A warm and witty account of a food-filled day at Henley Literary Festival, featuring Tom Parker Bowles on restaurant criticism and royal dining, Kate Jenkins on building Gower Cottage Brownies, and Helen McGinn on finding good-value wine.

I didn’t think it could get much better than Michael Morpurgo, but the festival’s mix of diverse topics, skilful authors and wonderful characters has proved me wrong. Add in the interesting people you meet in the audience or chat to in the book-signing queues, and it’s been both mind-expanding and genuinely life-affirming.

Once again, how incredibly lucky we are to have this on our doorstep!

Back on my trusty steed – a sit-up-and-beg Simple Seven pushbike – I headed to the Town Hall for a couple of foodie events. Cycling really is the quickest way to beat the traffic, including the parking at Phyllis Court, which is reserved for Club members. Henley Rugby Club opposite offers an alternative.

I was interested to see what I’d make of Tom Parker Bowles: restaurant critic, award-winning food writer, MasterChef judge and, of course, son of Queen Camilla.

In his own words, he’s a “nepo, middle-aged man”, educated at Eton (alongside Raymond Blanc’s sons) and with access to some pretty good contacts. He recounted how, after chatting to Tatler editor Geordie Greig at a drinks party, he mentioned that the magazine lacked a food column – and ended up working there for the next ten years!

However, Tom soon won me over with his down-to-earth, positive attitude. He admitted he’d rather not write a review at all than write a negative one. Everyone has bad days, he reasoned, and who was he to make things worse? He sees himself as someone people can trust to recommend good places to eat.

His favourite type of restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere, good service and lighting, and great food that isn’t too fussy. He can do without foams and fancy garnishes, or being interrupted by a waiter to “introduce the bread”. He loves the River Cafe and recommended Riva, an underrated Italian restaurant in Barnes.

Had he ever considered opening his own restaurant? A definitive “No! … it would ruin the magic.”

He still loves cooking at home, though, and favours big sharing meals with friends – pasta, Thai and Mexican dishes (he loves chilli) – as well as happily manning a barbecue. Simple food, big flavours.

Tom also gave us an entertaining account of how royal dining has evolved: from Queen Victoria’s ten-to-twelve-course breakfasts and Edward VII’s elaborate snacks of deboned snipe wrapped in fat and foie gras, served with Madeira sauce, to today’s more modest three-course royal banquets. His mother’s scrambled eggs also got a mention, alongside one constant throughout history: afternoon tea.

Closer to home, he mentioned he loved the Black Boy Inn just outside Henley, which has sadly now closed. He also gave a shout-out to Gabriel Machin’s butchers, Copas turkeys (despite not being a huge fan of Christmas hype) and Nettlebed Creamery, particularly its Bix cheese – he married his first wife in Bix church. And for the HLF sponsor Gower Cottage Brownies? “They’re the best brownies in the world!”

Which neatly leads me to a very jolly, relaxed evening filled with a lot of chat and laughter, with Kate Jenkins, founder of the aforementioned “best in the world” Gower Cottage Brownies, and Helen McGinn, This Morning and Saturday Kitchen regular, founder of The Knackered Mother’s Wine Club and author of The Supermarket Wine Guide, in conversation with Matt Tebbutt, her fellow Saturday Kitchen presenter.

I admit that the temptation of a free brownie (I can confirm they’re delicious, with a perfectly fudgy centre!) and a glass of fizz lured me away from Tuesday night’s The Great British Bake Off.

Kate has a bit of a love-hate relationship with the programme. She feels there’s too much pressure to make everything look perfect, when it’s the taste and quality ingredients that really matter. Although she did admit to being completely star-struck when she found herself in Nigella’s company on Friday – a rare occasion when she was lost for words!

The trio had great rapport, making you feel as though you were sitting around a table, part of the conversation. Kate told us how she turned her locally loved brownies into a nationwide sensation, starting in her kitchen more than 20 years ago. She experimented by posting a batch to herself, discovering that brownies were the perfect postal gift: fresh, home-baked treats made with quality ingredients that could survive the journey and still taste delicious – unlike those faddish cupcakes.

She created a website, wrote a press release and sent them to magazines and TV programmes. Then, ten years ago, she approached Wimbledon — and they’ve been supplying brownies there ever since!

Helen McGinn’s guide to wine

Helen’s wine tips were equally useful. The best way to educate yourself, she said, is to try as many wines as possible, ideally side by side (maybe not the 80 that she’d tried earlier that day!).

As a former Tesco wine buyer, she explained that supermarkets all have a core range. This helped her organise her new book by price brackets, reviewing around 180 different wines, half of them under £10.

Her sweet spot? Spending between £8 and £15 a bottle. There comes a tipping point when you have to ask whether the extra cost is really worth it: are you paying for the prestige of a bottle of Grange, or simply enjoying a good wine?

When choosing a bottle to take to friends, Helen recommended trying a lesser-known variety that might surprise people, rather than something familiar that comes with preconceived opinions. Suggestions included Vermentino, a white grape grown in Liguria, Italy; a red Argentinian Cabernet Franc; and Asda’s Noble Riesling Dessert Wine, made by New Zealand producer Pegasus Bay.

For fizz, Helen stood by Tesco’s Finest Premier Cru Champagne, currently around £26 a bottle (often less with a Clubcard offer). Made by Union Champagne and aged in the bottle for 30–36 months to develop those lovely toasty, brioche notes.

For a more budget-friendly option, she also recommended Sainsbury’s Rosé Cava, made using the traditional method and currently around £7 a bottle.

Rounding off on a more literary note, Helen reminded us that wine tells a story: it’s about the place, the people, the company and the atmosphere.

What’s next at HLF?

Highlighting yesterday’s World Mental Health Day, I’ll be exploring the thought-provoking topic of “Mental Health Matters” after hearing Dr Sian Williams and Sir Norman Lamb… There’s also the question of how we talk to our children about climate change and future sustainability, through Ben Rawlence’s Think Like a Forest, as well as learning from historical events through the eyes of fascinating authors Victoria Hislop and Elif Shafak.

More food for thought — and another reminder of just how much this wonderful festival has to offer.

Words & Pictures: Emma Tallent

All books are available at the Bell Bookshop in Bell Street with a 10% discount on all purchases of £50 and over with the Experience Henley Card membership.