A birthday wish

In ten days, I turn 42. I’ve realised that adult humans will always be confused by the passing of time and how quickly it’s all rushing past. We say it to kids, we say it to our friends (especially those pioneers who hit the milestones first), we hear it from our parents and older relatives. Turns out, everyone feels 27 forever (or 19 or 32 or whenever you set yourself in amber, a line in the sand that delineates past, present and future).

Vegan-friendly skincare | DIY lip balm tutorial

One of my newest writing clients is Simply Vegan, the 'ultimate vegan lifestyle magazine'. In the December issue (on the newsstand now) is my beeswax-free lip balm DIY, which was so much fun to make.

Review | Cabot Circus Christmas lights switch on 2018

If you follow me on Instagram, then you'll know that last Friday night was pretty special. Somehow, I've reached this ripe old age never having experienced a Christmas lights switch-on. Time to right that wrong!

Event | Cabot Circus Christmas lights 2018

Now that Halloween and Bonfire Night are out of the way, we're quite happy to get going on Christmas festivities. And how are we going to kick off this year's festive season? You might well ask. On Friday night, we're heading to Cabot Circus, Bristol's shopping centre, for the event of the season. Cabot always seems to have something on to rescue even the most perfunctory of family shopping trips and Christmas is where it turns on the style.

Vegan recipe | Plum and rosewater crumble with almonds

Someone once said that there is no more beautiful colour in the world than the juice from a stewed plum. It falls somewhere between raspberry jam pink, sunset red and the orange of a glowing ember. The fruit's skin, too, is maddeningly beautiful - bruise purple and dusty.

Food | How to make homemade sourdough bread

For the past month or so, we’ve been baking our own sourdough bread. I know, I know, what could be more middle class boho hipster? But it’s so bloody delicious I’m prepared to take the flack (as I bite into a slice of crusty toast topped with roasted butternut squash and tahini).

A celebration of grapes at Dunleavy Vineyards | Recent work

That's me in the pic above, harvesting grapes. On an English vineyard. No, really it is. This time last year, along with my excellent friend and collaborator, Kym Grimshaw, I found myself with a pair of snips (technical term) ambling along the vines and filling crate after crate with plump Pinot noir and Seyval blanc grapes.