Lucy McGuire

From venison aperitifs to hangover-beating 'meaty maries', London's cocktail menus have definitely taken a carnivorous turn – so as the drinks keep flowing this season, meat-lovers might want to consider one of these fleshier varieties:   The Kobe Cocktail With mixology maestro Rich Woods at the helm, Sushisamba knows what it's doing when it comes to culinary cocktails. And that includes meaty ones too. The Kobe Cocktail is fast becoming one of its most talked about drinks, as it uses Kobe beef sourced from prime Wagyu cattle and Japanese whisky, treated to a wash of the highest grade Kobe fat. This is a classic riff on the traditional old fashioned and is stirred with maple and salted caramel before it's served on a block of ice with a primal hunk of that Kobe beef on the side. Grrr. And if you can't get enough of this prime cut, Sushisamba executive chef Cláudio Cardoso is serving up a special 12 Days of Kobe menu of meaty delights from December 14 to 26.    WASH ME DOWN. #meatymary from this awesome prohibition bar! #vodka #beefjus #tomatojuice #spices with some casual #roastbeef inside. #bloodyhellmary Thanks @nick001 for donating his #foodporn #food #yum #instafood #yummy #amazing #instagood #sweet #dinner #lunch #breakfast #fresh #tasty #foodie #delish #delicious #eating #foodpic #foodpics #eat #hungry #foodgasm #foods A photo posted by foodspired (@foodspired) on Oct 28, 2013 at 8:20am PDT   The Meaty Mary Head to Powder Keg Diplomacy in Wandsworth the morning a

Eating ‘slow’ means dining on food that’s been sourced locally, sustainably and has a carbon footprint as low as a Caribbean limbo. You might think that’s impossible in a city like London, but not so. Head south of the river to these three restaurants, who all fly the flag for ‘green’ dining.  M1lk Based in Balham, this hip café uses biodegradable cups and as well as impressive composting efforts, and you’ll also find that the menu has been compiled with a slow ethos in mind. Goat's curd crumpets drip with honey from the hives of Wandsworth and bakery-fresh sourdough is so local (from Brixton) it could have walked there itself. A ‘grow your own’ philosophy means M1lk's jam is made from foraged elderberries and herbs are nurtured on Clapham Common, helped by urban farm Growing Underground. It's even considering introducing coffee grind-sourced bio-fuels. And if you fancy a coffee from the workshop, it’ll be served with milk sourced directly from a Sussex dairy farm.  The Three Stags    The Three Stags As the Three Star Sustainability Champion for three years running, this Kennington-based gastropub is passionate about maintaining its barely-there carbon footprint. The pub supports sustainable fishing, champions tap water and sources honey from its own rooftop beehives. And to add to its slow food credentials, vegetables are grown in schools and local allotments and you’ll find some English wines on the menu. <<gs id="616bceb4-27d9-48ff-a922-0cdac283

The Brixton Pound has been the wad of choice for true Brixtonites since 2009. There’s around B£50,000 in circulation – in paper and electronic form – and you can buy them online or get them from various shops displaying the Brixton Pound sign. But what’s in this local currency for you? Here are five reasons we should celebrate these colourful notes:  Lucy McGuire      They put Brixton on the map If you overheard someone on the Victoria line say 'I’m heading to Bricky to spend my bills on some CHICKENliquor' you’d probably want to follow – especially if they were clutching a bundle of Brixton Pounds. The beautiful thing about a local currency is that it's niche. It brings people away from the tourist traps and into thriving local communities. <img id="589b364c-b1f3-2b90-8469-615852f94a98" data-caption="The anniversary Brixton five pound note" data-credit="Lucy McGuire" data-width-class="100" type="image/jpeg" total="2515734" loaded="2515734" image_id="102888118" src="http://media.timeout.com/images/102888118/image.jpg" align="middle" alt="The Brixton five pound note" class="photo lazy inline"> The anniversary Brixton five pound noteLucy McGuire They highlight Brixton’s heritage The paper B£ notes commemorate historic local heroes, from political activist Olive Morris to David Bowie. Landmarks like the Nuclear Dawn mural and the Foxes and Cherries sculptures are also represented. Even artist Jeremy