Photo opportunities & Gifts at Heathrow & Airports - What's In The Caviar Shop? For kids?

 

Angela Lansbury sitting in the Union Jack chair at the Caviar shop, Heathrow Airport, 2022. Photo by Trevor Sharot.

Welcome and farewell Photos

At the airport, when departing and arriving, I look for a picture featuring the country. If you have your camera ready, you might catch a welcome sign or statue at the approach road to the airport.

Statues & Symbols

The approach road to terminal 2 at Heathrow has a globe. Symbol of the world. 

Fast Photos

By the time I had turned on my mobile phone, and dialled in my passwo rd to open it, I was too late. My phone has a bypass instant camera symbol for just this reason. I ought to practise using it. Outdoors, in daylight, in theory you get better pictures.

Chair Styles

However, at Heathrow this year, inside the terminal, I found this neat union Jack chair. I could not resist sitting in it for a photo. Later, looking at my photos, I see things which I did not notice at the time. The style is a traditional Victorian armchair with a buttoned back. But recovered with brightly coloured, modern fabric to give it a modern look.

For comfort, it has wide, curved, cloth covered, solid arms with wood at the vertical front. The legs are old-fashioned turned wood legs. 

National Flags

In Duty Free shops there were numerous souvenirs with union jacks. I usually take one photo of myself with the object, and one without anybody. 

Vertical Versus Horizontal

You might also take a vertical picture and a horizontal picture. A vertical picture would be good for a magazine cover or the opening slide in a presentation. But a horizontal picture might suit the top half of a pace or slide with text underneath. 

Souvenir Shop Opportunities

Most airports have bottles of wine, spirits, or non-alcoholic drink, biscuits, sweets (Americans say candies), fridge magnets, soft toys, and magazines.You might choose a newspaper or magazine or calendar to show the date, from a shop, or the flight arrival time

Security

I photograph products to buy, not photos which show the airport. Security might forbid taking photos in airports. 

What about your own caution? You might not want to reveal the layout of the airport, or the fact that you are away from home.

Cyprus Airport

On arrival in Cyprus we saw pictures of local attractions and a map. On leaving, we found shops selling wine bottles and rose sweets (not Turkish delight, not Greek, but Cypriot.

Heathrow's Caviar Shop

In the caviar shop you could buy wine and bottles of booze.

What about children, or grandchildren? I spotted some soft toys. Pink. Aquatic. What were they? Fish? Salmon? They cost ten pounds.

Other shops for families,  biscuit boxes with pictures of H M The Queen. shortbread biscuits. All kinds of food with wrapping depicting the Union Jack.

For Children

For children, the general big souvenir store area with magnets and soft toy bears. Hamleys shop. The Harry Potter shop. Before you enter the escalators to your departure gate, there is a children's play area.

Useful Websites

Caviar Shop

https://boutique.heathrow.com/en/retailers/caviar-house-and-prunier

Caftans Online

Lots of colourful caftans cost from under twenty dollars and postage the same again.

https://www.ebay.com/usr/oussum_shop

Caviar At Heathrow - or gourmet picnics?

Problem
What do you order for a special occasion? A birthday, wedding or wedding anniversary. Or if you are a special person for whom every day is a special occasion?

Caviar
Heathrow had a Caviar shop in the departures area. Caviar to take with you, to brighten Christmas, or brighten your arrival, treat or amuse your hosts and their other guests - if your hosts like caviar.

You have to know your audience. We took caviar to hosts we were staying with for a week in Singapore. Unfortunately, the Australian friends was away and his new girlfriend, Singaporean Chinese was not keen and not impressed. She ate out a lot and didn't open it. Their diet was Asian food. All four of us had separate meals.

Eventually, we decided the unopened jar was sitting in their hot kitchen and we wondered if it had an expiry date. We opened it and gave them some. They were interested.

After that we cooked them some food. Then they cooked us some food. We had just got the catering sorted when it was time to leave. The moral is, write and offer them two or three choices of food. Some people would love to try caviar. They would have extra days of pleasure anticipating receiving it. You could read the company website in advance to work out what you want to buy. Or, if buying for somebody else, ask them to make a shortlist so you can select from it something which is in stock

(Saying it wasn't in stock is also a polite way of picking something within your budget. If the gift recipient picks something too pricey, look for a special offer. If they pick something too cheap, buy them extra in bulk, or both items on their list.)

Russians will tell you that the best caviar comes from Russia. What is caviar? Eggs from fish.

Cheap So-called Caviar?
Can I get cheaper 'caviar'. Yes, sometimes in supermarkets. Basically, the best or real caviar is from specific large fish, resulting in large eggs, often black. Small eggs from other fish can be dyed bright orange and sold in little pots in supermarkets. I must admit I like the cheap fish roe. Sometimes real caviar is sold cheaper after Christmas in the January sales.

Caviar House and Prunier.

They also have a restaurant in France. What do I fancy? Pink salmon and pink champagne.

https://www.caviarhouse-prunier.com

Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Chocolate Orange Ice Cream From Devon at Ocado, Found on Singapore Airlines

Problem
We are all travelling from the past and to the future, but what can we eat to energise and reduce the stress of time-critical travel? When you are completely passive, only two things can be controlled at an airport and on a place, one is the film watched on board and the other is the food!

We hurried to the Singapore Airlines Lounge for a free top up breakfast. It's free. But, heavens - we pay enough on flights. We deserve it.

The lounge was offering a colourful, tempting range of fruit juices. The usual orange colour orange juice, and pale apple, and pink grapefruit. I look for something new and different. I tried the bland but refreshing cucumber. Finally elderflower.

The smoothies were equally delightful. You could choose a red one or a green one. Strawberry and beetroot.

Ice Cream
I tried the Singapore Sling ice cream. The colour was pale pink. It didn't taste of much. But it was Okay. The original alcoholic drink contains cherry brandy, not much fruit in it, I suspect.

However, a good, suitable flavour to choose for Singapore Airlines, the name more exciting than the flavour. An advance taste of a holiday in Singapore.

Finally, on board the Singapore Airlines plane, to finish the meal, orange and chocolate ice cream.  It arrived rock hard. Never mind. That's better than half melted.

Chocolate orange was one of those flavours you lick every morsel and remember it hours, days later. As Shakespeare said, all's well that ends well.

I cannot feel anything except great gratitude to an airline which provides chocolate orange ice cream. First, the joy of the eating. Second, the ongoing improvement to life the airline has introduced me to a new flavour and a new brand.

More importantly, and happily, I made a note of the name of the company which produces the chocolate orange ices. I kept the ice cream carton lid with their name.

If you are down in Devon, go to Salcombe Ices and try their flavours. they have another branch in Dartmouth. You can also order from Ocado, the delivery branch of Waitrose.

Useful Websites
http://www.salcombedairyices.co.uk

http://ocado.com

https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restaurant_Review-g190768-d5814768-Reviews-Salcombe_Dairy_Ice_Cream-Salcombe_Devon_England.html

Tourist Information
http://www.salcombeinformation.co.uk

Salcombe Tourist Information Centre, Market Street, Salcombe, Devon, TQ8 8DE
01548 843927  

info@salcombeinformation.co.uk

Author
Travel writer and photographer, Angela Lansbury, author and speaker.

Delightful Food & Wine: instant Kaviar + Finnish spirits

The wine and food fair asia is at Expo April - last day1 Friday April 15 but if you have missed this one there's another food fair in Shanghai.

I think I have registered for the Shanghai fair by mistake, thinking I was registering for the Singapore Fair. Never Mind. Like the World Travel Market and the BBC Food fair in London, being registered for a trade show or a show for the public means that you are likely to be alerted in time to attend next year's or one later this year in another city or country or another similar trade or public show at the same venue or city.

I saw lots of fabulous foods and interesting wines and wine bottles and amusing products. For your information and entertainment here are some of my favourites. The sad thing, or the good thing, is that several of them need distributors in Singapore or Asia, so if you are looking for a product to import or promote, here are some great opportunities. (Actually, no need to feel sorry for anybody - they are all very successful, especially if they can afford a stand at the food fair, or the even more expensive stands in the wine fair section.)

Expo has a shuttle bus to a few favoured hotels. But if you live in Singapore, Expo is conveniently right next to the Expo MRT station. The station is quite crowded at leaving time.

The secret of a good sales person is that they smile and invite you to try. Would you like to try some Kaviar? Yes.

Here's a mock caviar in what looks like a toothpaste tube. Served on a stiff biscuit. Apparently the secret is to choose a bland biscuit, not anything too salty, in order to appreciate the slightly salty flavour of the Kaviar. 

I took a small sample home and we tried it. Family verdict - ah, it's called Kaviar with a K. It's not caviar, it's more like smoked salmon mousse, or taramasalata, yes, quite nice. Handy. Doesn't go off as fast as a pot of taramasalata.

I asked what wine matched it and was instantly taken to the adjoining stand where I was offered a sip of Chablis. 

My picture shows the export director Terje Tobiassen. terje.tobiassen@mills.no

www.mills-da.no

ww.stryhns.dk

ww.foodmark.se

Terje? think Terry. Tobiassen? Think son of Tobias. 

The caviar is a pinky colour and according to be label is made of cod roe. A quick canapé. Squeeze and serve.

Would you imagine that no is Norway and dk is Denmark and se stands for Sweden?

From food to wine. The adjacent hall (Expo has ten halls) is devoted to wines and spirits.

I've been to Finland and met Santa Claus in Lapland, and I was intrigued by the colourful well lit bottles on the Shaman Spirits stand.

F i n n t a s t i c, product of Finland, from Laplandia, land of purity, says the business card showing reindeer. I spotted the pun on fantastic instantly. But it took several looks at the business card before I spotted that their logo uses the letter F to frame the Finnish flag.

www.foodnhotelasia.com

www.prowineasia.com

Book now for

24-28 April 2018 www.foodhotelnasia.com

www.prowineasia.com

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Dehesa Restaurant Delights - Spanish/Italian restaurant in London

Dehesa serves Spanish and Italian food. The menu features charcuterie (pork) and tapas (originating in bar snacks). Tapas bars have made small plates of sharing food into a main meal. Wander south of Oxford Circus station behind Hamlets, near Liberty's and you find this place on the corner. The outside tables are there for smokers but at this time of year in slightly cool October the inside is more tempting. Turn right or left - we had booked a table and were shown to the left. 

(The ladies toilets are down a flight of stairs. Individual cubicles have a toilet and a small Villeroy and Boshe basin. 

Outside on the wall are bottle labels in frames under spotlights. If you've ever wondered what to do with a favourite wine label, now you know.

The drinks list is comprehensive. I found a reasonably priced sparkling rose Prosecco by the glass. But if you want a whole bottle of an expensive Rioja from a particular grower and a particular year, they have that, too. 

I wasn't at first over-excited by the wooden tables so close you had to squeeze through. But I warmed up when I found that underneath the table was a hook for handbags. 

This restaurant specialising in charcuterie (pork) and shellfish, at first seemed a bizarre recommendation from a Jewish family. However, we trusted the recommendation and were glad we did, because a group of four of us all loved it. 

At first sight the menu seemed to have a lot of shellfish which I cannot eat. But I was able to eat a vegetable starter, a duck main course, and a dessert.

What could I not eat? I am seriously allergic to shellfish. I have had bad reactions to both king prawns and crab. I have had hideously swollen eyelids and lips and throat; I had spots like chicken pox all over my face and head so I nearly tore my hair out. I was violently sick and even after I bought up the food I retched all night, unable to sleep, gasping, my stomach punching me, and dripping saliva down the washbasin toilet and bath.  I thought of this as the other three happily ate their shellfish, saying how good it was.

However, the menu, as in most restaurants, told me to let the management know of any allergies. The dish with the caviar looked nice but I was not prepared to risk the prawns. I regretted not asking for the black caviar without the shellfish. 

As the next starter had not yet arrived, I asked if I could have any of the ingredients which were not already mixed in. The waiters brought me a small dish of walnuts so I had something to keep me busy and a chance to try the dish. Now I know the serving staff are so obliging, if I go back I'll again ask if I can be given something from any dish containing one ingredient I cannot eat.

Here's a starter we shared. Vegetable in honey. Seriously good.

My main course was duck. 

We shared the desserts, two kinds of chocolate desserts, including a dish of the day. Ice cream with fig.

The price was quite reasonable, considering we had had a pre-dinner drink, a three course meal. We felt full but not over-full.

Where is Dehesa Restaurant? Near Oxford Circus station. Turn down a pedestrian side street and you are soon there. It is on a corner. 

They have other branches which share some of the dishes but add their own.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.