OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2022 s ISSUE 099
Destination
DIN ING Top picks from our Travel Insider
Global Champagne Day Comité Champagne share some fascinating facts to celebrate
Style | The CHESHIRE Magazine
caug h t o n
CA M ER A P
epe Jeans London has launched its menswear campaign and fourth chapter of its collaboration with the British young icon Brooklyn Peltz Beckham. Also launching under the same “Caught on Camera” concept is the new AW22 Womenswear campaign starring two London-born rising stars actress Daisy Jelley and model content creator and business owner Sarah Lysander. The Autumn-Winter 2022 campaign “Caught On Camera” was shot in the library of one the oldest hotels in London with our ambassadors imagining what they would do if they could sneak into the historic building unnoticed and run riot then escape back into the streets of London. Through images shot by talented “new-gen” fashion photographer Josh Olins and video directed by Isabella Di Stefano who also co-envisioned the campaign concept the AW22 Pepe Jeans collection embodies timeless British style. Inspired by the eclectic roots and preppy style of the brand the collection encourages generations to play with old-school collegiate styles and denim to create fresh unique looks that nod to traditional varsity-inspired fashion. Brooklyn Peltz Beckham models a sports varsity-style letter P jumper with jeans and modern boots. Daisy and Sarah show off their casual college style. Daisy in high-waist pleated trousers modern ankle boots and a quilted bomber jacket emblazoned with the Pepe Jeans “P” while Sarah wears a checked wool coat over a blue and grey mini dress with black loafers.
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The CHESHIRE Magazine | Style
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Food & Drink | The CHESHIRE Magazine
Celebrate Global Champagne Day In honour of Global Champagne Day which takes place on 28 October 2022, Comité Champagne share some fascinating facts linked to “le” Champagne product and “la” Champagne region
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IMAGE © JEAN CAZALS
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hampagne is universally known as a wine of celebration, but consumers can explore this complex sparkling favourite by going beyond drinking it just for a toast. Champagne is an extremely versatile wine that can be perfectly paired with food due to its variety of styles, such as Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Rosé, Vintage, non-vintage and Prestige Cuvée. Did you know that various styles of Champagne can enhance your favourite autumnal dish? Here the Bureau du Champagne UK, the educational and promotional arm of the Comité Champagne* based in Epernay, France, advises us on some interesting facts linked to “le” Champagne product and “la” Champagne region. As we move into the new season, we will begin to see an array of new ingredients on the supermarket shelves from earthy vegetables like butternut squash, celeriac and beetroot to fruits such as apples, quince and figs. These products are ideal for comforting and warming dishes during the cooler days and nights. Vintage brut Champagne, mature blanc de noirs or mature rosé Champagne are the perfect accompaniment for smoky, roasted, animal flavours popular with autumn dishes. These wines have a robust aroma thanks to the dominant pinot noir and meunier grape varieties and are usually deep golden
yellow in colour. Their scents evoke images of the underwood, ripe fruits and wheat. Champagne is a multi-faceted wine. Depending on the terroir and grape variety used, the aromas will differ. The three types of aromas that mainly exist are categorised as young, mature or full; which include the following: floral (white flowers, acacia, etc.), fruity (citrus, nuts, etc.), mineral (iodine, chalk, etc.), herbaceous (mint, hay, etc.), sweet pastry (brioche, biscuits, etc.), creamy (caramel, butter, etc.), spicy (honey, cinnamon, etc.) or empyreumatic (cocoa, coffee, etc.)… For pre-dinner drinks, it is generally best to choose a Champagne that is not too vinous, with no particularly dominant aromas: for example, a
non-vintage Brut or a non-vintage Blanc de Blancs. Serve it with lightly salted crackers, nuts, green olives and bite-sized pieces of Gruyère cheese. Main course, such as wild mushroom tart and butternut squash & sage risotto A non-vintage Champagne Brut can be served with a main course, as this is the most common Champagne and can be enjoyed throughout a meal, whatever the type of dish being served. You could also pair these particular examples of autumnal dishes with a Blanc de Noirs - made exclusively from dark-skinned grapes such as Pinot Noir and/or Meunier. It is fresh and fruity with delicate hints of biscuit, evoking richness and balanced acidity. Dessert such as apple crumble If you choose a sweeter Champagne, i.e. sec or demi-sec, then it will pair wonderfully with sweet desserts and puddings. Serve it with creamy or fruit-based desserts as well as sweet pastries. However, avoid pairing it with chocolate desserts. About the Champagne region Champagne originated in the Champagne region in Northeast France, spanning across 150km north-east of Paris and covering approx. 34,000 hectares. The Champagne winegrowing area is the most northern of all France’s vineyards. Champagne became known as the “wine of Kings”. The Kingdom of France was born with King Clovis’ baptism in Reims, within the Champagne region, and therefore wine from this region quickly became associated with the King; before being known as the wine of coronation and the “the wine of Kings and the King of wines”. From 898 until 1825, France’s Kings were crowned in Reims. Initially, still wines were made in Champagne and were said to flow at all the coronation banquets. Soon, highly prized for their taste and finesse, it became customary to gift these wines to any royalty visiting the region.
Champagne as we know it today can be traced back to the period running from the turn of the 18th and end of the 19th centuries, thanks to greater control of its effervescence. To control the “prise de mousse” (formation of bubbles), Champagne makers introduced double fermentation known as the “Méthode Champenoise”. A primary fermentation stage is carried out in tanks, whilst the second fermentation is carried out in bottles. On 4 July 2015, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee registered the “Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars” on the World Heritage list. Whilst Champagne has always been known as a drink of celebration, it is a versatile product that was born from a region that has endured many struggles over the centuries; from World Wars to the wine blight caused by phylloxera. Still today, its rich heritage through generations of wine makers, its outstanding quality and its continued synonymous link with celebration and pop culture, make it a unique product from an unspoilt region. So now that you’ve discovered more about Champagne, why not experiment this month by cooking an autumn favourite alongside a glass of Champagne? Or better yet, go and visit the Champagne region, from cultural sites to various wine tours and tastings across a variety of growers, houses and cooperatives. Your eyes will sparkle and trust us, you’ll never look back! *The Comité Champagne is the trade association that represents the interests of Champagne Growers and Houses. 55
Travel | The CHESHIRE Magazine
Contemporary Comfort in A Convenient Location Kathryn Otto found Delta Hotels by Marriott Manchester Airport the perfect place to stay before she went away
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elta Hotels by Marriott Manchester Airport is a destination hotel to stay, play, meet, begin, fly, pamper, excite, surprise, relax, enjoy, connect, refresh, celebrate. It is a unique destination amongst its competition on the border of Manchester and Cheshire. There is lots to discover and explore, with something exciting around every corner. Visitors might be surprised at what they find, and you can get more from your visit than expected.
Guest Rooms There are 215 bedrooms in total. • 120 Standard Double / King • 48 Twin Doubles • 15 Family (King + Sofa bed) • 20 Executive King • 12 Suites
Food and Drink The hotel also boats two on-site destination restaurants, each with their own bar outdoor dining terrace. Brasserie Blanc - Brasserie Blanc is Raymond’s group of authentic French brasseries where a warm welcome and sensational food are assured. The seasonal menu is honest, affordable, and cooked with heart by a wonderful team of chefs. The brasseries are all individual and beautifully designed combining comfort and a relaxed ambience. The philosophy of ‘Chez Nous’ runs through the heart of the brasseries – their home is your home, arrive and let them take care of you.
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Our Visit
San Carlo Fiorentina - a stylish destination offering the best in authentic Italian food. On the Fiorentina menu you’ll find spectacular seafood, meat, pasta and pizza dishes, however Fiorentina’s skilled chefs are best known for cooking the finest steaks in the region. In a league entirely of their own, steaks at Fiorentina are cooked using a special Robata wood-fired flame grill which greatly enhances their flavour. Fiorentina is also the only restaurant in the group to serve up traditional Sunday lunch. Add to this offering an expertly stocked wine list and you’ll be spoilt for choice when you dine.
Having booked a very early flight from Manchester Airport I thought it would be best to look to stay at a hotel close by to the airport. The Marriott was the first place I thought of, as I pass it many times when traveling to see clients and I even had my first date with my partner in the restaurant there. The location is perfect, less than 5 minutes from the airport and close to the village of Hale, ideal for guests staying for a flight or for a night away. I was surprised to discover the spa with an indoor pool. I was spoilt for choice with the two onsite restaurants San Carlo and Brasserie Blanc and decided to dine in the heated garden of San Carlo which did not disappoint. All the team were so friendly and willing to help in any way they could even organising me a private transfer for my early flight the next morning. I enjoyed a fabulous start to my holiday with my stay at Delta Hotels by Marriott Manchester Airport, I could not recommend enough. www.marriott.com
Leisure Club & Spa • • • • • • • •
20m heated swimming pool Plunge pool Sauna Steam room Jacuzzi Gym with cardio, CV and free weights Personal training studio / Spin studio Aerobic studio with timetabled classes
There is also a health and beauty salon ‘Four Seasons Spa’ offering a wide range of treatments, Elemis products and gift ideas. Six treatment rooms include a double treatment room, relaxation area, pedicure and manicure stations.
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Drive | The CHESHIRE Magazine
GR 8 Expectati pectatio ons
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The CHESHIRE Magazine | Drive
The new Toyota GR86 goes straight in among the very best sports cars you can buy, writes James Fossdyke. It’s just a pity there won’t be more of them
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eonardo da Vinci was, as we all know, a very clever man. Painter, engineer, designer, writer – it’s as though there was nothing he couldn’t do, except maybe live forever. Still, while old Leonardo may have snuffed it back in 1519, his words have survived the centuries and they usually hold true today. One of my particular favourite da Vinci-isms is “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”, and it seems Toyota liked it too. Because many moons ago, Toyota launched a sports car that would extoll the virtue of simplicity to the max. It was called the GT86, and it really was very simple indeed. A 2.0-litre petrol engine drove the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox, the front wheels did the steering and the driver sat in the middle, controlling it all. That’s pretty much all there was to it. The justification for all this simplicity was the pursuit of driving purity, rather than lap times, and the GT86 delivered in spades. Toyota engineered the car so it didn’t have too much grip, meaning dab hands could enjoy the tail happy characteristics at non-threatening speeds, and the Japanese company deliberately included a special tube between the engine bay and cabin so you could hear the engine more clearly. While the resulting car was undoubtedly immense fun, it wasn’t what you’d call refined. Long journeys quickly became wearing. The noise was great when you put your foot down, but it settled into an unlovable drone on the motorway, while the cheap plastics and lack of straight-line speed were irritating. Owners were well advised to swap the original low-grip tyres for stickier versions, too, otherwise the car became really tail happy in the wet. It was generally docile and easy to correct, as long as you were expecting it. As a result, the GT86 was loved by enthusiasts but unloved by the general public, who found it a little too hardcore. So Toyota went back to the drawing board and created the GR86, which is designed to iron out the GT86’s flaws.
From the outside, it looks much the same as before, with a long bonnet and a squat, muscular rear end. It’s a classic sports car design, but it doesn’t just exist to look good. It allows the weight to be distributed evenly across the length of the car, and it means the driver sits roughly in the middle, giving them the sensation that the car is pivoting around their hips. Inside, the basic theory is unchanged, but the details have come on in leaps and bounds. The cabin plastics are that little bit more tactile, the seats are a tad more supportive and the touchscreen infotainment system is in a different league. It all adds up to make the GR86 feel altogether more modern and more user friendly. Toyota’s coupe is clearly more than just a toy. That said, it isn’t especially practical. It’s still very much a two-door car, and access to the back seats is limited at best. Not that anyone will want to spend very long back there. Headroom is almost non-existent thanks to the sloping rear window and legroom isn’t much better – particularly if you’re sitting behind someone tall. In truth, those seats are best used as a parcel shelf on which you can store the items that don’t fit in the boot. At least the luggage space is fairly generous. The boot measures a little over 220 litres, which makes it roughly as big as those found in small city cars. Think Fiat 500 and the like. Admittedly, you will get more space from the more upmarket Audi TT, but that’s nowhere near as good to drive. And that’s the real reason for choosing a GR86, because very few things on the road offer this much driving pleasure. It may not be that fast – with 231bhp it’s far from the most powerful thing on the road – but Toyota has fitted proper tyres and kept the weight in check despite the extra creature comforts. That means it’s agile and nippy, which makes it absolutely awesome on a country lane, and the fact it isn’t too big or too fast means you can enjoy it all
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