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Helen Cole 17/02/2025
Photo Credit: Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea
What’s your love language? I’ve been married to my husband
for almost 15 years (together for 21), so things can sometimes feel a bit too safe and familiar where an
unprompted change of the bed sheets, seems like a big romantic gesture.
To stop feelings of
apathy setting in, we focus on tuning in to each other's love languages.
My husband is a
feeder. After a friend suggested he get into cooking as a creative outlet, when his then job didn’t
satisfy this, I bought him a kamado-style smoker (the dupe version is super!) for Father’s Day. He likes nothing more
than planning a big cook up, spending literally hours slowly cooking a brisket or pork butt, prepping,
setting alarms to spritz hourly (often through the night), wrapping and finally devouring. We fill our
home with friends and family to share the joy. It’s usually very social. He’s branched out and prepares
delicious currys, pasta dishes, paella and is currently planning a Thai feast (my favourite!) next week
before he heads off on a long work trip. I can’t wait.
We’ll often cook together (I’m the
sous chef and chief washer upper…) and love the connection, giggles and focussed time it provides us. If
you or your significant other need some motivation in the kitchen, check out our cooking classes which
make great gifts for your loved ones with the added bonus that you get to savour their
efforts!
Now, my language, and please bear with me, is... Organisation. Whether that’s getting a
team together for our local pub quiz, inviting friends and family over for a meal, planning a mini break
(I like nothing more than a cheap and cheerful glamping
escape), or planning a little jaunt, just the two of us. We like to keep busy. Our shared experience
strengthens our bond and that with our children.
Now, we all need a little date night or day date inspiration
sometimes so here are my top 5 from the The Indytute collection. These also make brilliant wedding or anniversary gifts.
✅ The Sweet Escape - We LOVE
pudding and treasure hunts so this was right up our street. Fun clues, delicious desserts and a really
lovely afternoon spent in London.
✅ Paired Oysters at Swain’s Lane and a Hampstead Heath Walk -. A good stomp across
Hampstead Heath, a cheeky dip in Hampstead mixed pond (weather permitting as I’m a fair weather swimmer
unlike Calypso) and on to the delightful Swain’s Lane for a trio of oysters beautifully paired with 3
glasses of wine. Yum!
✅ Deluxe Cheese and Wine Tasting - Now, my husband is a heathen and doesn’t really
like cheese (more for me!) but this is one of my favourite things to do with basically anyone who’ll
come with me. A stunningly decked out Barge in the Paddington Basin, serving delicious British Cheese
and wine. I can’t stop going back
✅ Food Lovers Market
Tour - You may have spotted a theme here. We love our food. This is a fascinating (and
delicious) tour around the culinary history of Bermondsey. Our guide, Emma, was full of knowledge and
knew the best spots to tantalize our tastebuds.
✅ Table Tennis Masterclass. We are known to be a touch competitive so this had
the potential to end badly, but we had a simply joyous couple of hours learning new skills with Alberto
at Bounce in Farringdon. It’s a lively venue and Alberto kept the session fun with games and challenges.
I considered myself a table tennis master until my 10 year old niece destroyed me in a recent game.
Never mind!
