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P&O Britannia inaugural celebrations – and a first look inside

by Jeanne Horak on April 21, 2015 9 Comments in Cruise ships

Have you ever wondered why tradition dictates that we smash a bottle of Champagne against the hull of a ship when we name her? You may be surprised to learn that it was the indirect result of a cost cutting exercise by the Royal Navy (which just goes to show that the more things change, the more they stay the same!).  Ceremonies of some sort when vessels are launched, to request the safety of those who sail on them, have been around as long as humans have been fashioning boats.  Although ceremonies were initially religious, after the Reformation members of the royal family would typically come aboard, take a ceremonial sip of wine from the ship’s standing cup (a large, ornate and expensive goblet usually made of silver) before throwing the rest of the contents across the deck or bow. The cup was then thrown overboard to be caught and kept by a lucky spectator.  As the cups were expensive, this practice was ended by the Royal Navy in the 17the century when the cup was replaced by a bottle of wine and later Champagne to be smashed against the bow. And I had never actually seen such a ceremony in person, until a couple of weeks ago when I went to Southampton to watch Queen Elizabeth name Britannia, Britain’s newest and largest cruise ship.

ABOUT BRITANNIA

Britannia is a 143,000 ton cruise ship built for P&O Cruises – the largest ship in their current fleet. She is a massive 1082 feet long (longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall) with 17 decks and she can comfortably carry 4,372 passengers. Britannia is also very striking, with a 94 metre Union Jack painted on her bow. During her summer season, Britannia will sail to from Southampton’s impressive Cruise Terminal to the Mediterranean, Norwegian fjords, the Baltic, Canary Islands and Atlantic Islands. In winter months, the ship will sail 14-night Caribbean itineraries.

 

BritanniaDecks

 

BritanniaFlowers

Design-wise, the brief seems to have been contemporary luxury with a strong British influence.  There is nothing brash or Vegas-esque going on here – the colour palette throughout the ship runs to cool blue tones, olive greens and a soothing neutral that designers would probably call “wet beach sand”.  Many design details also seem to hark back to a golden age of cruising – I was particularly taken with many of the chairs in the Blue Bar with their contrasting piping and Art Deco feel.  The grand three-deck high atrium at the heart of the ship also contains a grand spiral staircase and the ship’s most talked-about design feature: the Star Burst sculpture, which extends almost the full height of the room and is illuminated with subtle red, white and blue lights after dark.  I was also massively impressed with the art aboard – over 600 pieces of art were commissioned from artists around the world at multi-million Pound expense.  The result is a hugely diverse and enjoyable selection of paintings and sculptures throughout the ship, often with an artist’s bio on  nearby plaques.

 

BritanniaStarburst1

 

BritanniaAtriumLounge

 

BritanniaAtriumLoungedetail

 

BritanniaStairs

BritanniaArt3

 

BritanniaArt2

 

BritanniaArt1

The gorgeous painting above is “Port” by American artist Randall Stoltzfus – read more about it here.

At the time that we spent a night aboard, Britannia had not yet made her maiden voyage and we did not leave our mooring. The entire ship was pristine with new ship smell (like new car smell but a lot more of it!).  Many of the speciality restaurants were not open or not serving their usual menu, and the ship was abuzz with security ahead of the Queen’s arrival for the naming ceremony (we got to meet some pretty gorgeous police sniffer dogs!). So I have chosen not to review our visit as a cruise, but rather as a first look inside this impressive ship’s amenities as well as a first-hand account of the tremendously enjoyable inaugural celebrations.

CABINS/STATEROOMS ABOARD BRITANNIA

Britannia boasts 1,837 staterooms which include 460 interior cabins (15 sqm); 1,222 balcony cabins (22-27 sqm); 92 mini-suites (26-31 sqm); and 64 premium suites (30-44 sqm).  In response to customer demand, 27 single cabins (14 sqm, inside and outside) are also available, which removes the awkwardness of the single supplement.   In a bold step, all outside cabins have balconies (the first P&O ship in this configuration), so no more peering through a salt-encrusted porthole!

All Britannia ship cabins feature an understated and soothing colour scheme with all the amenities you would expect from a hotel room. I was particularly impressed with the open-front walk-in style wardrobe, situated outside the bathroom and screened off from the rest of the cabin.  No more fighting with sliding doors! My outside twin cabin on C-deck was surprisingly spacious for a ship (although it would have felt less so if there was another person in the cabin!).  Although the cabin was set up as a twin, all cabins can be converted to a queen-sized bed and I liked that they have a special vinyl throw on the bed for luggage –  no dirtying the sheets with your suitcase while you unpack.  My cabin also came with air-conditioning; a 37″ flat-screen TV (for films on demand and cable/satellite programs); an original artwork above the bed; a small coffee table,  armchair and desk; a safe; a fridge and coffee/tea making facilities; White Company toiletries; a good amount of storage space; and a bathroom featuring a shower with a glass screen (a departure from P&O’s traditional shower curtains), a massage shower head and a hairdryer.  There were also sliding doors onto a cosy balcony, just big enough for a small table and two chairs. Room service is available (although not while we were aboard) so breakfasting or sundowners on your private balcony is definitely an option.  Here’s a short video tour:

 

BritanniaCabin2

 

BritanniaCabin1

 

BritanniaBathroom

 

BritanniaBalcony

 

BritanniaBalconyView

 

The suites, designed by Richmond International, offer an extra an extra layer of space (separate living areas, baths and extra beds) and luxury in the form of their own butler.  We had a look at both a junior and a premium suite and although both were cosy by landlubber standards, I was impressed with the spacious and clever bathroom design as well as the huge wraparound balconies that some of them have, depending on where they are situated. Here, too, there was some attractive bespoke art on display – a welcome recurring theme throughout the ship.

 

BritanniaSuite3

 

BritanniaSuite2

 

BritanniaSuite1

 

BritanniaMaySuiteBathroom

 

MayBritanniaSuiteBalcony

Above two images © and courtesy of May from Eat Cook Explore

EATING AND DRINKING ABOARD BRITANNIA

Anybody who thinks that they will be bored by cruise ship dining has clearly not been aboard a ship like Britannia:  she boasts a whopping twenty seven places to eat and drink, including thirteen dedicated dining venues ranging from restaurants serving the food of Michelin-starred chefs to informal pizzerias and 24-hour self-service venues serving snacks.  The remaining 14 places to eat include music venues and bars.  Included in every cruise package is the option to eat breakfast, lunch and a five-course dinner in one of the ship’s three gargantuan main restaurants (Oriental, Peninsular and Meridian) or the self-service restaurant Horizon on Deck 16 (loved the blue-and white nautical-themes tile walls there!). In response to customer demand, there is a move away from large communal tables at meals and many more 2-seater tables are available than before. In addition, there are also a number of speciality restaurants which can be booked as part of an additional meal package including The Epicurean (fine dining), Sindhu (Atul Kochar’s signature restaurant), The Glass House (wine, steak and seafood), The Limelight Club (modern European with live entertainment in a supperclub setting) and the Market Café (Eric Lanlard patisserie and Charlie Turbull’s cheese selection). More informal options include the Grab ‘n Go and Lido Grill beside the pool on Deck 17, or the Blue Bar, Brodies (featuring 70 British beers, ales and ciders) and the Crow’s Nest (with an impressive collection of 20 different artisan gins)  for something to drink. Each venue has a quite distinctive feel and décor – it was great fun following the self-guided tour and checking out each in turn!

 

BritanniaPeninsularSignage

 

BritanniaOriental

 

BritanniaDiningRoom

 

BritanniaLimelightMenu

BritanniaLimelightBarstools

 

Britannia LimelightRoom

 

BritanniaCrystalRoomSignage

 

BritanniaCrystalRoom

 

BritanniaBlueBarSeating

 

Britannia Epicurean

 

BritanniaBlueBar

 

BritanniaHorizonRoom

 

BritanniaHorizonDetail

 

BritanniaHorizonDetail2

 

The only restaurants that we experienced exactly as a passenger would were Peninsular for an a la carte breakfast (tasty but plated with zero imagination); and the Market Café.  Other than serving patisserie by Eric Lanlard (one of P&O’s food  heroes), it also serves a rather excellent cheese selection chosen by international cheese expert Charlie Turnbull, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing.  Charlie grew up on a farm, learning the importance of knowing where your food came from and that simple is best. After deciding that neither engineering nor accounting were for him, he toyed with the idea of farming.  The farming idea never came to fruition, but while working with Francis Wood who farms buffalo up near Shepton Mallet and sold her cheese at London farmers’ markets, Charlie discovered a fascination for the “magical process” of cheesemaking.  He became convinced that what he needed to do was establish a kind of farmers’ market outlet for cheese, but on the high street – and that is exactly what he aimed to do when he opened Turnbulls cheesemonger and deli in Shaftesbury in 2003. As one of P&O’s food heroes, Charlie will be leading cheese excursions on some of Britannia’s cruises.  The idea is to visit local cheesemakers, but if there are none within reach of the port, the excursion might include visiting local cheesemongers or chefs who cook with local cheese. Charlie will also host cheese and beer pairings on selected cruises, rather than the more traditional beer and wine pairings.  He told me: “Many of the cheeses I chose for Britannia are English and everybody knows that food pairs best with whatever drink is made in the same area.  And what could be more English than beer?”. That said, he also waxes lyrical about pairing British cheese with Somerset Pomona apple liqueur. I was also curious what he looks for in a cheese when judging international competitions, and he listed three points: multiple/complex flavours; balance of said flavours; and length (how long the flavour lingers in your mouth). Surprisingly, with French cheese, only 20% of the total mark is down to taste – the rest of the total is composed of “breed standards” – e.g. correct shape, texture etc. And of course, the cheese fiend in me could not resist asking Charlie what his three desert island cheese would be: Quickes Cheddar, Gorgonzola dolce and Bitto (an Italian Alpine cheese made from cow and goat milk).

The cheeses at the Market Café had all been selected by Charlie, so it seemed rude not to try a platter just after I had interviewed him.  Each platter comes with a generous amount of crackers and chutney – more than big enough to share. On our platter we had: Beauvale Blue from Nottinghamshire; Quicke’s cheddar; Red Leicester; Delice de Bourgogne; and Rosary Goat’s Cheese from Landford.  The cheeses were all outstanding – the blue was ridiculously creamy, as was the Delice de Bourgogne (not a cheese I am familiar with) – but the highlight was surely the Red Leicester with a subtle smokiness unlike any Red Leicester I have ever tasted. Big thumbs up too for the garlic chutney – super potent but an addictive umami bomb!  We also treated ourselves to some of another P&O food hero Eric Lanlard’s signature patisserie available at the Market Café.  I had the St Clement chocolate cup – an unusual combination of blood orange cream, stewed apple compote, and caramel apple popcorn, all encased in a thin chocolate shell.  It was rich, yet subtle and beautifully balanced – a real standout.  My companions chose the berry cheesecake which was more of a mousse cake than a cheesecake but did come with a hidden centre of berry compote.  The winner in the looks stakes, though, was definitely the lemon and yuzu tart with its adorable Japanese-themed chocolate garnish.

 

BritanniaBreakfastMenu

 

BritanniaBreakfast

 

BritanniaLanlardMenu

 

BritanniaLemonTart

 

BritanniaPatisserie1

 

BritanniaCoffee

 

BritanniaCheeseboard

 

LEISURE AND ENTERTAINMENT ABOARD BRITANNIA

The chances of being bored aboard (hah!) are pretty slim.  In the unlikely event that you have exhausted all the dining options, there are a wealth of other leisure options to explore.  One of the major highlights of Britannia is the Cookery Club, chef James Martin’s 24-person state-of-the-art teaching kitchen where passengers will have the hands-on opportunity to learn some new cookery skills under the guidance of one of P&O’s food heroes: James Martin, Marco Pierre White, Atul Kochhar, Eric Lanlard, wine expert Olly Smith and cheese expert Charlie Turnbull. In addition, the Cookery Club will play host to other famous chefs throughout the year including Mary Berry CBE, Pierre Koffmann, Paul Rankin and Commendatore Antonio Carluccio OBE.

 

BritanniaCookSchoolEntrance

 

BritanniaCookSchool

 

BritanniaCookSchool2

 

If you feel the need for a little exercise after all that food, never fear – you will be well catered for. Britannia boasts four pools, at least one of which is a kid-free zone (the Serenity pool).  In addition, there are also outdoor Jacuzzis on the lido deck.  If you are after more strenuous exercise, make your way to the spacious and well-equipped gym with its wall of treadmills, stationary bikes and Concept 2 rowing machines, all facing out to sea.  There is also a free weight area, weight machines and a shiny new gym studio equipped for traditional classes as well as TRX and spinning.   The only thing that I felt was missing was an outdoor jogging or walking route on the Promenade Deck.  There does not appear to be any way to do a complete and uninterrupted outdoor circuit of the ship which is a great pity for those preferring to take their exercise outdoors.

 

BritanniaPools

 

 

BritanniaPoolVertical1

 

BritanniaLidoPoolSign

 

BritaniaPoolHorizontal1

 

BritanniaJacuzzi

 

BritanniaGym1

 

BritanniaGym2

If that all sounds too strenuous, you can always indulge in a bit of retail therapy (there is 660 sq ft of retail space, clustered around the central atrium); hunker down with a good book in the peace and quiet of the library or visit the largest British spa afloat featuring treatments rooms, a pool, sauna, hair and nail salon as well as offering cosmetic procedures such as Botox and fillers.  Once you are all dolled up, head for the Crystal Club which has a dedicated dancefloor where you can dance the night away; or maybe visit the cinema or the state-of-the art (and huge!) Headliners Theatre for on-stage entertainment.

 

BritanniaSpaPool

 

BritanniaSpa2

 

BritanniaSpa1

 

And don’t think that while mom and dad are catered for, the younger generation have been left out. On the contrary – the Reef Club on Deck 17 provides dedicated facilities for everyone from toddlers to teens in five age-specific clubs in dedicated rooms: Tumblers (six months to 2 years), Splashers (2-4), Surfers (5-8), Scubas (9-12) and H2O for the teens (up to 17-years-old).  All rooms are hey are flooded with natural light from floor-to-ceiling windows and each area is kitted out with age-appropriate activities, from craft tables and Gameboys; to puppet shows, dress-up cupboards and X-Boxes; to squashy sofas around a TV, pool tables, a mini-disco and retro 2-player PacMan arcade games. It kind of made me wish I was a teenager again! Reef club hours are usually 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2 to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m, but parents must remain on the ship on port days if their child is at The Reef.

 

BritanniaReefClub

 

BritannisKids1

 

BritanniaKids2

 

BritanniaKids3

 

BRITANNIA INAUGURAL GALA DINNER

Having spent the afternoon exploring the ship, it was time to put on our party frocks and head for the gala dinner, which kicked off in the atrium with glasses of British fizz – Wiston Estate (Sussex) Brut NV to be precise.  After an amusing speech from P&O ambassador Rob Brydon, guests all headed off to their assigned tables in one of the ship’s three main restaurants.  I had the good fortune of sharing a table with Michelin-starred chef Nathan Outlaw and London’s favourite chocolatier, the thoroughly charming Paul A. Young. The special meal had been designed by a number of P&O’s food heroes and here’s what we had:  We started with a little skewer of chicken tikka makhani masala with spiced tomato foam and kachumber salad, devised by Atul Kochar.  Next up was Bourbon whisky and vanilla-cured salmon, Exmoor caviar, Morecambe Bay shrimps, picled cucumber ketchup with ginger tapioca beetroot rye crisps by James Martin.  The meat course consisted of Romney saltmarsh lamb Dijonnaise with slow-cooked Madeira-infused lamb and truffled potato croustade, buttered samphire and orange-cured baby carrots by Marco-Pierre White.  Our sweet course consisted of a trio of desserts: quenelle of red berry parfait en velour; a dark Maracaibo chocolate teardrop with Amarena cherry; and lemon cheesecake with Amaretti biscuits, all by Eric Lanlard. We finished with a cheeseboard selected by Charlie Turnbull, complemented by Ditty’s smoked oatcakes, fruit & nut toasts, and a glass of Pomona cider brandy.

 

BritanniaStarburst2

 

BritanniaJeanneAndMay

 

BritanniaDinnerAmuseBouche

 

BritanniaDinnerStarter

 

BritanniadinnerLamb

 

BritanniaDinnerDessert

 

BritanniaDinnerCheese

 

After dinner, we were all ushered out onto the deck for a fireworks display.  For a moment, I was worried that I might freeze to death in my party frock… but I hd forgotten that I was in the tender care of P&O: soft pashminas were handed out to us as we stepped outside, and so we watched the rather impressive fireworks display in warmth and comfort before heading back indoors to finish off the evening in the Crow’s Nest Bar.

 

BritanniaFireworks

 

BRITANNIA NAMING CEREMONY AND CELEBRATION LUNCH

After having gone to bed on a rather blustery, cold and rainy night, I was thrilled when the day of the naming ceremony dawned crisp and sunny.  Apparently the weather gods had received the memo that the Queen was on her way and does not like wet feet! After a quick breakfast and a stroll around the lido deck, we disembarked and headed for the grandstand on the quay where a variety of entertainers had been rehearsing the day before.  Even the most ardent republican could not deny that there was a huge buzz in the air as we grabbed our goodie bags (a warm drink in an insulated mug and a hand-warmer – could P&O get more considerate?) and headed for our seats.  Proceedings kicked off with another speech from Rob Brydon, followed by an eclectic mix of royal regiment marching bands; a ballroom dancing display and my personal favourite, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers – a group of lovely Scottish blokes, resplendent in their kilts, belting out a rousing version of Don’t Stop Believing accompanied by their brass section.  The happy marriage of bagpipe and trombone – who knew?

 

BritanniaPoolDeckJeanne

 

BritanniaGroupMayOn the quayside red carpet with Paul, May and Alan – photo © and courtesy of Eat Cook Explore

 BritanniaLaunchGrandstand © J Horak-Druiff 2015

BritanniaLaunchBottle

 

BritanniaLaunchRedHotChiliPipers

I had already spotted the impressive Nebuchadnezzar of sparkling wine (English, not French – a Wiston Brut NV from Sussex) dangling on a zipwire above our heads, awaiting its moment of glory, and soon a ripple of excitement ran through the crowd as the lady who had an appointment with said bottle arrived: Queen Elizabeth, looking rather fetching in peach, accompanied by Prince Philip.  After another few formalities, HRH stepped up and uttered the familiar words: “I christen this ship Britannia – may God bless her and all those who sail on her”, and with that the bottle started its one-way journey to meet the ship’s hull with an impressive crash.  This was followed immediately by a veritable blizzard of red, white and blue confetti and rousing renditions of both God Save the Queen and Rule Britannia.  It was a glorious reminder of just how effortless the British can make pageantry seem.

 

BritanniaLaunchQueen

 

BritanniaLaunchQueen2

 

BritanniaLaunchCOnfetti1

 

BritanniaLaunchSmashedBottle

 

BritanniaLaunchConfetti

 

Once the Queen had departed and the confetti had settled, we made our way back on board for an inaugural lunch in the Oriental restaurant.  I started with rillettes of pheasant and bacon with raisin chutney, pickled radish, brioche toasts and a shard of crisp pancetta – I found the rillettes to be too dry and lacking in the unctuous fattiness that I would have expected).  This was followed by an outstanding fillet of gilthead bream with a subtle crayfish and orange chowder, vegetable pasta and sugar snap peas; and an absolute winner of a dessert: coconut, lemongrass and lime panna cotta with mango – just stellar.  This was all washed down with P&O’s own-label rather excellent The Bon Viveur white Colombar-Ugni Blanc bend from Cotes de Gascone.  It was with some reluctance that I had to disembark after lunch – I felt as if I was only just getting to know Britannia and now I had to leave.  But I hope to be back sooner rather than later, to experience the ship at sea, as she is meant to be experienced.

 

BritanniaLunchMenu

 

BritanniaLunchRillettes

 

BritanniaLunchFish

 

BritanniaWine

 

BrtanniaLunchDessert

 

USEFUL INFO

The Britannia left Southampton on its maiden voyage on 15 March and will be continuously at sea for the next 5 years, cruising the Mediterranean, the Norwegian fjords and the Canary Islands in the summer; and the Caribbean in the winter.  Most of Britannia’s cruises will be 7 or 12-14 night cruises but there are also a few 2-night short breaks to Guernsey or Bruges available.  Many of the cruises are designated as “food hero”, meaning that one of P&O’s food heroes will be aboard to lead shore excursions and conduct classes in the cookery school.  To give you an idea of pricing, a 7-night Norwegian fjord cruise in Summer 2015 starts from £799 per person sharing a balcony cabin. For more information on all of Britannia’s destinations, have a look on their website.

For other impressions of Britannia’s inaugural celebrations, have a look at May’s post and Alan’s post.  If you like cruise ships, you may also want to read my comprehensive review of the Celebrity Reflection.

 

DISCLOSURE:  I attended the Britannia inaugural celebrations as a guest of P&O Cruises but received no further remuneration. I was not required to write a positive review and retained full editorial control.

 

 

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  1. Sarah Maison Cupcake says

    April 22, 2015 at 10:22 am

    Oh my goodness look at you two ladies all glammed up! Serious envy, looks like an amazing couple of days. I wonder how people on cruises get time to leave the ship and visit the destinations!

    Reply
  2. Cherie City says

    April 22, 2015 at 10:31 am

    It looks so sleek and stylish. I wouldn’t mind the suite with the marble bathroom!

    Reply
  3. Karin@yumandmore says

    April 22, 2015 at 10:55 am

    A fabulous and honest review that might even sway me to set foot on a cruise ship again. Great photographly too.

    Reply
  4. Jacqueline Meldrum says

    April 22, 2015 at 12:20 pm

    Wow it just looks stunning from the decor to the food and just the colossal size of it. What luxury! A great definitive guide Jeanne.

    Reply
  5. Kate @ Veggie Desserts says

    April 22, 2015 at 3:05 pm

    This looks absolutely amazing. And the cookery club is sooooo fab. Everything is so elegant and beautiful!

    Reply
  6. May EatCookExplore says

    April 22, 2015 at 3:13 pm

    What a lovely write up. Makes me want to go back and rewrite mine. Love your pictures.

    Reply
  7. Helen @Fuss Free Flavours says

    April 22, 2015 at 5:24 pm

    Oh my, that ship is just so elegant – absolutely stunning. And the prices are actually very reasonable. Lovely!

    Reply
  8. Elizabeth says

    April 23, 2015 at 6:16 am

    What an event – wowee! I love all the tradition and ceremony around the naming of a new ship, and I bet cruising on her at sea would be the most amazing experience! I wonder if she’ll call into Shetland on her way to Norway…. cruise ships quite often do and I really enjoy seeing them in the harbour. A fantastic read, I felt like I was there with you the whole time!

    Reply
  9. Margot @ Coffee & Vanilla says

    April 27, 2015 at 4:20 pm

    Britannia looks amazing!!! You are so lucky to be able to take a first look inside 🙂

    Reply
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Do you find joy in life's imperfections?
What's your favourite way to eat cauliflower? Up What's your favourite way to eat cauliflower? 

Up until about a week ago I would have said cauliflower cheese... but all that changed when I made this low-carb cauliflower steak Welsh rarebit... I first made cauliflower steaks years ago, before cauliflower started enjoying its 15 minutes of fame, as a main course for vegetarian friends. But it wasn't till last week when I wanted to make Welsh rarebit for St David's day and discovered I had no bread that it struck me that cauli steaks would make the perfect base for Welsh rarebit! It's totally indulgent - like pouring a beery cheese fondue over your cauliflower - and totally addictive. You can find the full recipe in the link in my profile,  or SAVE this post for basic instructions! Remember to tag me if you try it -I'd love to see 😊

* Slice two 1cm steaks vertically from the middle of a large cauliflower, season and fry in  butter and oil till browning slightly.

* Oven bake for 10 mins at 200C while you mix grated cheddar, melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and beer. (The Duvel Belgian ale works a charm, BTW!).

* Spread the cheese mix generously over the 2 steaks and pop under a medium grill until golden and bubbly

You're welcome 🤩
Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - or happy St David's Day if Dyed Gwyl Dewi Hapus - or happy St David's Day if you don't speak Welsh 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

March 1 is the day on which the Welsh people celebrate their patron saint, St David, and one of their traditions is to wear a daffodil, the national flower of Wales. Here are five daffodil facts to impress your Welsh friends:

🌼 There's no difference between a daffodil and a narcissus. Daffodil (or jonquil) is simply the common name for members of the Narcissus genus, so all daffodils are narcissi.

🌼 There is only one species if daffodil that is native to the UK - Narcissus Pseudonarcissus, or wild daffodils. You can spot them by the fact that their outer 6 petals are a paler yellow than the central trumpet, and they are usually smaller than the showy, giant yellow commercially grown daffs. 

🌼 It's not entirely certain how the daffodil came to be the national flower of Wales - one theory is that they are one of the few flowers in bloom on 1 March. Another is that the daffodil is less... antisocial to wear than the other Welsh national symbol, the leek 🤣

🌼 Daffodils are the official 10th wedding anniversary flower.

🌼 Daffodils contain a poisonous sap - keep away from pets and if mixing daffodils in a vase with other flowers, let them stand in water separately for 24 hours first I case they affect the other flowers. 

Are daffodils your favourite Spring flower? Or do you prefer something else?
As a girl who lived more than half her life in the As a girl who lived more than half her life in the African sun, February and March are the hardest months for me to bear in the UK. All the excitement of Christmas and New Year has faded; the credit card bill has arrived; the sun is still setting before I finish work; and the snow that we all hoped for at Christmas finally arrives and disrupts everything. This is why, every year in Feb/March since I moved to the UK (other than the year I broke my femur a week before I was due to fly!), I decamp to South Africa for 2 weeks to visit my family and get my fix of vitamin D (and vitamin Sea!).

This week I should have been here - the Beacon Island hotel in Plettenberg Bay, which I have been visiting since I was about six years old. It is where I go to lift my spirits and clear my head. But for the last 2 years, Covid has meant that I have not been able to go home - or see my family. 

For the most part, although I miss travel, I am secretly quite liking taking a breather and being able to be home without FOMO for a while. But not being able to see my family has been incredibly hard, particularly as I have no family in this country.  And my blood boils at people bending the rules (a dentist appointment in Tenerife when you live in Manchester? Seriously??) to go on holiday while I have not seen my clinically vulnerable brother in two years. Covidiots.

But you can bet your bottom dollar that as soon as vaccinations are widely rolled out and international travel becomes practical again, I will be on a plane to South Africa so fast it will make your head spin.

Where will YOU head to first once we are able to travel again,  and why?
Love is in the air... 💕 Are you making a speci Love is in the air... 💕

Are you making a special dinner for your sweetheart tonight? This potted hot-smoked salmon with a pretty pink apple and red onion pickle is easy to prep and oh-so-delicious! It's also gluten-free if you serve it with GF crackers. Full recipe now on the blog - tap the live link on my bio to view. 

Are you doing anything special to celebrate today? Let me know in the comments! 💖
Ready for a wine tasting? 🍷 [Press trip] Back Ready for a wine tasting? 🍷

[Press trip] Back before Covid put our lives on hold, I spent a few days in the Languedoc-Rousillon wine region of France learning about (and tasting!) Pays d'Oc IGP wines. 

Want to learn more about the region's wines? Read on, swipe through the images (remember to  bookmark this post to refer back to later) - and click the live link in my bio for the full blog post! 

🍷 The Languedoc-Rousillon region is the largest wine producing region in the world, and produces about a third of all French wine. Pays d'Oc IGP is a classification region within Languedoc-Rousillon, with vineyards that take up over half the total vineyard area in the Languedoc-Rousillon region. Pays d'OC IGP wines account for about 20% of the total of all French wine produced.

🍷IGP stands for Indication Geographique Protegée, meaning it is a protected indication of origin and wines must be made only from approved grape varieties that must be grown entirely within the region's geographic boundaries.

🍷 Most French wines are named for their region (Bordeaux, Chablis, Champagne) but you won't see the name of the grape variety on the label. In response to consumer demand and the New World trend to label wines with grape varieties, rules were changed in Pays d'Oc in the late 1980s and Pays d'Oc wines now account for 92% of French varietal wines (e.g. labelled Chardonnay, Syrah, Viognier etc.).

🍷 There are 58 grape varieties that are allowed to be planted in the region but the Pays d'Oc IGP varietal wines to watch out for include Chardonnay, Rolle (another name for Vermentino) and Viognier among the whites; and Syrah, Mourvedre and Pinot Noir among the reds.

🍷 All wines labelled Pays d'Oc IGP are sampled and approved in a blind tasting by a panel of professionals, meaning the label is a guarantee of quality to the consumer. 

🍷 Producers that you should look out for include Gerard Bertrand, Domaine Gayda, Les Jamelles, Les Yeuses, Paul Mas and Domaine Aigues Belles.

First 📸: @everyglassmatters
New year's resolutions: waste of time or the way f New year's resolutions: waste of time or the way forward?

I have mentioned before that I don't really make new year's resolutions. There is always so much pressure to make them BIG lofty goals and this is essentially what dooms them to failure. Instead, for the past few years I have made a list of... affirmations? Mantras? I have yet come up with a word that does not make my toes curl 🤣

These are essentially reminders rather than goals - presets, if you like, for the year ahead. I keep them in a handwritten list next to my computer and when I don't know how to react to something or how to shake a mood, I read them and there is usually an answer in there somewhere. 

Given the bruising year last year was, and how 2021 has so far proven itself to be not much better, I really wanted to add something practical to this year's list to lift my spirits on days when I am down. And for that I borrowed shamelessly from the wonderful @gretchenrubin:

🌈  ACT THE WAY YOU WANT TO FEEL 🌈

And this photo is a reminder of how I want to feel on so, so many levels: hanging out with friends; dancing in the sunshine; wearing my favourite red dress; travelling (this was in Carouge, Switzerland); and surrounded by a rainbow of colour. I can't travel and I can't see friends, but I can dance in my kitchen, singing at the top of my voice wearing my brightest clothes. 

What strategies do you use to lift your spirits? I'd love to hear! 

📸 by @tasteofsavoie
If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bi If you, like me, are mssing your Pret-a- Manger Bircher muesli during lockdown, you will want to bookmark this post right now! 🔖

I have learnt a few things during lockdown. I have learnt that I am more comfortable spending long periods alone than I had ever imagined; that I suffer a lot more from FOMO (fear of missing out!) than I would like to admit; and that pre-Covid I spent rude sums of money on commuting and barista coffee...! 

I also learnt that although I miss travel and social events and meals out, it is often the smaller things that you miss most acutely - the freedom to call up a friend you haven't seen in a while and inviting them over. Hugging (or even seeing) my family. And grabbing a macchiato and a Pret Bircher muesli on the way to work. Don't ask me why, but it became a small obsession of mine to create a fakeaway Pret Bircher during lockdown - and I think I have succeeded! Here's how:

For 2 servings you will need:
100g rolled oats
200ml milk or water
1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds 
1 Tbsp shelled pistachio nuts
1 Tbsp dried cranberries 
2 small apples
175g plain yoghurt
Honey
Pomegranate rails

Mix the oats, seeds, nuts and cranberries together then add the milk/water and a pinch of salt. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight. 

When ready to serve, grate the apples and mix them in with the oats and yoghurt (add a little extra milk to loosen if needed). Stir in honey to taste and serve topped with pomegranate arils and pistachios. Full recipe and more photos are available now on the blog - click the live link in my profile.

Did you try any fakeaway recipes over lockdown? Please let me know in the comments - I would love to hear about it!
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Jeanne Horak is a freelance food and travel writer; recipe developer and photographer. South African by birth and Londoner by choice, Jeanne has been writing about food and travel on Cooksister since 2004. She is a popular speaker on food photography and writing has also contributed articles, recipes and photos to a number of online and print publications. Jeanne has also worked with a number of destination marketers to promote their city or region. Please get in touch to work with her Read More…

Latest Recipes

Cauliflower topped steak with melted cheese
Plate of potted smoked salmon with slaw and a glass of champagne
bowls of pistachio pomegranate bircher muesli
Brussels sprouts with chorizo & hazelnuts
Plum upside down cake
plum flapjack crumble
Sesame ginger Brussels sprouts
Jersey-royals-salmon-salad2 © Jeanne Horak 2019

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