Lucy Kehoe

Ask someone south of the border for their thoughts on Scottish cuisine and they’ll inevitably offer up thoughts of two Gaelic gastronomic inventions: haggis and deep-fried Mars bars.  Despite the wealth of produce available – and exported – from the country, Scottish fare has struggled to shake its tartan-clad clichés Despite the wealth of produce available – and exported – from the country, Scottish fare has struggled to shake its tartan-clad clichés. Take a table in London and you’ll find Orkney scallops, Isle of Mull oysters, highland venison and Outer Hebridean whisky on restaurant menus, while bonnie chefs like Quo Vadis’s charismatic Jeremy Lee and industry darling Adam Handling lead the capital’s kitchens.

Many of us are opting for a seaside jaunt in old Blighty this summer. Our local beaches might not boast the sunshine levels of Greek islands, but with spectacular vistas, tolerable water temperatures and even the chance to take your dog along, there are plenty of reasons to find somewhere new to hammer in your windbreak this summer. For picturesque perfection – Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire After a gentle amble across windswept fields from Stackpole Quay, your first glimpse of Pembrokeshire’s prettiest beach is framed by a crumbling old stone archway. Duck under, traversing the rocky path down towards the waterfront and you’ve reached Barafundle Bay – arguably Britain’s most beautiful beach.

The cheeseboard is, arguably, the highlight of any dinner, but there’s an art to crafting a delectable selection. From selecting the right cheeses and serving them at their best to the ensuring a balanced pairing of sundries and sippers, the craft of the cheeseboard is a skill to learn. It’s time to do away with whipping out a Stilton wheel straight from the fridge. We asked top cheese experts, Hero Hirsh and Sam Wilkin, about the do’s and don’ts of Christmas cheese eating: How much cheese should you serve? As a rule, around 100g-150g per person should be plenty, but keep in mind that buying generously ensures your stock will last a few days over the festive period.

What do you picture when you hear the term Art Deco? Fantastical ideas of Baz Lehrman’s Great Gatsby, gilded brasseries and de facto extravagance  fail to capture the pastiche of styles making up this early 20thcentury movement. Somehow, what was once a collective word for the artistic expressions that followed Art Nouveau has morphed into a dizzying, dancing circus troupe of hairbands, flapper dresses and sidecars. In Britain, the lasting legacy of the movement has been in our architecture.

If you’re still feeling sceptical about traffic light holiday chaos, or – along with the estimated five million other UK citizens – are stuck with a Covishield jab and concerned a European escape might end at the border, never fear – Blighty has your back. Only a car (or train) journey away are sun-dazzled shores offering balmy sea breezes, ocean vistas, and golden-sand beaches to rival the continent. UK hotels have reopened with a celebratory atmosphere, and while they’re stuffed to the rafters, last-minute isolation orders mean cancellations are providing ad-hoc availability at the eleventh hour. Here’s our picks of the isles’ best places to stay for a seaside jaunt.

On a balmy summer’s day, few things can beat a lazy lunchtime spent beside the sea. Just ask the G7 leaders, who enjoyed a leisurely barbecue on the beach during their Cornish escapades. Stand-out seafood, unspoilt views across the waves and that care-free atmosphere particular to British seaside escapes await those clued up on the best beach eateries. From Cornish cliffsides to Scottish shores, here’s a pick of the best cafes, shacks and restaurants along the 30,000-odd kilometres of British coastline. The Hut, Colwell Bay, Isle of Wight If the past is a foreign country, then a summer trip to the nostalgia-soaked Isle of Wight might pass as a far-flung holiday adventure this year.

Love it or loath it, London’s 10-storey-high ‘sky’ pool, suspended 114m above the Nine Elms made a splash this month. Images of swimmers dipping their toes in the 25m water-filled bridge between two blocks of luxury flats ignited a social media furore; would-be swimmers were disappointed to discover the residents-only rule, and equally furious that developers had slammed a ban on just who in the building could accessing the slice of sky-high aquamarine heaven. But there’s no need to get your speedos in a twist over the Nine Elms pool: Britain is brimming with unusual swimming spots that don’t require the keys to a multi-million-pound pad.