Jo
FOOD + DRINK
On The Grapevine
Congratulations on making it through the toughest month of the year , potentially without a glass of English sparkling wine in your hand if you were going dry . Very sensible . Now you are back in the room , let ’ s look at what you ’ ve been missing !
The vines are quiet this month . It is too cold for them to be doing anything other than lying dormant , building up reserves for spring . Not too dissimilar to us I suppose , although unlike the vines , it does us good to be active at this time of year . Just because the vines have checked out for the next few weeks , it doesn ’ t mean we can ’ t visit them and marvel at the ethereal beauty of their perfectly ordered rows sweeping across the idyllic countryside in the crisp late winter . Once we ’ ve taken in that wonderful fresh air , we can reward ourselves with a velvety pinot noir while overlooking the vineyard enjoying some delicious locally sourced picky bits .
Balfour Winery ( balfourwinery . com ) in Staplehurst is open for business every day of the year , so you can always drop in . Chapel Down ( chapeldown . com ) has a gorgeous restaurant called The Swan , which I would recommend for an indulgent lunch . Gusbourne ( gusbourne . com ), not far from the South Coast , offers tasting flights hosted by their expert staff from Wednesday to Sunday . I recently went from Gusbourne to The Gallivant ( thegallivant . co . uk ) on Camber Sands , a sumptuously laid-back hotel and restaurant just yards from the sand dunes . The snug is a cosy corner with huge sofas and endless coffee table books to indulge in and their English wine list is extensive . I really didn ’ t want to go home !
There are plenty of ways to enjoy the winter while we look forward to the spring . Next month we will start to notice little furry buds on the vines and a new season will be upon us . While we plan for longer days , why not get your tickets to the Wine Garden of England Summer Celebration , or buy some vouchers that will save you money on a host of experiences and products across the member vineyards ?
M & S FOOD LAUNCHES TWO MUST- HAVE RANGES TO HELP BRITS SUPPORT THEIR BRAIN HEALTH
Supporting your brain health throughout the day has never been easier thanks to M & S and its brand-new Brain Food product range . According to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey ( 2020 ), many of us have low intakes of important nutrients to help with brain health , so the team at M & S put some of the best brains in their business to work on creating a pioneering range that will help the UK look after their noggins .
After calling up the British Nutrition Foundation for advice , they created 13 nifty products championing six key brain-supporting nutrients that many of us lack in our diets such as omega 3 ( DHA ), iron , iodine , folate , zinc and vitamin B12 . . The M & S Brain Food range features tasty , quality products packed with nutrients to make it easy to support your brain health throughout the day , with everything from drinks and on-the-go snacks to refreshing salads and breakfast items . The home of health this February and beyond , head down to your local M & S Food store to kickstart your brain health journey .
Head to winegardenofengland . co . uk for more inspiration .
Cheers !
Jo
JO GINN , BRAND MANAGER WINE GARDEN OF ENGLAND
jo @ winegardenofengland . com winegardenofengland
90 • www . insidekent . co . uk