List of All Articles with Tag 'f'

Google’s dominance in online search has triggered a regulatory crackdown by South Africa’s antitrust body. The watchdog determined

OKLAHOMA CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 31, 2023--

Cruise operators are replacing oil-based fuel with liquefied natural gas to run their ships and pitching the shift

A London-based chef has apologised for what his peers branded a “rude” response towards criticism, after he faced backlash online for revealing the line-up of his kitchen team at his Notting Hill restaurant. Thomas Straker, who opened his namesake restaurant Straker’s in 2022, recently shared a photograph of his “chef team” comprising eight people, including himself. All eight members of the team pictured were white and male, prompting complaints from social media users who believed it did not reflect the diversity of London. Some comments claimed Straker’s team showed how the food industry was a “white boy’s club”, while others urged the restaurateur to provide chefs from minority groups a “safe place to grow as chefs”. Straker, who found fame by sharing his recipes and cooking videos on TikTok, responded to the negative backlash by commenting: “Honestly, people need to calm down. Firstly, there is a shortage of chefs/hospitality workers. Secondly, if you feel so passionately, please go and gather CVs of any chefs you think we’re missing in the team. Solutions not problems. Thank you.” However, his response has also been criticised as “rude”, with a number of chefs and other figures in the food industry weighing in on the online storm. He has since shared an apology via his Instagram Story. “On Friday night, I put up a post of my chef team and many rightly pointed out the lack of diversity in it. I am very sorry for my initial response, where some queried whether I take this issue seriously,” he said. “I am absolutely committed to ensuring diversity in my restaurants, unfortunately we aren’t achieving this in my kitchens currently and this is an area I know I need to improve on, making sure it is seen as a welcoming and approachable environment for all. Tom x.” Becky Paskin, a drinks expert who appears regularly on ITV’S Love Your Weekend, wrote on Straker’s original post: “Too often we say, ‘We only recruit on the basis of the best people for the job’ without any consideration the role bias plays in the selection process. “It’s been proven time and again that diverse teams are more creative, productive and successful. If every member looks the same and has the same background, you’ll find they’ll all think the same as well. Forming diverse teams is not only the right thing to do, it makes business sense too.” US chef Kenji Lopez-Alt, who is known for his book The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, added: “Get off the social media for a week or so. Do some reflection. Talk to people who care about you and who you trust. Be better.” However, some people have defended Straker’s choice to hire who he wants in his team, and pointed out the staff shortage affecting the entire restaurant industry. Henry Tilley, restaurant manager at Native in London, wrote: “The industry is on its knees right now. There [aren’t] enough chefs or even [front-of-house staff] to go around as it is. We would love some applications for chef positions in our restaurants from female or non-binary individuals. The reality of the matter is we never get the applications so can’t be as representative as we’d like.” But Ben Mulock, executive chef of Balans in Soho, says the onus is on senior chefs to “solve the problem” of lack of diversity, instead of “asking others to solve it for us”. He told The Independent: “I am a white male executive chef, so it is my responsibility to push for an inclusive workforce, be that sex, age or ethnicity. They are not mutually exclusive – they are all important. “No, it’s not easy and at the moment, it almost seems impossible to recruit, but if we don’t try, we don’t move it forward. We always need to do better for this industry, and if we can’t do it in London, where can we?” While Straker’s post was not intended to stir controversy, the lack of diversity in his team has “shone a light on the broader challenges we face in kitchens these days”, Hannah Norris of Nourish PR said. “This is a classic case of an ill thought-out post,” she told The Independent. “Thomas Straker has issued what he believed was a photo of a group of confident, strong-looking chefs ready for service but didn’t think about the optics of the image and what it represented. “Whilst it was well-meaning I believe, a picture doesn’t lie. For whatever reason, he currently has no women or people of colour in his kitchen, so it all looks a bit ‘pale, male and stale’. Perhaps the reaction to this image will make Thomas think again a bit more carefully about who he wants to employ in the future.” The Independent has contacted Straker for comment. Read More The dish that defines me: Frank Yeung’s prawn wontons Between Brexit and Covid, London’s food scene has become a dog’s dinner – can it be saved? Prince William serves up vegetarian ‘Earthshot burgers’ to shocked diners Restaurant introduces ‘minimum spend’ that sees solo diners pay double to eat alone Restaurant with ‘tips are a privilege’ policy sparks intense backlash on social media How to make the Prince of Wales’s Earthshot burger

It’s a case of 12 down, 10 to go for Formula 1 in 2023. Max Verstappen is cruising to a third-straight world championship for a Red Bull team who look invincible – and could yet go the whole season invincible. Yet there have been other notable performances too, with Aston Martin and more recently McLaren impressing, while behemoths like Ferrari and Mercedes are left wondering how they’ve been left so far behind Red Bull yet again. It’s now time for the usual four-week August break, but not before The Independent takes a look at the highlights and lowlights from the first five months of the 2023 season. Best driver – Max Verstappen Unsurprisingly, the easiest choice of the lot. Eight wins in a row, 10 from 12 in total, Verstappen is has a mammoth 125-point lead to team-mate Sergio Perez with 10 races left. The title is already virtually sewn up. The only question left is – how many records he can set this season? Next in line is Sebastian Vettel’s 2013 record of nine wins in a row, which he can match at his home race in Zandvoort. Thank you, next. Best team – Red Bull To the second easiest choice of the lot. It seemed highly unlikely that Red Bull could improve on their double success last year; surely the chasing pack would reel them in? In fact, it’s gone the other way. Red Bull’s rocketship RB19 is Adrian Newey’s greatest design yet. It has won all 15 races including sprints – 12 from Verstappen, three from Perez – and they’ve had five one-two finishes. Including last season, Christian Horner’s team have won 22 of the last 23 grands prix. George Russell was somewhat ridiculed for suggesting after the first race in Bahrain that Red Bull “could win every race this season.” He doesn’t look so silly now. An unprecedented perfect season could well be the story of the season. Biggest disappointment – Nyck de Vries Already out the door after 10 races, with Daniel Ricciardo replacing him at AlphaTauri, Nyck de Vries’ Formula 1 career is in tatters. With zero points, a best-finish of 12th and Red Bull overlord Helmut Marko criticising him as early as April, the writing was on the wall for De Vries from the outset. Did he deserve quite such an early exit? Probably not. But it was coming. This was not supposed to be the order of play after the Dutchman’s mightily impressive debut at Monza last year for Williams, where he finished ninth filling in for Alex Albon. A return to Formula E appears most likely for the 28-year-old now. Most improved driver/team – Aston Martin Eyebrows were raised last summer when Fernando Alonso switched from Alpine to the struggling Aston Martin, who finished seventh in the Constructors’ Standings. But how that decision has bore fruit. Alonso started the 2023 season with five podiums in six races, with the racing green Aston modelled closely on leader of the pack Red Bull, leapfrogging the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari early on. They’ve had something of a dip recently, but Alonso remains the best of the rest behind Red Bull in the world championship. Their emergence as a frontrunner will be undoubtedly confirmed if they can achieve a race victory in the second-half of the season. Biggest surprise – McLaren’s recent revival Aside from the extent of Red Bull’s dominance, the July renaissance from the McLaren papaya has come completely out the blue. It looked set to be a long season when, in the season-opener in Bahrain, Lando Norris pitted six times amid issues with the MCL60. But, having made personnel changes and altered their floor of the car, Norris secured two second-place finishes in a row in Silverstone and Hungary. Australian rookie Oscar Piastri has also impressed after a cagey start – the highlight a sterling drive to finish second in the Belgian GP sprint race on Saturday. Biggest underachiever – Ferrari This will not be the biggest surprise. After looking so fierce and domineering at the start of 2022, how the Scuderia’s fortunes have reversed in the 18 months since. Ferrari have not won a race since Charles Leclerc in Austria last year – over 12 months now – and despite changing their team principal in the off-season from Mattia Binotto to Fred Vassuer, they continue to be impacted by the same disorderly confusion which characterised last season. Charles Leclerc appears close to breaking point on occasions, with Carlos Sainz not far behind. Ferrari themselves will do well not to be left bereft in the midfield in the remainder of 2023. Biggest shock – Toto Wolff revealing Mercedes will ditch car concept Max Verstappen insisting he could quit F1 if more sprint races are added to the calendar was a shock. But just beating it, it didn’t take long for Mercedes to finally ditch their unique no-sidepod design. Toto Wolff didn’t even wait until the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix; testing, practice and qualifying had told him enough. “I don’t think this package is going to be competitive eventually,” he said. “We got it wrong last year. We thought we could fix it by sticking to the concept of car but it didn’t work out so we just need to switch our focus on to what we believe is the right direction.” Improvement for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell has been slow but steady since. Biggest farce – Esteban Ocon pit-lane incident in Baku Everyone knew it was happening. The pit wall, the broadcasters – but not the FIA seemingly. Esteban Ocon had to pit before the last lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix having pursued a bold – albeit ineffective in the end – strategy to drive the whole race on one set of tyres. F1 rules dictate every driver must pit at least once. So the shocking scenes which followed of Ocon almost running over photographers and officials walking in the pit lane was shambolic and extremely unsafe. Best race – Australian Grand Prix In a season lacking classic races thus far, the street track of Albert Park in Melbourne did at least provide drama from start to finish. Three red flags were thrown due to crashes throughout the race, with a late shunt forcing a captivating two-lap shootout to finish, which subsequently resulted in the Alpines crashing into each other and Carlos Sainz penalised for spinning Fernando Alonso. The sort of chaotic carnage which has not been replicated since. Worst race – Hungarian Grand Prix Expectations were high in Budapest after Hamilton claimed his first pole position since December 2021. Could he defend from Max Verstappen from lights out? Could there be a battle between the pair not seen since Abu Dhabi 2021? No, no there couldn’t. Verstappen dived down the inside at turn one and was not seen again. The race descended into nothing short of a bore-fest and had just 16 overtakes – the lowest amount in any grand prix in 2023. For comparison, last year’s race at the Hungaroring had 61 overtakes. Read More Daniel Ricciardo is back - and this time he wants to go out on top Lewis Hamilton makes Austin Powers reference to show Max Verstappen dominance Max Verstappen extends invincible streak with victory at Belgian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton reveals return of major issue with Mercedes car at Belgian Grand Prix Max Verstappen extends invincible streak with victory at Belgian Grand Prix ‘We should not be deterred’: Lewis Hamilton unhappy with stewards after penalty

Following a record-breaking June, it’s fair to say summer has turned into a bit of a washout, with a deluge of downpours, while other parts of Europe are baking in unbearable heat. Unfortunately, the unsettled weather is set to continue, with the Met Office forecast for the next two weeks stating: “Showery conditions are likely, along with the risk of longer spells of rain and stronger winds at times too.” In the second half of August, we can expect: “A mixture of rain and showers for many areas… any prolonged dry and hot spells appear to be unlikely.” At the same time, temperatures haven’t plummeted completely, which makes deciding what to wear quite the conundrum at the moment. How do you keep cool and dry at the same time? Here’s what fashion experts recommend for wet weather during summer… Waterproof jacket When it’s too warm for a proper coat, a thin rain jacket with a hood is essential. Make a style statement in a bright colour or bold print, with trendy waterproofs that combine fashion and function. “A lightweight and compact rain jacket from Rains is always easy to style and perfect for carrying around for unexpected showers,” says Lesley Torson, co-founder of Trilogy Stores. “They look really sleek, so won’t ruin a good outfit, whilst still being really light and airy to keep you cool.” Amber Gordon, founder of fashion sourcing company Tailored Styling, recommends a see-through mac: “During Fashion Week, fashion editors and stylists will have a clear and structured raincoat they can whip on to keep their look from getting wet, that still allows people to see what they are wearing.” Regatta X Orla Kiely Summer Pack-It Jacket in Fuschia Passion Flower, £34.95 (was £70) Cotton Traders Moorland Rich Gold Waterproof Coat, £65; Wrinkle Free 3/4 Sleeve Stripe Jersey Top, £20; Women’s Ecru Coloured Stretch Jeans, £36 (accessories, stylist’s own) Lots of layers “Light layers are the best way to dress for summer rain,” says Torson. “Wear your raincoat with a cropped jean, or cotton or linen midi dress, and trainers to maintain a summery look, whilst being prepared for unpredictable weather.” The utility trend is also handy for rainy days – loose cargo pants are cool and practical. “Whip out your hoodies and wear underneath an oversized leather blazer,” says Gordon. “The different textures will make the laidback and comfortable fit feel super high-end.” Monsoon Wide Leg Cropped Jeans in Blue, £80 Sensible shoes Nobody wants soggy socks, which is why splashproof shoes are a must – trainers with a chunky sole will help stop puddle water from seeping into the seams. For seriously rainy days, only Wellington boots will do. “They’re officially back as a fashion staple, thanks to this unpredictable rain,” says Gordon. “To elevate the welly look to luxury, invest in a lighter colour, like a beige or cream Wellington boot. Wear with a bare leg and a floaty dress that will keep you cool and looking summery.” Dune London Truro Navy Side-Stripe Lace-Up Runner Trainers, £100 Don’t forget your hat A hat is the most important fashion accessory for keeping your hair dry and frizz-free. “Hats have become incredibly popular this summer, from denim hats, such as the Miu Miu denim cowboy hat, to summery straw hats,” says Gordon. A water-resistant bucket hat is on-trend and ideal for drizzly days. “A tanned leather bucket will go with most outfits,” Gordon continues. “Use hats to dress your outfits up or down, depending on your mood and as a bonus – you’ll barely notice the rain!” Accessorize Nylon Bucket Hat, £14, Simply Be

Designer Christian Cowan has done it again, with a creative garment for commuters everywhere. Enter, The Sweet Seat. The limited edition collaboration with Candy Crush Saga is inspired by the dreaded morning commute in the city. It offers a wearable seat adorned with bright colours and shapes taken from the popular game. Cowan, best known for his bold and unexpected collections, has worked with Candy Crush to put his playful and humorous touch on the Sweet Seat, bringing it to life in a way that doesn’t compromise fashion for comfort. His approach provides a sweet solution that puts the fun back in functional. With campy and Candy-tastic designs, the piece blends Cowan’s creativity and high fashion prowess with Candy Crush’s world of fun colours, candies and patterns. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter "This piece is inspired by the fun that Candy Crush brings to mundane tasks like commuting," Cowan said. "Public transit could use a dose of glamour, especially in New York City and London, and the Sweet Seat brings that glamour in a fun, fashionable, and over-the-top way. What I love about this collaboration is that it brings a joyful solution to an everyday problem in a way that’s both out-of-the-box and camp." The Sweet Seat features a tear-drop silhouette garment that can be worn solo as a dress, or over the top of an outfit as an accessory. Functionally, the garment works like a bean bag, the wearer can literally sit back and take a seat anywhere they’d like. "Our loyal fans who play Candy Crush on the go love the colour and fun that we bring to their everyday lives," said Luken Aragon, VP of marketing at Candy Crush Saga. "Whether they’re waiting in a long queue or battling the daily commute - without a seat, we want to be able to help bring them that joy and vibrancy to their day so that nothing gets in the way of levelling up. Collaborating with Christian to bring to life the candies that these players know and love - and can now wear - has been truly divine." This limited-edition item is available for purchase for $1,000 / £786.92. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The Prince of Wales has teamed up with popular YouTube channel, Sorted Food, to create the first Earthshot Burger. The veggie burger was created with Earthshot Prize-winning products, and a video posted on YouTube shows William handing out meals from a food van in central London with the Sorted Food chefs. The burger, filled with vegetables, spices, pickles and finished with a minty vegan mayonnaise, was developed by the sustainable packaging start-up Notpla (winner of the Build A Waste-Free World category), environmentally-friendly stove company Mukuru Clean Stoves (winner of the Clean Our Air category), and Kheyti’s Greenhouse-in-a-box, winner of the Protect and Restore Nature category. The collaboration is part of The Earthshot Prize’s new partnership with YouTube, to encourage users to create more content around climate change. Here’s how you can make your own at home… The Earthshot Burger Ingredients: (Serves 4) For the pickle: 1 cucumber, 2mm slices 1 mouli, peeled and cut into 2mm slices 200ml white wine vinegar 75g caster sugar 1tsp chilli flakes 1tbsp coriander seeds ½tbsp fennel seeds 1tsp mild chilli powder 1tbsp ground coriander seed 1tsp garam masala For the burger mix: 6tbsp vegetable oil 2tsp cumin seeds 1tsp mustard seeds, brown 1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 40g ginger, finely chopped 2 green chillies, finely sliced 1tsp turmeric 1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced 200g white cabbage, shredded 200g cauliflower, finely chopped 100g green beans, finely sliced 500g white potato, steamed and cooled 30g coriander leaves, chopped For the sauce: 200g vegan mayonnaise 60g coriander 20g mint, leaves only 20g ginger, peeled To serve: 4 burger buns, sliced and toasted Method: For the pickle: 1. Place the sliced cucumber, mouli and one tablespoon salt in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. 2. Add 400 millilitres water, vinegar, sugar and spices to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over a high heat. Once simmering, remove the pan from the stove. 3. After 30 minutes, tip the salted cucumber and mouli into a colander and rinse under cold running water then add them to the warm pickle liquid. Stir well and allow to cool. For the burger mix: 4. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds and fry for two minutes until fragrant and starting to pop. 5. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chillies, along with a pinch of salt and continue to fry, stirring occasionally for five to seven minutes until the onion is starting to colour. 6. Tip in the spices and stir to combine. 7. Tip in the sliced pepper and continue to cook for five minutes until the pepper softens and releases its liquid. 8. Add in the cabbage, cauliflower and green beans, stir everything together and cover the pan with a lid. Allow the vegetables to soften for five minutes. 9. Coarsely mash the potatoes in a bowl and then add them, along with the coriander to the pan. Stir everything together and taste and adjust the seasoning. You are looking for a thick mashed potato texture. 10. Remove the pan from the stove. For the sauce: 11. Add the mayonnaise, herbs, ginger and a generous pinch of salt to the jug of a blender and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning. To serve: 12. Divide the mashed potato and vegetable filling between the toasted buns. Top each with a couple of pinches of pickled vegetables and finish with the herb sauce. Read More ‘Nicely cooked’: Watch moment Prince of Wales serves burgers to surprised diners in London The dish that defines me: Frank Yeung’s prawn wontons Seann Walsh explains reason behind his ‘strange request’ at restaurants

ANCHORAGE, Alaska--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 31, 2023--

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 31, 2023--

After clamping down on food stamps in the debt ceiling deal, House Republicans now want to take a whack at WIC, the food assistance program for low-income women, infants and young children.

Lewis Hamilton’s “frustrated and confused” Mercedes team are in survival mode, leading Formula One pundit Martin Brundle has claimed. Hamilton finished fourth, two places ahead of team-mate George Russell, at Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wrapped up his eighth straight win. Although Mercedes are second in the constructors’ championship heading into the sport’s summer break, Hamilton appears no closer to ending his 35-race losing streak. The seven-time world champion was also dealt a major blow in Spa-Francorchamps after an upgrade – which included new sidepods and a revised floor – appeared to contribute to the return of porpoising. Speaking after the race, Hamilton said his Mercedes was bouncing “everywhere” and said the sensation was reminiscent of last year’s car – a machine which carried him to the poorest championship finishing position of his career. “Mercedes will be very frustrated,” said Brundle, 64. “Their car is on a knife edge to set up, to understand and to drive. “They are surviving the season, as they did last year, and making the best of a bad situation because they are a great team. “But I would imagine they are confused with this car. They promise a great result, get something special, then go to the next race with upgrades and fall off the pace.” Mercedes have claimed just one victory in the past 19 months. Their poor form is a far cry from the dominance which saw them secure an unprecedented eight consecutive constructors’ titles. And Russell revealed the Brackley team have been drawing creativity from their once all-conquering machines. “We are working really hard on the characteristics for next yea, and we are looking a lot at how the previous generation of cars were for Mercedes, the glory years, and using that as inspiration,” said Russell. “Clearly they were some of the best cars in history. So that is giving us some pointers of where we need to aim for. “I am sure we will be strong in the second half of the season. We have some little things coming after the break and I am confident we will secure second in the team championship and close the gap to Red Bull.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen taunts F1 rivals with ‘pit-stop training’ offer Max Verstappen beats Oscar Piastri to sprint race pole in Belgium How Max Verstappen and record-breaking Red Bull compare to Formula One greats