United Kingdom
Journalist | Editor | Copywriter
Focused on food, travel and culture. Also expert in property & construction and write environment/sustainability news and features.
Bylines include the Guardian, the BBC, Vice, the Independent, the Telegraph plus others.
Contact: [email protected]
Travel, food and culture
On a cold winter's evening in Portugal, it might come to your table com natas - fresh from the oven and bubbling in cream - layered between fried potato and sliced onion and spiced with nutmeg.
Climate change and rising costs are causing supermarkets in France to run out of dijon mustard, raising questions over whether the shortage could spread to other countries. French mustard producers said seed production in 2021 was down 50% after poor harvests, which they said had been brought on by the changing climate in France's Burgundy region and Canada, the second largest mustard seed producer in the world.
Internet sleuths have spent years tracking down an enigmatic music act, based off a single charity shop CD.
Wild rosemary and purple-flecked flowers line the dusty paths of Vis, the island furthest away from Croatia's Adriatic coastline. The turquoise waters are so clear that tiny silver fish can be seen swimming close to the sea floor.
Some 850 hundred miles off the east coast of India lies a remote and tropical archipelago coated in natural beauty. Its mangrove-lined shores and untouched coral reefs teem with marine life that promises divers of all abilities unique underwater experiences.
It was the gateway to one of the world's largest opium trading routes, the place you came if you needed a hit: Chiang Mai, northern Thailand's largest city. Back in the 1950s, commercial production of opium in the region started to take off. Photo: The Dawn
Within minutes, my hopes of having a wild evening had been dashed. It was 11PM on a humid Friday night and I was weaving my way through the crowds on a packed-out Haad Rin Nok beach on Thailand's Koh Phangan, home to the now infamous full moon party, which was well underway around me. Photo: Dan Vincent / Alamy Stock Photo
South-east Asia has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world: golden sands, crystal-clear waters and lush green plant life mean it's no surprise this region attracts millions of tourists a year. But its popularity has come at a price, with overcrowding, coral damage and waste becoming increasingly common problems for the region's coastlines.
Love online shopping? You're not the only one. UK shoppers are increasingly flocking to the internet, with average weekly spending hitting £1.2bn in September 2017, up 14pc on the same period the year before, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Shopping on your smartphone has never been easier. Whether it's doing the weekly grocery shop, finding a new pair of jeans, or even purchasing a second-hand car, this new technology has enabled us to buy whatever we want, whenever we want.
With vendors selling specialty dishes daily on every street corner, you don't stay hungry for long in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City. Street food is well and truly at the heart of this bustling city, but with so much on offer it's difficult to know what to choose.
Far out in the Andaman Sea, dawn is breaking on remote Havelock Island. Aside from the water lapping gently against a few dinghies anchored close to shore, the only sounds that can be heard are murmurs from a busy team of young divers.
Old favourites such as vermouth or liqueurs have been out of the limelight for some time – but The Telegraph’s forthcoming event will show guests a bold, fresh take on these de nitive tipples.
Walk outside, and you’ll see them: face masks are used almost ubiquitously in an attempt to ward off the effects of pollution. But how effective are they?
drink - Saigon/HCMC: Nov. 17, 2017 It may not be the birthplace of the cocktail, but Ho Chi Minh City is certainly making its mark in the creative drinks scene. Rooftop bars, up-class cocktail lounges and hidden speakeasies are continuing to pop up all over the southern capital, with a number of talented mixologists at the helm.
Noodles are a much-loved and used ingredient in Vietnam. Whether they are served up in soups, form the base of a salad or are wrapped up in a fresh gỏi cuốn, they are a staple enjoyed in Saigon and everywhere else in the country morning, noon and night.
Just started working in Vietnam? Better do it legally! Here are some tips for your foray into the complex and circuitous world of the Vietnamese work permit.
Perched on a small plastic chair in Hanoi 's Ba Dinh district, I tasted something that I hadn't eaten in a long time: dill. I was slurping a bowl of bún cá - a light fish noodle soup, which is topped with fish patties and a few spring onions - when that familiar but almost forgotten flavour filled my mouth.
Modern Vietnamese food has a number of influences from countries near and far. The most obvious of these are intertwined in Vietnam 's history and geography, from its colonial past with France, to its neighbouring countries like China and Cambodia.
Exploring Vietnam 's culinary scene from north to south is like tasting several countries for the price of one. Its long, slender and unique geography plays an important role in its cuisine because of how the climate affects the availability of certain food and spices within each region.
Visit any restaurant, home, street corner or shop in Vietnam and there is one thing you will be guaranteed to find: fish sauce. Quite easily the soul of Vietnamese cuisine, nước mắm is the county's most loved and versatile condiment.
Well-known for its street food tours and alleyway cafés, visitors to Vietnam can often make the mistake of overlooking its more upmarket eateries. But while street food will always be deep in the country's heart, its soul now lies with the exquisite culinary experiences that can be had in its new wave of fine-dining restaurants.
Longform
One early morning in April 1938, a team of Italian medical researchers readied themselves to do one of the most controversial things that medicine had ever seen. Tucked away on the first floor of a medical clinic in Rome, they would attempt to heal a mentally ill patient by applying a jolt of electricity through his brain.
After six hours of tortuous work under the fierce Indian sun, Sushil Dasguputa's hands were covered in his own blood; his body exhausted from the relentless and monotonous motion of pounding coconuts to produce a backbreaking quota of fibre. His throat was bone dry.
Property, construction and business
Supported by registered providers, build-to-rent has expanded rapidly. Robyn Wilson reports on the business case for it
"Sustainable and economical: they aren't enemies," says Drees & Sommer's chief executive, Steffen Szeidl, as he welcomes a room full of journalists to tour the group's self-funded €22m (£18.4m) green office building in Stuttgart, Germany. "Often, you hear that you have to decide between getting the maximum ROI from a project or that you want [...]
Creating some of the greenest energy can involve some of the most polluting industries - mining is crucial to many renewable technologies. As our appetite for all things eco grows, how can we improve the way we source the minerals it depends upon?
This website uses cookies to collect information about your browsing session. By collecting this information, we learn how to best tailor this site to you. To learn more, view our Cookie Policy.
This website uses cookies to collect information about your browsing session. By collecting this information, we learn how to best tailor this site to you. To learn more, view our Cookie Policy.
"The ambition is to get a spread [of streets across Sweden], with different municipalities being able to make their own intervention," says Byström. "However, I think many of the municipalities in Sweden are not ready to do it themselves, so for me the central part of the project is not the physical outcome by itself, but more to showcase an approach for how we can work with urban planning, urban development and street development."
Concrete is one of the built environment's most used, and most environmentally unfriendly, materials. That's why researchers are so excited about a new type of concrete that absorbs carbon, heals its own cracks and even creates a habitat for wildlife.
A UK tech success story that transforms the planning process is eyeing international expansion. Robyn Wilson reports. The initial idea behind start-up, VU.CITY, was a seemingly simple one: create a digital city map that could be used by clients during planning to understand a scheme's impact.
Some landlords are favouring land-led development and joint ventures over Section 106. Robyn Wilson asks where this leaves the market
Analysis shows two per cent increase in associations' build-for-sale income in 2017/18
Someone moving house. Photo: VICE Remarking that millennials will never own their homes has almost become a cliche, it's talked about so much. But for a good reason: most of them won't!
Company culture and acceptable behaviour have rarely been in the spotlight as they are now.
England, excluding London, has seen a four per cent rise in shared ownership sales - much lower than last year's 16 per cent increase, analysis by Social Housing has found
With the number of collapses and CVAs likely to increase, what can be done to survive the retail apocalypse?
Ten years on from the launch of the stock rationalisation toolkit, Robyn Wilson explores what is driving disposals across the sector
As the new academic year begins, we look at why retail goliaths are increasingly turning to universities for more than just new talent.
Calls by a House of Lords committee in July to boost offsite manufacture (OSM) across the UK were met with open arms by those working in the property industry. The science and technology committee highlighted a number of barriers holding back OSM in a 60-page report and said the sector needed a "radical overhaul" for this building technique to truly take off.
The UK government has provided £200m to enable a Voluntary Right to Buy pilot in the Midlands, but how will the numbers add up nationally? Robyn Wilson reports
Vietnam’s decision to enact a policy creating Special Economic Zones with leaseholder incentives for foreign investors have ignited the passions of citizens fearful it will be a Trojan horse for Chinese influence.
Once humdrum industrial areas, Serangoon and Woodleigh have found new leases of life to become two of Singapore’s most in-demand places to invest.
NHBC's Graham Sibley talks to Social Housing about breaking with 'historical thinking' when it comes to offsite construction. Robyn Wilson reports
For the last decade Andrew Henderson has been travelling the globe seeking out ways to maximise profits and reduce personal costs and taxes. Now he’s helping others do the same.
Housing associations’ stock dispersal has remained flat over the past five years, according to an exclusive report by Social Housing.
Share of surplus from sales falls to 35% from 42%
Take Didi Chuxing. The Beijing-based firm currently dominates the sector, claiming about 80 percent of China's market share, with services ranging from taxis to carpooling and bus-sharing. Before Didi, "many cities suffered from insufficient numbers of taxis - a consequence of taxi-license quotas not being raised in line with demand," says Warner Brown, Associate Director in JLL's China research team.
Draft bill not only fails to restore the pre-2015 ruling status quo, but ratepayers may also struggle to secure refunds.
But development revenue is static as a proportion of turnover
Now, companies are taking note. Instead of the traditional drinking and dining culture that accompanies Chinese corporate life, a growing number are focusing on improving their fitness offerings to help attract talent as well as keep their existing employees healthy.
Property Week outlines the benefits technologies such as drones and bots could bring to construction and property
What are some of the investment models available to HAs today as they build their PRS portfolios? Robyn Wilson reports
Trouble could be in store for flexible office specialists if they let licences become legal tenancies. Robyn Wilson reports on the dangers.
Heavy traffic has become a way of life in many of Southeast Asia's urban areas, causing major issues not just for locals on their daily commutes but also long-term damage to their health and the environment. And it's going to get worse as the population continues to rise fast.
This scenario has become all too familiar for music lovers across the UK. Noise disputes have led to the closure of many historic music venues in recent years, stoking fears that a key part of the UK's cultural scene is in danger of disappearing.
The collapse of BHS sent shockwaves through the retail sector last year. Property Week assesses the current landscape and asks if more failures are in store for 2018.
Developers have big dreams for District 2’s Thu Thiem region. But challenges are putting a damper on their plans.
Gareth Stapleton and Mace cofounder Bob White are behind an eye catching young company with a growing reputation for solving problems. So how have the pair made such an impact in the space of five years and where are they taking Rise next?
The number of workers that are trafficked, exploited and forced to work in UK construction is rising. Construction News speaks to one of the thousands of victims and asks what contractors must do to eradicate the stain of modern slavery.
Highprofile losses among top developers have only compounded concerns in a nervous sector. So what do commercial clients expect next?
The surprise exit of two of its leading lights this month has rocked the contractor but what longterm impact will the departures have on Skanska’s London pipeline and client relationships?
Consulting giant’s move into the contracting arena has posed not only questions over whether it will work but what this means for the wider contractor community.
Environment, sustainability and energy
Proposals for a new way to fund nuclear projects using the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) model are providing a welcome boost to a market sector where plans for new reactors have been going awry. Robyn Wilson examines the political appetite for nuclear power and what the impact of the new funding model might be.
Cost pressures for the next price control period are leading to strained relationships between water companies and their contractors. Some are switching to tier 2 and 3 directly to make savings - others are tightening margins. A dearth of skilled people in the wake of Brexit is adding to the mix.
The UK music events industry is booming. Worth up to £3.7 billion and attended by a staggering 27.7 million people, music concerts and festivals account for a meaningful chunk of the UK's economy. Unsurprisingly, this sector uses a large amount of energy throughout the year - something which must be meticulously managed by venues across the country.
Families from the Lao Tribe in the south are leading the way by turning away from a number of non-organic fertilisers that are used widely in the coffee industry to boost crop yields. Instead, they are using alternatives like homemade fertilisers and pesticides, which are going a long way to improving the quality of their farms and lives.
Many buildings waste money. If you want to improve your business's energy performance, you must first get a detailed understanding of how your premises are consuming power. Household bills rank highly among consumers' financial woes, but for many businesses the same attention is rarely paid to their business's energy costs.
It will probably come as no surprise to businesses that the older the building, the less energy efficient it is. What is perhaps less well known is exactly why an older building is inefficient, but this is valuable information for businesses to have.
Landlocked within the rocky Himalayan region, Nepal is extremely vulnerable not only to climate change but to various natural disasters. In April 2015, the country was left devastated by an earthquake that measured up to 8.1 in magnitude (within the most severe earthquake class bracket) and killed nearly 9,000 people.
Most businesses could use a lot less energy. Typically, companies could reduce energy costs by up to 20 per cent just by making simple changes. But in order to cut their bills, businesses must have a handle on where and how they are using power; worryingly, many companies in the UK are in the dark about how much they are consuming.
Climate change its causing flooding and droughts that damage agricultural land in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. The "rice bowl" of Asia produces 57 percent of rice production for the country - including 80 percent of its exports. ROBYN WILSON met the farmers facing ruin.
Technology is drastically changing the world in which we live, from the way we consume products and services to how we conduct business. Data drives so many of our decisions that the ability to capture and analyse it can put an organization well in front of its less informed competitors.
Energy storage is a relatively new and evolving technology and consequently is something that the commercial sector may not know much about. Here is a technology that has the ability to empower businesses by providing the flexibility they need for their energy consumption, while making it easier to manage their costs.
Air pollution in cities across Asia has reached a dangerous tipping point.
There are a number of reasons why businesses should embrace renewable energy sources - and making the switch is easier than you might think. A growing number of businesses are making the move over to a renewable energy supply. More than a hundred of the world's most influential companies have now made a commitment to shift to 100pc renewable power.
Did ESOS Stifle Movement on energy? Now that the Energy Saving Opportunity Scheme’s (ESOS) rst compliance period is over, have businesses lost interest in energy policy?
UK businesses are missing out on billions of pounds in energy bill savings. According to government figures, savings of 39 per cent were possible through efficiency improvements across all non-domestic buildings during 2014-15. That would represent £3.7bn that could potentially have been wiped off energy bills.
Businesses can lower their carbon footprint and benefit from the range of onsite energy solutions now available Energy infrastructure in the UK is rapidly evolving. We no longer rely on large centralised power plants to provide our energy needs.
Is it possible to get energy backed by renewable sources while with a major energy provider? Whether they are large or small, businesses are rightly concerned about their carbon emissions and want to make sure they can meet their environmental commitments, so it's no surprise that an increasing number are looking at ways to reduce their carbon footprint.
The Saraya echo stay in Goa's Bardez region in South India has grown widely in reputation since it opened its doors in December 2014. Described by many as a "pocket of heaven", it is a place where tourists and locals are able to escape the nearby busy beaches, either to stay overnight or just to grab something to eat.
