Children’s shoe retailers say closure of specialist shops is harming foot health
Parents should care for their children’s feet in the same way as their eyes and teeth, according to footwear specialists who say they are seeing more young people with painful conditions such as bunions,Bunions are bony lumps on the side of the foot,People can be genetically pre-disposed but ill-fitting shoes are seen as an aggravating factor,Nadia Arden-Scott, a co-founder of Footwear Hub, said: “Parents have been led to believe that fitting shoes is simple and can be done at home, when the reality is that do-it-yourself shoe fitting is potentially causing long-term damage to their child’s feet,”Data from the property analysts Green Street shows that more than 1,000 shoe shops have closed in Great Britain since 2020.
With big names reducing their store numbers and independents closing, many parents are now ordering for their offspring online.Research by Footwear Hub found some parents had to drive up to 50 miles to use a fitting service.The not-for-profit organisation, formed by 40 specialist shops, has launched the “fit well, grow well” campaign to try to combat a “decline in children’s foot health”.Its website offers free advice and links to services around the UK.“We want parents to value their children’s feet the way they value their teeth and eyes,” said Arden-Scott, who runs a children’s shoe shop in Farnborough called ShuZu.
“They would not skip a dentist appointment because they thought they could check their own child’s teeth at home.”There is no scientific data to show that poor footwear choices in children directly cause disfigurement, but podiatrists say ill-fitting shoes can cause lifelong foot problems and lead to issues in the ankles, knees and back.They list fallen arches, hammer and claw toes, bunions and muscular problems as potential risks.Jill Ferrari, a podiatrist and academic, said: “Young people’s feet continue to grow until mid-teens and poorly fitting footwear can lead to toe deformities, poor foot function and reduced gait efficiency.In younger children, poor footwear choices can increase the risk of tripping and falling.
”Tanya Marriott, a co-founder of Footwear Hub, said: “What we are seeing is deeply concerning,Unlike other clothing, shoes directly affect how children move, develop and grow, and the consequences of a poor fit can last a lifetime,”Shoe fitters involved in the campaign report seeing a pattern of children wearing shoes that are too small or narrow,Marriott, who has worked as a professional shoe fitter for 22 years and runs SoleLution in Portishead, Somerset, said she was seeing more children with bunions,Fitters frequently encounter children with existing foot conditions – including toe deformities and structural differences – who are not receiving the specialist fitting support, Footwear Hub’s researchers said.
Lure of being a social media chef means youngsters forgoing classic training, Michelin star cook warns
Scroll through your timeline of choice and it won’t be long until you land on a video posted by a social media chef trying to send their recipes viral.Such is the popularity of cooking videos that everyone from Michelin star masters to self-taught beginners like Brooklyn Beckham are setting up tripods on their kitchen counters to capture the perfect cut, cuisson or crust on their culinary creations.But the lure of social media could, according to some industry figures,be causing young cooks forgo the formal training of a catering college.Will Murray, who worked at the double Michelin-starred restaurant Dinner by Heston before opening his own critically acclaimed venue, Fallow, said social media cooking videos sometimes stretch the boundaries of what is possible.“Social media has helped people get into cooking
Disco hit: Penne alla vodka, popular in New York 80s clubs, is now a menu staple
Despite most traditional Italians considering it sacrilegious, penne alla vodka is quickly becoming one of the most in-demand Italian dishes.Previously popular in suburban Italo-American restaurants during the 80s, the dish is now enjoying a widespread resurgence that is being driven by several factors including nostalgia and social media.Featuring a tomato and cream base with a splash of vodka, the silky smooth sauce sits somewhere between coral and carrot on the colour wheel. The Guardian’s Rome-based food writer Rachel Roddy describes it as “luxurious and a bit racy”.Dara Klein, a chef and founder of Tiella Trattoria in London, says the dish “hits lots of comforting notes”, comparing it to a slightly more grownup take on the Italian childhood favourite pasta al pomodoro which is “eaten from day dot”
Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for orange, grapefruit and bay jelly | The sweet spot
You’re never too old for jelly, and I think we should all be eating more of it. Unmoulding a jelly and immediately giving it a good wobble is by far the best bit, and makes me giggle every time. Infusing the mixture with fresh bay leaves brings a grownup feel and gentle, earthy notes. While jelly and ice-cream is a classic combination, I love this just with some lightly whipped, unsweetened cream.Prep 5 min Cook 20 min Infuse 30 min+ Chill 4 hr+ Serves 6Neutral oil for greasing220ml freshly squeezed red grapefruit juice (from about 2 grapefruit)700ml fresh orange juice (from about 8-10 oranges)4 fresh bay leaves120g caster sugar11 gelatine leaves (I use Dr Oetker platinum grade leaf gelatine) 200ml double creamLightly grease the insides of a 1 litre jelly mould with a little neutral oil – you can skip this step if you’re serving the jelly straight from a dish or bowl
‘As intense as perfume’: which eaux de vie are worth trying?
Nearly every European country has its own fruit brandy. Some are a bit agricultural so here’s a taste of the bestThe Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.“I’ve had people burst into tears tasting these – it takes them straight back to a moment in their past
Folded, whipped or baked into something golden, ricotta is brilliant and adaptable
My record for making ricotta and lemon ring cake is three minutes and 42 seconds. That doesn’t include heating the oven or baking, or finding a recipe, which is in my head. It does include getting out the utensils (bowl, spatula, grater, scale, ring tin) and the ingredients (ricotta, olive oil, flour, sugar, baking powder, eggs, lemons), then speed-mixing everything in one bowl, scraping the batter into the tin and getting the tin in the oven via a discus throw. The timer is stopped as the oven door is closed. This is not relaxing cooking, it is entertaining cooking
Rachel Roddy’s recipe for almond and lemon spiced treacle tart | A kitchen in Rome
It wasn’t that dessert trolleys were banned in Italy during Covid, but guidelines from the Instituto Superiore di Sanità (national institute of health) were so (necessarily) rigorous around these “potential vehicles of the virus” that most places banished them to storerooms. Happily, many restaurants have since retrieved them from their long stay, so they glide or rattle between tables once more, or sit parked in an admirable position. This isn’t my first time mentioning the dessert trolley at La Torricella here in Testaccio, having written about its fabulous puff pastry and cream millefoglie in the past. But another dessert that might catch your eye as you enter the restaurant and look right at the cloth-covered trolley parked under the bar is what owner Augusto refers to as torta medievale, because of its spiced almond and dried fruit filling. It’s an unassuming but extremely good thing
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