| | | | | | Dear Reader, | I'm hunkered down in my local Odeon cinema catching the latest Spielberg film with my son whose school has been closed for the past two days. We're both bunking off, finding some aircon and entertainment but the feeling isn't good (I wonder how much lower UK productivity can go!). The UK on red weather alert is distressing to say the least. The social media spats around sun killjoys perplexing and aggravating. The irony of London Climate Action Week falling on our hottest ever days shouldn't be lost (in fact, some climate events had to be cancelled – because of, er, the climate). How we act now and into the future will determine how we reconcile ourselves to this new reality. While we may feel disempowered and believe our individual choices have no impact, it's simply not true. Our money, how we spend it, where we invest it, the products and services we buy – there are brilliant choices out there. We just need to swing the balance in their favour. In the meantime, I can recommend Disclosure Day, although even sci-fi films are rather too close to reality nowadays. Perhaps we need a new escapist genre. All ideas welcome. | | Lucy Cleland Editorial Director | | | Staying In | WATCH: The Bear | | FX’s frenetic kitchen dramedy The Bear is back for its fifth and final season, with eight new episodes all available to binge on Disney+ this weekend. If you’ve never tuned in, here’s the lowdown: when the older brother of talented haute cuisine chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) takes his own life, he inherits his family's Italian beef sandwich shop in Chicago and leaves behind his world of Michelin-starred restaurants to run it. His brother has left a mountain of unresolved debts, a rundown kitchen and an unruly staff – but Carmy has his own pain and trauma to confront, too. Though we have been waiting a whole year for our return to Chicago’s fine dining scene, The Bear season 5 picks up the morning after season 4’s finale. Sydney (Ayo Edebiri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Sugar (Abby Elliott) discover Head Chef Carmy has quit the food industry, leaving the restaurant to them. With no money, a looming sale and a torrential storm on its way, the trio must grapple through one final service, hoping to finally earn that coveted Michelin star. Watch on Disney+ | | MAKE: Lemon & Gin Semifreddo |
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| Semifreddo, the Italian dessert whose name translates as ‘half frozen,’ is in the realm of mousse-meets-ice cream, using whipped cream, eggs and sugar to create a softer texture than traditional frozen puds. Unlike ice cream, it doesn’t need any churning (hooray!) making it ideal for summer days – especially for get-togethers as it can be made in advance. |
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| | Serves 6-8 | Ingredients: | 4 large eggs, separated 100g caster sugar 300ml double cream 200g lemon curd Finely grated zest of 2 lemons 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 50ml gin Pinch of sea salt Crushed amaretti biscuits, to serve Thin strips of lemon zest, to garnish
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| Method: | Line a 1kg loaf tin with cling film, leaving enough overhang to cover the top. Whisk the egg yolks and caster sugar together until pale and thick. In a separate bowl, whip the double cream to soft peaks, then fold into the yolk mixture along with the lemon curd, lemon zest, lemon juice and gin. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of sea salt until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into the lemon mixture until fully combined. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Cover with the overhanging cling film and freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight ideally. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving and turn out onto a serving plate, finish with lemon zest. Slice thickly and serve immediately.
| Recipe from Waitrose |
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| | READ: This Story About The Ultimate Spice Girls Collection | C&TH Partnership | | The latest campaign from British brand Banham aims to highlight the wonderfully British, eccentric collections we keep under lock and key. Take Liz West, for instance: owner of a World Record-holding collection of more than 5,000 pieces of Spice Girls memorabilia. ‘I grew up in a house with bookshelves full of books, records, CDs, and objects en masse. It was in my psyche and instinct to be a collector’ Liz explains. ‘And when I fell in love with the Spice Girls in the late nineties, I was at a really impressionable age. For me, building a collection brought me closer to my idols.’ Now a practising artist, Liz traces her obsession with colour and light directly back to the bright sequins and spectacle of nineties pop. ‘As a child, I was captivated by the colourful kitsch, bright sequins, sparkle of the merchandise and the memorabilia,’ she reflects. ‘Now, as an artist, I’ve realised that my aesthetic is completely the colours of the nineties’. With this summer marking the 30-year anniversary of the chart-topping Wannabe, and whispers of a Spice Girls reunion circulating, there’s never been a better time to read Liz’s story. | | Going Out | SWIM: At Canary Wharf’s New Lido | | When London gets toasty, the best way to cool down is by heading to one of the city’s lidos. New for 2026 is Canary Wharf’s Sea Lanes, a natural, Olympic-sized pool located in the north-west corner of Eden Dock. Filled with filtered dock water – which will be continually tested to meet ‘Excellent’ EU Bathing Standards – it was built in response to increased demand for outdoor swimming in the city. After a dip, enjoy some R&R in one of the wood-fired saunas before grabbing a bite to eat in the on-site cafe. sealanescanarywharf.co.uk | SHOP: Festival Fashion At Reloved Market | | Summer calendar filling up with festivals and concerts? Whether you’re making the most of Harry Styles’ Wembley residency or have plans to hit up Reading & Leeds, chances are you’re looking for an outfit or two. This weekend, scope out some inspiration at Westfield Stratford City, which has partnered with Shelter to launch festival fashion pop-up Reloved Market. Curated by stylists to some of the biggest stars in music – including Lorenzo Posocco, the man behind Dua Lipa’s wardrobe – the pop-up will host second-hand fashion picks, vintage edits and a huge preloved marketplace. Throughout the weekend, shoppers can browse the rails to the sounds of a rotating lineup of DJ sets and performances from emerging UK talent, including Nadia Rose, Aaron Rowe, Cody Frost and Kyra, bringing all the festival vibes needed ahead of the season. And best of all? Every purchase will go directly toward Shelter’s mission to defend the right to a safe home. Free to attend, 25-28 June. westfield.com | BOOK: A Weekender At Teffont House | | For your next staycation, we’d suggest the sprawling countryside of Wiltshire. The area’s latest opening is Teffont House, a bucolic retreat set in the village of Teffont Evias – and surrounded by some serious natural beauty: rolling fields, pretty valleys and ancient woodland come aplenty. Boasting a cosy, home-from-home feel – courtesy of a full interior transformation by designer Natasha Hidvegi – the hotel has all the amenities you might need for a weekend getaway. There are 17 stylish bedrooms to choose from (and even a coach house and cottage, if you fancy some more privacy), huge gardens complete with badminton and croquet courts, summer houses kitted out with art supplies and stargazing tools, a treatment cabin offering facials and massages, and even a seasonal dining destination and bar. We fear you may never want to leave… From £155 per night B&B. teffonthouse.com | | Share This Newsletter With A Friend | | | | Staying in Forever… | Property Of The Week | | If there’s one thing that will always get our attention, it’s a private island. Known as Crown Pigeon Island, don’t let the name put you off – crowned pigeons are much more fabulous than their city counterparts. An 11-acre plot set in the crystalline water of North Eleuthera in the Caribbean, this tropical paradise comes equipped with a private helipad, golf course, marina and three oceanfront villas. | On the market for $39,500,000, sothebysrealty.com | | Competition Time | | | | Psssst… | A trailer for the new adaptation of Sense and Sensibility has dropped, giving us a first look at Daisy Edgar-Jones as protagonist Elinor Dashwood. | | | | Sign up for 12 print issues and instant access to every digital edition for only £39 |
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