Top 3: UK Experiences We Totally LoveBy Angelica Malin
Looking for the best new experiences in the UK? Below we’ve handpicked some of our favourite things to do in 2018, from special retreats to one-off dinners. If you’re feeling bored, we’ve got it covered this year. And don’t forget to have some fun online with All British Bonus – you might just find yourself living the high life like a rock star soon. Here’s our top UK experiences in 2018:
1. Switch Off: The Spa at Bedford Lodge Hotel
With 2018 set to be the year of ‘mindful movement’, Newmarket’s luxury spa, The Spa at Bedford Lodge Hotel has launched its first and exclusive two-day Mindful Retreat to reconnect the mind and body and achieve true relaxation. The Mindful Retreat Programme encourages its guests to step out of their normal routine and reboot the mind, reconnect with their inner calm and rekindle a healthy connection with themselves. The Mindful Retreat celebrates the notion of staying present in our lives, managing thoughts, feelings and behaviour with mindful awareness and compassion to ultimately improve our overall sense of wellbeing.
Completely unwind and restore your sense of self with The Mindful Retreat at The Spa at Bedford Lodge Hotel where over the two-days you will partake in mindful yoga practice and enjoy nutritious food during an intimate 3-course private-dining experience with celebrity Yoga Guru Niki Wibrow. Included in the stay are also expert workshops and a choice of two skilfully devised mindful ESPA treatments. Devised for a maximum group of 12, The Mindful Retreat will provide one-to-one guidance and care to bring balance and energy back in to your life.
2. Try a Vegan Meal: Harvey Nichols
Harvey Nichols is delighted to announce an exclusive collaboration with vegan chef, blogger and author Gaz Oakley this January. The collaboration will see the man behind ‘Avant-Garde Vegan’ hosting a special dining experience offering five courses of indulgent vegan-friendly dishes to Londoners on Tuesday 23rd January 2018 on the Fifth Floor at the Knightsbridge flagship.
The evening will be a celebration of Oakley’s new cookbook, Vegan 100, launching on January 25th and offer guests the chance to taste some of his delicious creations cooked by the man himself. The menu will consist of a complimentary drink on arrival, followed by an amuse-bouche and a delicious arancini ball with ‘mozzarella’, crispy sage and a red pepper chutney to start. For the main guests can choose from two British classics, a ‘fillet steak’ Wellington or Camden Ale batter ‘fish’ n chips – using only vegan ingredients. For something sweet, Oakley will be serving up a choice of either a salted caramel chocolate bar or a coconut and vanilla ‘pannacotta’, followed by ‘melt in your mouth’ truffles to finish. To top it all off, there will also be a range of vegan wines on offer that pair beautifully with the menu.
3. Go to a Special Event: Sartoria
This year, Sartoria is taking advantage of its prestigious location on Savile Row in Mayfair, the world’s most famous tailoring street and home to many of the country’s best bespoke tailoring services, with a series of “Food Meets Fashion” events. This series of events will highlight the synergy between the two crafts: tailoring and cooking.
“Food Meets Fashion” events are part of D&D’s latest campaign ‘Mindful City’ which aims to encourage us to slow down and appreciate our bodies, minds and environments. Chef patron Francesco Mazzei will be joining some exciting guest speakers to discuss the overlap between fashion design and cooking from the careful selecting of raw materials, to the aesthetic inspirations behind the dishes and designs. Each event promises to be an enlightening experience to be enjoyed alongside a delicious 3-course meal devised by chef Francesco in the restaurant’s sophisticated and glamorous private dining room.
Kicking off this set, on 2nd February, Sartoria will be hosting the celebrated fashion designer Ozwald Boateng OBE. This exclusive lunch event will commence with a talk from Ozwald, followed by a discussion from Francesco Mazzei on his passion for cooking with leftovers and reducing food waste as well as an introduction to the meal in store.
