FRIDAY 18 » CITYLIFE EAT & DRINK DECEMBER 29, 2006 M.E.N. Wine Gemma’s all made up to be a soapstar

ROM Harvey Nichols make-up artist to prime- Table talk FOR affordable South African Ftime soap star – 2006 has wines, Boschendal is a steady seen Gemma Merna take quite a WITH STEPHANIE performer (they have been journey. making wine since 1685!). The Worsley-born actress ELMORE Majestic stock their 2006 joined Hollyoaks as the airy, Rose, at £6.99, a salmon pink, sweet-natured Carmel was meant to be a bit of a slap- summerfruit treat. McQueen, just six months ago. per!’” also recently enjoyed their And since then she has hit the But this brash yet honest ap- Boschendal Shiraz 2004 front pages of the national tab- proach is what helped land her (Sainsbury’s £7.99). Its dark loids when she appeared at the the part and all the trappings of berry fruit obviously gained National Television awards in her fame. “Some people corner me from its 14 months in French stunning turquoise CoCu Des- when I’m out and will say, oak. Waitrose carry gined dress with Swarovski Crys- ‘Speak to me, speak.’ I’ll say, Boschendal’s tal, styled by celebrity stylist Sian ‘Hello,’ only to hear back, ‘you’re Shiraz/Cabernet blend from Lloyd Jones. not as daft as you appear’. They the same vintage. It is spicier, This is one girl who knows say I’m a great actress, but I just almost smoky (£7.99). what she wants. We’re in Num- think, no, that really is just me.” Somerfield’s South African ero restaurant in Casino 235, and Gemma trained as a per- Limited Release Shiraz also Gemma has just sent the wait- former at the Sheena Simon shows the country’s shiraz ress (admittedly encouraged by College in Manchester but potential. For £5.99, it is a myself) half-way around the never considered TV work until bargain with lingering spicy place looking for some cranberry she started training with coach blackberry fruit and a hint of sauce to go with our very festive Mark Hudson, at the Manches- bitter chocolate. plate of turkey and all the trim- ter School of Acting. Glen Carlou Syrah 2004 mings: “Christmas dinner just Hudson has trained some of (£12.99) is even more isn’t the same without cranberry the top actors in the U.K. (Oth- spice-laden, almost curranty in sauce, is it,” she jokes. ers in Gemma’s class to make it taste with blackberry on nose Not being satisfied with life as in the soap world were Rob and palate and, with toasty a make-up artist Gemma had act- James-Collier, loveable Liam oak in evidence, is another red ing aspirations. She says: “It was Connor (the new part owner of for the long haul. so frustrating.” Underworld in Coronation From grapes grown on Time to put the blusher Street, Steven Farebrother), the PASS THE CRANBERRY Hollyoaks star Gemma Merna, left, enjoys festive fare at gravel-clay soils, it is brushes aside for soapstar glam- hard-nosed hack John McNally » Numero in Casino 235 with Stephanie Elmore fascinatingly somewhere our soon arrived. “I’d been to in , and Jamie Lo- between Aussie Shiraz and Mersey TV four times before for mas, the lothario Warren Fox, in So how has being a soapstar very starstruck). I just spend goodies would be great – I love Rhone syrah in style. auditions and never got the part. Hollyoaks.) changed her life from the days more time in the beauty salons, clothes as well.” She laughs. Sawinesonline.co.uk stock it at This time I arrived in fishnet Gemma’s first day on the Hol- behind the make up counter? but I don’t get a discount in Har------£12.99, while Oddbins have it tights and a little skirt. The cast- lyoaks set was nerve-racking. “I “Aside from seeing Dr Karl Ken- vey Nicks any more and I don’t » Numero, Casino 235, Great at at 50p dearer. ing director commented on my had to walk out in just my un- nedy in the flesh at the NTAs (at get many freebies. Anyone who Northern Warehouse, Neil Sowerby outfit and I said: ‘Well, I knew she derwear,” she says. which Gemma admits to being wants to send me any beauty Deansgate, Manchester. Bars & Pubs Cocktails to kickstart your big evening of fun

NEW Year’s Eve. It’s a mixed bag, berries in too if you like, plus a isn’t it? All too often you’re in one dash of cranberry juice. The bar and your boyfriend and best name gives it a yuletide theme, mates are several miles away, un- but it’s just a really gorgeous, re- able to get a cab into town, or just freshing drink at any time of being rubbish at home. year.” This year, then, we’ve come up 2. The Champagne Cocktail with the perfect solution. Invite What you need: Champagne all your friends around for a flute, brown sugar cubes, angos- cocktail before you go out. That tura bitters, cognac (or brandy), way you’ll get to see them at the champagne. start of the night, at least, even if “This is a timeless cocktail,” you end up spread across the city Stuart enthuses. “You start off by like manure by dawn. mixing all the ingredients to- To make your invite irresist- gether without the champagne. ible, we’ve consulted Manches- So: put a dash of cognac, one ter’s cocktail expert, Stuart brown sugar cube crumbled up Baillie. and a dash of angostura bitters The 27-year-old Mojo barman into a glass. Dissolve the sugar won the Food and Drink Awards with the cognac using a spoon cocktail competition back in Oc- and then top up with champagne tober with his bourbon and or- really slowly, because the sugar CHAMPAGNE LIFESTYLE ange-based ‘Lovell Serve All’ and will make it fizz up even more Cocktails at Mojo he’s come up with a couple of than normal.” equally charming numbers for any bar that does a lot of cock- New Year’s Eve, too. If you like making cocktails at tails and they come as a two- home, Stuart suggests investing piece set. 1. The Poinsettia Cocktail in a proper shaker to really get “The bottom part is glass and What you need: Champagne into the swing of things in 2007: the other part is tin. You make flute, strawberry vodka (or just “You see the classic, all-metal the drink in the glass part so you vodka), rose champagne, cran- cocktail shaker everywhere can see how much you are put- berry juice. now,” he says, ting in and then when you place “This drink is based on rose “They’ve even got them in the tin over the top it creates a champagne with a little bit of places like Habitat. The more vacuum for shaking. They’re in- strawberry vodka” Stuart ex- professional ones are called Bos- valuable.” plains. “You can put fresh straw- ton shakers. You’ll see these in Ruth Allan