightly nutty” flavour. Priced at £4.99, Linda avocados are now on sale at John Lewis Foodhalls at Bluewater and Oxford Street and the Finchley Road and Canary Wharf Waitrose supermarkets. However, reliable sources suggest to Londonist that, if you've known where to look, similarly massive avos have been available at Caribbean and African food shops around town for years.

There's a Harvey Nichols Foodmarket Pop-Up shop at Westfield Stratford City open now and until 31 December. The 695sqft shop sells an “eclectic selection” of own-label food and wine along with an array of seasonal food items such as Marc de Champagne Christmas pudding, chocolate by Paul Wayne Gregory, Edgerton Pink Gin and more.

Photo/ChrisGoldNY

Last Updated 13 October 2011