Foraging in Epping, with Caorunn Gin

It’s good to get outside sometimes, away from a life spent wedged behind a screen. In London, that usually means somewhere just as noisy, mind you - a park full of tourists or one by a main road.

Epping Forest doesn’t suffer from either of those problems. It’s huge, so you can get as far away from people and roads as you like. It has full 4g connectivity too, just in case you do want to answer an email or three.

I was in Epping Forest to forage for edible plants. Don’t worry, this wasn’t for my dinner - times aren’t that tough. In fact, we weren’t actually allowed to pick anything at all. I had to make do with a bag of dried fruit pieces for kids. That’s another story.

Hold on, rewind a bit - I can hear all three of you saying - foraging? Why?

Well the good people at Caorunn Gin - cheers guys! - took me and a few others to the woods to learn more about where their ingredients are from: being as six of their eleven botanicals are foraged from the Scottish Highlands. See, to all those PRs out there, I do pay attention!

The guy in charge whose name I forget (but he’s soon to appear on Netflix wrestling crocodiles - I kid you not), marched us around the wood, showing us plants that taste nice, plants that don’t, and plants that will kill you. Disturbingly, there were quite a few of the latter and all within easy reach of ignorant fools like myself. The government should really put up some signs.

I promised the PR folks that I wouldn’t dwell on the deadly plants too much, but they did seem to attract the most interest. What can I say? Give the people what they want!

A proper review of the day will appear on another blog soon - a good full foodie write-up - plus some comments on the meal they fed us afterwards. And no, it wasn’t just made from foraged ingredients, only some. I wanted to share a few pictures of the woods though and what with Bank Holiday coming up and all, some of you might be looking for inspiration as to what to do.

Head to Epping Forest then! Just don’t pick any of the plants - they might do you some harm. I ain’t kidding!

Hidden London | Discount Suit Company

London always does well in any 'World's Best Bar' competition. There are so many, that some bloggers have forged a career purely from covering bars in the city alone.

It's an envious job, but not one I relish. As with most things, once you scratch the surface of a seemingly simple subject (drinking), the complexity underneath is bewildering.

Besides, what makes a good bar? What makes a good cocktail?

I've been to many which offer one, but not the other. And, even when I've found one that ticks both boxes, I've no doubt that not everyone would agree with my opinion.

I'd find it hard for anyone to argue with the Discount Suit Company though.

I can't take credit for this find. It was my girlfriend who took me there and at first, I thought either she or Google Maps had lost the plot.

A very short walk from the bar laden streets of Liverpool Street, lies a complex warren of roads lined with cheap clothes shops and market stalls - all closed after 6.00pm. It's not a place you want to linger and not many people do, using it instead as a cut-through towards the bright lights of Spitalfields or the City.

But, she wasn't wrong (rarely is, to be honest - I should have known better!).

This is where the bar is.

Through a dark doorway and down an even darker flight of stairs, the low ceiling-ed basement bar of Discount Suit Company is hidden behind a thick black curtain. It's a cosy place, with a wall of yellow wall lights and tables of tiny candles dancing in jars.

So while the location may be dubious, the atmosphere gets a big tick. The drinks, however, get an even bigger one. The bar staff know what they're doing, mixing up perfect cocktails from a short, but well defined list.

I actually don't recall what we had. It was a while ago that I last visited - dragging Mat from Buckets and Spades along to have a look on one of our London blogging outings, sponsored by a beer company. Work that one out!

Regardless, I remember none of the drinks negatively and nothing negative about the whole experience. Even when full on a Friday (so perhaps not that 'hidden' after all), the bar service is lightning quick. Just what you want after a hard days blogging.

Pictures: Discount Suit Company and Jaxx Nelson on Instagram.

More Hidden London: Barbican Centre Conservatory and Soho Whisky Club.