Dine on the Queen’s efforts at Tichwell Manor

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The menu at Tichwell Manor has what you’d expect: sea bass, pork loin and sole, among other staples. They are prepared prudently and presented with an aim to impress. The trained eye, however, will find a gem that’s not exactly hidden: organic red poll sirloin. The first label will catch the attention of the environmentally engaged, but “red poll” means much more – the former cow on the plate traces its roots back to the Queen.

Tichwell Manor sits across the street from a sea-adjacent marsh in Norfolk, England. The boutique hotel emphasizes a sense of home, with a teddy bear on every bed and old fashioned metal keys instead of the now ubiquitous key cards. Ostentation is eschewed in favor of the serenely mundane … which seems to be the underlying theme. What elevates Tichwell Manor to brilliant, though, occurs in executive Chef Eric Snaith’s kitchen.

At only 29, Snaith is a surprise in the top culinary job. He took the position to help the hotel’s owners, Ian and Margaret Snaith. Eric is their son, and the first taste of the first course of any of his meals makes it pretty damned clear that he’s doing much more than a favor to the family. The self-trained chef turns standard fare into edible masterpieces through the instinctive use of presentation, ingredient pairing and local sourcing. The last of these evokes plenty of passion from the main man in the kitchen.

[Photo of Sandringham Estate (where the cow used to live) by chris friese on Flickr]

For Snaith, the menu starts as close to home as possible. Herbs are pulled from the on-property garden that several guestrooms face. From there, he tries to stay within a 25-mile radius, as long as the goods are of sufficient quality – for scallops, for example, Snaith has to reach a little farther. The chef believes that it’s important “to have a source [for ingredients] that we can put on the menu.” Provenance matters – from confidence in the food to satisfying the guests.

This is a trend that’s gained importance in Britain over the past several years – provenance has arguably overtaken the other “green” factors considered in the food product space, such as organic. In general, it’s a point of pride, especially for that “red poll” sirloin.

Sandringham Estate lies not far from Tichwell Manor. It bears the distinction of belonging to the Queen (not the state) and is known for the quality of the organic livestock. The meat provided by Sandringham is distributed only to Tichwell Manor and two other restaurants, making it a rare product. Snaith balances the red poll sirloin with peas, oxtail, horseradish and risotto to craft an experience that is not to be missed.

You can find a solid executive chef at any number of English hotels, and Snaith measures up. But, Tichwell Manor is where you’ll come closest to dining with the Queen.

Disclosure: Visit Britain shelled out some cash for this experience, and British Airways supplied the flights.

Expats hit hard by economic downturn

by Sean McLachlan on

It’s a popular dream–move to a sunny, beautiful part of the world where life is cheap and say goodbye to the home country forever.

But the BBC has found that the dream of many expats has soured because of the economic downturn. The article focuses on the tens of thousands of British expats living in Spain, but the story could be about expats anywhere. For the past twenty years the English have been moving to Spain in droves, especially the sun-soaked coastline of Costa del Sol and Mallorca (pictured here). They fueled a real estate boom that was one of the major factors of Spanish economic growth until the housing bubble popped, markets crashed, and Spain ended up with a 17% unemployment rate. Oh, and the change from the peseta to the euro caused inflation that ended the “cheap living” part forever.

Now some expats are headed home. Many had jobs related to the housing industry that have since disappeared, and new jobs are not forthcoming. English-teaching jobs may be next as Spaniards rein in discretionary expenditures.

Are you an expat? Has your job or lifestyle been affected by the economic downturn? Gadling readers want to know.

West End Theaters Resisting Broadway Drought

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Doubtless, a fate that befalls Broadway is bound to be felt in theater districts around the world. London‘s West End, of course, is no exception. The effects of a worldwide financial crisis have affected discretionary spending indiscriminately, and the West End has seen some major shows that have struggled to “find an audience.” Nonetheless, London’s stages are faring better than the major productions in Manhattan.

At a recent showing of the newly opened “Sister Act” at the London Palladium Theatre, I had a chance to catch up with international ticket agent Keith Prowse‘s Ian Dulson. He believes that the relative strength of London’s productions is mostly the result of price. Tickets to a major show in London may go for just over $100 (including agent fee), while some Broadway productions approach double that amount.

While Dulson did stay upbeat, he listed several shows that are “trying to find audiences,” which is apparently industry parlance for under-attendance. Compared to the New York scene, however, London appears to Dulson to be in better shape.

“Sister Act” is the latest show to open in the West End, coming to stage on June 2, 2009, and the response has been strong from the start. It helps to have a celebrity (Whoopi Goldberg) listed as executive producer, and the show does draw from the popularity of the films that preceded it. The production itself was strong, with an energetic, talented cast and a dynamic set that tested the performers’ coordination as they performed amid structural changes on stage.

The crowds drawn consistently speak to the trend as much as they do to the production value. Constrained spending may be loosened somewhat by a talented cast or a desirable show, but it’s unlikely to change consumer behavior for a sustained period of time. The fact that guests are swarming in front of the Palladium suggests that the West End is holding on better than its cousin across the Atlantic.

Disclosure: Visit Britain paid for this trip, and British Airways picked up the flights. I did all the hard work on my own … for you and for Gadling, not for Visit Britain.

Hiker trampled to death by cattle

by Sean McLachlan on

While the English countryside is generally a safe and relaxing place to hike, tragically a woman has died after being trampled by stampeding cattle. The incident occurred along the popular Pennine Way in Yorkshire on Sunday. The victim was crossing a field in which there was a herd of cattle, a common enough occurrence on English country walks. The cattle apparently panicked at the sight of her two dogs and attacked.

This is the second such death in as many years. Last year a woman was killed in Suffolk in the same manner, and two weeks ago former Home Secretary David Blunkett was injured by a cow after it was startled by Blunkett’s seeing eye dog.

Late spring and early summer are popular times for hiking in England, but it is also the time of year that cattle give birth to calves and will become aggressive if they think their young are threatened. As I continue my series on English country walks, keep in mind that hiking always has its dangers and check out these safety precautions from the Ramblers, England’s premiere hiking organization. For cattle, it recommends that you should never get between a cow and her calf, and if they go after your dog, to let it off the leash. The dog can generally get away and the cows will go after the animal, allowing you a chance to escape.

Hotel du Vin smokin’ consistency

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I had a great cigar-smoking at the Bothy at the Hotel du Vin in smoke-phobic Glasgow. Well, the Hotel du Vin in Cambridge, England, I was pleased to learn, offers the same environment! Behind the hotel is a small, covered, and heated outdoor smoking lounge where guests are invited to light up and relax. Its name, the “Cigar Shack,” is only half accurate – fortunately, it’s the first half.

The Hotel du Vin (and Mal Maison) properties in Great Britain pride themselves on offering a unique guest experience rather than the homogeneity of the major chains. This is particularly true at the Cambridge hotel, where room numbers are eschewed in favor of names (I spent the evening in the Taylor’s Port room, which is appropriate, given how much I enjoy the drink).

At reception, I was told about the outdoor smoking space and proceeded to it immediately after dropping my bags in Taylor’s Port. Though it’s not a carbon copy of the Glasgow Bothy, the Cigar Shack’s similarities are striking. The covered space is of roughly the same design, though it is a bit smaller. Also, like its Scottish cousin, the smoking lounge offers a fireplace and ample seating. Cuban cigars are available for purchase (in case you forgot to bring your own stash).

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Outside the Cigar Shack, there is a large patio with four tables that seat four people – and a bench that handles two comfortably. The lucky rooms are Graham Beck, Concha y Toro and tk-Zapata, which open directly into the this outdoor space. Sure, you have to sacrifice a bit of privacy, but I’m a sucker for access to outside, probably because I live in a city that charges a premium for it. It can’t be too bad, as I smoked several cigars in a row (during which I saw people enter these rooms), and nobody complained.

If you’re a smoker, this is the best alternative to being able to light up in your room. In fact, I find it preferable. It’s a great environment, with covered, climate controlled areas, an dprovides a bit of a social scene.

As always, non-smokers are welcome, too!

Disclosure: Visit Britain paid for this trip, and British Airways picked up the flights. There are many other reasons to stay at this hotel, but I’m sure the other writers on the press trip will cover them. I’m unashamedly a cigar guy.