A beachy, buzzy oasis is probably the most apt description for Urban Beach, a quirky boutique hotel near Boscombe Beach in Bournemouth, which is the ideal place to hole up for a weekend beach escape.Urban Beach is proof that good things come in small packages. With only 12 rooms, it feels more like you're staying at a stylish mate's house, rather t...

What influences do you draw upon to fuel your creativity?I love being in a super relaxing spot, somewhere in nature when I'm creating food. I'm from Australia, so this would ideally be on a warm beach, but these are in short supply in the UK. I have a really nice spot near my house in Highgate Woods, where I like to sit to think about food and the ...

A visually stunning sub-tropical gem lapped by a steely blue Atlantic Ocean, Madeira is an alluring destination. An island textured by dramatic volcanic peaks and blankets of verdant woodland, this remote Portuguese outpost is closer to Morocco than to Lisbon. Benefitting from a mild-mannered climate, Madeira's agreeable disposition and picture-pos...

Andalusia: azure skies all the year round, dazzling sunshine and sweetly fragranced gardens … colour, romance, emotion and the iconic figure of the flamenco dancer and the torero in the arena, sword and cape in hand beneath the scorching sun – there is simply no place like it on earth.​Here are my top five destinations for your trip, full of the sp...

Sometimes, living in London, you just need to take time to step back and get out of the city for a night. As much as I love my town, sometimes life gets a bit hectic and an escape to the country is needed. With the last heady days of autumn gone and winter stretched ahead of us, there's no better time to find yourself a countryside bolt-hole for a ...

The Principality of Monaco may be luxuriously nestled between the magnificent French and Italian Rivieras, but it certainly has a glittering and vibrant cachet all it's own. It is internationally renowned for the Monte Carlo Grand Prix (Monte Carlo is part of Monaco) and for having the first and most elegant casino in Europe. It is also regarded as...