Kirsten Grant Meikle
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Summer 2015 Issue No. 4 THE BIG INTERVIEW SIR JACKIE STEWART KELSEY GRAMMER AT HOME ON FORMULA ONE THE FUTURE OF THE BBC ANDREW MARR MARK LITTLEWOOD JACOBITE REBELLION 1715 FAREWELL TO BB KING CHURCHILL’S FIRST JONATHAN WINGATE WHISKY & SODA CON COUGHLIN GEORGE BEST THE MOVIE STEPHEN EVANS WIN TICKETS TO SEE THE LEGEND JERRY LEE LEWIS £4.95 $7.40 €6.70 ¥880 summer 2015 BOISDALELIFE.COM Issue no.4 THEMACALLAN.COM PLEASE SAVOUR RESPONSIBLY 4 Macallan BoisdaleLife DPS Amber Ad 260615.indd 1 26/06/2015 09:16 OLD SPITALFIELDS MARKET 55 Brushfield St. E1 6AA Open October 2015 London • New York • Hong Kong cutlerandgross.com CutletAndGrossDPSAd_vw.indd All Pages 06/07/15 16:33 summer 2015 BOISDALELIFE.COM Issue no.4 EDITOR’S LETTER Tuesday 14th July 2015 WELCOME TO SUMMER Brits really do appreciate good weather more than anyone else on the planet. Personally, when blue skies prevail I am often encouraged to have a really long lunch, which is invariably unjustifiable, usually wonderful and I suppose, when I pause to think about it, my favourite pastime irrespective of the weather. If you enjoy alfresco dining, our Cuban Garden Terrace at Boisdale of Canary Wharf was launched by the Cuban Ambassador, Teresita Vicente Sotolongo, on 15th June (see page 15). It is now open for the whole summer, providing an exotic backdrop of palm trees and tropical plants with a gentle pulse of Cuban music, for lunch, cocktails and dinner seven days a week. Alternatively the award winning bougainvillea (some say the eighth wonder of the world!) Editor & Chief, Ranald Macdonald on the terrace at Boisdale of Belgravia in our Courtyard Garden at Boisdale of Belgravia does give the Cuban Garden Terrace some colourful competition! We ay I offer a warm welcome icons the greatest living legend of the have also put together a fantastic line-up (as I write it is rather hot and Rock’n’Roll era JERRY LEE LEWIS will of live music across all our restaurants humid) to our newly appointed be making a guest star appearance at Monday to Saturday for the summer. Editor-at-Large and International Man Boisdale of Canary Wharf on Tuesday Notably so at Boisdale of Canary Wharf, of Mystery, Paddy Renouf. I am frankly 8th September for an intimate dinner where in addition to the now very well delighted with this, our fourth issue, to celebrate his 80th birthday. The established Friday and Saturday scene, and have great confidence that you will “Killer”, as he likes to be known, is we have created a programme of tributes enjoy it. The subject matter is gloriously the last survivor of the “Million Dollar to the all-time greats (see page 46), diverse. There is simply so much worth Quartet” with Elvis, Johnny Cash and including Elvis, The Beatles and Frank reading. Paddy’s wonderful, insightful Carl Perkins. We are giving away two Sinatra, every Wednesday night until and often moving interview with Kelsey tickets to the this very special evening September. CRAFTING ETERNITY SINCE 1755 Grammer is compulsive and thought- (page 46). I sincerely hope to see you Have a wonderful summer and I do provoking. I would compel you to read there, assuming of course that you are hope that in some capacity Boisdale will 260 years of continuous history is reflected Andrew Marr’s fascinating speculation, who I think you are! be a part of it, even if only just a simply in the Harmony Collection. A new legacy has dawned. as to how the history of the world might I have learnt to adore the weather in scintillating read! have been significantly changed had Great Britain and no longer hanker after there been a different outcome at the a blistering sun. Our variable climate is Battle of Sheriffmuir in 1715. I was also certainly the nation’s principal source touched by Jonathan Wingate’s fond of truly uninspired conversation. HARMONY CHRONOGRAPH farewell to BB King, one of the greatest No subject upon which we regularly musical geniuses of the last century and exchange blatantly apparent, totally Ranald Macdonald clearly a lovely man. unnecessary observations is quite so Editor-in-Chief Boisdale Life Magazine Whilst on the subject of musical well loved by the British people - but we Founder Boisdale Restaurants & Bars Geneva official watchmaking certification Editor & Chief Editor-at-Large Subscribe to Boisdale Life Any facts stated or opinions expressed Ranald Macdonald Paddy Renouf anywhere in the magazine are the responsibility of the individual [email protected] [email protected] Boisdale of Belgravia writers and contributors. All material 15 Eccleston Street Design omitted intentionally is the sole Managing Director London responsibility of the individual Harry Owen bevanhoward.co.uk SW1W 9LX contributors. Boisdale Life and [email protected] Digital the Editor are not responsible for any injury or loss relative to such vitaminlondon.com Telephone: 0207 259 1261 Publishing Director material. All material is compiled by sources believed to be reliable, but Cartoons by Alice Macdonald Barbara Widera BPA Audited circulation published without responsibility for [email protected] alicemacdonaldillustration.co.uk of 161,152 errors or omissions. London 37 Old Bond Street 020 7578 9500 11 12238_VAC_HarmonyChrono_BoisdaleLife_297x210_1.0.indd 1 15/06/2015 12:12 summer 2015 BOISDALELIFE.COM Issue no.4 CONTENTS COMMENT PEOPLE THE BIG INTERVIEW THE QUANGO QUESTION SIR JACKIE STEWART LUNCHING WITH KELSEY GRAMMER JOBS FOR THE BOYS AT HOME ON FORMULA ONE LORD LONGFORD Paddy Renouf Jonathan Isaby Dominic Midgley John Mcentee 17 28 36 44 CHURCHILL’S FIRST THE FUTURE OF THE BBC IF I RULED THE WORLD B.B. KING WHISKY & SODA Mark Littlewood Martin Gilbert Jonathan Wingate Con Coughlin 30 41 47 22 THE DITHERING EARL GEORGE BEST WHAT MAKES ME LAUGH DEFLATED INFLATION AND THE JACOBITE REBELLION THE MOVIE Lawson Muncaster FOREVER OF 1715 Stephen Evans 82 Roger Bootle Andrew Marr 42 25 33 LIFESTYLE FOOD & DRINK JAMES PURDEY & SONS LTD THE BEST GUNSMITHS CHESTER BARRIE A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF I'VE BECOME A WINE SNOB ON THE PLANET Sam Kessler Kirsten Grant Meikle William Sitwell Sam Kessler 58 66 73 51 THE BOISDALE BAD BOYS AND WHISKY AN EXCEPTIONAL VINTAGE THE GERMAN PHOENIX TRAVELLERS CLUB Doug McIvor Charlie Miller Timothy Barber Scott Dunn 67 74 54 60 SHOOTING CHEFS BOISDALE RECIPES THE JAEGER LECOULTRE GOLD CUP BENTLEY BOYS Bill Knott Ranald Macdonald Charles Edwards Freshwater Gavin Green 71 77 56 63 À LA RECHERCHE DE L’ŒUVRE L’ABUS D’ALCOOL EST DANGEREUX POUR LA SANTÉ, À CONSOMMER AVEC MODÉRATION 13 LR_Boisdale_Life_BP_A4.indd 1 15/06/2015 10:33 summer 2015 BOISDALELIFE.COM Issue no.4 DIARY CHESTERTONS POLO IN THE PARK By the time this issue is published Ascot will be a memory for another year and many readers will be looking forward to Cowes Week, The Open and Glorious Goodwood. However, early summer now hosts one of our firm favourites – Polo in the Park! Run by the outstanding Rory Heron and helped by some libation in the Mahiki tent - Lanson Champagne flowed, the sun came out, Made in Chelsea arrived (of course) and even Flo Rida popped up! The Made in Chelsea team at the Hurlingham Club Kimberley Garner stealing the show! Flo Rida enjoying his first Polo outing Dominnique Karetsos and the Cutler & Gross Team CHIVAS REGAL AT SAVILE ROW On the 3rd of June it was off to Savile Row, where we teamed up with Alexander McQueen, to present a range of Chivas Royal Salute cocktails for the Open Row event. Modern craftsmanship was celebrated in all its forms, with Master Blender Colin Scott conducting an exclusive tasting of the Chivas Regal 18 & 25 year olds. 15 summer 2015 BOISDALELIFE.COM Issue no.4 summer 2015 BOISDALELIFE.COM Issue no.4 DIARY DIARY MITSUBISHI BADMINTON HORSE TRIALS BOISDALE OF CANARY WHARF OPENS THE CUBAN GARDEN TERRACE As much as we endeavour to entertain London every day in our three Boisdale restaurants - there are some occasions On Monday 15th June The Cuban Ambassador Teresita Vicente Sotolongo graciously cut the ribbon to open The Cuban Garden Terrace each summer where we – like our customers – are to be found elsewhere! Hopefully you enjoyed one of our Wagyu burgers at Boisdale of Canary Wharf to the public. The “pop up” Cuban Garden Terrace which will be in place for the whole summer is adorned at Badminton Horse Trials, where we partnered up with Freddie Tulloch in his Outside Chance Bar & Restaurant. with tropical plants including banana trees, palm trees and various exotic flowering plants. With a Cuban music playlist adding to the authentic Cuban ambiance the terrace is open for lunch, dinner and classic Cuban cocktails such as Havana Club Mojitos every day of the week. ABOVE: David Soul, Her Excellency Mrs Teresita Vicente Sotolongo, Helen Soul & Antonio Rodriguez RIGHT: David Soul, Her Excellency Mrs Teresita Vicente Sotolongo, Pamela Jones & Ranald Macdonald William Sitwell and his Boisdale Wagyu burger William Fox-Pitt celebrates his win at Badminton on Chilli Morning, with wife Alice, family and friends HUNTERS & FRANKAU 225TH ANNIVERSARY On Friday 19th June Hunters & Frankau celebrated 225 years of importing cigars from Cuba at a sumptuous party in Belgrave Square. Attended by cigar royalty from all over the world, guests were lavishly entertained with vintage Pol Roger Champagne and a magnificent ROLEX BASEL COLLECTION LAUNCH selection of cigars including the delicious Limited Edition Ramon Allones “dropped head” Gordito, especially made and aged for the occasion and exclusive to Hunters & Frankau. We also hosted our members at No 1 Hyde Park, in association with The Watch Gallery, for an exclusive look at the new Rolex Basel collection.