Cambridge Edition January 2019

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YOUR MONTHLY FIX OF

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LOCAL LIFE

WIN!

ONES TO WATCH

AN ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP FOR THE GLASSWORKS HEALTH CLUB

THE RESTAURANTS YOU NEED ON YOUR RADAR

GET ON COURSE

TOP CLASSES AND COURSES FOR ADULT LEARNERS

Here’s to the THE

NEW YEAR THE

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S I G N U P TO O U R W E E K LY D I G I TA L N E W S L E T T E R

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Cambridge

EDI T

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EDITORIAL

Editor in chief Nicola Foley 01223 499459 nicolafoley@bright-publishing.com Chief sub editor Beth Fletcher Senior sub editor Siobhan Godwood Sub editor Felicity Evans

ADVERTISING

Senior Sales executive Lee Fifield 01223 492240 leefifield@bright-publishing.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Alex Rushmer, Angelina Villa-Clarke, Cathy Moore, Cyrus Pundole, Charlotte Griffiths, Siobhan Godwood, Daisy Dickinson, Elodie Cameron, Jordan Worland, Ruthie Collins, Anna Taylor, Charlotte Phillips

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Senior designer & Production Manager Flo Thomas 01223 492242 flothomas@bright-publishing.com Ad production Man-Wai Wong 01223 499468 manwaiwong@bright-publishing.com

MANAGING DIRECTORS Andy Brogden & Matt Pluck 01223 499450

CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK FIND US @CAMBSEDITION CAMBRIDGE EDITION MAGAZINE • Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire CB22 3HJ, 01223 499450, cambsedition.co.uk • All rights reserved. Material contained in this publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior permission of the publishers. • Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Cambridge Edition or Bright Publishing Ltd, which do not accept any liability for loss or damage.

• Every effort has been made to ensure all information is correct. • Cambridge Edition is a free publication that is distributed in Cambridge and the surrounding area.

This month’s cover illustration was created by Flo Thomas. See more of Flo’s illustrations on Etsy at HeydayDesignsUK or at heydaydesigns.co.uk

Author illustrations by Louisa Taylor louisataylorillustration.blogspot.co.uk

Welcome

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hh, January. A month-long festive hangover filled with penny pinching, calorie watching and self-flagellation by way of brutal new year’s resolutions. It doesn’t all have to be about forgoing things you enjoy though – as chef Alex Rushmer points out in his column inside the issue. Rallying against the most austere month of the year with a resolve to do something enjoyable rather than sternly promising himself to abstain, he shares his food-based New Year’s resolutions over on page 61. I like his thinking: rather than subtracting something, perhaps a more positive, not to mention achievable, goal is to add something to our lives instead?

One well-trodden stepping stone on the road to self-improvement is to take up an evening class. Whether to boost your career prospects, indulge an interest or hobby, learn a language or even gain a qualification, there are plenty of classes, workshops and courses on offer here in Cambridge, ranging from the practical or creative to the delightfully esoteric. Fancy a night class in forensic science? Training to be a florist? Knocking out a first draft of that novel you’ve always dreamed of penning at a creative writing retreat? Head to page 69 and get inspired.

I’ve also been inspired this month by the hardworking and talented individuals in our ‘ones to watch’ feature over on page 52. A round-up of the foodie movers and shakers you need on your radar this year, it’s proof that the road ahead looks bright for the Cambridge food scene, with a crop of genuinely great looking restaurants, cafes, bars and bakeries opening their doors. As well as looking toward what’s to come, we also celebrate the successes of one of the most talked-about new openings of last year in this issue.

Turn to page 46 to find out how a determined pair of foodies took the tired but well-loved Restaurant 22 and reinvented it for a new era, with phenomenally successful results.

There’s also news on gigs to blast away any post-Christmas blues in our After Hours section (page 28), art exhibitions and theatre shows to seek out for a new year culture fix (from page 11) plus ideas for thrifty family days out (page 25) and plenty more besides. I hope you enjoy the issue – see you next month!

Nicola Foley EDITOR IN CHIEF

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CONTENTS 6 l STARTERS

Top things to do and see in the city, plus our favourite social media pics

9 l ARTS & CULTURE Exhibitions, art shows and theatre highlights to enjoy in January

19 l ART INSIDER

Ruthie Collins, founder of Cambridge Art Salon, shares her arty picks of the month

21 l BOOK CLUB

Book recommendations, special offers and author interviews

25 l FAMILY

Thrifty family fun for the skintest month of the year

28 l AFTER HOURS

Comedy, festivals, gigs and more nightlife fun to seek out this January

31 l LISTINGS

Our at-a-glance guide to the top events and goings-on this month

35 l COMPETITION

Win a year’s membership to the Glassworks Health Club

37 l FOOD NEWS

All the latest news and gossip from the Cambridge scene

46 l TASTE OF SUCCESS The inside story on the rebirth of a Cambridge institution: Restaurant 22

58 50 l MAKE THE BEST Alex shares a recipe for a tempting treacle soda bread

52 l ONES TO WATCH

The up-and-coming foodie enterprises to keep on your radar in 2019

61 l CHEF’S TABLE

Chef Alex Rushmer on making a new year’s resolution you’ll want to stick to

63 l NATURE’S LARDER

The Gog farm shop give an insight into making tasty food on a shoestring

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64 l DRINKS TROLLEY Wine tips, cocktail recipes and our favourite hidden drinking dens

66 l INDIE OF THE MONTH We take a trip to the ADC: England’s oldest university playhouse

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69 l LIFE LESSONS

Seize that new year feeling and take up an evening class or hobby this January

75 l BUSINESS

We take a look at the best conferencing venues around the city

80 l BEAUTY

Beauty aficionado Daisy on the top products on her wishlist this month

83 l FASHION

We’re heading back to the 1970s on our fashion page this month

87 l GARDENING

Anna Taylor, owner of Anna’s Flower Farm, on what’s going on in the garden this month

91 l INTERIORS

Angelina shows you how to refresh your interiors without breaking the bank

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STA RT E R S

Starters #INSTACAMB

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ONE TO TRY

WORTH THE WEIGHT SALE Give your wardrobe a makeover without breaking the bank at the Worth The Weight Vintage Sale, taking place on 26 January at St Paul’s Church on Hills Road. Find thousands of quality vintage garments and snap them up for just £15 per kilo. There will be men’s and women’s pre-loved clothing from the 1960s onwards, including many branded and designer items as well as a range of accessories, with items starting as low as 75p. Eager shoppers should snap up an early bird entry ticket, which ensures queue jump and fast-track entry to the sale (£3).

Search Worth The Weight Vintage on Facebook for more information.

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T OP OF T HE SHOP S The Grafton’s £28.5 million facelift is now complete, offering shoppers a host of new retailers and eateries to check out, plus a sleek new look throughout the centre. The famously leaky roof is a thing of the past, with visitors now greeted by bright, open spaces, a new skylight and timber ceiling in the Great Court, stylish feature lighting and slick new flooring. Six new shops have opened since the start of the refurbishment, which began in the summer of 2016, including the double-storey Decathlon, H&M Home and The Entertainer.

The Grafton is upping the fashion stakes with a new 9000 square foot River Island, an anchor store that showcases the brand’s latest look-and-feel concept, and offers

men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, plus accessories. Another new addition is Pure Gym, a fitness club found on the second floor of the former BHS unit. It’s located next to the existing Vue cinema, which boasts reclining luxury seats throughout.

Food-wise, in addition to the recently opened new branch of Krispy Kreme, there’s Amélie upstairs, which serves tasty flammekueche from a vintage Airstream van, and plans for the centre to roll out a new Food Social concept over the coming months (more on page 56).

The Grafton’s Debenhams, one of only two department stores in the city, has also had a makeover, and now includes the Beauty Hall of the Future. Just five stores

in the UK include this new concept, which has been designed to create a modern, interactive space where customers can experiment with and find out more about products from breakthrough brands and established beauty houses. Explore zones including the Skincare Lab and the Colour Lab, plus you can enjoy the pick-and-mix ‘minibar’, which is packed with travel-sized beauty treats. There’s also a Beauty Club House area with refreshments on offer – perfect for when you’re in need of a refuel mid shopping spree. In addition to counters from the likes of Kat Von D and Make Up Forever, a host of beauty services are available in store including manicures, blow dries, brow treatments and makeovers.

CHRISTMAS LEFTOVERS If you’re lamenting the end of the Christmas season – there are a few opportunities to eke out the festivities for a little longer this January. The North Pole on Parker’s Piece remains open until 6 January, so if you get in quick you can still enjoy a glide around on the ice rink and a steaming cup of mulled wine at the Alpine-themed bar. The ritzy Cambridge Arts Theatre pantomime also continues until 6 January – snap up a ticket for feel-good singalong tunes, energetic dance routines, dazzling costumes and laugh-out-loud jokes guaranteed to bust the January blues.

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Culture Club ART EXHIBITIONS • THEATRE • BOOK CLUB • CONCERTS

Still Life Jelly Bean Bottle by C J Green, an artist showing work at Byard Art’s new exhibition

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A RTS & C U LT U R E

NEW YEAR, NEW ARTWORK? Looking for an arty new addition to your home? Head to Byard Art on King’s Parade this January for a showcase of contemporary artwork from a selection of the gallery’s artists.

Running from 2 to 27 January, the exhibition features paintings, original prints and mixed media artworks plus unique ceramics, CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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craftworks and fine jewellery in a range of styles and prices.

Explore stunning works by Sam Hewitt such as Wild Man’s Hair pictured above; intricate illustrated cityscapes by Laura Jordan; figurative mixed media pieces by Louise Dear and vibrant handmade prints by Maria Rivans.

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If something catches your eye, you might like to take advantage of Byard’s Own Art scheme: an initiative designed to help make buying art affordable – you can spread the cost of your chosen piece with an interest-free loan supported by Arts Council England.

Entry to the exhibition is free. byardart.co.uk J A N U A R Y 2 019

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IN SI T U: Want to push yourself a little and perhaps find talents you never realised you had? Trying acting, whether for the very first time, or after a long break, can lead to a wide range of benefits.

What briefly may seem to be a test can lead to a sense of accomplishment in many ways, as Richard Spaul, artistic director at Cambridge theatre company in situ:, explains.

“We’ve been helping people learn to act for 20 years and have worked with hundreds of people; some absolute beginners, some aspiring professionals and some experienced performers looking to learn new techniques.

“This term we’re working on Shakespeare and focusing in particular on his drama of political intrigue: Julius Caesar. We’re welcoming anyone who wants to work with us to the project – whether they have any previous experience or not. And for anyone who gets the bug, there will be opportunity to perform in one of in situ:’s high-quality and professionallydirected ensemble productions in the summer.”

Working with in situ: is fun, stimulating and involves plenty of enjoyable challenges, in a supportive environment. Richard has been acting, directing and teaching for more than 30 years and recently performed a solo performance of Hamlet.

The course is on Mondays at 8pm, from 21 January to 18 March, at St Andrew’s Hall in Chesterton. Richard will also be running a storytelling weekend on 16 and 17 March at the same venue. It’s ideal for actors and storytellers of any level of experience but equally anyone who simply wants to learn how to tell stories grippingly and well; so teachers, parents and those who have to present as part of their job.

Anyone looking for a more intensive course might try the Theatre and Landscape residential week in early September, led by Bella Stewart, in situ:’s other artistic director. insitutheatre.co.uk J A N U A R Y 2 019

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L I V I NG DA NGEROUSLY

The master of extreme adventure (before it became ‘a thing’ for so many others), Sir Ranulph Fiennes is used to risking everything on some of the most ambitious expeditions ever. In Living Dangerously, he offers a personal journey, from his early years to the present, including the Global Reach Challenge, with the goal to be the first to cross both polar ice caps and climb the highest peak on every continent.

Catch him before his next escapade on 28 January at the Corn Exchange, tickets from £28. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

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ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC Recorder player Lucie Horsch, with a critically-acclaimed solo album behind her despite being only 19, features in the latest concert from the Academy of Ancient Music (AAM).

The concert, at West Road Concert Hall on 26 February, includes works

by Vivaldi and Bach, with AAM music director Richard Egarr also featuring on harpsichord.

Lucie is from the Netherlands and has represented her country at the Eurovision Young Musician contest and is now sought after internationally, both by baroque ensembles and modern orchestras.

Catch them on 26 February at 7.30pm, tickets from £15. aam.co.uk

M Y FA IR L A DY My Fair Lady, one of the most iconic musicals, comes to the Arts Theatre from 16 to 19 January. The tale of flower seller Eliza Doolittle’s rise from feisty cockney to sophisticated woman, under professor Henry Higgins’ guidance, has captivated audiences for decades.

Cambridge Operatic Society brings its award-winning sparkle to the show, which features the classic With a Little Bit of Luck and I Could Have Danced All Night.

Tickets from £18, with matinees on the Thursday and Saturday. cambridgeartstheatre.com

GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA The big band that effectively started pop graces the Saffron Hall stage on 27 January.

The Glenn Miller Orchestra transports audiences to the 1940s, with harmonies from the Moonlight Serenaders. Expect to hear In the Mood, Moonlight Serenade, Little Brown Jug and pop’s first gold disc Chattanooga Choo Choo.

The show starts at 3pm and tickets start at £16. saffronhall.com

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WORDS BY RUTHIE COLLINS

NEW CHAPTER FOR MUSEUM OF TECHNOLOGY “Your mission is to hunt the ghosts of the house and to free them,” Matthew Taylor, creative director of Othersyde, tells us, face half in shadow, in the top room of the recently restored old Engineer’s House at the Museum of Technology. ‘Escape The Haunted House’ is a new escape game coming to the Engineer’s House this spring, comprising three rooms of mystery, fun and puzzles to solve, drawing on much of the Museum’s fascinating history. “The ghosts are all troubled: your job is to find out what is troubling them, so they can be freed.

Once you’ve solved the three rooms, you’ll be able to play the whole house at midnight.” If successful, you can even escape the house on a mysterious boat down the River Cam. The games will be part of a series of major developments to the Museum of Technology, supported by £1.6 million of National Lottery heritage funding, plus support from other grant providers, including Historic England.

The developments relaunch the Museum of Technology as a multipurpose venue for the city, while maintaining the site as a centre for industrial heritage with a new exhibition space, meeting room space and an on-site café and tea room, serving from 9am until 5pm.

It’s difficult to imagine Cambridge in the 19th century, when the streets were filthy, there was no clear sewage system and outbreaks of disease were frequent. The Pumping Station was built as a solution, in 1894, to deal with problems of waste. It burnt the town’s rubbish in furnaces called destructors, which heated water in boilers to make steam that powered engines to pump the city’s sewage to Milton. The station was at the cutting edge of

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technology – the Engineer’s House was the first house in the city to be powered by electricity.

The Museum relaunches with a major opening exhibition this April, which will stay on as a permanent feature for the public to visit.

With improved disabled access, the Museum’s developments build on its historic building and magnificent working engines, promising atmospheric lighting, sounds and audiovisual displays. There will also be dressing up and hands-on fun for younger visitors, with the escape games offering a great interactive experience for people of all ages, and specially designed sessions for school children. “The games offer a great chance to educate children on the history of the Museum,” Matthew says.

The drive to improve the Museum of Technology and its Engineer’s House has been led by a team of dedicated volunteers and is a real success story. “We’ve been restoring the House since June 2018,” says Cambridge artist Katy Bailey, trustee at the Museum of Technology, whose great grandfather was engineer at the Engineer’s House from 1902-1936. “People don’t want to see it being turned into flats. They want it to be a success.”

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Othersyde, at the Engineer’s House, turns from café by day into a bar by night, with an open call for ideas from the community. So far the venue has seen poetry readings and film screenings, and there are plans for board game nights, wine tasting and so much more. Plus there will be a theatre in the garden available for performances and music, too.

“We are proud of the amazing commitment of our volunteers who have allowed the Museum to grow steadily for almost 50 years.

We are excited about this project as it will help us to transform ourselves through greater involvement with our local communities and make us ready for the next 50 years!” says Pam Halls, curator at the Museum of Technology.

The Museum’s much-loved steam days will return in spring, partly thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign to repair the boiler, plus Steampunk in Cambridge will appear at the Museum in May, too. ‘The Floating Museum’ will also be restarting in the spring, offering cruises on the Cam in historic Camboats as well.

“For centuries the River Cam was a bustling trade route serving Cambridge’s industries.

The City’s coat of arms even includes ships and mythical sea creatures. The businesses which grew up along the river banks are remembered in the Museum’s new displays and are included in our outreach tours,” comments Pam. This will make a fantastic day (or night) out for people of all ages. “It is so exciting to see this project coming to fruition after years of hard work,” says Pam. “We can’t wait to welcome visitors to our transformed site to explore the industrial heritage of Cambridge.” museumoftechnology.com

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LOU ISE BOU RGEOIS AT K ET T L E’ S YA R D Kettle’s Yard’s latest exhibition highlights Louise Bourgeois’ exploration of autobiography and identity from 22 January.

Born in Paris in 1911, she attended the Sorbonne and had an early association with Surrealism, before moving to New York, where she lived and worked from 1938.

The work featured in the exhibition is drawn from the Artist Rooms and Tate collections, and includes paintings from the 1940s and 60s, hanging fabric sculptures from the 90s and more, capturing her experimentation across media.

Alongside Bourgeois’ work in the Sackler Gallery will be a solo display of new drawings by Julie Mehretu in Gallery 2 and a series a sculptural interventions in Kettle’s Yard House by Anthea Hamilton.

Bourgeois’ Spider I is set to be installed outside Gallery 2, providing the possibility for these solo exhibitions to be seen, potentially, for their contrasts and comparisons. kettlesyard.co.uk

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PHIL H A R MON I A ORCHES T R A Acclaimed Spanish violinist Leticia Moreno performs Mendelssohn’s ravishingly lyrical violin concerto during the Philharmonia Orchestra’s Corn Exchange concert on 1 February.

It's paired with Beethoven’s dramatic Coriolan Overture – inspired by the same story as Shakespeare’s Coriolanus – and Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony, which builds from low strings and haunting woodwinds to a triumphant final movement featuring one of the most irresistible melodies.

Tickets from £32. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

Images The exhibition at Kettle’s Yard will feature Louise Bourgeois’ wall-mounted sculpture Spider I, which will be installed outside Gallery 2, as well as a solo display of new drawings by Julie Mehretu

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The

Art Insider RUTHIE COLLINS, FOUNDER OF CAMBRIDGE ART SALON, GIVES HER ARTY PICKS OF THE MONTH

‘‘T

he tree rustled. It had made music before they were born and would continue after their deaths, but its song was of the moment.”

This beautiful line is quoted at the start of The Ballad of Syd and Morgan, a new Cambridge-set novel by Haydn Middleton, published by Propolis Books.

Starring two bohemian English legends, Syd Barrett and EM Forster, the line is by Forster himself (Morgan). But did the two ever really meet in Cambridge? “I’ve been a huge Barrett and Forster fan since my mid-teens,” says Middleton. “But no, I’m afraid they never did actually meet, as far as we know!”

Most imagine Syd Barrett as that forever-young legendary artist whose genius helped launch Pink Floyd to stardom. Middleton captures Syd’s foppish, Byronic charisma, in his native Cambridge, where he was happiest. A mishmash of psychedelic, Peter Pan sparkle and dandy charm throughout, it’s a portrait with real craft that instantly evokes why Syd attracted fans across the world – an almost acolyte-like following – who still adore him today.

Conjuring Cambridge’s own bohemian heart, The Ballad of Syd and Morgan is full of crisp prose that’s both lightfantastic in effect, but rich in references.

King’s Chapel becomes ‘a meringue’, King’s College ‘a great raffish ice cream’, Middleton’s artistry reflecting Syd’s own whimsical world, a world full of childlike, Arcadian wonder. “Uncannily, the book is a very, very good representation of Syd… I couldn’t believe Haydn hadn’t actually

met him,” Rosemary, Syd’s sister says.

The novel is set in the England of 1968, ‘uneasy with itself ’, backdrop to an imagined – or perhaps real, who knows? – conversation between Syd and EM Forster on the complexities on being an artist.

Syd was an artist first and foremost, and studied at Cambridge School of Art (now Anglia Ruskin). His glittering foray into pop, and subsequent departure, is narrated here – the rambling, sometimes poignant brightness of a ‘child far from home’. Check out Propolis Books for more info.

It’s easy to doubt the brightness that art can inspire as 2019 looms, for many, in the shadow of heavier issues. Yet if any action is to be taken on these issues at all, this sense of the positive is essential.

I’ve been taking gutsy inspiration from CK Williams, the late Pulitzer prizewinning poet, whose thoughts on the artist’s ability to see and share beauty in nature, even in the midst of panic around climate breakdown, are a real remedy for our times. If you’re ever in need of an intellectual reminder of why making art and seeing beauty continues to be important, have a read of his essay Nature and Panic.

Cambridge continues to be a vital launchpad for both art and humanitarian activism, with artist Elizabeth Eade, who took her BA in Fine Art at Cambridge School of Art in 2012, one to watch this year. Her work Die Liste, which explores the human cost of the refugee crisis, won the HIX Award last year – a £10,000 art prize. Die Liste is a handwritten note detailing the names of 33,305 people who died trying to access Europe as refugees.

“Syd’s own whimsical world, a world full of wonder” CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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Work like this shows that you can make a difference. You can speak out on issues important to you. Art continues to be an essential vehicle to make that happen.

One of the first young artists to work in the pop-up studios on Newmarket Road that went on to become Cambridge Art Salon was Charlie Chappers, who now runs Mobile Refugee Support doing incredible work, sustaining the lives of displaced refugees in France. You can follow and support their work by searching Mobile Refugee Support on Facebook.

Girl Talk is an exhibition coming to Murray Edwards College this month, loosely themed around women ‘taking back the narrative’: placing the work of female artists at the University of Cambridge alongside the New Hall art collection – which holds the biggest collection of women’s art in Europe.

Gems in the collection include works

by Tracey Emin, Bridget Riley, Leonora Carrington and the Guerilla Girls – and there’s an impressive range of talks on offer at the college, too. The exhibition itself takes place at the Murray Edwards bar, curated by Alina Khakoo and Kitty Grady, who are behind Cambridge Girl Talk itself, a multimedia space for women to share stories and spark change.

So in 2019, let’s not forget what Noam Chomsky describes as the ‘benign’ side of humanity. Asked if he was optimistic on the future of humanity in his book, Optimism Over Despair, he replies, “We have two choices. We can be pessimistic, give up and help ensure that the worst will happen. Or we can grasp the opportunities that surely exist, and maybe help make the world a better place. Not much of a choice.”

Wise words indeed – I know which choice I’m making.

Happy 2019, all! l J A N U A R Y 2 019

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BOOK CLUB CAMBRIDGE EDITION

Book Club BRINGING YOU TOP NEW FICTION PICKS, AUTHOR INTERVIEWS, DISCOUNTS AND LOTS MORE BOOK CHAT, THE EDITION BOOK CLUB IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH CAMBRIDGE LITERARY FESTIVAL AND HEFFERS

INTERVIEW BY CHARLOT TE GRIFFITHS

THE LIGHT IN THE DARK THIS MONTH’S BOOK CHOICE IS A HYMN TO THE DARKNESS OF WINTER AND TO THE POWER OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT TO OVERCOME IT, WRITTEN BY HORATIO CLARE

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he Light in the Dark takes the form of a diary, following writer Horatio Clare’s progress through the winter months, dropping in on him every couple of days or so to check in – as you might do with a friend who’s struggling.

Following a professionally challenging year, including a hard winter in which he went “mad with depression”, we join Horatio at the end of the summer of 2017, where he has resolved to write this book as a torch raised against the darkness and

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“embrace this winter like a summer.”

He writes: “Depression kills your power of vision, but I will practise looking and looking outwards like an exercise, as though I am training for an expedition…

I will not lose touch with nature… This diary is a refuge, a thing to do, something to put work and time into, a defence against the hopelessness.”

Following the great tradition of British nature writing, The Light in the Dark’s chapters include passages of meditative, heartfelt prose describing the effects of

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the passing seasons that tips on the edge of a stream of consciousness: “It does not do to romanticise drizzle, rain on motorways, months of striplighting, office windows black at four o’clock, concrete skies, sock-damp, rainprickle, mould-steam, deadbeaten fields, sodden livestock and the chilly tug like food-sucking mud that winter can exert upon the spirit.”

Passages seamlessly slip from lyrical observation of the natural world to recording the humdrum of the daily u

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“Horatio continually draws out references to the past” grind: Horatio’s days are divided between his workplace at the University of Liverpool, where he spends a few days each week teaching writing and mentoring students, and his home’s attic in Hebden Bridge, where the majority of his writing takes place. We follow him riding ancient trains across the Pennines, spending the occasional evening stuck in the somewhat grim-sounding Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool, preparing for and celebrating Christmas with his family, then head-on facing the raw bleakness of the first few months of the year.

Recording an incident involving his mother’s beloved sheep leads Horatio to reflect on his childhood growing up on a hill farm in Wales and being cut off by snow for weeks: which his inner younger self recalls as the “greatest adventure for small boys”. Horatio continually draws out references to the past – reflecting on paleolithic porridge consumption or the supposed experiences of the Brontës, growing up in nearby Haworth – or examining vignettes of his own adventures, his actions and choices, which he alludes to in a later passage: “Our minds filter and tint the past, turning it so it catches the light,” he writes. “Most involuntary memories are happy ones... and so we are granted forwardness and direction. Depression, seasonal and otherwise, turns all this upside down: the past is a guilty place, the future a hanging threat, the present is a humiliation. Stop it, you want to shout. Just stop it. Let me be.”

One of the reactions to the book which surprised the writer most was the outpouring of concern for his own wellbeing, especially as the UK is very much in the grip of winter once more.

“People keep asking ‘Are you ok?’ – and I’m fine,” he says, adding that an extraordinary number of people also battling seasonal depression have reached out to him since the book’s publication; not for any solution, but simply to be heard. “The ‘winter blues’ affect around 15% of people, and then 6% of those have actual Seasonal Affective J A N U A R Y 2 019

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Disorder (SAD),” he says, “but taking winter on like this – with a diary or other endeavour – is something that can help you feel better.”

The Light In The Dark is a small book, but a physically beautiful one: the cover of the hardback edition, illustrated by Dan Mogford, is speckled with tiny silver stars which sparkle as they catch the light – a little like Horatio’s reflections on happier times. It is a hopeful, reassuring read that’s obviously a must-have for lovers of wild writing, or followers of Horatio’s extensive work, but would also make a thoughtful gift for those finding this winter a little full on: either as inspiration to start their own writing projects or simply to underline that – as someone kindly reminds Horatio towards the end of the book – we can all go up and down. “It is late this year,” Horatio writes, “but spring will come. It will come.” l

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LOOK OUT FOR THE CAMBRIDGE EDITION BOOK CLUB STICKERS IN HEFFERS AND GET MONEY OFF OUR MONTHLY PICK Heffers is located at 20 Trinity Street, Cambridge. blackwells.co.uk

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BOOK CLUB

C AT H Y M O O R E , D I R E C TO R O F C A M B R I D G E L I T E R A RY F E S T I VA L , O N T H E L I G H T I N T H E DA R K THE LIGHT IN THE DARK: A WINTER JOURNAL The month’s choice is both a hymn to the winter season we find ourselves in and an acknowledgement of how many of us struggle with lower moods throughout the dark winter months. The Light in the Dark is written by nature writer Horatio Clare and is a moving winter diary which, as the title suggests, encourages us to look outwards and embrace winter with all of its shadows and lights. Clare suffers from depression and this beautifully written book is all the more powerful and moving because of that.

IF YOU LIKED THIS YOU MIGHT LIKE...

N EW BO OK S FOR JA N UA RY WABI SABI BY BETH KEMPTON

The perfect book for a brand new year: Wabi Sabi is Beth Kempton’s exploration of an elusive Japanese concept that, once grasped, promises contentment and joy despite our “perfectly imperfect” lives.

THE LOST WORDS BY ROBERT MACFARLANE & JACKIE MORRIS Another meditation on the beauty of the natural world

by Cambridge resident Robert MacFarlane: this stunning, enormous book uses acrostics to celebrate wild words in danger of vanishing from modern lexicons, and is beautifully illustrated with drawings of nature by Jackie Morris.

UP NEXT MONTH

A PER F EC T MOT HER BY K AT R I SK A L A

Next month’s book is A Perfect Mother, the first novel from writer Katri Skala. During a trip to Trieste in Northern Italy to research his long-lost great grandfather, Jacob meets Charlotte and Jane, and the three of them are forced to confront their individual and shared histories and piece together a future that none of them saw coming. A Perfect Mother asks big questions about what we inherit from the histories of our parents and grandparents, and about what it takes to be a good parent. It combines a plot-driven narrative with insightful commentary on motherhood, mental illness, identity and love. Born in France to an American mother and Austrian father, Katri has lived all over America and Europe and holds graduate and undergraduate degrees from Vassar, Cardiff and the University of East Anglia.

A PERFECT MOTHER CAN BE PURCHASED FOR £15 IN HARDBACK. READ ALONG AND TWEET US YOUR THOUGHTS @CAMBSEDITION, WITH THE HASHTAG #EDITIONBOOKCLUB FOR A CHANCE TO FEATURE IN THE NEXT ISSUE.

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FA M I LY DAYS O U T

FAMILY DAYS OUT T HR IF T Y FA M ILY F U N

WO OD GR EEN FA MI LY DO G WOR K SHOP

Everything you need to know about looking after a dog – with tips for all family members to ensure a healthy and happy pet – takes place at a family workshop at Wood Green, Godmanchester, on 13 January at 10.30am. Explore basic needs, how to stay safe and making feeding time fun. You can even have a go at dog training.

Suitable for dog owners, or those thinking about having a dog. It’s free, but booking is essential. woodgreen.org.uk

WOR S T W I TCH

Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch series of books comes to life at Cambridge Arts Theatre next month. Join Mildred Hubble, an ordinary girl who finds herself in a school for witches, jealous Ethel Hallow, and Miss Hardbroom, who is against all fun, in this action-packed stage adaptation.

Featuring original songs, and suitable for ages seven and up, catch The Worst Witch at Cambridge Arts Theatre from 6 to 10 February, with tickets starting at £17. cambridgeartstheatre.com

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There’s a wide range of wallet-friendly things to try for all ages this month. First up, following all the calories you may have consumed over the Christmas period, the great outdoors offers a chance to stretch out away from the sofa and festive TV. A New Year’s Day Walk, from 11am to 1pm, takes the form of a sociable stroll through Coton Countryside Reserve to blow off the cobwebs. Meet outside The Plough pub in Coton for this free event. The reserve is run by Cambridge Past, Present and Future, who offer another walk later in the month, on 16 January, at Wandlebury. The Winter Tree Walk, from 10am to 12pm, is led by a warden who will help you identify native trees using bark, buds and leaves. Meet at the car park for this free walk.

Donations are welcome for both walks.

For something on the big screen, Saturdays at 11am is time for Kids’ Club at the Arts Picturehouse. Each week, a family-friendly movie, from fairly new ones to all-time classics, gets an airing. Tickets are just £2 each, for both children and grown-ups – though grown-ups without children are not allowed in.

The cinema also screens Toddler Time short films, for preschool children and their parents or carers, at either 10am or 10.30am on most days. Children’s tickets are £3, adults go free.

For a bit of culture, a visit to the Fitzwilliam Museum is also completely free. You could easily spend a day exploring the impressive permanent collection and the latest exhibitions, which includes Sampled Lives (running until 13 Jan), which showcases beautifully embroidered and stitched samplers illuminating the lives of girls and women from mid-17th century English Quakers to early 20th century school pupils. Also free to explore is the Museum of Zoology, which reopened last year with a stunning new look. Dating back to 1814, the museum is home to one of the largest and most important natural history collections in the country, holding some two million objects and showcasing an awe-inspiring diversity of specimens from across the animal kingdom.

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After Hours

NOW BOOKING

THE NIGHTLIFE EVENTS NOT TO MISS THIS MONTH

SP ICE STAGE SHOW 8 MARCH, CORN EX, £28

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Missed out on tickets to the Spice Girls reunion tour this summer? See the next best thing at this live stage show dedicated to the feisty fivesome.

JAN

THE BRASS FUNKEYS Bringing the spirit of New Orleans to town this January are London eight-piece The Brass Funkeys, who return to Cambridge for a gig at the Junction on the 25th. Part of the new wave of contemporary brass bands, the Funkeys flit between genres and styles, putting their own spin on everything from Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine to more recent hits like Clean Bandit’s Rather Be. Expect an eclectic, high-energy miscellany of genres, rabble rousing anthems and a whole lot of dancing. Tickets are £11. junction.co.uk

GEN T L EM A N ' S DU B CLU B 29 MARCH, JUNCTION, £19.50

Blending elements of dub, reggae, ska, bass culture and jazz, Gentleman’s Dub Club are back with a new album, Lost In Space, and a tour.

PA M A I N T E R N AT I O N A L

M EGSON Four-time BBC Folk Award

nominees Megson return to Cambridge with their intelligent songwriting, musicianship and humour. Debs Hanna sings and plays whistle and accordion, while husband Stu plays guitar, mandola and banjo. Catch them at Cambridge Junction on 19 January for £16. junction.co.uk J A N U A R Y 2 019

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Formed in 2001 and the first new band to sign to Trojan Records in 30 years, Pama International play reggae, ska and venture into soul on their new record The Altruistic Soul Sound Of… which is released on 18 January. The line-up has featured members of Madness, The Specials and The Style Council, and they play Cambridge Junction on 31 January, with tickets £15.50. junction.co.uk

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T H E SP ECI A L S 12 MAY, CORN EX, £43

Makers of hits including A Message to You Rudy, Ghost Town and Too Much Too Young, the legendary ska band are on the road in honour of their 40th anniversary.

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NIGHTLIFE

PAUL CARRACK

Best known for singing the 70s hit How Long, Paul Carrack has also played with numerous acts, including Squeeze (he sang Tempted) and Mike and the Mechanics (The Living Years).

He’s also played keyboards for Elton John, Van Morrison, Roger Waters, BB King and Eric Clapton. He brings his band to the Corn Exchange on 3 February, with tickets from £37.50. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

Gig Guide JORDAN WORLAND FROM LOCAL MUSIC WEBSITE SLATE THE DISCO GIVES HIS TOP LIVE MUSIC PICKS FOR THE MONTH AHEAD

THE CLASSIC ROCK SHOW

From AC/DC to Dire Straits and everything in between, The Classic Rock Show promises the ultimate jukebox of hits at the Corn Exchange on 21 January. Think Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Eagles, ZZ Top, Meatloaf and more. Tickets from £27.50. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

27 JAN

NISH KUMAR

A new show from the star of The Mash Report takes its name from a Terminator 2 quote: It’s in Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves. Appearing at the Corn Exchange on 27 January, expect jokes about politics and our ability to self-destruct.

Tickets are £25.50. cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

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Ready to get out and indulging in music again after the fatigue of the festive period? Yes? Good. Below are our tips for the best shows to take in this January.

One of the standout shows of the month goes down on the 30th at The Portland when Wales’ finest new export, Estrons, bring their debut album to Cambridge. The band have been honing their sound for the last couple of years, creating quite the hype, which they have more than lived up to with their loud, fierce and dominant debut full-length album, You say I’m too much, I say you’re not enough, which they released last year.

Elsewhere at the same venue in January is the ever-popular The Wave Pictures, who return on the 24th. Expect literate, self-deprecating English blues crossed with garage-rock.

Tipped as the voice of punk’s next generation, Louise Distras plays on the 17th, while the Bella Union-signed Liela Moss brings her elemental power and expansive melodies on the 29th.

The big Cambridge musical success story of recent years has been Lonely The Brave, playing the Junction 2 on the 12th.

They are now one of Britain’s most successful rock bands.

2018 was a tumultuous year for the band with co-founder and instantly recognisable vocalist David Jakes departing the band.

Charged with filling his boots is Jack Bennett, a name more than familiar to the rock world for his solo work under the name Grumble Bee. This month, we get to witness Bennett’s transition into the band as LTB return for an intimate home town show.

The J2 venue also hosts the New Orleans-infused brassdriven funk of The Brass Funkeys on the 25th, the unique folk stylings of duo Megson (19th), and the vibrant sounds of The East Pointers (28th) as they gear up to release their new record.

Another Brass-led funk show worth your time this month is from Colonel Spanky’s Love Ensemble, playing the Blue Moon on the 19th. Formed by a band of funk-obsessed students at Cambridge University, the Love Ensemble comprises ten of Cambridge’s premier funk-mongers, who will twist anything from New Orleans riot jazz to smooth soul into the unique Colonel Spanky’s sound.

Known for their relentless touring and high-octane shows, Enter Shikari play the Junction on the 30th as do Rudimental, performing as Rudimental Soundsystem & Friends, as they preview their new record on the 12th.

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W H AT ’ S O N

What’s On

YOUR AT-A-GLANCE GUIDE TO EVENTS AROUND CAMBRIDGE THIS MONTH

29 DECEMBER-1 JANUARY

8-12 JANUARY

16-19 JANUARY

THE NUTCRACKER/ SWAN LAKE

LITTLE WOMEN

MY FAIR LADY

Cambridge Theatre Company presents the timeless and captivating tale of Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy in this brilliant musical. Aspiring writer Jo is given advice by her professor to make her writing more personal to improve her storytelling, which spurs her on to tell the story of growing up in Civil War America.

7.45pm | ADC theatre | from £9 adctheatre.com

From flower seller to sophisticated woman under the tutelage of professor Henry Higgins, the tale of Eliza Doolittle is a stage and screen classic, and will be performed by Cambridge Operatic Society.

7.30pm Wednesday to Saturday; 2.30pm Thursday and Saturday Cambridge Arts Theatre | from £18 cambridgeartstheatre.com

11 JANUARY

16 JANUARY

Saint Petersburg Classic Ballet returns to Cambridge for what’s become a new year tradition. Catch Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker at the end of December and Swan Lake on 1 January.

Various times | Corn Exchange | from £18 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 8-12 JANUARY

CRIMES AGAINST CHRISTMAS A grown-up antidote to the traditional pantomime, the team from Bawds takes Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and recasts it in a 12 Days of Christmas mould as strangers are mysteriously invited to spend the holiday on a remote island.

7.45pm | Corpus Playroom | from £6 adctheatre.com

FLO AND JOAN: ALIVE ON STAGE Following the sell-out run of their critically acclaimed show The Kindness of Stranglers in 2017, the musical comedy duo – who are also sisters – return with a fresh hour of dark and witty songs.

8pm | Cambridge Junction | £14 junction.co.uk

WINTER TREE WALK Learn how to identify native trees using bark, buds, shape and form, on a guided walk with one of Wandlebury’s wardens.

Meet at the car park noticeboard.

10am-12pm | Wandlebury Country Park free (donations appreciated) cambridgeppf.org 17 JANUARY

WINTER GARDEN 40TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR Join Pete Kerley, who has worked at Cambridge University Botanic Garden since 1977, for a tour around the winter garden, which first opened in 1979.

10.30am | Cambridge University Botanic Garden | £10 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 18 JANUARY

SAM AVERY: THE LEARNER PARENT Stand-up comedian, blogger and author, Sam Avery, started a blog when his twins were born.

A million nappies and Peppa Pig episodes later, he shares the lows, highs and in-betweens.

8pm | Cambridge Junction | £19 junction.co.uk

1 JANUARY

19 JANUARY

N E W Y E A R ’ S DAY WA L K A sociable stroll to start the new year through the Coton Countryside Reserve and surrounding countryside to blow off the cobwebs. Meet at The Plough pub in Coton.

11am-1pm | Coton Countryside Reserve free (donations appreciated) | cambridgeppf.org

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THE BIG SING: FAURÉ’S REQUIEM Singers can join the New Cambridge Singers for a rehearsal and performance on the same day, or you can go and watch the show, with proceeds going to CPSL Mind.

1.15pm for rehearsal, 6pm show | Great St Mary’s Church | £20 to take part, £10 to watch | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

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W H AT ' S O N

21 JANUARY

THE CLASSIC ROCK SHOW Multiple guitarists in electric harmony conjure rockin’ riffs to transform the Corn Exchange back to the glory days of rock.

7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £27.50 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 23 JANUARY

NEW YEAR, NEW WINES What will be top of the pops for wine in 2019? Discover the latest trends and tastes in all things grape with The Cambridge Wine Academy’s knowledge to help you.

7.30pm | Cambridge Wine Merchants, Cherry Hinton Road | £22.50 cambridgewineacademy.com 24 JANUARY

THE WAVE PICTURES The three-piece band create a new sound based on classic influences from the songbook of pop, rock and country, honed by years of gigging across the country.

7pm | The Portland Arms | £13.75 greenmind.co.uk 25 JANUARY

THE BRASS FUNKEYS Trailblazers in the new generation of brass bands, The Brass Funkeys play their own compositions, drawn from New Orleans and Latin influences, plus energetic covers of tracks including Dirty Harry by Gorillaz.

7pm | Cambridge Junction | £11 junction.co.uk

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29 JANUARY

S T EPHEN K A MOS Feel-good comedy entertainment from a comic renowned for his warmth and first-rate ad-libbing. As seen on QI and Live at the Apollo among other TV shows.

8pm | Cambridge Junction | £19.50 | junction.co.uk

25 JANUARY

27 JANUARY

SWEET CAROLINE: THE ULTIMATE TRIBUTE TO NEIL DIAMOND

NISH KUMAR

Featuring Gary Ryan, as seen on Stars in Their Eyes, enjoy all the hits, including Sweet Caroline, Forever in Blue Jeans, Love on the Rocks and Red Red Wine.

7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £19 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 26 JANUARY

CAMBRIDGE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA – THE MOUSE WHO JUMPED Brought to you by award-winning composer, Stephen Deazley, and BAFTA-nominated writer Martin Riley, this one-hour concert is for those aged five and up, with presenter, musician and singer, Matthew Sharp, adding extra colour to this work.

2pm and 4pm | West Road Concert Hall from £13.50 | cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

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A familiar face from Have I Got News For You, Kumar takes his new show on a UK tour.

7.30pm | Corn Exchange | from £25.50 cambridgelivetrust.co.uk 30 JANUARY

ENTER SHIK ARI Discover these alt-rock rising stars, who won Best Album at the Kerrang! Awards 2018.

7pm | Cambridge Junction | £27.50 junction.co.uk 30 JANUARY

ENDELLION QUARTET One of the best string quartets in the world will play works by Haydn, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven.

7.30pm | West Road Concert Hall £28, £6 students/under-16s cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

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CO M P E T I T I O N

Win a membership for The Glassworks Health Club!

WORTH

£695!

T&Cs: Memberships are available to persons 16 years and over. Closing date: 31 January 2019

T

he Glassworks Health Club is offering one lucky Cambridge Edition reader the chance to get fit for free in 2019 by giving away a 12-month membership worth £695. The Glassworks is located in the heart of the city centre on Thompson’s Lane and features a stylish, state-of-the-art gym, steam room, sauna, spa treatment rooms and a jacuzzi overlooking the River Cam. Inside the fully-equipped gym you’ll find

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the latest cardiovascular and weights machines – including resistance training equipment and a stretching zone – plus high-tech, media-interfaced treadmills, resistance bikes and cross trainers, which allow you to watch all the latest TV channels, YouTube videos and more while you work out.

The membership includes unlimited use of the free weights, functional training suites and cardio gym, towels, the spa

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(incorporating steam room, sauna and jacuzzi), luxury products in the changing rooms and a choice of 34 weekly studio classes, plus member discounts at the Elemis spa and Aveda hair salon.

Head to cambsedition.co.uk and hit the Competition tab to be in with a chance of winning this fantastic prize. l The Glassworks Gym and Spa, Thompson's Lane, Cambridge theglassworksgym.co.uk

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Food & Drink O N E S TO WATC H I N 2019 • R E C I P E S • O P E N I N G S • W I N E T I PS

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A MONTHLY ROUND-UP OF GASTRO GOINGS-ON AROUND CAMBRIDGESHIRE

T HE C A M BR IDGE V EG A N M A R K ET

BURNS NIGHT

Burns Night, a celebration of Scotland’s great poet Robert Burns, this year takes place on Friday 25 January. We may be a long way from the Highlands, but if you want to enjoy the food and fun this annual knees-up brings, we’ve got just the thing. St John’s Chop House will host an indulgent Scottish-inspired feast priced at £30 for three courses, plus tea and coffee. Dishes on the menu include Bridie pie, haggis with neeps and tatties, plus clootie dumpling with whisky custard or cranachan for dessert. cambscuisine.com J A N U A R Y 2 019

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If you’re among the ever-rising number of vegans and v-curious, or just keen to learn more about a plant-based diet and lifestyle, check out this month’s Cambridge Vegan Market, which takes place on 27 January at The Guildhall. Featuring more than fifty stalls, the event will showcase everything from tasty vegan eats from all corners of the world to crueltyfree cosmetics and ethical clothing.

From guilt-free cakes and sweet treats to fiery curries, there’s bound to be something to take your fancy food-wise, plus there will be plenty of inspiration for recipes you can try at home. There will also be a range of exhibitors addressing issues from healthy living to the environment, as well as charities sharing the work they do.

Tickets will be available on the door and will be £2 for adults and free for children. Doors open at 10.30am and close at 4pm. veganmarkets.co.uk

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FO O D & D R I N K

E AT C A MBR IDGE 2019 Eat Cambridge, the city’s annual food and drink festival, will return in May, offering a huge market followed by a fortnight of fringe events. The main event will take place on 11 May, once again at The Guildhall, and feature a range of stalls from independent food and drink businesses from around the area. As well as a chance to try and buy loads of delicious treats, the event includes interesting talks and hands-on experiences, utilising The Guildhall’s various nooks and crannies. From there, it’s onto the Fringe, which offers a dazzlingly large array of fantastic food events ranging from pop-ups and food and wine tastings to behind-the-scenes tours, cookery lessons and plenty more besides. Stay tuned to Cambridge Edition for announcements. eat-cambridge.co.uk CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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FO O D & D R I N K

FOODPARK HITS EDDINGTON Street food collective foodPark has announced Eddington as the latest location for its lunchtime markets, a piece of news sure to come as music to the ears of northwest Cambridge residents. As of 1 February, you’ll be able to feast your way around the cream of the street food crop on Fridays in the market square at this new residential development, conceived by the University of Cambridge.

Initially running for a month-long trial, the markets will run 12pm to 2pm and feature a changing line-up of traders from the foodPark roster. Expect to see the likes of Guerrilla Kitchen, Steak & Honour, Buffalo Joe’s, Churros Bar and Tin Kitchen, plus some exciting new additions.

Don’t panic if you’re a regular at the foodPark market at CB1 – they’ll still be doing their thing on Friday lunchtime on that side of town as well. Happy feasting! foodparkcam.com

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V EG A N V ICE CLU B

New street food trader alert! Catching our eye this month is the Vegan Vice Club: a super cool new plant-based burger stall currently popping up each Wednesday at Cambridge Market, alongside regular London pitches. With bright, 1980s-tastic branding and a promise of burgers so good they’ve got the power to turn you vegan, the outfit is run by cousins Connor and Tommy.

“We know there are a lot of vegans in Cambridge but there isn’t really a vegan ‘vibe’ like we have seen in other cities – especially London”, explains Tommy. “We just want to hit it in a completely different way that hasn’t been done before. We don’t hold back from anything and our food looks so convincing that we easily bridge the gap for those wanting to journey into the vegan world.”

They create perfect patties using top quality ingredients, twice-frying the vegan ‘meat’ for a perfectly crisped exterior, and slathering on homemade sauces. Bestsellers include The Peanut Butter BBQ, with a 1/4lb soy-based Viceburger™, peanut butter barbecue sauce, melted vegan cheese, onion rings, sweet pickles, purple slaw and fresh salad sandwiched in a toasted brioche bun.

You might also want to get your chops around the insanely delicious-sounding Truffle Shuffle: a TenderCrop Chick’n Fillet™ made with seitan, served with truffle mayo, slaw and melty cheese.

You can also pick up sides including sweet potato fries and crispy-fried Crop Chick’n Tenders with lipsmacking dipping sauces.

“A big part of our offering is that we back our food enough to always call over meat-eaters who are tempted by the food but put off by the fact it is vegan”, says Tommy. “Vegan virgins (we joke) always rave about our food tasting just as good, if not better than the meat counterpart – which is the best thing about all of this. We are trying to promote the movement relentlessly so we love winning over meat-eaters and breaking any stigma attached to veganism. A lot of them can’t tell the difference between our food and their meat-based counterpart in any case!”

As well as the market, you’ll be able to Vegan Vice at Ta Bouche this month, where they’re hosting a special Vaganuary pop-up. veganvice.club

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BR AVO OPENS ON M IL L ROA D Joining Mill Road’s ever-evolving lineup of eateries, Bravo Patisserie opened its doors in December. Taking the spot previously home to Bridge Café and Sandwich Bar, the space has had a refurbishment to create a delightfully cosy and inviting bakery and café that’s stocked to the rafters with homemade treats, from baklava to breads, biscuits to artfully crafted patisserie.

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FO O D & D R I N K

My Favourite Table VHARI RUSSELL AND CAT NEW FROM GRUB CLUB CAMBRIDGE, A LOCAL NETWORKING GROUP FOR FOOD AND DRINK PROFESSIONALS, SHARE THEIR TOP TIPS l WHAT’S

YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO EAT IN CAMBRIDGESHIRE?

This is a tricky question to answer and there are so many great places to eat, both in the city and the surrounding villages. We love going to The Old Bridge Hotel in Huntingdon – their wine and gin list is wonderful, and it has a great, cosy atmosphere with excellent food. A visit to Fitzbillies for a cup of coffee and cake is always a favourite, along with visiting Steak and Honor for a burger. Tapas at the Bohemia in St Neots is a must. l YOU’RE

HAVING A NIGHT IN: WHERE ARE YOU CALLING FOR TAKEAWAY?

Cinta, a wonderful Chinese and Malaysian restaurant and takeaway in Godmanchester – the food is delicious and perfect for a Saturday night in or with friends over. l WHERE

DO YOU LIKE TO SHOP FOR INGREDIENTS?

Johnsons of Oldhurst is a top local foodie shopping spot for us, and ideal to take the kids along to as they love seeing the crocodiles. Days of Buckden also offer a great array of meat, bread, cheese and fresh produce. It is always lovely to visit Burwash Larder too and pick up some delicious foodie delights. l WHAT

DO YOU LOVE ABOUT THE CAMBRIDGE FOOD SCENE?

The wonderful array of independent restaurants – so much so that you have to enjoy a starter in one, main in another and dessert in another. We love all elements of the foodie scene in Cambridge, it’s such a buoyant sector and we really love seeing the producers and restaurateurs growing.

N E W Y E A R N E W W IN ES Want to find out what will be top of the wine pops in 2019? Head along to Cambridge Wine Merchants on Cherry Hinton Road on 23 January for a tasting tour of the hottest new trends, styles and grape varieties.

Led by Steve from the Cambridge Wine Academy, it’s priced at £22.50 per person and kicks off at 7.30pm. Pop along for plenty of top tasters and fascinating vinous chat. cambridgewineacademy.com

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l WHAT

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE OF?

More retailers showcasing produce from our area and giving the producers more space and retail presence, so more consumers can enjoy local produce.

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K R ISP Y K R EME OPENS N EW BR A NCH Yep, the hallowed US doughnut and coffee shop, known for its melt-in-your-mouth glazed rings of goodness, opened a new branch in The Grafton last month. At the store, which is located on the ground floor of the centre, doughnut fans will be able to choose between sixteen different flavours, from the hugely popular Original Glazed to the indulgent Chocolate Dreamcake filled with gooey chocolate sauce.

“Cambridge doughnut lovers have proved they love the sweet taste of our delicious treats following the success of our store in the Grand Arcade, which opened in 2014,” says Neil Williamson, UK operations manager for Krispy Kreme. “We believe the new store in the Grafton will be equally as popular.’’

A PER IT I VO AT A ROMI Aromi, the family-run Sicilian eaterie with branches on Peas Hill, Bene’t Street and Fitzroy Street, has built up an army of fans in the city with its tasty treats. It’s so popular that it’s not unusual to see queues snaking out the door and spilling along the street at weekends. Wellloved for its pizza slices, focaccia, arancini and mini pasticceria, the café has recently added Aperitivo Hour to its offering. A much-loved Italian tradition, Aperitivo is a kind of happy hour when people flock to bars and enjoy light bites and drinks ahead of their main meal later on.

Aromi are embracing Aperitivo Hour with a new cocktail menu featuring a traditional Aperol spritz, a punchy Negroni and a Limoncello spritz, amongst others. There are also tasty bites on offer, including platters of Aromi’s antipasti delicacies such as caponata, olives and Italian cured meats.

“We are so very excited to be bringing Aromi’s Aperitivo Hour to Cambridge at last!” enthuses director Francesco Genovese. “This is how we Aperitivo in Sicily: the perfect start to your evening or reward for a busy day at work or shopping.” aromi.co.uk

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The Taste of Success CHARLOTTE GRIFFITHS MEETS THE TALENTED TEAM THAT BREATHED NEW LIFE INTO CHESTERTON'S RESTAURANT 22

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ew, independent eateries are rare beasts in our city, and exceptional ones are rarer still.

So when Restaurant 22 burst back onto the scene in March 2018 with new owners, a stylish monochrome look and an ambitious menu to match, foodies fell over themselves to flock to its tables, crossing their fingers that this might be the fine dining experience the city had been longing for – and were not disappointed. Exquisite plates of clever, completely delicious cooking, perfectly judged service, discreetly elegant interiors: R22 is a total dream of a restaurant, which has attracted rave reviews from diners and critics alike, and is fast becoming the worst-kept secret in Cambridge – deservedly so.

As with most good things, R22 has been a while in the making: co-owners Alexandra Olivier and chef Samuel Carter had lived in Cambridge for four years prior to moving upstairs on Chesterton Road, but their dream of someday owning their very own restaurant had been around since the couple first met.

“I was working in London and Alex was in Peterborough, and we’d never been to Cambridge,” Sam says. “We looked at a map and wondered where we could live between the two. So, we booked a house viewing, wandered into town and went to a tearoom on Kings Parade, and just really liked it.”

“I was still training to be a solicitor at that point,” restaurant manager Alex adds, “and then qualified and worked for a couple of years, but Sam was still working down in London. It had always been the plan to have a restaurant at some point, but I just wanted to qualify and get a bit of experience under my belt. So then, at the time we became ready [for our restaurant], we were in Cambridge, and in love with the city.”

As Cambridge residents, the couple had encountered the same challenge most of us have wrestled with, at one time or

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another: where do you go for dinner in town? Despite being enamoured with the city, its rather challenging property market had caused the couple a lot of headaches and heartache, and Restaurant 22’s current incarnation very nearly didn’t happen. “We were looking properly for about five to six months,” says Alex, “at a few pubs outside the city, at Mill Road and in Petersfield – it’s such a nice area, we lived there before we moved here and just loved it. We were starting to think about looking in other cities when Restaurant 22 came up. But we said that if it fell through, then we’d look elsewhere.”

Luckily, it all went smoothly and Alex and Sam moved in at the start of last year. “We got the keys mid-January 2018 and closed to do the refurbishment – that was full on,” Alex says. “My parents moved in with us and we were all here all day, every day, working. We ripped the carpet out; Sam spent three days straight sanding this,” she nods downwards, at the dining room’s beautifully finished wooden floorboards, “and then my mum varnished it – it was a proper family effort, but it was hard. I remember painting the front as it was snowing outside – it was so cold.”

“It was brutal,” Sam adds. “And we were still painting on the day we opened: I was watching people thinking ‘please don’t lean on that wall, please don’t lean on that wall’! Alex's mum was still hanging curtains as people were arriving.”

That hurried makeover clearly did the trick, transforming the space into a ‘discreetly elegant and comfortable’ (AA Restaurant Guide) interior that’s always mentioned positively in R22’s growing number of write-ups. And just a few months after they opened, the critics came calling: The Independent’s Ibrahim Salha dropped a triple five-star review in June, describing the restaurant (correctly) as a place which immediately makes you feel at home, and then The

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Telegraph’s Michael Deacon added a second glowing review barely a week later. “The Independent review was huge,” Alex says. “Before that, we were always busy at weekends, but our weekdays were quite quiet. Then that happened, and it made such a difference. The phone went nuts for five days straight.”

The couple are also quick to state how much they and the team appreciate hearing good reviews. “People taking the time to leave positive reviews is just so encouraging,” Alex says. “All the team look as well; it means so much – if you are

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putting the hours in and working really hard, then good feedback is just great.”

That small but perfectly-formed team is one of the other reasons that dining at the restaurant is such an enjoyable experience. Alex’s front of house are smart, knowledgeable and clearly enthusiastic about the dishes they’re serving, while below the stairs is a small kitchen where Sam and his crew of chefs turn out some of the most delicious dishes our city’s seen for quite some time.

When you’re working so intensely it’s important to trust those around you, and it’s clear that the couple hugely value their entire team. “They’re all so involved in it. Normally when you work for a company you turn up and get told what to do,” Sam says, “but hopefully they all feel part of it. It’s us, all together, figuring it out.”

Sous chef Andrew Sleath gets a particular mention – he first crossed paths with Sam when the two were working in London’s kitchens. “I met him at Claridge’s, then we both started working at maze, where he was on fish and I was on pastry – and we clicked.

When he was at Tom Aikens I went and did a couple of days with him there. We just stayed in touch.” So when the time came to open Restaurant 22, Sam called Andy, who was working in Scotland at the time – and he came running. “He lived upstairs with us for a week when we opened,” Sam laughed. “I’ve always been in the kitchen here but if I wasn’t, then I’d trust him with it. He’s great.”

Alex agrees, “People ask where the water bath is in the kitchen, but we haven’t got one! Andy is just that good at cooking – he makes everything taste amazing.”

Even if they actually wanted a water bath, there may not be space – the diminutive kitchens in the basement of the Victorian townhouse must have been a shock to the system for a chef who has worked in some of the grandest spaces in the capital, but Sam’s extremely positive about it. “It’s very small,” Sam laughs.

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“R22 is a total dream of a restaurant” “We haven’t even got a pass down there – it’s just a shelf, in a corridor – and the amount of times Alex knocks into me...” he jokes.

Interestingly, the restaurant’s small proportions have also had a direct impact on the style of food they serve: lack of storage space below stairs means that as soon as ingredients arrive, they’re prepped and served, pretty much straight away. “There’s nothing in the freezer except ice cream,” Sam grins.

“Everything’s fresh every day, twice – which is a lot of work, but that’s all we can do, so we don’t have another option.

But it works in a good way.”

Both Alex and Sam are thrilled to have been able to become part of the Cambridge food scene, and speak warmly of their fellow food enthusiasts around the city. “Cambridge, in general, has been so welcoming to us, we’ve had so much support,” Alex says.

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“I just love it – everyone we speak to is so passionate about food and drink,” Sam agrees. “You speak to Sam at Thirsty about wine and you’ll be there for hours – he just loves it. There’s Jacob at Seed to Feed, Sam at Culinaris, Hot Numbers with their coffee – there’s just so much here.”

“It’s so exciting,” Alex says, “and it’ll just get better and better.”

So what’s next? Firstly, that dream – time off – may be visible on the horizon.

“When we started there were just three of us in the kitchen – we didn’t have a kitchen porter for three months,” Sam says. “It’s better now but we’re either here or closed. We try and have a day off on a Sunday when we’ll go out to lunch, or down to London, but it’s still so early in the business.”

“We’re just going to carry on doing what we’re doing, and hopefully stay busy,” Alex smiles. l restaurant22.co.uk

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H OW TO M A K E T H E B E S T

Black Treacle Soda Bread ALEX RUSHMER BAKES A RICH, TRADITIONAL BREAD TO COMFORT AND SUSTAIN YOU

INGREDIENTS

450g strong white bread flour One and a half pinches of salt O ne and a half pinches of bicarbonate of soda 5 0ml rapeseed oil or melted butter 1 25g black treacle 3 00ml milk J uice of half a lemon E xtra flour for dusting

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I tried to take this off the menu, I really did. But fear of a fullscale riot prevented me from doing so.

Bread is the best way to start a meal and this sweet and sticky loaf has the added benefit of not needing to rise. It was created by one of the first chefs who ever came through the kitchen at The Hole in the Wall and the recipe hasn’t changed since.

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STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE l

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Combine the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the oil or butter and rub in to combine, as if you are making pastry.

A dd the black treacle and treat the same way – you should end up with a mixture that resembles damp sand.

Add the lemon juice to the vinegar to split it and add that to the bread mixture. Use a wooden spoon or dough scraper to combine. The mixture will be very wet and sticky: the aim is to add as little additional flour as possible to create a workable dough.

D ust a clean worktop with flour and pour out the bread dough. Dust the top of the dough and work it into the mix (a dough scraper is extremely useful here). Keep adding a little flour at a time until the mixture is a workable dough.

S hape into a long loaf and transfer to a baking sheet.

B ake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 95°C. L eave to cool and eat with plenty of butter.

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FO O D X&X XDXRXIXNX KX

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Ones to Watch

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NICOLA FOLEY ROUNDS UP THE CAMBRIDGE FOOD AND DRINK BUSINESSES YOU NEED ON YOUR RADAR FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

fter an eventful 2018, the local food and drink scene is set to get even more interesting in the coming months with the arrival of a clutch of exciting eateries in and around the Cambridgeshire area.

From fine-dining restaurants to artisan bakeries, burger joints to wine bars and a brand new food court – over the next few pages, we’ll be introducing you to the food and drink enterprises that will be stepping up to the plate and shaping the city’s food scene in the year to come, plus learning more about the individuals behind them.

Say hello to the rising culinary stars of 2019...

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Made from scratch

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xciting things are happening in a kitchen over in Hildersham, where a celebrated chef has taken the reins of an old village pub. Once a well-loved local, the Pear Tree Inn closed unexpectedly six years ago to the dismay of the villagers, who launched an ultimately unsuccessful campaign to save and run it themselves.

All was quiet until the spring of last year when acclaimed French restaurateur and chef, Gael Lecolley, and his wife stumbled upon the pub by chance.

“It was purely by accident,” says Gael, “but it called to us somehow. My wife, Cat, swore she would never open another restaurant, yet here we are a year later! C’est la vie.”

After a smart refurbishment, the pub reopened as Pear & Olive a few months

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ago, with an eclectic, stylish new look and new food concept: Scratch Kitchen.

Food-wise, the ethos is all about farm to fork, utilising super-fresh, super-local produce. The menu changes weekly, sometimes even nightly, with everything created from scratch the way it used to be and should be, according to Gael.

“This is what excited me about being a chef. We are agile and able to be totally creative and in the moment. I pick my seasonal fruits and vegetables, and base my menu on what I find that day or week and what inspires me,” explains Gael.

“Neighbours bring me apples and voila we have tarte tatin on the menu that evening. It is all about creative expression through food and the senses.”

Expect great food, Sunday roasts, jazz music and roaring log fires.

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Images Chef Gael Lecolley (pictured right) and his wife recently took the reigns of a Hildersham pub, introducing new food concept, Scratch Kitchen

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The Thirsty revolution

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t’s been just three and a half years since Thirsty appeared on Chesterton Road, but in that time they’ve made their mark on Cambridge in a fashion few businesses can lay claim to. First came the shop: a quirky off-licence and bar that breathed a lungful of fresh air into not just the neighbourhood but the city’s drinking scene as a whole, with their friendly, accessible approach to the world of wine. Cottoning on to Cambridge’s burgeoning love of street food, Thirsty began to regularly host food trucks out the front so that punters could enjoy an amazing selection of small-producer wines, craft beers and spirits while tucking into grub from some of the most exciting vendors around.

From here began Thirsty’s forays into outdoor pop-up events, kicking off with the lively Winterfest and St Patrick’s Day shindigs in the car park of Mackay’s on East Road, progressing to the much-loved Thirsty Riverside biergarten at the Museum of Technology and, most recently, a winter residency in the garden of the Gonville Hotel.

Under the steer of owner Sam Owens, Thirsty have proven time and again their knack for transforming unlikely corners of Cambridge into buzzing new hangouts – paving the way for others to follow suit with their forward-thinking, collaboratively minded approach.

The Thirsty revolution is set to roll on in 2019, with the recently announced opening of Thirsty & Hungry, a new bricks and mortar premises in the city centre. Taking the spot of The Urban Shed at 62-64 King Street, this new outpost will be open day and night, and will serve as a café, bottle shop and bar, with food available throughout.

Alongside a sizable selection of predominantly Scandi and Northern European craft beer, a focus will be natural wines, available to drink in or take out. They’re keeping tight-lipped about the food offering at this stage, but Sam assures us it will be “ever-changing and rather flippin’ exceptional”.

“We can’t wait to unleash a great big dose of Thirstiness on the city centre in 2019,” he continues. “King Street is the ideal fit for us – full of indie businesses and with a real sense of character. Bring it on!”

Images Thirsty’s original shop on Chesterton Road (right) is being joined by a King Street branch

“Thirsty breathed a lungful of fresh air into the city’s drinking scene”

FOLLOW THIRSTY ON TWIT TER @THIRSTYCAMB FOR UPDATES ON ITS BOOZY ESCAPADES.

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“The small-scale nature of Grain Culture is key. Everything is handcrafted with fastidious attention to detail”

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he humble loaf has had a luxury, artisanal makeover in recent years. Even at your local supermarket, the shelves, once loaded with sliced whites, now bear myriad sourdoughs, ryes and rustic loaves laden with ancient grains. After decades of putting up with flavourless, pre-packaged bread, consumers had tasted the good stuff and they weren’t going back.

Cambridge has been quick to embrace this trend, if the proliferation of artisan bakeries is anything to go by. From Norfolk Street Bakery and Stir to more recent arrivals The Cambridge Oven and Maison Clement on Hills Road, the city’s residents are becoming increasingly spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing their daily bread.

The latest to catch our eye is Grain Culture: a recently launched micro bakery with a stall at the Ely Farmers’ Market. Specialising in small batches of exceptional quality bread, it’s the brainchild of Luca Fiorio, who cut his teeth cooking in Michelin-starred restaurants around Italy.

“When I decided to quit, about two years ago, I wanted to specialise in something,” he explains. “Since the beginning of my career, I always had an incredible passion for bread and it fascinated me, so it made sense to start a micro bakery and produce the best bread possible!”

The small-scale nature of the business is key. Everything is handcrafted with fastidious attention to detail, fermented for 24 hours and then baked, with absolutely no cutting of corners. For Luca, it’s simple: “Grain Culture is a micro bakery and wants to remain as such, producing small batches of real, high-quality bread,” he says. “I want to supply and collaborate with the best, like-minded food business in and around Cambridge, as well as providing for my local community in Ely.”

Against the grain

One collaboration that really had local foodies abuzz was the recent pair-up with Steak & Honour, which saw Luca creating a unique sage and potato bun for S&H’s raved-about Sage Against The Machine Christmas burger. If you didn’t manage to grab one of those, you can find Grain Culture at Ely Farmers’ Market every second and fourth Saturday of the month, where you’ll have your pick of anything from sourdough loaves to cinnamon and salted caramel buns to Polish babka.

Luca is constantly experimenting, but his all-time favourite is the table loaf, which he describes as the fifth member of his family. “There’s always one cut open in our kitchen, it’s there as toast for the school run, there at lunch, there at dinner or for a late-night snack,” he says.

Images The latest of a crop of artisan bakeries in Cambridgeshire, Grain Culture can be found every second and fourth Saturday at Ely Market

FOLLOW LUCA ON INSTAGRAM AT @GRAINCULTUREHQ FOR UPDATES ON HIS BAKING ADVENTURES.

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Finedining on Mill Road

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ewind to 2010 and local chef Alex Rushmer was a fresh-faced contestant on BBC’s MasterChef, raising the eyebrows of the nation with a controversial blue cheese ice cream. He narrowly missed out on taking home the crown – though did, very respectably, finish in the top three. A year or so on from the series’ conclusion, as many readers of this magazine will know, he would go on to open The Hole in the Wall in Little Wilbraham, a restaurant that earned two AA Rosettes and numerous glowing reviews in the national press.

By the time The Hole in the Wall closed its doors for good in the summer of 2017, Alex had made the transition from MasterChef graduate to successful restaurateur, bowing out on a high with a promise that we hadn’t heard the last from him.

He didn’t make us wait too long – a little more than a year after stepping away from the hobs at The Hole, he announced his return to the restaurant game with news of Vanderlyle.

Set to open by March, the Mill Road restaurant will see Alex reunited with Lawrence Butler, his trusted sous chef from The Hole in the Wall. The focus will be on locally sourced, seasonal and sustainable food, served ‘without bluster or pretension’ in a relaxed and intimate setting.

“There will be elements that are broadly similar to The Hole in the Wall,” explains Alex. “The desire to always source the best produce is something that will follow through, as will the direct relationships that I’ve built up with suppliers. What I’m hoping to be able to achieve – through cooking for a smaller number of people – is a level of refinement and precision that wasn’t always achievable at The Hole in the Wall. There will also be a firmer focus on vegetables and a more sustainable style of cooking to reflect the increasingly mindful approach to food that, I believe, we should be taking.”

Residing at 38-40 Mill Road, Alex is excited for Vanderlyle to join the area’s vibrant community of indie traders. “I love the energy of the place and the fact that there is such a wonderful community spirit there,” he says. “If I had been given the choice to open anywhere in Cambridge city centre, I would have had no hesitation in choosing Mill Road.”

Food gets social at the Grafton Image Amélie, pictured below, is the first resident at Food Social, the Grafton Centre’s new food court

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hink of the Grafton Centre and exciting indie eateries might not be the first thing that springs to mind, but the recently revamped shopping centre is promising to buck expectations with Food Social, its reinvigorated dining concept.

Already we have Amélie: the lovely family-run café which introduced the city to flammekueche, a pizza-like delicacy hailing from the Alsace region. But this cheery establishment – spearheaded by acclaimed chef Regis Crepy and his son Alex – is only the start of the story. The

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Below Chef Alex Rushmer with Lawrence Butler. Alex is opening Vanderlyle on Mill Road in early spring

aim is for this corner of the Grafton to be transformed into a bustling food court filled with great eateries.

We won’t have to wait too long for the master plan to take effect – in fact, we’re promised that new cafes and restaurants will be announced early this year.

“The independently owned Amélie chose Food Social for the launch of its new restaurant concept and has been trading extremely well since opening in the last year,” says John O’Shea, centre manager. “We are keen to bring in other new food concepts to the Grafton and are in ongoing discussions with further independent restaurant brands that we know will appeal to our Cambridge audience. We’re keen to work with brands that offer memorable experiences to our visitors that are unique to the Grafton within Cambridge.”

Watch this space!

FOLLOW @THEGRAFTONCAMBS ON TWIT TER FOR THE LATEST ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT NEW RESIDENTS AT THE FOOD SOCIAL.

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Great food with provenance

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rmed with a vintage Airstream van and a promise of ‘fast slow food’, Provenance Kitchen first surfaced on the local food scene in the summer of 2015. Its concept bridged the gap between street food and highend restaurant dining, with a menu that utilised top-quality, locally sourced ingredients, often cooked over an open fire or Japanese Konro grill. Typical dishes might include wood-fired plaice with seaweed and caper butter, or rock oysters with tabiko and lime: greasy burgers on a street corner this was not.

After building up a following through pop-ups and event catering, this month sees Provenance taking its enterprise to the next level with the opening of permanent premises in Whittlesford.

Named, appropriately enough, Brix and Mortar, this café, deli and restaurant

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will see the team continuing its commitment to locality, seasonality and excellent produce, offering top-quality cuts of locally sourced meats, wood-fired fish and vibrant vegetarian and vegan dishes.

The deli side of the business, meanwhile, will be stocked with produce used in the restaurant’s daily menu, as well as artisan breads, organic wines and local beers, plus visitors will be able to enjoy café fare including locally sourced coffee, speciality teas, juices and cakes during the day.

“We want to create a destination that typifies the cornerstone of Provenance,” explains Kate Holden, Provenance co-founder. “It has always been about the food and providing great service for our customers. Therefore, we want to create an environment that brings great food and great people together.”

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Doppleganger levels up

I “Going vegan was like learning to cook again”

f you’ve had your ear to the local food scene ground, you might have already got wind of Doppleganger, the vegan burger outfit making waves with a hugely successful residency at cocktail bar 2648. With the city already in thrall to its intriguing plantbased creations, the company is about to take things to the next level with the launch of a restaurant in the city centre – and all signs point to it being one of the most interesting new openings of 2019.

The story began around a year and a half ago, when owner Alf Fowler became a vegan. For him, it wasn’t so much about ethical considerations as the exciting challenge it posed for him as a chef.

“It was like learning to cook again,” he explains. “I worked in kitchens throughout my time at university, but they were predominantly meat-based, using a lot of game especially – it was very classic cookery.

“Going vegan seemed like a massive challenge: the idea of not being able

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to use traditional techniques and ingredients was really interesting to me.”

After trying a plant-based diet for a month, he read into veganism more and began to notice he felt healthier, so decided to stick with it, but found the options for dining out uninspiring.

“There was a lot of bean patties and not very adventurous food,” he laughs.

Working at the time as a designer for a consultancy in Cambridge, his boss allowed him to use the office’s Regent Street rooftop as a venue for his first series of pop-ups – and Doppleganger was born. With every event a sell-out, Alf knew he was onto something and began emailing venues in the city to see if they’d allow him to use their kitchens for his new venture.

Eventually, 2648 took him up on his offer and he began making burgers there at weekends alongside his regular job.

Soon, the pop-up was doing a roaring trade and Alf realised he wanted to take Doppleganger full-time, so handed in his notice at his job and took over the kitchens at 2648 on a permanent basis.

Before long an investor took notice and expressed his interest; an “out of the blue” opportunity that set Doppleganger on the path to opening a permanent restaurant in Cambridge. A deal was struck and premises – the building previously home to Caffe Sicilia on Regent Street – was found.

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THE BEST OF THE REST FA S T F O O D

FIVE GUYS In a piece of news that is sure to please local burger fans, Five Guys has announced it is opening a second Cambridge branch this year. Located on Market Street in the city centre, you can expect more of the sloppily delicious prime beef burgers that have made this American eatery world famous, plus a tonne of toppings that can be added at no extra cost. Stay tuned to Edition for announcements.

Set to open this month, the eatery sports a sleek, modern look, and a menu packed with tempting vegan dishes.

Much-loved local brewery Calverley’s is supplying the beer and to eat, you can expect the kind of adventurous, meticulously crafted burgers that Doppleganger has been winning fans with at 2648 for the past year.

The foundation of the burgers is the dopplepatti; an unami-rich soy protein patty upon which a galaxy of intriguing flavour combos are layered. To give you a taste: the signature burger, the Cali, features a ranch-style garlic and herb sauce, a blanket of vegan cheese, sticky onion marmalade and portabello mushrooms, while the Bbk offers a symphony of miso mayo, lime slaw, a dopplepatti glazed in Korean BBQ sauce, plus spiced jack fruit, pickled pear and cucumber in chilli.

Waxing lyrical on condiments, Alf’s passion is infectious: “If you make a killer sauce, it makes everything come alive,” he enthuses. “We make our own Korean barbecue sauce with fermented black beans, Gochujang, pears, garlic and ginger, which is parsed and sieved and made into a sticky BBQ sauce. The sauces are where it’s at!”

Making use of air-frying and using just a little oil on the patties, Doppleganger’s food is not only interesting but pretty healthy to boot. And it’s not just burgers: mornings will see porridge and banana

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waffles being served, while desserts include Doppleganger’s take on a cheesecake, made using chickpeas and cashew nuts.

“We’re definitely bringing something new to the city,” concludes Alf .“I want it to be informal, a crossover of an Apple shop meets food! You know how when you go in and they’re so friendly,” he laughs, “that sort of thing – I want it to be like going into someone’s house and for the staff to come and chat to you. I really that think the people, the staff, can bring more to the experience.”

But the opening of the Regent Street Doppleganger is far from the endgame. “The goal is to be more than one restaurant,” says Alf. “Our mission statement is to have a greater impact with every bite. And that’s multifaceted: every bite, the flavours are different, they’re amazing. But then also to have a greater impact on people’s eating habits and, ultimately, the environment and people’s health. There’s definitely a bigger goal than being just a vegan restaurant in Cambridge.”

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FINE DINING MJP RESTAURANT Mark Poynton, the former chef-patron at the now-closed Alimentum, has announced plans to open a new city centre restaurant in the spring of this year. Mark, who held a Michelin star between 2012 and 2017, was quoted in The Caterer as saying that customers can expect the new outpost to have a more informal feel than the restaurants he’s cooked at in the past, offering simple, delicious food with no tasting menus.

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FO O D & D R I N K C H E F ’S TA B L E

Try January INSTEAD OF ABSTAINING FROM BOOZE OR INDULGENT FOOD THIS NEW YEAR, CHEF ALEX RUSHMER SUGGESTS RESOLVING TO EXPAND YOUR CULINARY HORIZONS AND TRY MORE RECIPES

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n comparison to the indulgence of Christmas and new year, the food of January is always going to seem austere and dull.

Even well-chosen and perfectly cooked dishes are destined to appear wanting when compared with roast meats, rich puddings, mince pies for breakfast, several dozen Quality Street green triangles and a near endless supply of Stilton. And that’s before a single resolution has been made.

My view is that it’s an irony of cruel and unusual proportions that new year is, in fact, the very worst time to make resolutions. After the decadence of December, the pendulum swing to ascetic misery strains even the most resolute and po-faced puritan. What’s more, the dark days, terrible weather and general postfestivity blues make this time of year grim enough without the additional burden of closing off several avenues of pleasure.

Followed by the inevitable soul-bashing when your resolve cracks and you eat half a Curly Wurly on a miserable Monday on the third week of the year.

It is far better for body and mind – and psychologically much more beneficial – to resolve in a positive way, rather than a negative one. To decide to make more of a commitment to do something rather than a stern promise to abstain or avoid something else. With this approach there is no moment of failure, no single weak point that feels as if it has undone all the good work you’ve put in until the instant only a glass of Rioja would do, despite nearly a month of sobriety.

It is far easier to succeed, for example, in a decision to eat more vegetables than one which creates a sense of loss: to stop eating cheese, for instance. Not only does this shift the focus of the mind, it also allows for a continual sense of achievement – every time you succeed in eating some broccoli – rather than putting CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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intense focus and pressure on a single moment and creating a fear of failure of even the smallest wavering.

This year I’ll be repeating a resolution my wife and I made last January: to cook a new recipe from one of the dozens of cookbooks that line the shelves in our kitchen. Each week we took it in turns to pick a book and then the other chose a recipe – we then had a few days to collect ingredients and cook the recipe for Monday night.

After dinner we would repeat the exercise, this time with the roles reversed. Not only did it make us more conscious of what we were eating, but also expanded our cooking into areas and regions we might not otherwise have considered. As an unapologetic collector of cookbooks, a great many get ignored or forgotten after an initial flourish of

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excitement. I remember reading a few years ago that, on average, we cook just two recipes from every book on the shelf – this is our small effort to increase the number, even if only a little.

With long summer nights and bright mornings still months away, it seems important to make the most of the cosiness and darkness and, for me, food is the best way to do that. There are several other months of the year when salad and sobriety are achievable goals, when the pursuit of those won’t impact too negatively on one’s psyche. Why not wait for just a little longer? At least until the clocks change. l J A N U A R Y 2 019

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FO O D & D R I N K

Nature’s Larder THE TEAM FROM THE GOG, OUR AWARD-WINNING LOCAL FARM SHOP, BUTCHERY, DELI AND CAFÉ, GIVES THE LOW-DOWN ON THE SEASONAL PRODUCE TO SEEK OUT THIS MONTH

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e hope you all had a fabulous festive season and enjoyed the most indulgent time of year. If you’re feeling the pinch on your waistline and wallet after all the celebrations, New Year is a great time to stock up on healthy eats.

There is a strong belief that eating healthily and cooking from scratch costs a fortune, but the Institute of Economic Affairs points out that the £1 price of a cheeseburger could also buy a kilo of sweet potatoes, two kilos of carrots, or ten apples.

We are increasingly conditioned to think of healthy food as expensive, because of the price of meat, fish and dairy, the rise of ‘superfoods’ and the higher cost of organic produce.

Yet nutritious food needn’t cost the earth. Chia-seed smoothies are an expensive luxury; good old-fashioned nourishment, such as carrots, lentils and potatoes, are cheap as chips. Many top chefs are big advocates of super-quick recipes that you can cook from scratch, so it really is possible to cook a filling, healthy meal in very little time. British food writer Jack Monroe has shown this repeatedly. For example, her recipe for a courgette, tomato and cheese gratin costs 33p and takes eight minutes to cook, making it healthier, quicker and cheaper than a takeaway. Throw in some chicken thighs for a tasty, healthy and affordable midweek supper.

At The Gog you can be assured of the quality of all our produce. Wherever possible it’s locally sourced to minimise the air miles and maintain freshness. In addition, all our meat comes from high-welfare farms where the animals are cared for in the most natural environment and treated as humanely as possible. The slow-grown farming method allows for a higher quality of life and ensures tender meat with a substantial fat covering and good marbling which is a creamier colour. It also delivers more meat per kilo.

One of our favourite quick and healthy wholesome meals is Oregano Chicken and Squash Traybake, ready to pop into the oven in just a few minutes! l Why not share a photo of your recipe on our Facebook or Instagram pages using #GogRecipes to be in with a chance to win a prize if you’re chosen as the recipe of the month?

The Gog, Heath Farm, Shelford Bottom, Cambridge CB22 3AD 01223 248352 | thegog.com

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HOW TO E AT I T OREGANO CHICKEN & SQUASH TRAYBAKE | SERVES 4 • 1 butternut squash, cut into chunks. We like leaving the skin on to add flavour

• 200g fresh artichoke • 1tsp dried or fresh oregano • 2tsp cumin seeds • 1½ tbsp olive oil • 8 chicken thighs. Our butcher’s top tip: score the meat to help it keep its shape and add to the crispiness

• 150g olives of your choice, roughly chopped • Large handful rocket METHOD

• Heat the oven to 200/220°C • Parboil the artichoke – either whole, or cut the artichoke

in half from top to bottom, and remove the innermost leaves before parboiling for around ten minutes • Mix the olive oil, oregano and cumin seeds together • Put the chicken thighs and squash in a large roasting tin and mix with the flavoured oil and some seasoning • Drain the artichoke leaves and add to the roasting tin (grilled artichokes in oil work just as well if you don’t have time to prep the fresh heart) • Roast in the oven for 45 minutes until tender and golden • Add the olives to the tin and stir, then return to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through • Stir in the rocket and serve.

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Drinks TROLLEY

I K NOW T HIS GR E AT LI T T LE PL ACE...

The Lab What happens when three scientists open a bar? You can discover the answer to that by turning your feet to Regent Street and its newest resident, The Lab. Located in the premises formerly home to Bar 90, this unique new drinking den brings a quirky, science-inspired flavour to your night out, with themed cocktails and décor. An homage to our city’s scientific lineage, the bar offers specialities including ‘Hawking’s Big Bang’ and ‘Newton’s Aperol’, as well as an extensive selection of spirits (over 300 different types, including over 40 gins), wines and beers. An impressive selection for such a small bar.

If you like the sound of it and fancy getting the run of the place, The Lab is also available for private hire, allowing customers to bring their own food and dance the night away.

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D R I N KS

TRÉBOL SUBTERRANEAN BAR 2648 PROVIDE A RECIPE THAT USES MEZCAL GIN: A GOURMET, HANDCRAFTED SPIRIT WHICH SINGS WITH BOTANICALS WHAT YOU’LL NEED

For the drink: 50ml Mezcal gin 25ml Fresh lemon juice 25ml simple sugar syrup Egg white (or Ms. Better’s Bitters if you’re not a big fan of egg whites) For the glass: Lemon wedge Dehydrated raspberry – crushed HOW TO MAKE IT

Grab a lemon wedge, place it on the rim of a Martini glass and push it all the way around.

Crush the dehydrated raspberry, place it on a flat surface (a cocktail rimmer would be ideal), and place the Martini glass on it. Make sure the glass has a nice raspberry rim on it!

Pour all the ingredients into a shaker, add ice, shake, strain and shake again without ice – to get a nice, thick foam.

Pour the drink into the already prepared Martini glass, sit back, and enjoy.

“A fresh, zesty cocktail with plenty of zing and flavour”

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F E E L I N G T H I RS T Y?

Bargain red wines to warm your cockles...

ELODIE CAMERON FROM THIRSTY ON REDS THAT WILL SEE YOU THROUGH JANUARY ON A SHOESTRING January is a long month. After the bloating and enjoyment of Christmas, many of us enjoyed the flush feeling the early Christmas payday brings, yet most of us are counting our pennies by the time we get to New Year’s Day. To add to that, it is cold, dark and grey – the post-Christmas glow has definitely dimmed and the sight of discarded Christmas trees is a reminder that it is time to tighten our belts in more ways than one. It is also the last time of the year when you want to be thinking about a month of no drinking – dry January, who thought that was a good idea? I always feel that is best left for the spring when energy levels return and the days start getting longer.

So for now we need good value, something that allows us to curl up in the warmth with winter-proof food and hold out until spring arrives. We want good value reds.

We want to bring a little sunshine into our homes with bold reds from warmer climes to get us through the depths of winter.

Wines around the £10 mark can offer great value. The costs of bringing you that bottle are the same as a bottle half the price, but the value of the contents is several times more, so this really is a sweet spot, and this is where my attention is focused. When I think about hearty wines that are great with food or curled up in front of a roaring fire my mind instantly travels to Southern Europe: all that sunshine in a bottle is sure to perk us up until we can top up our vitamin D levels with real sun.

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CONVENTO DA VILA TONTOI, ALENTEJO (£10)

Wines from the Alentejo region of Portugal are warm, generous and easygoing, offering rustic style with substance at a great price. These wines are soft and intense and this is no exception. A herbal, almost minty note, with plenty of delicate red fruit and fine tannins. This will pair well with most meats (even chicken) and vegetable dishes.

COTES DU RHONE, DOMAINE DE LA BERTHETE (£9.40)

This great value Cotes du Rhone is just what you’d expect: full-bodied, rounded and nicely balanced tannins coupled with soft black fruits, hints of cinnamon, black pepper and a touch of smoky bacon. Grilled red meats, lamb curry, stir-fried pork and medium cheeses work well with this.

IL FAGGIO MONTEPULCIANO D’ABRUZZO (£9.20)

This selection would not be complete without something Italian, and the Montepulciano grape offers the intense colour and concentration we yearn for in the depths of winter when we want something that is going to rock our tastebuds. Black fruit and coffee followed by a chocolate and cherry character and spicy notes with robust but supple tannins.

This wine is great with pasta with tomato sauces, lamb and game.

All in all, January might turn out to be not so bad after all!

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INDEPENDENT OF THE MONTH

ADC Theatre SIOBHAN GODWOOD FINDS OUT ABOUT WHAT MAKES ADC THEATRE ONE OF THE MOST SPECIAL VENUES IN CAMBRIDGE

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he ADC is Cambridge’s home of student theatre, showing plays from Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club (CUADC), who lease the building, as well as Footlights, Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society and The Fletcher Players. It’s the smallest department at Cambridge University and has no academic aim, stating as its purpose: ‘to provide opportunities to learn about and experience all aspects of theatre, while presenting professional standard productions’.

The theatre is the oldest university playhouse in the country: plays have been performed there since 1855, when the CUADC was formed. At the time, the building on the site was an inn and the club leased two rooms upstairs so they could rehearse and put on plays. The very first minutes book from the club is stored in the university library.

“The theatre continued to be run by students right up until 1973, when it was taken over by the university,” explains Vicky Collins, theatre manager at the ADC. “It’s completely booked out for student productions from the different groups even during term time, apart from during exam time when we aren’t allowed to have student shows as they should all be busy revising!”

During term time, the theatre usually presents two shows a night, Tuesday to Saturday, one at 7.45pm and one at 11pm.

All the productions during term time are

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entirely student run, from the actors and performers to the stage hands and set builders, and there are six permanent staff members who form the theatre’s management team.

The theatre keeps running throughout the university holidays, too, with a range of different companies who come in and put on productions. For example, over Christmas, Ballet Central visited and put on a production of The Nutcracker.

Of course, being a university theatre does present challenges. The nature of college life is that students graduate and leave, and new – inexperienced! – ones come along.

“That’s definitely something that makes running the ADC different from a commercial theatre,” says Vicky. “But it’s also the entire reason we exist: to be a training theatre for students. It’s so exciting having new faces coming through. At the start of each year, in Michaelmas term, we do Freshers productions, a main show here and one over at the Corpus Playroom. That’s a real baptism of fire for the new students, and a fantastic way for them to learn how to do everything, from staging to producing a play.”

Members of the management team help the students with sessions on how to

use tools for building their sets and teach them how to stage manage, but there’s also a lot of peer training involved.

“I was an undergraduate here myself and was involved in theatre,” says Vicky, “and it’s fantastic to learn from other students and get their advice when you’re just starting out.”

It’s not uncommon for members of the management team to have worked their way through the university theatre system, like Vicky, although not all of them are Cambridge graduates.

“We have team members from various universities,” Vicky explains. “Working

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in management is a continuation of the learning curve that starts with taking part in student productions. I call working here ‘the best grad scheme in the world’ as it’s fantastic training in all aspects of running a theatre and invaluable experience that’s hard to imagine getting anywhere else.”

When it comes to programming, the theatre has a very democratic approach, opening up the process to all students to bring their ideas forward for selection.

“My predecessor described it brilliantly as ‘the Dragons’ Den of theatre’. There’s a panel made up of members of The Fletcher Players, CUADC and two members of the theatre management team, and we sit down and listen to a five-minute pitch from every student who has put in an application. We generally get around 100 applications for the season, sometimes a lot more than that,” explains Vicky. “From there, we put together the programme from all of those ideas. We always keep in mind that we need to achieve a good balance of different types of theatre, both for

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our audience and for the students doing the shows, so that there is something everyone can get involved with.”

The management team also plans in some of the pillars of the theatre’s season, including the annual big panto, a really big part of Christmas in Cambridge.

“The panto is the only real fixed slot that we know is a definite of each year,” says Vicky. “We work with Footlights and CUADC to put together a team for that.”

The ADC also strikes a great balance between classic and contemporary theatre, serious work and comedy, with plenty of musicals, too.

And 2019 sounds like it’s going to be another fantastic year for the theatre.

“We’ve got such an exciting season coming up,” enthuses Vicky. “The one that’s already garnering quite a lot of attention is The History Boys. Our student audiences will really relate to the themes of applying to Oxford and Cambridge Universities. We’re also really looking forward to Angels in America Part One, a play that had a fantastic run at the Royal National Theatre in London. Then we

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INDEPENDENT OF THE M X XO X XNXTXHX X

have Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, which is adapted from the Douglas Adams book. He was actually a member of Footlights when he was at Cambridge University, so it’s fantastic for us to be staging his work.”

There’s no doubt that the ADC Theatre is a vibrant, important part of Cambridge’s theatre landscape – and is sure to be for many, many years to come. l ADC Theatre, Park Street, Cambridge CB5 8AS | 01223 300085 | adctheatre.com

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A D U LT E D U CAT I O N

Life lessons WORDS BY CHARLOT TE PHILLIPS

NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL AND LEARN SOMETHING NEW. WHATEVER YOU’D LIKE TO DO, THERE’S A COURSE OUT THERE FOR YOU

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anuary, as we all know, is the month of good intentions.

So if you were teetering on the brink of signing up for classes in, say, pottery, cookery or DIY back in September but somehow didn’t get round to it, don’t worry – there are plenty of other people who, like you, are planning a fresh start for 2019, and our area’s fabulous adult education providers are ready and waiting.

People can hesitate because they feel there’s already so much going on in their lives that they just can’t make the time for a hobby. Admittedly, those in full-time jobs may have less leisure time but, according to the Office for National Statistics, they enjoy it far more.

Having a hobby can even enhance your career – some business leaders reckon they increase creativity. Mark Zuckerberg, for example, sets himself non-workrelated challenges – like building an AI system to control his home.

Making the most of your leisure time can be life – as well as career – enhancing. According to a report by insurance company LV, half of the retirees it surveyed are using their new-won freedom to spend time on hobbies, with around a fifth taking the opportunity to learn something new.

TV undoubtedly influences which hobbies are in vogue. It’s unlikely to be sheer coincidence that ceramics and cookery classes have all been top favourites with adult learners since shows such as The Great Pottery Throw Down and The Great British Bake Off took off, while the success of Strictly is claimed to be at least partly responsible for a 70% increase in new dancers aged 50 and over.

And even if pirouetting, pot throwing or parboiling aren’t your preferred routes to personal growth, you can be almost certain that between them, our area’s CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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“Making the most of leisure time can be life changing” adult education providers will have something that’s a perfect fit for not only your 2019 aspirations, but your time and commitment level.

Counselling classes continue to flourish – starting with Hills Road Sixth Form College’s Introduction to Counselling. An unaccredited dip-a-toein-the-water course, it’s a brilliant way of seeing if the subject is right for you.

Some students go right through to a Level 4 Diploma in Counselling.

“Successful completion means that students are qualified counsellors and can go into practice,” explains Rory Seddon, director of business and finance at Hills Road Sixth Form College.

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For many students, however, it’s all about making the most of a new hobby. Any proud present receivers of cameras or oil paints seeking advice on how to get the best out of them will find Hills Road packed with expert tutors who are on hand to help.

Perennial course favourites, such as ceramics, drawing and painting are “likely to be very popular again”, says Rory.

“Photography courses tend to be popular in the spring term, as many students like to get an understanding of the intricacies of their new camera, while others like the frosty, misty and potentially snowy conditions that this time of year provides.” u

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A D U LT E D U CAT I O N

MADINGLEY HALL Madingley Hall, home to the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education (ICE), attracts a diverse bunch of students. What unites them is a shared passion for a particular subject and the desire to take it as far as they can in their spare time.

“A typical pathway is for a student on a short course to become so inspired that they progress to an award-bearing programme, leading to a University of Cambridge Undergraduate or Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma – also available on a part-time basis at ICE,” says ICE marketing coordinator Joshua Hatley.

Whether they sign up for a course at ICE in the new year (or in any other season), students will find a J A N U A R Y 2 019

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mind-expanding range of tempting topics, with over one hundred different short courses alone.

Some seem particularly apt for a new year mindset, such as Wellbeing at work – a day-long course that covers ‘the neuropsychology of resilience and performance’. For those in search of a more practical approach to getting through those germ-filled winter months, there’s another one-day course, Staying alive; the immune system in health and disease, running in January.

Madingley Hall itself is the perfect place to foster a post-Christmas sense of renewal. Creative types signing up for its one-day Creative Writing Retreats (one among several

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writing-related courses) can’t help but find the historic house and eight delightful acres an ideal backdrop for learning, reflection and taking stock.

Students looking to study remotely are well-catered for, too. ICE’s online courses, ranging from an introduction to travel writing to executive coaching, are proving popular, according to Joshua. “They’re very in demand and a great way to ‘taste’ a Cambridge course from a distance and get immersed in the subject of your choice.”

That flexibility brings ICE courses to a wide range of students. Add the support of a friendly community and many students who start with a taster course can end up taking their interest to the highest levels.

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A D U LT E D U CAT I O N

C A M BR IDGE COOK ERY Cambridge Cookery’s online images exude colour and a zest for life, and the role good food plays in it. It’s a reflection of founder Tine Roche’s philosophy. “Creating delicious food is lifeenhancing,” she says. It’s the reason her courses include plenty of time not just to create the food, but enjoy sitting down to eat and talk with the other students – and it’s a philosophy that holds just as true in the new year. “In January, the last thing you need is a punishing diet,” she says.

All the tutors at Cambridge Cookery, now in its tenth year, have been through classic training courses (many are Leiths Cookery School alumni) and courses focus on equipping students with similarly traditional skills, covering everything from easy entertaining to curries of the world, a very popular option.

“Whether making the best cakes or learning how to fillet fish, it’s very much based on classic, solid technique. There’s no fuss or fads, just good practical cooking,” explains Tine.

In addition to what the college refers to as ‘the big one’ – an eight-week course running on consecutive Tuesday evenings – there are half-day sessions that end with a lovely lunch or dinner, eaten communally.

“People often don’t want to leave. They say, ‘This is nicer than most of the dinner parties I’ve been to in the past few years’.

They’ve met new people, sat and talked,” says Tine. Attendees range from young professionals to people with careers and families who “still feel they need to take time out to engage with food”. Some of those signing up are cooking for themselves for the first time following divorce or bereavement.

While Cambridge Cookery courses don’t lead to professional qualifications, some of those who attend are inspired to go on to further training. They’ve had men who’ve completed a course, then taken over all the cooking at home and siblings who wanted to learn how to transform the café at the garden centre they run.

Whatever students’ motivation, Tine and her colleagues will ensure that the course isn’t just useful but hugely enjoyable. “It’s about engaging with food and eating with others. The whole experience of coming here is incredibly joyful,” says Tine.

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T HE C A M BR IDGE F LOW ER SCHOOL People signing up for courses at The Cambridge Flower School may have loved cut flowers all their lives, but don’t have a clue about how to arrange them.

“They want to learn how to do something with them rather than just pop them in a vase and hope for the best,” says tutor, Gussie Sneddon.

Others may be approaching retirement or stuck in a career that they no longer find fulfilling. “They fancy a change and we’re the light at the end of the tunnel. If they have to go back to work after coming here, they’ve got a kind of get-out clause,” says Gussie.

Unsurprisingly, Cambridge Flower School’s five-day intensive career change course that runs almost every month during 2019 is extremely popular – even though it’s highly demanding.

“Don’t get carried away by the romance,” warns Gussie – who says that people have as a rose-tinted view of floristry (pun intended). “I wouldn’t say that the main proportion of our work is playing around with flowers. It’s cold hands and cold feet, but you create something that’s amazing, clients adore it and that’s unbelievably satisfying.”

In addition to the career change course, Cambridge Flower School offers courses in the evenings and during the day. Some take half days, others run over seven weeks. Attendees learn everything from the basics, such as changing the water regularly, to planning the colour palette. A basic tip is to choose one colour and use lots of different shades within that colour spectrum.

“Bright yellow, pale yellow, lemon white, cream and green will look lovely,” says Gussie.

The school gets thousands of students through its doors every year, including a substantial number who return time and time again, some working their way through every course on offer.

That’s down in part to the range of skills they learn, but also because of the convivial atmosphere.

“You can chat to the people around you and have a piece of cake,” explains Gussie. “As much as anything, it’s coming and chatting to like-minded people and meeting new ones.”

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C A M BR IDGE AC A DEM IC PA R T N ER SHIP

Adult Learn and Train courses at Cambridge Academic Partnership run throughout the year. Some are training-focused, others linked more to leisure.

Running at three venues across the city centre, they’re designed to offer mental stimulation, physical wellbeing, a career boost – or a mixture of all three.

New courses this spring range from ballroom dancing to fish and seafood cookery, forensic science to make-up skills, and from maths function skills to beginner’s patchwork and quilting. On a very different note, the importance of addressing mental health issues is reflected in a course on anxiety coping strategies.

One of Cambridge Academic Partnership’s biggest areas of strength is its English and maths courses, which have proved highly successful and are increasingly popular. Students can sign up for everything from functional skills through to GCSEs, with a new maths course running from January at Coleridge Community College. Feedback from learners praises the inspirational teaching that encourages them to keep going and gain the confidence to learn new skills. ‘I love it’ seems to be the most frequent remark.

All courses can be booked online. They take place during the day and evening throughout the week or on Saturdays and at weekends and span a mind-boggling range, so they’re compatible with today’s busy lifestyles and commitments, says Joanne King, Adult Learn and Train manager. “Learners come to our courses not only for the tutor’s expertise, but also to improve their health, build better relationships, gain independence or confidence and progress both in life and work.”

HIL L S ROA D Last term, 1,250 adult learners signed up for courses at Hills Road. This spring, there are 126 on offer, spanning Arabic to yoga, and they’re likely to prove just as popular.

The college’s 15 language courses attract the biggest numbers of all, with 600 students last term. From this spring, Persian and Catalan have also been added, bringing the total number of languages on offer to 17 – the broadest range offered by any provider in the Cambridgeshire area, according to the college.

Enrolments open a month or so before the start of the new term – though if there’s still room, it may be possible to sign up just after the term has started. For long courses (of 12 weeks or longer) it’s possible to pay in two instalments (and employers can also pay for courses direct).

Some of those considering adult education this year will be among the 15 per cent of Brits whose new New Year’s resolutions includes rethinking their careers.

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Open for BUSINESS WHETHER YOU WANT A CHANGE OF SCENE, TO PULL TOGETHER COLLEAGUES FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE OR SIMPLY TOUCH BASE –THERE’S A LOCAL VENUE FOR YOU WORDS BY CHARLOT TE PHILLIPS

O

rganisations, regardless of sector, still love get-togethers.

Meetings and conferences are big business, totting up aweinspiring numbers every year. According to one estimate, the conference and events industry supports the equivalent of over half a million full time jobs and has an annual value of over £40 billion.

Events continue to be popular because, despite the transformative impact of technology on business communications, nothing beats face-to-face meetings. A change of environment gets people out of their own silos and, very often, into a fresh mindset that can benefit everyone.

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Our area does conferences beautifully, combining a stunning location with venues that span the gamut of sizes, styles and facilities, ranging from large, light, purpose-built spaces to historic buildings whose ancient charms make for an imposing – and inspiring – backdrop.

With clients ranging from vast multinationals to small, whizzy start-ups, venues are also adept at ensuring that what they offer is evolving in line with clients’ changing priorities.

Today’s event organisers increasingly take brilliant technology for granted – it’s a given, remarked on only when it’s absent. Of growing importance is a creative layout that works with hold-thefront-page announcements and ensures keynote speakers get their moment in the sun, and also provides space for formal and informal debate and discussion.

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CO N F E R E N C I N G “These sessions can sometimes be the most productive part of attending a conference,” says Judith Sloane, deputy manager at Meet Cambridge. Sometimes, she says, this can even take the form of encouraging small groups to move to a quirky or ‘kitchen table’ setting, which can help to spark ideas.

Organisers are also prioritising sustainability, seeking out suppliers whose eco-friendly values are – increasingly – a reflection of their own.

At the Allia Future Business Centre, catering can be provided by the on-site café, but there’s also the option of using Wintercomfort, a local social enterprise whose catering arm provides training and employment for homeless people in the local area.

Madingley Hall’s Green Impact Platinum Award recognises its commitment to sustainability across the site, from the gardens to the kitchens.

“Food, wherever possible, is locally sourced and single-use plastic is kept to a minimum,” says Rebecca Burgess, conference and sales manager.

Andrew Bell, conference and hospitality manager at The Granta Centre, says that demand for sustainability is finally gathering momentum as guests’ expectations change.

“We have removed all our pre-packed products and introduced a pick-and-mix concept, sweet and savoury snacks – as much or as little as you like,” he says.

China cups are used in the conference areas and the aim is to encourage reusable cups everywhere else. “Evolution will catch up,” he thinks.

Meet Cambridge, meanwhile, is working with Green Tourism, promoting the message that making eco-friendly choices for events, even small ones, can make a whole world of difference. “There are some fantastic initiatives taking place,” says Judith Sloane. Produce is increasingly sourced locally, and there are more vegetarian and vegan menu options. Many venues now have their own water bottling plants on site, therefore cutting out the need for the dreaded and ubiquitous plastic bottle. u

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M EET C A M BR IDGE

Meet Cambridge is the single point of contact for regional, national and international event organisers. It has over 70 venues on its books, from traditional colleges and university spaces to museums, country houses and hotels, and can book a smallscale meeting for just eight people or find a venue for 1,000 international delegates, and every permutation between the two.

“We have venues to suit most budgets and tastes: ancient, contemporary, indoor and outdoor – we like to think we can find our clients their perfect setting,” says Judith Sloane, deputy manager at Meet Cambridge.

Even better, the service is free of charge – organisations are under no obligation to make a booking – and saves time. “With one single enquiry we can check every venue that meets the event specification,” says Judith.

It’s all achieved by a small, fourstrong team of local people who know

our area intimately, have a strong network of contacts, understand what event organisers are looking for, and really care about doing the best for all their clients – regardless of the size and type of event.

“The knowledge and ideas that are shared at events can have a huge

impact on the world that we live in – the technology that we use daily or the medication that we take to make us better probably started life as a spark of an idea that was exchanged at a meeting or conference. It’s wonderful to be able to play a very, very small part in that,” says Judith.

T H E GR A N TA CEN T R E Located in a science and business park just outside Cambridge, The Granta Centre is every inch a sleek, modern and purpose-built venue, starting with the plane parked just outside that sets its lean lines off to a T. Its light, bright interiors must do wonders to encourage blue-sky thinking and green spaces aren’t far away either – the centre is surrounded by parkland and pleasant walks.

Inside the building, there are eight rooms (for a larger space the two generously-sized lecture rooms can be combined) that seat between 10 and 250 delegates, with room for 300 guests in the restaurant. Rooms feature high ceilings, dimmable lights and – that organiser’s essential – plenty of plug sockets.

The venue’s magic ingredient? “Do what you do and do it well,” says Andrew Bell. “We try to keep everything as simple as we can, focusing on the long-term relationship by getting the here and now correct for each event.” Organisers would agree – one praised the “perfect organisation and super attentive, helpful staff”.

The goal for organisers, he says, is to be consistently focused on their objectives. “I often ask organisers how their day went and whether they achieved what they came here to do,” says Andrew. “It’s all about outcome. If we can understand the goals we can pull on all the experiences we have to help achieve the goal.”

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CO N F E R E N C I N G

M A DINGL E Y H A L L Madingley Hall doesn’t have to try very hard to sell itself. There’s nothing like a 16th century building set in gorgeous grounds, and available all year round, to create a bit of venue va-va-voom.

While the setting may be historic, with event rooms that cater for between five and 100 delegates and feature everything from wood panelling and leaded windows to 17th century tapestries, the facilities are completely up-to-date – so much so that the 62 bedrooms, with en suite bathrooms, tea and coffee making equipment, Wi-Fi and freeview TVs, get a five-star campus accommodation rating from Visit England (based on different criteria from hotel ratings). Event rooms, meanwhile, are fully equipped with internet access, AV equipment, Wi-Fi and data projectors – with onsite technical support to iron out any glitches.

It’s a winning combination that appeals to a range of companies, from high tech to pharmaceutical and healthcare firms.

Many, says Rebecca Burgess, conference and sales manager, are drawn to the tranquil location. “You get the peace and quiet of the countryside in contrast to the hustle and bustle of the town centre, so they come out here for the solitude.”

With that in mind, she says, she always advises conference organisers to pace the event so that delegates enjoy a rewarding day that also provides enough time for them to take everything in. “People expect interactive events, so there needs to be time for them to talk to each other, so as well as having speakers, it’s useful to build in drinks and a networking session as well.” When the weather’s warm enough, socialising can even extend to a relaxing game of croquet in the grounds.

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ALLIA FUTURE BUSINESS CENTRE From its vibrant, inspiring green building to its support for new start-ups, the Allia Future Business Centre, home of Cambridge’s impact entrepreneurs, is a venue with a difference – Allia, a not-for -profit organisation, ploughs the money events raise back into supporting ventures to thrive. Host a conference here and you’ll be helping to support budding entrepreneurs.

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The £9 million purpose-built building is home to tenants that include innovative start-ups (one firm has developed technology that uses footsteps to generate electricity), charities, social enterprises and not-for-profit groups. It even incorporates a ‘hatchery’ where fledgling firms can get support for their growing businesses.

Brand, marketing and communications manager Sally Bain describes it as a ‘wow’ building – and it’s not hard to see why, starting with the stunning, flower-shaped photomosaic on one of the walls, made up of over 4,000 images of some of the centre’s users and supporters.

Filled with light, the Future Business Centre features an open-plan atrium space flooded with natural light – which is one of the areas

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available to event organisers, along with three more formal meeting spaces, one holding up to 77 delegates.

As you’d expect for such a futuristic building, the equipment includes state-of-the-art audio visual technology. Outside there are even free charging points for electrical vehicles.

“We are here for our tenants but are open to the community as well,” says Sally Bain. “We’re different. Book a meeting with us and we plough the money back into our initiatives.”

The building layout is designed to promote collaboration – and that sense of being involved in a different way of doing things creates a definite buzz as soon as you walk in. “It’s a really vibrant place to hold a meeting,” says Sally Bain.

Her tip to organisers? Think about making the event the start of a longer-term conversation – it promotes discussion and helps build relationships. “We’re definitely seeing more interactivity. You’re not going to remember everything you’ve been told so have that follow on and you’ll keep the attendees engaged.”

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BEAUTY N

ew Year, new you? Personally, I feel that January is the worst time of year to try and motivate yourself to exercise more or create change. It’s cold, and finances are stretched after the festive period…

However, January also means Veganuary – with thousands across the country challenging themselves to ditch the dairy and animal products in favour of a healthier, cruelty-free lifestyle – and this cannot be sniffed at. If you’re not quite ready to don your trainers and hit the gym, then consider making a change with your beauty routine; the products you’re parting with your cash for, and the impact they could be having on the planet. This month (and hopefully more) why not go vegan with beauty?

When I chose to kick out companies from my shopping list that were cruel to animals, it took me a while to find a really good shampoo and conditioner, so to save you the trouble, look no further than these little gems. Champions of doing the right thing when it comes to cosmetics, Green People is a great one-stop-shop for cruelty-free, and the Quinoa and Artichoke Shampoo and Conditioner (£14.95 each, greenpeople.co.uk) is awesome. It smells fab, with added lemon peel and ginger for fresh and clean hair.

With 99% natural ingredients, and tested on humans, the Original Shine Bar (£9.50, shinehairgroup.com) is a solid shampoo resulting in fabulously shiny hair and impressively minimal waste.

The packaging is biodegradable and the bar comes in a cute little tin, making it

bible

easy to transport. For vegan haircare in refreshingly modern packaging, pop to Boots and seek out the Noughty range.

Shampoo and Conditioner are just £4.66 each; try To the Rescue with shea butter to smooth and tame frizz. Grab the Intensive Leave-in Conditioner (£4.66) and Rise and Shine Serum (£5.99) for added gloss. For those suffering with synthetic product build-up, Tropic Nourishing Cleanser (£18, topicskincare. com) restores shine and vitality. Use in combination with Scalp Massager (£5) for an ultra-relaxing experience.

New to John Lewis, vegan and organic company Evolve handmake skincare formulas in small batches in Hertfordshire, including the Daily Renew Facial Cream (£24, John Lewis) with Argan oil and hyaluronic acid. The vanilla and coconut scent of this gentle, everyday moisturiser appeals to me big time. I’m genuinely excited about this range, and each product is packed in glass, cardboard and recycled plastic.

For calming relief, Lush Bunny Moon Jelly Face Mask (£7.95, Lush) contains a chamomile and marigold petal infusion in a weird and wonderful wobbly jelly: smush it onto your mush, and enjoy the benefits! Splash out on Neal’s Yard Wild Rose Beauty Elixir (£45.50) for a luxuriously rich serum packed with goodies like turmeric, geranium and patchouli for brightening the skin.

I’m always interested in unique products, and the new Alive Prebiotic Balancing Mask from Algenist (£38, Space.NK) is just that. Formulated with

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a prebiotic from algae, this clay-like mask changes from green to pink as it detoxifies, working to re-establish the balance of the skin’s surface ecosystem.

Sounds fancy? My skin felt great afterwards, and it’s become a fast favourite in my cabinet.

Concerned that a vegan deodorant won’t be tough enough for the job?

Try out Ben and Anna’s Natural Soda Deodorant. Free from aluminium, and created by a ridiculously cute vegan couple, this clever formula can be purchased in an eco-friendly cardboard push tube or plastic stick (£9.95, eccoverde.co.uk) in a variety of scents. Green People also offer a Quinoa and Prebiotics Deodorant (£9.95, greenpeople.co.uk ), free from aluminium, in handy roll-on.

For make-up, tons of brands are wising up and saying no to animal testing, with many offering vegan products too. Kat Von D is fab for eyeliners and lip colours, Anastasia Beverly Hills is the one for brows on fleek, Too Faced for cute packaging and fun eyeshadows, Charlotte Tilbury for creamy lipsticks and blusher and E.L.F for highlighters. Brushworks are amazing for vegan, fluffy brushes like the HD Powder Blush Brush (£8.99, feelunique.com), along with So Eco – opt for the Face Kit (£20, feelunique. com) for starters. Highlighter queens Iconic London’s silk lashes (£19.99, iconiclondoninc.com) give a beautiful, full flutter. GOSH Copenhagen can be picked up cheaply in Superdrug and has a whole vegan selection including mineral foundation powder for £7.99.

And for a hardworking balm, Purple Tree Skincare’s Miracle Balm (£3.99, purpletreeskincare. com) comes in lots of flavours and can be used on lips, elbows, cuticles – anywhere that requires a little TLC. l CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK

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B E AU T Y

THE ONE THAT I WANT

Created in Brighton, Eden Perfume takes all the good scents from popular fragrances and recreates them using totally vegan ingredients. Just type your favourite smell into their site, and see what they can offer you as an alternative. I have to admit I was sceptical about whether the fragrance would be similar enough and would last on the skin and I’ve been hugely impressed.

Plus, the bottles are sold at a fraction of the cost of major brands, so it’s a total win-win. And to help save on packaging, you can even send back your empties for a refill at a reduced fee. I’m wearing ‘Scandalous’, where 30ml costs just £18, or 50ml costs £24 – over £40 cheaper than Jean Paul Gaultier’s Scandal.

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FAS H I O N CREASED MIDI SKIRT

£30, Monki

PINK FOIL MIDI SKIRT

£22, F&F at Tesco

PLEATED JUMPSUIT

£40, Monki

THAT 70s SHOW

ASOS DESIGN

Emira embellished platform boots £50, ASOS

CHUNKY PLATFORMS, WIDE-LEG JUMPSUITS, METALLIC PLEATS AND STUDIO 54-WORTHY SEQUINS: THE 1970S ARE HAVING A SERIOUS STYLE RENAISSANCE

MADISON HAT

£32, HOBBS, Grand Arcade

MULTICOLOURED CROP TOP

CHAIN EARRINGS

£17.99, Zara, St Andrews Street

£12, OASIS, Market Hill

FAUX FUR COAT

£99.99, Zara, St Andrew’s Street

ANALYZE BOOT

£105, OFFICE, Grand Arcade

METALLIC THREAD KNIT BODYSUIT

£19.99, Zara, St Andrew’s Street

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A DV E RT I S E M E N T F E AT U R E

LOOKING FOR AN ALTERNATIVE TO A HOTEL STAY? Staying away on business in a hotel can be impersonal.

Just outside of Cambridge can be found an intriguing alternative

K

ingston Barns is a conversion of four beautifully presented luxury holiday barns which also lend themselves well to the discerning corporate guest. Situated on the edge of the charming village of Kingston, the property boasts uninterrupted views over tranquil countryside, but just a short drive from the city of Cambridge. Each of the four barns offers outstanding accommodation with two generous bedrooms, both with en suites.

Downstairs, the fully equipped kitchen blends seamlessly into the dining/living area. Kingston Barns offers fully serviced, self-catering accommodation, an alternative to a hotel stay. Adequate parking combined with the tranquil settings and garden provide an excellent, relaxing base. The design of the barns also provides an opportunity for group gatherings or mini conferences. A glazed atrium that links the units together provides an unusual and interesting area for meetings or parties. Should it be required, catering can be provided from on-site facilities. l For more information or a guided tour of what is on offer, please contact Jackie Day on enquiries@kingstonbarns.co.uk / 01223 264520

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Home Edition © DEBENHAMS

T H E I N T E R I O R S C H E AT S H E E T • E D I T I O N LO V E S • W I N T E R GA R D E N S

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GA R D E N S

How does your

GARDEN GROW?

ANNA TAYLOR, OWNER OF ANNA’S FLOWER FARM IN AUDLEY END, SHARES WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE GARDEN THIS MONTH

W

e focus on the trees this month – pruning, planting and celebrating their produce. In mid-winter, the framework of fruit trees is fully visible, and it’s an ideal time to cut back any dead or diseased wood, crossing, tangled branches and weak growth.

But be careful: always cut back to something, never right to the trunk and remember that winter pruning will promote woody growth, so trim carefully (you can go harder on fruit trees in late summer for fruit production).

Winter pruning of apples should be about keeping the tree open for light and air to reach fruits – ideally enough space between branches so a pigeon can fly!

At Anna’s Flower Farm, we keep the pruned branches in buckets of water in a shed and bring them inside for arrangements to force into blossom. You can stagger this over several weeks. The buds will be smaller than on the trees later in the spring, but are welcome signs of warmer seasons.

To encourage a good harvest, this month cider-producing regions will celebrate fruit crops by the ancient custom of Wassailing.

North-west Cambridge was once known for its productive orchards – grown for fruit, canning and jam rather than cider – but never mind, it’s a great festivity to participate in! The Wassail king or queen hangs a cider-soaked piece of toast in the branches of the most prominent or oldest tree in the orchard. Wassail songs are sung, cider poured over the tree roots and good spirits summoned to promote a successful harvest. You can warm your cider with spices, sugar, oranges and lemons, or you can use apple juice so the whole family can join in. During the ritual, children love to bang pots and make as much noise as possible to ward off evil spirits. It is really good fun on a cold, clear, crisp night under a star-filled sky. We start around our espaliered plum, gage and apple trees and take the tradition right across the farm and flower plots.

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Finally, this is a great month to get warmed up in the garden by turning the compost heap. To work properly, a compost heap needs to be hot. Once the initial decomposition has occurred over the first few weeks of building the heap, it will slow down, but you can reactivate and speed up the composting process by turning it over.

Ideally, you would have two or three heaps next to each other in various states. Or, in a smaller garden, take all the compost out of the bin and fill it back up by lifting and aerating the material as it goes back in. This will take months off the compost production time and is so satisfying on a cold day. Once it is ready to use, you can spread it as a mulch across your borders or add to loam and vermiculite or grit to create your own compost mix.

Then, back inside, drink warmed, spiced apple juice and contemplate the seed catalogues for inspiration for the years’ growing to come. Happy new year! l

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THIS MONTH

The next ‘Grow Your Own Cut Flowers’ class is on Tuesday 8 January at Anna’s Flower Farm, or learn more about composting at a short class. More info is available on the website. annasflowerfarm.com

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INTERIORS

UPDATING YOUR HOME NEEDN’T BE A DAUNTING TASK. THERE ARE MYRIAD WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN EASILY REFRESH YOUR INTERIORS TO MAINTAIN A STYLISH, MODERN LOOK – WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK. ANGELINA VILLA-CLARKE TALKS TO THE EXPERTS TO GET THE INSIDE TRACK

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O nce the Christmas decorations have been taken down and the fairy lights stored for another year, it’s an opportune time to look afresh at your home. Giving each room a thorough spring clean and sort out is the first step in rebooting the feel of a space. Clear out the clutter and change around furniture for a quick revamp.

Adding a few choice accessories can also work wonders.

“Adding new cushions is a great way to update your home each season,” says Hollie Brooks, co-founder of online homeware boutique, Audenza. “If you already have plenty of cushion pads, then look for covers in the same sizes as you already have. Another instant fix is to change door handles and door knobs – this is a great way to inject a bit of drama into an unexpected place.”

Be careful not to overload surfaces with too many clashing items. Remove everything from your shelves and surfaces, clean and edit carefully, so that you can rearrange groups of vases or glass vessels, perhaps in complimentary tones or in a variation of sizes, to add interest.

Offering an eclectic mix of home accessories at affordable prices, Darling &

COLOUR POP NISI LIVING ON ADDING COLOUR FOR AN INSTANT UPDATE:

1. Inject some greenery by adorning a shelf with succulents and trailing plants.

2. Add some colourful wall art to a blank space – it will reflect your own personality.

3. Add interest with shots of primary colours, with crockery, glassware or cushions.

Gold says it’s simple to update an interior scheme with a few well-chosen pieces.

“It’s exciting to refresh, redecorate and reinvigorate your home,” says the brand.

“Accents of gold are a fantastic way of making a space look more luxurious, while adding plants to the room also adds to the overall aesthetic, with hanging planters a great way to utilise a space.”

Rohan Blacker, founder of homeware store Pooky, agrees: “For the New Year, we’re going to see a lot more investment in unique accessories that add personality to a space. Whether that’s a statement lampshade or an unusual mirror frame, don’t be afraid to experiment.”

Lighting is one way to revamp a space quickly and easily. Matthew Currington, technical director at The Lighting Superstore, says taking inspiration from a Scandinavian design ethos is a good u

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INTERIORS

Previous page Vanessa Arbuthnott’s velvet fabric on sofa, from £58 per metre, cushions from £48. Up The Garden Path fabric on curtains, from £52 per metre and rug from £240. Opposite page, from top left Tropical Monkey Cushion, £39.95, and Curvarella Chair, £725 both from Audenza. Darling & Gold’s Hanging set of cement plant pots, £35.

Get the Scandi look from Lighting Superstore, prices vary. Above Hattermorn Lightshades, £110 each, from Pooky

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INTERIORS

“Nordic design keeps things simple” start. “Nordic interior design is all about keeping things simple. Start with your colour palette and go for subdued colours such as putty, off-white and grey. Since natural light in Nordic countries is a rarity in the colder months, a dimmed lamp or lit candle is a must-have feature.

Choose a modern, minimalistic lamp with dimmable lighting that allows you to create the same cosy ambience.”

Søren Ravn Christensen, chief creative developer at Umage, suggests using white lamps, which, he says, will go with all schemes and look unobtrusive when unlit. “You can also add colour-changing light bulbs to create atmosphere.”

Window dressings are also vital for that all-important finishing touch.

Shutters can be more of an investment, but are economical in the long run – if you choose wisely, they will not need updating and are easily maintained.

Chrissie Harper, customer experience manager at California Shutters, says that the brand is seeing a rise in customers u

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STO CK IST S Audenza 01162 986 393 audenza.com Benjamin Moore 01753 575756 benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk California Shutters 0800 1950196 californiashutters.co.uk Darling and Gold darlingandgold.com Lighting Superstore 01225 704442 thelightingsuperstore.co.uk Little Greene 020 7935 8844 littlegreene.com Nisi Living 01275 390521 nisiliving.co.uk Pooky 0207 351 3003 pooky.com String 020 3876 2744 skandium.com The Rug Seller 0161 876 4566 therugseller.co.uk Umage umage.com Vanessa Arbuthnott 01285 831437 vanessaarbuthnott.co.uk

“A rug makes a room softer and anchors the furniture without taking over the space” opting for coloured shutters – such as millennial pink, deep turquoise and emerald green. “However,” she adds, “with the botanical trend in full force, there will also be a return to the natural.

We’re starting to see our customers choose pared back, Scandi-style woods, like our Grained Hardwood shutters in Natural Wood stain, which look great with indoor plants. It’s certainly a look to watch.”

According to Vanessa Arbuthnott, home furnishings expert, one quick and easy way to give a room a makeover is to add a rug. “A well-placed rug can change the feeling of any space,” she says. “But it’s important to choose a rug that will complement or accentuate your decor – not overwhelm it. A rug makes a room softer and quieter and anchors the furniture without taking over the space.”

There’s nothing like a refresh with the paint brush to breathe new life into

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a room. Paint experts Benjamin Moore suggest dipping into a palette of rich tones for an on-trend look. A deep, saturated colour, such as Beau Green, creates a bold design statement. For that final touch of charm, lustrous gold accents and accessories will complement the deeper shades perfectly.

David Mottershead, managing director of Little Greene, meanwhile, suggests tonal shades of green can give a restful scheme, with zesty hues lifting a room which lacks natural light.

Finally, making sure you have adequate storage and shelving to display your treasures is key in maintaining a stylish look. Peter Erlandsson, director of String, a versatile Scandinavian shelving system, suggests using a mix of open shelving and cabinet styles to create a display unit that is flexible enough to hide the things you don’t want on show. It’s easy when you know how.

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Previous page Aluvia Mini Pearl Light, from £199, from Umage. Café Style Teak Shutters, from £156 per square metre. This page, left Little Greene’s Harley Green and Tea with Florence paint colours, from £43.50 per 2.5L. This page Chair covered in Vanessa Arbuthnott’s Honey Velvet, from £58 per metre. Right, top String storage, from £72, from Skandium. Benjamin Moore’s Beau Green paint colour, from £21.50 for 0.94L

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GE T T OUCH Y F EELY DANIEL PRENDERGAST FROM THERUGSELLER.CO.UK EXPLAINS THE TREND FOR TACTILE

Soft furnishings that connect physically and emotionally will make homeowners feel both comfortable and comforted.

Layering, pattern and texture will be created within fabric weaves. Texture can also take the form of tufted, quilted material and cut-out or raised effects.

Passementerie is another key look – with elaborate embroidery, tasselling and decorative finishing on cushions blinds, curtains and rugs.

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SILVIA LIGHT SHADE

£64, umage.com BABY BLUE CERAMIC VASE

£12, wagreen.co.uk

MOROCCAN BLUE STAR CUSHION

GOLDEN FEATHER MIRROR

£35, nisiliving.co.uk

£92, audenza.com

EDI T ION

LOVES COBRA SNAKE DOOR HANDLE,

£29.95, audenza.com

GLASS TERRARIUMS

from £25, anewtribe.co.uk

BABY FACE POT

£9.50, darlingandgold.com

HANGING METAL FLOWERPOT

GEOMETRIC SAFFRON WINTER RUG

£27, darlingandgold.com

£240, vanessaarbuthnott.co.uk

PINK COTTON THROW WITH TASSLES AND POM POMS

£21, iansnow.com

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