Category: Food

Friday Feels; A Summer’s Arvo in East London

July 30, 2023

Nothing beats that Friday feeling when you get to wrap up work tasks, close work emails and welcome in another weekend. This Friday my boyfriend and I went into East London to spend the afternoon at Spitalfields Market, before a dinner hosted by Epidemic Sounds at Ottolenghi Restaurant in Liverpool Street.

I love that summertime buzz in the city and it was fun to be back in the area of town which I used to live many years ago, back when I was doing my dance training.

Spitalfields Market has changed quite a lot since I last visited, so it was interesting to walk around and explore all the different markets and shops.

Cocktail hour was upon us, so we found this lovely looking restaurant and bar with outdoor seating just on the edge of the market, perfect for soaking up the atmosphere whilst people watching.

I couldn’t resist a Tommy’s Margarita which was perfectly sweet and salty with that spicy kick too, it was heavenly.

And what aperitif is complete without olives, right?

That right there is my ideal Friday arvo setup complete with live music playing in the market and that warm summer air, exquisite vibes.

My boyfriend got the fillet steak sandwich with caramelised onions and caesar dressed leaves.I had a taste and we both agreed this was absolutely outstanding, the best steak sandwich we’ve ever had!

Another round of drinks and before we knew it a few hours had passed, we were having such a wonderful time we didn’t want to leave.

For the occasion I wore this vibrant pink corset top from Zara, my straight cut Stradivarius jeans, a pair of khaki green mules from Next, a cropped grey blazer and my MiuMiu sunnies to complete the look.

We went for another stroll around the market as well as a few shops including All Saints, Nobody’s Child and Mulberry. Then before dinner we went for one more sunset drink at The Players Social.

We were kindly invited along to this influencer dinner by Epidemic Sounds who have collaborated with my boyfriend’s YouTube channel a lot over the years. It was a great opportunity to meet fellow creators and make some more connections in the YouTube community.

As I expected, the dinner was a mezze of small sharing plates including hummus, roasted vegetables, sea bream fillet and lamb koftas. The courgettes served with labneh, harissa tomato salsa and pine nuts was my favourite dish, accompanied with plenty of the hummus of course.

We finished with an assortment of cakes which were divine. Some great conversations were had and it was a fantastic networking opportunity meeting likeminded creators and influencers. Thanks again to Epidemic Sounds for inviting us along and hosting a wonderful dinner at Ottolenghi ❤

New Opening; Auriol Wine Bar

July 16, 2023

A few months back I was thrilled to hear news of a wine bar opening in our village. Auriol Wines in Hartley Wintney has been an established wine shop for over 25 years and following a refurbishment, last month they reopened their doors as a wine bar too.

We couldn’t wait to try our new local, so we visited a few weeks back and tried their taster flight – three different wines of your choice to taste for £10.

Some pretzels and fresh bread with olive oil and balsamic was the perfect pairing to sample our wines.

They’ve done a great job of turning the shop into a classy little wine bar complete with quirky yet tasteful interiors, creating a cosy and friendly atmosphere.

This weekend we were back again to try yet more wine and sample one of their delicious looking cheese and charcuterie boards. We opted for the medium platter of four cheeses and meats served with crackers, pretzels, grapes, rocket and chutney.

All of their cheeses are locally sourced and were divine, my favourite was the Heckfield. Portion size was very generous and our bottle of Australian Grenache red wine was a wonderful pairing to the assortment of different cheeses.

We’ve been waiting years for our village to open a wine bar as it’s the ideal location and plenty of customers on the doorstep, business will thrive there no doubt.

The team at Auriol Wines have done a fantastic job of transforming the shop into a lovely wine bar locals will love. I know I’ll be visiting on the regular for date nights and my weekend wine fix with the girl gang ❤

Lowde Fest 23; Old School Festival Vibes

July 2, 2023

When I was younger I found it very cringey and embarrassing that my Dad sings in a band, but now that I’m older, I actually think it’s awesome he is such a rockstar even now in his mid sixties!

This weekend we went to support his band playing at Lowde Fest, an old school local music festival which features mostly cover artists. https://lowdefest.com

My Dad’s band The Rollright Stones played a great set and really got the crowd going. My favourite song they did was The Chain by Fleetwood Mac and they ended on a high with their closing number, Sweet Caroline.

I love festival fashion so couldn’t wait to put together my outfit. I wore a pair of black denim high waisted Topshop shorts with a vintage western style leather belt, a khaki tie front top from Nakd, my new boxy cropped denim Zara jacket with stud detail, my Stradivarius cowboy boots and a pair of fun yellow tint aviator ASOS sunnies.

After the festival we decided to make an evening of it and go out for dinner at our favourite local The Mutton. I had a delicious lychee martini aperitif to start our date night right.

I opted for the whole plaice served with lettuce, crispy capers, crushed potatoes and beurre noisette paired with a crisp glass of New Zealand 2021 Sauvugnon Blanc. The fish was exquisite and fell off the bone beautifully, whilst the crispy capers complimented the flavours perfectly.

My boyfriend had his favourite sirloin steak cooked medium rare served with yee-ha butter, fries, pickled shallots, parmesan rocket salad and a green peppercorn sauce. A glass of Argentinian 2020 Malbec was his wine of choice to accompany his steak.

We also shared a side of the mini caesar salad which was divine. In fact, I’d say the entire meal is up there as one of the most delicious I’ve ever had, and that’s saying something as I’ve eaten at lots of amazing restaurants. The Mutton certainly is a must to visit if you’re ever in the Hampshire area and we’re lucky enough to call this our local! ❤

Welcome To The Mutton at Hazeley Heath
https://themuttonathazeleyheath.co.uk

Turkish Tales; Balmy Days Like These

June 26, 2023

Ahhh what I would give to be back in the paradise of Balmy Beach Resort Kemar. Following a week of sunshine, relaxing poolside, eating exquisite food and drinking all kinds of delicious cocktails, we returned from our wonderful week away in Turkey last Wednesday evening.

Set between the mountains and the beach on the coast of Kemar in Turkey, the views at Balmy Beach Resort make for the most picture perfect backdrop.

When you exit the reception, you are greeted with this spectacular walkway with the hotel rooms and palm trees framing that breathtaking view of the mountains.

We had a lovely spacious room overlooking the main walkway complete with a large balcony, a super comfy bed, double wardrobes, a large bathroom with walk in waterfall shower and complimentary mini bar stocked with all the flavoured sodas you could wish for.

The interiors and decor of Balmy Beach are very Grecian meets Bali vibes and I’m obsessed!

On Sunday I was having a pink moment in my Bond Eye Swim candy pink bikini and those cherry pink cocktails to match.

One of my favourite spots to sip my cocktail and read my book was at the beach bar where they had these cute egg chairs, which I now need to get at home for our garden too.

Alongside all the amazing cocktails, we ate like king and queen being on the all inclusive deal.

The buffet selection was always so fresh and superbly presented.

From whole grilled fish and chicken kebabs, to colourful salads with exotic dips and deliciously prepared vegetable dishes, there was something for everyone.

There was even a whole deli counter where you could plate yourself a cheese platter or charcuterie board, right up my street.

Our all inclusive deal even included dining at the a la carte restaurant.

We had dinner here on the Saturday night and were so impressed, we went again for dinner and a few lunches too.

Whilst the dinner was fine dining, the lunch menu included pastas, pizzas, burgers, salads and more traditional lunch options.

My boyfriend was obsessed with the chicken schnitzel and had it on two occasions, which being part German is saying something for sure!

There is even a Balmy Cafe with a wide selection of coffee options served hot or cold. Our daily afternoon poolside treat was an iced coffee with one of their sugar free syrups.

Of course we like to stay fit and active on holiday too, so we made an effort to use their excellent gym facilities as well as the tennis court for a few games.

Handstand practice with this backdrop was a dream, wish I could workout in front of the mountains everyday.

These massive beanbag chairs out on the pontoon were super comfy and another picturesque spot to relax and soak up the hot Turkish sun.

Being out by the sea is my favourite place to be and so peaceful just listening to the waves lapping by the shore.

I’m such a water baby and had to take a dip in the ocean whilst we were out on the pontoon.

Sunset was a little earlier given the sun dipped behind the mountains by about 7pm every evening.

So sundown poolside when most people had left to get ready for dinner was the best way to make the most of my favourite time of day; tranquil bliss for golden hour.

Now these are my kinda Monday blues sitting poolside after a long lunch, sipping an iced coffee and reading my book.

We even treated ourselves to a much needed couples massage at their stunning spa with the most tranquil setting overlooking this pebbled pool and luscious palm trees.

I loved every minute of our time at the beautiful Balmy Beach Beach Resort and left feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, not to mention wanting to redecorate our own house balmy beach style.

Balmy Beach June23, what a dream ❤

Life Lately; Sunshine State of Mind

June 4, 2023

English summer is well and truly here and I couldn’t be happier for my favourite season of the year ahead. There’s already lots of social events in the calendar for July and we’re kicking off our summer with a holiday to Kemar in Turkey at the end of this month, I can’t wait!

Friday evenings recently often look like this; we head to our local pub The Mutton where they have a stunning newly renovated garden overlooking the gorgeous Hampshire countryside. It really is the ideal setting for sundown drinks and the food is amazing too.

This week we celebrated my boyfriend’s mum’s birthday and so we invited his parents and grandma over to try our favourite vegan Mexican chilli bowls for a midweek dinner.

Our Mexican night went down a treat and we enjoyed a wonderful evening together as the sunset showered our dining room during golden hour.

I’ve also treated myself to some new pieces in my wardrobe this month which always gets me excited to try new outfits and looks. I’m loving my new velvet square toe mules perfect for wearing with flares, and this new taupe coloured top which is completely backless. Elevated basics are my go-to currently.

And of course next month my sister is due her baby and I’m thrilled to be an Auntie very soon. On Friday I invited her and her partner over for drinks in the garden to catchup and enjoy the evening sunshine. She’s looking radiant even now almost full term in pregnancy, I’m a very proud sister.

Today we went over to Farnham to see a car show which was a lovely weekend activity to get us up and out on a Sunday morning. It wasn’t as big as we’d anticipated, but the line up of red Ferraris basking in the sunshine was incredible.

I find summer is also a great opportunity to switch up my workout routine and get outside more. Moving my body everyday is a non-negotiable and with the warmer weather and longer days, I find myself more active with bike rides and walks as well as my daily home workouts.

So that pretty much sums up my life lately; lots of social occasions, family time, Fridays at the pub with friends, planning our summer holiday, getting outside and moving my body differently everyday, and enjoying those long summer evenings sipping a delicious drink in the garden at golden hour. You can’t go wrong with the Moth drinks for a good quality cocktail at home, perfection!

It’s a sunshine state of mind ❤

Baby Shower Scenes; Congratulations Sis

May 29, 2023

With my sister’s due date just over a month away, I organised and threw her a baby shower yesterday which was a huge success and beautiful occasion catching up with wider family too.

Before our table booking at 4pm, I invited my aunties, uncles and cousins over to our house for pre-drinks in the garden. House prepped, nibbles out and prosseco chilling, I was ready for my guests.

My mum gifted me this gorgeous bunch of roses which made a stunning centre piece in the dining room showered in the sunlight of the afternoon.

I’m in my element hosting and love getting all my best bowls and crockery out for a spread of nibbles which included nuts, crisps, pastry twists, sour cream dip, pesto hummus, sweet chilli graze, giant corn, sun-dried tomatoes and nocellera olives. Simple but crowd pleading snacks.

Such picture perfect scenes as we sat outside soaking up the sunshine whilst sipping our prosecco and catching up with each other. Moments like these are very special and I’m so grateful for my family who I’m very close with.

My outfit was giving summer chic vibes with a pair of flared cropped white Zara jeans, brown C’est Normal cami, this cute cropped Channel inspired blazer, square toe velvet mules, my gold Cinco anklet, a gold pearl By Alona necklace and classic cat eye sunnies to complete the look.

At 4pm we arrived at the pub where we met the other half of the party who had been at my parents for pre-drinks. Both my sister and sister-in-law are pregnant now, so I organised for a non-alcoholic cocktail upon arrival for them, along with a few bottles of bubbles ready on ice to serve for everyone else.

I chose our local pub The Leather Bottle as they have this lovely courtyard area which we basically had all to ourselves. With a pre-order placed before the day, as soon as we sat down the food was served and everyone enjoyed their meals. Lots of people opted for the roast dinner with it being a Sunday, whilst I had the smoked salmon salad but couldn’t resists a taste of the cauliflower cheese side which comes with the roasts.

It was a hugely successful afternoon celebrating the arrival of the baby next month and also my sister’s birthday which is today. With 17 guests to keep happy and the pre-drinks at our house beforehand, there was a lot to organise but working in events, I have plenty of experience and it is my passion.

Happy Birthday and many congratulations to my superstar sis! ❤

Cocktails and Besties Q&A

May 21, 2023

Happy Sunday! The sun is finally shining here in Hampshire, so yesterday afternoon I invited my best friend over for drinks in the garden and we decided to film a besties Q&A for my YouTube channel.

We had such a laugh and it was a lot of fun reminiscing on memories together. We also did some quick fire ‘This or That’ and ‘Would you rather’ which we found inspo for on Pinterest.

Later that evening we ordered Dominos pizzas with our boyfriends and enjoyed a cute double date night in our dining room. A picture perfect afternoon and evening together.

What a wholesome evening with my bestie and our boyfriends and I’m looking forward to editing the Q&A which will be out on my YouTube channel (@Dani Aneka) next week, so stay tuned!

Heckfield Place; Dinner at Marle

April 30, 2023

Heckfield Place really is a local gem for us being a world famous five star hotel nestled in the Hampshire countryside right on our doorstep! Having visited a number of times for drinks and to go to their super plush cinema, we were yet to dine in their highly acclaimed green Michelin star restaurant.

With it being the long bank holiday weekend and springtime finally in the air, it was the ideal Saturday evening date night destination. Arriving at 6pm, golden hour was upon us showering the majestic manner house at Heckfield with that gorgeous golden glow, highlighting its vivid orange hues.

I got a little glammed up for the occasion wearing these brand new Stradivarius straight leg jeans which are the perfect fit, paired with my Abercrombie & Fitch one sleeve khaki asymmetric top, matching khaki knotted mules and my favourite oversized vintage Jaegar blazer.

The grounds at Heckfield Place are truly magnificent and even more beautiful now in bloom with all the colourful tulips.

We sat out on the terrace where we enjoyed a few cocktails to start whilst taking in the picturesque view.

My cocktail of choice was a superbly sweet and salty lemon Margareta, whilst my boyfriend had this apple and blackberry concoction served in a highball glass garnished with a rosemary twist. These wonderfully vibrant cocktails were the perfect aperitif whilst we soaked up sunset on the terrace.

We were then shown inside to our table for dinner in the Marle restaurant. With their Culinary Director Skye Gyngell, also food editor at Vogue and known for her Michelin Star at Petersham Nurseries, I had high expectations for the food.

The Marle restaurant creates an immaculate ambience with tasteful interiors and beautiful foliage as you overlook the gorgeous green expanse of the grounds. This truly reflects their ethos of serving local produce straight from the earth.

As we browsed the menu we grazed on the complimentary homemade bread basket with homemade butter too. When the basics are done so well, there’s no doubt the meal is going to be one to remember.

Having devoured the moorish bread basket, we went straight in for mains. My boyfriend had the lamb kalettes served with lentils, asparagus and creme fraiche, whilst I had the roasted seabass served with peppers, cherry tomatoes, black olives and flowering rocket.

To accompany our mains we had the farm greens and these incredible crispy potatoes with black garlic vinaigrette, sour cream and herbs.

Every dish is seasonally sourced from the local land complete with lashings of olive oil, a key ingredient which Skye passionately uses in all of her cooking. Simple, pared back cooking using the freshest ingredients allows the true beauty of an ingredient to be revealed.

I chose a crisp white wine to compliment by fish dish, savouring every last mouthful as we soaked up those divine Saturday night vibes of the Marle restaurant overlooking the land as sunset.

Bill paid and bellies full of delicious food and wine, we decided to go for a moonlit stroll by the fountain at dusk.

The quintessential end to the most magical evening at Heckfield Place. We’ll be back again soon for more of those splendid cocktails and the most gloriously crispy potatoes. Thanks to the team at Marle for making our experience so wonderful. ❤

Easter Bank Holiday Weekend Scenes

April 10, 2023

It’s Easter Monday and we’re nearing the end of the long bank holiday weekend now. It’s a glorious time of year as spring is in the air, everyone slows down for the extra long weekend and we can finally look forward to the exciting summer season ahead.

Good Friday I spent the morning cleaning the house and getting the garden furniture out ready for the long weekend set to be warm and sunny. These fresh bunch of colourful tulips for the dining room looked particularly beautiful basking in the golden sunlight of the afternoon.

With the house clean and my work done for the week, I couldn’t wait to get down to a local pub garden and soak up the stunning weather with a glass of bubbly in hand.

I just love spring fashion as we can put away those winter coats and embrace layering and accessorising again. So on Friday I wore these vintage flared Stradivarius jeans, my C’est Normal strap tank top, Topshop square toe snakeskin mules, H&M Celine dupe handbag, a pair of cat eye sunnies and my current accessory obsession, a silk neck scarf – tres chic!

I then layered a denim overshirt with a long oversized cardigan on top to keep warm sat outside, as there’s still a chill in the air this time of year. Rooftop down on my Mini Cooper, tunes playing and the sun shining, bank holiday weekend vibes were in full swing and I was on a high.

That evening we went to my boyfriend’s parents for our first BBQ of the year. They also just bought this awesome fire pit for their garden, which we christened for the first time and huddled around enjoying our desserts once the sun went down.

Saturday afternoon I went to watch my boyfriend ride the jumps, before we went to the pub and ended up with his mates at the local Indian curry house for dinner. Spontaneous days like these are what the long weekends are made for.

Easter Sunday we didn’t have any plans with the family for once, so we went on a bike ride which ended up muddier than expected as we went across country fields on the way home…not good news for my brand new trainers!

After our adventure on the bikes, we enjoyed a chilled afternoon and evening at home complete with my favourite mezze nibbles, more wine and a delicious stone baked pizza from Aldi served with plenty of salad of course.

What a wonderful bank holiday weekend we had just taking it easy, being a bit spontaneous and getting outside making the most of the spring air and glorious sunshine; happy days ❤

Watch my Easter Weekend Vlog here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os5LD1tLfzQ

Date Night; Thai Curry & Cocktails

April 2, 2023

Happy Sunday! The sun is finally shining here in Hampshire following a week of gloomy rain. For date night this Saturday me and my boyfriend went for dinner at our favourite local Thai restaurant, followed by some fabulous cocktails at a new bar in town we’d never tried before.

I kept it a little more casual this weekend wearing an oversized fit in my boyfriend’s Gucci t-shirt paired with black skinny jeans, lots of gold jewellery and a cute pair of heels to add a touch of glam to the final look.

Thai cuisine is one of our favourites and the local spot Menu Thai never disappoints. Our go-to order is a green thai vegetable curry for me, a red or penang chicken curry for my boyfriend, coconut rice and a side of pad broccoli. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it; wholesome, hearty and delicious, 10/10 every time!

Bellies full of of yummy curry, we went around the corner to a new cocktail spot in town, Esco Lounge and Bar. They offer an extensive menu of wonderful cocktails, so we decided to order three to share.

The amaretto sour was divine and my boyfriend’s classic mojito was on point. We also tried a strawberry and mint flavoured rum concoction, served in this interesting shaped glass resembling a magical potion.

I love simple date nights like this spending quality time with my boyfriend, sharing good food and enjoying fun cocktails, before heading home and cosying up on the coach in front of a good movie ❤