Rule Britannia - Union Jacks

Union Jacks, Jamie Oliver’s collaboration with pizza chef Chris Bianco, is a truly scrumptious union.

With an emphasis on the use of local British produce and traditional wood-fired ovens, the eatery is a breath of fresh (or should that be smoky?) air.

Familiar foreign meals and flavours, from Indian spiced chicken to pizzas, have been given a British twist by the duo. The amusingly mundane-sounding Margaret pizza, a new take on the traditional Margarita, is definitely worth a taste. It uses Westcombe cheddar instead of mozzarella for a tangy kick.

Even the wines on offer hail from good old Blighty. The Union house red is pleasantly warm and fruity, with spicy undertones of brambles and cherry: the perfect antidote to a chilly evening. Or, now that the weather is starting to improve, why not sample a Damson Gin Fizz cocktail? It uses Gloucester gin and homemade lemonade for an all-British fruity and fresh taste.

With regards to decor, things are predictably stylish and cool - all that you would expect from a Jamie Oliver venture. The chef is, after all, famous for using such chic loo handles in his restaurants that customers were actually walking off with them at the end of their meals. Think cool tiles, mood lighting, kitschy neon signs and wacky graphics for a modern urban edge.

Now boasting three locations across the capital, Union Jacks is fast becoming London’s go-to chain for delicious and hearty British food, with a twist. Get down there fast.

Who’s gonna run this town tonight? Rihanna, obviously

In true diva style, Rihanna arrived on stage unapologetically late last night at The Forum in Kentish Town, just as her excited crowd was becoming restless with anticipation. This secret, star-studded gig was the sixth of seven performances undertaken by the Bajan beauty, as part of her much lauded 777 Tour, organised to celebrate the launch of her seventh album, Unapologetic.

The crowd of music industry scenesters, celebrities and thrilled competition winners was treated to a string of sensational live performances from the 24-year-old star. Gyrating her way across the stage for well over an hour, Rihanna demonstrated boundless energy and charisma, topped off with a slick of bright red lipstick. 

Celebrities, including Kate Moss, Stella McCartney and Kylie Minogue, watched from the VIP box on-high, while hundreds of adoring fans thronged around the stage. Looking stunning in monochrome print trousers with a matching shirt, over a suitably sexy leopard print bra, Rihanna belted out her classics, including Umbrella and Please Don’t Stop the Music, while also giving the audience a taste of soon-to-be-hits from her newly released album. The crowd went wild as the singer finished off in a riot of confetti and smoke with her No1 hit We Found Love, leaving everyone screaming for more. 

This was a characteristically theatrical display from the gorgeous starlet - at one point, with typical badass swagger, Rihanna stopped midway through a performance to complain about the backing track to her sound team. What else would you expect from a girl who always knows and gets what she wants? The show was a slick, loud and cool testament to the talent and sex appeal of this unstoppable young star. To use Rihanna’s own twitter-slang speak, the whole thing was MAJAH.

We were right by the stage and spent a lot of time trying to get a non-blurry shot of RiRi, which didn't include the back of someone else's head...