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Caroline Quentin: Being an actor and a gardener is not a happy combination

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Caroline Quentin Gardening McCarthy Holden

The Men Behaving Badly and Life Begins star, who recently appeared in Sky sci-fi series The Lazarus Project, also offers a wealth of advice and tips to her 150k followers on Instagram (@cqgardens).

Her husband, Sam, does much of the filming when she invites followers into her home near Tiverton in Devon, where she makes all sorts of dishes from ingredients she has grown, and shows us what she’s up to in her two-acre garden – which features an orchard, pond, greenhouse, raised vegetable beds and a flower garden, where the magic takes place..

Caroline Quentin Gardening McCarthy Holden

Now, Quentin has written – and illustrated – a new book, Drawn To The Garden. It’s part memoir, part guide, with chapters on seeds, salads, fruit and veg, water, herbs, pets and pests, memories and anecdotes meandering through each section.

Her garden, she says, is “not immaculate”. Weeds haven’t taken over, but she allows some buttercups and daisies to encourage bees.

“By my nature, I’m quite a chaotic person, so I don’t need things to be immaculate, but my vegetables are in a rotational system. I’ll mow a path through the grass rather than cut all the grass. I garden organically.”

The book also features a chapter on wellbeing, an important element to Quentin, whose mother suffered from bipolar disorder and spent periods in a psychiatric hospital, she recalls in the book.

When she was allowed to visit, she’d spend time in the hospital gardens, surrounded by marguerites, which she still loves.

“I genuinely believe that growing things, watching the birds, smelling the roses, eating the green stuff and drawing and painting, all help keep me this side of sanity and one step away from the big dark house on the hill,” she writes.

Here, she tells us more…

Caroline Quentin Gardening McCarthy Holden

How much has gardening benefited your mental health?

“I consider it responsible for my wellbeing. I am by nature someone who goes up and down. I have mood swings, I get low. And if I do feel low, the first thing I turn to is my garden, or if I can’t be near my garden, the nearest open space or natural environment.”

Did you always have access to a garden?

“As a little girl, we had a long strip of suburban terraced house lawn. It was not really a gardening space. Nobody in my house was particularly interested in gardening.

“I wouldn’t say I was a gardener when I was young but at primary school, I’d put a seed on a bit of blotting paper or a bulb in a jam jar with water underneath and it was fascinating. The whole optimism about growing things is always a good thing.”

What was your garden in Devon like when you first moved there?

“It was a derelict property, with just a field and a trickle of stream at the bottom. There was no garden. That was about 17 years ago.

“I put the pond in first because I knew when you put water into a garden, nature comes, and that was what I was most interested in. It was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done with a garden. I swim in it too.”

How do you juggle your acting career with looking after the garden?

“You tend to film in the summer months, and gardening obviously happens a lot in the summer months as well. So I tend to be in the greenhouse in January, February and March, getting everything ready, sowing my seeds, getting the garden ready, and then suddenly the phone will ring and I’ll need to be away from the garden when everything needs to go in and be planted out. Being an actor and a gardener is not really a happy combination. The time balance is somehow wrong.

“I’m filming two dramas this year. I do get homesick. I’m really bad at being away from home, which is weird given that I do it for 90% of my life. But it’s a small price to pay for what has been a very enjoyable career.”

Do you have help?

“Sam will water for me, but he’s not a gardener. Anthony (her gardener) has helped me over the years. He comes in for a morning a week.”

Caroline Quentin Gardening McCarthy Holden

How do you maintain your wellbeing in the garden?

“I hug trees, I talk to trees, I spend as much time as I can in woodland. They call it forest bathing. It’s a deeply rooted human thing to want to be in the shade or dappled light of a tree on a summer’s day.

“I don’t formally meditate, but I do have a process where I try to breathe well when I’m outside if I’m feeling stressed or trying to learn some lines and they’re not going in, or there’s too much to do. I do a little bit of yoga every day. In the summer, I can do that outside and get my breathing organised to just slow my heart rate down and breathe in some good air.”

What’s next?

“I’m planning to downsize and start a new garden (in Devon). My children (Will and Rose) have left home and we have a big house and big plot of land. I’m getting older and maybe it’s time for me to start thinking about a garden for someone in their 60s. I want to make my next garden as well, I don’t want to inherit one. At the moment I’m fixated on having bees. So I’m thinking of an orchard with bees in it, and possibly some wildflowers.”

What will you take from your old garden to your new garden?

“Probably water. What’s brought me the most joy is watching swallows over the pond on a summer’s evening. I would definitely grow apples again and I would have maybe three or four raised beds, and a greenhouse or potting shed.”

Drawn To The Garden by Caroline Quentin is published by Frances Lincoln on February 15, priced £20.

Caroline Quentin Gardening McCarthy Holden

Ella Mills’ creamy black bean and harissa stew

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Ella Mills Deliciously Ella McCarthy Holden news item

“The best thing about batch cooking is that the flavours of the dish tend to get better the longer they marinate, so the leftovers are always a real treat, and this is certainly the case in this recipe,” says Ella Mills, the brains behind Deliciously Ella.

“It’s hearty and cosy, with lovely spices from the harissa, sweetness from the coconut and maple syrup, and a delicious nutty flavour from the almonds. The aubergine gives it great texture, while the beans ensure it really fills you up. It’s great on its own for a light supper, or for something a bit more substantial serve it with jasmine rice, jacket potatoes or crispy roast cauliflower.”

Creamy black bean, harissa and almond butter stew

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

1tbsp olive oil

2 shallots, halved and finely sliced

1 aubergine, finely diced into 1cm cubes

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 × 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed

3tbsp harissa, plus extra to serve

1 × 400ml tin of coconut milk

400ml hot vegetable stock

2 heaped tbsp smooth almond butter

2tsp maple syrup

Grated zest and juice of 2 juicy limes

Sea salt and black pepper

Method:

1. Put the olive oil into a large frying pan over a medium heat, add the shallot and aubergine and a pinch of salt and fry for five minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, black beans and harissa and fry for two minutes, until fragrant.

2. Pour in the coconut milk, stock, almond butter and maple syrup. Bring to a boil, then put the lid on the pan and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.

3. Stir in the lime zest and juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Swirl an extra tablespoon of harissa through the stew to serve (if you’d like a little extra spice).

Note: To make crispy roast cauliflower, simply chop your cauliflower into small florets, place them on a baking tray with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and roast in an oven preheated to 200ºC fan for about 20–25 minutes, until golden and crispy.

My girls love this recipe too, so when I’m cooking it for the family I hold off on the harissa and stir it into the adult portions once I’ve served the little ones.

Ella Mills Deliciously Ella McCarthy Holden news item
Ella Mills’ creamy black bean and harissa stew

Deliciously Ella: Healthy Made Simple by Ella Mills is published by Yellow Kite, priced £22. Photography by Clare Winfield. Available now.

Ella Mills Deliciously Ella McCarthy Holden news item

These are the foods to eat to avoid colds and flu this winter

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By Lauren Taylor, PA

Nutritionist to the stars, Gabriela Peacock, has revealed the immune-boosting foods to get into your diet this winter, if you want to starve off dreaded colds and bugs.

A lot of people don’t realise just how interlinked winter health and nutrition are, says the 44-year-old, but our immune system “is directly dependant on what we put within the body to create a chemical reaction – it’s really, really important”.

Here are Peacock’s hero foods your body needs this winter…

Fermented food – “Digestion support is incredibly important for immunity – 70 to 80% of our immunity actually lies within a digestive system,” says Peacock, whose celebrity clients include Princess Beatrice, Joan Collins, Jodie Kidd and Amber Le Bon.

She recommends eating live yoghurts, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi and tofu. “They directly increase the beneficial bacteria in your intestine, which supports the healthy microbiome – and the healthy microbiome will in turn support our immunity.” They also contain protein. “Protein is really important for any kind of repair within the body, so when you have a cold, when you scratch your arm, when you need more hormones to be produced.”

How to add it: Peacock recommends using live yoghurt as a base for homemade ice cream with a dash of agave syrup.

“Sauerkraut goes really nicely with any kind of rich foods, which is what we tend to eat around this time, quite heavy and oily meals, sauerkraut cuts through it,” she says. “Kombucha is just a nice alternative when you get a bit bored of drinking water. Most of them are really, really low in sugar.”

Green tea – “This would be one of my one of my hero drinks, especially over this period of the year because tea is nice and warming. Green tea contains catechins which are polyphenols,” explains Peacock.

“Polyphenols are phytochemicals – plant chemicals that have numerous health benefits. One of the main benefits is immunomodulating properties [which] stimulate our immune system and decrease the chronic inflammation. Basically, when you’re looking at the immunity, you want to decrease the inflammation.”

How to add it: If you drink coffee, Peacock suggests sticking to one or two a day and then switching to green tea afterwards.

“A really good to tip is to put lemon in green tea – you increase the absorption of the catechins, plus it gets rid of the bitter taste. Don’t make the tea too hot because the heat will kill the vitamin C.”

Matcha tea – powdered green tea – is another great way to get the nutrients but is higher in caffeine. “I would recommend thinking about it as a caffeine supplement [to coffee],” she says.

Pigmented fruits – “We are looking for the dark pigments, [they] will contain the polyphenols which will directly stimulate the immunity. So think about black blackberries, red raspberries, red peppers, green kale, orange or yellow pumpkins – if and you see these saturated colours, they are really beneficial. “Eat the rainbow – beige food is not good for us. The pigment is the polyphenol.”

How to add it: “I would recommend doing smoothies because you are keeping the fibre inside [as opposed to juicing]. If you’re doing smoothies I always recommend adding some greens that are lying in your fridge. You will not taste it at all but you increase your colours, you increase your fibre,” Peacock says.

“I don’t dislike juicing but I would never have juice on an empty stomach. You should have it with foods or have it after foods. Think of it as more of a vitamin boost – as apposed to food.”  You can buy supplements of red and green superfood powder too, which she recommends adding to smoothies, live yoghurt or soup.

Omega-3-packed fish, nuts and seeds – “Essential fatty acids are incredibly important – the reason they’re called essential is because your body cannot produce them by itself, you need to obtain them by diet,” says Peacock. “Omega-9 and omega-6 we tend to be OK with [obtaining] but most people struggle with omega-3 because we just don’t eat enough of it. This would be oily fish; salmon, mackerel, sardines, a bit of tuna, also a vegetarian source; nuts and seeds.

“We need to at least three to four portions of oily fish per week in order to cover your basic baseline.”

Seeds, in particular, are really high in omega-3, says Peacock. “Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, also a nice variety of nuts is really important. Omega-3 is directly anti-inflammatory. They’re [also] really important for our skin, our hair, our hormonal balance, for the way our cells communicate with each other. But the prevention of chronic inflammation is one of the main benefits.”

How to add it:  “You know what’s really good and really cheap – mackerel and sardines in a can. They’re kind of unattractive but I absolutely love them. You can get mackerel in a spicy tomato sauce [in a tin] – absolutely delicious.”

She suggests tinned sardines on toast, keeping bowls of seeds on your kitchen counter to add to everything (especially soups and porridge) and carrying nuts in your handbag. “Food source would be preferential but you can get supplements of omega-3 – 99% of my clients need supplementation.”

Garlic – Garlic contains sulphur (as do onions, leeks and eggs). “Sulphur is incredibly important because they stimulate the liver detoxification processes and that in turn will have a really positive effect on immunity.” Peacock says.

How to add it: “I would add it into everything really – include it as much as possible. With garlic, you only release the sulphur-containing compounds when you crush it, so it does need to be crushed down and not cooked for too long. Add garlic very last minute. The cooking process helps for the absorption but if you overcook it, if you deep-fry garlic, it will definitely reduce its properties.”

Cruciferous vegetables – Including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts and kale – are really important for immunity, Peacock says, and it’s “probably the best liver-supporting group of vegetables”. They contain liver-friendly sulphur, polyphenols and are high in fibre – which is “fantastic for digestion” (immunity and digestion are very much linked).

How to add it: Include different kinds in your Sunday roasts, she suggests. “If some clients of mine don’t like the taste or texture of cabbage or kale [I suggest] cutting them into really small pieces – you get exactly the same benefits and you don’t [notice] the texture.”

Citrus – Vitamin C is very important this time of year. “It’s a direct antioxidant, in order to fight free radicals, which is essentially what makes us sick. If you increase antioxidants in your diet, you’re increasing the protection, you’re giving your immune system protection,” Peacock says.”Grapefruit is high in vitamin C.”

How to add it: “If you want to increase your hydration (because not many people drink enough water), add a teeny bit of grapefruit juice to a lot of other water,” she suggests, “I use it for the kids’ water bottles. It’s important for it to be fresh [citrus] so you can get as much vitamin C as possible.”

These principles are incorporated in Gabriela Peacock’s latest book, 2 Weeks to a Younger You, (Kyle Books, £25). Supplements are available at GP nutrition.

Dame Mary Berry at 88: ‘I don’t want to retire at all – I love what I do’

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Mary Berry says she still has a “passion” for cookery and isn’t planning to hang up her apron any time soon.

“I don’t want to retire at all. I have a passion for what I do and I love teaching,” says the former Great British Bake Off judge, 88, who began her TV cooking career in the early 1970s.

“I mean, I’ve got wonderful health… I’m really lucky. I love what I do.” Born in Bath, she moved to London aged 21 and studied part-time at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, alongside jobs, doing cookery demonstrations and recipe testing.

“I’ve always worked very hard, early on taking any work that came my way,” says Berry, who married Paul Hunnings in 1966. The couple have two children, Annabel and Thomas (their other son William died aged 19). “I worked in a butcher, I worked in a fishmonger, I worked during the night when I was on a holiday in a bakery that made wonderful bread. My husband was with the two children while I worked.”

After becoming food editor at now-defunct Housewife Magazine, then Ideal Home (which is still going strong), Berry published her debut cookbook in 1970 and landed her first TV gig shortly after.

“My first TV cooking was with Judy Chalmers on Good Afternoon and I did farmhouse cooking,” Berry recalls.

“I like to think that television is the best way of teaching to a very large audience. I want to inspire people to enjoy cooking more.” Quickly proving popular with viewers, she remained a fixture on TV screens over the next four decades, joining Paul Hollywood as a Bake Off judge from 2010 to 2016. “Of course you need the backup of a book,” Berry continues, nudging the conversation back to the topic at hand, her latest recipe book, Mary Makes it Easy.

“I like to feel that with a book I’m holding somebody’s hand who is a little bit nervous and trying a recipe the first time, and I want them to have real success.” Something in the region of her 96th cookbook (the exact total appears to be lost in the sands of time), it’s all about simplicity, with a focus on one-pot wonders (like chicken tartiflette or meatball toad in the hole), quick dinners you can prepare in advance (veggie bolognese; humble pie) and freezable sweets (elderflower and lemon traybake; maple and orange pudding).

“We all want something easy, don’t we?” says Berry, who admits even she still has the occasional slip-up in the kitchen.

“I forget to put the timer on, I take things out too soon, all the things a housewife – or whoever’s doing the cooking – [might do]. We all make mistakes.” Having experienced times when cash was tight, the frugal foodie has lots of advice for home cooks who want to cut costs. “It’s all about planning,” says Berry, who is a big fan of doubling up on recipes and freezing half for a later date.

“The freezer is like a second larder if you label things properly. I write, say, ‘roasted vegetable lasagna, very good’ and I may even put in my diary when I’m going to use it.”

As well as a culinary career spanning six decades, Berry – who became a Dame in the 2020 Birthday Honours – has been happily married for 67 years. What’s her secret to a harmonious home? “Well, you know in my day you got married for richer or for poorer, till death us do part, which to me is very important,” the octogenarian says.

“We don’t have arguments, I just go in the garden or the greenhouse if he’s annoying me. Try and never go to bed on an argument,” she advises. And count your blessings: “I’m immensely grateful still to have him. Many of my friends haven’t got their husbands.”

Recently, some of Berry’s 1970s TV demonstrations have found a new audience on TikTok, with quaint clips showing her making the trendiest dishes of the day, like chicken stroganoff, ox tongue (“such a lovely idea for a picnic”) and sherry trifle – not that she would know.

“I have no idea. I don’t do social things like TikTok, I don’t do Twitter,” says Berry (her assistant Lucy runs an Instagram account on behalf of the pair.) “It’s very nice that people are enjoying the early ones.” She gently admonishes me when I confess that I’ve never sampled tongue: “You can buy it ready sliced in the supermarket. Have you never had it? You’re a foodie…

“I like it very much, my husband does, too. We have it occasionally. It’s more reasonable than having ham.”

Having seen many a food fad come and go, the one she struggled to get on board with the most was nouvelle cuisine, aka “little bits of something on a plate”.

“All the chefs were doing it and I remember well my mother, I think it was her 100th birthday, and we went to a very posh restaurant, it was nouvelle cuisine,” Berry recalls.

“I can remember the plates arriving for my brothers and my cousins. My mother got hold of the waiter and said, ‘That’s not enough for a man!’ And she was quite right.”

Mary Makes it Easy is published by BBC Books, priced £28. Photography by Laura Edwards. Available now.are available 

Five minutes with… Hannah Waddingham for Home For Christmas

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As Hannah Waddingham’s glitzy, musical show lights up homes and gets everyone in the mood for Christmas, we discover the behind-the-scenes fun.

If you were looking for something to get you in the Christmas spirit, look no further.

Hannah Waddingham’s Home For Christmas, an all-singing, all-dancing, high-octane special on Apple TV+ has all the festive ingredients you could ask for.

Sparkles, numerous dazzling outfit changes, an 18-piece band, glittering Christmas trees, wide smiles, nostalgic teary-eyed moments, comedic skits and countless festive musical numbers.

There are even cameos from Waddingham’s Ted Lasso co-stars.

Best known as a West End star in musicals including The Wizard Of Oz and for her Emmy-winning stint in Ted Lasso, Waddingham’s latest endeavour sees her front a dazzling Christmas special at the Coliseum theatre in London.

The location holds particular significance for Waddingham: many a childhood evening was spent in one of the boxes, bewitched as her mother, Melodie Kelly, a mezzo soprano in the English National Opera, performed on stage.

Joining Waddingham in this extravaganza are the likes of Hamilton’s Leslie Odom Jr, British singer Sam Ryder, Beauty And The Beast’s Luke Evans, the English National Opera, London Gay Men’s Chorus and The Fabulous Lounge Swingers.

We sat down with Waddingham, 49, to talk glitz, glam, outfits and performing alongside her special guests.

FIRSTLY, HOW WAS PERFORMING AT THIS FESTIVE SPECIAL? WHAT DID YOU LOVE ABOUT IT?

It was amazing. I was expecting it to be really exhausting but it just turned out to be completely thrilling, even though it was hours and hours long to film.

I hadn’t prepared myself for the moment when we weren’t on camera, having to sit back and talk to my director, Hamish Hamilton, in my ear and having to kind of hold the audience – that was actually the most tiring part of it, just trying to keep the energy in the room up. But I absolutely loved it.

THERE ARE SO MANY SPECIAL GUESTS, NOT LEAST YOUR TED LASSO CO-STARS. HOW WAS IT HAVING SO MANY LOVED ONES THERE WITH YOU?

Well, I found it a bit overwhelming really that so many of my Ted Lasso pals said ‘yes’. I thought maybe one or two would. But to literally have an embarrassment of riches from AFC Richmond was incredible and they tip it into something quite extraordinary.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DUETS. DID YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR FAVOURITE?

No, genuinely not – that’s why I chose who I chose. They all have their gifts. They all have their magic. And every single person brought it.

WHAT WAS THE REHEARSAL PROCESS FOR THOSE PERFORMANCES LIKE?

It was brief. Particularly people like Leslie Odom Jr, you know, he’s a busy man. He flew in, his flight was delayed. We literally sang the night he arrived. We went through it once and then we went through it again around the piano, and then the next day we did it. Just insane!

But musicians globally have a shorthand. So once it was myself and David Tench, my musical supervisor, and whomever of my guests, we literally went, ‘Right, shall we do it? Are you happy with that? What are we doing there? How do we get into that? What should we do there? Should we slightly change the harmony?’ And we feed off each other. It’s a real tribe.

WHAT WERE THE KEY ELEMENTS IN THE SHOW THAT MADE IT FEEL REALLY FESTIVE FOR YOU?

I think I wanted to create that kind of thing of everybody coming round to our house – like coming round for a Christmas party. I wanted people to feel like they could kick off their shoes, even if they were in the auditorium that night.

And even if you look at things like my duet with The Fabulous Lounge Swingers and Phil Dunster, we purposely put in that concept of Phil being in the auditorium and us being around the piano and that kind of ramshackle feeling, people thinking it was just discovered on route.

Even the cameos, the inserts that we put in there, I wanted people to be able to see everything – that kind of 360 of the whole venue, the backstage, on stage… all of it.

YOUR OUTFITS WERE INCREDIBLE! HOW DID YOU FIND WEARING THEM? DID YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE?

Well, we made them from scratch. They were very, very carefully created. Myself and James Yardley, my stylist, sat down together months and months ago and decided that we wanted to create as much of an emotional arc with the clothes as with the music.

So that first gold dress: I wanted it to be sparkly, I wanted it to be festive but not a punch in the eye in terms of being overtly Christmassy per se. And then I wanted it to be something that wouldn’t be distracting and would look very elegant and simple to go into that number that I dedicate to my mum and my daughter.

And then I wanted the second outfit to be more playful for my song with Sam Ryder: a bit more of a rock chick with a miniskirt but still the train to add the drama of theatre. And then of course, the last outfit, we needed something that was romantic and old school, like the time of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.

Autumn décor ideas for a seasonal refresh

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AUTUMN INTERIOR

With a nip in the air and change in seasons comes a new dawn – and a natural desire to create a comfy, snug space ahead of the cooler months.

Alongside sumptuous textures, polishing up warm woods and ambient lighting, now’s also the time for seasonal candles.

Here, experts share their top tips for an autumnal aesthetic…

Forage for farmers’ market-style floral displays

“As we prepare for colder, darker months, it’s all about getting cosy and adding some extra touches that will make you feel cocooned and comforted,” says Charlotte Reddington, one half of styling and organising duo, Style Sisters. She says one of her favourite things things about autumn is the rich variety of textures and tones, from crunchy leaves to the abundance of changing colours in parks and gardens.

AUTUMN INTERIOR

“Be inspired inside your home and think about how you can weave these elements into rooms,” suggests Reddington.

“This can be through the addition of a statement autumnal floral display, including a rich array of crimson reds, dark greens and burnt orange.”

And with pumpkin season in full swing, don’t forget this colourful squash can be styled with foliage, berries and autumn wreaths.

Embrace cosier fabrics

“Shorter daylight hours mean only one thing – cups of guilt-free hot chocolate and plenty of movie marathons,” says Dani Burroughs, head of product for Snug.

“To get into the autumnal spirit, start by swapping out summer fabrics for cosier ones, like soft velvets or fuzzy boucle,” enthuses Burroughs.

“Bring in warm, inviting colours – think rich browns, deep reds and rustic oranges. Not only will they help transition from summer to autumn, they’ll also create a relaxing and warm feeling that’s perfect for those lazy evenings on the sofa.”

Introduce ambient lighting

Clever lighting can totally transform a room and the overall atmosphere, highlights Reddington.

“A harsh overhead light isn’t always the cosiest for an autumn evening at home on the sofa! Think about placing a large floor lamp or table lamps for some mood lighting, which will create a calming ambience.”

She continues: “And with darker evenings as the clocks go back, it’s an important factor to consider for maximum home comfort.”

Dec out your dining room to combine function with beauty

Look to Scandinavian-inspired styles for a mindful, minimalist and meaningful take on autumn decor, suggests Francesca Hadland, interiors expert for Bridgman.

“Choose linen tablecloths and napkins, cutlery in classic styles and simple crockery while keeping to a colour scheme of just one or two main shades that imbue your space with warmth,” says Hadland. “Whether that’s a rust red or forest green.”

Ahead of the festive season, she says to make sure your guests feel comfortable with upholstered dining chairs – a personal favourite.

“Whether modernised by a metal frame or softened by a wooden leg, an upholstered chair is a beautiful way to ensure a sublime seating experience, while also adding an extra pop of colour to your dining room décor scheme,” notes Hadland.

AUTUMN INTERIOR

Embrace the biophilic trend

“Bring some new life into your home ahead of the colder months by incorporating air-purifying houseplants into décor,” says Rikki Fothergill, bathroom expert at Big Bathroom Shop.

Especially in bathrooms and kitchens, which she says is hugely beneficial for improving the quality of indoor air, regulating humidity levels and reducing the risk of more serious problems, like damp or even mould.

“Look to include species like ivy and fern as these are known to be great for maintaining air quality”, suggests Fothergill. “Spider plants are perfect too, and make for a great addition to any bathroom touching on the biophilic trend.”

Scent the season

One of the very first things you notice (sometimes unknowingly) when you enter a room isn’t just how it looks, but how it smells, notes Reddington.

“Scent can evoke memories, elevate an atmosphere, and help to change your mood – from energising and lifting, to relaxing and even aiding sleep… we really think it’s one of the most important aspects of a home.”

Candles and diffusers are the most popular and easy addition, says Reddington. “Not only can they smell amazing, but the design can add a stylish decorative touch to a mantlepiece or coffee table.

“An absolute autumn home essential,” she adds.

AUTUMN INTERIOR

Five minutes with… Mary Berry for Mary Makes It Easy

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MARY BERRY

By Rachael Davis, PA Entertainment Features Writer

For some of us, cooking can be a real chore. You might feel like you’ll never understand how to put together a nutritious, delicious dinner for your family, or you might think you simply don’t have time to get into the kitchen after a long day at work while juggling after school clubs, homework, and all the rest.

In her new programme for BBC Two, Mary Makes It Easy, former Bake Off judge Mary Berry gets together with celebrities with various levels of cooking experience to teach them exciting dishes that don’t take a lot of time, effort or skill.

MARY BERRY

She joins her famous friends Mel Giedroyc, Jordan North, Anton Du Beke, Lorraine Kelly, AJ Odudu, and Michael Ball to guide them, and us at home, through some scrumptious recipes that even those who’ve never made toast without burning it will be able to whip up in a flash.

Let’s hear more from Berry, 88, about what she gets up to in the kitchen.

WHY DID YOU WANT TO SHOW PEOPLE HOW EASY COOKING CAN BE IN THIS SERIES?

I’d listened to what people say, and they want easy recipes, things that don’t take too long, too many ingredients, and perhaps, from ingredients that they (have) got in their cupboard. So Makes It Easy was good for me to do, because I knew everybody would love it. Nice shortcuts as well.

WHAT DO YOU THINK PEOPLE FIND HARD ABOUT COOKING?

I think they find it difficult because time is short, and they’re cramming so much into their lives… It’s the decision making.

I say: don’t make it complicated, make it on the simple side and follow the recipe. First of all, follow it exactly as it is written, read it through two, three times, and then place yourself thinking how it’s going to work… Choose a recipe that your family are bound to enjoy, and that’s achievable in the time that you’ve got.

I love a one pot dish. I’ve got a recipe that has a couple of chickens that have been spatchcocked – that means the backbone’s taken out. You can buy them already prepared, if you like, and put everything in one dish, all the roasted vegetables around it. Absolutely delicious.

MARY BERRY

HOW WAS IT WORKING WITH THE CELEBRITIES IN THIS SERIES?

Well, all the people that I had wanted to learn to extend their repertoire, or to do something a little bit different.

Lorraine (Kelly) is not an experienced cook, at all. And she likes healthy food. I did a vegetarian mixed bean and red pepper chilli and thought it was lovely, and her daughter enjoyed it too.

Mel (Giedroyc), she’s already a good cook and just wanted a few more to add to her repertoire. She did a veggie ragu, which was all sorts of different vegetables, but all sorts of things that you’ve got to hand – who hasn’t got a bottle of red wine? And we’ve always got things like tomato, tinned tomatoes and tomato paste, and mushrooms. You know, not too unusual vegetables.

And some like cakes. Now, Jordan (North), not a very good cook, but was dying to make a cake.

His idea of a spread was something he called “picky tea”, and he just emptied all different bowls on the table and put the cubes of cheese in, peanuts, crisps – so this was stretching him!

I made, with him, a red velvet sandwich cake… It had a delicious texture which was given by buttermilk – that was a new thing for him, and a buttercream icing. And on the top, just bought truffles, the sort that I like, the white chocolate ones – that was delicious. He seemed to enjoy it.

I had Anton Du Beke, also. When I spoke to him, I said: “Well, what do you already cook?”.

He said: “I do eggs. I do boiled eggs, fried eggs, scrambled eggs, omelette”.

“Can you do anything else?”

“No!”

So it was perfect to show him how to do a chicken escalope with tzatziki. We always buy chicken breasts, don’t we? And to make them cook quickly, you just can beat them out, which is very, very simple.

You just put the chicken breast on a board and put some baking paper on top, and then bang it with a wooden rolling pin. And it will be double the size – well, not quite double, but a nice escalope.

We fry it with mustard, and parsley on top and chopped dill, and that goes into the pan with it. And it is delicious.

YOU MENTIONED MEL THERE. OF COURSE, PEOPLE LOVE SEEING THE TWO OF YOU TOGETHER, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU’VE COOKED TOGETHER, AND YOU GO CAMPING! HOW WAS THAT?

It was just as much fun as playing cards with her, we used to do that…

We think alike. We have great fun. And of course, she is very bright and took to camping. I mean, she does camp with her family in the Lake District, and so she was certainly guiding me with putting up tents and things, and I would tell her all about cooking.

WHAT’S YOUR BEST ADVICE FOR PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH COMPLICATED MEALS, OR WITH TIME TO COOK?

Well, don’t choose complicated recipes! Choose simple recipes. And it’s very important that you take on board the sort of food that your family enjoys.

Check that you’ve got all the ingredients together, and perhaps choose something that you could cook double the amount of and put some in the freezer for next week. It’s nice to look in your diary and say: “I’ve made a note that I’ve already cooked that, and it’s beautifully cooked, in the freezer – all I’ve got to do is reheat it!”

Mary Makes It Easy starts on BBC Two at 7.30pm on Thursday, November 2.

Wildlife presenter Kate Humble on what really makes a house a home

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KATE HUMBLE MCCARTHY HOLDEN NEWS ITEM

What makes a house a home? Is it the building itself, the possessions inside, the people that live there, the location or community?

It’s probably all of these to some degree, says Kate Humble, who delved into the topic for her new book, Where The Hearth Is – sparked by the TV presenter’s own quest to understand why a London Victorian terraced property she thought would be her ‘dream home’ never really felt like it, but the Welsh farmhouse she later moved to did.

“Before I moved to Wales, my husband and I had bought a derelict house in London. We spent 18 months sleeping on kind friends’ sofas, giving everything we earned to the builders to try and make it un-derelict and create what we thought was going to be our absolutely perfect house, with a lovely kitchen, all our bookshelves and pictures on the walls, and all the elements we believed would make it the perfect, happy home,” explains Humble, 54.

“And what was really odd and actually rather distressing was the day we moved in and unpacked, we thought that instantly it would be home. It wasn’t. And it never felt like home, and I couldn’t work out what we’d done wrong.”

She repainted walls, moved pictures, furniture and even walls in a bid to fix the issue: “I drove my husband completely mad. For the whole seven years we were there, I basically battled to try and make this house a home.”

She eventually realised the problem wasn’t so much the house, but the location. “The reason that poor house was never going to be home was that I wanted it to make me believe London was home, and it couldn’t do that.”

mccarthy holden news item Kate Humble book

Humble’s TV career has always focused on the countryside and nature, with shows like Springwatch and Countryfile, and for a long time she’d harboured a desire to live in rural Wales.

“I was never a city girl, I was brought up in the countryside,” she explains. “I had for quite a long time wanted to be back in the country, but because of my job, doing things like Springwatch, lots of wildlife programmes and programmes that took me out into the countryside, I could manage coming back to London. But it just ceased to feel like home.

“I had this weird, inexplicable – and I still haven’t worked out why this was the case – longing to live in Wales, even though I have no family history in Wales or heritage, and I hadn’t even really been on holiday there. I didn’t really have a connection. But for some inexplicable reason, I really, really wanted to live in Wales.”

Then, “completely out of the blue” in 2007, Humble’s TV producer husband Ludo was offered a job in Cardiff. “It was like fate was intervening.”

The couple bought an old stone farmhouse with four acres of land in the Wye Valley. “As soon as I got there, I knew I had found my home,” she recalls. “There are many elements of that, but I think it was instant because I was back in the countryside, and those were my roots, even though it wasn’t geographically where I’d grown up, I had grown up in a rural area – and I was back in a rural area and suddenly I felt like I belonged again.”

Yet although Humble, her husband and their dogs have lived happily in the farmhouse in Wales for the last 16 years, running the Humble by Nature working farm and rural skills centre nearby, they may still not be in their ‘forever home’ – which is what sparked the idea for the book.

“For a long time, I’ve wanted to build a house of my own,” she reveals. “I’ve got the design in my head – I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of creating the place that I end up living.

“But the thing that worries me is, I might build this house one day that I think is perfect – but what will it be that turns it from a building I’ve imagined in my head, a physical thing, into the nebulous but nonetheless essential thing that makes it a home? What will shift it from simply being a building with furniture and a bed, into the place where you feel safe and secure and at home? What do I need to do to make sure that I don’t repeat the experience I had in London?”

Humble was so worried about this, she wrote long lists of the sort of people that might be able to give her insight into what makes a house a home. “I started off by thinking that would help me build a thesis, a kind of Humble theory of what makes a home, if you like.”

She spoke to many people, compiling stories for the book – ranging from brother and sister Willie and Ruby Brown, both in their late 70s, whose home (a 150-year-old family stone croft on the west coast of Shetland, where they’d been born and raised) was struck by lightning and destroyed, to a Syrian woman who lost not just her home in the war, “but her community, her culture, her language, everything she knew”, explains Humble.

“She had to start from scratch, trying to make a home in a country that wasn’t hers, and the thing she said made the UK feel like home was the kindness of people.

“What I learned was home doesn’t stop or start when you walk into the front door – it’s more than that,” Humble adds. “And for a lot of people – and I would include myself in this – community is really important, what’s around you, what do you look out at through your window?

“Of course, there’d be things that all of us, if they were lost through fire, flood or whatever, we’d probably mourn. But ultimately, possessions are ephemeral – one day they’ll fade, fall apart, or get lost. Whereas the people in your life are the fabric of your home. When I walk around my house and think what would I grab if the house was on fire, I think, well I’d grab my husband and my dogs,” Humble reflects.

“What I discovered is what makes a home is incredibly personal and individual to each person. But if you have a place you can genuinely call home, where you feel safe and secure and it’s your refuge, actually, you’re very lucky.

“Through talking to all these people and putting this book together, I realised how precious home is.”

Where The Hearth Is: Stories Of Home by Kate Humble is published by Aster, priced £22. Available now.

mccarthy holden news item Kate Humble book

Pauline Cox’s Roquefort, rocket and pink grapefruit salad

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McCarthy Holden Salad for summer

By Katie Wright, PA:

“As colourful in nutrients as it is in appearance, this easy-to-construct salad is a powerhouse of goodness!” says functional nutritionist Pauline Cox.

Roquefort, rocket and pink grapefruit salad

Ingredients:

(Makes one salad)

90g rocket

100g Roquefort (ideally raw), cut into chunks

1 ripe avocado, peeled, stoned and sliced

2 pink grapefruits, segmented

A drizzle of raspberry blush vinaigrette

A handful of chopped fresh coriander

A handful of pecans, chopped

A handful of sunflower seeds

For the vinaigrette:

100g raspberries (10-12 juicy raspberries)

60ml extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lime

20ml balsamic vinegar

20ml beet kvass (optional, but ideal)

1tsp salt (ideally beetroot salt)

Method:

1. To make the vinaigrette, add all of the ingredients to a blender and combine. Transfer to a clean glass jar with a lid, keep in the fridge and use within three days.

2. Lay the rocket leaves onto two plates, adding chunks of Roquefort, slices of avocado and pink grapefruit segments, and drizzle over the raspberry blush vinaigrette.

3. Sprinkle over the chopped coriander, pecans and sunflower seeds.

Hungry Woman by Pauline Cox is published by Ebury Press, priced £27. Photography by Luke Albert. Available Now.

McCarthy Holden Salad for summer
roquefort, rocket and pink grapefruit salad

Pretty garden plants you didn’t know you could eat

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McCarthy Holden garden plants

By Hannah Stephenson:

Garden designer, grower and social media star Lucy Hutchings, of She Grows Veg fame, has been showing followers the prettiest vegetables to add colour and form to ornamental borders.

“The best way to approach edibles within a planting scheme is to stop thinking of them as edibles and approach them as you would any other plants in your border. Look at height, colour and texture and vary that through the border,” says the designer, who has 171k followers on Instagram.

“You might want some frilly things, spiky things, architectural things, broad-leaved things – and you can achieve all of these textures and looks through edible plants as well.”

McCarthy Holden garden plants
sunflowers in a border

At the recent Gardeners’ World Live event, Hutchings launched She Grows Veg, a fully female design company. In The Secret Homestead show garden, she demonstrated how easy it is to integrate flowers and edibles and still make everything look beautiful.

With a background in fashion design, Hutchings explains: “Grow your own is almost always portrayed in a homespun, traditional, quite humble and slightly apologetic way. My interest lies firmly in edible plants and I never understood why there was this divide in approach.”

a border of ornamental kale

She aims to show people who love flowers and beautiful borders how to embrace the idea that veg can also be gorgeous.

Her show garden was filled with popular ornamental plants mixed with food crops which people might not realise are edible, including hostas, roses, cannas, dahlias, Oxalis triangularis and colocasia – which are traditional food crops in other parts of the world.

Here she suggests a selection of edible plants which will provide colour and texture to any ornamental border.

McCarthy Holden garden plants
Oxalis triangularis

Striped japonica corn

Ornamental varieties of vegetable which blend in beautifully with a flower border include striped japonica corn (which can be used for popcorn), with candy cane striped foliage. “Popcorn is such an easy snack and you can get a lot off a plant,” says Hutchings.

Hostas

“These are very popular in East Asia, where people eat new shoots as they emerge. Take them from an established crown and give the plant a chance to bounce back. They taste similar to asparagus and you don’t get the woodiness.”

Japanese flowering kale

“Japanese flowering kale is sometimes referred to as ornamental kale, but you can eat it. It looks like a big purple flower, with white/green around the outside, fading to pink and bright vivid neon purple.

“All kales are really hardy and you can harvest it year round, sowing it twice a year, once in late summer to grow through winter and again in early spring to grow through summer.” Serve it as you would other green veg.

“I have kales spaced through the border, almost treating it like a great big flower as opposed to a foliage plant.”

Red orach

“This featured in quite a lot of the gardens at the Chelsea Flower Show,” Hutchings observes. “It’s commonly seen in borders and is sometimes referred to as French (or mountain) spinach. You eat it in exactly the same way as spinach despite the fact that it has really vivid purple leaves.

“Add colour through foliage and stem colour as well as flowers. Your greens don’t actually have to be green. Red and purple vegetables tend to be better for you because the red and purple colour is from an antioxidant called anthocyanin which is the same antioxidant that makes blueberries a superfood.”

Colocasia (elephant’s ears)

“A lot of people grow Colocasia as houseplants, but very few realise that it is actually taro, a starchy root you often get in Chinese restaurants – in Asia, it is very commonly eaten.”

Oxalis triangularis (purple shamrock)

“Again, this is a popular houseplant, but the leaves are really delicious, with a sour apple flavour. It’s a beautiful plant which is easy to grow and the leaves can be added to salads for a fruity taste. I’ve also seen it as a garnish on desserts.”

Dahlias

“These are a root crop, originally imported from Europe as a starchy food crop. If you lift them at the end of the season, use some of the tubers for eating. Cook them as you would a new potato – they have a slightly lemony taste. Flower petals of dahlias are also edible.”

Sunflowers

“These give you a lot of bang for your buck. Not many people realise how many ways you can eat a sunflower. They think that you just have to roast the seeds and they’re fiddly. But you can also eat the unopened flowerbuds as you would an artichoke head.

“If you harvest a sunflower head when the seeds have swelled but before the seed coating hardens too much, you can roast and eat the heads like you would corn on the cob.”

WARNING – This article was supplied by the Press Association. Check the facts / information and make sure a plant is edible, please consult an expert.

McCarthy Holden garden plants
ornamental kale
McCarthy Holden garden plants
variety of edible plants
McCarthy Holden garden plants
red orach

All the top tipples to toast the King’s coronation

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Claire Spreadbury rounds up special edition beers, wines and spirits to celebrate in style.

The King’s coronation will see many of us throwing street parties, getting together and enjoying the additional bank holiday.

If you’re not sure what to drink, you needn’t worry. There are oodles of royal-themed new releases hitting the shelves in time for the big day.

Here are some of our favourites…

English bubbles

Popping corks of celebratory fizz is most definitely in order to toast the King, and there’s a huge variety to choose from. Starting from the top end, you can’t go wrong with the Ridgeview Royal Coronation Trio, £117, after all – it comes with a royal seal of approval. A brand served at Charles’ first state banquet at Buckingham Palace in November, this coronation gift set contains the Ridgeview Bloomsbury NV (the official wine served for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee), Ridgeview Cavendish NV and Ridgeview Fitzrovia Rosé NV (served to Barack Obama at the Buckingham Palace State Banquet in 2011) plus a limited edition coronation stopper. All completely delicious if you can afford to splash out.

Another bubbling British treat is Hattingley Valley‘s Kings Cuvée 2015, £85 (perfect with canapes) and Kings Cuvée Rosé 2015, £95 (serve with a scrumptious Eton Mess) – both available with a limited edition King’s coronation engraved oak case, £30, to mark the occasion.

Renowned English wine producer Chapel Down has released the Coronation Edition, £65, from their exceptional 2016 vintage, which features special edition packaging. Described by head winemaker Josh Donaghay-Spire as having aromas of ripe apple, fresh red berries and toasted brioche, he says this rich and complex sparkling wine is “perfect” for grand celebrations. Available directly from Chapel Down, this top drop will also be served by the glass at the two Michelin star The Hand And Flowers, and the Oxo Tower Restaurant. All profits from the sale of the wine will be donated to the Royal British Legion.

What could be more magnificent than celebrating the coronation with a magnum? The 1.5-litre Moët & Chandon Coronation Cuvée 2023 is dressed to impress with a specially-designed souvenir bottle, featuring the official emblem of the Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort – available exclusively at Clos19 from May 1.

Royal Warrant holder Camel Valley has been producing award-winning English wines since 1989 and its English Sparkling Blanc de Blancs 2016, exclusive to Fortnum & Mason, contains 100% sparkling chardonnay, £42.50.

At the more affordable end of the spectrum, Aldi has done it again, releasing a Specially Selected English Sparking Rosé, £16.99. With a patriotic label and notes of raspberry and brioche, you really can’t go wrong.

Marks & Spencer‘s Balfour Coronation Cuvée, £23, is a limited edition bottle of balanced English bubbly, with some lively lemony acidity, crisp apple and even a touch of white pepper.

Sainsbury’s has also released an English Sparkling Wine, £22, made from grapes grown in prime vineyard sites across southern England and made using the same method as champagne. Enjoy crisp green apple aromas, toasty brioche notes and delicate citrus flavours.

And finally on the fizz front, if you want everything in one place, Cartwright & Butler‘s Coronation Celebration Hamper, £160, comes with a bottle of Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial, special edition coronation biscuits, tea, chutney, marmalade and coffee, plus fudge, more biscuits and a delicious fruit cake. What more could you need?

Wine

Understandably, it is all about the English sparkles when it comes to coronation wines, but for those who prefer something a little richer, we couldn’t resist mentioning Long Live The King – a cabernet sauvignon with the perfect Aussie ripeness, punchy cassis and an excellent name. £12.99, Laithwaites.

Gin

Who doesn’t love an afternoon G&T on a bank holiday Monday? Adnams have released a limited run of 1,000 Coronation Gins, £50, making this one a bit of a collector’s item. Taking inspiration from the King’s love of the natural world, John McCarthy – Adnams head distiller – picked out botanicals evocative of an afternoon tea in an English herb garden. Simply serve with Indian tonic water, ice, a fresh bay leaf and a sliver of cucumber.

Another top gin distiller, Silent Pool, has created a limited edition Coronation Gin, £45, that’s exclusive to Waitrose. Containing floral layers of lavender and chamomile, notes of citrus and lime leaves, and grounded with the subtle sweetness of local Surrey honey, it’s utterly delicious.

If you’re looking for a bit more bang for your buck, family gin maker Hayman’s has collaborated with up-and-coming artist Rose England to launch the limited edition London-inspired wrap for its bestselling London Dry Gin. £26 and exclusive to Waitrose, the design features iconic London landmarks, such as Big Ben, the black taxi and a red phone box.

For something a little lighter and fruitier, Sainsbury’s has also launched their Taste the Difference Orange Gin Liqueur with a hint of lemon, £8 (was £10) – wonderfully refreshing poured over ice with a dash of sparkling tonic water.

Beer

If you love a beer, you won’t feel left out amid the royal celebrations. Aldi has brought out a whole host of Coronation Craft Beers, £1.79 each. Choose from a Session IPA, Session Pale Ale, British Ale and British Lager, all in glorious limited edition prints.

Sainsbury’s has got in on the action too, with its Taste the Difference Coronation Ale, £2.50. An English ale brewed in the heart of Dorset, it’s made using crystal and chocolate malts for a toasted biscuit taste.

And Marks & Spencer is also releasing a delightful Coronation Ale, £3. Brewed with 100% English Sovereign hops from Herefordshire and pale ale malt grown organically in the UK’s finest barley-growing area of north Norfolk, it slips down like a dream.

How inheritance is playing a part in getting people on the property ladder

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Some people are banking on inheritance to buy a home, or pay off their mortgage, according to Zoopla. By Vicky Shaw.

Coming into some inheritance can make all the difference when it comes to being able to achieve financial milestones, such as getting on the property ladder.

For Kirsty Hamilton, 27, inheritance left by her uncle helped her put down a 50% deposit on a flat.

The operations manager, from Paisley in Scotland, says: “Knowing I had the inheritance meant I didn’t have to worry about saving for my first home. It also allowed me to purchase a property in a nice area.

“We have recently refurbished the bathroom and it’s been nice to do this from a stable position.”

Kirsty also highlights how discussing family inheritance can be worthwhile.

“It is useful to know a ballpark figure of any inheritance you may gain,” she says. “This will help you to manage your life and plan for the future.”

High house prices and jumps in mortgage rates make getting on the property ladder an even tougher feat for some first-time buyers.

Comparing her situation to that of her parents, Kirsty says: “It is 100% harder now than it was for my mum and dad.

“They’ve spoken about how much less they had to make before being able to purchase a property, compared with young people today.”

Recent research from property website Zoopla, among 2,000 people whose parents own a property, found more than two-fifths (43%) are relying on inheritance. Despite this, only three in 10 (30%) people surveyed have asked their parents how much they are likely to inherit.

While some people told researchers they find it too awkward to discuss inheritance, others said they have checked how much their parents’ property is worth.

Zoopla has a calculator on its website, which can provide an indication of what your property inheritance might be worth.

Some of those surveyed said they had fallen out with family over discussions about inheritance, while others are concerned such talks could spark rifts in the future.

Picking the right moment may help, as could seeking financial advice.

Some people are already making plans for the expected inheritance they are yet to receive, the survey revealed.

Nearly six in 10 (58%) expect to be able to move house, upgrade their home, pay off some of their mortgage, or become mortgage-free.

Some people surveyed were renting until they inherit, while others had purchased their home on the basis that an inheritance would one day help them to pay off their mortgage.

Of course, not everyone is fortunate enough to have money passed onto them by older generations, either as wealth transferred after parents have died or while they are still alive.

Recent analysis from think-tank the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) indicated that the children of university-educated home-owning parents receive around six times more in wealth transfers during their 20s and early 30s than the children of renters.

These wealth transfers between generations often happen when people are buying their first home or getting married, the IFS said.

For those trying to get on the property ladder who do not have the benefit of money being passed down to them to help, Daniel Copley, a consumer expert at Zoopla (zoopla.co.uk), suggests exploring what government schemes are available.

These may vary, depending on where in the UK you live.

He says: “There are several government-backed schemes – some of them not very well known – that can give first-time buyers a helping hand onto the property ladder.”

It may also be worth being open-minded on location and looking for “up-and-coming” places to buy a home.

Copley suggests: “Look for areas that have similar attributes or are adjacent to your preferred area – you might be surprised how much house prices change across relatively short distances.”

Lifetime ISAs can also give people saving for their first home a boost, adding a 25% government bonus onto savings, subject to certain terms and conditions.

People must be at least 18 and under 40 years old to open a Lifetime ISA.

Joe Wicks on how to make moving your body a non-negotiable

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Prudence Wade chats to the Body Coach about the mental benefits of exercise – why this is more important than ever right now.

Fitness might be Joe Wicks’ job, but even he’s not always ready and raring to work-out.

“I definitely have days where I feel flat and I feel stressed, or I can’t be bothered today,” admits the father-of-three. However, the difference for Wicks, 37, is that moving his body has become a non-negotiable.

“If I don’t wake up and exercise, I hold that tension and that stress in my body,” he explains. “So I always see exercise as like a stress relief valve, like a pressure cooker. So when I move my body, I know I’m going to feel so much better at the end of it.

“It’s habit and discipline, as opposed to being genuinely lit up with motivation every day. I know how much my life improves – my relationships, my friendships, my kids and everyone around me benefit when I’m keeping active.

“It’s non-negotiable. It’s a priority for me.”

If you’re at the start of your fitness journey or out of the swing of things, making exercise a priority can seem like an uphill battle. Here’s how Wicks suggests going about it…

Don’t do too much, too soon

If your New Year’s resolution is to adopt the training plan of a professional athlete, you could be setting yourself up for failure.

“Ultimately, the first and most important thing is you don’t do too much at once,” Wicks advises. “Don’t try and go to the gym five days a week from zero, or put pressure on yourself to build a certain diet, or a low-calorie restrictive diet.

“I know this is so cliché and it’s easier said than done – it’s just doing things you can actually sustain, that isn’t overwhelming, that isn’t stressful, that is enjoyable.”

Remove the friction

Does life constantly seem to be getting in the way of your exercise goals? You might want to rethink how you’re doing things.

“I’m a big fan of home workouts,” says Wicks. “Remove the friction of getting childcare, or getting to the gym and finding that hour where you commute. Imagine if your living room was your gym, and you had a pair of dumbbells and a kettlebell – you can have a great workout in 25 minutes, and actually get it done.

“You’ve got to make your life easy – set yourself up for success,” Wicks adds.

Focus on the mental benefits

Wicks knows exercise is a game-changer for his mental health – and if you start experiencing the same benefits, you might find yourself even more committed to moving your body.

“The Body Coach was originally about HIIT training, about body image and losing weight. Over the years, I’ve really shifted my belief and narrative around it, because I realised that people often start to lose weight – but what keeps them coming back really is the mental health benefits of exercise and how their life improves, their relationships improve.”

And with the cost-of-living crisis making things seem pretty bleak this January, Wicks believes movement is more important than ever.

“Last year, people were thinking about [exercise] a bit – it was optional. This year it’s essential, because life’s overwhelming, life feels really stressful,” he reflects.

“And if you don’t take care of yourself physically and you don’t lift your mood mentally, you’re going to be overwhelmed and things can really get on top of you. So see exercise as an essential part of your happiness and make it a priority.”

Prioritise sleep

Wicks is currently finding this one tricky – his youngest child, Leni, is four months old, and her tired dad says: “She’s doing this sleep regression thing, where she’s awake for like half an hour, every night, all through the night.

“Your eyes are stinging, you wake up really thirsty, you’ve got a headache – it really makes you realise how sleep is everything, it’s the foundation,” he adds. “I’m making not great food choices, I’m not really exercising – so it definitely affects me.”

When Leni isn’t waking him up throughout the night, Wicks calls sleep “the number one priority for me, over anything”. He continues: “Certain things knock you back, and I realised just how important sleep is – if there’s one message I’d like to share with people it’s this year, really prioritise sleep.

“When you’re well slept, everything else can fall into place a lot easier. I really think we’re under slept, we sleep-deprive ourselves. We sit up on our phones, we watch Netflix until 3am – we’re doing it to ourselves. So try to focus on sleep, and eating and exercise will come a lot easier.”

Find your tribe

If you have the time and resources, training with a group of like-minded people might be the extra boost of motivation you need.

“I started as a personal trainer and I used to do boot camps, and I always got much more of a buzz from group fitness,” explains Wicks. “Training with people and as a group, it’s more of an energy and you push a bit harder. You feel like you’re not on your own when you’re struggling and people are cheering you on – it feels nice to be part of a little community.”

That’s why Wicks has set up The Body Coach Studios – a pop-up space for a few days in January where Wicks and trainers from his app will teach in-person classes.

“Rather than it being about a ‘before and after’ transformation on Instagram, imagine meeting someone who’s come back from depression, or who’s come back from an injury… and now they’re this really fit, motivating human being. I think that rubs off on people.”

The Body Coach Studios’ is the first ever fitness studio from Joe Wicks’ The Body Coach app. To find out more and book tickets for January 20-22, head to thebodycoach.com/studios

December Magazine With Market Insight

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Magazine photo image McCarthy Holden

What an extraordinary year, defined on a global level with Mr Putin’s destruction and misery when he decided to invade Ukraine in February, introducing unimaginable suffering to the Ukrainian people and also introducing a backdrop of uncertainty across economic activities from stock markets to property markets around the world.

In the first few months the prospect of a stock market and property market downturn had to be considered, but this didn’t happen in the UK and………. You can read the 2022 review by clicking the image below which will take you through to our online digital Magazine In The Country & Town.

Magazine photo image McCarthy Holden

Browsing through our property and lifestyle magazine you will be able to see some of the finest property in the area, available to buy or rent as well as read some engaging editorial content.

Some articles are shown below and a click will take you through.

Magazine photo image McCarthy Holden
Magazine photo image McCarthy Holden
Magazine photo image McCarthy Holden
Magazine photo image McCarthy Holden
Magazine photo image McCarthy Holden
Magazine photo image McCarthy Holden

We wish all of our clients / customers / suppliers and magazine readers a very happy Christmas and an uplifting 2023

Rahul Mandal: Save money and bake these 5 festive gifts instead

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Bake Off fan favourite Rahul Mandal shares his Christmas baking ideas.

For a lot of people Christmas will be a stretch, so why not take a leaf out of Dr Rahul Mandal’s book and bake gifts for your loved ones?

The first time the 2018 Great British Bake Off winner baked anything was actually in the lead up to Christmas, when he was a student on a tight budget.

“I was at Loughborough Univerity, on a scholarship, so it wasn’t like I had a lot of money to actually give people lots of Christmas presents,” he says.

“I started to make friends in the Garden Society and I wanted to bring some presents – I think that was the first time I baked in that way. It wasn’t baking from scratch – I literally bought some shortcrust pastry from the shop and put some [readymade] mincemeat and cranberries in it to make mince pies. I also made some stained glass cookies to give to people – that’s where it all started.”

Here are Mandal’s ideas for baked festive gifts…

1. A lighter Christmas cake

“If you’re going to a Christmas gathering, rather than buying a cake, make the cake yourself,” says Mandal.

“There is lighter version of a fruit cake recipe in my book [Showstopper Cakes] – a lot of people don’t like the heavy-fruited Christmas cake.” Growing up in India, the only cake his family had was on Christmas day – but it was very different to the boozy, fruit-heavy cake eaten in the UK.

“It was more like a dense sponge cake with a handful of dried mixed fruit dispensed evenly in the crumb. I will be honest, I liked this cake a lot more than the British version.”

For Christmas presents, he says: “You can make your own marzipan and coat the cake with it, then decorate it as you like.”

2. Spiced brownie bars

The best thing to add to a brownie bar to make it Christmassy is “definitely spiced caramel”, says Mandal.

To make ginger caramel, “You basically make the caramel and add a teaspoon or one-and-a-half teaspoons of ground ginger in it. Then if you want to put a pinch of Christmas spices in it as well – that’s absolutely amazing! I think it complements the dark, rich brownie flavour quite well.”

3. Mince pies

“If you’re going to someone’s house for Christmas, instead of buying some mince pies, just make a batch of them yourself – that’s an amazing gift.

“If you want to make your own pastry, it’s a simple shortcrust pastry: three parts flour to two parts butter, and a couple of tablespoons of caster sugar. Rub it together and then put three to four tablespoons of water (depending on how much flour you’re using). Put everything in a food processor until it starts coming together as a clump. Then you chill it, take it out and roll it, and cut it into shapes and line the cupcake tin to make mince pies.

“Or you can just buy the pastry – perfectly fine! [Use] all butter shortcrust pastry and they are amazing. Same with mincemeat, you can just buy readymade mincemeat or you can make your own. Or as a kind of hybrid version, buy readymade mincemeat, but add fruits you like in it. You can maybe put some dried cranberries in, or some brandy-soaked cherries in – which are not usually in mince pies a lot of the time.”

4. Jam

“When I have time, I make jams,” says Mandal, whose book includes recipes for several, including pineapple, ginger and chilli jam.

“You can make jams and you can give them as good presents. If you’re making it home you can pretty much add no preservatives – because jam is a mix of sugar and fruit, so you know what’s in it. That’s a very, very useful [gift].”

5. Christmas tree decorations

“Edible Christmas decorations are great – like stained glass cookies, or any kind of decorated cookies – that you can just hang on your Christmas tree,” says Mandal.

When it comes to the dough, you have options. “Obviously Christmas is gingerbread, so making gingerbread cookies is a big tradition for me. But if you are in doubt you could just use a normal shortbread and instead of normal caster sugar, replace it with muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar.

“Then if you’re making it with, say, 200 grams of flour, put 10 grams of ginger in – so it’s about 1/20, and that will make it gingery enough. And you can put other spices in like a teaspoon of cinnamon, a pinch of cayenne, nutmeg and a pinch of clove will make it very, very Christmassy.

“You can make a little hole in the rolled gingerbread [with a] cookie cutter, and take a bit out of the cookie. Then put some boiled sweets in it and then bake it for seven to eight minutes. By the time the biscuits are baked, your boiled sweets will melt and create the stained glass effect,” he says.

“You don’t even need to decorate those with royal icing if you don’t want to, because they look so pretty as it is – they will be a beautiful decoration for a tree, and they taste delicious.”

Showstopping Cakes by Rahul Mandal is published by Kyle Books, priced £26. Photography by Maja Smend. Available now.

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