Gastronomy Guide

Anne-Marie

Ria Elaina Atkins

A Mum’s Life

Let me introduce myself – I’m Ria, Mum of two, married to my handsome hubby. I’m born and bred in my beloved Surrey and spend most of my time between here and London. I’m a handbag and shoe addict and lover of all things luxe.

To find out more about Ria’s luxe lifestyle follow her on Instagram @ria.elaina The way to

The beginning of the year is always a good time to have a clear out, whether it’s a wardrobe detox or updating aspects of your home.

I thought it was the perfect time to update our kitchen display cabinet. I am a bit obsessed with taking photos so it was a tricky task to scroll through the 50,000 photos on my phone (shocking I know - perhaps I should have a detox of my photos?!).

The way to my heart

This month, I was thrilled to be working with a company called Desenio. If you haven’t come across them, they are a super fashionable print and frame company with a large selection of the most beautiful prints at very reasonable prices. I decided to combine some black and white family photos with some monochrome prints and I am really happy with how it looks. The children are especially excited when they walk past and see pictures of themselves in a frame.

On a freezing cold January morning we headed into the gardens of Chai Banstead and into an igloo. Needless to say, the kids were rather excited, as were we because it meant that they didn’t disturb the other diners and we got to eat a meal in peace! The igloos are furnished with sheepskin throws, beautiful vintage floral arrangements and pretty fairy lights adorning the ceiling. For those of you that aren’t a fan of the cold, fear not, the heaters inside the igloo make for a really cosy ambience. The coffee is seriously good as are the freshly baked artisan cakes, it’s a must if you are in the area (igloo optional). Talking of al fresco dining, the Coppa Club Igloos in Cobham are also fun and they have my favourite pasta on the menu – you guessed it, truffle!

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Nobody does breakfast quite like The Ivy Cobham. It is my favourite place to meet friends for a catch up. Rather excitingly they have opened a new chain of Ivy’s known as Ivy Asia. My husband and I went on a date night to the St Paul’s location and nearly ordered the entire menu we were so excited. The lamb chops were sublime. The vivid green backlit gemstone floor also makes for a very Instagrammable spot. They are due to open one in Guildford in the Spring so keep your eyes peeled.

Wondering what to do for Valentines Day this year? If like me you are not really into showing PDA’s (cringe!), the perfect answer is to cook something tasty at home. After all, there is no better way to the heart than through the stomach. I mean I wouldn’t say no to a bespoke floral arrangement from the very talented Vanilla Orchid Flowers (husband take note). For an occasion like this we love to treat ourselves to

the Hawksmoor at home box. Each box comes with step-by-step instructions and a masterclass video via a QR code on how to cook the perfect steak. The accompaniments are prepared for you too so all you have to do is heat them up, et voila! Our favourite is the Porterhouse. My idea of the perfect night in!

I’ve realised in this month’s column all I’ve talked about is food! Perhaps next month I’ll be talking about places to workout, or maybe not…