Latest news with #porridge
Telegraph
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Why the BBC has a Naga problem
Naga Munchetty likes her toast made just so when she presents BBC Breakfast. 'It needed to be a little bit burnt, but not too much. And if you didn't get it right, she would never shout at you, but she would act as if it was a really stupid mistake to make,' one former subordinate, who used to be tasked with fuelling the presenter, tells me. '[Instead] she would be like, 'Oh, they can't get the toast right, they can't do anything.'' We have learnt a lot – perhaps too much – about Munchetty's morning eating habits lately. A story in The Sun at the weekend claimed that the presenter had 'kicked off at a terrified intern over how they spread Marmite on her toast' and 'moaned that her porridge was 'too hot' and the blueberry topping wasn't to her liking'. 'There was such a mad culture of fear around a very, very stupid thing,' the former subordinate says. It is ironic that the Breakfast presenter is getting heat for her own attitude to breakfast, but such stories about Munchetty have increasingly been doing the rounds as the 50-year-old has reportedly been placed 'under review' after a string of complaints about her behaviour. All the while, there are regular reports that Munchetty has fallen out with her Breakfast boss, Richard Frediani, who himself has been accused of making some colleagues feel uncomfortable. (A BBC spokesman says: 'While we do not comment on individual cases, we take all complaints about conduct at work extremely seriously and will not tolerate behaviour that is not in line with our values. We have robust processes in place and would encourage any staff with concerns to raise them directly with us so they can be addressed.') A Marmite figure Munchetty has been no stranger to criticisms of or allegations against her, which she has largely declined to address in public. She was spoken to by Radio 5 Live bosses about an off-air sex jibe that upset a colleague three years ago, The Sun reported in June, while it is also alleged that she bullied a junior staffer on Breakfast whom she accused of stealing last year. Munchetty was given another dressing-down, according to the tabloid, but no formal action was taken against her. The no-nonsense presenter is something of a Marmite figure herself, with her steely demeanour sometimes regarded as an odd fit in the perky world of breakfast TV. 'I can imagine that she faced a lot of s----y people treating her like c--p as she was coming up and probably developed a thick skin,' says the former subordinate. 'When people go through that they react one of two ways: it's either 'I never want anyone else to go through that again' or 'You're not worth your salt if you don't go through what I went through'.' Her on-air behaviour has also occasionally caused controversy. She was censured in 2019 for criticising Donald Trump for telling a group of non-white Democrat congresswomen to 'go back' to their 'crime-infested' countries. 'Every time I have been told, as a woman of colour, to go back to where I came from, that was embedded in racism,' she said live on BBC Breakfast, before later adding that she was 'absolutely furious' about the US president's comments. The Corporation partially upheld a complaint that her remarks had breached editorial guidelines before Tony Hall, then the director-general, intervened to reverse that decision. Some two years later, Munchetty apologised after liking 'offensive' tweets that disparaged Robert Jenrick, then the housing secretary, for being interviewed on Breakfast with a large Union Flag and a portrait of the late Queen behind him. To some, Munchetty's direct interviewing style jars with the expected tone of breakfast TV and has occasionally made for uncomfortable viewing. It was reported this year that Breakfast bosses apologised to Geri Halliwell, the former Spice Girl, after a spiky interview by Munchetty and Charlie Stayt, her co-host. A 2018 interview she conducted with David Attenborough went viral for its toe-curling awkwardness, when the veteran naturalist was unimpressed with her attempts to ask about his conversations with members of the Royal family instead of the butterflies he had come on to discuss. BBC under pressure At this point, many will wonder why Munchetty appears to be under so much scrutiny, especially as the stories that cast her in a negative light are largely composed of trifling matters. But the BBC has been under huge pressure after a string of scandals involving 'talent' such as Huw Edwards, Gregg Wallace, Strictly Come Dancing's Giovanni Pernice, Russell Brand and Tim Westwood. Munchetty, obviously, has not been accused of anything as serious as those men, but the Corporation's bosses appear determined to stamp out anything that could be considered bad behaviour at work. 'We just have to make sure that the BBC is a modern organisation,' Samir Shah, the chairman, said in March. 'People who work for it feel able to voice their concerns, if they have any, and that they will be dealt with, and that no one in the BBC is untouchable.' Last month, Shah emphasised that there was still work to be done on that front. 'There are still places where powerful individuals – on and off-screen – can abuse that power to make life for their colleagues unbearable.' Since joining the BBC 17 years ago, Munchetty has become one of its highest-profile, and best-paid, current affairs presenters. She received a £10,000 pay rise last year and is tied for 11th on the BBC's high pay list, with a salary of up to £360,000. It is a far cry from her childhood growing up in Streatham, south London. Her Indian mother, Muthu, and Mauritian father, David, moved to Britain in the 1970s and worked as nurses while they brought up Munchetty and her younger sister, Mimi. She attended Graveney School, a state secondary school in nearby Tooting – which also produced her fellow BBC presenter Amol Rajan – before studying English at Leeds University, then getting a diploma in newspaper journalism at City University, London. Following stints working on the business sections of London's Evening Standard and The Observer, she moved into broadcasting with Reuters Financial Television, CNBC Europe, Channel 4 News and Bloomberg. She joined the BBC when Working Lunch was revamped in 2008, and within six years she had worked her way up to becoming a permanent fixture on the Breakfast sofa. Munchetty is renowned as being a hard worker, with a three-hour Radio 5 Live show from London every Monday to Wednesday, then fronting Breakfast in Salford from Thursday to Saturday. 'That's probably too much,' says a fellow BBC presenter. 'It feels like a big, big stretch.' This year she also published a book, It's Probably Nothing: Critical Conversations on the Women's Health Crisis (and How to Thrive Despite It), after her own experience of decades of gynaecological pain. She relaxes by playing golf – she revealed in an April interview that she plays off a handicap of 6.4 – and lives in Hertfordshire with her husband, broadcasting executive James Haggar, and their two Siamese cats. 'Toxic' work environment It will not have helped Munchetty that Breakfast itself is currently under siege. Frediani, the programme's editor who joined from ITN in 2019, was accused of presiding over an 'intimidating and bullying' culture on the show, which led to him taking an 'extended period of leave' in June. Frediani has variously been described as 'a tyrant', 'a bruiser' and 'aggressive'. One insider, however, calls Frediani a perfectionist who 'wants the programme to be the best and for people to do the best job… He's old-school.' Jon Kay and Sally Nugent, the other frontline presenters, are said to get on with Frediani. Yet it was said that his relationships with Munchetty and Stayt had broken down, and it was reported last week that he no longer directly manages his highly paid stars. There have also been rumours that Munchetty and Stayt, who sit next to one another on the Breakfast sofa three days a week, have fallen out. Couple that with the programme's tumbling audience figures and you have the recipe for a potential existential crisis. 'It's not without its achievements, but it's not central to the nation,' says the BBC presenter. 'Maybe that's what breeds this crazed self-hatred.' The former Breakfast staffer says: 'People who work in Salford say 'I wouldn't take a job at Breakfast if you paid me twice as much as they're offering' because it's so toxic.' A briefing war has since erupted in the tabloids, with stories emerging that cast Munchetty, Frediani or both in a negative light. In an interview with The Guardian last month, Munchetty said that 'self-flagellation' was the trait she most deplored in herself. Strikingly, 'bullying' was the one she disliked most in others. Now in her 50s, and having been a fixture on Breakfast for more than a decade, might this be the time for Munchetty to move on? She was said to be in talks with Sky News, to become Kay Burley's permanent replacement on the breakfast show, and commercial radio broadcaster LBC, but they have not come to anything. Amid all the stories engulfing Breakfast, it feels like something has to give.
SBS Australia
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
'There's a glint in their eye': What it takes to produce the world's best porridge
Tucked in the Scottish Highlands is Carrbridge, a town most wouldn't even know exists if not for its strange claim to fame: the World Porridge Making Championship There's no prize money. Just a golden trophy shaped like a spurtle — a traditional Scottish utensil for stirring oats — and the glory of being crowned the world's best porridge maker. Sydney-based taco chef Toby Wilson was researching obscure food competitions when he came across The Golden Spurtle. He'd already found a roadkill cooking contest in West Virginia, United States, a fondue championship, and even one for testicles. But it was a quiet moment with a bowl of oats that inspired him to search for a porridge-making competition — and eventually, to fly to Carrbridge to compete. "They say the population is 700, but it feels like you only see 30 of them," Wilson tells SBS News. "I like to collect strange experiences," he says. "I'm a collector of these big fish, small pond experiences. I thought it would be fun to say I'm the World Porridge Champion." Sydneysider taco chef Toby Wilson made the trip to Carrbridge and cooked in the competition twice. On his first go, he claims he came second. Source: Supplied The first time he competed, Wilson placed in the top six. Or possibly second, depending on who you ask. "I was told I came second, but I couldn't verify that. But I'm just going to assume that I did." A year later, he returned to compete again. This time, he brought Melbourne-based writer and director Constantine Costi — who was making his first film — to help document the community that had unexpectedly charmed him. That film, The Golden Spurtle, has since sold out at major Copenhagen documentary film festival, CPH:DOX, Sydney Film Festival, and now this month's Melbourne International Film Festival. Porridge people Porridge, admittedly, is not the most exciting of foods. It's just three ingredients — oats, water and a dash of salt. But in the town of Carrbridge — located in Scotland's north-east and just an hour's drive from the British royal family residence Balmoral Castle — it represents much more. It's funny because it's such a boring dish, but all the people are so fascinating. "One of the previous winners has it tattooed on his arm," Wilson says. The competition draws an eclectic crowd. Among them: Adam Kiani, a fungus and mycology research coordinator; Nick Barnard, a wellness CEO determined to win; and reigning world champion Lisa Williams, whom Wilson was "weirdly starstruck" by. "There were people I'd read about who had won previous years … they're like porridge icons," he says. When it comes to the judging criteria, one judge, Neil Mugg, says good taste, colour, and texture are key. But everyone has their own technique. Some competitors wait for a gluggy bubble to guide them. Others, like Williams, trust sound. Wilson says he used to be an avid stirrer, but now lets the oats "do their thing". He says there's a superstition that you must stir clockwise to keep evil spirits at bay (and he does this, just in case). "I'm a chef by trade, so I feel like I need to be good at this," he says. 'You don't get that in Marrickville' For Wilson, the experience turned out to be more than just a quirky travel tale. "There were two big things I took from it," he says. "The first was how much focus I could put into mastering a simple dish. The second was the community." Wilson, who lives in Sydney's inner-west suburb of Marrickville — dubbed the second-coolest neighbourhood in Australia by Time Out in 2022 — says it was nice to be part of a small community where everyone knows and looks after each other. "Their differences didn't matter so much," he says. "I don't even know my next-door neighbours at home, and you're in this town, and everyone remembered me. "You don't get that in Marrickville." While many of Carrbridge's residents are older, he says the generation gap didn't seem to matter. "I'd be sitting between a 50-year-old and a 70-year-old, and literally the only thing we had in common was that we cook oats." We're the kind of people who see something like the World Porridge Making Championship and say, f--k it, that sounds fun. Aesthetically, The Golden Spurtle looks like it's been plucked from a BBC archive or that it's playing on an analogue television. Cinematographer Dimitri Zaunders opts for slow pans, colour and symmetry, dousing the film in Wes Anderson-esque petroleum. The documentary reflects that spirit. It's gentle, slightly absurd, and warm. Director and writer Costi — who has a background in opera — says porridge is simply a "Trojan horse" to tell the stories of the beautiful people in the Carrbridge community. "The hook for me was: how could something so seemingly basic on the palette be even vaguely interesting?" Costi says. The answer was in the people. There's Barbara, the head dishwasher of 25 years; Chris Price, the railway man who makes porridge "the Scottish way, with water"; the Porridge Committee; a pack of proud dishladies; and Neal Robertson, the aforementioned tattooed former world champion. Neal Robertson is a two-time winner of the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship. He even got a tattoo to mark the occasion. Source: Supplied We also see Roger Reed, who founded the competition in 1994 and helped put Carrbridge on the map. He even has a street in the town named after him. "I was looking for an idea to promote the village," Reed says in the film. "And it came to me — porridge, the epitome of Scottish food. Can you make a competition out of making porridge?" While they're all different, there are a few common denominators of the Carrbridge population: they're naturally witty, they mostly have grey hair, and they're very serious about their porridge. "The joy of it was really getting to know a whole bunch of older people and developing a relationship with strangers over a certain age," Costi says. "There's a glint in their eye. They're all in on the joke." 'What would you do with your final years?' At the centre of this is Charlie Miller — porridge maker, spurtle carver, and longtime chieftain of the competition. As his health declines, Miller wrestles with who will take over his role. Costi thought this might become the emotional spine of the film. But before filming began, Miller casually revealed he'd already found a replacement. "It's just Alan down the road," he told Costi. The documentary follows Charlie Miller's last year as chieftain of the competition. Soon, it transforms into a meditation on ageing, legacy and purpose. Source: Supplied Instead, the film transforms into a meditation on ageing, legacy and purpose. "On the surface, it's light and it's comedic and bubbly and kind of joyful. But there is a more poignant undercurrent through the whole thing, particularly with Charlie, who's not in the best of health," Costi says. But even as he wrestles with hanging up his metaphorical apron, Miller still drops wisdom in every scene, with lines that feel like they were plucked straight from a Dylan Thomas poem. The film opens on a montage of Carrbridge landmarks: a rocky bridge, the railway station, the pub — and the cemetery. "Everyone ends up here," Miller says, as he looks over the tombstones. The Scottish Highlands are ageing faster than the rest of the country. But in Carrbridge, that's not positioned as a problem — it's part of the charm. You notice it in the rhythm of the town, the cheeky banter of the committee, and in the slow beauty of the film itself. There's something particularly comforting about a place where older people aren't just visible, but central — running competitions, carving spurtles, washing dishes, stirring oats. As the proportion of people aged 60 years and older increases worldwide, the United Nations is promoting the need for "age-friendly communities" that optimise opportunities for health, participation and security, to enhance people's quality of life as they get older. In Carrbridge, the porridge competition may be playing a crucial role in building this sense of community. And while Miller is stepping down, the committee asks him to stay on as honorary chieftain — complete with a new hat and all. There is a deeply human story underneath all of this that we all have to face at one point, which is — what do I do with my final years? Constantine Costi, director of The Golden Spurtle "Is something as absurd as a porridge-making competition a worthy thing to do? I would say it absolutely is," Costi says. Wilson agrees — though he says he's probably done competing. "I think making it an annual tradition — at what point does that get a bit weird? It's like, how much do you want to win this porridge award, dude?" he says. Still, he got a glimpse of what those later years might look like. "I'm a keen, but terrible amateur golfer and Scotland's the home of golf. "So for a few days [while making the film], I would just make porridge and play golf. "It felt like a little sneak peek of my later years — cooking porridge and playing golf in a seaside village in Scotland." The Golden Spurtle is being shown as part of the Melbourne International Film Festival, which is running until 24 August. The film is also slated for a general Australian release later this year.
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- The Guardian
Foodie Finland: the best restaurants and cafes in Helsinki
Unexpectedly, porridge is a Finnish obsession, available in petrol stations, schools and on national airline flights. But Helsinki's gastronomic offerings are a lot wilder, featuring reindeer, moose, pike perch, salmon soup, herring, seaweed – and even bear meat. And from summer into autumn, Finns' deep affinity with nature blossoms, fusing local organic produce with foraged berries and mushrooms. This inspires menus to feature whimsical fusions of textures and flavours, all straight from the land. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Garlanded with superlatives, from 'friendliest' and 'happiest' to 'world's most sustainable city', this breezy Nordic capital is fast catching up on its foodie neighbours. Enriched by immigrant chefs, the youthful, turbocharged culinary scene now abounds in excellent mid-range restaurants with affordable tasting menus – although wine prices are steep (from €10/£8.60 for a 120ml glass). Vegan and vegetarian alternatives are omnipresent, as are non-alcoholic drinks, many berry based. Tips are unnecessary, aesthetics pared down, locals unostentatious and dining starts early, at 5pm. And, this being Finland, you can digest your meal in a sauna, whether at an island restaurant (Lonna) or high in the sky on the Ferris wheel (SkySauna). Eat, sweat, swim – go Finn! Top of the table in zero-waste cred is pioneering Nolla (meaning 'zero'), which even boasts a designer composter in one corner. It serves regularly changing taster menus (four courses €59, six courses €69) in an old townhouse with a relaxed, hip vibe. Led by Catalan chef and co-owner Albert Franch Sunyer, the 70-seater espouses localism and upcycling: staff uniforms are made from old curtains and sheets, while the base of a wine bottle becomes a butter dish. Nothing goes to waste, whether leftover bread or used coffee grounds (an ingredient in a roasted hay ice-cream). Goose is a recent innovation, roasted deliciously with honey turnips, parsnip puree and hazelnut crumble, while Finncattle carpaccio with a radish and tomato harissa dressing brings an exotic hit. With a Michelin green star, Nolla's easygoing atmosphere and strict environmental policies make it a Not far from Nolla, in the popular central area, is long-standing Muru, one of the first French-style bistros in Helsinki. Masterminded by award-winning sommelier Samuil Angelov, it's intimate, with a slightly worn, rustic edge and eccentricities that stretch to a wine store at the top of a vertiginous ladder. The changing menus (four courses €59, two courses €39) are chalked on a blackboard in Finnish, which any waiter will translate – English is virtually a second language in Helsinki. Depending on the season, you might indulge in a starter of lavaret (freshwater fish) with pickled cucumber, radishes and dill flower, a nettle risotto with rhubarb and parmesan (risottos are Muru's speciality) and end with a luscious pannacotta and strawberry This is where the Middle East comes to Finland – dramatically. Cloistered in a curtained room, 14 diners sit around a kitchen bar to watch Kurdish chef Kozeen Shiwan enact his gastronomic life story. This is represented by 14 meticulously conjured courses – from a single richly decorated olive ('Made in Suleymaniah) to a spicy quail's leg buried in flowers ('Flora's Quail'). Each dish is introduced by the chef's witty patter. Gold rules, too, whether in Kozeen's teeth, his necklace, or encasing a platter of glittering potatoes baked with amba sauce and roe before they sink into a mayo, saffron and olive oil sauce. It's a memorable dining performance (€159), but make sure Kozeen is present on the night you book, and choose wine by the glass rather than the €119 wine Nobody can visit Helsinki without paying homage to Alvar Aalto (1898-1976), the groundbreaking architect and designer who brought functionalism to Finland. After three years of renovation, his monumental Finlandia Hall, an events centre which opened in 1971, now includes a sleekly designed bistro and a cafe. Everything in the building is by Aalto, from lighting to furniture and brass fittings, explained in an illuminating permanent exhibition. On the food front, the bistro (open for dinner Thursday to Saturday) offers typically creative Nordic cuisine with Mediterranean accents (four courses €59, six courses €69, plus à la carte) in a moody interior. For more luminosity, or for lunch, head for Finlandia Café&Wine (open all week), with terrace views over the bay. Self-service snacks and drinks are backed up by a daily lunch special (€14.70) or a copious breakfast (€19.90) – porridge included, of Down on the south harbour, beside a stretch of other eateries, Nokka's spacious warehouse is full of nautical artefacts and enlarged sketches of wild animals. The philosophy of chef-founder Ari Ruoho, a keen hunter and fisher, is to bring Finland's peerless 'wild nature' on to the plate, nose to tail. Apart from the wild meat, there is a huge emphasis on organic vegetables. There are three menus (four courses €89, vegetarian €74, eight courses from €129) and à la carte options. The smoked bream mousse starter with pickled cucumber, cucumber sorbet and a crispbread combining fish skin with dried roe and pumpkin seeds (€24) is a revelation, as is tender roasted reindeer, seasonal vegetables and roast potatoes with grated elk heart. This is ambitious, perfectly honed food that easily justifies its Michelin green Several thousand islands speckle the Gulf of Finland, so there's no excuse not to hop on a ferry for a 10-minute ride to Lonna island. Here, recycling comes with a twist, as ageing military structures now house an eponymous restaurant with bar and terrace overlooking the Baltic. Add to that a beach, a sleekly designed sauna and views to Helsinki and you have a bucolic escape. The 60-seater Lonna restaurant is low key, with bare brick walls and gorgeous Finnish tableware, and is open May to September. Excellent-value menus (three courses €39) change monthly, offering local organic produce and plentiful vegetarian options, such as oyster mushrooms with barley and smoked tomato, or a meaty option such as organic pork with bok choi and trout In an elegant residential neighbourhood, this quirky little restaurant offers a four-course menu (€48) tweaked every few weeks. 'We do what's in season, using French technique and good ingredients from abroad, and only wild game or fish,' says Ilpo Vainonen, one of the two young chefs who are co-owners with sommelier and manager Johan Borgar. Like many of their peers, they make their own bread, which comes with a black olive dip. Every dish is presented superbly: try a starter combining fresh and semi-dried tomatoes framed by hazelnuts, cream cheese and tiny cherries, or an ice-cream in a puddle of olive oil served with a pan of stone fruits poached in rum syrup. Suddenly, a spoonful of raspberry sorbet coated in pink peppercorn appears. As most of the restaurants above open for dinner only, lunch during Helsinki's summer is all about outdoor grazing. Ice-cream kiosks dot the city, while numerous lippakioski (wooden kiosks dating from the 1920s) provide drinks and snacks. Countless cafes include quaint Café Regatta, an old waterside fisher's shack with terrace. The touristy Market Hall offers wide-ranging choices, from reindeer salami and salmon soup to Asian fast food. Inside Oodi, Helsinki's spectacular central library, you can enjoy a bargain set lunch or take snacks on to the panoramic terrace. And as everyone has the right to forage, for dessert head for Central Park to fill your pockets. The trip was provided by Visit Finland and Helsinki Partners. Rooms at NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa start at €150 room-only in August
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- The Guardian
Foodie Finland: the best restaurants and cafes in Helsinki
Unexpectedly, porridge is a Finnish obsession, available in petrol stations, schools and on national airline flights. But Helsinki's gastronomic offerings are a lot wilder, featuring reindeer, moose, pike perch, salmon soup, herring, seaweed – and even bear meat. And from summer into autumn, Finns' deep affinity with nature blossoms, fusing local organic produce with foraged berries and mushrooms. This inspires menus to feature whimsical fusions of textures and flavours, all straight from the land. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Garlanded with superlatives, from 'friendliest' and 'happiest' to 'world's most sustainable city', this breezy Nordic capital is fast catching up on its foodie neighbours. Enriched by immigrant chefs, the youthful, turbocharged culinary scene now abounds in excellent mid-range restaurants with affordable tasting menus – although wine prices are steep (from €10/£8.60 for a 120ml glass). Vegan and vegetarian alternatives are omnipresent, as are non-alcoholic drinks, many berry based. Tips are unnecessary, aesthetics pared down, locals unostentatious and dining starts early, at 5pm. And, this being Finland, you can digest your meal in a sauna, whether at an island restaurant (Lonna) or high in the sky on the Ferris wheel (SkySauna). Eat, sweat, swim – go Finn! Top of the table in zero-waste cred is pioneering Nolla (meaning 'zero'), which even boasts a designer composter in one corner. It serves regularly changing taster menus (four courses €59, six courses €69) in an old townhouse with a relaxed, hip vibe. Led by Catalan chef and co-owner Albert Franch Sunyer, the 70-seater espouses localism and upcycling: staff uniforms are made from old curtains and sheets, while the base of a wine bottle becomes a butter dish. Nothing goes to waste, whether leftover bread or used coffee grounds (an ingredient in a roasted hay ice-cream). Goose is a recent innovation, roasted deliciously with honey turnips, parsnip puree and hazelnut crumble, while Finncattle carpaccio with a radish and tomato harissa dressing brings an exotic hit. With a Michelin green star, Nolla's easygoing atmosphere and strict environmental policies make it a Not far from Nolla, in the popular central area, is long-standing Muru, one of the first French-style bistros in Helsinki. Masterminded by award-winning sommelier Samuil Angelov, it's intimate, with a slightly worn, rustic edge and eccentricities that stretch to a wine store at the top of a vertiginous ladder. The changing menus (four courses €59, two courses €39) are chalked on a blackboard in Finnish, which any waiter will translate – English is virtually a second language in Helsinki. Depending on the season, you might indulge in a starter of lavaret (freshwater fish) with pickled cucumber, radishes and dill flower, a nettle risotto with rhubarb and parmesan (risottos are Muru's speciality) and end with a luscious pannacotta and strawberry This is where the Middle East comes to Finland – dramatically. Cloistered in a curtained room, 14 diners sit around a kitchen bar to watch Kurdish chef Kozeen Shiwan enact his gastronomic life story. This is represented by 14 meticulously conjured courses – from a single richly decorated olive ('Made in Suleymaniah) to a spicy quail's leg buried in flowers ('Flora's Quail'). Each dish is introduced by the chef's witty patter. Gold rules, too, whether in Kozeen's teeth, his necklace, or encasing a platter of glittering potatoes baked with amba sauce and roe before they sink into a mayo, saffron and olive oil sauce. It's a memorable dining performance (€159), but make sure Kozeen is present on the night you book, and choose wine by the glass rather than the €119 wine Nobody can visit Helsinki without paying homage to Alvar Aalto (1898-1976), the groundbreaking architect and designer who brought functionalism to Finland. After three years of renovation, his monumental Finlandia Hall, an events centre which opened in 1971, now includes a sleekly designed bistro and a cafe. Everything in the building is by Aalto, from lighting to furniture and brass fittings, explained in an illuminating permanent exhibition. On the food front, the bistro (open for dinner Thursday to Saturday) offers typically creative Nordic cuisine with Mediterranean accents (four courses €59, six courses €69, plus à la carte) in a moody interior. For more luminosity, or for lunch, head for Finlandia Café&Wine (open all week), with terrace views over the bay. Self-service snacks and drinks are backed up by a daily lunch special (€14.70) or a copious breakfast (€19.90) – porridge included, of Down on the south harbour, beside a stretch of other eateries, Nokka's spacious warehouse is full of nautical artefacts and enlarged sketches of wild animals. The philosophy of chef-founder Ari Ruoho, a keen hunter and fisher, is to bring Finland's peerless 'wild nature' on to the plate, nose to tail. Apart from the wild meat, there is a huge emphasis on organic vegetables. There are three menus (four courses €89, vegetarian €74, eight courses from €129) and à la carte options. The smoked bream mousse starter with pickled cucumber, cucumber sorbet and a crispbread combining fish skin with dried roe and pumpkin seeds (€24) is a revelation, as is tender roasted reindeer, seasonal vegetables and roast potatoes with grated elk heart. This is ambitious, perfectly honed food that easily justifies its Michelin green Several thousand islands speckle the Gulf of Finland, so there's no excuse not to hop on a ferry for a 10-minute ride to Lonna island. Here, recycling comes with a twist, as ageing military structures now house an eponymous restaurant with bar and terrace overlooking the Baltic. Add to that a beach, a sleekly designed sauna and views to Helsinki and you have a bucolic escape. The 60-seater Lonna restaurant is low key, with bare brick walls and gorgeous Finnish tableware, and is open May to September. Excellent-value menus (three courses €39) change monthly, offering local organic produce and plentiful vegetarian options, such as oyster mushrooms with barley and smoked tomato, or a meaty option such as organic pork with bok choi and trout In an elegant residential neighbourhood, this quirky little restaurant offers a four-course menu (€48) tweaked every few weeks. 'We do what's in season, using French technique and good ingredients from abroad, and only wild game or fish,' says Ilpo Vainonen, one of the two young chefs who are co-owners with sommelier and manager Johan Borgar. Like many of their peers, they make their own bread, which comes with a black olive dip. Every dish is presented superbly: try a starter combining fresh and semi-dried tomatoes framed by hazelnuts, cream cheese and tiny cherries, or an ice-cream in a puddle of olive oil served with a pan of stone fruits poached in rum syrup. Suddenly, a spoonful of raspberry sorbet coated in pink peppercorn appears. As most of the restaurants above open for dinner only, lunch during Helsinki's summer is all about outdoor grazing. Ice-cream kiosks dot the city, while numerous lippakioski (wooden kiosks dating from the 1920s) provide drinks and snacks. Countless cafes include quaint Café Regatta, an old waterside fisher's shack with terrace. The touristy Market Hall offers wide-ranging choices, from reindeer salami and salmon soup to Asian fast food. Inside Oodi, Helsinki's spectacular central library, you can enjoy a bargain set lunch or take snacks on to the panoramic terrace. And as everyone has the right to forage, for dessert head for Central Park to fill your pockets. The trip was provided by Visit Finland and Helsinki Partners. Rooms at NH Collection Helsinki Grand Hansa start at €150 room-only in August
The Sun
13-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
My miserable 12½ hour US train journey at Club World Cup with £6 purple sludge ‘porridge' made me dream of British rail
STEP AWAY from the Amtrak oatmeal. American long distance trains are bad enough but the food they serve is even worse. 8 8 8 The 'porridge' they serve makes the infamous British Rail pork pie of the 1970s look like the top of the menu fare from a Michelin Star restaurant. And it's not cheap either. Around £6 per pot of purple sludge that when mixed with a jet of boiling hot water forms an indigo mess that is as arduous on the stomach as the painfully slow services that run between some cities. You may discover this next year when the USA hosts the real World Cup - a coming together of 48 nations competing for the biggest prize in international football. Fans and players will be criss-crossing this vast country in many ways. For Chelsea during the Club World Cup this summer it has been first class travel for a whole month - flights and five star hotels. Cole Palmer will hopefully be following similar pathways next summer with England. football tournament is wearing. 8 America has hosted a World Cup before. In 1994, when then Ireland boss Jack Charlton warned that someone could die from the heat. Temperatures touching 40 degrees here over the past weeks, Chelsea vice-captain Enzo Fernandez admitting he felt dizzy during a game and had to lie down. Juventus players asking to come off to escape the heat. The world is warmer now than it was back in the 1990s and will be even warmer next year. Palmer has talked of the two hour flights everywhere draining his legs and his soul. Chelsea's poster boy player turned up at the Club World Cup wearing a PPE mask over his face because he says he 'doesn't like the smell of planes'. 8 8 8 Unfortunately, he will have to go through it all again because Americans love flying and driving. Back in 1987 there was a hit movie - Planes, Trains and Automobiles - a comic tale of two stranded men trying to make it home for Christmas by any means when snow puts paid to their hopes of taking a jet home. It's planes and cars for the people over here. The trains are a joke. At least the one that took 12½ hours to carry me just 550 miles from Charlotte to Philadelphia to catch up with the Chelsea charabanc as they moved from city to city playing games. You can just about take a similar journey by rail in the UK but you might fall off the end of our little country into the sea at the end. But it wouldn't take more than half a day to do it either. It would take around half that time. Amtrak's number 80 service from North Carolina to Pennsylvania is an experience. Good or bad is debatable. They know that the 6.45am departure time means passengers are going to get hungry pretty quickly, and they have a captive market for the stuff they pass off as food as you chug along at no more than 40mph with a stinky old diesel engine dragging the carriages behind it like some sad old pack donkey. And once you reach Washington, brace yourself for a half hour wait while the diesel loco is uncoupled and the electric one hooked up - only then can you speed along at a decent pace. 8 Chelsea began their Club World Cup campaign in Atlanta and were so convinced they would win their group that they earmarked Miami as their next training base. It didn't quite work out that way and they ended as runners up. But still they chose sunny Florida and glamorous South Beach as a temporary HQ. This meant flying to their last 16 game in Charlotte and then back up north to Philly for their quarter final win over Palmeiras. From there's been onwards to New York, The Big Apple, and while it's luxury all the way for the players, they are still getting fed up with being cooped up in hotel rooms and strange beds. Downtime for them has been ping pong, basketball, dinners together and walks. Only last week French defender Malo Gusto walked right past me in Greenwich Village, engaged with a couple of pals and having his photo taken the whole time. The thing with America is that it doesn't need to sell itself. It's the richest and most entertaining country in the world. And it knows it. Unsurprisingly, being run by someone like Donald Trump means the US is wrapped up in itself. It's not been difficult finding a local who has no clue that the Club World Cup is actually happening within their borders. There won't be so much ignorance next year at the real World Cup but don't bet against it.
