Jimi Famurewa

Restaurant critic and food journalist Jimi Famurewa explores how American regional deli sandwich culture is being reinvented in northern England, visiting venues in Leeds, Manchester and Newcastle. He samples popular hoagies, subs and hero rolls, and learns to make an everything sandwich and a messy meatball sub.

Jimi Famurewa shares a recipe for banana, medjool date, tahini and sesame crumble muffins inspired by Farha bakery’s banana brulee pastry in east London. Browned butter, softened dates, bananas, oat flour and sour cream form the batter, which is topped with tahini and an oat-sesame crumble before baking and finishing with maple syrup. The recipe makes 12 muffins and takes about 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.

Jimi Famurewa visits three London bakeries that blend family food traditions with contemporary British baking. Panadera in Soho serves a Filipino-inspired leche flan Danish, Bunhead combines Palestinian and British influences in a chocolate, date and smoked salt bun, and east London café Farha offers a Middle Eastern-inspired banana brûlée. The feature presents these businesses as examples of the UK’s growing interest in culturally hybrid baking.

Chefs from India, Brazil, Portugal, Mexico, Antigua and Cyprus describe their favourite beachside dishes, highlighting the sensory appeal, cultural roots and personal memories tied to foods such as barbecued corn, crab and banana pastel, custard doughnuts, fresh coconut pulp, seasoned rice and fried red mullet. Each dish reflects local traditions and ingredients, offering insight into distinctive coastal eating experiences across the world.

Manchester’s food scene is experiencing a surge in hyper-regional American-inspired fast-food concepts, led by businesses such as Fat Pat’s, Bada Bing and Brodega. Social media virality, post-pandemic shifts in dining habits and rising hospitality spending in Manchester drive the trend. Many founders developed their offerings with limited direct experience of US food culture, instead relying on online content and idealised Americana. Expansion plans are underway as these operators work to protect proprietary recipes and maintain momentum. The movement reflects a broader consumer desire for comfort, indulgence and affordable specialty fast food.

Readers share heirloom recipes that preserve family history and cultural identity, describing dishes passed down through generations and the stories attached to them. These recipes, ranging from Gujarati-style baked beans to Serbian stew and Christmas pudding, evoke memories of grandparents, migration, resilience, and family traditions, offering comfort and continuity across time and geography.

January’s dreary workdays can lead to overpriced, uninspiring lunches, but preparing vibrant salads, hearty baked items, bento boxes or insulated-flask meals offers comfort and savings. A range of chefs’ dishes are recommended, along with creative lunch ideas that travel well and stay enjoyable without reheating. The author also highlights a graphic novel about a chef and praises Basra date syrup as a recent discovery.

A writer reflects on his family’s cherished Christmas tradition of homemade scotch eggs, describing their origins, cultural connections in West Africa, and their role in his household’s festive ‘picky tea’ rituals. He shares memories of past celebrations and provides a detailed recipe inspired by his mother’s version, highlighting its seasonal relevance and personal significance.

Describes the author’s fondness for Dutch poffertjes and Nigerian puff-puff, tying both to family experiences and cultural traditions. Introduces a hybrid puff-puff pancake recipe created to avoid deep‑frying, followed by step‑by‑step instructions and serving suggestions. Mentions related cookbooks and the publication of the author’s own book.

A homity pie inspired by early experiences at Deptford market and the Deptford Project café is reimagined with Marmite for added depth. The recipe combines potatoes, leeks, cheese, spinach and seasonings in a shortcrust pastry base, baked until golden. The dish is presented as a comforting, thrifty winter option that connects nostalgic food memories with practical home cooking.

Samphire season in north Norfolk inspires a dish combining roasted chorizo, new potatoes, samphire and optional mackerel, developed from a memorable family trip. The recipe layers vinaigrette-dressed warm potatoes and samphire with a herbed mayonnaise mix and smoky chorizo, celebrating the region’s summer produce and its connection to place.

Restaurants are increasingly relying on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to attract customers as the hospitality industry faces financial pressure and shifting consumer behavior. Chefs and owners describe how viral videos, behind-the-scenes transparency and personality-driven content can rapidly boost bookings, while acknowledging that saturation, platform fatigue and mismatched audiences can limit effectiveness. Some businesses pursue minimal or analogue digital strategies as a countertrend, yet all share the goal of drawing diners in a challenging market where visibility has become as essential as the food itself.

A behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the BBC musical drama Champion highlights Candice Carty-Williams’s ambitious vision, the extensive original music developed with major artists, and the demanding production process. Cast members reflect on how their own experiences shaped their performances, while the series weaves themes of racism, sexism and mental health within the music industry. The show aims to balance authenticity with storytelling and may lead to a second season, with the creative team emphasising its blend of realism and fictionalised musical world-building.

Five British-Caribbean shopkeepers describe the origins, evolution and community role of their food businesses ahead of the 75th Windrush anniversary, highlighting migration history, cultural continuity, and adaptation to economic pressures. Their stories reflect multigenerational commitment, changing customer bases, and efforts to balance tradition with modern retail expectations while maintaining strong community connections.

Suya is explored as a deeply rooted Nigerian dish with Hausa origins, celebrated for its complex preparation, fiery yaji spice blend and cultural significance. Its growing prominence in the UK reflects both its unique flavour profile and the emotional resonance it carries for many Nigerians, serving as a symbol of shared experiences, memory and connection. The narrative traces personal associations of loss, family and communal ritual while also highlighting the dish’s evolution, regional variations and rising mainstream presence, concluding with a recipe that adapts traditional elements into a vegetable-based version.

Thousands of children of African parents were fostered by white British families from the 1950s, a process that, while often well‑intentioned, proved harmful for some due to cultural disconnection and its long‑term impact on identity and wellbeing.

Thousands of West African children were privately fostered by white British families from the 1950s to the 1990s, a practice rooted in postwar immigration patterns, Colonial Office policies, and cultural expectations around communal child‑rearing. While some children experienced loving homes, many faced racism, identity confusion and emotional trauma, particularly during reunification with biological parents. The arrangement reflected both the pressures on African students in the UK and the motivations of white working‑class foster families, blending financial incentives with compassion. As former fostered children began speaking publicly about their experiences, the long‑term psychological and cultural impact of private fostering has come into focus, revealing intergenerational tension, complicated ties to African heritage and a growing drive toward openness and healing within the Black African diaspora.

Alex Wheatle reflects on his troubled upbringing, the formative influence of discovering Black historical heroes, and the evolution of his writing career culminating in the publication of Cane Warriors. He discusses the book’s roots in Jamaican slave rebellions, the cultural and linguistic choices that shaped it, and its educational relevance amid renewed discussions of Britain’s colonial past. With his life depicted in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe series, Wheatle explores the emotional challenges of revisiting trauma, his growing interest in screenwriting, and his continued commitment to telling historically grounded stories of Black resilience and identity.

Nik Sharma draws on his background in molecular biology to explore the science behind flavor in his cookbook The Flavor Equation, emphasizing how emotion, texture, aroma, and chemistry shape taste. His approach highlights how traditional cooking techniques reflect scientific principles and encourages home cooks to apply these ideas in practical, accessible ways. The article profiles Sharma’s influences, creative process, and recipes, illustrating his blend of scientific thinking, cultural heritage, and culinary experimentation.

Racist incidents in English football have persisted, but a growing network of multicultural fan groups is reshaping the match-day environment to be more inclusive. Supporters’ organisations such as Bangla Bantams, Punjabi Rams, AFTV contributors and Blues 4 All work to bridge cultural gaps, encourage attendance among underrepresented communities and challenge discriminatory attitudes. Their efforts are supported by wider initiatives such as Fans For Diversity, aiming to transform club engagement practices. Despite lingering prejudices, these groups report increasing visibility, positive interactions and optimism that a more diverse supporter base can help reduce racism and redefine what it means to be a football fan.

Chefs and food writers describe their most memorable dishes during the Covid-19 lockdown, recounting home cooking experiments, takeaways, and re-creations of favorite meals. Their stories reflect personal comfort, community support, adaptations to restrictions, and renewed appreciation for simple pleasures such as seasonal produce, outdoor cooking, and local restaurants reopening.

Several niche consumer businesses saw dramatic growth during Covid-19 lockdowns as demand for sex toys, bidets, home fitness equipment, bicycles and game tables surged. Companies such as Unbound and Tushy reported unprecedented sales spikes driven by social media, stimulus payments and shortages of everyday items. Fitness and cycling retailers struggled to manage soaring demand and supply chain disruptions, while game table suppliers saw sustained interest as families sought home entertainment. Despite operational challenges and emotional strain, many businesses found their products offered comfort and practical benefits during an uncertain period, with some expecting elevated demand to continue beyond lockdowns.

A food critic attempts to learn his mother’s Nigerian dishes over Zoom during lockdown, confronting both the difficulty of mastering traditional recipes and the emotional weight attached to them. Remote cooking sessions deepen his appreciation for the labor behind each dish and create a shared project that reconnects him with his mother despite physical separation. He gradually improves, gaining confidence and adapting recipes while preserving their essence, finding comfort and continuity in family food traditions.