Food & Drink notes

Bubble or nothing; French polish; slowly does it; the heat is on

Bubble or nothing

Bubble or nothing

It looks like hand cream yet it costs like perfume. Tocca, Italian maker of body lotions, has just brought out the Cucina range for the kitchen. Handwash, hand and body milk, room spray and candles come in two scents: Sofia, which smells of Italian herbs and tomatoes, and Marcello - milk, vanilla and honey. Washing-up liquid, £12, from The Studio Perfumery, 020-7722 1478

French polish

Bag a baguette straight from the oven from breakfast onwards at Aubaine, a French bakery, patisserie and café in South Kensington, London's French quartier, where they can't get away with unconvincing Gallic impersonations. Butter and flour are imported for croissants, pain de campagne, fruit tarts, cakes and patisserie. For lunch there are tartines, while dinner dishes roam around regional France. Orders to 020-7052 0100 or visit Aubaine, 260 Brompton Road, London SW3.

Slowly does it

Rush to tomorrow's Slow Food market - the inaugural one in the UK - on Bristol's Corn Street where the Wednesday farmers' market takes place. The 30 stallholders all meet the thriving international Slow Food movement's commitment to the highest quality artisan food production. There will be organic fruit and vegetables from the Better Food Company's walled garden in Somerset, perry and cider from Hereford, fish from Cornwall, local meat, ice-cream, Somerset apple brandy and artisan breads.

The heat is on

A new chapter in the ongoing saga of Aga, the cast-iron range cooker that's changed its traditional country-house image. The compact new Aga Four-Two will fit in a pied à terre kitchen. The 1960s-style Four-Two Mini Special Edition for £2,995 is the ultimate in city-kitchenette luxury. Or for £300 less, you can have a traditional Aga colour such as claret, pewter or British racing green. But don't go thinking that behind the glossy cast-iron front it works like an ordinary Aga and that you can leave your casseroles stewing away in the oven all night. This is a conventional electric oven with a gas hob, including a powerful wok burner. Call 08457 125207 for stockists or visit www.aga-rayburn.co.uk