The week in pictures

The Ignite Group officially launched its fourth Bumpkin site in London this week. Its location next door to the Chelsea Gardner on Sydney Street provided a neat fit for the “secret garden” feel to this latest branch of a restaurant that focused on seasonal British food and drink.

While guests tucked into Champagne, house cocktails and tasty treats from “Bertha”, Bumpkin’s barbecue, the band swung into action out on the garden terrace: the perfect recipe for an English summer evening.

(Image © Colin Hampden-White)

William from Trailer Bar and one of the members of the Bartenders team fills the winners cup after defeating the Sommeliers in the Grand Final of the Bartenders v Sommeliers competition at Imbibe Live last Tuesday, 3 July at Olympia in London.

Sampling the new “Jet Brew”, created by Tyne Bank Brewery in celebration of the Jet2.com inaugural flight from Newcastle to Pula, were Laura Halliday, Newcastle international airport aviation sales executive; Julia Austin, director of Tyne Bank Brewery; and Phil Ward, Jet2.com passenger sales director.

Singer Beyoncé posted this picture of herself on Instagram, showing her washing down a takeaway burger with a glass of Champagne.

Jonathan Toews, captain of the Chicago Blackhawks ice hockey celebrates his team winning the US championships, also known as the Stanley Cup, with a 6-litre bottle of Armand de Brignac at the Boardroom club in Chicago.

German humour was alive and well at a tasting organised by UK importer Awin Barratt Siegel, which is hoping to introduce a bag-in-box format from Leitz early next year.

Freya Miller, marketing coordinator at Pol Roger UK, presents Lian Zhang with a bottle of Cognac as part of her prize for winning the Hine Painting Prize 2013, for her work “Passage”.

During a debate to discuss the best route forward for Franciacorta in the UK market, db took the chance to admire some of the large tapestries that adorned the interior or the Italian embassy in London.

Rare Bollinger R.D. Champagnes from 1988 and 1976 featured at the Bollinger lunch in London.

There was more Champagne on ice for db on a recent trip to the region.

A stone relief from inside Reims cathedral, which is db‘s Rupert Millar’s favourite – any guesses why should be posted below.

More roses in full bloom at La Briqueterie. For more pictures of db‘s visit to Champagne see here.

The American revolution beer and food matching evening at the Meantime Brewery’s Old Brewery in Greenwich was an enjoyable way to mark Independence Day on a beautiful evening in south-east London. The menu started with the introductory beers of Anchor Summer, from the Anchor Brewery in San Francisco, Helles beer from Sly Fox and Meantime’s Yakima Red.

The evening’s main course was a great take on the classic surf ‘n turf, with smoked baby rack ribs marinated in Meantime wheat, with grilled lobster, spicy coleslaw and hand cut chips, which was served with Founders Dirty Bastard beer, from Founders Brewery in Grand Rapids, Michigan and Flying Dog Wilde Man IPA, from Frederick, Maryland.

The dining room at the Old Brewery features a microbrewery, which is Meantime’s “experimental home”, with each copper tun holding around 1,500 pints.

The Dutch Genever gin house pop-up bar at Callooh Callay’s Upstairs Bar where a tasting and masterclass was hosted by 2013 Bols Around the World champion and Connaught bar senior mixologist, Rusty Cerven alongside UK Bols Brand Ambassador, John Clay.