Food and Drink
Discover the latest in food and drink news, try our delicious and easy recipes using fresh seasonal produce and read our pub and restaurant reviews.
Here at Country Life we love to cook and we love to eat. Seasonality is important, whether you’re growing your own or visiting the farmers’ market for your ingredients – but we love to cook seasonally. Whether it’s our brilliant collection of elderflower recipes in the summertime, our ultimate sloe gin recipe in autumn or gorgeous roast goose recipes in the winter, we have collected the best seasonal recipes by ingredient on dedicated pages
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How to make perfect gnocchi with courgettes, lemon and basil, ideal for a summer supper
Melanie Johnson shares a recipe that makes the most of the courgettes which are currently doing beautifully in gardens around the country.
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How to make dairy-free coconut ice cream with caramel sauce
Jeremy Pang's ice cream recipe is a perfect summer treat that anyone can enjoy.
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Mark Diacono: How to grow your own hazelnuts (and why you'll find it rather easy)
Our resident grow-your-own expert Mark Diacono gives his tips on the surprisingly easy hazelnut.
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Tom Parker Bowles on peaches, his mother's favourite fruit... and how to turn them into a dessert that's 'summer on a plate'
'This column was very much her idea,' says our food columnist Tom Parker Bowles of his piece for this week's guest editor. And how could he refuse? She is not only The Duchess of Cornwall, but also his mother.
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How to make The Duchess of Cornwall's favourite dish: Roast chicken with tarragon and cream
John Williams, the revered executive chef of The Ritz, cooks The Duchess of Cornwall's favourite dish: Roast chicken with tarragon and cream.
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Making the ultimate elderflower jam in a bucolic place that 'is everything the English countryside should be'
Delicate yet fragrant elderflowers make a jam that tastes like an English summer–especially when married with gooseberries, finds Tessa Waugh
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How to make a classic Margherita pizza with sourdough crust
Cherry tomatoes take Melanie Johnson to Italy for this week’s recipe.
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Curious Questions: How did the strawberry become the ultimate summer fruit?
Martin Fone tells a tale of fruit, sensuality and espionage as he digs in to the tale of the strawberry we know and love.
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Best summer gins for sipping on long, hot afternoons (or for drowning your sorrows on cold, rainy ones)
From floral and fruity gins to wines that you can drink without a pang of conscience, we've rounded up some of the best new drinks on the market, perfect for an al fresco drink as the height of summer approaches.
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Tom Parker Bowles: Why peas fresh from the pod are 'absolute quintessence of nubile vitality'
Sometimes, the simplest of luxuries are the most exquisitely enjoyable, says Tom Parker Bowles, as he dives into peas fresh from the pod.
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Best Father's Day treats, from a truly superb fry-up to Berry Bros' exotic foray into rum
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Join the Country Life wine tasting — and sumptuous lunch — at Gusbourne
Gusbourne are inviting you to discover the secrets behind the success of English sparkling wine on a special day at their Kent estate, in association with Country Life.
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The Halfway Bridge Inn review: A dog-friendly South Downs oasis
If you're looking for a spot to lay your head in West Sussex, The Halfway Bridge seems a tempting and brilliantly located spot between Midhurst and Petworth. Octavia Pollock paid a visit.
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How to make strawberry and frangipane galette
As the strawberry crops begin in earnest, Melanie Johnson shares a delicious treat that will help you make the most of them: strawberry and frangipane galette.
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'Hang on — was I just charged 64 quid for some salad, six chicken strips and a quiche the size of a doorknob?'
Lucy Baring heads in to London and feels the cost of inflation.
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How to eat seasonally in June, by Tom Parker Bowles
Tom Parker Bowles sings the praises of everything from gooseberries to globe artichokes as he looks at how to eat seasonally in June.
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How to make Oysters Rockefeller Deconstructed, by chef Slade Rushing
Slade Rushing of Louie London shares the recipe he put together to revitalise this classic dish.
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How to make citrus and prawn Thai massaman curry with spring greens
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How to make The Hudson, Country Life's 125th anniversary cocktail
The Hudson is a cocktail created by the team at Claridge's to commemorate Country Life's 125th anniversary. Here's how it's made.