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From food, fashion and interiors to travel and culture, these are the launches and life enhancers I think have genuine shelf life. This month: eye-catching luggage that won’t get lost on the carousel, a tiny travel hack, plus three fun things to do in London.
THE BREAKFAST: St John Neal’s Yard
I love St John in all its forms: a custard doughnut at its café inside the London Review of Books shop in Bloomsbury; a welsh rarebit (they leave you with the bottle of Lea & Perrins for DIY splashing) and glass of manzanilla in Marylebone; a piece of cold pork and salad followed by fresh-from-the-oven madeleines at St John Bread & Wine in Spitalfields. But there could be a new contender for top billing: its bakery and wine bar in Neal’s Yard has just opened for breakfast. Last Wednesday’s 6am flight to Madrid meant I missed the launch event, where the own-brand crémant and bloody marys flowed alongside trays of anchovy buns and bacon and cod’s roe rolls. I will be rectifying that next week (and have noted that welsh rarebit is also an option at breakfast time).
THE FILM: Tony
Before we head away, whether on a US road trip or a 48-hour run around a European city, we always watch any Anthony Bourdain TV shows we can get our hands on (Prime is home to most of No Reservations and Netflix has a lot of episodes of Parts Unknown). Reading the late chef and presenter’s 2000 memoir Kitchen Confidential is basically a rite of passage for any food writer or hedonist (there’s a lot of overlap on that Venn diagram). One particular section of the book has become the basis for Tony, A24’s new Bourdain biopic. Rather than making a sprawling, warts-and-all look at his whole life (no one needs any grisly speculation on his tragic death), Tony follows 19-year-old Anthony for one summer as he begins working in a kitchen in Cape Cod. As a fan, I’d be keen to watch this anyway – and I trust A24 (the studio behind Marty Supreme, Aftersun and Past Lives) to do a good job. But I’m also excited to see it as it stars the excellent Dominic Sessa of The Holdovers, which was one of my films of 2024. I’m going to a preview on Tuesday, ahead of the film’s release on 14th August, so I’ll report back.
THE ACCOUNT: The Royal Parks
I think the pelican pod in St James’s Park is one of London’s truest highlights. And it’s one that rewards persistence. It took me years of dipping in and out of the park to actually see them in real life, as they can be an elusive bunch. I got lucky last year when I saw them all swimming in a line. A month ago, one walked right past me as I was taking a shortcut to the station. There’s now even more of a spotlight on the squadron (their other official collective noun, how delightful) because four pelican chicks have been born in the park for the first time in 360 years. They’re only two months old and are already enormous, although they’ll keep their fluffy grey feathers for at least another year. Last week they took to the water for the first time and I’ve been loving watching their progress via the Royal Parks Instagram account, which is updated by park manager Mark. Dream job.
THE EARLY AUTUMN FIND: Stine Goya Bell Sleeve Coat
I felt like a bit of a weirdo as I merrily splashed out on a new wool coat in 35ºC July. But I couldn’t resist as the Stine Goya coat everyone – including multiple strangers in the street – has spent the last three years asking me about is back in a new colourway. With palette of black, silver and white, it makes less of a statement than my original pink and green swirly-sleeved original, so it might suit more people’s styles. Regardless of your colour preference, this oversized piece definitely fits into the category of ‘the coat is the outfit’, which means it comes into its own on autumnal and wintery city breaks…
THE SUNCREAM: Alta Marea
As a pale person, I get through a lot of suncream. A new-to-the-UK brand I’ve rated recently is Alta Marea, which is made in Italy. I was originally drawn to the shells on the packaging, but the three formulas smell incredible (the daily face SPF 50 I’ve been using is scented with amaretto) and they glide onto the skin beautifully. As well as the product and packaging, I really like Alta Marea’s branding and world-building across the board. Its email sign-up button is a Roman coin and I’ve been listening to its Spotify playlists as I write this.
THE RESTAURANT: Sau Taberna in Madrid
I spent 48 hours in Madrid last week. It was my first time in the city since 2009, when six of us went to visit our friend. It was January, freezing, we were skint and there weren’t enough beds, so I had to sleep on top of a desk with no sheets (there’s photo evidence of this somewhere). It was a fun weekend. Last week was a little more cultured, with lots of stop-offs at museums to see Goyas, Picassos and Mirós. We stayed in Barrio de las Letras, which is the old literary quarter, filled with tiny vermouth bars and fun coffee shops. One road over, we had an incredible lunch at Sau, a modern interpretation of a taberna, which opened five months ago. The stripped-back dining room is gorgeous, with plaster walls and oil paintings of food, but even the surroundings can’t compete with the marvels on the plate: sardine croquetas, spicy clams and bottarga spaghetti, and – my pick – bacalao salt cod, which came topped with an egg yolk and a bowl of potato sticks to mix together. Sensational. We’re heading back to Madrid in November to see the Cincinnati Bengals play at the Bernabéu – and Sau is right at the top of the list for a return lunch.
THE TRAVEL ACCESSORY: Diptyque Do Son Solid Perfume
I’ve loved Diptyque’s Do Son scent for years, but have never committed to buying a bottle. Inspired by one of the brand founder’s memories of childhood holidays in Vietnam, it has lots of ingredients I love, including orange blossom and amber, finished with a coastal saltiness. We did under-seat bags only to Madrid, which I saw as an opportunity to buy it as a mini solid perfume at duty free. In a tiny but pleasingly weighty black metal case, the Do Son scent has been cold-pressed into wax for on-the-go swiping. Since coming home, it’s been an amazing thing to chuck in my bag and top up between meetings and dinners. Best of all, the refills work out at just £18 each, which – for the brand – is an absolute bargain. Consider this my petition for Diptyque to create solid perfumes for L’Eau Papier and Eau des Sens…
THE DRINK: Malik Acid at Selfridges
I’ve long admired what Rita’s founders Missy Flynn and Gabriel Pryce do. I used to pop into their first iteration of Rita’s in Dalston back in 2012, when I seemed to spend a lot of my professional life at next-door gig venue Birthdays. Their Soho restaurant is just as joyful to me – and I love that they’ve decided to turn the ovens off and go raw-only with their August menu. Two years ago, Missy started drinks agency Malik Acid with her brother Cameron. While their work has largely been behind the scenes at some of your favourite restaurants, you can now get hands-on with an afternoon tea they’ve designed for the Imagine Cafe at Selfridges. Largely inspired by the art of Katie Stout, which surrounds the space, the menu features lychee gummy bears, ricotta and cherries on toast and a Peach Velvet cocktail, which features Three Spirit Social, champagne, peach and a sculptural chrome matcha foam. The pop-up is on until 20th October.
THE CAMPAIGN: J Crew
I smiled when I saw J Crew’s latest campaign on Instagram. Titled ‘Stone-cold classics’, the campaign sees the fashion brand team up with New York artist Elizabeth Saloka to pull together a series of colourful painted rocks to show off its summer collection. Among stone-shaped, stone-washed denim jackets and swim shorts, Elizabeth has recreated colourful hotdogs, corn on the cob, cameras, beach balls and a penknife out of stones. As well as injecting some fun into fashion, it’s always refreshing to see a big brand work alongside an indie artist.
THE LUGGAGE: Paul Smith X RAWROW
I know I just said I went handbag-only on my recent flight (£34 one way – it really did feel like 2009 again), but I do have my eye on Paul Smith’s new luggage collection with RAWROW. Compact at 50l (so also good for trains), the smallest offering is made from aluminium and features Japanese-engineered ‘silent wheels’. It wouldn’t be Paul Smith without a flash of colour. You’ll find the brand’s signature stripe lining the interior pockets, while each corner of the exterior comes in a different hue – blue, green, yellow or red. I think they look much cooler than Rimowa’s cases – and they’re half the price (although, let’s be real, they’re still not cheap).
THE NECKLACE: The Pheia Horse Necklace
I don’t usually wear necklaces, but I’ve taken a shine to this horse pendant by Turkish brand The Pheia. On a red cord with a blue bead that gives it a further pop of colour, the minimalist silver movable charm reminds me of the centuries-old white horses you see carved on the chalky hills of Wiltshire. My parents live in Wiltshire, and this has just reminded me that we’d made a loose plan to see all eight over a weekend’s walking. Maybe I’ll treat myself to the necklace after as a reward...
Thank you for reading Crisp Packet! Coming soon: news and newness surrounding my upcoming one-year Substack anniversary, plus an interview with the founders of one of my favourite fashion brands.
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