A Visit To: Rutland Nursery's Authors in Conversation with Honey & Co.

Some events really stay with you long after you've left, and Rutland Nursery's latest Authors in Conversation evening with Honey & Co. was undoubtedly one of them.

Set against the backdrop of a glorious July evening overlooking Rutland Water, the event combined beautiful cocktails, inspiring conversation and the kind of atmosphere that reminded you why intimate events like these are so special.

Having already spent the past few weeks cooking my way through Honey & Co. Daily: Easy Food for Your Everyday Pleasure, I couldn't wait to hear husband-and-wife duo Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer speak about the stories behind their recipes, restaurants and remarkable journey.

For anyone unfamiliar with Honey & Co., they're the award-winning restaurateurs behind one of London's most-loved Middle Eastern food destinations. Since opening their first restaurant in 2012, they've gone on to create Honey & Co. Daily, Honey & Co.  Studio and Honey & Co. Great Portland, alongside publishing bestselling cookbooks, hosting their popular Honey & Co: The Food Sessions podcast and writing for both FT Weekend and Guardian Feast.

Their newest cookbook, Honey & Co. Daily, celebrates simple, flavour-packed cooking for everyday life. Filled with more than 100 recipes inspired by their café menu, it features vibrant seasonal salads, comforting one-pan dishes, easy midweek meals, quick bakes and irresistible desserts. Having now cooked several recipes myself, I can honestly say it's one of those cookbooks you'll find yourself reaching for time and time again. The recipes are wonderfully approachable while delivering incredible flavour.

The evening itself was instantly delightful.

Guests were welcomed with a refreshing Gimlet cocktail from the ‘In the Glass’ section of the cookbook, made with Multum Gin Parvo gin, lime, mint and cucumber. Sipping cocktails amongst the garden centre after hours before the talk began felt incredibly special and made the whole evening feel relaxed from the very beginning.

The conversation itself was hosted brilliantly by Chris Young, who asked thoughtful, insightful questions that encouraged Sarit and Itamar to share their journey with complete honesty, warmth and plenty of humour.

The best way I can describe it is that it felt like sitting in the audience of a podcast in person.

They spoke openly about building their business, writing cookbooks, running restaurants and the realities behind creating a successful food brand, all while making everyone in the room laugh along with them. Their passion for food was infectious, but even more inspiring was how much joy they clearly find in sharing it with others.

It was one of those evenings where you leave feeling completely inspired.

Of course, I couldn't leave without having my cookbook signed, making the perfect end to such a memorable event.

Now I simply need to visit Honey & Co. in London... particularly their wine bar, which has my name written all over it.

Rutland Nursery's Authors in Conversation series continues to bring an incredible line-up of guests to Rutland. Following previous appearances from the likes of Mary Berry and Craig Revel Horwood.

If you ever spot one of these evenings advertised, I'd highly recommend booking. They're intimate, beautifully organised and offer a rare opportunity to hear directly from some truly inspiring people.

I already can't wait to see who Rutland Nursery invites next... and I've heard the next one is going to be very good indeed. Find out more about HOney & Co. here. Upcoming 'Authors in Conversation' events and announcements here.

Charlie

@rutlandblog

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Please note: This experience is marked as an AD because it has been kindly gifted in exchange for content creation and my honest review, feedback and testimonial, as always reflecting my genuine opinions.