Latest news with #Hand&Flowers
Daily Mirror
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Britain's 'best kept' town is beautiful hidden gem tucked away from London
From breathtaking architecture to Michelin-starred pubs and boutique shops, it's no surprise this quintessential gem is often described as one of Britain's best kept secrets Swap the soaring skyscrapers for riverside charm in this stunningly quaint town. Touted as one of the UK's 'coolest' places to live, and often dubbed Britain's 'best kept secret' - Marlow needs to be on your tourist radar (if it isn't already). Snuggled between rich meadows and woodlands, the historic market town feels world's away from city life - despite being a stone's throw from central London. Boasting a vibrant high street filled with boutique shops, Michelin-starred restaurants, and cosy pubs - Marlow is famous for its pristine streets, fierce community spirit, and celebrity roots. The town's most iconic landmark has to be the suspension bridge which spans the River Thames and connects the counties of Buckinghamshire and Berkshire. Designed by William Tierney Clark, the architectural masterpiece first opened in 1832 - and is believed to have acted as a prototype for the world-famous Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest. "Residents of the town have included Thomas Love Peacock, Jerome K. Jerome, T.S. Eliot and Mary Shelley who finished her gothic masterpiece Frankenstein while living in the town," hailed Visit Thames, the area's official tourist board. "Marlow is also home to one of Britain's most premier rowing clubs which has produced many Olympic oarsmen including Sir Steve Redgrave whose statue stands in Higginson Park." Watch out for A-listers such as comedian Ricky Gervais and actor Chris Evans, who both call this slice of paradise home. Of course, chef and restaurateur Tom Kerridge may also make an appearance, especially if you dine at one of his four eateries in the area. "The two Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers – a cosy, unassuming pub opened by Kerridge 20 years ago – is still the star of the show," explained the Telegraph. "Though The Coach (another, more affordable Michelin-starred pub), private dining room The Shed, and The Butcher's Tap (a traditional butcher's with, no surprise, another pub) have helped to cement Kerridge's influence." Marlow is some 3- miles from London, meaning you can drive to the hotspot in around one hour and four minutes. However, direct train routes to Maidenhead slash the journey time down to just 22 minutes. From here, you'll then just need to take a 13-minute taxi ride over to Marlow. Depending on your flexibility, you can grab single adult fares for as little as £16. Accommodation in Marlow itself is limited, meaning prices can be high. For example, a weekend's stay (Friday, June 20-22) at the Palm Cottage Marlow - a two-bedroom holiday home - will set you back an eye-watering £711. However, staying slightly outside the town can help bring the budget down. Staying at the Olde Bell, located 2.3 miles from the centre of Marlow, on the exact same dates would cost £262 - which is almost three times cheaper.
Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
This genteel riverside town is the A-list's best-kept secret
Tree-lined roads festooned with bunting, a coxless four gliding along the Thames, a lively cricket match in the sunshine: the opening scenes of The Marlow Murder Club's second season, aired in March 2025, paint the picture of a sociable, laid back town emanating countryside charm and community spirit. And, for once, fact is not so far from fiction. With its hanging baskets, neat streets, lush riverbanks and Georgian architecture, Marlow was last year officially deemed 'Best Kept Village' in Buckinghamshire – a hotly contested title vied for annually since 1957. Add Michelin stars, upmarket shopping and excellent pubs to the mix, and you have the perfect spot for an exceptionally genteel weekend break. Here, we help craft the perfect sojourn in this quaint, picturesque corner of Buckinghamshire, set between Henley and Maidenhead on the River Thames – complete with Michelin stars, meandering strolls and even a dash of retail therapy. A rich pedigree Tucked away on the border of South Bucks, Marlow is a town with a history that dates back to the Domesday Book. By 1227, it had received a market charter from King Henry III, adding Chipping to its name to signify market town status (though – unlike Chippings Campden and Norton of the Cotswolds – it has since dropped this qualifier). If Marlow's suspension bridge seems familiar, that's because it served as a prototype for designer William Tierney Clark's later, grander project, the striking Széchenyi Chain Bridge in Budapest. Look out, too, for a blue plaque identifying the house where Mary Shelley finished Frankenstein, and for a bronze statue in Higginson Park; the UK's most decorated rower, Sir Steve Redgrave, was born in this riverside town where rowing heritage runs deep. Unexpected culinary credentials Marlow's charms have lured various high-profile names – including residents Ricky Gervais and Chris Evans – but there's a case to be made that it's celebrity chef and restaurateur, Tom Kerridge, who has most shaped its current identity. His four Marlow restaurants – all opened within the last decade – are widely credited with helping the town achieve its current status as a honeypot for destination-diners, while his brainchild Pub in the Park, the UK's largest touring food and music festival, has provided plenty of street cred. The two Michelin-starred Hand & Flowers – a cosy, unassuming pub opened by Kerridge 20 years ago – is still the star of the show, though The Coach (another, more affordable Michelin-starred pub), private dining room The Shed, and The Butcher's Tap (a traditional butcher's with, no surprise, another pub) have helped to cement Kerridge's influence. Others have followed suit. Atul Kochhar, another established local chef, serves up excellent Northern Indian food at Vaasu, and Southern dishes at Sindhu. For Mediterranean fare, there's Lavvin on West Street (its garden is particularly lovely), while Brvtvs on Spittal Street is all pizzas, cocktails and DJs playing vinyl, and – just down the road – you'll find Vietnamese at Suum Kitchen alongside the popular Oarsman gastropub. Locals will also tell you to stop by Strawberry Grove for its excellent cakes; The Vanilla Pod, run by chef-proprietor Michael Macdonald, for its tasting menus; M Café; The Duke pub; and Rebellion Beer Co, a local brewery with popular Members's Nights and a great shop. Get outdoors If you prefer a buzz, plan your visit to coincide with one of Marlow's many popular annual events: Pub in the Park, for example, which takes place in May; the Henley regatta and festival in June; the Marlow Carnival in September; or even the Santa Fun Run fundraiser and Christmas lights. This is, however, a delightful place to be when all is calm and quiet, particularly on a warm summer's day, when locals are going about their business or messing about on the river. It is a town made for riverside strolls, and there's even a lovely circular 10km route which takes in Higginson Park, Temple Mill Island, Hurley (stop at The Olde Bell, one of England's oldest inns, for a drink) and Bisham Woods. In spring, much of the way is blanketed with resplendent bluebells, and is said to have been the inspiration for the wildwood in Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Take to the boutiques There is no shortage of opportunities for shopping here, between the neatly curated roster of high-end high-street brands (Missoma, The White Company, Mint Velvet, Jigsaw, Space NK) and impressive line-up of independent spots (most of which exist largely to court the well-heeled weekender). Cases in point include Un Dimanche a Paris, which also has boutiques in Henley and Barbados, Susie Watson Designs's quintessentially English interiors – which can also be found in the likes of Salcombe and Tunbridge Wells – and cult Aussie brand R.M. Williams, worn by Margot Robbie, Cillian Murphy and Alexa Chung. It's all very quiet luxury – even if you haven't hit double digits yet (I defy any parent to leave Angel & Rocket or Scamp and Dude empty handed). Leave time for a stop at Home Barn, a rustic furniture and homeware haven, with an equally enticing farm shop next door. Spend the night If you want to be able to meander home on foot after an evening feast, The Hand & Flowers has 15 rooms across four cottages in town (from £325 per night, including a full cooked breakfast at the restaurant). If proximity is a less pressing concern, opt for the impossibly grand Danesfield House Hotel & Spa – where George and Amal Clooney threw their post-wedding bash – three miles up the road (from £249 per night).
New European
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- New European
Josh Barrie on food: The chefs who shun a Michelin star
It's that time of year again, when the Michelin Guide dishes out its prestigious stars. This year's UK awards will be held in Glasgow on February 12, though do not imagine that means Scotland is a shoo-in for accolades: last year, Michelin plumped to host its UK ceremony in Manchester but no new stars were handed out to restaurants in the city. The French guide is an unruly, uncertain and mysterious beast, even if its recommendations help to flood dining rooms – much needed today as hospitality struggles. Tom Kerridge told me only last week that he's barely breaking even this month at his two-star flagship the Hand & Flowers (now 20 years old). I'm sure trade there will pick up. It's Kerridge for one thing, and the pub is in Marlow, where you can find unwanted skis in charity shops and almost every driveway houses a Land Rover Defender. But the most interesting tale of Michelin in 2025 is about a chef who doesn't want to be in it. We have our fair share of Guide sceptics – Marco Pierre White handed back his three stars years ago and says he prefers to eat out at local Cantonese restaurants or Caribbean canteens in Chippenham rather than the kind of places that Michelin prizes – but nothing compares to the unadulterated ego of an old French chef. There's a reason Ratatouille was set in Paris, you know. This year's most prominent tyre burner can be found in Megève, a luxurious French ski resort. There, the chef Marc Veyrat has banned Michelin from his latest venture, Le Restaurant Marc Veyrat, where dinner costs €450 a head (that's £380) and where restaurant inspectors aren't welcome. He told CNN: 'I've even got a small sign on the front door' (warning them off). 'I'm 75 this year. I don't want to be taking exams and getting ranked.' Five years ago, Veyrat took Michelin to court over an unfavourable review of a cheese soufflé. In 2019, the guide downgraded his restaurant La Maison des Bois, in the Alpine village of La Croix Fry, from three stars to two (it has since been taken on by his daughter, who has renamed it Le Hameau de mon Père, or 'my father's hamlet', in honour of her dad). Veyrat was incredibly upset at the time and filed a lawsuit against the Michelin Guide . He demanded they remove the listing and called inspectors 'incompetent'. It gets better. One of the reasons Michelin felt the restaurant was undeserving of its past three stars was because they believed Veyrat had used Cheddar in his soufflé. Veyrat argued he used local cheeses, including Reblochon and Beaufort, and that inspectors could have confused the striking colour with a 'hint of saffron' he had added to his recipe. Will Michelin visit Veyrat's latest restaurant, his first since the great soufflé war of 2019? I think it would be impossible for any food fan with a hefty expense account to stay away. He is undoubtedly a talented chef – he won three stars after all; two is a monumental feat in itself – and the guide rarely seems to care whether its anonymous inspectors are discouraged. Also in 2019, Michelin included the South Korean restaurant Eo in its guide to Seoul despite the owner, chef Eo Yun-gwon, asking to be omitted. In Spain, the chef Julio Biosca once returned his star (as much a stunt as anything else, some might say) after claiming it held him back. Sébastien Bras of Le Suquet in southern France requested to have his place removed after 20 years. Why? He wanted freedom and independence and felt Michelin brought too much pressure. 'Life is too beautiful and too short,' said Bras in 2017. And Frédéric Ménager maintains that he refuses to let judges into La Ferme de la Ruchotte, his highly rated farmhouse inn up in the hills of Burgundy. He said he has received phone calls from the guide but that 'the only stars that count are the ones in the eyes of guests when they leave the table, mesmerised by their gastronomic experience'. I can't imagine there will be such drama in Glasgow in February. Few British chefs are as out there as Veyrat these days. He tours his new dining room in sunglasses and a pilgrim-style hat, bases his menu around aromatic herbs, and runs the restaurant with his wife Christine, who is known as the 'beloved witch'. It is unclear whether they're serving a soufflé. For food's sake, I bloody hope so.
