Paula Goddard

The Open’s trophy winners plaque is getting rather crowded. July 22 will see the 135th name engraved on the silver Claret Jug as the last hole is being played at Carnoustie, Scotland. After a gap of five years since his last win, I’m hoping that name is Ernie Els. Should the 37-year old South African come first he’ll be able to put the Claret Jug to the use it was intended - serving claret wine from it. Ernie’s own South African version of French claret, made at his 72-hectare Stellenbosch vineyards, would be a fitting choice.

Engelbrecht-Els estates grow the ‘classic’ claret grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Once picked the grapes are crushed before being micro-vinified – each grape type is kept separate and fermented individually.

This is an icecream that needs to be eaten naked – wafers or maple syrup toppings would be an unwelcome distraction when savouring this dish. After three generous spoonfuls of Criterion Ices Stem Ginger icecream my throat felt pleasingly on fire. Every mouthful of smooth vanilla icecream came laced with several ha’penny-sized chunks of preserved ginger. Initially creamy with just a hint of sweetness, a layer of peppery hotness is added after biting into the inevitable chunk of green ginger. 

Geo Organics has launched its own organic and vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce made to a ‘new recipe’ that doesn’t include the traditional ingredient anchovy. Can a Worcestershire Sauce be called Worcestershire Sauce without containing anchovy – fermented flesh, bones and all?

Lovers of ‘the Original’ and ‘the Genuine’ sauce may be surprised to learn that the term Worcestershire Sauce is not limited to Mr Lea and Perrins anchovy concoction. Legal action against the Birmingham sauce manufacturer Holbrooks in 1906 concluded the name ‘Worcestershire Sauce’ could be applied to any sauce but only Lea and Perrins had the right to call theirs 'Original and Genuine'.

This small Warwickshire village’s annual show attracted steam engines, classic cars, vintage military vehicles, tractors and lorries from as far as Sheffield. Many travelled shorter distances – John Wilson’s 1929 Leyland SQ2 Worthington White Shield delivery van came the 1.5 miles from Frankton to take part in the Commercial Vehicle display.

Yes that's me standing next to John’s beautifully preserved black delivery lorry that dates back to when almost every pub in the land stocked White Shield bottle-conditioned India Pale Ale made at the Worthington Brewery (now owned by Coors) in Burton upon Trent.

Speculation on a change of champagne sponsor after yesterday's French Grand Prix were premature according to Olivia Arnold, Marketing Assistant for Mumm champagne. The 'odd looking bottles of champagne' I spotted being handed to Kimi Räikkönen, Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton were a result of French Law.

Some odd looking bottles of champagne were handed out to Kimi Räikkönen, Felipe Massa and Lewis Hamilton on the winners podium at today's French Grand Prix. Not the expected large bottles of Mumm but unbranded champagne bottles labelled with just their winning positions of one, two and three. Does this mean Mumm's seven-year sponsorship of Formula One has come to an end?

Gardeners beware - harlequin ladybirds have been spotted in eastern-England. Unlike its British dark-red counterpart, the Asian Harmonia axyridis is no friend of fruit-growers. When frightened or attacked it drops a noxious smelling liquid. If it happens to be standing on a bunch of grapes or perry pears at the time these pick up the ‘ladybird taint’. The tainting chemicals – methoxypyrazines – smell of green peppers or roasted peanuts. Because of their potency, even a slight amount can potentially affect a wine or perry’s taste.

Yesterday your second language needed to be Danish, today English alone will suffice as Danish designer Lars Erdmann relaunches his website. Vinuno.com promotes his stainless steel and laquered wood box, designed to conceal 3-litre wineboxes.

Thirty-nine year-old Lars – an engineering graduate of Denmark’s Technical University and Nottingham’s Trent University – came up with VinUno after deciding wineboxes “look messy because of the all their different sizes and colours.”  He then designed a way of hiding the scruffy cardboard outer as well as “improving the impression of the wine”.