Folio201

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october 2011 l No. 201

Win

A £250 shopping spree!

Meet the West’s

artisans Autumn

colour at Stourhead

PLUS

32-page education guide

New beauty buys

Shades of Embrace the start of the chilly season with our guide to what to wear, eat and do…

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BRISTOL & bATH'S

MAGAZINE

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/october 2011 STEP INTO AUTUMN

Features

As I’m writing this, weather reports tell us that we’re heading for an Indian summer towards the end of the week.

After a fairly washout summer, this is joyful news, and yet the first signs of autumn are stealthily creeping their way into the collective conscious – from the rich russets unfurling on trees and the icy (but strangely welcoming) nip on the breeze to the proliferation of warm boots, scarves and coats appearing in shops up and down the country. It’s nature’s way, and with that, we’ve filled these pages with all manner of good things to ease you gently into the new season.

Fancy seeing some glorious autumn colour? Take a trip to stately pile Stourhead (turn to page 16), or go for a stroll along the Kennet and Avon canal or the Bristol to Bath cyclepath and see if you can spot some wildlife along the way (page 14). Need a few new pieces to smarten up your A/W wardrobe? Inject a little lace into your life with Anna Britten’s take on the neo-goth trend (page 22), or discover how to work fringing into your look with style guru Niki Whittle’s help (page 25). And of course one of the very best things about autumn is the local produce, which is in the very best restaurant kitchens right now – why not try the Wheatsheaf Combe Hay’s succulent venison recipe for yourself (page 74)?

Or better still, let head chef Eddy Rains do the hard work for you by booking a table…

Competitions

Have a splendid month!

Rachel Nott Folio editor

Cover image: New

season collection from Label Lab (coat, blouse and clutch), available exclusively at House of Fraser, www. houseoffraser.co.uk

4 Velimir Ilic meets the West’s true artisans 12 Wonderful things to do in October 14 Local wildlife walks with Avon Wildlife Trust 16 Eugene Byrne feeds his autumn colour habit

at Stourhead

meet the west’s true artisans 4

19 Win £250 shopping sprees at CC and Viyella!

34 Win a Spa Therapies treatment worth £75

from Sanctuary Spa 52 Win a luxury hamper worth £100 from Bath’s Fine Cheese Co

Lifestyle 22 Anna Britten throws a spotlight on the neo-

goth trend 25 Niki Whittle on how to do fringing 26 Shop of the month: Bisque 30 Velimir Ilic casts an eye over the latest gadgets 32 Rachel Nott picks her favourite new

beautifiers 34 Our spa spy visits Sanctuary Spa 36 Melissa Blease helps us keep the winter colds

at bay 38 Steve Wright rounds up the big news from

the Frankfurt Motor Show

Homefront

42 Where to get the vintage look

42 Lesley Taylor gets the vintage look 46 Andy Thearle of Ironart answers your

questions 48 Why now’s a great month for planting

spring tulips 50 Property news

Eating Out West 54 Where to book your Christmas party!

61 Melissa Blease assembles the ultimate cheeseboard 62 Foodie dates for your diary 63 Melissa Blease reviews Cosy Club 64 Tony Benjamin reviews Fifty 67 The Cork reviewed 70 Noa Japanese

reviewed 74 Venison recipe from

the Wheatsheaf

39 Take a peek at the newlook BMW 1 Series

22

Get a little lace in your A/W wardrobe

Subscribe to Folio and get Venue with it! Just send a cheque for £37.50 (payable to Folio) to our Bristol address or phone with credit/debit card details and you’ll get the next 12 issues sent to your home, or 6 issues for £19.50 – the only way to guarantee you’ll get every copy of the West’s fastest-growing lifestyle magazine. Ffi: 0117 934 3741 Folio Bristol 4th Floor, Bristol News & Media, Temple Way, Bristol, BS99 7HD tel 0117 942 8491 fax 0117 934 3566 email r.nott@venue.co.uk or editor@foliomagazine.co.uk Folio Bath Bath News & Media, Floor 2, Westpoint, James West St, Bath BA1 1UN tel 01225 429801 fax 01225 447602 Editor Rachel Nott Group Editor Dave Higgitt Production Manager Cath Evans Design Team Sarah Clark, Sarah Malone Sub-editor Jo Renshaw Publications Co-ordinators Emma Gorton, Ruth Wood Commercial Manager Becky Davis Advertising Bex Baddiley, Adam Burrows, Nejla Unal, Ben Wright Distribution Dave Higgitt Ring us now for details of how to reach our 75,000 readers – and if you’re a reader, contact our advertisers now! Do please let them know where you read about their services.

Thank you. Folio articles preceded by the words ‘Folio Profile’ have been supplied by a third party, and the information contained within them does not necessarily constitute a direct recommendation by the publishers. However, we only accept submissions from bona fide companies whom we know from long experience to provide quality goods or services.

54 Where to hold your Christmas bash

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Feature

time will

Tell

Today the word ‘artisan’ is all too often hijacked by marketing moguls.

Velimir Ilic meets the West’s true artisans and sets the record straight

I

n our fast, technology-driven world of machines and computers, we rarely stop to think about the traditional, high-quality crafts and trades on which our society was founded. But you might be surprised at how many modern artisans and makers are actually out there, still relying on time-honoured professions. Rooted in the often back-breaking techniques of decades and centuries gone by, artisan trades have evolved through the dusty pages of history. Inspired and energised by the

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Above and below left: old and new photos of Wadworth’s Brewery in Devizes, founded in 1875

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Feature

Left: Alastair Simms, Master Brewery Cooper at Wadworth Brewery Right: Bristol Blue Glass SW glassblower Ben Taylor, along with a selection of the company’s wares

old(e)-school way of doing things, a current wave of south-west specialists are putting their own unique slant on the craftsmanship of yore.

Founded in 1875, Wadworth are well-known to lovers of good ales (malty, golden-hued 6X, anyone?), still produced at their Northgate Brewery in Devizes.

“The brewing process has been set in stone for many millennia,” explains head brewer Brian Yorston. “We’re housed in a four-floor, 125-year-old Victorian tower brewery – basically, you take all the raw materials to the top and gravity takes over.” The closely guarded recipes go back 100 years with barely any tinkering, but with such large-scale brewing processes, concessions to mechanisation are inevitable. Energy-saving modern equipment is used for boiling, but a 125-year-old original open copper (most coppers are now closed, for safety reasons) continues to be used approximately once a month.

Around two per cent of Wadworth’s beer still goes out in wooden barrels (‘beer in the wood’), made by the UK’s last remaining master cooper, Alastair Simms. In time-honoured fashion, Simms became a master cooper in 1994 after successfully training his first apprentice. He claims to have fallen into the trade by accident. “I had a school holiday job in my local Wensleydale brewery, but one day they said the local cooper wanted a hand,” he says. “I used to watch him because I liked wood, and when I left school at 16, I became his apprentice.”

Traditional coopering thrived until the early 1970s, when many of the larger breweries began favouring the metal casks still widely used today.

But for Simms, wood always wins out. “The beer temperature is more

Examples of Graal glassware, a technique that was first produced in Sweden in1916

consistent in a wooden cask,” he explains. “Unlike metal casks, it probably takes a day or so before a wooden cask heats up or cools down a degree in temperature, because the wood is such a good insulator. Beer just seems to condition and taste better in wood.” And good coopering requires real artistry. Time-served woodworking tools such as crozes, chivs and adzes are essential, and steady hand and eye coordination are crucial for a good watertight cask.

Firstly, seasoned oak planks are split into staves and shaped, then slotted inside metal hoops and left in a steam-room to expand and lock into each other. Heads are fitted to each end, and each barrel is finished by hand and tested.

Aside from the nine-gallon firkin

casks he produces for Wadworth, Simms also makes further barrels – of varying capacities – for other brewers. It sounds exhausting, but he thrives on it. “You don’t get bored, and you never get two jobs the same.

Every day brings a new challenge.”

He still hopes to pass on his knowledge to others, but readily admits that coopering as a trade is ostensibly dead. However, it’s not quite time to shut up shop just yet. “I’m actually going back to Yorkshire to set up on my own,” he says.

“Instead of taking on another qualified cooper, we’ll train an apprentice. I want them to have the same enthusiasm as me, so that they’ll treat the customers the same way that I would. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get two or three apprentices through the system before I retire.”

Such honourable sentiments are well worth raising a glass or two for.

And speaking of glass, take a quick hop over to Bristol and you’ll discover glass-blowing, a profession synonymous with the city for centuries. “The glass-making process folio/oct 2011 5

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Pic credit: Mark Somerville

Feature

Above: one of Melissa Cole’s favourite things, the musical Tings!

Above right: a selection of stemware from Bristol Blue Glass SW; below: blacksmith Melissa Cole

hasn’t actually changed since about 100BC,” explains self-confessed glass fanatic Dr Francis Burroughes, director of Bristol Blue Glass South West in Bedminster. “If you could dig up a Roman glass-blower, I would be able to set him to work very happily in my workshops tomorrow. He would recognise all our tools and processes – the only thing that would fox him would be our gas-fired furnaces.”

He’d no doubt be pretty handy with the essential tools, too – a pipe, on which to gather the molten glass and blow the shape, and long pincers (jacks), for moulding and working the glass. Specialised, highly complex blowing requires inordinate amounts of skill. “It takes about 15 years to learn all the ins and outs,” Burroughes explains. “You need patience and an artistic, exacting eye.

It’s all about experience, as every

melt of glass will be slightly different.”

Public interaction is positively encouraged at Bristol Blue Glass.

Visitors can watch craftsmen at work and see over 400 pieces of historic glass in the museum, which traces the development of the glass industry from Roman times to the present day.

Glass-blowing courses even allow you to get your hand or foot cast in 24% lead crystal. The company’s striking cobalt-rich Bristol Blue glass – first introduced in the 18th century – ranks amongst its signature products. They recently started making Graal glass, too, an ornate style that originated in 1916 at the acclaimed Orrefors glassworks in Sweden; its beautiful coloured layers and abstract motifs are notoriously difficult to produce. “Graal is highly specialised,” says Burroughes. “It’s absolutely stunning to see it glinting in its case. You just stand in front of it and go ‘Wow!’” From glass to an altogether heftier trade – blacksmithing. Back down the M4, Melissa Cole, a professional artist blacksmith, is as far removed from the burly male stereotype as it’s possible to be. “When people meet me, they imagine I’ll have a beard and be quite a lot bigger…” she laughs. Working from her Marlborough forge, Cole creates highly visual contemporary ironwork and sculpture. After finishing her art degree in Cardiff, she spent years learning traditional smithing from

her father Hector, an award-winning archaeological blacksmith. “I only really tinkered with blacksmithing as a child,” she says. “It was only when I was away from that environment, doing ceramics [during her art degree], that I realised I had quite a strong affinity for metal.”

Putting her artistic background to good use, Cole’s forging skills span old and new. “Where possible I’ll use traditional blacksmithing techniques, because I think the processes are interesting and offer the best way of getting a clean line. But I’m not a purist – I also use modern welding, cutting and grinding techniques, because they’re cost-effective.” Often working to commission, she makes bespoke gates, railings, water features and interior items to order. Smaller sculptural work is created from reforged antique wrought iron; larger work is made from a combination of steel, copper and other metals.

One of her favourite pieces is Tings, a series of rounded tactile objects that look like giant tadpoles. “I’ve got them hanging up in the gallery on fishing lines,” she says. “If you just tap them, they all sing. The Tings sing!

They’ve all got different tones to them, so they’re really musical.”

Dating back 4,500 years, the traditional rural craft of thatching – building a roof with straw or reed – offers a different degree of creativity, but it wasn’t the first choice of Gloucester-based master thatcher

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Feature

Below, left to right: new Bath stone finial produced by Minerva Stone Conservation for the National Trust’s Tyntesfield; Nell applies lime conservation repairs to capitals at a house in Camden Crescent, Bath; Andy Sharland and Andrew Ziminski at Manchester Town Hall

Ben Thomas. “I did a couple of years in the printing industry after I left school, and was getting fed up with it,” he admits. “I saw an advert for a thatcher’s apprentice and thought it seemed a bit more interesting.”

Historically a mark of poverty, thatching has become increasingly popular in recent decades, due to renewed interest in preserving historic buildings and sustainable building materials. The fact that thatching techniques remain largely unchanged merely adds to its charm.

“There have been slight modernisations,” explains Thomas.

“We use a drill and screws to fix thatch to the rafters, rather than hammering with long metal thatching crooks. Before that, the thatch was tied on with a bit of tarred cord.”

Only a few standard tools such as mallets, knives, rakes and pins are required, and a long-handled wooden legate is also used for tapping the straw or water reed up the roof. “It’s about taking an interest in the buildings you’re working on, and making sure that what you’re doing is best for the roof and the property,” says Thomas, who is clearly a rather nifty thatcher himself. He won second place in the National Society of Master Thatchers’ Best Thatched House competition last

Far left: master thatcher Ben Thomas (below) won second place for this roof in the Best Thatched House Competition 2010

year, for a property he worked on in Castlemorton, near Malvern.

Although it’s considered relatively expensive, he reckons that thatching is booming. “New thatchers are coming through all the time, and thatches are being built all over the place, even on some new-build properties.”

Buildings are also the stock-intrade of Minerva Stone Conservation in Bradford on Avon. Or to be more precise, the repair, conservation and stone restoration of old churches, grand houses and historic monuments. The company’s impressive skill-set ranges from gilding and letter-cutting to carving, decorative plasterwork and lime

stucco repairs. Founded in 1992, they’ve worked on many prestige projects around Bath and Wiltshire, using traditional building methods and materials. “We do a lot of church repair work,” says director Andrew Ziminski. “There’s more interest in old churches now – people are reengaging with the social history they’ve got on their doorstep.”

Centuries-old tools such as saws, chisels, hammers and files are still key and, as far as possible, materials are all locally sourced. “If you’re engaged in a new build or extension, I’d always specify traditional material, because it lasts longer. It’s easier to work with, and aesthetically much better,” says Ziminski, who is currently overseeing an intricate conservation project in Bath, on an 18th century building – the client is so famous that Ziminski had to sign a disclaimer promising not to breach their confidentiality. But the work he and his team did on the famous Roman Baths ranks as the best he’s ever done. “Those were long nights.

There’s a famous pediment [architectural gable] there that we had to rearrange, because it was put together incorrectly in the 1950s – they got all the angles wrong. That was a career highlight.”

BEN THOMAS FFI: WWW. BENTHOMASTHATCHING.CO.UK BRISTOL BLUE GLASS SW FFI: WWW. BRISTOLBLUEGLASS.COM MELISSA COLE FFI: WWW.MELISSACOLE.CO.UK MINERVA STONE CONSERVATION FFI: WWW.MINERVACONSERVATION.COM WADWORTH FFI: WWW.BARRELSRUS.CO. UK, WWW.WADWORTH.CO.UK

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Voted in the Top 50 antique shops in Great Britain 2010 by The Independent on Sunday

OLD BANK ANTIQUES CENTRE 14-17 Walcot Buildings, Bath

Retro g Clothinble Availa

Situated on the London Road (A4), just a short walk from the top of Walcot Street. Old Bank Antiques Centre is the largest retailer of antiques in Bath, without being stuffy and too grand.

This is how antiques shops used to look: a hoarder’s paradise. fifteen dealers spread through lots of showrooms in four shops with everything from 17th century to 1970s retro. Experienced and professional advice is always available. Customer parking is at the rear, accessed via Bedford Street. Deliveries can be arranged anywhere in the UK or the rest of world, at cost price.

Furniture restorer on premises.

Open seven days a week and most bank holidays Visit our website: www.oldbankantiquescentre.com Tel: 01225 469282 & 338813 Email: alexatmontague@aol.com

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what’s new

Pull on your boots and get out into your local wood for Walk in the Woods Week

what to do in...

Oct

FOREST WALKS, BESTSELLING AUTHORS AND PIEMONTE WINES … MIKE WHITE CHOOSES THIS MONTH’S HOT TICKETS

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iNTO THE WOODS

Autumn’s surely the best time of year for a woodland walk, so perhaps it’s no surprise that this month brings the Ramblers’ Walk in the Woods Week to foresty places around the country. Three walks are planned to help families explore and celebrate our local woods – a six-mile stroll around Leigh Woods and Ashton Court Estate (Wed 5), a slightly shorter perambulation in the picturesque Blaise Estate (Sat 8) and a 12-miler taking in Alfred’s Tower and King’s Wood (Sun 9).

WALK IN THE WOODS WEEK VARIOUS LOCATIONS, 3-9 OCT. FFI: 0117 944 3042, WWW.BRISTOLRAMBLERS.ORG.UK

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A TREAT FOR FEET

No, October is not too early to start Christmas shopping. Beat the rush and get some well-earned R’n’R into the bargain with Vale Resort Cardiff’s timely Spa and Shop breaks – a weekend of retail therapy in and around the Welsh capital combined with a pampering afternoon at the country’s largest spa. Cardiff offers a huge range of shopping choices, from characterful Edwardian and Victorian arcades to ultra-modern shopping centres, just 20 minutes’ drive from the Vale itself, a four-star resort set in 650 acres of private parkland where you can enjoy a luxurious overnight stay and a session in the award-winning spa for some serious post-shop pampering. Start your indulgent 40-minute feet treat with a 15-minute ‘Fish Feet’, followed by a 25-minute foot-and-leg massage. The Shop and Spa package includes one night’s accommodation, a full Welsh breakfast to fuel you up, a glass of champagne during your spa visit, 40 minutes of foot treatment and use of the resort’s extensive leisure facilities.

SHOP AND SPA PACKAGE THE VALE RESORT, HENSOL PARK, HENSOL, NR CARDIFF, £89PP. FFI: 01443 667800, WWW.VALE-HOTEL. COM

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BABY’S BALL

After a drinks reception – canapés and prosecco, dahling – in the 18th century grandeur of Bailbrook House, guests at the Autumn Charity Ball will enjoy a three-course dinner in the Brunel suite, followed by classic entertainment as smooth-voiced Tom Carpenter sings swing and jazz. There’s a casino for those wanting to chance their arm at roulette or blackjack, an auction and a grand raffle, in which one lucky couple will win a wedding! Best of all, profits from the evening will help to provide equipment for the brand new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Bath’s Royal United Hospital. Glamour for a very good cause.

AUTUMN CHARITY BALL SAT 22 OCT, BAILBROOK HOUSE, LONDON RD WEST, BATH, TICKETS £50 EACH OR £450 FOR TABLE OF 10. FFI: 07900 219939, WWW. SNAPDRAGONEVENTS.CO.UK

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what’s new Find the purrfect gift at Snap Studio

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PURRFECT

Treat someone to a little softness in the form of this fine feline cushion by Emma Peacock, handsewn and screenprinted front and back – one of a great many beautiful handmade things available at Bristol’s Snap Studio.

PICTURE THIS

Bath-based artist Edwina Bridgeman makes figurative sculptures from found wood and other objects that she discovers on her travels through life, creating work that uses words and stories as a starting point. Continuing the theme of stories seeding creativity, she’ll be leading an Edwina Bridgeman Big Draw workshop this month to help you transform a simple paper envelope into a piece of art. The event is a celebration both of the act of drawing and of the modest scraps of paper so often used to convey our biggest ideas. So pop in and pour out your big ideas and innermost feelings by drawing on the back of your envelope, which will then go on to become part of an installation in Bath’s Victoria Art Gallery. Free, fun and thoughtprovoking.

SNAP STUDIO 20-21 LOWER PARK ROW, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 376 3564, WWW.SNAPSTUDIO.ORG.UK (GINGER CAT CUSHION BY EMMA PEACOCK, £25)

PICTURE POST: THE BIG DRAW SAT 22 OCT, 11AM-4PM, VICTORIA ART GALLERY, BRIDGE ST, BATH. FFI: 01225 477233, WWW.VICTORIAGAL.ORG.UK

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CHRISTMAS COMES EARLY

Clifton is a very Christmassy place, and this autumn Clifton Village Traders are organising a one-night auction to raise funds for their Christmas Tree and Village Lights appeal, as well as supporting Help for Heroes, a charity formed to help the brave servicemen and women wounded in Britain’s current conflicts. There are over 100 items awaiting the auctioneer’s gavel – from jewellery donated by jewellers John Titcombe and Nicholas Wylde, via a rugby ball signed by Harlequins team members, to a food hamper from Arch House Deli and even breakfast for two for a whole year at swish Parisian-style eatery Cote.

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BUON APPETITO!

As winter approaches and the evenings draw in, take a taste tour around the ‘Burgundy of Italy’, Piemonte, with a special night at Carluccio’s restaurant.

Arrive for a relaxed aperitivo of chilled arneis and a selection of canapés to ease you into the evening, before a three-course feast of classic Piemonte foods, carefully selected to complement the wines. Carluccio’s wine expert will be on hand to discuss the wines you’re drinking and share some stories about the region and producers.

PIEMONTE WINE DINNER WED 5 OCT, 7-10PM, CARLUCCIO’S, QUAKERS FRIARS, BRISTOL, £35. FFI: 0117 933 8538, WWW. CARLUCCIOS.COM

CLIFTON CHRISTMAS AUCTION WED 5 OCT, 6PM, THE CLIFTON CLUB, 22 THE MALL, BRISTOL, WED 5 OCT. FFI: 0117 973 4664, TINYURL.COM/ CVTAUCTION

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FROM BUNNY GIRL TO BESTSELLER

Thornbury Castle is an atmospheric Tudor pile, steeped in history. It has arrow slits, crenellations and heavy oak doors – and Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn shared a few cosy nights in the Duke’s bedchamber.

This month, the castle provides the dramatic setting for an evening with one of Britain’s top five bestselling female fiction authors, Lesley Pearse. Her own history is pretty colourful – from 1960s London clubland to the top of the bestseller list, and even a stint as a bunny girl. Though she came late to writing – her debut novel Georgia was published in her late forties – her books have all been top three bestsellers. Her 2010 novel Stolen immediately topped the sales charts, and was one of the top-selling books of the year, as was her latest novel Belle, published earlier this year. The night with Lesley includes drinks on arrival and a gourmet three-course meal in the castle’s Tudor Hall dining room before Lesley discusses her fascinating life and work.

LESLEY PEARCE AT THORNBURY CASTLE THUR 13 OCT, 7PM, THORNBURY CASTLE, THORNBURY, £50.

FFI: 01454 281182, WWW.THORNBURYCASTLE.CO.UK

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feature

lifestyle

wildlife in The city and surrounding countryside are rich with wildlife. Get your walking boots on and join Avon Wildlife’s Josh Newton Peregrines have been found breeding on the roof of St John's Church

Did you know…?

Much of the stone from Bath was mined in the surrounding villages, and this has helped make the area a superb bat habitat. The area is now home to many rare bat species, thanks to the habitats created from the old stone mines.

unfortunately they have become the victim of egg collectors in the past. The Hawk and Owl Trust run plenty of public events to see and learn more about these creatures, and have installed a successful nestbox at the location.

Carrs Wood local nature reserve, just on the edge of Twerton, provides another hotspot of wildlife in Bath. With wonderful views and rich in beech trees, the area provides excellent wildlife-spotting opportunities. The reserve can be accessed via kissing gates from Redland Park or Pennyquick View. While in Twerton, be sure to visit Twerton Roundhill local nature reserve. Offering fantastic views of the city, the grassland areas feature species such as bee orchids and cowslips. The site can be accessed from Mount Road, Southdown.

The oldest bat ever recorded was found at Browns Folly just outside Bath. This little creature was captured 23 years after first being recorded!

A species of asparagus is named after the city of Bath as it was once very common there. The Bath Asparagus (or Ornithogalum pyrenaicum) is now a threatened species, yet can still be found in open woodlands and hedgerows.

AVON WILDLIFE TRUST OUR GUIDE COMES COURTESY OF THIS LEADING LOCAL CHARITY WORKING FOR PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE. FFI: 0117 917 7270, WWW.AVONWILDLIFETRUST.ORG.UK

Tell Avon Wildlife Trust about your visits to any of these areas, or recommend some more. Contact them via info@avonwildlifetrust.org.uk or follow them on Twitter: @avonwt

Swans on the Kennet and Avon canal

Pic credit: Josh Newton

B

ath is renowned for its soft yellow architecture, and it’s thanks to wildlife that Bath’s buildings feature that distinctive hue – the calcareous oolite buildings are the remains of tiny sea creatures of the warm tropical seas that used to cover the city millions of years ago. And the Bristol to Bath cyclepath provides an excellent opportunity to spot a variety of wildlife. Running from the river in the city centre all the way to Bristol Temple Meads station, this former railway snakes through woodland, ponds, open fields and many other habitats, playing host to a variety of interesting species. In the early morning and afternoon, deer are often spotted grazing the meadows while buzzards circle overhead.

A trip along the path, which is solely for the use of cyclists and pedestrians, makes for a perfect family trip and a great way to keep fit.

Travelling in the opposite direction, the Kennet and Avon canal path provides another fantastic opportunity to spot wildlife in the heart of the city. The canal is thriving with bird species, with mute swans, kingfishers and grey herons joining the many houseboats along this route. At night the abundance of invertebrates flying above the canal surface makes for an ideal bat-spotting area. You’re most likely to spot pipistrelles flying around just after dark, yet noctules and even the rare horseshoe bats can be seen later on.

Running between the canal and London Road is Kensington Meadows. This river Avon floodplain is home to a wide array of flora and fauna. Kingfishers are commonly spotted by the waters, and the majestic willow branches brush the river below.

Frequent boat trips departing from Pulteney Weir are the best ways of experiencing this wildlife.

While looking up and admiring the wonderful architecture of Bath, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for peregrine falcons. These majestic birds have been found breeding on the roof of St John’s Church, next to the police station. A constant watch is kept on the birds as

Take a boat trip from Pulteney Weir and see if you can spot kingfishers

Pic credit: Ian Llewellyn

bath

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Feature

W

Rich pickings

Autumn is the jewel in Stourhead’s magnificent 18th century crown. Eugene Byrne is our man with the inside story

ell, that’s that then.

Summer over.

But don’t despair! It’ll soon be Christmas, and before that, there’s the sight of nature turning everything dry and crinkly and yellow as a prelude to death... But that’s enough about what I see in the mirror every morning. Let’s talk about trees instead.

There are many marvellous places around here to do autumn. Westonbirt Arboretum is the obvious one (www. forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt), but there are plenty of other places closer to home – the Bath Skyline (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ bathskyline) or Leigh Woods or any of Bristol’s riverside footpaths. But if you want some truly amazing autumnal action, in a setting created at stupendous expense expressly to look magnificent, how about Stourhead?

The Stourhead Estate runs to over 2,500 acres and, in the way of these massive former aristocratic fiefdoms, includes the to-die-for-picturesque village of Stourton as well. The estate’s history dates back to FourteenSomethingOrOther, when it was acquired by a thug who was elevated to the peerage as a reward for slaughtering His Majesty’s enemies (Frenchmen). It remained in the hands of the Barons Stourton for several generations until it was sold to Henry Hoare (1677-1725) in 1717.

The Hoare family owned Stourhead until, in the way of so many other great aristocratic landowners, a combination of death duties, falling agricultural prices and other landowners forced them out. It was given to the National Trust in 1946. The family’s fortunes were founded by Sir Richard Hoare (1648-1718), a horse-dealer’s son who made his pile in banking – C. Hoare and Co still exists to this day as Britain’s leading independent private bank.

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Feature

left to right: View of Stourhead's magnificent grounds including the Palladian bridge; autumn colour; Henry Hoare II who inherited the estate at the age of 19 in 1725; the medieval Bristol High Cross

Sir Richard’s son Henry bought the estate and demolished the old manor house to build a splendid Palladian manor, which was completed shortly before his death in 1725. (Footnote: you remember Lady Penelope in Thunderbirds? Well, her stately home is copied from Stourhead House. They made a little model replica of it.)

Next up was Henry Hoare II (17051785). He’s the important one. He inherited the place at the age of 19, and after a lot of gambling, sport and wenching, he became sensible. Two wives died on him, and he then devoted the rest of his life to designing the gardens, planting the trees and commissioning the building of the temples and follies around the estate, including the Pantheon, a Palladian bridge over part of the lake, and the wonderful Alfred’s Tower.

If you visit Stourhead, don’t miss the Tower, even though it’s almost two miles from the main house. Henry Hoare II, like many of his contemporaries, had a mystic fascination with British history. It was (and still is) thought that the estate might include the site of Egbert’s Stone, where King Alfred the Great rallied the Saxons before defeating the Danes at the Battle of Ethandun. So he commissioned a tower to mark the site. Above the door it says: ‘Alfred the Great AD879 on this summit erected his standard against the Danish invaders. To him we owe the origin of juries, the establishment of a militia, the creation of a Naval Force. ALFRED the light of a benighted age was a philosopher and a Christian, the father of his people, the founder of English monarchy and liberty.’ And if that doesn’t make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, you’re probably not English. (The views from the Tower over the surrounding countryside, by the way, are well worth trudging the

The High Cross - Bristol’s Elgin Marbles? ➻ Not all of the things constructed at Stourhead were 18th century attempts at recreating classical designs. One of the oldest things here is the old Bristol High Cross, a medieval market cross that stood for hundreds of years at the historic centre of Bristol, at the junction of Corn, Wine, Broad and High Streets.

Back in its pomp it was richly gilded and painted, and featured little statues of kings who had done Bristol some or other favour – John, Henry III, Edward III and Edward IV. Henry VI, Elizabeth, James I and Charles I were added in the 1630s.

In the 1700s it was thought to be an obstacle to traffic and was moved to College Green, but people didn’t like it there much, and in 1768 it was given to Henry Hoare, who erected it at Stourhead, where it remains to this day.

Some might say that Bristolians should demand it back, in the manner of the Greeks and the Elgin Marbles, but the fact is that the Hoare family, and indeed the National Trust, have looked after it a whole lot better than Bristol ever did or would have done.

At Stourhead, the cross has been repaired and cleaned several times.

Meanwhile, Bristolians got to missing the old cross so a replica was made in the 1850s, which stood on College Green once more. But nobody paid this much attention, and it was removed in the 20th century. All that remains of it is a part that stands in a corner of Berkeley Square in Clifton.

Meanwhile, the splendid original is there at Stourhead. Go take a look.

200 or so steps up the dimly lit spiral staircase.)

But in the meantime, it’s autumn…

Alan Power, Stourhead’s head gardener, says: “The most striking thing in the autumn is the trees, the fascinating display of colour. Stourhead is famous for the temples, the architecture and the lake, but it’s in the autumn that the whole garden comes together. It’s fascinating.”

Power has been in charge of running the garden for the last eight years, trying to balance the competing needs of conservation and maintenance with 360,000-plus visitors per year. “I try to encourage those who can to come during the week,” he says. “Because, obviously, it does get very busy at weekends. If you can come on a weekday, get here for 10 in the morning, have a walk in the garden, then have a cup of coffee afterwards. It’s a big place and you can get parts of it to yourself for a while.”

His favourite place in autumn is by the Palladian bridge, looking towards the Pantheon: “It’s then that you realise how much work went into creating the garden, the huge effort they made to create this wonderful palace of trees.”

STOURHEAD HOUSE & GARDEN STOURTON, WARMINSTER, WILTS. GARDEN OPEN DAILY 9AM-6PM, HOUSE OPEN FRI-TUE, 12 MAR-6 NOV, 11AM-5PM. ADMISSION TO HOUSE & GARDEN £13.40 ADULT/£6.70 CHILD/£31.90 FAMILY. KING ALFRED’S TOWER OPEN FRI-TUE TILL 30 OCT, 11AM-5PM, £3.20 ADULT/£1.70 CHILD/£7.20 FAMILY. FFI: 01747 841152, WWW.NATIONALTRUST.ORG.UK/ STOURHEAD

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profile

the giant flea and vintage market

BATH & BRISTOL FLEA MARKETS

I

t’s the same in our house Lazy Sunday mornings… wake up at 10ish, followed by slow percolated coffee and finally time to read the paper. So it needs to be quite a good reason to get up early and venture out! So here’s to persuading you…

Once a month the Giant flea and vintage markets lands in Bath, and the next event – at Bath Racecourse on Sun 13 Nov - is set to be bigger than ever before, with hundreds of stalls selling thousands of items, from antique home and garden wares to vintage clothing and jewellery. So make sure, once a month, to wake up early and venture down to Bath Racecourse and join them at the Giant flea and vintage market and see what you can find! It’s quite

BATH & BRISTOL FLEA MARKETS BATH RACECOURSE, LANSDOWN & ASHTON GATE STADIUM, BRISTOL WEB: WWW.BATHFLEAMARKET.CO.UK

an adventure!

Following the next Bath market, Sun 20 Nov will mark the opening of the Indoor flea market in Bristol, held at the Ashton Gate Stadium, which will be held monthly.

This event will feature over 110 exciting stalls, with some of the best dealers in the South West, if not the country, already signed up to exhibit at the event. They hope to see you there! Doors open at 9am and the event closes at 3.30pm.

BATH: GIANT FLEA & VINTAGE MARKET SUN 13 NOV, BATH RACECOURSE. BRISTOL: INDOOR FLEA MARKET SUN 20 NOV, ASHTON GATE STADIUM, BRISTOL. FFI: WWW. BATHFLEAMARKET.CO.UK

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Competitions

WIN £250 TO SPEND AT CC! CC (known until 2005 as Country Casuals) offers classic, timeless fashion that promises to take its wearer from lunch dates to stylish soirees via ambles in the park with friends. Choose from key contemporary pieces and whole outfits as well as, with the arrival of CC Petite, stylish options for women with smaller frames and figures.

Gorgeous herringbone trousers and quietly scene-stealing animalprint dresses sit side by side among this season’s new collections Val d’Isère, Meribel, Lombard Street, Opera House and Upper East Side. We have a £250 CC shopping spree to give away to one lucky reader. Nothing to wear? Never again!

CC BRISTOL: HOUSE OF FRASER, CABOT CIRCUS (0117 954 4940). BATH: 24 NEW BOND ST (01225 463250) & HOUSE OF FRASER, 13 MILSOM ST (01225 445353). FFI: WWW. CCFASHION.CO.UK

£250 CC spree!

fabulous compS

Enter today to be in with a chance of winning these great prizes!

To Enter ➻ VIYELLA

Just answer the following question: When was Viyella founded? Email your answer, with ‘Viyella’ in the subject line, to: editor@foliomagazine.co.uk by Friday 28 Oct. Entries after this date will not be counted. Winner will be picked at random and notified by Mon 31 Oct. Please include your full contact details (name, address, postcode, email, mobile, landline).

➻ CC

Just answer the following question: True or false: one of CC’s new autumn/ winter collections is called ‘Chipping Sodbury’? Email your answer, with ‘CC’ in the subject line, to: editor@ foliomagazine.co.uk by Friday 28 Oct. Entries after this date will not be counted.

Winner will be picked at random and notified by Mon 31 Oct. Please include your full contact details (name, address, postcode, email, mobile, landline) THE WINNERS Hotel Chocolat comp: Congratulations to Isobel Michael who won five boxes of chocolates. Correct answer: Strawberries, meringue and cream.

Cabot Circus comp: Congratulations to Sarah Perkins who won a £100 gift card.

Correct answer: 120.

WIN £250 TO SPEND AT VIYELLA! Founded in 1784, Viyella is one of Britain’s longest-established fashion brands, offering classic, understated, elegant and exquisitely tailored womenswear for all occasions. This autumn’s collections include Autumn in Manhattan, Rive Gauche and The Hamptons as well as fashionforward diffusion line Ella – think a delicate silk blouse, the perfect flannel trouser, a luxurious longlength cardigan and an Atlantic wind-defying shearling coat. To celebrate the opening of the brand new Bristol Viyella store at Cribbs Causeway, we have a £250 shopping spree to give away to one lucky reader. You’ll never suffer another wardrobe malfunction!

£250 viyella spree!

VIYELLA UNIT 110, UPPER LEVEL, THE MALL AT CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL (01845 573120) & 24 NEW BOND ST, BATH (01225 463250). FFI: WWW. VIYELLA.CO.UK

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➻ life style wedding styling, christening gowns, guys’ fashion, jewellery & shopping SHOPPING

Little Gem ➻ Looking for something a little bit different? Why not visit Little

SouthGate, a stunning indoor arcade in the heart of SouthGate, Bath, situated between Boots and Debenhams, where you’ll find a number of unique fashion and lifestyle stores? Fashion for men includes Canterbury, Route One and the new addition to Little SouthGate, Dig Deep. Womenswear, meanwhile, includes fantastic Australian brand Mimko and the beautiful boutique that is Pretty Eccentric, not to mention Karen Millen Accessories and a unique and beautiful shop that’s recently opened in Little SouthGate called Cole.

Little SouthGate also has something for the kids, with Bath’s famous and award-winning toy store, My Small World. And if you’re a stationery lover, make a B-line for Tinc, one of the best stationery, gizmo and gadget shops around. For two-wheeled fans, Avon Valley Cyclery hosts some of the top brands, accessories and clothing, along with a wide variety of fantastic bikes.

For footwear, there’s MBT, who bring a collection of stylish but functional footwear. And if your walls are looking a little bare, Whitewall Galleries, situated at the Boots end of Little SouthGate, gives you the perfect opportunity to browse and experience contemporary fine art.

If you’re already starting to feel a little bit panicky about Christmas shopping, then don’t! Little SouthGate is an absolute must for this year’s present-buying trip.

LITTLE SOUTHGATE SOUTHGATE, SOUTHGATE ST, BATH. FFI: WWW. SOUTHGATEBATH.COM

MEN’S FASHION

Join the Club ➻ After launching his first collection, young Bristolborn entrepreneur and fashion designer Ricardo (Rico) Johnson has now secured orders with four top UK retailers. Twenty-year-old Rico, who launched his label Heart Breaker Club last year, hosted a successful fashion show at the Colston Hall in March, and now his collection is on sale at four men’s fashion retailers: Mottoo in Brighton, Metsuki Boutique in Birmingham, Le Monde in Wolverhampton and Oaks in Cheltenham, as well as being available to buy online. “I’ve been designing clothes since I was eight years old,” says Rico, “and I’m delighted with the success of Heart Breaker Club so far.”

Heart Breaker Club’s clothing is designed to emphasise the male physique. It’s been created for the modern, metrosexual male who is stylish, confident and takes pride in his appearance. The materials used for each garment have been selected for the best quality and, complemented by the fit, Heart Breaker Club clobber gives the wearer an automatic confidence boost. Rico’s collection comprises a blend of clean-cut, innovative designs, with smart clubwear featuring deep V-necks, T-shirts, polos and knitwear, as well as a range of casual, clean-cut tracksuits and sweatshirts.

Heart Breaker Club Ffi: www.heartbreakerclub.co.uk

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lifestyle CHRISTENING GOWNS

Days to Remember ➻ A bespoke Margaret Williams christening gown is as individual as your baby is to you. With each gown handmade from beautiful silk or satin especially for your little angel, using only their measurements, your baby’s gown will become an heirloom to treasure. Gowns can be made from your own designs or from a range of traditional or contemporary styles for both boys and girls, and personal details such as initials can be added onto the gown at your request.

Appointments can be carried out from your own home, where you can discuss your individual design in a relaxed atmosphere with your baby, and each gown will be handdelivered. So to make your baby’s christening day even more special, phone Margaret, who is based in Bristol, for a personal approach.

MARGARET WILLIAMS BESPOKE CHRISTENING GOWNS FFI: 0117 932 2370 / 07985 027406, EMAIL: BESPOKEGOWNS@GMAIL.COM

PSST! we’re super-excited about the new mango store that’s recently opened in cabot circus! head there for classic cropped jackets, sparkly party dresses and sexy pencil skirts

JEWELLERY

PRECIOUS THINGS ➻ The new home of Catherine Amesbury jewellery design, Artemis houses a designer jewellery workshop, showroom and giftshop where you’ll find beautiful and unique handmade silver jewellery.

Choose from the collections on display, customise a chosen piece or design your own with the motherand-daughter team, local designers Catherine Amesbury and Carrie Mullan. Also boasting resident fused glass artist Julia Rowe with her workshop and beautiful designs, a collection of gorgeous girlie gifts and cards by local artists, Artemis is the place to find that perfect something, either for yourself or someone special, with everything you buy giftwrapped to perfection.

ARTEMIS 214 GLOUCESTER RD, BISHOPSTON, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 924 1003, WWW. CATHERINEAMESBURY.COM

WEDDINGS

THE REAL MCCOY ➻ Ambience Venue Styling Bristol, experts at transforming wedding ceremony and reception rooms, have decorated everything from school dining halls to hotel function rooms and village halls. And it takes much more than just chair covers to get these stunning big-day looks…

“I’m based in Bristol, but part of a large network of likeminded venue stylists, so I have access to the whole network’s stock – not just my own,” says Kathryn King, the driving force behind Ambience Venue Styling Bristol’s most stunning looks. “I’m passionate about weddings in the West – there are so many really stunning venues to work with. And really creative brides, too.”

Many brides call Kathryn in for that last-minute magic touch – turning big-day décor from so-so to so-stunning with her gorgeous finishing touches. Items for hire include chair covers, sashes in organza, organza crystal and taffeta, matching table runners, top and cake table swags, aisle runners, a fantastic wedding postbox, quality table linen, statement vases and table centres, and topiary trees.

“We only stock high-quality styling items, the majority of which are manufactured in the UK,” says Kathryn. “There are many cheap imitations out there; what we offer with our range is affordable quality.”

AMBIENCE VENUE STYLING FFI: 0117 960 8387, WWW. AMBIENCEVENUESTYLING.COM

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fashion

lifestyle

1

Yes, those are burnt matches dangling from your earlobes and sternum.

Because beneath the demure facade, you’re one scary arsonist/ smoker/owner of a gas hob. Louchematchstick earrings, £8 & matchstick necklace, £6, Joy

2

Heel, boy! Seriously fetishistic footwear to ensure that you walk the walk. Sam Edelman lace boots, £215, Harvey Nichols

Back to Anna Britten throws a spotlight on the neo-goth trend.

It shields its eyes…

3 G

Kindervamp, anyone? We’ve gone into a Victorian swoon over the detail on this lovely frock from cult Spaniards Hoss Intropia. Hoss Intropia dress, £246.50, Grace & Mabel & Harvey Nichols

oth isn’t so much a trend as a permanent dark tunnel every generation passes through on its way to adulthood.

A tunnel in which it’s fine to wear easy, staincamouflaging black every day: there’s no zit so big it can’t be caked in white foundation, and you’re positively encouraged to wallow in hormonal despair before teatime. It’s the longest-running youth subculture ever – so intransigent that there’s no point mocking it, resisting it or trying to change it. And guess what? Now even the gods of fashion are taking

one of their customary, cursory trips back to Gothville and have designated it one of autumn/winter’s biggest looks. Black lace! Black leather! Black chiffon! A slight air of menace!

The fashion world’s idea of goth, though, bears little relation to the cheap studded wristbands and PVC leggings that a Sisters of Mercy fan might once have bought down Boney Maroni’s. It’s plush, it’s rather pretty, and it’ll cost you more than a fortnight’s pocket money. And so here, for your Halloween drinks party, evening swigging snakebite at the war memorial or just general pouting delight, is goth at its most mwah.

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fashion

lifestyle

4

‘Sticks and stones may break my bones/ But M&S excites me…’ as Rihanna meant to say. Faux leather trousers, £39.50, Marks & Spencer

6

All you need is (a fierce, zip-up) glove.

Gloves, £24.99, River Island

7

Hey, Lucretia! It’s a tassel skirt, but not as we know it.

Fringing you can swish from the school gates to the sushi bar.

Limited Collection skirt, £39.50 Marks & Spencer

5

Lace it up in this go-anywhere top that, rather gothically, reminds us of a charred antimacassar.

Vaity lace top, £52, French Connection

Contacts

French Connection Cabot Circus, Bristol (0117 926 8108) & 3 Green St, Bath (01225 442874). Ffi: www. frenchconnection.com Grace & Mabel 17 Regent St, Clifton Village, Bristol (0117 974 3882) & 7 Broad St, Bath (01225 461274). Ffi: www.graceandmabel.co.uk Harvey Nichols Cabot Circus, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 916 8888, www. harveynichols.com Joy 70-78 Queens Rd, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 929 8613, www.joythestore.com Marks & Spencer Bristol: 78 Broadmead (0117 927 2000); Avon Meads Retail Park, BS2 (0117 971 9136); Longwell Green Retail Park, BS30 (0117 960 5887). Bath: 16-18 Stall St (01225 462591). Ffi: www. marksandspencer.com River Island Bristol: Cabot Circus (0844 826 9745) & The Mall at Cribbs Causeway (0844 826 9765). Bath: Southgate (0844 826 9729). Ffi: www. riverisland.com

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mark simmons photography Tel: 0117 9140999 Mobile: 07778 063 699 “Mark has both the skilled eye and craftsmanship to make your wedding album come alive every time you turn the pages. Decisive moments and classic art are merged to create an emotional trip down memory lane. Mark’s documentary style is energy filled, fun and delivered with an ever reassuring calmness for even the most camera shy family member.”

Natural Weddings

Rhianna & George

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fashion Dressed down…

Niki wears… Bag £75 Topshop, silk top £35 Topshop, black jeans £48 Oasis, animal-print shoes £40 Oasis, leather jacket – years old, ring £45 House of Harlow

How to wear...

Fringing Definitely not just for festivals, says personal stylist and image consultant Niki Whittle

F For the office…

Blouse £48 Monsoon Fusion, trousers £29 Zara, belt – came with trousers, shoes £60 River Island, necklace £12.50 Topshop

ringing. This is one of those love-it or hate-it trends. But even if you hated it last season, you might find yourself warming to it this autumn, as this time round it’s grown up into something much more wearable and versatile.

The fringing from summer is still hanging around, so if you loved it like I did, then you’ll still find plenty of bags overloaded with it. However, the fringed skirts and tops have all but gone and in their place are the far more conventional tassels, dangling from necklines, shoes, bags and belts.

Moderation is the key to getting this look right.

Don’t be tempted to wear too many fringed items at once, and make sure you keep the rest of your outfit simple. It’s a trend that can be worked into your everyday wardrobe, as long as you’re careful and choose items that suit your own style.

The bag laden with fringes is perfect for my everyday style. I wanted it to blend in with my outfit in a rock-chick kinda way, so I’ve teamed it with my black skinnies, silk top, leather jacket and animalprint pointies.

For work, I like things to be a little more polished.

I’ve accessorised the tailored trousers and blouse with a tassel necklace and pair of statement tasselled shoes. They nod to the trend, but keep the look clean and simple.

This trend isn’t the preserve of festival goers – it really can be worked into your everyday wardrobe.

But don’t forget, moderation is key, and less is more!

Ffi www.nikiwhittle.com / www. hipshapesandbristolfashion.blogspot.com

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shopping lifestyle

shopping “Each and every radiator is a thing of beauty”

Shop of the

Katharine Langley and Stuart Kay with the Classic radiator in various shades, starting from £474

Month

Various models including Leaf wooden radiator in the centre, £2,518.80

Melissa Blease gets fired up by the chic radiators at Bisque

W

hen we’re thinking about broadening our domestic horizons, radiators don’t usually inspire much excitement. We tend to look upon them as functional necessities, best hidden away or painted to look as inconspicuous as possible.

But those who have discovered Bisque beg to differ. Established in 1986, this sparkling radiator showroom in the heart of Bath is home to a range of innovative, award-winning designs ranging from classic, elegant themes through to the quirky and cutting-edge, with each and every one a thing of beauty, displayed in a chic but inviting art gallery-style environment.

With 16 years’ experience between them, enthusiastic experts Katharine Langley and showroom manager Stuart Kay are on hand to offer advice that ensures buying the right radiator is simple and straightforward. And what these two don’t know about heating installations isn’t worth knowing.

“Bisque has always been at the forefront of design, with new products and finishes continually added to the range,” Stuart tells Folio. “There are over 40 styles of radiator to choose from, including a broad selection of innovative towel radiators for the bathroom, suitable for every style of interior and all tastes, and all in a huge range of finishes and sizes.

Many models are available in over 2,000 colours, while our unique colour-matching service means that your chosen radiator can be coordinated with existing décor and colour schemes, and our bespoke made-tomeasure service allows you to order a specific size to fit awkward spaces.”

Stuart is also rightfully proud of Bisque’s constantly expanding repertoire. “The old school-style Classic model is now available in the latest textured finishes such as beige quartz as well as bright and pastel colours and the popular metallic finishes. Recent addition Arteplano is designed with a beautiful metal front plate in individually etched brass or copper that looks like a piece of contemporary art.

“Our aluminium ranges are new for October, and we’re proud to say that they’re the first models to combine energy-efficient technology with sleek Italian design, made from recycled aluminium. These groundbreaking new radiators include the elegant, vertical Ellisse, which saves valuable wall space, and Blok, a neat, compact model with a low wall-to-front-face projection.”

If you were one of those people who thought that radiators were merely functional necessities, consider the cockles of your heart – and indeed, the heart of your home – very stylishly warmed.

Bisque 15 Kingsmead Square, Bath.

Ffi: 01225 466367, www.bisque.co.uk

The Hot Hoop designed by Paul Priestman is available in three sizes and starts from £951.60. To their right is Paul’s awardwinning Hot Spring, from £651.60

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for giving and living...

The home of Inspirational Gifts... ...for giving and living this Christmas 49 Hill Road, Clevedon, BS21 7PD

Tel: 0 1 2 7 5 3 4 3 6 5 6

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Hire Our Photo B ooth For You r W edding Day Get in tou ch through our website

www.itsyo urbooth.com

or email us: enquiries@itsyour booth.com p28.indd Ad 1 with text.indd 1 Weddig

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9/28/2011 4:11:51 PM

gadgets

lifestyle

Pure

invention Velimir Ilic casts an eye over the latest must-have gizmos

1

HEART TO HEART However you exercise, Suunto’s sleek heart-rate monitor cleverly tracks your speed, distance and time. It can suggest personalised daily workouts, calculate how many calories you’ve burned and even tells you when it’s time for a breather (restorative doughnut not included).

What’s more, it doubles up as a rather swish-looking watch.

Suunto M5 heart rate monitor £149.99, Ellis Brigham

2

A CUT ABOVE So, friends are coming for dinner, your hair’s in curlers and you’ve got a trio of Ottolenghi salads to knock up. Featuring three razor-sharp stainless steel blades in one, this nimble little gizmo allows you to julienne, crinkle-cut or peel tough-skinned fruit and veg in a jiffy. Just rotate, select your desired cutter, and hack away.

3

Joseph Joseph rotary peeler £12.50, Salcombe Trading Company

FRAMED Fancy yourself as the next Scorsese? Inject a bit of visual pizazz into those lovingly captured wedding punch-ups with this wicked 3D camcorder. It’s packed with a range of features, and budding auteurs and gadget-heads will adore it – ‘Double Full HD' vision ensures

crystal-clear, wobble-free images, even in low light.

Sony HDR-TD10E HD 3D camcorder £1,399.99, Bath/Bristol Sony Centre

4

DOWN A BIT HoMedics’ quad massager is a brilliant way to soothe away the aches and pains of a sweaty workout. Ergonomically designed and battery operated, the compact contraption fits snugly in your palm, with four massage heads for instant indulgence. Even better with someone on hand for those hardto-reach bits.

HoMedics Mini Quad massager £9, John Lewis

5

BETWEEN THE SHEETS Whether it’s the latest David Nicholls page-turner or a racy novel beneath the sheets, reading in the dark becomes much less of a chore with these bright, dinky LED book lights.

They’re available in various colours attach them to your book and rotate as required, all without disturbing snoozy bedmates.

Book light £6.99, iota

Contacts

Ellis Brigham 160 Whiteladies Rd, Clifton, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 974 1157, www.ellisbrigham.com iota 167 Gloucester Rd, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 924 4911, www.iotabristol. com John Lewis Cribbs Causeway, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 959 1100, www. johnlewis.com Salcombe Trading Company 9 Broad St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 334281, www.salcombetrading.co.uk Sony Centre 5-10 Avon St, Bath (01225 460000) & Glass Walk, Cabot Circus, Bristol (0117 922 5850). Ffi: www.sony.co.uk

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Liven up the classic flip to get a sexy, nonchalant and a little bit punk! style products are used in the Salon.

6 Rockleaze Rd, Sneyd Park, Bristol BS9 1NF Tel: 0117 9682663 www.carlohairandbeauty.co.uk

More Special Offers!

IPL Permanent Hair Reduction Treatments A course of 6 x 1/2 leg treatments

Normally £1050 - now £399

❧ A course of 6 x 1/2 leg & bikini line treatments

Normally £1250 - now £499

❧ A course of 6 x full leg treatments

Normally £2250 - now £699

❧ A course of 6 x full leg & bikini line treatments

Normally £2500 - now £799 These offers are only available until 31st October 2011

No.2 Kingsmead Street, Bath BA1 2AA Tel: (01225) 466851 • www.theorangerylaserclinicbath.co.uk folio/oct 2011 31

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Beauty

lifestyle

2

FROM DULL TO DOLL

Do you ever look at those celebs-without-make-up

features and wonder how the heck they still look gorgeous beneath the trowelling of foundation and eyeshadow? Well make sure you elbow your way to the front of the queue for Clarins’ new Vital Light Serum. This little miracle worker packs a powerful 3-in-1 action promising to fade out dark spots, brighten age-related dull skin and smooth and repair lines.

1

YOU’VE GOT TALONS

Monotone nails are so over! Revamp your talons with Instant Nail Effects from king of cool make-up Barry M to create a different crackle effect each time you apply.

Simply paint over your chosen base coat and watch the stripes appear before your very eyes. Available in six colours including Gold Glitter, pictured.

GOLD GLITTER INSTANT NAIL EFFECTS £3.99, WWW.BARRYM.COM

4

LASH OF BRILLIANCE

With all those parties cramming your diary (OK, well maybe not yet but you just wait a few weeks), why not flutter a flatteringly fuller lash as you flirt with dishy Dan from Accounts?

Easy to apply, these lashes promise to stay up as long as you do. Six variations to choose from including Natural Volume and Extravagant Lash.

CLARINS VITAL LIGHT SERUM £56, WWW.CLARINS.CO.UK

3

GOOD TO GLOW

Have you ever noticed how everyone looks instantly more gorgeous in candelight? Well now you can achieve that effect around the clock with Benefit’s satisfyingly chunky Watt’s Up! cream-to-powder highlighter. Glide on cheeks and brow bones then turn it round and blend with the other end for a wow-factor soft-focus gleam.

BENEFIT WATT’S UP! £24.50, WWW. BENEFITCOSMETICS.CO.UK

Look

at you...

Rachel Nott picks her favourite new beautifiers

NO7 FALSE LASHES £7.50, WWW.BOOTS.COM

5

ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS

Tired of foundation melting in the afternoon heat coming off your hardworking hard drive, not to mention lipstick sliding off after your first cup of chai latte? Well listen up, ‘cos MAC’s latest Pro Longwear collection will kick bad make-up days to the kerb! The longlasting range includes eyeshadows, lip pencils, foundation and concealer, but we’re especially enamoured with Pro Longwear Lipglass, which offers six hours of high-octane colour and shine.

MAC STYLEDRIVEN PRO LONGWEAR COLLECTION FROM £14, WWW.MACCOSMETICS.CO.UK

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London’s No1 Waxing Boutique now taking Bristol by storm The only wax worth taking your clothes off for!

20% off Treatments

bristol@stripwaxbar.com 0117 916 8864 Quakers Friars Cabot Circus p33.indd 1

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beauty

lifestyle

The sanctuary

spa

B

Rachel Nott cosies up on heated water pillows for a sleep-inducing massage

ack in my own personal dark ages, pre-Folio, I couldn’t understand the point of massages. Having a treatment should make you look better, I thought, not just feel a bit less knotty. But having since experienced several over the past four years I can look back and smile fondly at my erstwhile naivety. For while it may not have the instant brightening of a facial or inch-loss of a seaweed wrap, a good massage should leave you feeling immediately a little more bouncy, a good deal less uptight, and ready to face whatever the world throws at you with a sunnier, more confident outlook, which all helps to make you appear more attractive, right?

So I was excited to be giving my world-weary self over to the Sanctuary Spa in a quiet corner of Quakers Friars. Inside the Sanctuary entrance it’s all very glamorous, with dark faux-wood panelling, chandeliers and shelves filled with beauty balms.

But what really hits me is the gorgeous musky fragrance, enveloping me like a warm blanket with its sensual aroma. I’m taken up a winding staircase to the dressing room and Lavender Lounge, where

I’m encouraged to take some time to relax once changed into gown and slippers. Spying a goodly range of glossy magazines next to a kettle and a myriad of herbal teas, I pour myself a chamomile, grab Marie Claire and settle onto a chaise-longue bolstered by delicately scented lavender cushions.

I’m just coming to the end of a feature when I’m collected by Jess, who will be doing my treatment.

We wander down the dimly lit corridor to a door labelled Laurel Room, where Jess gathers some pre-treatment information about me. It’s almost like a mini therapy session as I talk about my levels of stress and anxiety. I’m here to try out the Sanctuary’s new Spa Therapies Treatment (£75) – a 55-minute massage geared towards helping you achieve better sleep, relaxation or revival. Jess asks me what I feel I most need – without a doubt, relaxation, but I also say I’d like to sleep better, too. As I’m giving mixed messages, Jess gets me to smell each of the three fragrances in turn and choose the scent I prefer. Sleep gets the thumbs up from me, so Jess selects the Sleep essential oils of frankincense, ylang ylang and patchouli, then helps me to very carefully and slowly position myself onto the bed, which is covered with heated water pillows.

This is a new one for me, and feels wonderfully comforting. Lying on my back, I close my eyes and let Jess begin.

During the next 55 minutes I’m given a facial, foot cleanse and full back-and-arm massage, incorporating various massage strokes and a rocking motion. I’m lulled into an almost hypnotic state of relaxation and it’s all too soon when Jess tells me my treatment is finished. She advises me to take plenty of time to gently sit up and re-robe as I’m bound to feel lightheaded. I’m then invited to stay as long as I like in the Lavender Lounge – it’s important to feel utterly rested during a visit to the Sanctuary.

After a good three-quarters of an hour, the pull of the outside world proves too strong and I peel myself off the chaise-longue and into the dimming

“I’m lulled into an almost hypnotic state of relaxation”

The new Spa Therapies range, on sale in the Sanctuary shop

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx One of the glamorous xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and very comfortable xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx treatment rooms

autumn afternoon sunshine. Deeply relaxed and with skin well moisturised with sweet-smelling oils, I set off for home vowing to add ‘regular relaxation’ to my To Do list.

Contacts SANCTUARY SPA QUAKERS FRIARS, CABOT CIRCUS, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 370 2791, WWW. THESANCTUARY.CO.UK

win!

To celebrate the launch of the new Spa Therapies ➻ Treatments, Sanctuary Bristol are offering one Folio

reader a treatment worth £75. To enter, send an email with your name, address and phone number to editor@foliomagazine.co.uk with ‘Spa Therapies’ in the subject line. Closing date: 31 Oct 2011. Prize must be redeemed by 31 Dec 2011. There is no cash alternative.

Winners will be notified within 28 days of closing date.

NB The Sanctuary Spa is exclusively for women so prize may be transferable. Treatment includes a medical and lifestyle consultation with a Sanctuary Spa therapist prior to treatment. Spa Therapies contraindications can be found at thesanctuary.co.uk

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profile

DAN TITCOMB ON WEIGHING UP THE RIGHT CHOICES FOR YOU

Nuffield Health

O

besity is growing in the UK. The Department of Health reports that a quarter of the UK population is now obese, and our own assessments show that 43% of women and 61% of men are overweight. There’s no ‘easy’ way to lose weight. But there are now some great services to help people who are keen to get down to a healthy weight.

At Nuffield Health we have fitness facilities in our wellbeing centres, nutritionists available to work with our members, and weight management programmes that support members through the process of losing weight and getting healthy. If, after trying these programmes, or if your GP advises that there is an urgent medical need to lose weight quickly, there is also bariatric surgery.

At Nuffield Health Bristol, we have been

NUFFIELD HEALTH ST MARY’S HOSPITAL, UPPER BYRON PLACE, CLIFTON, BRISTOL BS8 1JU TEL: 0117 987 2727 WEB: WWW.NUFFIELDHEALTH.COM/ BRISTOLHOSPITAL THE BARIATRIC GROUP WEB: WWW.THEBARIATRICGROUP.CO.UK

working with one of the country’s leading surgical weight-loss organisations. The Bariatric Group are the only private bariatric provider in the UK with International Centre of Excellence status, and provide expert support and services to those who need bariatric surgery.

Recent research has shown that this kind of surgery is more effective in the long term than options such as weightloss drugs. The average weight loss for patients of The Bariatric Group who have had a bypass is 46kg in two years.

Ultimately, our goal at Nuffield Health is to ensure that people can get healthy and stay healthy. Strong partnerships, in our hospitals and fitness centres, mean we can provide the best care possible to our patients in and around Bristol.

Dan Titcomb is an upper gastrointestinal surgeon with an interest in keyhole surgery, including bariatrics.

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health

lifestyle

smart cookies Melissa Blease gets set to beat the winter blues with a plateful of cold-busting treats

L

isten! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves; we’ve had our summer evenings – three cheers for October eves!’ Indeed, October is a wonderful month to wax lyrical about, and 20th century poet Humbert Wolfe summed the sentiment up with style. But autumn can also represent a different mood entirely, as damp, dreary days, dark nights and chilly winds conspire to offer an unwelcome antithesis to autumn’s golden glow. It’s all too easy to hunker down indoors with a dish of stodge, a bottle of red wine and the central heating on full blast... only to wake up the next day feeling as dark and gloomy as the weather. If you’re dreading the onset of a British winter, it’s time to put a spring in your step.

Fend off the winter blues by taking a fresh look at what’s on your plate. Nutrition plays an important role in balancing the neurotransmitters that dictate our emotions – the amino acid tryptophan, for example, is a precursor of seratonin, the neurotransmitter associated with mood and outlook. Foods that are rich in vitamin B6 (avocados, hazelnuts, brown rice and salmon) assist the synthesis of seratonin, while trytophan itself can be found in cottage cheese, bananas, milk, dried dates and turkey. Zinc, meanwhile, serves a dual purpose when it comes to chasing the winter blues away. Not only have low zinc levels been associated with depression, but adequate levels have been proven to act as a coat of armour against the dreaded cold and flu viruses. Oysters – in season from now until February – are packed with zinc; aficionados prefer them raw, but novices should try grilling them briefly, in the halfshell, sprinkled with shallots and a little bit of butter – stylish, chic and delicious.

But if you just can’t bring yourself to make friends with those controversial bivalve molluscs, then sardines, tuna,

Boost your immune system with vitamin-rich autumn produce such as beetroot and oysters

mackerel, salmon, herring, eggs and turkey are all naturally high in zinc, too – include them in your winter diet on a regular basis and you’ll be smiling your way through to spring without a sneeze in sight.

When it comes to all that glorious winter veg, potatoes are a virtually fat-free treat – low in salt, high in fibre and containing more vitamin C than apples. Bake them in their jackets, add them to stews and soups or drizzle mash with olive oil instead of butter for a healthy carb-fest to keep you cosy.

Meanwhile, a plethora of sturdy, seasonal vegetables are laden with all manner of vitamins and minerals: a rich and bountiful autumn harvest includes red cabbage, cavolo nero, beetroot, parsnips, pears, squash, celeriac, pumpkin and swede, all of which are at their bountiful best right now.

When it comes to taking care of your skin in the winter months, a decent moisturiser goes a long way to keeping dry patches at bay (but don’t disregard the need for an SPF – that sun may look weak, but you still need protection from potentially damaging UV rays). But it’s

possible to defend yourself from flakiness from the inside, too; salmon, tuna, herrings, sardines, organic eggs and avocado contain high levels of omega-3, one of the essential fatty acids responsible for maintaining levels of lubrication, and vital to metabolism in general. And remember to keep yourself refreshed with plenty of nonalcoholic drinks – central heating plays havoc with internal hydration levels and delicate skin.

To keep your mood mellow, lift your spirits with a spot of glamorous, treatsome pampering to help body and soul work together in perfect harmony (Hands on Health in Bath offer a selection of fabulous winter pick-me-ups: www. handsonhealthbath.co.uk), and don’t underestimate the restorative powers of a walk in the great outdoors at this time of the year – there are piles of golden leaves just waiting to be disrupted by a stylish shuffle in your brand new boots. Jump to it with smile on your face, and give winter a big, warm welcome!

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motoring

lifestyle

SHOW STOPPERS news

wouldn’t have known it from a tour of last month’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The annual showcase of new and prototype models from car manufacturers around the globe was as busy as ever, with tonnes of bright, brilliant and beautiful new metal on display. The German event was definitely in tune with the zeitgeist, however, in the number of green models on show. From BMW’s impressive EfficientDynamics engines to the new breed of electric cars by Nissan, Renault, Vauxhall and others, eco-driving is unmistakably the holy grail of modern car manufacture.

Frankfurt’s green headlinegrabbers included concept electric models like the handsome Renault Frendzy (an electric

Pic credit: IAA Impressions

➻ The global recession may still be in full throes, but you

The new Toyota Prius+, unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month

replacement for Renault’s current Kangoo MPV) and the new E-Cell version of Mercedes’ family MPV, the B-Class. Elsewhere, two new

electric BMWs also grabbed the headlines – the VW Golf-rivalling i3 and the beautiful i8 sports car.

Concept cars and electric models were some of the most

eye-catching motors on view, but there were some handsome production models on show too – including the elegant Fisker Surf supercar, a face-lifted version of Audi’s A5 exec coupe, and Vauxhall’s new fire-breathing coupe, the Astra GTC. Toyota unveiled a bulked-up, seven-seater version of their pioneering Prius hybrid, while Citroen gave us a look at their eye-catching new luxury saloon-cum-estate, the DS5. Jaguar’s stall, meanwhile, was dominated by the next-generation XF (on sale now), a facelift for their brilliant, 5 Series-rivalling exec model, which brings its looks closer to its luxury big brother, the XJ. Last but not least, Ferrari showed off the 458 Spider, a convertible version of their seriously quick 458 supercar.

FFI WWW.IAA.DE/EN/VISITORS/

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motoring

lifestyle

1 OF A KIND news

➻

Get down to Cabot Circus 7-9 Oct to test drive the new-look BMW 1 Series

The next generation of BMW’s handsome, brilliantdriving small family car, the 1 Series, arrives in UK showrooms next year. The new-look 1 made its official public debut at last month’s Frankfurt Motor Show – and now, only a few weeks on, Bristol and Bath fans can catch a glimpse of the new motor.

The first-generation 1 Series – BMW’s entry-level car – made its debut in 2004, entering the premium hatch class already occupied by German rivals like the VW Golf, Audi A3 and Mercedes A-Class. Since that debut, the 1 has proved hugely popular with the UK market, thanks in no little part to its brilliant driving dynamics – the only rear-wheel drive model in its class, it’s among the besthandling cars in its class – and superb fuel efficiency, with diesel models managing up to

64mpg.

The new generation builds on the strengths of its predecessor, with more space, new engines and an eight-speed gearbox option. There’s also an EfficientDynamics version that promises to emit just 99g/km of CO2. BMW UK will be showcasing the next-gen model at Cabot Circus, Bristol from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 October.

Both Sport and Urban models will be on show at the event, and there will be three cars available to test drive (see email address below). Places are limited, so (like the new Beemer) best be quick…

BMW 1 SERIES SHOWCASE CABOT CIRCUS, BRISTOL, FRI 7-SUN 9 OCT. TEST-DRIVE SLOTS CAN BE BOOKED VIA NEWBMW1SERIES@EVENT-SUPPORT.CO.UK OR CALL DICK LOVETT BMW BRISTOL ON 0117 905 0000

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➻ home front What's new, what's HOt, what's happening in the world of Homes & gardens

INTERIORS

Sitting Comfortably? ➻ Ever wondered how to get that bespoke sized or shaped sofa made specially for you?

Bristol’s Sofa Library make bespoke sofas and handmade curtains at their factory in Fishponds in just one to three weeks. And despite the fact that they supply a lot of the top hotels in London – such as the Metropolitan on Park Lane (where they’ve just completed refurbishment of the reception and work to the Senior suites), their prices are fantastic.

They also sell beautiful solid oak cabinet furniture and have a large quantity from a supplier that’s closed down, all at half price, at their new 5,000 sq ft showroom above their factory, which is only 10 minutes from the centre of town. For the period of the cabinet furniture promotion, they’re reducing all their sofa frame prices by 50 per cent, and their curtain makeup charges by 50 per cent, too, if you buy your fabric from them – and they show 10,000 choices.

A full interior design/colour consultancy service is offered from just £39 per hour. They also make bespoke headboards (as high or as complex as you like), bedspreads, valances, upholstered beds and literally any type of curtain or blind.

THE SOFA LIBRARY UNITS 5 & 6, EASTPARK TRADING ESTATE, BRISTOL, BS5 (3 MINS FROM IKEA/TESCO ROUNDABOUT OF THE M32, ON OPPOSITE SIDE; FREE PARKING). FFI: 0117 951 2624, WWW. THESOFALIBRARY.CO.UK

FLOORING have fashion trends, but before paying out for the latest fashionable colour or pattern, think about future decorating plans and always see how the carpet might look with your décor, both in the day and at night with your lighting.”

Pop along to the showroom to choose sample books to take home, and take advantage of their free measuring service and written estimates. And if you don’t know your wool-rich from your polypropylene, let them explain to you how carpet fibres and construction make some carpets better than others – none of us want to fork out on a carpet that needs replacing because it becomes flattened or discoloured. Equally importantly, they’ll make sure that your carpet’s fitted correctly, without noticeable joins, bumps and gaps, or causing doors to catch.

WATCH YOUR STEP

➻ Following their move to new premises at Silcox, Son & Wicks on Kingsmead Street last year, business is booming at Bath Contract Flooring.

Established in 2004 to provide specialised advice on commercial floors – from retail and leisure facilities to health sector installations, schools and public buildings – the company have since expanded like nobody’s business to cater for an ever-growing demand from domestic clients.

Their domestic arm, Bath Carpets and Flooring, are absolute experts in the supply and fit of carpets, carpet tiles, rugs, vinyl, vinyl alternatives like Marmoleum and Flotex, and rubber, dealing with leading brands like Westex, Polyflor, Ryalux, Cormar, Brockway and Karndean. You can expect a fast, efficient service from their highly skilled and fully trained installers, and rest assured that this lot won’t compromise quality for price.

“The most important consideration when buying a carpet,” they say, “is how much wear it’ll get and how long it should last – a few months to sell your house, or years of children running up and down the hallway? Carpets

Bath Contract Flooring/Bath Carpets & Flooring 4 Kingsmead St, Bath. Ffi: 01225 471888, www. bathcontractflooring.co.uk, www.carpetsandflooringbath. co.uk

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Two of Andy Smith's

9/28/2011 4:50:37 PM

homefront LIGHTING

Bright Sparks ➻

SUSTAINABLE FURNITURE

Best of British

➻ Independent Bristol-based furniture and mattress store Green Woods Furniture have just

passed the 200 mark for customer tree dedications within the local Forest of Avon Trust.

New customers spending £500 or more automatically qualify for a Tree Dedication, helping to maintain and improve new woodland sites for public access and wildlife, as well as supporting the Trust’s wonderful work. “Our environmental policies have always been at the forefront of what we do,” says Simon Bennett, proprietor of Green Woods Furniture, whose furniture, beds and mattresses are all handmade-to-measure in the UK, using materials from either sustainable or reclaimed sources.

Green Woods Furniture Showroom 56 Hampton Rd, Redland, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 946 6876, www.greenwoodsfurniture.co.uk

WINDOWS & CONSERVATORIES

Clear as Crystal

As the nights draw in, getting the lighting right is a big consideration and depends on many factors, including the size of the room, decoration, reflective surfaces and energy considerations.

With electricity costs rising and the phasing out of tungsten filament lamps, there are lots of changes to consider, too. Never before has your specialist lighting store been more important as the source of up-to-date information and an understanding of the latest products and technology.

In Bristol we’re fortunate to have Lumination, the South West’s largest independent lighting retail group. Providing a bespoke home lighting design service, whether for a new build, conversion or renovation, they’ll come to your home and work with you to come up with the most effective solutions. They have access to all the major suppliers as well as many of the smaller more select collections.

Leading the fashion in lighting for some time now is crystal, which, combined with chrome, makes a seriously up-to-the-minute statement.

Some of the best crystal in the country is on show at Lumination. Call into Lumination at Gardiner Haskins for a no-obligation chat, or arrange an appointment with their home design specialist.

LUMINATION BROAD PLAIN, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 922 6435, WWW.LUMINATION.CO.UK (BRANCHES IN CIRENCESTER, TAUNTON, BARNSTAPLE)

PSST! planning a few home improvements? iss-bristol.co.uk pride themselves on their reliable, considerate & affordable service

➻ Congratulations to Crystal Clear, who recently became the first double-glazing and conservatory installer in Bristol to achieve membership of the prestigious Double Glazing & Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme (DGCOS). It’s been a great year for Crystal Clear, who have unveiled a brand new showroom as the business continues to go from strength to strength.

With over 10,000 double-glazing and conservatory companies in the UK, 236 of which are based in Bristol alone, the industry has been much maligned over the years for shoddy practices and hard-sell tactics.

DGCOS’s extremely stringent vetting process (including credit checks on directors and references from customers and suppliers) means that 67 per cent of companies who have applied for membership of this prestigious organisation have failed. “This is great news for Crystal Clear and great news for consumers in Bristol,” says DGCOS founder Tony Pickup. “Crystal Clear is one of the best-quality installers in the region.”

CRYSTAL CLEAR 22A EMERY RD, BRISLINGTON, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 971 7880, WWW.CRYSTALCLEARBRISTOL.CO.UK

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interiors

homefront

remember

When Interior designer Lesley Taylor gets the vintage look

Roxburgh bath by Victoria + Albert (www.vandabaths. co.uk)

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interiors

homefront

F Above top: Venice headboard and vintage fabrics from Zoffany (www. zoffany.com) M&S rococostyle photo frame (www. marksandspencer. com) Small vintagestyle towel rail in an antique finish from Vogue (UK) Ltd (www. vogueuk.co.uk)

ashion and interiors are often interlinked – what you see in the window of your favourite boutique may follow the same theme and style as what you see in your favourite homeware store. From colour blocking to neutrals, these areas of design work hand in hand to make sure that whatever’s taking your fancy can be incorporated into two very important aspects of life.

One of my favourite trends at the moment is vintage chic. While I can’t confess to having a wardrobe that Kate Moss or Alexa Chung would be proud of, I do love the beauty and elegance of this fabulously feminine trend that’s made its mark on the fashion world and has, for quite some time now, inspired the wonderful world of interiors. By taking inspiration from yesteryears, you can create a sense of warm nostalgia that will bring depth, meaning and comfort to a scheme. If you do this one right, you can bring a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘old-fashioned’, by taking latter-day classics and

giving them a current twist that fits in with modern living.

The key with this trend is to respect the reasons these designs were so popular in the first place. It’s important to bring vintage into the 21st century without losing its charm.

Fortunately, modern-day design houses and even high-street chains have taken an interest in vintage chic, paying tribute to this much-loved and never-forgotten style by introducing vintage-inspired collections for the everyday homeowner.

From floral prints and frills to antique finishes, vintage is all about creating an opulent, almost lavish environment that welcomes you with open arms. As an interior designer who works with a variety of clients of all ages and all backgrounds, I’d say that, while modernity still has a role to play in today’s marketplace, in recent times stark, clean design has taken a backseat to ‘new traditional’.

Even the younger generation, whom you’d expect to request ultracontemporary ideas when they seek the advice of an interior designer, are opting for traditional styles. In fact, over the past 12 months I’ve heard the words ‘vintage-y’ more times than I can count – and often from the mouths of first-time buyers who want to transform their new pad into a luxurious space that oozes decadence.

There are many ways in which you can approach this trend. If you’ve got the time and budget, you can invest in

large, grand pieces such as armchairs, chaises longues, furniture items or even a copper bath tub. Nor will you have to look far in your search for the perfect vintage statement – many high-street stores and designer outlets offer truly wonderful vintage pieces that will bring a sense of character to your home. But if it’s an authentic addition you’re after, why not visit a vintage fair or trawl the local antique and charity shops for a one-off?

If you don’t have endless streams of cash to invest, don’t worry. The addition of smaller, vintage-inspired accessories and fabrics will totally transform your space. Good supermarket chains, Tesco and Sainsbury’s included, sell cushions, photo frames, lamps and candlesticks, all with a vintage look and feel so you can work this trend into your home without blowing the budget.

Contacts

the bed workshop braunton Rd, bristol. ffi: 0117 963 6659, www. thebedworkshop.co.uk IRONART OF BATH UPPER LAMBRIDGE ST, LARKHALL. FFI: 01225 311273, WWW. IRONART.CO.UK OLD BANK ANTIQUES CENTRE 14-17 WALCOT BUILDINGS, LONDON RD, BATH. FFI: 01225 469282/338818, WWW. OLDBANKANTIQUESCENTRE.COM wessex reclamation st werburghs rd, bristol. FFI: 07881 817372, www. architectural-reclamation.co.uk

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Visit our website to see examples of our architectural and restoration projects.

We also sell a collection of inspiring furniture, braziers and structures for the garden.

www.ironart.co.uk 01225 311273 LISTED AND HERITAGE SPECIALISTS 44 folio/oct 2011

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Q&A

homefront

Close up with Andy Thearle Do your rusty railings need reviving? Wrought iron gate in a state? If your ironwork is in need of a facelift, Ironart’s Andy Thearle is the man with the plan Words: Melissa blease

Please tell our readers a little bit about Ironart We’re a small, friendly, long-established team of highly skilled blacksmiths based in Larkhall on the edge of Bath. We design, make, fit and repair all aspects of traditional and contemporary ironwork – anything from a magnificent set of grand gates to a tiny, intricate latch. We also make a range of beautiful wrought iron garden furniture and structures for the garden. You can find pictures of all the work we do on our website – if you want advice on a project, please give me a call.

I have a set of wrought iron railings that are bent and broken. How do I know if they’re worth refurbishing?

Railings made from genuine ‘puddled’ wrought iron are always worth restoring This beautifully ornate balustrade is an example of Ironart’s expert craftsmanship

because original wrought iron is a valuable material that’s far more durable than mild steel and no longer commercially available. If your railings are genuine wrought iron, they’ll almost certainly have been traditionally made.

You can identify traditionally made railings by their notable absence of welding: they’ll be solid bar throughout and the finials will either have been forged out of the uprights or cast. The uprights will also probably have been set directly into stone coping, caulked in with molten lead and finished with a little lead ‘collar’. Beautiful ironwork can significantly enhance the value and ‘kerb appeal’ of your property, regardless of its age.

Wrought iron railings before (top) and after they were restored by Ironart

You’re unlikely to need planning permission to make repairs unless you live in a listed building, in which case you’ll probably need listed building consent, which is free. If you live in the Bath area, contact the B&NES Council Connect helpline on 01225 394041 or email them on development_control@ bathnes.gov.uk for comprehensive advice before you start.

I think my railings are cast iron. Is it possible to repair cast metalwork?

Yes, absolutely, although it requires specialist skills and techniques. We’ve successfully repaired heaps of cast iron gates and railings, as well as a wide range of other items such as cast iron kitchen ranges and garden benches.

How should I look after my railings once they’ve been repaired or replaced?

Before we reinstall your railings, we’ll paint them in the colour of your choice using a variety of specialist paint systems. If they’re mild steel, we’ll also be able to galvanise them to protect them from rust and minimise future maintenance. Over time, the paintwork will break down due to UV and environmental pollutants. You should therefore expect to repaint your metalwork as regularly as you would other painted items.

Will I need planning permission or listed buildings consent before I repair my railings?

IRONART OF BATH UPPER LAMBRIDGE ST, LARKHALL, BATH. FFI: 01225 311273, WWW. IRONART.CO.UK

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YOU’RE IN SAFE HANDS

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gardening

homefront

In the

garden

Ideas and inspiration from Trish Gibson to help you make the most of your garden this month

Grow Something Special Tulips

O

ctober is the perfect time to be planting some tulips for next spring. There’s a huge range of sizes and colour and, by choosing the right varieties, it’s possible to have tulips in flower for several months. Velvety, deep maroon ‘Queen of the Night’ is a beauty – one of the single late varieties (known as Cottage tulips) that flower in May. Growing tips Most tulips need a sunny position in well-drained soil, so if your soil is clay, add grit to the planting hole. Plant them about two to three times deeper than the height of the bulb itself. Big containers of tulips look amazing and you can put them exactly where they’ll make the most impact.

Jobs for october

Tulip ‘Queen of the Night’ in a classic combination with ‘White Triumphator’

➻ Others to try ‘SPRING GREEN’

One of the must-have tulips, ‘Spring Green’ goes with almost anything and has a nice wildish look to it. In fact it’s a tough tulip and very resistant to wind. A pinkish version called ‘Groenland’ is also good.

‘BALLERINA’

An elegant, lily-flowered tulip with the scent of primroses, ‘Ballerina’ flowers in early May. Its colouring is more subtle than just a simple orange and it’s a tulip that will return year after year.

TULIPA SYLVESTRIS

With golden scented flowers, this is a leafier, wilder-looking tulip, flowering in mid-April. It’s a woodland variety and so doesn’t mind some light shade, but it won’t survive in long grass.

Pot up mint and parsley and put them on to a kitchen windowsill to provide you with fresh herbs during the winter.

Harvest squashes and pumpkins with an inch or two of stalk to form a ‘handle’. Leave in the sunshine for a week to ‘cure’ before bringing them inside. If it’s wet, dry in an unheated greenhouse or porch.

Cut back leggy rose bushes to prevent any damage from windrock in the winter.

We’ll be buying…

As the colder weather approaches, it’s time to start thinking about feeding the birds to help them through the winter. This attractive frost-resistant terracotta apple feeder (picture: RSPB) is great for feeding bird seed and suet nibbles (£9.99 + £3.95 p&p).

FFI 0845 120 0501, WWW.RSPBSHOP. CO.UK

This month we'll be visiting...

Seedy Sunday at the Organic Garden at Holt Farm, Blagdon, Sun 30 Oct, 10am-4pm A chance to visit the garden in its autumn glory and see things like these wonderful squashes sitting on the hedges. There’ll be seed swaps, the Heritage Seed Library, a talk by Garden Organic, practical demonstrations and specialist nurseries, as well as local honey, jams and chutneys to buy. Lunches and teas available.

FFI THE ORGANIC GARDEN AT HOLT FARM, BATH RD, BLAGDON, BRISTOL, BS40. TEL: 01761 461650, WEB: WWW.THEORGANICGARDENS. CO.UK (TICKETS £5 IN ADV)

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the

wooden blindcompany

bespoke shutters & blinds

Expertly measured & installed by us, We are a local, family business, With over a decade of experience.

Contact us now to be inspired!

t: 0117 960 6289 www.thewoodenblindcompany.co.uk

Onion sets, garlic and all spring flowering bulbs available now

CLEEVE NURSERY Tel 01934 832134

BRISTOL & bATH'S mAGAZINE

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Property news

If you're searching for bucolic bliss, five-bedroomed 33 The Bramleys on the rural fringes of Portishead fits the bill perfectly

escape to the

Country Melissa Blease looks at commutable property hotspots on our rural fringes

O

ne of the many glorious aspects about life in Bristol or Bath is that you’re never too far from some spectacular greenery. But many urban dwellers are choosing to rebalance the boundaries between town and country living, opting to set up home in a pastoral paradise within easy reach of the thrum of big-city life. Properties in North Somerset’s increasingly fashionable hubbubs of Portishead and Clevedon have experienced a dramatic rise in interest of late, while homes in smaller towns and villages dotted around the Bristol/Bath locale (Pensford, Chew Magna, Combe Hay, Long Ashton and Yatton are current property hotspots) remain consistently attractive to those in search of an easily reachable bridge between party-on and total peace. A diversity of housing styles ranges from contemporary apartments to cottages, townhouses and Edwardian, Georgian and Victorian properties, while excellent transport links make the journey to and from the big cities (Bath, Bristol, London) hassle- and stress-free.

Heritage’s offices (located in Nailsea, Portishead, Clevedon and Yatton) are staffed with local people who have a thorough knowledge of the local area.

Homes on the beautiful Vale Estate in Portishead – a coastal town with a recently developed marina, just six miles to the east of Bristol and offering

excellent access to the M5 motorway – are proving to be particularly popular, and Heritage are keen to share 33 The Bramleys with Folio readers: set on the rural fringes of the development and within easy reach of the town centre’s many amenities, the house boasts spacious reception rooms, a kitchen/ breakfast room, five well-proportioned bedrooms and an established private garden to the rear – all yours for just £395,000.

Ashton Rose, meanwhile, are a Bristol- and North Somerset-based property specialist with branches in Westbury on Trym and Long Ashton, a village just two miles from central Bristol, on the edge of the Ashton Court Estate. Ashton Rose have a wide selection of properties available in some of North Somerset’s prettiest towns and villages including Backwell, Flax Bourton, Dundry, Bower Ashton, Failand and Chelvey Batch, but – brand new at the time of the writing – Bramley Copse in Long Ashton itself caught our eye, representing a very individual three-bedroom semi-detached home featuring a study or nursery room, plus a garage, for just £265,000.

If, however, you’re considering moving to the blissful settings of Chew Magna or Wrington (respectively, just seven/eight miles, so a very easy commute from Bristol) or the surrounding villages and towns, Setter and Lee Estate Agents are your one-stop shop en route to bucolic bliss.

ASHTON ROSE 50 WESTON RD, LONG ASHTON, BRISTOL, BS41. FFI: 01275 393956, WWW.ASHTONROSE.CO.UK HERITAGE (NAILSEA, PORTISHEAD, CLEVEDON & YATTON). FFI: WWW.HERITAGE4HOMES.CO.UK SETTER & LEE 9 SOUTH PARADE, HIGH ST, CHEW MAGNA (01275 333888) & BROAD ST, WRINGTON, NORTH SOMERSET (01934 863371). FFI: WWW.SETTER-LEE. COM

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property

get cosy with... mendip fireplaces

S

ince their family-run business was established in 1980, Mendip Fireplaces have built an enviable reputation as Bath’s leading fireplace, stove and chimney specialist. Today, the company stock an extensive range of open fires, wood-burning and gas stoves, gas-effect fires, fire surrounds and cookers, including Jetmaster, Chesney’s, Barbas, Stovax, Charnwood, Morso, Vermont Castings, Faber, Magiglo and Gazco, and their customers include the Royal Crescent and Bath Spa Hotels, the Duchy of Cornwall, the National Trust and Landmark Trust.

Celebrate with Mendip Fireplaces as they launch their new website and a brand new range of stoves from Chesney’s, Jetmaster and Stovax at their autumn open weekend, taking place Fri 30 Sept to Sun 2 Oct. Visitors will be able to see a range of working stoves and fires, while staff and technical representatives from the three companies will be on hand to demonstrate the stoves and answer any questions. Mendip Fireplaces

Save your energy!

are offering a 10% discount on every stove ordered over the celebratory weekend.

MENDIP FIREPLACES MONKTON COMBE MILL, MONKTON COMBE, BATH. FFI: 01225 722706, WWW. MENDIPFIREPLACESBATH.CO.UK

➻ Bath’s first renewable energy centre opens its showroom in the Heritage City on Fri 30 Sept. The Bath Energy Centre – the first of its kind – is dedicated to helping to increase the energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of homes and business premises in and around the Bath area. This independent company was founded by two individuals with an engineering background and over 40 years’ experience in the heating industry – today, they can provide advice on heating and renewable energy systems, and will only recommend products that are highly efficient, cost effective, reliable and made to last, from solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, heating systems and air-source heat pumps to ground-source heat pumps, solar-thermal water heating, underfloor heating and biomass boilers. Visitors to the centre can view a wide range of products and efficient-energy technologies at work, while friendly advisors are on hand to explain how you can increase the energy efficiency of your home and reduce your energy bills.

BATH ENERGY CENTRE MONKTON COMBE MILL, MONKTON COMBE, BATH. FFI: 01225 722607, WWW.BATHENERGY.CO.UK

property of the issue…

PRINCES RD, CLEVEDON, NORTH SOMERSET, £249,950

➻ Enjoying the top-floor

CHURCH FARM, BURRINGTON, NORTH SOMERSET, £1,295,000 ➻ Opportunities to buy a period property with ancillary accommodation and private land situated in a classic village-square setting within the glorious Wrington Vale and Chew Valley area are rare, to say the least – which is why this delightful former 15th century farmhouse – featuring a reception room, drawing room, dining room, breakfast room, utility room, study, cloakroom and four bedrooms – is one of the most spectacular properties to come on the market in decades. Previous owners have lovingly restored Church Farm to include unique features such as a reception hall with galleried landing and Norwegian granite floors, beamed ceilings and window shutters, while a detached barn adjacent and to the north of the house provides an excellent studio facing west across the garden and farmland, and ancillary accommodation including bedroom, bathroom, utility room and garaging. There is scope to further develop the barn and link to the house while the delightful, exceedingly wellmaintained, mature gardens feature a superb south/west outlook across farmland to the slopes of the Mendip Hills.

PATTI PAGE LEIGH COURT, ABBOTS LEIGH. FFI: 01275 376227, WWW.PATTIPAGE.CO.UK

position of one of the most elegant and beautifully proportioned Victorian buildings in Clevedon, this outstanding, newly refurbished two-bedroom penthouse apartment offers spectacular views in all directions, including outlooks across the Mendips and Bristol Channel.

Located on Princes Road – close to the heart of Clevedon town centre and within easy reach of both the seafront and the popular Hill Road hubbub – the apartment is comprehensively finished to an exceptionally high standard that seamlessly blends contemporary design with elegant period features, including a cutting-edge kitchen, luxury bathroom, open-plan dining room, two spacious double bedrooms, access to the communal garden and allocated parking.

STEVEN SMITH TOWN & COUNTRY ESTATE AGENTS 12 THE TRIANGLE, CLEVEDON. FFI: 01275 877771, WWW. STEVENSMITHHOMES.CO.UK

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➻ eatingoutwest cheese festival, Pie recipes, deli news, markets & smoking BBQ sauce...

PIES

RECIPES FOR SUCCESS

➻ Bizarrely, Pieminister mainmen Tristan Hogg and Jon Simon are

actually celebrating being gazumped in their attempt to obtain a new factory in South Wales. “In a funny way it was a relief,” says Simon. “We never really liked the idea of moving, and by the time the deal fell apart we’d had a great year and the banks were being more accommodating.

Now it looks like we can stay on in our Brentry place.”

The news means that the Pieminister team can concentrate on A Pie for all Seasons, their sumptuous debut cookbook which follows the seasonal food year with recipes for suitable pie fillings. Hogg and Simon devised all the recipes over the course of 12 months: “It was great fun – got us out of the office and thinking about food again. We went foraging on Cornish seashores and even went on a shoot for a day. We were making five or six pies a day to get each recipe right – some needed rejigging but they all made the cut in the end.”

While the lavishly illustrated book carefully avoids revealing the secrets of Pieminister’s top-selling favourites, there’s more than enough to keep pastry fans busy, with recipes for the likes of smoked aubergine & olive strudel and sausage, cider & potato pie, plus no less than eight different kinds of pastry and a heap of hints for crusty perfection.

A PIE FOR ALL SEASONS (BANTAM PRESS, £17.99) IS AVAILABLE NOW FROM ALL GOOD BOOKSELLERS (AND PIE SHOPS)

WIN A HAMPER!

QUEL FROMAGE ➻ The stylish cobbles of Bath’s Milsom Place shopping precinct will take on a decidedly cheesy air at the end of this month, when the Fine Cheese Co host a one-day festival featuring some of the country’s top cheesemakers. Among the 20 artisan producers invited to take part are Caws Cenarth (the oldest family producers of caerffili cheese and winner of the Supreme Champion of Cheese prize at this year’s British Cheese Awards) and Stockbeare Farm (whose remarkable Curworthy is made to a traditional recipe dating back to the 17th century). There will be talks and presentations from leading cheese experts, including food writer Fiona Beckett whose The Cheeselover blog has done much to promote knowledge and appreciation of artisan cheesemakers.

Bath’s Fine Cheese Co retail, wholesale and export artisan British cheeses, most of which are unpasteurised and all of which are traditionally made. There’s also an onsite cafe featuring their very

own chef, so you can graze as you browse.

Cheese specialists for 20 years now, they’ve always nurtured and supported the cream of British cheesemakers and stock over 100 handmade British cheeses. They also import artisan cheeses from France, Italy, Spain and Holland. “Sometimes,” they say, “the only way to get the Dutch to part with their finest aged gouda is to go over and get it…”

To celebrate the Cheese Festival, we’re offering one lucky reader the chance to win one of the Fine Cheese Co’s gorgeous luxury hampers, worth £100. To enter, just answer the following question: Which century does the traditional recipe for Curworthy cheese date back to? Email your answer, with ‘Fine Cheese Co’ in the subject line, to: editor@foliomagazine. co.uk by Friday 28 Oct. Please include your full contact details (name, address, postcode, email, mobile, landline).

FINE CHEESE CO FESTIVAL SAT 29 OCT, 10AM5PM, MILSOM PLACE FINE CHEESE CO 29 & 31 WALCOT ST, BATH. FFI: 01225 448748 (SHOP)/487993 (CAFE)

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markets DELI NEWS

BACK ON TRACK ➻ They had a bit of a rotten summer down at Bristol’s Southville Deli – an outbreak of dry rot forced them to close off half of their North Street premises and relocate to a vacant shop further up the road. After a few weeks of split-site operations, it was with much relief that they were finally able to return to their original premises and normal service was resumed. All good news for Southville’s discerning shoppers who’ve come to depend on the Deli for organic and wholefood supplies, including Herberts bread and a wide range of Essential grains and cereals, as well as Lavera natural cosmetics.

Amazingly, it’s been 10 years since the deli first opened as one of the first independent businesses in the ‘new Southville’, and customers sipping cappuccino coffees at their pavement tables were an early sign of the culture shift on North Street. These days the store is bustling with regular customers and even able to stock beer brewed a stone’s throw away at the Bristol Beer Factory, another of the area’s many independent businesses.

SOUTHVILLE DELI 262 NORTH ST, SOUTHVILLE, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 966 4507, WWW. SOUTHVILLEDELI.COM

DOWN BY THE DOCKS ➻ It’s been good to see Bristol’s latest

artisan market continue to grow over the summer. The Harbourside Market happens every weekend under the covered walkway by No.1 Harbourside and features many local independent food producers selling handmade bread, charcuterie and other tasty stuff alongside specialist book dealers and crafts stalls. It’s all part of No.1 Harbourside director George Ferguson’s commitment to enlivening the dockside area while supporting independent businesses, and market manager Bryony Morgan is always on the lookout for any new enterprising producers who might want to join in the fun. Interested parties can contact her via lovelocalmarkets@ gmail.com

BBQS

SAUCY! ➻ Bristol businessman Jon Finch has a serious smoking problem. First his enthusiasm for barbecued food led him to inaugurate Grillstock, the US-style barbecue cook-off festival that’s become an annual highlight of Bristol’s foodie calendar, and then he and two friends set up California Rancher, a local company making the spicy ‘rubs’ and sauces that make wood-cooked meat taste delicious. “We used to spend all summer working on spice blends and seasoning,” Finch explains, “and when our friends kept asking for them we realised we had a great opportunity to go into business.”

Still only in their second year, California Rancher have already made their mark, with their Oaky & Smoky BBQ Sauce winning gold awards from both Taste of the West and the Guild of Fine Foods, while their Santa Maria BBQ Rub won silver and gold respectively. You can get these, and the whole California Rancher range (plus some easy recipes to make the most of the products), via the website.

CALIFORNIA RANCHER FFI: WWW.CALIFORNIA-RANCHER.COM

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➻ EatingOutWest

This pic and right: get full-on festive at The Clifton Sausage with a menu that includes reindeer and cranberry sausages, and Old Spot 'Pigs in Blankets'. Below right: Italianate treats await you at Jamie's

let's Talk

turkey

L

isten…! Can you hear that tiny, faroff tinkling? Can it be the sound of… sleighbells?

No – don’t run!

We’ve locked the doors, anyway, and you have to face facts: it might be October and the clocks may still be on British Summer Time but it’s now that you should actually start thinking about Christmas.

Specifically, for those still lucky enough to be employed in these recessionary times, it’s time to plan The Office Do. Because there are three things that will determine the quality of your annual shindig – and they are: (1) the people you work with, (2) the budget for your event and (3) getting in first while the best options are still available.

About the first we can, sadly, do nothing other than recommend immoderate drinking early on in the evening.

For the second, you’ll have to work that out yourself, too.

Maybe you’re in the banking sector and can persuade Sir Gerald to part with three per cent of his annual bonus to charter a private jet to the Cayman Islands (where, coincidentally, the other 97% will already be living)… But when it comes to getting in there first, we can give you the heads up.

Your neighbourhood Italian may have a special menu that might be able to accommodate a party of 17 at the last minute but cast your eye over the wide range of Christmas options spread out

It’s never too early to book if you want to bag yourself the best Christmas party, says Tony Benjamin

in these pages and you’ll see the merits of planning ahead.

There are all kinds of deals to be had – from trad roasts to contemporary reinventions, and from camp entertainment to exotic alternatives. Some even

“the main thing is to get in there quickly – once they’re booked, they’re booked, and sluggards will be back to luigi at casa milano.”

offer lovely incentives to party organisers. The main thing is to get in there quickly – once they’re booked, they’re booked, and sluggards will be back to Luigi at Casa Milano. Check the websites, download the menus and get to work! You know it makes sense.

➻ BATH

Aio 7 Edgar Buildings, George St (01225 443900, www. aiorestaurant.co.uk) • You can go ‘traditional’ but this joyful little restaurant has great Sardinian specialities on offer as well (3 £19.95, 2 £16.95).

The Cork Westgate Buildings (01225 333582, www.thecork. co.uk) • A lively place with a classic pub grub menu enhanced by chestnut-stuffed turkey paupiette. Parties over 25 can

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get a chef-served hot buffet with all the roast trimmings.

The Cosy Club Southgate Place (01225 464161, www.cosyclub. co.uk/bath) • Parties of eight or more can get a shared tapas starter, main meal including classic turkey roast and desserts (3 £22.50) from 12noon-10pm throughout December. Special deals for party organisers on certain days – check website.

Jamie’s Italian 10 Milsom Place (01225 432340, www.jamieoliver. com/italian/bath) • Parties from 6-16 people can book online for a special Christmas menu including bronze turkey and chestnut tortellini and peppered mince pies.

Loch Fyne 24 Milsom St (01225 750120, www.lochfyne-restaurants. com) • Plenty of lush fish as well as roast turkey on the Christmas party menu (£24.95 with complimentary glass of prosecco) available from 26 Nov. Free bubbly on Mon & Tue through December, and special music and dancing nights on 7 & 14 Dec.

➻ BRISTOL

Byzantium Portwall Lane (0117 922 1883, www.byzantium.co.uk)

• The exotic middle-eastern

setting of Byzantium adds its own flavour, while entertainments like belly dancing, tableside magicians and DJs happen every Thur, Fri & Sat. Four-course Christmas menu ranges from pan-European dishes to traditional English seasonal fare (lunch £19.95; dinner: £29.95 Mon-Wed, £34.95 Thur-Sat).

The Clifton Sausage Portland St, Clifton Village (0117 973 1192, www.cliftonsausage.co.uk) • Much-loved place that goes well beyond the sausage yet can’t resist slipping in Old Spot ‘Pigs in Blankets’ and reindeer & cranberry sausage into their special Christmas menu (lunch: 3 £23.50, 2 £18.50; dinner: 3 £28.50).

Fifty 50 Princess Victoria St, Clifton Village (0117 973 3711, www.restaurantfifty.co.uk) • Clifton’s latest fine-dining discovery prides itself on responding to seasonal supply day to day, so rather than offering a fixed Christmas party deal they’ll create a bespoke experience for anyone wanting to book.

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➻ EatingOutWest Feast on juicy breast of pheasant against a backdrop of Tudor splendour at Thornbury Castle

Noa Japanese Waterloo St, Clifton Village (0117 973 2881, www. noajapanese.co.uk) • There’s no Christmas in Shinto but the ever-obliging people at Noa are happy to discuss organising a party menu for anyone who’d like the frankly healthier option of a Japanese meal.

Prosecco 25 The Mall, Clifton Village (0117 973 4499, www. proseccoclifton.com) • Gordon’s favourite Italian offers fine-dining fare, with turkey wrapped in ham with shallot & sage stuffing and Christmas pud the most traditional, and signature dish crab ravioli and rich chocolate terrine delicious alternatives (3 £28, 2 £22 – lunch or dinner).

➻ FAR & WIDE

Catherine Wheel High St, Marshfield, Wilts, SN14 (01225 892220, www. thecatherinewheel.co.uk) • The classic English menu (3 £20) at this delightful country hotel/pub includes good vegetarian choices as well as proper-job meatiness and log fires.

Doubletree by Hilton Cadbury House Frost Hill, Congresbury, BS49 (01934 834343, www. cadburyhotelbristol.co.uk) • A raft of possibilities at this Marco Pierre White-endorsed eatery, with live musical entertainment and meals from £28-£49, and private dining offering trad Christmas dinner (3 £35 plus DJ) throughout December.

Lucknam Park Colerne, Wilts, SN14 (01225 742777, www. lucknampark.co.uk) • There’s a special menu (3 £35) throughout December in the AA rosetteawarded Brasserie restaurant that reflects the high-quality cuisine at Lucknam Park, with its spa, gym and other attractions.

Old Down Country Park Foxholes Lane, Tockington, BS32 (01454 414081, www. olddowncountrypark.co.uk) • You’ll need to factor in a minibus but they’re staging a winter wonderland-themed ‘Snow Ball’ experience with themed entertainment and a cellar disco, as well as three-course meal with coffee and reception drink, all for £40. It all happens on 3, 9 & 10 Dec. Thornbury Castle Thornbury, BS35 (01454 281182, www. thornburycastle.co.uk) • The Elizabethan backdrop of Thornbury Castle combines with an excellent reputation for classic

cuisine like ballantine of Salisbury pheasant breast to offer a stunning and memorable setting.

Special menus are available (lunch £29.50, dinner £50), but parties over eight will be offered a more limited menu choice.

Elegant sophistication will be the theme of your Christmas party at Lucknam Park

➻ LAST BUT NOT LEAST The General Stores Mill

End, Mitcheldean, Glos, GL17 (postmaster@ millendmitcheldean.co.uk, www.millendmitcheldean.co.uk) • We’ve left the best till last here.

This well-refurbished historic building in the Forest of Dean offers the complete mid-week party package: three-course dinner (or buffet), overnight accommodation, use of all facilities (hot tub, sauna, gym) and locally sourced breakfast for £60-£100. Are you worth it?

You know the answer…

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Christmas party bookings now being taken Exclusive cuisine from the four regions of China, finely presented in luxurious surroundings – Wongs is second to none. ●Fine Chinese dining for all occasions ●Extensive wine list ●Business lunches catered for ●Fully licensed and air conditioned ●Express lunch menu available for business meetings ●Pre and post-show dining

‘With its ubiquitous dark, rich colours, opulent furnishings and soft lighting, it’s a haven of peace and luxury in Bristol’s city centre. You’re assured of an all-whims-indulged evening from the threshold to the last mouthful.’ - Steve Wright: Folio Magazine

Opening Times: 7 days a week Lunch 12 noon - 2.30pm, Dinner 6pm - 11.30pm 12 Denmark St Bristol BS1 5DQ On the world-famous site where Harveys Bristol Cream Sherry was born.

2 minutes from the Colston Hall www.wongsrestaurantbristol.co.uk email: wongsbristol@gmail.com Reservations: 0117 925 8883

To complete your visit, come to the new Harveys Cellar! A new bar, club and museum featuring Harveys memorabilia folio/OCT 2011 59 Wongs f201.indd 1 p59.indd 65

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➻ EatingOutWest

David Greenham & Debbie Atherton of Arch House Deli, named UK deli of the year in the Great Taste Awards 2011

In the Best Possible Taste BRISTOL Arch House Deli Arch House, Boyces Ave, Clifton Village (0117 974 1166, www.archhousedeli.com) • Home to a fine selection of cheese from across the UK and mainland Europe. Pre-select from their really informative website.

Better Food Co Sevier St, St Werburghs (0117 935 1725) & 94 Whiteladies Rd (0117 946 6957, www.betterfood.co.uk) • Locally sourced, organic dairy delights.

Trethowan’s Dairy Glass Arcade, St Nicholas Market (0117 902 0332, www.trethowansdairy. co.uk) • Award-winning artisan cheesemongers (famous for their unique Gorwydd Caerphilly).

Also run a Cheese School.

Say cheese Melissa Blease is cream crackers about the stuff.

Here she conjures up the ultimate cheeseboard

A

hurriedly assembled, mismatched selection of fridge-cold, supermarket endof-the-aisle BOGOFs served with a couple of stale cream crackers does not a flourishing finale to a dinner party make. A cheeseboard shouldn’t be a boring afterthought; moreover, it deserves to be a superstar in its own right. As a reliably good starting point en route to cheeseboard success, you can’t beat the classic triumvirate: a ripe, creamy softie (brie is the enduringly popular option), a strong, solid slab (proper cheddar) and a boisterous blue (stilton, roquefort).

Allow around 60-80g of cheese per person, and take cheeses out of the fridge (and any wrapping) two hours before serving to allow them to come to room temperature, keeping them covered with a clean linen tea towel until ready to serve. Provide an individual knife to cut each cheese, choose a serving platter big enough to allow plenty of space between varieties in

order to prevent the flavours mixing. And ditch overly herby/salted crackers in favour of a stack of oatcakes or similarly plain biscuits. Now you can really taste your cheese.

As your cheese-choosing confidence grows, consider adding a couple of twists and turns to your selection by adding something spreadable (move away from the Philadelphia and dive into the chevre, boursault and brillat savarin examples) and/or the contemporary version of the fondue: camembert, oven-baked to melting point in the box in which it came, served with fingers of sourdough toast for dipping. You could, if you so wish, be clever and match your cheese selection to the overall theme of the meal that preceded it (English, French, Italian, etc) – from this point, all manner of exciting options start to present themselves: cheddar with fruitcake or warm apple pie, stilton with pears and walnuts, or gorgonzola with runny honey and toasted pinenuts are just three reliably good combinations that lift a cheese course into the class of its own in which it belongs.

BATH Fine Cheese Co 29-31 Walcot St (01225 448748, www.finecheese.co.uk) • This awardwinning mecca for cheese lovers also stocks a cracking range of crackers and cheese-related accessories.

Nibbles 53 Guildhall Market (01225 460213, www.bathguildhallmarket.co.uk) • Explore over 90 different varieties of cheese, from locally sourced, artisan cheddars to a globe-trotting, continental range.

Paxton & Whitfield 1 John St (01225 466403, www.paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk) • Established in 1797 and holders of multiple royal warrants.

Legendary Locals The internationally acclaimed Keen’s Cheddar has been made in Wincanton, Somerset by a family-run business since 1899. Over a century later, Keen’s remains one of only three artisan cheddar producers in Somerset (www.keenscheddar.co.uk).

Meanwhile, Park Farm (Kelston, near Bath, www.parkfarm.co.uk) churn out a delectable array of award-winning cheeses, with the acclaimed Bath Soft Cheese at the forefront of a selection that includes the equally splendid Wyfe of Bath and both brie and blue varieties. Third-generation farmer Graham Padfield found the original recipe for Bath Soft Cheese in an old grocer’s book, and makes it today in the same buildings in which his grandmother made her cheddar. folio/oct 2011 61

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➻ EatingOutWest

What's Cooking?

Our monthly round-up of news from the foodie world

Super Markets

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nxious vegetarians noticing changes at their beloved Cafe Maitreya in Easton, Bristol have no need to fear. The nationally recognised beacon of excellence in meat-free cuisine has, indeed, changed hands but new owner Barney McGrath (pictured) is anxious to build on what previous chef Mark Evans has achieved while also going back to some of the founding principles of Maitreya originator Rob Booth. “I’ve always been a great fan of this place,” McGrath admits. “It was the only place I wanted to work, but I always wanted my own place, too. I told Mark and it seemed he wanted to move on, too. It all kind of snowballed and now it’s really happened. I can’t believe my luck!” While McGrath, who formerly ran the St Werburghs City Farm Cafe, wants to maintain the fine-dining standards of the evening service, he’s also bringing back daytime opening, with affordable vegetarian breakfasts and lunches available from 10am, and more use of the upstairs room in the evenings.

He’s not the only one with ambitious expansion plans, either – fishmonger Garry Rosser has announced that he’s opening a chippy. Rosser, whose fresh fish delivery business serves the Bath area, is based in the White Row Farm Shop out near Beckington.

He’s already developed a range of seafood deli products at The Scallop Shell, but the takeaway fish’n’chip service will be a whole new endeavour. He’s nothing if not confident: “This feels like the perfect next step. We want to make the best fish’n’chips in the county.” Naturally he’ll be keeping to his sustainable fish policy, too, with locally caught whiting and gurnard alongside cod and haddock.

Stokes Croft may have been unable to prevent a Tesco opening up in their midst, but further up the road the posher citizenry of St Andrews seem to have a bit more clout with the council.

When a franchise of national chain Costa Coffee was proposed for the Gloucester Road, a 3,000name petition was drawn up and presented to the council. Given that that stretch of highway already has a score or more of coffee-serving establishments, the powers that be obviously felt this was a frappe too far and councillors voted against planning permission, saying that it would be ‘harmful to the diversity of the local shopping area’. Interestingly, this was, of course, exactly the argument against Tesco in Stokes Croft…

Proof of the value of such diversity was the announcement that Clifton’s bijou Arch House Deli was named best in the country in the Great Taste Awards 2011. Owners Debbie Atherton and David Greenham impressed customers, judges and a ‘mystery shopper’ with their amiable combination of peoplefriendly attitude and thorough knowledge of the food they serve as well as a genuine commitment to local produce where possible.

It’s a great achievement for the couple, who only took over the business two years ago.

And, finally, from the small but perfectly formed Arch House to the gobsmackingly enormous ZaZa Bazaar, the 700-seater restaurant being built at a cost of £3m in the long-vacant Harbourside site that formerly housed the Baja Bar. Due to open before Christmas, ZaZa Bazaar will have 35 specialist chefs offering a multicultural ‘banquet’ at a fixed price.

Forget those trolleys and barcodes. With good things falling off the trees and springing up out of the ground, now’s the time to check out your local farmers’ market and catch the local harvest at its freshest…

Every Sat Bath Farmers’ Market Green Park Station, Bath, from 8.30am.

Ffi: www.bathfarmersmarket.co.uk Every Sat Harbourside Market No.1 Harbourside, Canons Rd, Bristol, 11am4pm. Ffi: www.no1harbourside.co.uk 1st Sat of month Long Ashton Village Market Long Ashton Community Centre, Keedwell Hill, Long Ashton, Bristol, BS41, 9.30am-1pm. Ffi: www. longashtonvillagemarket.co.uk 1st & 3rd Sat of month Whiteladies Road Farmers’ & Fair Trading Market Outside auction rooms on corner of Whiteladies Rd & Apsley Rd, Clifton, Bristol, 8.30am-2pm. Ffi: www. sustainableredland.org.uk 2nd Sat of month Weston-superMare Farmers’ Market High St, Weston-super-Mare, 9am-12.30pm 2nd Sat of month Keynsham Farmers’ Market High St (next to Clock Tower), Keynsham, Bristol, BS31, 9am-1pm. Ffi: www. somersetfarmersmarkets.co.uk 4th Sat of month Westbury-onTrym Market Medical Centre car park, Westbury Hill, Bristol, BS9, 9am–1pm Every Sun Tobacco Factory Market Raleigh Rd, Southville, Bristol, BS3, 10.30am-2.30pm. Ffi: www. tobaccofactory.com 1st Sun of month Slow Food Market Corn St, Bristol, 10am-3pm. Ffi: www. slowfoodbristol.org Every Wed Bristol Farmers’ Market Corn St, Bristol, 9.30am–2.30pm

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➻ EatingOutWest

ReView

the cosy club Melissa Blease eschews the big, bland eateries to wallow in the big, bold flavours at this quirky lounge-cum-club-cum-bar in SouthGate

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osy isn’t a word one would normally associate with a fairly recently established, modern shopping centre. But then again, neither Bath nor the inspired entrepreneurs responsible for the venture that constitutes the purpose of this review have built their mini-empires on mundane conventions. Despite doom-laden, ominous portents to the contrary from a choir of naysayers, the gleaming shrine to Mammon that is SouthGate hasn’t remotely erased the Heritage City’s all-important reputation as a characterful shopping experience that’s big on unique boutiques.

On the contrary, many independent ventures are thriving amid the more mundane Big Names that proliferate along SouthGate’s brand new lanes and byways. Similarly, on the food front, the inevitable invasion of the chain/franchise multinationals have, by and large, only served to highlight just how good our own homegrown autonomous enterprises are. Having said that, it takes a brave businessperson to enter the real-life equivalent of the Dragons’ Den and prepare to do battle with the big guns. Step forward the Loungers – the Bristolbased operators behind the Lounge chain of cafe/bars (Velo, Tinto, Porto, Deco, Banco et al) – who have brought something pretty darn special to the Debenhamsdominated corner of SouthGate.

Take a trip up the stairs beyond a rather obscure door on a concrete corner, and prepare to be impressed by how an array of carefully chosen, artfully stylised

décor flourishes can transform an erstwhile personality-free void into a uniquely welcoming space, where lavish 18th century gin palace meets vintage flea market by way of Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen in his Changing Rooms heyday – at

“lavish 18th century gin palace meets vintage flea market by way of laurence llewellyn-bowen in his changing rooms heyday”

once daringly flamboyant, wittily ostentatious and laden with contemporary twists and turns.

But despite such a fascinating stage set, we chose to take a table on the spacious, covered, candlelit alfresco balcony (puffers, don’t be misled: it’s a smoke-free zone) and watched the sun set over the urban skyline as we squabbled over – sorry, I mean shared – a tapas trio (£8) consisting of shredded five-spice, honey-glazed pork, crushed minted peas with feta and tomato and chilli crayfish from a thoughtfully eclectic selection.

The menu runs the whole gamut of refuelling opportunities from breakfast to suppertime, including massive salads that – having

already checked out the Cosy Club at lunchtime not long after the Cosy’s doors opened – come highly recommended. But on this visit, the comfort food urge called loud and clear, and was efficiently responded to by a perfectly soft, slow-cooked belly of pork accompanied by black pudding and carrot & potato mash for him (£9.50) and an extremely hearty horseradish-infused beetroot & goat’s cheese pie for me (£9.95), which came with more garlicky baked new potatoes than even I could cope with and a very welldressed side salad.

Flavours – much like the decor – were unashamedly big, bold and boisterous, portions were generous and service was lovely throughout the whole experience. Having been made to feel as though we were at one of the best private dinner parties in town, from cocktails at the start to the final drops of a very fine bottle of merlot at the finish, we shared a sticky toffee pudding (£4.75) before leaving our cosy corner just because it would have been rude not to go the whole three courses; if gloriously downhome puds are your downfall, this is the place to live it up.

In many ways, SouthGate has heralded the arrival of a new dawn for the Heritage City experience as a whole. The Cosy Club, meanwhile, represents a regeneration of ancient social traditions in uniquely fine style.

Contact

THE COSY CLUB UNIT R4, SOUTHGATE PLACE, BATH. FFI: 01225 464161, WWW. COSYCLUB.CO.UK The Verdict HHHHHHHHHH

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➻ EatingOutWest

ReView Fifty

Tony Benjamin is impressed by his blind-tasting date at this smart Clifton Village newcomer where seasonality is writ large

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here have always been nice places to eat around Clifton’s ‘village’ but it’s noticeable that Bristol’s finest dining destinations are elsewhere these days. With Michelin stars twinkling over Westbury on Trym and Chew Magna, Clifton Village’s claim to foodie awards rests on the shoulders of two hotel restaurants: the Rodney’s No 4 and the Avon Gorge’s Bridge, each with an AA rosette.

It’s a situation that might change, however, with this summer’s arrival of Fifty at the former Blue Rhubarb site in Princess Victoria Street. After working together in the Channel Islands, Scott Chance and Dany Lancaster bring CVs packed with experience at the fancier end of contemporary cuisine and an admirable ambition to make a big impact. Sharing a commitment to seasonal food – with foraged wild ingredients always welcome – their not unfashionable aim is to create surprising dishes from wellsourced ingredients.

The smart décor is a great start, with the previously intense purple now muted creams and browns that give the room a light spaciousness, and the cool purr of a jazz soundtrack adds a relaxing tone. The menu offers a short ALC selection of conversation-starting dishes or a tempting seven-course taster menu at £55 a head. While tasters often let you really discover how a chef’s skills pan out, the intriguing thing is that Fifty don’t actually tell you what the meal will be – that depends on the chef and the day’s ‘catch’ of fresh stuff. With The Lovely She’s ready agreement, we bid in, only to face the challenge of picking a wine to match an unknown meal. Even the sommelier can’t tell us what’s coming, so we pick a light and fruity brouilly beaujolais (£24) and

hope for the best.

And the best is what we get – in a cavalcade of richly flavoured smallplate dishes that catch the eye and please the tongue. There’s an amusebouche of richly (home-)smoked aubergine baba ganoush served with homemade potato crisps and perfectly browned balls of melting pork, quickly followed by jugs of silky carrot soup poured at the table over aromatic heaps of toasted seeds, fried capers and garlic so the flavours merge before the seeds can soften. That’s followed by a house speciality – an upturned glass full of smoke concealing a seared scallop on a pillow of finely chopped crab, apple and celery. It’s a theatrical nod Heston-wards, of course, but, more importantly, gives a light breath of smokiness that suits the luxuriously tasty ingredients perfectly.

Course three was a slender ingot of sweet pressed pork with a kimchistyle pickle of thin-sliced vegetables rolled into a plait. The pickle lacks a peppery Korean punch but makes a gentler combination with the meat as a result. It’s followed by a hot fishy stack – clams, prawns and mussels topped with a crustily fried steak of sea bass with a briny foam of Noilly Pratt suggesting a beachy

tide. The dish is an amusing cocktail of flavours, with richly buttery samphire adding to a happy seaside diversion before the decidedly inland fifth course. Pinkly roasted wild rabbit is served with roast baby carrots, gravy and tapenade. The latter’s crumbs of black pudding make a fabulous combination with the succulent meat, though me and She disagree about pale spots

“an upturned glass full of smoke, concealing a seared scallop on a pillow of crab, apple and celery, is a theatrical nod heston-wards”

of coriander paste on the plate – refreshing (me) or gloopy (She)?

Happily the ultra-rich dessert of volcanic chocolate fondant – at once crisp and liquid – and brandy-braised cherries dispels all disagreement and prepares us for the locally sourced three-cheese selection that follows and introduces me to White Lake – a sophisticated and creamy goat’s cheese from Shepton Mallet that’s somehow never come my way before. Intense espresso with petits-fours rounds off an impressive meal to perfection, and while we may have differed about taste, we both agree that this was immaculately prepared food with nary a duff note across the board. With many of these courses featuring on the ALC menu, there’s every reason to believe that Fifty will become a byword for Cliftonian fine dining that will bring in foodies from way beyond the village.

Contact

FIFTY 50 PRINCESS VICTORIA ST, CLIFTON VILLAGE, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 973 3711, WWW.RESTAURANTFIFTY.CO.UK The Verdict HHHHHHHHHH

A reliable investment in top-class contemporary dining

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➻ EatingOutWest

ReView The Cork Proper pub grub and contempo-classics at this bar for all seasons Mmm, bring on the pork fat...

Table Talk Praise the Lard! ➻

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hose lazy, hazy days of a British summertime – all two weeks of them – are pretty much over for another year. But one of the many reasons to be cheerful as the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness starts to sneak in on the breeze has to be that we no longer need to force ourselves to endure the endless wait for a table on an alfresco terrace, only to end up wedged in between a fractious family and a gaggle of orange-skinned prosecco guzzlers braying about a forthcoming wedding.

Cosy corners and comfort food are set to come into their own again, and although I’ve whiled away many a happy hour this past summer supping and puffing on the heated, covered alfresco terrace attached to the multifaceted pleasure dome that is the Cork, I can’t say I’m sorry to have a reason to venture indoors again. For indoors at the Cork is pretty cosy, too, combining a traditional lounging area with contemporary urban necessities

such as a chic little lower-level bar (the Vaults) and all manner of events on the entertainment calendar.

As soon as the sun set on a dreary midweek evening in Bath, Best Friend and I were instantly cheered as we took to a table in the Cork’s snug little dining area beyond the main bar and swooped on a bar platter to share (£15), of which a tower of salmon & horseradish fishcakes, a tumble of falafels and a positively sexy sun-blushed tomato, basil & feta cheese salad proved to be indisputable highlights. In truth, the platter would have constituted a hearty standalone supper in itself, but a feta cheese, spinach & red onion frittata (£8.45) and a boisterous sweet chilli & mozzarella beefburger (£8.45) had already called to us from beyond the realms of starters, so on we ploughed, through textbook renditions of freshly cooked contempoclassics, neither dish falling foul to crimes of overcooking, and the chips accompanying the burger as good as the genre gets, resulting in a feast of proper pub grub that doesn’t pertain to hit the G-spot but tastefully fills you up without blowing the bank. Step inside, love – comfort is back on the menu. (Melissa Blease)

Contact

THE CORK 11-12 WESTGATE BUILDINGS, BATH. FFI: 01225 333582, WWW.THECORK.CO.UK The Verdict HHHHHHHHHH

Competent renditions of well-sourced, seasonal grub at comforting prices

Lunching at Bristol’s newly opened Taste of Transylvania restaurant (42 St Pauls Rd, Clifton, 0117 923 8788), it did my heart good to spot mamaliguta, a national speciality featuring pungent scraps of ‘cooked pork fat back’. I recalled embarrassing my Polish hosts in a Gdansk cafe by recklessly piling into the pot of greyish stuff provided, with rolls, on the table.

Oh my days! Bread and dripping! A taste from my childhood driven to extinction by decades of health advice.

With its more recent experience of both austerity and bitter winters, eastern European cooking reminds us of a nearforgotten English food culture up to the mid 20th century. In the South West (especially pig-rearing Wiltshire), every autumn harvest meant rendering the fat from pigs slaughtered for winter bacon and Christmas ham. One of its first uses would be in a celebratory batch of lardy cake – a harvest treat drenched in lard and sugar. Unhealthy in excess, maybe, but, like Christmas pud with brandy butter, a pleasing indulgence for special occasions.

The health hazards of pork fat may have become overstated (it can actually even benefit our immune system, apparently) but you’ll look in vain for the once commonplace lardy cake on a 21st century baker’s shelf. The very name’s a tough sell these days, after all, but for anyone recalling the sumptuousness of a still-warm mouthful, it will always be the stuff of dreams. Yet those tiny bits of ‘pork fat back’ – both crisp and moist – were a delicious demonstration of how a little of what you fancy does you good.

Praise the lard, I say, and bless those Transylvanians. (Tony Benjamin Food & Drink editor)

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Italian Grill & Sardinian Specialities

Christmas Menu £16.95 for 2 courses and £19.95 for 3 courses 7 Edgar Buildings, George Street, Bath, BA1 2EE

01225 443900 w w w. a i o r e s t a u r a n t . c o . u k

The

Christmas Experience FINE FOOD & ENTERTAINMENT IN EXOTIC SURROUNDINGS NOW TAKING BOOKINGS FOR CHRISTMAS 2011 Lunch & Dinner Illusionists . Belly Dancers . Late Night DJ Tuesday to Saturday 12PM to 2AM

Book Now on 0117 922 1883 www.byzantium.co.uk 68 folio/OCT 2011

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Christmas Parties Complimentary Stay Host a dinner party throughout December for 20 or more guests and you will receive a voucher for a complimentary stay for two (valid for three months) in one of our beautiful bedchambers, to include full English breakfast.

Our Christmas menus throughout December for lunch and dinner are now available on our website. www.thornburycastle.co.uk Thornbury Castle, Thornbury, South Gloucs, BS35 1HH Tel: 01454 281182 web: www.thornburycastle.co.uk

Please quote October FOLIO when making enquiries

Christmas Party Menu 2011 Starter

Roast parsnip soup dressed with curry scented oil, fresh bread Potted Gloucester Old Spot pork, spiced pear chutney, walnut toast Home cured Loch Duart salmon, whisky and dill dressing, granary bread Twice baked Capricorn goats cheese and thyme souffle, rocket pesto and aged balsamic

Main Courses

Traditional roast Somerset turkey, caramelised red onion and sage stuffing, Old Spot pigs in blankets, roast potatoes, roast gravy Reindeer and cranberry sausages, colcannon mash, port and cranberry jus, parsnip crisps Pan fried fillet of Cornish sea bass, Cornish crab potato cake, buttered spinach, vermouth and chive sauce English wild mushroom, Jerusalem artichoke and chestnut pie, truffle and parsley mash, Rioja sauce All served with a selection of seasonal vegetables

Puddings

Homemade Christmas pudding with brandy sauce Red cherry and vanilla cheesecake, Chew Valley double cream Chocolate and praline mousse, hazelnut liquor cream, hazelnut crisp Godminster Organic Cheddar and Cropwell Bishop Stilton cheeses, grape chutney and biscuits

2 course lunch £18.50 per person 3 course lunch £23.50 per person 3 course dinner £28.50 per person All Christmas parties are inclusive or Christmas crackers and mince pies.

We do not make a service charge. All gratuities, however given go directly to staff. For parties of ten ot more and optional 10% gratuity will be added to your bill.

0117 973 1192 or email info@cliftonsausage.co.uk

For bookings, please call

The Clifton Sausage, 7-9 Portland Street, Clifton Village, Bristol BS8 4JA

www.cliftonsausage.co.uk

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10 of the best Fishmongers ➻ Buy it sustainably and there’s no catch – fish is healthy, delicious and even St Hugh will approve. Check these suppliers for the best stuff.

➻ Source Exchange Ave, St Nicholas

Market, Bristol • Top-quality selection of impeccably sourced fish and seafood, expertly prepared.

➻ Fishminster 267 North St, Bedminster & 133 Whiteladies Rd, Clifton, Bristol • Classy fish’n’chip shop offering a fresh fish stall, too.

➻ EatingOutWest

ReView NOA JAPANESE Authentic Tokyo dining meets crisp contemporary décor in Clifton Village

➻ The Fish Shop 143 Gloucester Rd,

Bristol & SouthGate Centre, Bath • Small but perfectly formed shop always ready to seek out sustainably sourced fish for you.

➻ Rockfish Grill & Seafood Market 128 Whiteladies Rd, Bristol • Top fish restaurant with a comprehensive selection of fresh fish available on their stall.

➻ Felce Foods Bristol Farmers’ Market,

Corn St (Wed); Horsefair, Broadmead, Bristol (Thur); Bath Farmers’ Market, Green Park Station (Sat) • Thornbury-based company keeping quality seafood supplied to local markets.

➻ Tovey’s Seafood 200 Stapleton Rd, Bristol • Long-established megashop with a dazzling array of fish from all over the world. ➻ Loch Fyne 24 Milsom St, Bath & 51

Queen Charlotte St, Bristol • Did you know they’ll sell you fresh fish? Best to give them a ring in advance, though.

➻ Chandos Deli 97 Henleaze Rd &

6 Princess Victoria St, Clifton, Village, Bristol • Expert fishmongery means that sustainable seafood can be prepared to your preferences.

➻ SmithFish 23 North View, Westbury

Park, Bristol • Family concern with 30 years’ experience of sourcing local and sustainable seafood and fish.

➻ The Scallop Shell White Row Farm

Shop, Beckington, nr Frome • Bath may lack a dedicated fish shop, but the nearby Scallop Shell (pictured) is only a phone call away and will always deliver to your door.

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hen I think of things Japanese, something simultaneously ancient and modern comes to mind: centuries of calm zen and Confucius overlaid with a glitzy hi-tech jabber. There’s something of both about Noa Japanese, with its crisp décor and contemporary style nonetheless providing a natural context for proprietor Kelly Cui’s traditional clothes. Never having been to the Far East, I’ve brought Ivor E. Tinkler, a well-travelled jazzer who’s spent much time in Japan. It’s Wednesday and the place is busy enough but we get friendly and attentive service from the waiter from the off, settling us with an Asahi beer and menus.

Catching a light whiff of tempura as a golden heap is delivered to a nearby table makes my mind up instantly, and we combine seafood tempura with wakame salad and the inevitable edamame beans for a shared starter. It’s a nice balance – the soft wakame seaweed and greenery lightly dressed in sesame oil, the tempura (crisply hot around soft squid and prawns) and those nibbling beans sit well together. For mains we go our separate ways: I have grilled mackerel with ponzu daikon sauce. The gently cooked fish comes as moist fillets, with the citric/ horseradish dressing a perfect complement to

the strong flavour.

I’m enjoying it a lot, but Ivor’s gone into hyperdrive about his red miso spicy duck, a sliced breast that’s deeply pink at its core and, he opines, the best-cooked duck meat he’s ever eaten. “Such care!” he croons (and he’s not usually given to crooning). We have the usual accompaniments – sticky rice, miso soup and a tart pickle of red cabbage – and a small jug of warm, dry sake. It is, Ivor assures me, an authentic evocation of Tokyo dining.

For desserts we agree to share again and Mr Tinkler’s face falls when he sees the ramekin of green tea creme brulée. It’s a sunken dish, dark green and surly looking. But he tastes it first and is instantly beaming again.

“Amazing! Nothing like creme brulée, but delicious!” The pudding has a semolina-ish consistency, richly creamy with a scented flavour, and is, indeed delicious. I’m even more impressed, however, by the dora yaki fluffy disc of pancake filled with rich berry compote. It’s the dream of a perfect Pop-Tart, light, sweet and easy to eat. (Tony Benjamin)

Contact

NOA JAPANESE 12 WATERLOO ST, CLIFTON VILLAGE, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 973 2881, WWW.NOAJAPANESE. CO.UK The Verdict HHHHHHHHHH

The true taste of Japan, prepared and served with consummate care

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The Catherine Wheel Pub with a buzz - and great food

Christmas Menu 2011 Starters

Chestnut & sprout soup topped with sage croutons Spinach & goats cheese roulade with a roasted pepper & pine nut pesto Duck & pheasant terrine with an apricot & cranberry chutney Smoked salmon with a hot spicy, crispy prawn salad Breaded mushrooms filled with mozzeralla served with garlic mayonnaise

Main course

U

Turkey with cranberry & thyme stuffing on a pork & apricot sausage served with a light gravy Roast butternut squash risotto toppped with roasted red pepper & parmesan Venison stew marinated in red wine, slowly cooked with shallots, pickled walnuts & sage dumplings Grilled Sea Bass fillet with a potato & caper cake, drizzled with a lemon & honey dressing Roast peppered Beef with yorkshire pudding & gravy Festive lentil & nut roast with saute winter vegetables & a tangy tomato sauce Pot roasted loin of Pork with sage & apricot stuffing, cripsy crackling & apple sauce All mains served with roast potatoes & seasonal vegetables

Roast

Purveyors of the finest hog and lamb roasts for weddings, parties, festivals and corporate hospitality

All enquiries to: info@therollingroast.co.uk

Puddings

www.therollingroast.co.uk

Bath’s No.1 Gay -Venue

bath

From 9pm

★ ★

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’s yn ht l a g nd ni ★ ★

Mauiz

with your host

Q ★ PHILLUPA BUCKET!!

★

★ Thursday at 9pm ★

Krazy ★ Karaoke ★ DJ Jay with

Every Tuesday

Christmas pudding with brandy sauce Warm chocolate cheesecake with Marshfield icecream Apple & blackberry crumble served with custard Cherry & almond tart with local cream Selection of Marshfield ice creams Selection of cheeses with biscuits (+£2 supplement)

PLUS Drinks Promos!

Student cocktails ★ House double & mixer £3 ★ £1 shots 13 Fountain Buildings Bath BA1 5DX (Closed Mondays) Facebook: Mandalyn’s Tel: 01225 425403 Email: web@mandalyns.com

www.mandalyns.com

★

★

£20.00 for three courses, pre-booked www.thecatherinewheel.co.uk 39 High St, Marshfield, nr Bath, Wilts SN14 8LR Tel: 01225 892220 Email: roo@thecatherinewheel.co.uk folio/OCT 2011 71

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NOW OPEN Showcasing the best of seasonal locally produced foods and English classics in a modern style.

The menus will offer a set 2 or 3 course lunch menu or light a la carte choices.

The evening a la carte menu or 7 course tasting menu available and the early evening set menu (before 7.30pm) only ÂŁ12.50 for two courses.

A vegetarian tasting menu will be available so non carnivore gourmets can enjoy the experience too.

After 10 years on Islay, off the west coast of Scotland, followed by 5 years on Alderney, Channel Islands, Scott Chance has brought his 32 years of fine dining experience to Clifton. With his wife Wendy and talented young Chef Dany Lancaster they bring a great new dining experience to Clifton Village.

Scott and Dany, both with pedigree backgrounds in catering were amazed at the wealth of quality ingredients available and with the countryside full of good wild foods for foraging it is an ideal location for a restaurant.

Using modern slow cooking techniques and in-house smoker served alongside a great wine list the Clfton dining scene is in for a treat.

For more information phone: 0117 973 3711 or visit www.restaurantfifty.co.uk

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Finalists in Gordon Ramsay’s channel 4 Fword series 2009/2010 Britain’s best local restaurant

Christmas Menu 2011 £28 per person for 3 courses £22 per person for 2 courses Starters Homemade Chicken Liver Pate, Chutney and Toasted Ciabatta Mushrooms, Roast Garlic, Smoked Pancetta and Rocket Salad with Parmesan Cured Smoked Salmon, Crushed Potatoes and Horseradish Butternut Squash Soup, Roasted Almonds, Pecorino Bruschetta Main courses Homemade Crab Ravioli with a Creamy Saffron Sauce Roast Rump of Lamb with Rosemary Jus Wild Mushroom Risotto Turkey Wrapped in Ham with Shallot and Sage Stuffing Dolci Traditional Christmas pudding with Brandy Cream Rich Chocolate Terrine and Berry Sauce Selection of Sorbet or Ice Cream Coffee and Cream Semi -Freddo with Pistachios & Caramel Sauce Prosecco is a small 38 seat restaurant in Clifton, run by husband and wife team Diego and Heidi Da Re since opening in 2006. Prosecco’s ethos is to serve unpretentious, well crafted dishes with Northern Italian influences. The atmosphere is relaxed and contemporary, reflected by friendly but knowledgeable staff.

If you would like to book a table please call

0117 973 4499

25 The Mall · Clifton Village · Bristol · BS8 4JG Details are also available on www.proseccoclifton.com folio/OCT 2011 73

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➻ EatingOutWest Recipe

EDDY RAINS Age: 28 Nationality: British Restaurant: The Wheatsheaf Combe Hay ➻ Eddy started on the path to chefdom at Exeter College, where he immediately impressed his tutors and went on to win the very first Gordon Ramsay Scholar Award. The world was now his to travel and explore, and more accolades followed when Eddy won the Craft Guild of Chefs UK-NZ Link Foundation Culinary Exchange, awarded by ‘Fusion Godfather’ Peter Gordon (of London’s The Providores and Tapa Room fame).

A near fatal accident almost cut this promising young chef’s career short, but hard work and determination and more than a little talent saw Eddy back in the kitchen, this time as sous chef to Shaun Rankin of Jersey’s celebrated Bohemia, then a sideways step to the Bath Priory and Michael Caines.

When friend and colleague Lee Evans suggested a move to the country, Eddy immediately saw the opportunity and potential of the Wheatsheaf Combe Hay, and his appointment as head chef has taken the culinary world by storm. Recently awarded an almost unprecedented nine out of 10 by renowned Daily Telegraph critic Matthew Norman, he’s been described as “the vastly promising chef who steals the show”. And watch this space: Eddy is set to make his first TV appearance this autumn!

EDDY RAINS AT

THE WHEATSHEAF COMBE HAY Address: Combe Hay, nr Bath BA2 7EG Tel: 01225 833504 Web: www.wheatsheafcombehay.co.uk

C

ombe Hay, just four miles from the centre of Bath, probably has roots going back to Roman times and is certainly listed in the Domesday Book. Both the canal and the railway have come and gone, but the valley and its people remain. Combe Hay is a fine example of a surviving English village, and was recently named in The Times as one of the most desirable places to live in England.

Nestled at the heart of this quintessential village is the village pub – The Wheatsheaf Combe Hay. Originally a farmhouse built in 1576, it first opened its doors as a public house in the 18th century and has been welcoming locals and visitors for real ale and local cider ever since.

Today it’s a haven of contemporary rustic chic, preserving the best of the past and enhancing the present. In addition to the beer and cider is an impressive and attractively economical European wine list, including wine produced from Combe Hay’s very own vineyard, situated just behind the Wheatsheaf.

Only the very best of extremely local as well as homegrown produce is used in the

preparation of modern British mouthwatering food. Some of it comes straight from the Wheatsheaf kitchen garden – eggs are all from their own hens and ducks, and honey from their own bees.

The Wheatsheaf is the perfect destination for all seasons and all occasions, including weddings and celebration parties. The crackling log fire welcomes in the winter and the terrace and garden beckon in the summer.

The Wheatsheaf has four beautiful bedrooms situated in the garden. Polite dogs are always welcome.

“Only the very best of extremely local as well as homegrown produce is used.”

74 folio/oct 2011

EOW Recipe DPS 201.indd 74

9/28/2011 4:31:35 PM

Loin of Wiltshire venison, wild mushroom faggot, beetroot fondant & smoked cherry jus INGREDIENTS

Serves 4 1 loin of Wiltshire venison 12 griottine cherries 1 tsp smoked oil 2 large beetroots 250g mixed wild mushrooms 1 clove garlic, chopped 10 sprigs thyme, picked 150g crepeniette (caul fat) 12 leaves kale 250ml port 2 banana shallots, sliced small handful flatleaf parsley, chopped 200g unsalted butter 500ml veal glace venison bones, chopped 12 chantenay carrots

TO MAKE

1

For the faggot, rinse the caul fat under running cold water until the water goes clear. Sautée the mushrooms in 1 tsp veg oil, add chopped garlic and picked thyme. Add a tblsp of veal glace and reduce till there’s no liquid left.

2

Cool the mixture and add the parsley.

Form into 4 balls, then wrap in squares of caul fat, tucking the ends of the caul

fat under the bottom. To cook, place the faggots on a tray covered with a layer of baking paper and cook at 180˚C for 5-10 mins to soften the caul fat.

3

For the fondant, slice the beetroot into 2cm slices, cut using a round cutter.

Wrap in foil with a nob of butter, salt and pepper and a sprig of thyme and roast in the oven at 180˚C for 25-30 mins, until a knife goes through.

4

Seal the venison in a hot pan, and cook at 200˚C for 2 mins on each side, baste with foaming butter, rest.

5

For the sauce, sweat off the sliced shallot, add the 250ml of port and reduce to a syrupy consistency. Roast the venison bones to golden brown and add them to the pan. Add the veal glace and simmer for 10-15 mins, tasting from time to time to attain optimum venison flavour. Finish the sauce with the cherries, marinated in smoked oil.

6 7

Blanch the kale in a seasoned, buttered emulsion.

Peel and blanch the carrots in the emulsion.

Recommended...

LOUIS JADOT, BEAUNE 1ER CRU 2002

➻ This is a dish that’s bursting with rich, savoury autumnal flavours and requires a wine with depth and complexity to complement it. The Beaune 1er Cru is a robust pinot noir that also has the benefit of age on its side. The classical red fruit flavours have begun to take on a dried characteristic that will complement the sweetness of the beetroot and smoked cherry jus, while the middle palate is full of dark fruit, cedar and leather notes that will accompany the robust, gamey flavour of the venison perfectly.

A sensational wine for a brilliant dish – a match that has to be tried!

Ffi: www.matthewclark. co.uk

folio/oct 2011 75

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9/28/2011 4:31:57 PM