Life

It may not be a healthy pastime, but dapper gents have long been partial to an occasional cigar. The Wellesley Knightsbridge hotel is home to Europe’s largest collection - its in-house expert Giuseppe Ruo presides over a stash worth more than £1.5m. If you've ever been intrigued by the concept, we asked Giuseppe for a rundown of what you need to know…

Like so many other bits of home tech, alarm systems are getting smarter. To get you up to speed, we asked the experts for the latest advice and rounded up the best models on the market right now.

Charlie Stein is director of wine at the Rick Stein group of restaurants. Over the years he’s built an encyclopaedic knowledge of his subject and learnt to distinguish between the accessories you need and those you don’t. From glasses and decanters to surprisingly affordable gadgets, here are nine things he says will help you to really enjoy your next bottle…

Email was once a fast, flexible solution to communication issues. Fast forward a couple of decades and today it is a defining work problem of our age. SLMan picked up the phone and spoke to Georgetown professor and bestselling author Cal Newport to find out how it’s making us unproductive and miserable, and what we can do about it…

A regular on MasterChef and Saturday Kitchen, Theo Randall started his career at the River Café in 1989. After a brief stint at Chez Panisse under Alice Waters, he returned to London to take up the role of head chef at the River Café. He left in 2006 to launch his first restaurant, Theo Randall at the Intercontinental, which now has outposts in Hong Kong and Bangkok. As he publishes his latest book – a tribute to Italian delis – he shares four simple Italian dishes to try at home…

Thanks to the pandemic, we’ve had little choice but to exercise at home – and you may have found you actually quite enjoy it. Now, as restrictions start to lift, it seems the working-out-at-home trend is here to stay – especially when you consider sales of Peloton bikes are up 172%. If you’re not too short on space and are thinking of turning a storage cupboard, a corner of your living space or even a garage into a workout area, we asked two interior designers and a home gym expert for their advice.

A roast chicken is always a crowd-pleaser. But how do the professionals make it better than the rest? From seasoning and basting tricks to what to look out for at the supermarket or butcher, here some of the UK’s top chefs share their tips, as well as a selection of recipes to use up the leftovers…

Ben Williams has overcome youthful adversity to achieve some big life goals. Putting his accomplishments down to a mindset he learnt in the Royal Marines, Ben revealed to SLMan how he got to where he is today…

The SLMan Hot List gives you all the inspiration, recommendations and ideas you need this month. From a must-watch documentary to a cool new fashion collab, here are the things to check out in March…

‘Sensehacking’ is a new idea that promises to make all of our lives better. Unlike so many lifestyle concepts, it’s supported by decades of serious academic research. Oxford professor Charles Spence talked us through the basics and explained how to harness the power of our senses to work better, play harder and sleep well.

Looking to upgrade your TV? There are several things to think about before you open your wallet. Telly specialist Kevin Walmsley from AO.com talked us through the issues and recommended a few of his favourite current models…