Combining a mix of society's last word and both wit and wisdom, The Steeple Times covers food, drink and fine dining as well as luxury, travel, the arts, individuals of influence and current affairs in the United Kingdom, America and elsewhere. We are best described as being akin to "a cross between The Huffington Post and Private Eye".
The magazine's following is affluent, engaged and international. With 41% of readers coming from the UK and 38% from America, The Steeple Times also has strong presence within Canadian, Italian, German and Australian territories.
March 25, 2020
by Matthew Steeples
Good Samaritan paying for villagers of Denchworth, Oxfordshire to have fish and chips once per week during the coronavirus lockdown deserves to be saluted For the next three months every Friday, the 171 residents of Denchworth, Oxfordshire will get £5 per head fish and chips from their local pub, The Fox, free of charge. … Continue reading “Hero of the Hour – Anonymous Fish & Chip Donor”
August 8, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Matthew Steeples visits Boisdale of Mayfair with restaurateur Nicky Kerman – and samples a marmalade infused gin cocktail (or three) Though most will recognise Boisdale for its tartan décor, traditional cuisine and fine malt whiskies, this live music restaurant group’s most recent opening, Boisdale of Mayfair, is a place as well suited to afternoon … Continue reading “Marmalade in Mayfair”
May 7, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
A dream job for wine lovers; get paid to drink and drive your way across America An Oregon winery is seeking a ‘Canbassador’ to join them on a roadtrip across America to hawk their range of wines – including their ‘pinot in a can’. The Union Wine Company, founded by Ryan Harms in … Continue reading “Jobbing Wine”
April 2, 2017
by Matthew Steeples
Spirits brands hike prices by upto 16% and blame Brexit for increasing their supply-side costs Drink loving Brexiteers may have cause to reconsider their enthusiasm for Britain leaving the EU. Since last year’s referendum, the price of vodka has risen 5% on average whilst gin is up 3%. Bombay Sapphire has hiked its … Continue reading “Booze Bashed By Brexit”
December 7, 2016
by Matthew Steeples
Matthew Steeples reviews Romulo Café in Kensington; it serves the finest Filipino cuisine and is well worth trying Romulo Café bills itself as providing “a taste of the Philippines in the heart of Kensington” and that it certainly does. Here you’ll find not only authentic cuisine but also a truly warm and welcoming atmosphere … Continue reading “Reviewing Romulo”
September 19, 2016
by Matthew Steeples
Gin sales up in the UK as drinkers switch from beer and wine to ‘Mother’s Ruin’ The gin market in the UK has soared to sales of nearly £1 million per day according to new research by analysts Kantar Worldpanel. According to the firm, sales are up 16% to £338 million in the … Continue reading “Gin rockets”
September 17, 2016
by Kelly Double
Kelly Double suggests where to learn to shoot and where to stay within easy reach of London There’s seldom a diversion from city life as effective as a session of clay shooting. In the wake of Team GB’s Olympic successes and as the shooting season is getting underway, there’s never been a better time to … Continue reading “Shoot and Stay”
July 20, 2016
by General
A 20-question interview with executive chef Nuno Goncalves of 12 Hay Hill in London’s Mayfair The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? I am as stubborn as you can get. If I set my mind to something, I won’t stop until I achieve it. It’s what keeps me going. … Continue reading “Nuno Goncalves – What’s on your mantelpiece?”
April 2, 2016
by Matthew Steeples
‘X Factor’ reject mounts gold Lamborghini at launch of Chelsea Green restaurant Kiru
March 21, 2016
by Matthew Steeples
Matthew Steeples visits one of Whitstable’s best-known restaurants
March 19, 2016
by Matthew Steeples
Gin and tonic hater William Hanson frankly has to be the biggest idiot in Britain
December 19, 2015
November 15, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Chase Vodka founder slates rival brands Sipsmith and Black Cow and refers to them as “crap” products
November 5, 2015
September 21, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Refrigerator created by the Porsche Design Studio to be sold by Sotheby’s with a guide of £80,000 to £100,000
September 20, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Chef and Palestine on a Plate app creator Joudie Kalla shares her recipe for apple cake crumble
September 17, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Knightsbridge residents have a right to peace but they should not have the right to stop legitimate businesses such as Harrods running a restaurant that will serve both locals and visitors
July 28, 2015
July 26, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Pioneer of pizza in Britain places £1.15 million Lancashire home on the market
June 25, 2015
by General
La Brasserie and Stella Artois to host a Wimbledon themed evening where guests can learn to pour the perfect pint
June 10, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
‘The Steeple Times’ asks the Palestinian chef and author of ‘Palestine on A Plate’ Joudie Kalla: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
June 3, 2015
by steepleadmin
Trainer Victoria Haigh reports on recent events in French racing and on the prospects for Treve
June 1, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
A Shelter Island Heights home with quite possibly the best home bar ever comes to the market for £1.2 million
by Joudie Kalla
Chef and Palestine on a Plate app creator Joudie Kalla shares a recipe for chocolate truffles
May 23, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
The Duchess of Cornwall samples a gin and champagne cocktail named in her honour
May 21, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Chelsea institution Poissonnerie de l’Avenue to close after 53 years in business on 24th May
by Joudie Kalla
Chef and Palestine on a Plate app creator Joudie Kalla shares a recipe for steak tartare that she was introduced to at the Hotel De Vigny in Paris
May 17, 2015
by General
Invitation to a jewellery trunk show barbecue on the roof terrace of a Thameside penthouse in London’s Imperial Wharf
by General
One of three sons of the late Sir David Frost and his second wife Lady Carina Fitzalan-Howard, “rum adventurer” George Frost created his own rum brand, The Duppy Share, after falling in love with the Caribbean
April 25, 2015
by General
A well-known fixture each and every evening at Knightsbridge restaurants including San Lorenzo and Scalini during the 1990s and 2000s
April 23, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Chef and Palestine on a Plate app creator Joudie Kalla shares her recipe for matcha, nectarine and raspberry cake
April 22, 2015
by Gael Dantec
Citreola Cellars wine merchant Gael Dantec selects Laurent-Perrier Brut NV as his Wine of the Week and offers it for just £25.99 per bottle
April 16, 2015
March 29, 2015
by General
Described as “the most successful restaurant creator and investor in Britain” by Newsweek, Arjun Waney is the Karachi born septuagenarian behind restaurants in Dubai, Istanbul, London, Malibu and New York
March 27, 2015
by General
Having begun her career cooking at one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants and at Daphne’s and Papillon in Chelsea, Joudie Kalla established Baity Kitchen in Walton Street in 2011.
February 27, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
ITVBe’s ‘The Real Housewives of Cheshire’s’ Dawn Ward provides an example of all that is wrong with ‘new wealth’ of her type
February 26, 2015
by General
Brought up mostly in Cambridge, Massachusetts, André Balazs is a graduate of Cornell and Columbia Universities whose success in the hospitality sector has been phenomenal.
February 9, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks John Paul Murphy, head chef of South Kensington restaurant La Brasserie: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
February 7, 2015
February 2, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Scotch Whisky Association calls for a reduction in duty on spirits and highlights that the tax on a £12.50 bottle of Bell’s Whisky is a staggering £9.98
January 16, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Knightsbridge bar and restaurant The Rib Room creates a cocktail using 41 gins (and 9 other ingredients) to mark the release of the film ‘Fifty Shades Of Grey’
January 13, 2015
by Matthew Steeples
Matthew Steeples suggests that the closure of the Knightsbridge restaurant Racine brings with it another nail in the coffin of dining out in The Royal Borough
January 8, 2015
by General
The co-founder of New York’s Dos Toros Taqueria chain of Mexican eateries with his brother, Leo, Oliver Kremer describes himself as a “stickler for quality”.
November 10, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks Konik’s Tail Vodka founder Pleurat Shabani: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
October 30, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
A director of Jermyn Street’s famous Tramp nightclub, affable Brian Crawford trained at Kensington’s Royal Garden Hotel and also worked at the Dome and Acanthus in Edinburgh.
by Matthew Steeples
This Upper West Side, New York based ‘behaviour expert’ is best known for his Influencers Dinners.
October 26, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
The revitalisation of The Yew Tree Inn at Highclere has put this country pub firmly back on the culinary radar
September 25, 2014
by Rupert James
Businessman Rupert James shares his views on the problems at Tesco Jack Cohen founded Tesco; his wife was called Tessa Cohen. That is where the name comes from. It grew far too quickly and it has become too big. Now this behemoth is unsurprisingly reaping what it has sown.
September 18, 2014
by General
Credited with bringing French cooking to Americans, Julia Child was a lady who once stated: “I believe in cooking with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food”. A female equivalent of Keith Floyd and born in Pasadena, California, Child was too tall to enlist in the Women’s Army Corps in the Second World … Continue reading “Julia Child (1912 – 2004)”
September 14, 2014
by Gavin Rankin
Restaurateur Gavin Rankin shares his views on summer in Mayfair August, in Mayfair, used never to be the high spot of a restaurant’s year. Tumbleweed blew about and disheveled restaurateurs roamed the streets, avoiding eye contact, and scouring the pavements for loose change.
September 8, 2014
September 1, 2014
by Claire Douglass
Claire Douglass regrets beginning a meal in Wisconsin with a ‘Seven Layer Salad’ Though I have gnawed on iguana in Panama, meat I dared not ask the origin of off street carts in various Asian countries, swampy ‘gator in the South of the United States, frogs, snails and offal of various kinds, I have … Continue reading “Taking revenge on the Seven Layer Salad”
August 19, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Shrimpy’s: A ridiculous restaurant that refuses to take cash Shrimpy’s on London’s Regent’s Canal has become the first cashless restaurant in the UK and whilst we have no objection to people using apps and cards to pay for their purchases, banning payment with real, solid money is just ridiculous.
August 6, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
The Steeple Times asks The Nth Degree Club’s founder Robert Walton MBE: “What’s on your mantelpiece?”
July 23, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
A studio apartment with a difference in Mayfair’s Mount Street Estate agent Roy Brooks became famous in the 1960s for the derogatory descriptions he gave to the properties he marketed and such phrases as “not enough room to swing a cat” were amongst his most frequently used. His advertisements were chronicled in two books, … Continue reading “Throttling a cocktail”
July 20, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Ross Burden passes away aged just 47 Antipodean television chef Ross Burden “died peacefully” on the 17th July aged just 47.
July 14, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Bastille Day at La Brasserie was a jolly affair The 14th July is to the French what 4th July is to Americans. It’s a day to celebrate and at London’s first all day brasserie, La Brasserie, Bastille Day is taken very seriously.
July 8, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Matthew Steeples samples a menu inspired by Monty Python at The Rib Room Michele Caggianese, the manger of The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower is a man who can be relied upon to come up with clever marketing ideas and in his latest menu offering he’s created something that … Continue reading “Monty’s menu”
June 24, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Matthew Steeples reviews Toto’s in Knightsbridge, London It takes something for me to be impressed with a restaurant but after three visits to the newly reopened Toto’s in Knightsbridge, I will boldly declare that I believe it to be the best opening of 2014
April 26, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
A photo montage from the Nth Degree Club’s cocktail party at The Luggage Room
April 19, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
With the season for rosé upon us, here we make our suggestion for an “affordable luxury everyday choice” Easter has marked a turning point – for now – in terms of the weather in the UK and after such a soggy winter, now is the time to make the most of the sunshine. With … Continue reading “Turning rosé”
April 11, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Gillray’s to host a butchery demonstration with O’Shea’s On Tuesday 6th May, Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar at the London Marriott County Hall will host an evening named “Meat the Butcher”.
April 10, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Karol Rybicki of The Sanderson wins La Brasserie’s first inter-bar cocktail competition On Sunday evening La Brasserie in Brompton Cross, South Kensington hosted their first inter-bar cocktail competition. The winner was Karol Rybicki of The Sanderson.
April 3, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
A review of Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar James Gillray (1756 – 1815) was a Chelsea born caricaturist and printmaker and is most famous for his satires against George III. In naming their restaurant after him, the Marriott County Hall has firmly pinned themselves to honouring his spirit and life.
March 23, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
A Bactrian camel named Jeffrey who loves a pint When we heard about a beer loving Bactrian camel named Jeffrey, we just had to make an image of him our Picture of the Week.
March 13, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
A round up of the moves of the newsworthy in the world of hospitality Too expensive to run? Financier Adrian Burford once told a court: “I make no apology for being quite expensive to run”. He invested some £1.1 million buying shares in the Sushinho Japanese-Mexican restaurant on the Kings Road. The company’s website … Continue reading “Moving on: March 2014”
February 28, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Lord Brocket scores a success with his sausages Lord Brocket is a man best known for having buried his Ferraris in his garden. They were far from bangers but the insurance fraud that followed resulted in him being jailed for fraud for five years. Now, Lord Brocket is involved with another kind of banger: … Continue reading “Brocket’s bangers”
by Matthew Steeples
Chelsea is an area where restaurateurs will increasingly struggle Daphne’s restaurant in Brompton Cross’ Draycott Avenue suffered substantial fire damage on Tuesday this week. Given Richard Caring being its owner, we doubt it’ll be closed for long but if you look around Chelsea, you’ll find many premises that are either shut or for sale.
February 22, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Nigel Evans MP reviews The Swan with Two Necks at Pendleton in Lancashire An old working farmhouse dating from 1772 that doubles up as the local tap for hardworking farming families and Clitheroe dwellers, has become, 240 years later, the Camra ‘best pub of Britain’.
February 15, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
20 questions with Jamie Hazeel and Lalie Jacout, the duo behind The Wandering Chef The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? J: I set myself mad challenges and put myself in ridiculous positions so I don’t get lazy or complacent. Working with Lalie seems pretty true to form. L: Professionally … Continue reading “Jamie Hazeel and Lalie Jacout: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
February 14, 2014
by Oliver Estreich
Oliver Estreich selects his five favourite hotel bars in New York Oliver Estreich, the founder of the well-known social network theNativeSociety, is the man about town to know in New York. Here, he selects five of his favourite hotel bars
February 12, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
La Brasserie embraces the onesie On Monday, La Brasserie in Brompton Cross will give a main course on the house to all customers who come to dinner in a onesie.
January 31, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Alcohol giant Diageo reports on a disappointing year The drinks titan Diageo have blamed the Chinese government cracking down on the gifting of expensive whiskies to officials, a fall in demand for the Chinese spirit Baiju and beer drinkers trading down to cheaper brands in Nigeria and Thailand for a disappointing set of results.
January 1, 2014
by Matthew Steeples
Wear a crown to Brasserie Zédel on the 6th January and get a free meal on the house Both most worthily awarded OBE’s in the New Year Honours List, Chris Corbin and Jeremy King would appear towards the top of any list of the best restaurateurs in London. Always innovative and true trendsetters, with … Continue reading “Zédel’s crowning glory”
December 29, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
20 questions with food writer and car collector Morgan Murphy The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? Bourbon and bacon, which is, by the way, the title of my next book coming out from Time Inc. next year. No, it’s not a diet book. “Don’t get even, get medieval” … Continue reading “Morgan Murphy: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
December 25, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The perfect spot to say goodbye to 2013 Struggling for ideas as to what to do on New Year’s Eve in Central London? If so, La Brasserie is offering a 6-course dinner with music by DJ Chris Sullivan for just £69.
December 20, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
A review of Patty & Bun in W1 Burger lovers are spoilt for choice in Central London but undoubtedly one of the best offerings we’ve tried this year has to be Patty & Bun close to Selfridges in W1.
December 19, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The world’s most expensive and frankly most vulgar Christmas pudding Christmas is meant to be about religion and families but with the announcement that the website VeryFirstTo is marketing a Christmas pudding for £23,500, we must say we were quite appalled.
December 18, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
The worst named restaurants in the world When opening a restaurant, some restaurateurs opt to name their businesses after a street whilst others use their surname or a historic figure. Here, however, we list a selection of ten of the most bizarre and ridculous that we’ve come across
December 16, 2013
by Fred Sculthorp
Fred Sculthorp tests Tesco’s Everyday Value Chardonnay Growing older, one is almost always inclined to question what legacy one will leave. This is a particular dilemma for someone who has journeyed through life being fortunate enough to have tasted some of the finest wines on offer. As one who critiques rather than makes, what … Continue reading “Valuing Chardonnay”
November 28, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
20 questions with winemaker Carlo Mondavi The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? The continued belief that we can make wine that sits along side the finest in the world. The belief that we can strive for excellence and no matter how far we have come, the truth is that … Continue reading “Carlo Mondavi: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
by General
Described as “one of the nicest guys on London’s club and bar scene”, Kester Thomas worked at Kitts, the Buddha Bar and The Sanderson. His drink making ability was second to none. This “truly unique gentleman” passed far too young but he’s definitely now mixing the finest cocktails in the sky.
by General
A self-proclaimed “Domestic Goddess”, Lawson was rebranded a “habitual criminal” during the trial of her two former assistants in November 2013. In an email quoted during the case, her ex-husband, Charles Saatchi, nicknamed her “Higella” and alleged his wife “poisoned [her] child with drugs and trashed her life”. In response, amongst those who leapt to … Continue reading “The Hon. Nigella Lawson”
November 21, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
A review of Princi in Soho Alan Yau OBE is a restaurateur who opts to have bouncers outside his restaurants. On Tuesday evening in the company of two foodie friends, I had the misfortune as to learn why.
November 11, 2013
by General
The Queen and every American ambassador to Britain have dined at Rankin’s Bruton Place restaurant, Bellamy’s, since it opened in 2004 and of it A.A. Gill commented: “You could eat here once a week for the rest of your life”. More recently, this suave gentleman host has established Gavin Rankin Fine Art and deals in … Continue reading “Gavin Rankin”
November 4, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
L’Enclume’s Simon Rogan to take the helm at Claridge’s Gordon Ramsay burnt his bridges at Claridge’s after twelve years at the helm in February this year and now, today, his replacement has been announced. Simon Rogan, whose two Michelin starred L’Enclume in Cartmel, Cumbria, will take the helm from spring 2014 and “lead the … Continue reading “Cumbria to Claridge’s”
October 15, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Review: The Lyric in Soho Soho is an area that one associates with the likes of pornographer Paul Raymond, gambling addict ‘Soho Pam’ and the legendarily rude landlord Norman Balon. Discovering The Lyric in Great Windmill Street, therefore, was a refreshing revelation.
October 1, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
As Jack Monroe speaks at a fringe meeting at the Conservative Party conference, she continues to rant and again makes an utter fool of herself Is there anything that “food-and-politics-gob” Jack Monroe can do gracefully? It seems not. Today, she’s speaking at the Conservative Party conference at a fringe meeting on food banks and, … Continue reading “Monroe mucks up in Manchester”
September 19, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Tesco place a “Back to School” banner above an alcohol display in Swansea Shoppers at Tesco in Fforestfach, Wales were controversially confronted by a display of gin, vodka and whisky complete with a “Back to School” sign in recent days.
September 3, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
An image of John Kerry dining with Bashar al-Assad in February 2009 surfaces John Kerry is a man who should be more careful about who he gets snapped with. As Chamberlain learnt to his peril after visiting Hitler in 1938, it is best not to consort with tyrannical leaders and it is better still … Continue reading “Picture of the Week: A picture is worth a thousand words”
August 25, 2013
August 21, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Matthew Steeples suggests TripAdvisor needs to reform its ways I’ve written about the ‘Trippies’ (those who write reviews on TripAdvisor) before and just like the ‘Groupies’ (voucher loving Groupon users), I’ve had direct experience of their type. They’re an accursed nuisance.
August 5, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
Diners flock to ‘The Throttler’s Table’ at Scott’s Last week The Sun revealed that Scott’s in Mayfair has been “inundated with requests” for the table where Charles Saatchi (allegedly) throttled Nigella Lawson.
August 4, 2013
by Steffen Timm
Steffen Timm takes a tour of Stockholm’s best haunts for cigar lovers Stockholm is regarded as one of the most beautiful capitals in the world. In fact, there is something magical about it, in particularly during the early summer, when the parks and public spaces along the water are filled with locals who seem … Continue reading “Northern lights”
July 26, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
20 questions with Marcus Schelbert, food and beverage duty manager of Belgraves – A Thompson Hotel The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? My friends, my family and my passion for my work, drinks and food. “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. … Continue reading “Marcus Schelbert: “What’s on your mantelpiece?””
July 15, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
A review of Covent Garden’s Loch Fyne Restaurant In May 2004, the car park of the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar at Clachan in Argyll, Scotland became famous after Gordon Brown and John Prescott met there to discuss and agree who would be Tony Blair’s successor.
July 14, 2013
by Matthew Steeples
20 questions with chocolatier Amelia Rope The Steeple Times shares “wit and wisdom”. What’s your guiding force? Drive and determination. “Don’t get even, get medieval” is, in our humble opinion, a great motto. What’s yours? Keep it simple, remain focused and go for it.
