Jess Matthews (née Henderson)

I’ve been lucky enough to know this was coming but special launches like this make me genuinely excited. @coventgarden_hotel has partnered with the masters of all things cheese @nealsyarddairy to create “Afternoon Cheese” - a savoury twist on the sweet classic tea. Start off with a surprise mini cheese ice cream cone (I swooned over the creamy blue cheese with a drizzle of honey), then dive into a warm @hafodfarm cheddar rarebit donut. Slather goats cheese curd and caramelised onion jam on @montgomerys_cheddar scones (you can still do this the proper Devon way…) I love the Ragstone and onion macaron and @westcombe ricotta cheesecake. Not to be missed, they’ve paired it all with my favourite @gusbourne_wine (if you have not yet tried their excellent still Chardonnay “Guinevere”, this is your chance.) A delight of an afternoon to share the preview with @candidsbyjo @theseptemberchronicles @londonispink @elensham and @piperschutt . Bravo @chef_joefox @katholbrook @chefmartinsweeney and all the lovely team at @firmdale_hotels .

“When spring comes to Paris the humblest mortal alive must feel that he dwells in paradise.” - Henry Miller A mix of moments captured on my tiny @fujifilmuk x100iv & iPhone over a wonderful sunny weekend 🇫🇷 1 - Favourite spot for people watching at @lefloreenlile 2 - A view from @madparis 3 - Chic walkers & bookshops 4 - A stroll near St Michel 5 - 10 - The Luxembourg Gardens have had the best glow up since my last visit - absolutely magical on a sunny day with people of all ages 11 - Another view from @madparis 12 - Me at the end of a work week (painting from @madparis ) 13 - Gorgeous Rene Lalique Lily of the Valley Comb at @madparis 14 - A little stop into the magical @marinmontagut 15 - Decadent pasta evening at @vecchio_paris 16 - Rooftop views from @leperchoirmenilmontant 17 - Fountains outside @centrepompidou on a sunny morning 18 - Lunch at @vinsdespyrenees

Clever on so many levels, I had a fantastic time at the launch of the Operation Mincemeat Afternoon Tea - theatrically inspired by the daring British WWII operation disguising the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily - conceived within the very walls of the Old War Office where @raffleslondon.theowo now resides. A partnership with the @mincemeatlive musical, each thoughtful pastry imitates a detail of the operation (an incredibly realistic looking classified briefcase, sweetheart love letters, even a gold painted submarine.) We were so lucky to meet three members of the original writers and cast - the absolutely hilarious and clever @tashhodge , @zoebobrob , and @daveycumming . (I rushed to buy tickets to see it after hearing what it took to bring it to the stage, the West End and eventually to Broadway.) A delight of a evening and always a treat to visit this stunning historic hotel - thank you so much @theowo.london @isabellavmartin @bacchus.agency @orlakellz @madeleine_kilpatrick 💌 (PR invite)

After a full day of unexpected sunshine, arriving to pints of cool shandies outside @manorhouseinnditcheat with @alicegeorginanoakes @jessicaparkhouse and @bealubas was the perfect addition to a trip to Somerset. I love this kind of place - full of atmosphere, conviviality and attention to detail. Completely without airs but with a recognition of the little touches that hospitality nerds like me love - cookies on arrival, a postcard you can give to the team to mail to a loved one before you leave. Dinner by candlelight in the pub before retiring to our cozy rooms upstairs (thoughtful ear plugs were provided just in case the pub noise travels up but I didn’t need them.) I was warned I’d hear a steady stream of horses passing by on the way to the nearby training school in the morning and most certainly did. It just added to the charm of it all. Bravo as always @chickpeagroup and thank you so much for having us. I’ll be back for another eggs Benedict. (PR invite)

I’ve been curious about @ffern.co for a long time. Fragrances that celebrate nature, tell the story of a singular season and encourage us to feed our curiosity. And now I get it. I was utterly charmed by the experience of opening the Spring 26 package. The scent might be at the core - but I was delighted and inspired as I continued to open maps, and packets of wildflower seeds, and a terracotta stone to fragrance my living room and a candle to burn in the evening. Spring’s fragrance brings extra focus to @kneppwildland , a 3500 acre rewilding project in West Sussex and their delightful beavers - reintroduced to Britain after an absence of some 400 years. I love the collective of artists brought in to interpret the season in different ways: Actress Claire Foy for their beautiful spring film, Writer Max Porter’s poignant & whimsical words (I absolutely adored his book “Lanny”), Sound Artist & Musician Alice Boyd sound map of Knepp, Artist Sophie Coryndon’s needle-etched gold leaf and Ceramicists Liv and Dom Cave-Sutherland enamel details on the candle. There’s a whimsical bi-monthly podcast (I’m listening to a May song about unpredictable weather on repeat) and a foundation supporting British Folk Arts & Traditions. You have a new convert @ffern.co . Yet another bit of brilliance out of Somerset. Thank you @jessyharrisonpr for officially introducing me (PR gifted)

The start of this week saw the most wonderfully sunny Somerset day celebrating 10 years of @anaortiz_chef x @firemadeuk ’s incredible feasts. How I went the day without taking a snap of an empanada is beyond me. What a treat to be in such wonderful company in a magical setting @westcombe . Bravo Ana & Tom and here’s to many more adventures ahead.

Always one of the best days, when Mount Street shakes its tail, we all go for a little walk and @theconnaught celebrates with @goodwoofdogs . Bonus: the new afternoon tea at Jean-Georges at The Connaught looks incredible and @nicolasrouzaudconnaught ’s #connaughty hound is back with a bow tie for sale in May with a portion of profits going to @battersea . Thank you, dear ones 🐾🥂🐾🥂

Sancreed House (Part 2) | I love a historical tale attached to a stay. A book that has always stayed with me is The Constant Gardener by John Le Carré and it turns out he has a connection to @sancreedhouse : “When my first marriage, broke up, like any decent person in that situation, I was desperate and in total despair,” Le Carré recalls. “I felt the lure of the peninsula, and came to stay with my friend John Miller, the painter. John lived with his partner, Mike, in a house at Sancreed, and I took the top floor. They kind of adopted me. I started walking here, and really fell in love with the place.” He would go on to buy a series of fishermen’s cottages nearby. It is said that Le Carré instructed correspondents to address letters of a delicate nature “c/o John Miller at Sancreed House” as a “dead letter box for really disgraceful correspondence”. PR invite | Thank you Grove, Pablo & @masseytravel for a gorgeous stay.

Sancreed House (Part 1) | Waking up at @sancreedhouse was a gorgeous affair. Ten minutes outside Newlyn in the Cornish countryside, this Grade-II listed B&B has been lovingly curated by globetrotters Grove & Pablo who moved from Australia to open their first hospitality project. (With an aim to start gently in their first season, they instead immediately found themselves booked out for four months straight.) The feel at Sancreed is immediately relaxed, friendly and a design lovers dream. Scrumptious gluten-free lemon cookies made by Pablo waited for us on arrival (as did freshly made scones in the dining room). We stayed in the main house’s beautiful Boat room, with its views over their lovely garden (the bathroom pictured here is from the Honeymoon suite but I fell for the cabinet.) A long frame in our room held a map of the length of the Thames, which we loved considering we live alongside it. The tissue box had the most beautiful cover I’ve ever seen. After a busy few days running around the coast, we cozied into our room on our first evening with a bottle of wine (a quick WhatsApp message had Grove at our door in a millisecond with a bottle opener) and a movie. It was just the tonic we needed. Thank you so much for welcoming us Pablo, Grove & @masseytravel (PR stay).

The song I’ve chosen to soundtrack this post is called “Beautiful Obsession” which is an accurate description of my feelings about the @gurnardshead pub outside of Zennor in Cornwall. A drive of tiny roads, stunning views, crumbling mines and tiny hamlets guide you to The Gurnard’s Head. And that’s absolutely part of the joy - seeing its beacon of a bright yellow exterior appear before walking inside to its delightful interiors. Polite notes ask you to close doors in a certain order to tame overenthusiastic winds and a casual atmosphere and a warm & friendly team welcome you. But it’s also an atmosphere that makes you suspect they seriously know what they are doing. The menu is full of winners, the wine list is full of temptations and everyone around you will likely be murmuring to themselves about the dish that just arrived. We sat next to a couple and their young son who were about to set off on the two hour trek back to St Ives. We struck up a casual conversation and admired each other’s orders. We envied their sticky toffee pudding with clotted cream that we hadn’t left room for ourselves. It’s the kind of place where that all feels natural. They have small and cozy bedrooms upstairs (and a larger room with a very enviable bathroom in the annex). A return visit is most definitely on the books and we’re now keen to explore their sister sites in Wales & Mousehole. Thank you Charles, Philippa and the whole team for welcoming us so warmly. Thank you @masseytravel for telling us we had to visit. What a special place. PS - Photo 9 is not mine but theirs. I adore it. PPS - Try the Red Mullet ceviche, the monkfish and the asparagus grabiche if it’s on the menu.

Gurnard’s Head | Nearly a third of Cornwall has a AONB designation (Area of Outstanding Beauty) and when you walk down to the windy headland at Gurnard’s Head it’s easy to understand why. Tucked a three minute’s walk behind the Gurnard’s Head pub is the tiniest path to the cliffs. Cared for by @nationaltrustsouthwest , it’s a beautiful spot that has settled into my heart.

Things to do in Penzance & Newlyn | The last time I ventured down to the Southwestern tip of mainland Britain, it was a cold and rainy January in Cornwall. So it was a delight to see it windswept with sun. Penzance felt like its high street had grown rougher since my last visit, though its charming vintage shops along Chapel Street and one of my favourite pubs in the country still charmed. Here’s what we got up to in town & down the coast in nearby Newlyn: 1, 2 & 3: @jubileepool : The UK’s largest seawater pool, holding over 5 million litres of water. Beautiful views across the water to nearby St Michael’s Mount (we unfortunately did not visit on this trip as they close on Saturdays … which we discovered …on Saturday.) 4, 5, 6 & 7: A spot of window browsing: There are a smattering of lovely shops & cafes in Penzance, especially for the antique lover and a cute little Cornish Hen deli. 8: Our favourite pub: @the_turkshead_penzance with low ceilings, lit fireplaces and a much larger than expected beer garden. 9: A lovely dinner at @barbicanbistro , tucked down an alley right by the waterfront with a front door so small you might wonder if you’re going in the right place. We especially loved the Crab loaded fries and John Dory, paired with lovely service and a buzzing room for a Wednesday evening. (PR invite) 10: The walk down the coast to tiny, foodie Newlyn. 11 & 12: We loved everything at @mackerelskyseafoodbar ,not only because it was our first al fresco dinner of the year. Try their light-as-a-feather beer-battered haddock and the monkfish burger. 13: The lovely pocket-sized @thecornishdelicatessen 14: If you just get one thing in Newlyn, make it an ice cream from @jelbertsicecream . Peak creaminess. 15: Perfect sauce on these mussels at @tolcarneinn . We loved our lunch here, especially after a windy walk turned cold and we could sit in a fire lit room. 16: A visit to the seaside @newlynexchange art gallery for Abigail Reynold’s exhibition. I loved her work with glass made of local seaweed & sand. 17: Be sure to stop in trendy @lovetts_newlyn for coffee, cake and/or wine.