e FREE Issue 693 | 18 April 2024 W kend e NEW LOWER PRICES ON HUNDREDS OF YOUR FAVOURITES SAVINGS TO SAVOUR Rustling up midweek suppers such as this creamy spinach & leek gnocchi is now even more tempting, with further price cuts on hundreds of everyday ingredients, p16
2 18 APRIL 2024 News&Views FESTIVAL MAKES SANDWICHES THE STAR ATTRACTION LOVELY LAYERS (Clockwise from top left) Rogue Sarnies’ The Three Little Pigs pizza sandwich; Liam Barker; venison steak sandwich with balsamic blackberries; braised beef short rib sandwich from The Black Pig; The Untitled Sandwich Shop The popularity of our favourite staple continues to rise, and a new three-day event promises to celebrate them in all their glory, writes Emma Higginbotham When John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, was too busy to stop for lunch, he’d order his servants to bring him slices of meat encased in bread. Little did he know that some 250 years later, his eponymous snack would be the UK’s hottest food trend. Not that sandwiches have ever fallen out of fashion. From chunky doorstops crammed with cheese and pickle, to wafer-thin crustless cucumber triangles, British butties have long been a staple for lunch, afternoon tea and beyond. Yet recently, the UK’s sandwich scene has exploded. Dedicated shops are showcasing gourmet fillings, from chargrilled periperi chicken thighs with pea salsa verde at Mondo Sando in London, to the Philly cheesesteak subs from Fat Pat’s wall hatch, in Manchester. There’s even a three-day sandwich festival heading to the capital next month. Called Sarnie Party, it promises part to play, because sandwiches are very photographable,” agrees Molly. “Even Gordon Ramsay is on the cover of Sandwich magazine – people want to see what Michelin-starred chefs are putting in theirs.” Around 72% of our lunchtime spend goes on sarnies, according to the British Sandwich Association, and we buy more than three billion a year, spending in excess of £8 billion. Chicken tops the list of favoured fillings, accounting for around 31% of all sandwiches, followed by cheese, bacon, ham and tuna. But our tastes are evolving to embrace global options, from neat Japanese sandos to colourful Mexican torta. Liam Barker, the former pastry chef at Corrigan’s in Mayfair who now cooks Caribbean food at pop-ups and private events, creates Bajan ‘cutters’ – traditional Barbados sandwiches made using Bajan salt bread, with fillings typically including fried fish or liver, topped with tomato and lettuce. At Sarnie Party, Liam’s cutters will include lechon (slow-cooked roast pig popular in Puerto Rico) with Dominican Republic-style pink pickled onions, and a Trinidadian garlic sauce. “It has di erent influences from around the Caribbean in one, and all the elements I think you need to make a good sandwich as well,” he says. “Meat, pickle for acidity, sauce, and some kind of freshness is always the winning sandwich combination.” Sarnie Party is at Camden Town Brewery from 17-19 May, coinciding with British Sandwich Week (16-22 May). For more sandwich inspiration, including the venison steak with blackberries (top), see waitrose.com/recipes music, entertainment and bread-based treats created by 20 chefs. “Everyone loves a sandwich. It’s the great equaliser of food, whether you fancy a bacon sarnie from the ca , or a super-bougie eel sandwich in [London restaurant] Quo Vadis,” says Sarnie Party organiser Molly Hutchinson. “They’re such a big trend, and there are so many amazing sandwich operators producing such a diverse range, so we wanted to get everyone together. “All the sandwiches will be original and made for the event, from chunky fried chicken from The Untitled Sandwich Shop to niche toasties from The Cheese Truck and Wine & Rind. The cult guys from The Black Pig will be there, Rogue Sarnies are doing wood-fired pizza sandwiches and Happy Endings will do ice cream sandwiches, because we need a sandwich for dessert as well!” Why is the humble sarnie still so popular? “Sandwiches hold a special place in people’s hearts, and have stood the test of time thanks to their versatility,” says Jim Winship, of the British Sandwich & Food to Go Association. “There is a vast array of combinations, and we’re seeing this grow as social media trends continue to influence the market. The socials are impacting the recipes people are looking to try, especially at home, including the types of bread, sauces and fillings.” “Instagram and TikTok have a huge ‘Sandwiches hold a special place in people’s hearts, and have stood the test of time thanks to their versatility’ Cover: Recipes: Katie Bishop, Photographs: Sam Folan, Food styling: Marina Filippelli, Styling: Tony Hutchinson, Art direction: Sharon Davis
3 18 APRIL 2024 GOOD NEWS IN BRIEF This week’s uplifting stories from Anna Shepard Perfect pizza Pizzaiolo Franco Pepe will bring his famed margherita sbagliata from Pepe In Grani restaurant in Caiazzoto, Italy to the UK from 29 April to 2 June. Franco’s pizza, seen on Net ix’s Chef’s Table, will pop up at Fatto a Mano across Brighton and London. The £16 margherita sbagliata – which translates as ‘mistaken margherita’ – has been named the world’s best pizza three times, and aims to delight customers and raise cash for charity. The big read Making time to read can be tricky, but World Book Night on 23 April is a chance to sit down with a book, by reading to a child, attending a book club or nestling down on your own. From 7-8pm, it’s #ReadingHour, a national moment to encourage more bookworms. To mark the event, The Reading Agency, the charity behind it, is donating 36,000 bestselling books to libraries and organisations including prisons, hospitals and care homes. Local lowdown A new service from the O ce for National Statistics makes it easier to explore data around the UK. From nding the best performing schools to checking broadband speed in a postcode, the online tool will also be handy if you’re planning a house move. It includes 57 local measurements, and searchable data on economy, education and health. ons.gov.uk Rare species on show Mountain chickens, spiny tailed skinks and rare Philippine crocodiles (below) are all part of London Zoo’s latest display. The Secret Life of Reptiles and Amphibians includes more than 30 unusual species, many endangered. One of the zoo’s star attractions, a Chinese giant salamander, was found in a cereal box at a postal centre in 2016 and rescued from the illegal pet trade. This year could be a turning point for plastic pollution, say organisers of Earth Day, a global event that takes place on 22 April every year to promote environmental protection. Its 2024 theme is Planet v Plastics, and calls for a 60% cut in global plastics by 2040 to help human and planetary health. “It’s an exciting time because change is within reach,” says Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day. “We’re advocating for widespread awareness on the health risk of plastics, as well as calling to rapidly phase out all single-use Progress in plastic pollution pact It could just be a small idea that you’ve nursed, dreaming of the day you turn it into a business. If so, now is the time, says entrepreneur Sahar Hashemi, founder of Co ee Republic and consumer movement Buy Women Built (BWB). Launched a year ago to shine a light on female-founded businesses, it currently has more than 1,000 members, with a combined turnover of £1.5 billion. Many can be identi ed by the BWB kitemark, including Little Moons desserts, Rubies in the Rubble condiments, the Dr PawPaw beauty range – all at Waitrose – or Astrid & Miyu jewellery at John Lewis. BWB has now announced a partnership with mentoring platform Digital Boost to provide a free online course for aspiring female entrepreneurs, which aims to reach 600 women this year. The six-week rolling courses cover topics such as market research, with mentorship The second-hand clothing market grew 18% last year and is now set to make up 10% of global fashion sales. The desire to live more sustainably and the rising cost of living is driving demand, according to a report by data analytics rm GlobalData, which also con rms that the interest in preloved clothing and accessories spans the generations and is not limited to younger shoppers. 10% Building on a female success story and support workshops after they end. She got the idea for BWB in lockdown after seeing a social media post saying we can buy from female-founded businesses, even if we can’t invest in them. There are 30% fewer female entrepreneurs in the UK compared to the US, according to the Treasury. “The world is full of women who have ideas but never take the leap, now you can. You’ll end up with a business plan and be able to really think it out,” she enthuses. Head to digitalboost.org.uk/begin to nd out how to join up. Anna-Marie Julyan plastic and push for a strong United Nations treaty on plastic pollution.” Also taking place in April, the UN is entering its fourth round of plastic negotiations, with talks in Ottawa, Canada. By the end of the year, it hopes to have signed the first legally binding global treaty to address plastic pollution, which has already been agreed by 175 countries. In the UK, since October, English businesses cannot o er, sell or supply polystyrene food and drink containers. Single-use plastic cutlery, balloon sticks and stirrers have also been banned, with restrictions placed on single-use plates, bowls and trays, and cotton buds and straws. This has been partly driven by the UK Plastics Pact, which brings together retailers, including Waitrose and John Lewis, to collaborate on eliminating singleuse packaging and making all plastic packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025. At 295 Waitrose stores, shoppers can now recycle soft plastics, such as cereal liners, bread bags and crisp packets, to be processed in the UK. FEMALE LED Pauline Paterson, cofounder of natural beauty brand Dr PawPaw (right) Photographs: Getty Images, Alamy
5 18 APRIL 2024 News&Views HIGH PRAISE FOR HEDGEROWS There’s more to the humble hedgerow than meets the eye. They may seem unassuming and at times unkempt, but these ancient boundaries are considered by naturalists to be ‘the greatest edge habitat on Earth’, standing between much of our wildlife and extinction. This is the case made in Hedgelands, a new book by Christopher Hart (right). “Hedges act as flood defence systems, storage units for carbon and incomparable havens for wildlife, supporting up to 80% of our woodland birds,” he says. “They are one of the happiest accidents in history. Created thousands of years ago as livestock barriers, they became rich habitats for native flora and fauna.” “Collect all the plastic bottles from the kitchen and bathroom that you are throwing away over the course of a few months. Once you have all the empties, look online and try to nd re ll equivalents for each product. Doing this will dramatically reduce the amount of singleuse plastic you discard every month, and it’s a great way to support ecofriendly companies that are o ering re ll options, while also encouraging more brands to follow suit. It helps to look for B Corp-certi ed brands, as this is a stamp of approval that lets consumers know they are supporting a veri ed sustainable business.” Anna Shepard DO ONE GREEN THING Support refillable brands, says Gabi Jennings, founder of Love Ocean, a natural bath product range for children Some of our oldest, such as Judith’s Hedge in Cambridgeshire, are more than 900 years old, predating Westminster Abbey. Recent research by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology has revealed that Britain boasts 400,000km of historic hedges – that’s enough to wrap around the world 10 times. But experts warn that 50% have been lost in the last century. This is why the Campaign to Protect Rural England is expanding its Hedgerow Heroes scheme, asking communities to flag up unloved land for reinvigorating shrubbery. It’s National Hedgerow Week from 6-12 May, so now’s a good time to take action. And the UK’s 23 million LIVING WALLS Get behind National Hedgerow Week and do your bit for the environment gardens are a great place to start. “Most have at least a modest hedge. This is an incredible potential resource,” says Christopher, who suggests rewilding by introducing flowering climbers such as honeysuckle and bindweed. He says the best hedges include a variety of native shrubs, trees and bushes such as hawthorn and crab apple. “With better management, we may not need to worry so much about insect and bird numbers falling or carbon capture targets. Hedgerows would do much of the work for us, if we only looked after them.” Sarah Barratt An extra 1.1 billion portions of veg have been consumed across the country, thanks to a ve-year Food Foundation campaign. The charity says the increased vegetable intake has added eight months to UK life expectancy as a result. Since its launch, the Peas Please project has seen organisations across the sector – from caterers and dining chains to manufacturers and retailers, including Waitrose – take a veg pledge to make it easier for everyone to get their 5 a day. Describing vegetables as ‘the golden thread connecting diets that are healthier and more sustainable’, the Foundation reports that achieving 5 a day for all could not only add eight months to the UK’s average life expectancy, it could also decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 82%. Waitrose, which has been given a top green light rating by the Foundation, has increased the vegetable content of all its recipes and own-brand ready-meals, pizzas, pies, soups and sauces. As a result, Partner & nutritionist Dr Joanne Lunn says: “In the year 2022-23, we sold a quarter of a billion portions of veg through our meal solutions alone.” The supermarket has also added extra veg options to meal deals and lowered prices on health food lines, such as apples and pulses, with its annual Food & Drink Report showing a resulting rise in sales from 58% in 2022 to 61% in 2023. Alice Ryan Join the peas movement to boost your veg intake Photographs: Getty Images
6 18 APRIL 2024 News&Views Whether you’ll be lacing up your trainers at the start line or watching on TV from the comfort of the sofa, thousands of people will enjoy the TCS London Marathon on Sunday (21 April). The iconic 26.2-mile race from Greenwich to Westminster is always oversubscribed – a recordbreaking 578,374 people applied this year, with 50,000 winning a place. There were 49,272 starters last year, with 48,000 runners crossing the finish line. They included the oldest runner, 90-year-old David Picksley, and the youngest, Lana Dales, who turned 18 the day before the event. It’s all for a good cause too – since the first London Marathon in 1981, more than £1.1 billion has been raised for charity. Runners come from all over the world and from all backgrounds. But what’s it like to train for the gruelling event? Three familiar faces reveal how, and why, they’re getting on their marks. Ahead of this Sunday’s London Marathon, Emma Higginbotham discovers what it takes to be part of the world-famous event GOING THE DISTANCE Event legend Dave ‘The Telephone’ Lock is running his 25th consecutive London Marathon for Samaritans, this year’s o cial charity “My journey with Samaritans started as a caller. I was in a very dark place, and they literally saved my life. I became a listening volunteer, ran my rst London Marathon for the charity in 1999, and I’ve been doing it ever since in Samaritans-related fancy dress – usually the giant green telephone. I lost my younger brother to suicide last year, so that’s made me even more committed to keeping that telephone on the roads. “My daughter is running her rst DAVE LOCK, 62 marathon with me this year, so I’m going to be a proud dad on the start line. She’s a teacher in Spain and has the joy of of training on the beach, while I run around the block dressed as a telephone. It’s not great for training, because you get stopped all the time, even by people who want me to listen to them. We hold hands, and they talk. “I’m not getting any younger and the distance isn’t getting any shorter, so I really look after myself. My go-to training food is pasta with green pesto, tuna and anchovies, and my wife is half Indonesian, so we eat lots of rice dishes, like nasi goreng. On the course, all the children seem to be holding jelly babies. I bend down and they take great pleasure in lobbing them into my mouth. My guilty pleasure once I nish is a homemade Cornish pasty. “Everyone should try running. All you need is a decent pair of shoes, then you go outside and o you go. It makes me feel fantastic.” See justgiving.com/ page/david-lock-25 In focus
7 18 APRIL 2024 In my opinion NIHAL ARTHANAYAKE The broadcaster and author airs his views What exactly is the point of hiking? The genteel country pursuit can often involve being battered by horizontal sheets of rain, potentially blown o a ridge by high winds, or losing a boot to a quagmire of mud. Like one of the men commanded by the Grand Old Duke of York, you march up the hill, then you march down again. And that’s it. Once back down, you can count steps on your phone and celebrate doubling your daily total, find the nearest pub to toast your daredevil antics, then inspect your feet for sore spots and blisters – minor injuries that are physical certificates of completion. But none of these aspects of getting out into the great outdoors annoy me as much as the act of walking itself. Or more specifically, the act of doing nothing else but walking. Not a single person that I encountered on my recent hike in the Peak District seemed to want to stop and soak in the extraordinary beauty around them. Like a London commuter traversing the Underground, everybody was trying to get from A to B in the shortest time possible. Is there a hiking algorithm that commands walkers to place one foot in front of athe other and not deviate from this instruction? For some, it seemed like a race, as if they were late for a meeting. A mother rushed past me with her teenage son in tow. A group of young lads completing their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award hike looked guilty for taking a short break before pushing on. Any respite from trooping through the rocky terrain was being treated as a moment of weakness. Everywhere I looked, people seemed to be rushing. Were they escaping the fast-paced tempo of the urban sprawl and inadvertently imposing that same relentless drive onto the Derbyshire countryside? Why bother visiting somewhere as stunningly beautiful as Edale and not take the time to soak in its natural beauty? Rather than revelling in time spent on a foot powered rollercoaster, reach the summit and just stop. Soak in the vista that stretches before you. Listen to the sounds of nature as they envelop you. Try and spot a bird hovering above its intended prey and watch how it divebombs in pursuit of lunch. Sit on a rock and allow your heart rate to level out, eat your sandwich slowly and let your eyes adjust to the vastness. Nihal’s book Let’s talk: How to Have Better Conversations (Trapeze) is out now. @TherealNihal ‘Why bother visiting somewhere as stunningly beautiful as Edale and not take the time to soak in its natural beauty?’ JOEL DOMMETT, 38 The Masked Singer presenter and comedian, who is running in the show’s piranha costume, completed the 2018 London Marathon in 3 hours 34 minutes “Running a marathon is like stand-up comedy – everyone should try it at least once. It’s a real undertaking, but while pushing yourself to do it, you might just nd it’s something you really love. “I’m running for Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, who provide amazing end-of-life care for children and their families. I’m a patron, so when they said: ‘Would you consider doing the Marathon?’ I thought I’d go big and get the piranha costume out. I’m very excited, because this is the rst marathon where I’m not having to run unbelievably fast, and hopefully people will enjoy seeing the piranha in the esh. Or scales, I should say. “The long training runs are hard. I haven’t done a marathon for six years, so my body’s not used to it, but I’ve found a passion for running again. Having a newborn [Wilde, seven months], it’s been much easier for me to jump out of the house saying: ‘See you later, back in half an hour!’ I’m desperate to get one of those prams that you run with, but he’s not quite solid enough yet. “Foodwise, Wilde and I have porridge in the morning, and I’m obsessed with brunch, so I make lots of eggs and salmon on bagel. A Sunday roast is the perfect post-race meal. It’s so warm and comforting, like a hug. All you need at the nish line is a hug, but my wife will be at home with the baby, so I’ll have to have a hug from gravy instead.” Joel hosts In With A Shout on ITV and ITVX from Saturday (20 April). See @joeldommett on Instagram to donate EMMA BARTON, 46 The EastEnders actor (Honey Mitchell) and Jamie Borthwick (Jay Brown) will be lmed for an episode of the soap running in memory of Jay’s wife Lola, who died of brain cancer “The executive producer had the idea after our amazing storyline about Lola. When you lose somebody so tragically, you want to keep their memory alive, and people nd fundraising therapeutic. There’ll be so many running on Sunday for loved ones they’ve lost in real life. “I’m running for Children In Need, who do so much for families all over the country. I don’t have any children, so it breaks my heart when I see some of the stories. Jamie’s running for Prostate Cancer UK, so it’s lovely – we’re covering an older group and youngsters. “When you’re training, there’s a voice in your head saying: ‘You can’t do it,’ but also: ‘You’re so slow,’ but the minute you nish, you feel you could take on the whole world. Women of my age get quite tired and our hormones are all over the shop, but this really has helped. I feel more positive and energised. Just getting out in that fresh air, whether you’re walking, jogging or sprinting, is brilliant. “I’m eating so much! I’m really enjoying a bagel and peanut butter for breakfast, I make pasta with a cheesy or tomatoey sauce, and I’m into bone broth, either as a drink or added to noodles, chicken and broccoli. I did Dry January and I’ve kept that going, so in the evening I’ll have kombucha in a wine glass. “It’s exciting. So many people try and get a place, so to get this opportunity to raise money and do it in character for the show, which has never been done before, is going to be emotional. There’ll be a few tears of joy – and pain!” See @theemmabarton on Instagram to donate Photographs: Getty images, Bandicoot TV / ITV, Stockfood
8 18 APRIL 2024 £12 SERVES 2 MEAL DEAL 1 MAIN + 2 SIDES STEAKHOUSE This fantastic o er means you can enjoy restaurant-quality dishes at home. O er ends 7 May Waitrose & Partners 2 British Beef Sirloin Steaks £10/400g These succulent, juicy steaks are full of avour and produced to higher welfare standards by British farmers Waitrose knows and trusts. Waitrose & Partners Frites £2.60/300g The classic side to enjoy with your steak – coated thin-cut chips made from British potatoes and cooked in sun ower oil. Waitrose & Partners Peppercorn Sauce £2.50/180g A rich sauce with cream, green peppercorns and a splash of brandy, traditionally served with steak, but also great with chicken. Prices correct at time of going to print. Selected stores. Subject to availability.
9 18 APRIL 2024 News&Views WOODLAND WONDERS Carpeting the country’s woodlands with colour for a few short weeks – typically mid-April to mid-May – the UK bluebell season is made all the more precious by its brevity. Flowering first on the south coast, then sweeping north, they are captured here by Jo Naylor, of female photography group SheClicks, in the dawn light of the Clent Hills in Worcestershire. To find your nearest bluebell wood, see woodlandtrust.org.uk. The big picture Photographs: Jo Naylor
10 18 APRIL 2024 News&Views UNEXPEC TALES OF THE Stacey Solomon is an expert at sorting people’s lives out – starting with her own. Paul Kirkley meets her
11 18 APRIL 2024 TED Photographs: Peter Pedonomou / Camera Press
12 18 APRIL 2024 News&Views Stacey Solomon has spent much of her life confounding expectations. Stepping onto the X Factor stage in 2009 as a shy, 19-year-old single mum – her speech barely intelligible between fits of nervous giggles – she was almost written o by the show’s judges, until a pitch-perfect rendition of What a Wonderful World left them reeling. “I don’t know why I had a preconceived idea, but I didn’t expect it to be that good,” admitted Cheryl Cole. “I am rarely surprised,” added Simon Cowell. “But that completely took me by surprise.” They certainly weren’t the first – or the last – to underestimate this Dagenham dynamo. “I do think anyone with an Essex accent and a happy disposition is automatically cast as an idiot,” reflects Stacey. “People just listened to me talk and thought: ‘Oh, she hasn’t got a clue.’ That used to really upset me. I used to think: ‘I’ve got to prove myself. I’ve got to prove I’ve got brains.’ But now I’m actually quite relieved when people underestimate me. I just think: ‘Well, it means I’ve got to work less hard to impress you.’” A decade-and-a-half on from that audition, no one who’s been paying attention could fail to be impressed by the 34-year-old television presenter, businesswoman, bestselling author, home improvement guru and mother of five. Her hit BBC show Sort Your Life Out scooped a prestigious Royal Television Award last month, she regularly dishes out advice on everything from self-care to ceiling joists to her six million Instagram followers – and now she’s been chosen to front the first UK commission from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine TV production company. Closer to home, she’s been busy renovating Pickle Cottage, the part-Tudor Essex pile she shares with her husband, actor and presenter Joe Swash, their three children Rex, Rose and Belle, and her sons, Zachary and Leighton from previous relationships. Little wonder that, in a recent Mother’s Day Insta post, she paused to reflect on the journey the teenage single mum has been on over the past 15 years. “I don’t know why that’s such a clichéd word, because it is a bloomin’ journey, and it’s an incredible one,” says Stacey, talking to Weekend over Zoom from Pickle Cottage, where she’s packing in a day of interviews and meetings before the school run. “I often like to reflect back, because it puts things into perspective for me, moving forward. Reflecting on the past, and how I handled situations, helps me put to bed some of my anxieties and fears.” It’s this wise head on relatively young shoulders that makes Stacey such a fantastic, empathetic host of Sort Your Life Out, in which she and her band of experts help people declutter not just their chaotic homes, but also their overloaded minds. Now she’s bringing the same mix of warmth and practicality to Stacey Solomon’s Renovation Rescue, a new Channel 4 show which finds her riding to the rescue of homeowners whose properties – and finances – have been left in a mess by run-ins with cowboy builders. “We find out what we need to do to get people’s renovation projects where they need to be, without breaking the bank,” in on Stacey carrying out her own renovations at Pickle Cottage – where it’s immediately clear who wears the overalls. “Joe has a very di erent approach to DIY,” she says, diplomatically. “It’s very haphazard, all guns blazing. He’s just a bulldozer. He doesn’t do anything with wiring, or where you have to add up. That’s not for him. But he’s very good in the kitchen. He’s the chef of the family.” On a good day, Pickle Cottage is a shining monument to the Sort Your Life Out philosophy, with shelves and cupboards neatly labelled, clothes and accessories sorted by colour and packets of crisps pegged out on a line like washing. But not every day is a good day. “Sometimes I feel like I’m smashing it, but other days I’m definitely not,” admits Stacey. “I’ve got five kids, two dogs, a Joe Swash and a full-time job, so I do have to have structure, otherwise things fall about. But some days, I can’t be bothered. I don’t think being organised means you have to have a meticulously perfect house all the time. It’s about having systems that support you.” On Sort Your Life Out, she is rigorously non-judgemental about the hole some hoarders have got themselves into. “We all consume too much, “ she says. “None of us can say: ‘I’m living o the land, I’m never buying anything.’ We’re all conditioned to consume a lot, and it’s easy to get to a point where you’re totally overwhelmed, thinking: ‘Why have I got all this stu ?’ The people we see on Sort Your Life Out are in really vulnerable situations, and it’s a big thing for them to open up their home to us.” Most weeks, it’s more than just physical clutter – there’s a fair amount of emotional baggage too. “You get into those situations for a reason,” reflects Stacey. “I can totally relate to that. I’m a collector, I find it really di cult to let go. ‘I’ve got five kids, two dogs, a Joe Swash and a full-time job, so I have to have structure, otherwise things fall about. But some days, I can’t be bothered’ she explains. “It’s about teaching them new DIY skills, but also boosting their confidence generally. When you’ve worked with people who’ve let you down, or put you in a vulnerable position, it’s your confidence that’s often the most damaged. You’re too scared to do anything, so you get stuck. “It’s also about getting back the love for the project. Most people go into a renovation really excited and hopeful. They’ve often put their life savings into it. They want a better home, a better future. When that doesn’t happen, they don’t believe they’re ever going to get there – or that they even deserve to get there. So our main goal is to help them take the power back.” As with Sort Your Life Out, Stacey is a hands-on presence – in the first episode of Renovation Rescue, she plumbs in a sink. “I plumb in a sink with help,” she stresses. “I do have basic DIY skills. My parents always made sure I knew how to do things myself, because when we were growing up, it wasn’t always an option to call somebody. But there are many limits to what I can do. I’m not a professional. There are professional tradespeople out there for a reason.” Renovation Rescue’s resident forewoman is Agata ‘Aggie’ Hawrylak, an experienced builder who, as a woman, is still a relative rarity in the industry. “Hello Sunshine are a female-led company, who want to invest in women in television,” says Stacey. “But it wasn’t easy finding Aggie, because women still aren’t encouraged to go into that trade. Even in 2024, they’re still almost laughed o building sites. But she is incredible.” Will Reese Witherspoon be watching the show? “She bloomin’ better!” laughs Stacey. “I want to FaceTime her when the first episode goes out.” As well as helping homeowners in a fix, the show drops Photographs: Getty Images, Shutterstock, Eroteme, BBC/Optomen Television/Neil Kent, Matt McQuillan / Channel 4
13 18 APRIL 2024 FOOD BITES teenage mums, and young mums in general. There’s so much stu out there – about what birth trauma is, about breastfeeding – that just wasn’t there when I had Zach.” Sharing a bedroom with her son, sister and brother, she struggled with postnatal depression, although she also credits that period with developing her organisational skills. “Getting my s*** together definitely came from having Zach,” she says. “Before that, I’d been quite a lazy, laidback teenager. Then suddenly… oh my gosh, it was mental overload. I was 17, I had a baby, I was still at college, I was working in a fish and chip shop to help pay for the college crèche. I had to compartmentalise everything – how much is my train ticket every day? How much are nappies? How much is the milk? I was in this bubble where I thought: ‘I’ve ruined my life, my life is over.’ In fact, it was the beginning of my life, and the biggest push for me to go out and do something with it. Because I had someone who depended on me, and I didn’t want to throw my life down the drain.” The thing she went out and did was audition for The X Factor. “I know lots of people have had di erent experiences on those shows, but honestly, I’ve got nothing but the fondest memories of my time on The X Factor,” she says. “I met so many of my idols. I got to sing alongside George Michael, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey… It was everything I could have dreamed of. I loved every single second of it.” She came third, and although her music career was shortlived, the following year she took a step towards national treasure status by winning I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! Afterwards, she received her first hug from her future husband, who’d won the show the previous year. Not that she has any memory of it. “Joe remembers meeting me, but I don’t remember meeting him,” she says. “When I came out, all I wanted to do was see my son. So it was all just a blur. I have no memory of going on the after-show. But Joe remembers. He says I stank. He says I smelled so bad.” The two didn’t get together for another six years (in 2012, Stacey had her second son, Leighton, with then-fiancé Aaron Barnham), eventually marrying in the Pickle Cottage garden in 2022. With a queen and king of the jungle in the house, is it hard to pull rank? “Oh, I dunno,” she laughs. “I think I always pull rank.” Post-jungle, she became a regular TV face, joining the Loose Women panel in 2016, and launching Sort Your Life Out three years ago – around the same time she published her bestselling organisational manual, Tap to Tidy. Because who better to sort other people’s lives out, than someone who’d turned around her own so spectacularly? And she owes it all, she says, to her eldest son. “If I’d not had Zach, I don’t know if I’d have got to this point in my career. I wouldn’t have had that rocket up my a***, saying: ‘You’ve got to go out and do something, otherwise you’re going to spend the rest of your life living on the breadline with a child.’ At the time, I thought my life was over. But retrospectively, it was the beginning of everything.” Stacey Solomon’s Renovation Rescue is on Wednesdays at 9pm on Channel 4 When I take a deep dive into that, I wonder: is it because of my [Jewish] heritage, where my grandparents and great grandparents were always running away, and having to find new places to go? Is it an inherited fear of losing everything? Or is it growing up with very little money, and feeling like, if I throw this away, will I get the opportunity to buy it back?” Stacey was born in Dagenham, Essex, in 1989, the daughter of Flora, a nurse, and David, a photographer of Iraqi-Jewish and Polish-Jewish descent. Her parents divorced – amicably – when she was nine, while early onset puberty left her so uncomfortable with what she’s described as ‘a woman’s body at 10 years old’ that her defence mechanism was to become ‘the funny one’. She was smart – passing 13 GCSEs – but getting pregnant at 17 upended everything. “It was a di erent era – and I know that sounds silly, ‘cos I’m only 34,” she says. “But when I was 17, attitudes were di erent. People still looked at me and went: ‘What a shame you’ve ruined your life.’ That’s genuinely how I was treated. “I remember breastfeeding Zach on the bus, and a woman tutting at me. There’s so much more awareness now of HIGH NOTES (Opposite, clockwise from top left) Stacey on The X Factor; lming Renovation Rescue; on Sort Your Life Out; with Joe Swash and their children Rex, Rose and Belle; on Loose Women with Kaye Adams, Anne Diamond and Nadia Sawalha I thought: “What am I doing?” I’d rather the kids have broccoli with salt and pepper than crisps. Favourite restaurant? We don’t eat out much, but there’s a restaurant near us in Brentwood [Essex] called Alec’s. It’s a little bit posh, but the seafood is so good. I can recommend the garlic pil pil prawns (below). Joe’s the chef, but what’s your speciality? I’m very traditional. I make hearty meals, like a big stew. There’s a thing called mouldy veg stew, which I make with veg that’s about to go o . The kids eat it, though I don’t know what they’ll think when they’re older: “Do you remember, all mum used to make us was that mouldy veg stew?” What are your cupboard essentials? A good stock makes a meal, whatever you’re cooking. And seasoning. For ages, I wouldn’t put seasoning on veg, then
£1.40 £1.30 £5.20 £4.75 £1.20 £1.10 £3.95 £3.75 £1.70 £1.50 £1.45 £1.25 £1.75 £1.55 £1.80 £1.50 £2.95 £2.75 £1 80p £1.10 £1 £1.90 £1.75 Essential Lemons 6s was 30p/each now 25p/each; Essential British Pork Mince 8% Fat 500g was £5.90/kg now £5.50/kg; Essential Baby Potatoes 1kg was £1.40/kg now £1.30/kg; Essential Spinach 260g was £6.74/kg now £5.96/kg; Essential Easy Peelers 600g was £2.84/kg now £2.50/kg; Essential Sun ower Oil 500ml was 29p/100ml now 25p/100ml; Essential Unsalted Butter 250g was £7.60/kg now £7/kg; Essential British Beef Rump Steak 230g was £17.18/kg now £16.30/kg; Butter Croissant was £1.20/each now £1.10/each; Cooks’ Ingredients Mixed Thai Chillies 30g was £36.67/kg now £33.33/kg; Essential British Chicken Breast Fillets 600g was £8.67/kg now £7.92/kg; Cooks’ Ingredients Garlic 3s was 33.3p/each now 26.6p/each. Serving suggestions shown. Selected stores. Subject to availability. Minimum online spend and delivery charges apply. Prices may vary in Channel Islands, Little Waitrose and concessions. NEW LOWER PRICES ON HUNDREDS OF YOUR FAVOURITES
15 18 APRIL 2024 Food&Drink ALISON OAKERVEE Partner & food and drink editor There’s a holiday feel to our weekend menu this week, with four laid-back recipes from Silvana Franco to take you through from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch. They’re easy to make and light on washing up, with wonderful avours inspired by Silvana’s trips to California. I’ve got friends staying this weekend, so we’ll have Friday night’s taco salad with a good catchup, then ease into Saturday with brunch and bloody Marys. Saturday’s crab pasta is always popular and Sunday’s roast with a twist is perfect after a walk. Best part of all? I don’t have to think about what to cook! What’s For Dinner? p16 Meal Maths p21 Too Good To Waste with Elly Curshen p23 Martha’s Favourites p24 Weekend Menu p29 Wine List with Pierpaolo Petrassi MW p34 Photographs: Gareth Sambridge, Food styling: Marina Filippelli, Styling: Julie Patmore, Art direction: Corrie Heale CHEESY DOES IT Saturday brunch is sorted with these mouthwatering Monte cristo sandwiches, packed with chicken, ham hock and Gruyère, p29
16 18 APRIL 2024 Recipes: Katie Bishop, Photographs: Sam Folan, Food styling: Marina Filippelli, Styling: Tony Hutchinson, Art direction: Sharon Davis What’s for dinner? Take the stress out of midweek meal planning with these quick, easy and delicious dishes
17 18 APRIL 2024 Food&Drink Serves 4 Prepare 15 minutes + chilling Cook 25 minutes 395g can Essential Red Kidney Beans In Chilli Sauce 400g pack Waitrose Duchy Organic British Lamb Mince ¾ tsp sea salt akes 500g pack frozen sweet potato oven chips Few squirts sun ower oil spray 2 tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients Tahini ½ lemon, cut into wedges 265g pack rainbow salad, tomatoes halved 1 Drain the beans thoroughly in a sieve over a bowl, reserving their sauce. Put them into a separate mixing bowl and crush with a potato masher or fork. Add the mince and salt, then mix well with your hands until thoroughly combined. Shape into 4 x 9cm patties, place onto a covered plate and put into the freezer. 2 Preheat the oven to 220ºC, gas mark 7, then cook the chips according to pack instructions. 3 Warm a large frying pan or griddle over a high heat. Spray the burgers on both sides with oil, add to the pan or griddle, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes each side, until browned and cooked through, with no pink meat and juices that run clear. 4 Meanwhile, place the tahini, 1 tsp lemon juice from one of the wedges and 2 tbsp warm water into a small bowl. Mix well until smooth, then season with salt. Serve the burgers and chips with the salad, drizzled with the dressing, and the reserved sauce from the beans on the side for dipping or drizzling, and lemon wedges, for squeezing over. Per serving 2405kJ/577kcals/32g fat/10g saturated fat/ 39g carbs/17g sugars/14g bre/27g protein/2.6g salt Spicy lamb & bean burgers with tahini-dressed salad and sweet potato chips Serves 4 Prepare 10 minutes Cook 25 minutes 4 tbsp apple & pear chutney 2 tbsp Kikkoman Soy Sauce 2 tsp Essential Dijon Mustard 4 tsp toasted sesame oil 560g pack Essential British Chicken Thigh Fillets 250g Essential Whole Grain Rice 300g pack Tenderstem broccoli, any large stems halved lengthways ½ tsp black sesame seeds 1 Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Combine the chutney, soy, mustard and 2 tsp sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the chicken and mix well until evenly coated. Spoon 3 tbsp water into a medium roasting tin, then place the chicken in a single layer on top. Spoon over the excess marinade and season. 2 Roast for 25 minutes, basting with the juices halfway through. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to pack instructions. 3 Put the broccoli into a large bowl and cover with freshly boiled water from the kettle. Set aside for 5 minutes, then drain. Toss with the remaining 2 tsp sesame oil and season. 4 Nestle the broccoli between the chicken for the nal 10 minutes of cooking, until the broccoli is just tender and the chicken is cooked through, the juices run clear and there is no pink meat. Rest for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Cut the meat into thick slices, then serve with the rice and broccoli and the cooking juices spooned over. Per serving 2241kJ/533kcals/17g fat/4g saturated fat/ 52g carbs/13g sugars/3.9g bre/41g protein/1.7g salt/ 1 of your 5 a day Traybaked sticky soy & chutney chicken COOK’S TIP You could use chicken legs or bone-in thighs for this recipe – you will need to cook them for longer (about 45-50 minutes), until the juices run clear and there is no pink meat. COOK’S TIP If you don’t want the chips, the burgers are delicious in a warm open pitta or burger bun, with lots of salad and the tahini dressing and spicy sauce drizzled over. GOOD HEALTH Recipes with the above symbol provide at least 1 of your 5 a day, as well as an additional nutritional bene t, which will be highlighted. They also pass the governmentendorsed Nutrient Pro le model for fat, saturated fat, added sugar and salt, with extra checks to ensure the portion size is correct. See waitrose.com/ nutrition for more information about healthy eating.
19 18 APRIL 2024 Serves 2 Prepare 5 minutes Cook 15 minutes 1 tbsp olive oil 10g butter 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped ½ x 25g pack basil, stalks nely chopped 90g jar Cooks’ Ingredients Smoked Tomato Paste 400g can Essential Butter Beans In Water 125g cherry tomatoes, halved 165g pack Essential Raw King Prawns Chilli akes, to serve (optional) Crusty bread, to serve 1 Warm the oil and butter over a high heat in a large frying pan. Add the garlic, basil stalks and a pinch of salt, then fry for 30 seconds. Add ½ the tomato paste, stir well, then leave for 1 minute, or until the paste starts to caramelise slightly on the base of the pan. 2 Add the butter beans and their liquid with the cherry tomatoes. Bubble for 5 minutes, adding a splash of water if needed, until the tomatoes are soft and starting to lose their shape a little. 3 Add the prawns and cook for 3-4 minutes more, until pink and opaque and cooked through, then stir in the remaining tomato paste and ½ the basil leaves. Season. 4 Scatter with the remaining basil leaves and some chilli akes (if using), then serve with crusty bread on the side. For something more substantial, serve with a green salad or some seasonal vegetables. Per serving (without bread) 1992kJ/478kcals/27g fat/ 6.2g saturated fat/21g carbs/4.6g sugars/11g bre/ 31g protein/1.7g salt/2 of your 5 a day Butter bean, smoky tomato & prawn stew Serves 4 Prepare 10 minutes Cook 15 minutes 1 large leek, trimmed 2 tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced 260g pack Essential Spinach, washed A little whole nutmeg, nely grated to make ¼ tsp, or to taste ½ unwaxed lemon, zest 500g pack gnocchi 100ml single cream 25g Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, grated, plus extra to serve ½ x 20g pack chives, nely chopped 1 Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Meanwhile, cut the the leek in 4 lengthways, then thinly slice, wash and drain thoroughly. 2 Warm the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the leeks, garlic and a generous pinch of salt, then fry gently for 8-10 minutes, until softened but not coloured. 3 Add the spinach, nutmeg and lemon zest. Leave to wilt while you cook the gnocchi in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Transfer the gnocchi to the pan of vegetables using a slotted spoon, with some of the cooking water. 4 Shake the pan, then remove from the heat and add the cream, parmesan and most of the chives. Fold together gently, adding a splash more cooking water to loosen if needed. Spoon into shallow bowls, scatter with the remaining chives, plenty of extra cheese and some freshly ground black pepper. Per serving 1469kJ/351kcals/14g fat/5.7g saturated fat/ 41g carbs/3.2g sugars/6.5g bre/11g protein/0.7g salt/ 2 of your 5 a day Creamy spinach & leek gnocchi with chives COOK’S TIP Frozen Cooks’ Ingredients Wild Garlic would be delicious in this recipe. It’s only available in selected stores, but if you can get some, use a few tablespoons in place of the chives and garlic, ensuring it’s defrosted and thoroughly cooked before eating. COOK’S TIP Wilt some shredded kale, spring greens or spinach into the sauce too for an extra boost to your veg count.
21 18 APRIL 2024 Food&Drink Gunpowder potatoes Cooks’ Ingredients Coriander Waitrose Duchy Organic Coconut Milk Popped petits pois Serves 2 Ready in 40 minutes Preheat the oven to 190ºC, gas mark 5. Tip the potatoes into a small roasting tin, then add the nely chopped stalks of ½ the coriander pack. Shake the coconut milk can before opening, then pour around the potatoes and season. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to mingle the spices into the coconut milk. Stir in the petits pois and cook for 10 minutes more, until the peas are piping hot and the potatoes soft. Crush some potatoes to soak up a little of the sauce, if liked. Top with plenty of coriander leaves to serve. Great with atbread or rice. Gunpowder potato & pea curry Scan the QR code below or go to waitrose.com/recipes for more quick and simple Meal Maths recipes like this one. Using no more than ve timesaving ingredients, you can create delicious midweek suppers or family meals easily. MORE INSPIRATION Photographs: Sam Folan, Food styling: Marina Filippelli, Styling: Tony Hutchinson, Art direction: Sharon Davis
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Serves 2 Prepare 10 minutes Cook 20 minutes 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 red or yellow pepper, deseeded and sliced 1 onion, thinly sliced 400g pack Cooks’ Ingredients Shakshuka Sauce 4 No.1 Longstock Gold Eggs 50g feta, crumbled Few sprigs at leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped ½ tsp Cooks’ Ingredients Sumac 200g pack 2 The Levantine Table Handstretched Flatbreads, warmed, to serve 1 Preheat the oven to 200˚C, gas mark 6. Warm the oil in a small ovenproof frying pan over a low heat. Add the pepper and onion and cook gently for 10 minutes until softened. 2 Stir in the shakshuka sauce and bring to a gentle simmer. Make 4 dips in the sauce with a large spoon. Crack an egg into each dip. 3 Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 6-7 minutes, or until the egg whites are set and the yolks are cooked to your liking. Scatter over the feta, parsley and sumac and serve with the atbreads. V Per serving 3356kJ/803kcals/39g fat/9.7g saturated fat/74g carbs/24g sugars/16g bre/ 32g protein/4.1g salt Simple shakshuka No.1 Longstock Gold COOK’S TIP If preferred, try poaching the eggs rather than baking – just cover with a lid and continue to cook gently until set. Use No.1 Longstock Golds to simmer into this Middle Eastern-inspired dish of eggs cooked in a rich and spicy tomato sauce, which is most often served for breakfast or brunch SOMETHING SPECIAL Crack a No.1 Free Range Longstock Gold egg into a pan, and the rst thing you notice is the bright golden yellow of the yolk, which inspired the name. The second, once cooked, is that they taste as good as they look. That’s because they come from a breed of hen that’s exclusive to Waitrose – Longstock Golds, a cross between two traditional breeds both known for the exceptional quality of their eggs. The birds live in small ocks on British farms with plenty of space to roam outside, and airy houses for shelter at night. Waitrose is the only supermarket where you’ll nd these delicious eggs, with their distinctive sage green and nut brown shells (the colours are mixed in the boxes, to make full use of the eggs). Because they were specially bred for Waitrose, the other half of their name celebrates the supermarket’s history – Longstock House in Hampshire was the home of John Spedan Lewis, founder of the John Lewis Partnership. Bright yolks and a delicious rich flavour ensure that No.1 Longstock Gold eggs stand out from the crowd Photographs: Clare Win eld, Food styling: Jennifer Joyce, Styling: Max Robinson, Art direction: Corrie Heale
23 18 APRIL 2024 Food&Drink Serves 2 (easily multiplied) Prepare 15 minutes + cooling Cook 25 minutes 250g baby new potatoes 1 tbsp olive oil 240g pack cod llets, or similar rm white sh Salad or seasonal greens, to serve (optional) For the gremolata 5 salad onions, roots trimmed ½ unwaxed lemon, thinly sliced (including skin and rind) 2 cloves garlic, skins left on 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ¼ x 25g pack at leaf parsley, leaves roughly chopped ½ tbsp red wine vinegar ¼ tsp Cooks’ Ingredients Pul Biber, or a little nely chopped red chilli Grilled salad onion gremolata with baked cod & new potatoes When I wrote this recipe, the five salad onions I found in the fridge looked rather sad. The ends had crisped up and the outer layer needed peeling away. I’m always amazed at how incredibly fresh, green and perfect looking a salad onion can be, even when the outside layer suggests otherwise! A quick strip and trim and we were good to go. This recipe also used up half a lemon and some wilted parsley. Everything is finely chopped before serving, so the fact the herbs weren’t too sprightly didn’t matter. This is served with fillets of cod baked in a foil parcel and roasted new potatoes. The gremolata would work well with all sorts of fish and I’m now dreaming of barbecued sardines or mackerel, served with a generous bowl of this, once the weather gets warmer. @ellypear SALAD ONIONS Too good to waste with Elly Curshen 1 Preheat the grill to high. For the gremolata, trim and discard the roots, then cut the salad onions in two, about 10cm from the top (the mostly green part of the salad onions). Put both parts of the salad onions, the lemon slices and garlic into a bowl and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Season and mix so everything is coated. 2 Spread the mixture over a baking tray in a single layer and grill until the lemons and onions start to char (be careful things don’t burn). Turn everything over and continue to grill until both sides are charred, 6-8 minutes in total. You may need to remove the green salad onion tops earlier, as they cook faster than the rest of the salad onion. 3 Remove the tray from the grill and let it cool. Peel the garlic (the cloves will easily pop out of their skins) and chop nely. Discard any seeds from the lemon, then nely chop the lemon slices and salad onions. 4 Scrape everything into a small mixing bowl. Add the parsley, red wine vinegar, pul biber and remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning, ready to serve at room temperature. S C A N T HI S CODE F OR MOR E R E CI P E S Photographs: Kate Whitaker, Food styling: Jennifer Joyce, Styling: Max Robinson, Art direction: Pippa Paine 5 Boil the potatoes for 15 minutes, until tender. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Drain the potatoes, toss with the 1 tbsp oil and seasoning in a roasting tin, then roast for 20 minutes or until golden and crisp. Season the sh, then bake in a parcel of foil, according to pack instructions. Serve with the potatoes and gremolata and a salad or seasonal greens, if liked. Per serving 1798kJ/430kcals/23g fat/3.4g saturated fat/23g carbs/2.3g sugars/4.2g bre/31g protein/0.3g salt/gluten free MORE LEFTOVER IDEAS 1Cowboy caviar Finely slice salad onions and combine with a can of (drained) mixed bean salad, sweetcorn, diced red pepper and cherry tomatoes, chopped pickled jalapeños and coriander. Dress with lime juice, honey, chilli, cumin and olive oil. Serve with tortilla chips. 2Grandma’s egg & onion Dice hard-boiled eggs and mix with mayo and salad onions, sliced on the diagonal. Season and serve with sliced gherkin on toasted bagels (toasted brioche burger buns also work well). 3Salad onion soba stir fry Sauté diced rm tofu until golden, then add garlic, sliced mushrooms and salad onions. Stir fry with soy sauce and sesame oil, then add soba (or your favourite noodles) and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
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