For this month’s BWoM Edit, we asked the team to share the dishes they had this summer and the drinks they paired with them. From restaurant favourites to holiday plates and home cooked meals, these are the food and drink combinations that stood out. If anyone knows how to create the perfect pairing, it is the team at By Word of Mouth.
Chloe: Burrata with Isle of Wight tomatoes and basil, paired with a chilled glass of Laylo Bacchus.
Chloe, our Events Director, enjoyed this at a friend’s house. Simple, seasonal and exactly what a warm day asks for, this is a pairing that proves good ingredients rarely need much interference. The tomatoes brought sweetness, the burrata added creaminess and the Bacchus from our favourite boxed wine specialists, Laylo, introduced a crisp, aromatic lift that made the whole plate feel even fresher.
Mim: Small plates with Blanc De Noirs in Greece
Commercial Director, Mim, has recently returned from a tiny peninsular on the Greek mainland. She recalls having a fabulous meal at a local small plates restaurant. She said as always with this kind of dining there were a lot of different flavours going on, which she would usually choose a lighter red for, but it was 30 degrees at night, and she needed something fully chilled and refreshing. Luckily, the restaurant had an excellent wine list and Mim chose a delicious Blanc de noirs (white wine made from red grapes, in this case the Greek variety Xinomavro) which gives the richness and complexity you might find in a red, but with the drinkability of a cool white wine on a summer’s night.
Emma: Wagyu sope at KOL, paired with Holger Koch Pinot Noir Herrenstuck 2021.
Emma, Senior Event Operations Manager, chose a dish for this blog that felt both bold and beautifully composed: British wagyu with pea and toasted seaweed purée, finished with a veal and marrow glaze and a delicate pea shoot and elderflower salad. The Pinot Noir brought soft red fruit, gentle earthiness and enough structure to sit comfortably alongside the richness of the wagyu, while still allowing the greener, more delicate elements of the dish to come through.
Clare: Local heroes – a crab sandwich in Whitstable paired with a glass or two of Gusbourne English Rose.
Director of Marketing, Clare, enjoyed a sun drenched bank holiday weekend on the north Kent coast, an area abundant in local produce and chic eateries. One of the high points of the weekend and a truly perfect moment was the pairing of a crab sandwich with a glass of chilled Gusbourne English Rose (produced in Kent and available on By Word of Mouth’s English wine list), enjoyed whilst looking out to sea. This delightful rose is pale pink in colour with bright, juicy citrus notes and a delicate mineral finish, making it the perfect partner for the sweet, salty crab meat.
Becca: A tasting menu at Restaurant Takahashi, with highlights including aubergine miso, wagyu nigiri with pickled wasabi, seabass carpaccio with yuzu salsa, paired with sake.
Senior Event Planner, Becca’s choice was all about precision and balance. The miso brought depth, the wagyu offered richness and the seabass carpaccio added brightness through the yuzu salsa. Sake was a natural companion here, bringing clean, nuanced flavour that supported each course without overpowering the delicate rhythm of the menu.
Jack: Fried saganaki with a super-cold Mythos beer.
Jack, our Managing Director, kept things wonderfully simple. While away in Zakynthos, Greece, with his family a few weeks ago, Jack said the standout moment was a starter of fried saganaki. Not fancy, not formal, just crisp, tangy cheese with a softly melted centre, eaten alongside Greek salad and calamari. As for the pairing, Jack said the Mythos cold beer cut neatly through the richness, while the sea views and glorious Greek sunset did the rest.
Karolina: Chawanmushi with smoked eel and walnut, followed by burnt onion ice cream paired with white wine at Counter 71 in East London.
Karolina, Senior Event Planner, enjoyed this on the restaurant’s final day before it reopened as Appalachia. With only 12 seats and an open kitchen, she said the setting felt intimate and precise, allowing every detail to feel considered. The pairing brought together smoke, richness and acidity, with the wine lifting the more savoury notes of the dish while keeping the whole experience beautifully balanced.
Rory: Grilled fish with crushed new potatoes, fennel, lemon and a soft herb dressing, paired with a bottle of Exton Park Blanc de Noirs English sparkling wine.
Rory, Event Planner, made this for his friends while staying on the Isle of Wight, where coastal cooking feels at its best when kept elegant and unfussy. The wine’s brightness worked beautifully with the citrus and herbs, while its gentle depth stood up to the richness of the fish. The following morning, the Isle of Wight theme continued with grilled Isle of Wight tomatoes on toast, finished with a balsamic glaze and sea salt: a simple breakfast that made the most of the island’s produce.
Tim: Korean BBQ at Hankii in Chinatown, served with kimchi, kimchi pancakes, cheesy spicy ramen, pickled vegetables and egg fried rice, paired with white grape soju.
Tim, Events Staffing and Operations Manager, chose a meal that felt very Tim. He is always speaking about good food. He described it as being, “generous from the moment it arrived: layered, lively and made for sharing”. The mix of grilled meats, heat, crunch and tang found a natural match in white grape soju, served ice cold and sipped slowly, bringing a clean, lightly sweet finish to the table.
Phoebe: Aperol served with antipasti including bruschetta, arancini and marinated prawns with lemon, parsley and olive oil.
Phoebe, Senior Event Planner, chose a pairing that leaned into the easy charm of Italian summer dining. Out with friends in the midst of the heatwave, they began with a refreshing Aperol spritz, but once they saw the menu, the food was impossible to resist. They decided to share antipasti, including bruschetta, arancini and marinated prawns with lemon, parsley and olive oil. The bittersweet citrus and gentle sparkle of the Aperol worked effortlessly with the prawns. Phoebe said it felt like the perfect Mediterranean light meal, beautifully paired with the spritz of the season.
Matt: Roasted fillet of halibut with prawn and yellow tomato bonbon, brown butter fondant, English asparagus, salt marsh samphire and beurre blanc, paired with Domaine Millet Roger Sancerre 2024 from the Loire Valley.
Matt, Head of Staffing and HR, chose this halibut dish as one of his favourites from By Word of Mouth’s spring/summer menu. His dream pairing would be Domaine Millet Roger Sancerre 2024 from the Loire Valley (available on By Word of Mouth’s wine list). He notes the Sancerre as bringing freshness and minerality that would cut through the rich creaminess of the beurre blanc while still allowing the halibut, asparagus and samphire to remain the focus.
Mima: Lemon, pesto and asparagus orzo salad with a glass of Picpoul.
Mima, Event Planner, chose the kind of dish that belongs firmly in the summer lunch repertoire. The orzo was fresh, green and full of citrus, with the pesto bringing softness and the asparagus adding a seasonal bite. A glass of Picpoul made an ideal match: crisp, saline and bright enough to bring out the lemon flavour while keeping the whole pairing light and refreshing.
Ella: Carbonara at Ave Mario, served from a wheel of pecorino and paired with Barbera Del Sannio.
For my pairing, I chose the carbonara at Ave Mario, served from a wheel of pecorino and paired with Barbera del Sannio. It felt a bit theatrical in the best way, with the pasta finished at the table and arriving rich, glossy and full of cheese. The pancetta was salty and crisp, and the Barbera brought a lovely bit of ripe cherry and spice that helped balance everything out. Carbonara can sometimes feel a bit much after a few mouthfuls, but my godmother and I finished the whole plate and still could have happily gone back for more.
Final Notes:
From holiday meals in Greece and cooking for friends on the Isle of Wight, to intimate 12-seat dining experiences and more casual restaurant favourites, the team shared a truly varied and exciting collection of summer pairings.
These are the pairings that remind us how much pleasure can be found in a well-chosen plate and glass. We hope this month’s edit inspires you to get out and about, try something new and savour the combinations that make summer dining and imbibing feel so memorable when perfectly matched. Until next month!