If the January detox didn’t – don’t worry you are not alone. Frankly the thought of a full on detox is enough to have us all reaching for the vodka – cabbage soup and agave syrup for a week? Please!

We’ve got a better idea for February and it doesn’t actually hurt. Our newest find is Broadwick Street’s Food Secret which we wrote about when it launched towards the end of last year. Its brilliant mix of sandwich, salad, soup and snack options both bespoke and off the peg or should we say the shelf – the latter all containing a full nutritional breakdown – are the ideal way to gently detox without sending your body into shock.

Food Secret consultant Chris Barber, former personal chef to The Prince of Wales handpicked me a week’s worth of breakfasts and lunches which were delivered to my door to get me started and specifically geared with detox in mind. So admittedly they made it pretty easy for me! 

The idea was that I ate the targeted breakfast and lunch and then went off piste for dinner – sensible off piste though as opposed to the culinary equivalent of courting an avalanche. 

The first surprise was the sheer volume of food – directly disproportionate to the calories contained! And let’s face it, unless you have a will of iron, no one is going to stick to a programme where they feel deprived. And if you’ve got that will of iron already, well, it’s unlikely you’ll need to detox in the first place.

The second surprise was that  it was easy to forget about the detox element entirely – it was all food that I’d be happy to eat on a regular basis.

A particular breakfast favourite was the Greek Yoghurt & Red Fruit Compote with a Kedgeree Wrap chaser. I knew strawberries were good for you but didn’t realise that they help eliminate excess fluid that can cause bloating and likewise that pomegranate supports the liver and can help to slow the aging process as it protects the cells from free radicals. And as for the kedgeree wrap, I’ll admit I was sceptical but kippers and free range egg (essential fatty acids); protein and spinach and red peppers (more anitoxidents) and then brown rice (full of Bb vitamins for energy).  Job done.

Salads and pitta sandwiches for lunch were bursting with salmon, more pomegranate, tomatoes, pea shoots, broccoli, asparagus and toasted seeds but the real winners were the soups. They come in cardboard pots packed full of fresh ingredients in a base of stock and paste to which you just add boiling water up to the line when you’re ready to eat them. You don’t even need a microwave. Fish Soup was salmon, baby spinach carrot, asparagus, brown rice spring onion, harissa, sun dried tomato & basil paste and vegetable stock; and then Miso Soup was marinated tofu, celeriac, spring onion, peas & broad beans, sea lettuce, enoki mushroom, shitake mushroom, soy, miso paste and vegetable stock. Calories were minimal – generally sub 200 – but they left me so full that coupled with the sandwich or salad option which often went unfinished, snacking went completely out the window. 

So anyway, if you work anywhere near Broadwick Street, you are indeed lucky puppies and if not, well we don’t imagine it will take long for further branches to open.  Watch this space!

Food Secret, 59 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 9QQ, 020 7434 2596
www.foodsecret.com

If you’re struggling for a Valentine’s present this year, the online Gift Library might just be about to solve your problem. The brainchild of London based style consultant Caroline Stanbury, is a one stop shop for unique luxury gifts.

With a selection of presents for all ages, Stanbury has used her ten years as a personal style consultant to form an effortless online shopping experience. Taking into account that very few people have time to search for rare and exciting presents, Stanbury has eased the burden of trudging through shops by giving you a selection of presents from exclusive high end boutiques from around the world. All gifts are beautifully packaged and are even dispatched on the same day of purchase.

Stanbury’s experience within the industry has enabled her to form strong relationships with brands so that there are even bespoke gifts available on the website. With words of advice from the new consultant editor, Tamara Beckwith, for those that ‘have everything,’ personal shoppers and the added touch of regular celebrity interviews revealing their favourite gifts, the site is a melting pot for ideas… giving you no excuses this Sunday.

www.gift-library.com

There is no better way to cover every last flaw than Chantecaille. It seems to be the only skincare range which doesn’t flake, shine or fail to cover but instead leaves an unrivalled blemish free, dewy complexion.

Created by the French mother and daughter duo Sylvie and Olivia, the beauty range continues to develop top quality products, maintaining their famously high standard. Their latest addition, Future Skin, evens out your skin texture to give a porcelain finish; literally. What’s even better is that it’s good for your skin. The elegant French brand has encorporated natural and organic ingredients which include seaweed, natto gum, green tea, rice bran, arnica, chamomile and rosemary, which care for your skin by sealing in moisturizer and thereby improving the quality of the skin. The product is particularly popular for those with oily skin as there is clinical evidence of a 26% reduction in sebum production after only one week of use. 

Future Skin comes in a variety of natural tones from porcelain, vanilla and nude to hazel and suntan and each comes in Chantecaille’s signature chic packaging. It’s no wonder that actresses such as Blake Lively and Kirsten Stewart are famed for using it for their close ups and Bono and Bon Jovi took it on tour.

Future Skin is priced at £49
www.chantecaille.com

Earlier this year fowl mouthed celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay could have been forgiven for uttering more than just the ‘f’ word as last month he was stripped of one of his prestigious Michelin stars at Claridge’s.  However, the start of 2010 for Gordon isn’t all bad news as he will be re-opening Petrus in Belgravia with new and exciting dynamic themes.

Design for the new Petrus has been undertaken by The Russel Sage Studio, who have created a fresh dinning space.  With the new location’s focal point being a stunning open cellar displaying over 2000 bottles of wine, there will be no shortage of choice when selecting a wine to match the modern French cuisine on offer.  The menu will comprise of mouth-watering dishes such as ‘baked line caught sea bass with confit fennel and caviar sauce’.

Think you can stand the heat of Gordon’s kitchen?  Experience the temperature rise at The Chef’s Table, while dinning on an exclusive menu, designed especially to demonstrate the intricacies of the dishes served.  Guests will also be in good hands as, with five years of charm under his belt and with scrupulous attention to detail, Jean-Philippe Susilovi returns to the new Petrus as one of London’s best hosts.

The new site for Petrus is 1 Kennerton Street, Belgravia. For more information and to keep updated on the Petrus news email petrus@gorgonramsay.com.

Lulu Guinness will be opening a lip-smackingly gorgeous pop-up store on Carnaby Street this coming Monday, not only adding a special aside to LFW and Valentine’s Day but also doing very valuable work in aid of young designers at the London College of Fashion.

The Kissed by Lulu Guinness store will be ‘lip-themed’, featuring the limited edition Lips clutch bag as seen in the grip of several famous fashion-lovers as well as the adorable purses and bags adorned with girlish goodness which we are accustomed to seeing at Lulu Guinness. The lady herself will be serving eager customers on the 8^th, and has promised that her celebrity pals will be making an appearance to help out with the project.

A percentage of the sales from the store will go to the London College of Fashion to create bursaries to support their students studying the historical and contemporary practice of fashion, and to thus foster the cool creativity that London’s youth culture is known for. Last year, as part of the 20^th anniversary celebrations of the brand, Lulu launched a scholarship for MA Accessories/Artefact Design, showing a significant commitment to the capital’s young designers.

Kissed by Lulu Guinness is open from Monday 8^th to Monday 22^nd February, 10am-7pm Monday to Saturday and 12pm-6pm on Sundays, and can be found at 65-67 Broadwick Street, London W1F 9QU. Mwah!