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/march 2012 A FASHIONABLE LIFE It’s only a week since London enjoyed catwalk shows from the likes of sartorial bigshots such as Alice Temperley, Christopher Kane, Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood. So you’d have thought the fashion world would be exhausted and ready to hibernate for a month or two. But, as luck would have it, LFW seems only to have whetted the voracious appetites of designers and fashionistas as they look to the South West for their next fashion frenzy.

In Bristol, TV stylist Mark Heyes and celebrity hairdresser Andrew Barton are once again pairing up during Bristol Fashion Week to present a celebration of British high street fashion at the Mall at Cribbs Causeway (21-25 March), while Bath’s third Bath in Fashion (23 March-1 April) looks set to be their very best yet, with an explosion of catwalk shows and talks by the most well-respected in the business (think shoe maestro and Bath resident Manolo Blahnik, designer to the stars Amanda Wakeley and Mulberry founder Roger Saul).

Regular events like these not only help to secure the South West’s position as a serious contender in the fashion arena, but are also a fantastic way to discover the incredible wealth of talent – both fresh and wellestablished – designing in Britain today.

Here’s to a very stylish month, p34

female daredevils holly and belinda Features 6

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Female daredevils Holly Budge and Belinda Kirk Mike White’s top must-dos this month A virtual tour of the Roman Baths

18 Avon Wildlife Trust walk

Competitions 20 Win a Mother’s Day makeover

plus £100-worth of personalised

stationery

Lifestyle 25 How to wear coloured jeans 26 Gearing up for Bristol Fashion

Week at the Mall at Cribbs Causeway 28 What’s in store at Bath in Fashion 30 Our shop of the month is iota 31 Gorgeous gifts to spoil your mum silly 36 Our spy has a spray tan at Strip 38 News from the world of health 43 The latest school report 45 Tony Benjamin roadtests BMW’s latest R1200 RT Tourer

31 Lovely gifts for yummy mummies

Homefront 50 Crystal Clear’s latest grand design 52 Dominic Taylor of Homeworx is

this month’s expert 54 Turn your bedroom into a boudoir 56 Gardening tips from Trish Gibson

Eating Out West Rachel Nott Folio editor

Cover image:

Bristol Fashion Week at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway. See feature page 26 @folioeditor

60 Bristol and Bath’s best buffet

restaurants 64 Growing your own veg 67 Restaurant review: Menu Gordon

Jones 68 Restaurant review: Bordeaux Quay 70 Restaurant review: demuths 71 What’s cooking?

72 Restaurant review: Delmonico 74 A scrumptious recipe from Graze

25 Niki Whittle helps us get to grips with coloured jeans

editor@foliomagazine.co.uk

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-ordinator Sam Ulewicz Commercial Manager Becky Davis Advertising Bex Baddiley, Adam Burrows, Ellie Pipe, 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.

67 A ten-star review for Menu Gordon Jones!

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profile

Fancy owning a one-off?

Want to grab yourself a bargain? Head to Bristol Flea Market at Ashton Gate

BATH & BRISTOL FLEA MARKETS For stallholders information contact Shaun on bathfleamarket@live.co.uk tel: 07730 283632 www.bathfleamarket.co.uk

vintage chic

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he Bristol Flea Market has now been running for a couple of months after its inaugural success at Bath Racecourse in 2011.

The Bristol event is held monthly at Ashton Gate Stadium and features more than 120 exciting stalls from across the country, even some from France and Denmark.

The stallholders sell hundreds of items, from vintage clothing and jewellery to quality shabby chic furnishings and gardenalia. With some of the best dealers signed up to exhibit at the event you will be sure to find the perfect item for you and your home. Doors open at 9am and the event closes at 3.30pm.

The flea market team has put together some easy hints and tips if you’re thinking of coming along: • Don’t be afraid to make the trader an offer

you feel to be more suitable, • they can only say yes, no or make you a compromise.

• Say your offer with confidence. An item is only with what somebody is prepared to pay, the stallholder wants to sell and you want to buy.

• Don’t forget the traders don’t get these items for free and they often make very small profits, so bear this in mind when deciding on the price you are willing to pay.

• Thousands of people visit the flea markets and if you see something you really like make an offer and get it there and then as often someone else will snap it up instead.

• Last of all, make sure you check any electrical items before using them. Flea markets are full of high-quality items but it’s best for peace of mind.

29 January 2012 marked the first of a full season for the Bristol flea market, and we’ve decided to start as we mean to go on! Here are some dates for your diary, we hope you can make them: 18 MARCH, 15 APRIL, 13 MAY, 28 OCTOBER, 25 NOVEMBER

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She

who

dares Mrs Livingstone, I presume? These days, adventuring is anything but better left to the hairier sex, as Laura Dixon finds out

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Feature

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Pic credit: chris usborne

Pic credit: chris usborne

Left to right: Holly Budge skydiving Everest in 2008; Belinda Kirk and crew arriving in London after 52 days at sea; adventurer Belinda Kirk

hought misty jungles and rough seas were just for men? You thought wrong.

Among the women leading the charge as groundbreaking explorers are Belinda Kirk and Holly Budge.

BELINDA KIRK ➻ Vital statistics: Belinda, 36, is a full-time adventurer who most spent 52 days at sea in a 24ft rowing boat as a crew of four women rowing round Britain. She’s also the founder of Explorers Connect, a community of travellers and adventurers meeting regularly in Bristol.

How did you get started?

It all began with a trip around Africa when I was 18. I worked with Frontier in Tanzania and studied colobus monkeys for three months, and then went off with my backpack on my own around Africa.

It didn’t start well: on my first solo adventure, a 52-hour bus ride to Nairobi from Dar es Salaam, the man next to me died (he was ill when he got on the bus), and in my first three days in Kenya I narrowly avoided being sold into white slavery. But I desperately wanted to see Africa, and nothing – not even getting malaria six months in – could put me off.

Why do you do it?

There’s a key thing to remember about expeditions: you don’t have to be superhuman to do them. In fact, the expeditions themselves can show the most ordinary person that they are in fact extraordinary. There’s a powerful positive force behind expeditions: they can change your life, boost your self-esteem and make you see that anything is possible, if you just take a little risk. You see, hear and experience things that are magical – things you’d never see if you didn’t take yourself out of your comfort zone.

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve done?

Rowing round Britain. We rowed every two hours non-stop for 52 days, sleeping at night in tiny coffinsized beds at the end of the boat. It was a huge physical challenge: we were honed athletes to start with, but after such a long time sitting down, our calf muscles wasted and we

could hardly walk at the end, and our hands were fixed in a claw position from holding oars for 12 hours a day.

The wildlife made it worth it. We were surrounded by hundreds of wild dolphins that swam around us for days in Scotland. At one point they acted like a convoy as we negotiated the busy shipping lane of Milford Haven. They are amazing.

What’s good about being a female adventurer?

Men are different from women – they have the strength, but in an expedition, looking after others is just as important. The caring side to being a woman is crucial during a trip, and a study has been done that shows that in survival and disaster situations, the person who takes the lead to look after everyone is the one who has the best chance of survival.

Women tend towards keeping the group well as a whole, and that’s an important thing to bring to the team.

Women tend to be more honest in their talks about their trips, too – they talk about the difficulties, where men can be more focused on the physical aspects. Everyone brings something to the party.

What’s the closest you’ve come to death?

When we were rowing by Wick in Scotland, the boat was nearly run over by a Russian ship. It came so close that our boat nearly tipped over.

What would you like to do in the future?

A very long distance swim. I love swimming and that would be a great physical challenge. I want to keep having adventures till I’m 80.

Tell us a secret about adventuring It’s not as hard as it looks – it’s just about commitment – and there’s an explorer in everyone. folio/march 2012 7

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Feature

What’s it like being a female adventurer?

I don’t think it’s a lot different. In Mongolia, it was an even split of male and female competitors, but in skydiving I’m definitely in the minority. You have to work harder to be recognized, but there’s no real reason for that – it’s not a strength sport and there’s no advantage or disadvantage to being male or female.

Clockwise from top left: Skydiver Holly Budge filming; climbing; and equipped and ready to perform a skydive

HOLLY BUDGE ➻ Vital statistics: Skydiver Holly was the first woman to skydive Everest in 2008, at the age of 29. Now 33, she holds the world record for completing the world’s longest horse race, the Mongol Derby, having traversed 1,000km of Mongolian wilderness in nine days.

How did you get started?

I did a tandem skydive when I was backpacking around New Zealand and Australia in 1999 and I loved it. I couldn’t believe that people actually got paid to jump out of planes, and I went on to find a way to do it.

Why do you do it?

I just love it! Being outdoors, pushing myself, getting out of my comfort zone and feeling that adrenaline pumping in my blood. I like having a goal and planning a trip, doing the training and the whole build-up to it.

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve done?

Both Everest and Mongolia were incredible in different ways. In Mongolia I was riding where there were no boundaries, no fences – I spent 13 hours a day riding in the middle of nowhere. It was quite raw, with no help or support.

Skydiving over Everest, I had great support and it was really well organized, but getting out of the plane was incredible. It was the highest drop zone anyone’s ever landed – I landed at the height at which you would usually get out of a plane – and my parachute was twice the normal size because of the thin air.

What’s the closest you’ve ever come to death?

When I was working in New Zealand, my equipment malfunctioned. My parachute didn’t fully open until 600 feet and I was two seconds from impact. My earpiece was supposed to tell me my altitude but it didn’t, and I was flying upside down, with the sky where the earth should be. It didn’t put me off – it’s just one of those things that happen.

What would you like to do in the future?

I’d like to climb Everest. I’ve only ever parachuted in and helicoptered out. But in contrast to the other expeditions I’ve done, it’s very expensive and I’m trying to raise sponsorship at the moment. I also want to do Total Wipeout.

Tell us a secret about adventuring It’s all about self-belief. If you don’t think you can do it, you shouldn’t be there.

TRY IT YOURSELF Explorers Connect, run by Belinda Kirk, host inspirational talks and have an incredible community of people who get out there and do amazing things. Ffi: www.explorersconnect.com The Wilderness Lectures are ideal if you need inspiration or want to quiz explorers first-hand. Holly is holding a lecture on her exploits on Wed 21 March. Ffi: www. wildernesslectures.com The University of Bristol Expedition Society run weekend trips and summer expeditions. Ffi: www.ubes.org Forest Ventures’ bushcraft skills are ideal for the wilds – learn them, as well as wildlife tracking and survival, in north Somerset.

Ffi: www.forestventures.co.uk

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what’s new

what to do in...

March

CLOTHES SWAPS, CHARITY ZUMBA, VINTAGE FAIRS AND A STROLL DOWN YESTERYEAR… MIKE WHITE TELLS YOU WHERE TO GO

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HERE BE TREASURE

Tired of flat-pack newness and high-street homogeneity? Find unusual one-offs and hidden treasures at the Bath Decorative and Antiques Fair, returning this month for its 23rd year. Some 45 exhibitors will gild the Pavilion with a wealth of antediluvian delights including 18th-20th century furniture, decorative accessories, folk art, gardenalia and textiles.

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BATH DECORATIVE & ANTIQUES FAIR THUR 8-SAT 10 MARCH, THE PAVILION, NORTH PARADE RD, BATH, £3. FFI: 01225 742240, WWW.BATHDECORATIVEANTIQUESFAIR. CO.UK

frocks away

A girls’ night out, a chance to refresh your wardrobe for under a tenner, and some cheeky butlers-in-the-buff – that’s the basic menu for Cadbury House’s Frock Exchange. Swap your unwanted evening dresses, handbags and shoes, browse stalls offering jewellery, make-up, photography, handbags, toiletries and accessories and slurp a free glass of bubbly.

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vintage in vogue

Mad for all things midcentury? Dress up and twist on down to the M Shed for their vintage weekend, including a preloved clothing and accessories fair from Blind Lemon Vintage, retro makeovers, vintage vehicles, memorabilia, 1960s music and even 1950s turban making. Yes, turban making.

VINTAGE WEEKEND SAT 24 & SUN 25 MARCH, M SHED, PRINCES WHARF, WAPPING RD, BRISTOL, 10AM-5PM. FFI: 0117 352 6600, WWW.MSHED.ORG

CHARITY FROCK EXCHANGE THUR 15 MARCH, DOUBLETREE BY HILTON CADBURY HOUSE, FROST HILL, CONGRESBURY, BRISTOL, BS49, £7 ADV/£10 ON THE DOOR. BOOKINGS ON: 01934 614458, JODANNAHOWE@HOTMAIL.CO.UK

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bath in fashion

Bath has been a very stylish city for centuries, as will be celebrated in this 10-day whirl of workshops, catwalk shows, films and talks, including special appearances by milliner Stephen Jones and Bathonian shoe guru Manolo Blahnik, no less. Keep April Fool’s Day free for the Bath V&A Fashion Fair at Green Park Station, with a huge covered vintage market, secret tea party, classic cars, tailoring advice and a competition for the bestdressed among you. See feature on Bath in Fashion, page 26.

BATH IN FASHION FRI 23 MARCH-SUN 1 APRIL, VARIOUS VENUES, BATH. FFI: WWW.BATHINFASHION.CO.UK, WWW.VINTAGEANDANTIQUES.CO.UK

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EGG-CELLENT

Is it Easter already? Not quite, but in readiness Bristol Zoo have laid out a free golden egg hunt around the gardens and enclosures – complete the trail to find all 10 gilded ova and you’ll be rewarded with a tasty treat.

GOLDEN EGG HUNT SAT 31 MARCH–SUN 22 APRIL, BRISTOL ZOO GARDENS, CLIFTON, BRISTOL. NORMAL ADMISSION CHARGES APPLY. FFI: WWW.BRISTOLZOO.ORG.UK

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glove story

Who wants a hot knuckle sandwich?

Buying oven gloves as a Mother’s Day present might not be the best idea, but at least these double-sided heatproof mitts from British designer Stuart Gardiner should raise a smile. They’re printed in four colours, with a metallic gold bracelet for extra tack factor. Nice.

GLOVE & HATE OVEN GLOVES £24 PER PAIR FROM HOWKAPOW. FFI: WWW.HOWKAPOW.COM

PICTURE PERFECT

Take a stroll back through time with Francis Greenacre on this fascinating walk, using postcards, prints and paintings to compare the current views of Clifton Down with those from days gone by.

POSTCARD PROMENADE ON CLIFTON DOWN SUN 25 MARCH, THE DOWNS, BRISTOL, 10.30AM-12.30PM, £4. BOOK VIA THE AVON GORGE & DOWNS WILDLIFE PROJECT ON 0117 903 0609

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wateraid workout

What on earth is a Zumbathon? Well, Zumba is a ‘Latin-inspired dance-fitness craze’ that involves a lot of playful twisting, turning and swivelling to music – and a Zumbathon is doing Zumba for a long time without stopping (three hours, to be precise). Friendly instructors will lead you in a calorie-burning boogie to salsa, merengue and mambo, while the sponsorship you raise will help Wateraid provide access to safe drinking water and sanitation for some of the world’s poorest people.

ZUMBATHON SUN 4 MARCH, ASHTON PARK SCHOOL, BLACKMOORS LANE, BRISTOL, BS3, 11AM-2PM, £10. FFI: 0117 963 4104, WWW.BRISTOLDANCEZUMBA.CO.UK

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Feature

Springs

fever

From the curses inscribed on lead sheets to the toe-picking loiterers of yesteryear, Eugene Byrne finds out what pulls in the crowds at the Roman Baths

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Costumed characters are available to chat to visitors every day

f you live in Bath, or even Bristol, you may take the Roman Baths for granted, but for visitors from faraway lands, the Baths are up there with Canterbury Cathedral, Big Ben and fish and chips. This is a big A-list attraction, pulling in very nearly a million visitors a year.

“Bath is a World Heritage Site,” explains Stephen Clews, manager/curator of the Roman Baths and Pump Room. “That tends not to mean very much in this country, but in the wider world it counts for a lot. It really puts us on the map. We’re now getting a lot of Chinese visitors, which is wonderful – and better still, they tend to come in the winter.

But, of course, to nearly all of them, the Romans and the Roman Empire mean nothing. But we tell them that it was the same

time as the Han Dynasty, and then of course they get it.”

For many, the Baths are just another place to squeeze off some photos and tick off on the list before getting back on the coach. “A lot of people who come here may well have been to Stonehenge in the morning, and then they come to us in the afternoon,” he laughs. And if you’re local, you might never have visited, or maybe you went, five, 10 or 20 years ago and feel you don’t need to do it again. But you do, actually.

Obviously it’s popular because of its historic importance, and because the Romans retain an extraordinary grip on our imaginations. But that’s not the half of it. A big part of the place’s appeal is that it’s one of the best-run, and best-interpreted, ancient sites in the world. Bathonians should be very proud of it (and also because it’s owned by B&NES council, and its admission charges raise a hatful of cash for the ratepayers).

As every good Bathonian knows, the Baths started as a Celtic shrine after the ancient (well, nonexistent) King Bladud was cured of his leprosy after joining his pigs to bathe in the warm mud (as you do). When the Romans arrived, they built a temple and bath complex. For 300-ish years, the temple and baths were an important commercial and religious site. Bath became a cosmopolitan town, where maybe half the inhabitants came from other parts of the Empire. You can imagine some of the locals moaning about bloody foreigners coming over here, while others would have quietly pointed out that the foreigners were an important source of Bath’s prosperity. Ring any bells?

You can see all this and loads else during a

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Feature

Right: The spectacular gilt bronze head of the goddess Sulis-Minerva.

Romans would throw curses into her waters in the hope of payback

top-end. Not everyone is accustomed to having a trio playing for them. But it really is a brilliant place to come for your birthday tea.”

Below: We know from archaeological finds that Peregrinus, a merchant, came to Bath from his home town of Trier in Germany and set up an altar to his two local German gods in the temple precinct

visit to the Roman Baths. In recent years they’ve had a big drive to improve access, and this isn’t just about wheelchairs and handrails, though those are all in place. The excellent audio tours come in lots of different formats, and you can even get a handset that will show you round in British Sign Language. But what makes it special is the huge effort that’s gone in recent years into bringing the past to life. This is the product of archaeological and historical research, and a bit of dramatic licence.

So for instance, here at the side of the Great Bath we meet Peregrinus. He comes from Augusta Treverorum (that’s Trier to us) in Germany. He’s set up an altar to his two local German gods in the temple precinct, and was probably a merchant who’d come to Bath to sell goods manufactured in his home town.

How do we know all this? From his gravestone, and from archaeological finds at the site, which came from Germany.

The gravestones are important. “We know that some 50 per cent of the burials here are of people who came from somewhere else,” says Stephen. “That’s because the inscriptions tell

you which tribe they belonged to, and those tribes are known from other sources. When you work in a museum you’re always trying to take all this information stored over here – which is almost the property of the academic class who actually understand it – and over here you have real people. You’re the interface between the two.”

Aside from ‘costumed interpreters’ chatting to visitors, the Baths also feature video footage projected onto the walls. So, for example, we see a group of men just hanging around in the baths, as Romans did. “Yes, there’s a man just picking at his toes, but then we imagine that people in Roman baths did pretty much the same thing as people have always done at baths, which is actually pretty boring. So then the film is switched off for a while so those who prefer not to be distracted can just look at the building.”

So they bring Bath’s ancient residents back to life for the masses, but if you’re of a more cerebral bent, there’s plenty of old-school history to get stuck into. It’s lively and populist, but never dumbed-down. “Nobody is wearing a plastic helmet with a sweeping-brush on top,” as Stephen puts it. “You do have to make it entertaining up to a point, but it’s not forced entertainment. A lot of the things we’re saying are naturally interesting; they stimulate people’s curiosity.”

And when you’ve done the Baths, go into the Pump Room, where all the best people swanked around in the late 1700s and 1800s, for a cup of tea or a meal, often accompanied by the strains of a string trio. If that’s too posh, the Baths will have a new catering facility in Abbey Churchyard in the spring/early summer – the Roman Baths Kitchen. “Jamie’s got one, so why can’t we?” says Stephen.

“There is a perception by some people that the Pump Room is a bit too

ROMAN BATHS AND PUMP ROOM OPEN DAILY 9AM-5PM (9PM JULY & AUG), 9.30AM4.30PM NOV-FEB, ADMISSION £12.25 ADULT (£12.50 JULY & AUG)/£10.75 CONCS/£8 CHILD/£35 FAMILY. ADMISSION FREE FOR B&NES COUNCIL AREA RESIDENTS WITH A DISCOVERY CARD. FFI: 01225 477785, WWW.ROMANBATHS. CO.UK TIP: IF YOU CAN STAND THE CROWDS, VISIT IN THE EVENING IN JULY OR AUGUST WHEN THE EXTERIOR BITS ARE ALL LIT UP

BY TORCHLIGHT

THE FACE OF A GODDESS The Romans were practical ➻ people. They were great engineers

and adapters of technology. You can also see this in their religion: they had loads of different cults, and would happily worship any deity they thought would be of use to them. When they got here and found that the locals had a shrine to the Celtic goddess Sulis at the hot springs, they identified her with their own Minerva, whom in turn they had sort of pinched from the Greek Athena. Bath became Aquae Sulis, the Waters of Sulis.

There are a number of artefacts associated with her cult at the Roman Baths, including the spectacular gilt bronze head of her temple statue. The figure would originally have had a helmet, and the head looks as though it would have had a body attached as well. The vandalism may well have been the work of Christians.

The Baths also famously possess a number of ‘curse tablets’, little sheets of lead on which people inscribed curses against known or unknown individuals who had wronged them in some way. These were then folded and thrown into the water in the hope that Sulis-Minerva would give the wrongdoer some sort of payback. folio/March 2012 17

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feature

Left: Bath asparagus Below: Tucking Mill Cottage as it looked a hundred years ago

pic credit: steve nicholls

tucking

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he peaceful valleys behind Combe Down on the south side of Bath bear the marks of a long and varied history. Bustling industry in the past, and farming and wildlife of the present day all depend directly on the geology and shape of the land itself, and the trail takes you in the footsteps of William Smith, the pioneering geologist who once lived here.

The two-mile trail follows public footpaths from Combe Down to Tucking Mill and returns along Horsecombe Vale and up through Beech Wood, taking about two hours to complete. The modern village of Combe Down dates from 1792, when Ralph Allen built the terrace of quarrymen’s cottages. The splendour of Bath owes much to his business skills as a quarry owner and his patronage of the architect Wood.

Many buildings in the village are associated with its quarrying past – the narrow alleys and footpaths, know locally as ‘drungs’, are the routes taken by quarrymen to work.

WILDFLOWERS AND FOSSILS

A spring at the bottom of a flight of steps from Summer Lane marks the junction of the Great Oolite limestone (Bath stone) and the Fullers Earth clay beneath, and from here springs emerge along the hillside, feeding a large mill pond that provided sufficient water to power a huge (56 feet in diameter) wheel for De Montalt Mill.

Continuing on to Tucking Mill Wood, you pass through pastures that in summer sport a colourful array of wildflowers. The path through Tucking Mill wood follows a tramway built by William Smith in 1811 – look out for the quarry rich in fossils in the siding above the steps. The woodland path joins Midford Lane close to Tucking Mill Cottage, the house that William Smith bought in 1798. The filledin course of the Somersetshire Coal Canal runs alongside Tucking Mill Cottage, and footpaths still follow the canal route to Midford.

mill

Follow in the footsteps of the ‘Father of English Geology’ along the Bath trail from Combe Down to Tucking Mill…

Did you know…?

of the viaduct and over stiles into a railway cutting. The eight-arch viaduct across the valley once carried a single line from Bath’s Green Park Station to Evercreech in the Mendips, part of the cross-country link to the south coast. The trail leads through Horsecombe Vale and Priory Wood and up through Beech Wood, where in early summer rare Bath asparagus may be found – once sold locally as a substitute for asparagus.

The trail leaves the wood, crossing a small field to Beechwood Road, and returns to Holy Trinity Church via some more of the old miner’s ‘drungs’.

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

William Smith’s observations in the quarries and canal diggings he worked on in the area led him to propose the fundamental principles on which the modern science of geology is based. He realised that rocks that at first sight look alike can be distinguished by the fossils they contain, and his famous Table of Strata near Bath listed the rock layers from the chalk down to the coal measures. He is known today as the ‘Father of English Geology’.

How to get there Start from Holy Trinity Church Combe Down on the southern edge of Bath (BA2 5JJ). Combe Down is a residential area, so please do park your car sensitively. Bus service no.1 from Bath stops at the top of Ralph Allen Drive.

Kingfishers, coot and moorhen are regularly seen on the lake

In 1976 Wessex Water bought the land where William Smith’s millpond stood, before the site became a Fuller’s Earth Work. A reservoir was completed in 1980, filling the valley of the Horsecombe Brook, where fishermen today share the lake with kingfisher, moorhen and coot.

Steps lead up the steep slope on the south side

pic credit: darin Smith

RARE BATH ASPARAGUS

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Competitions WIn bespoke Win £100-WORTH cards!

OF PERSONALISED HONEYTREEBESPOKE. COM STATIONERY!

Ever dreamed of your own, personalised stationery? Unique, premium-quality correspondence cards, party invitations and headed writing paper that remind everyone on whose welcome mat they land what an exquisitely thoughtful person you are? Familyrun, Somerset-based HoneyTreeBespoke.com design and print gorgeous, quintessentially British stationery for all occasions – much better than Smythson, in our view, not to mention more reasonable, and local! They have kindly promised one lucky Folio reader a £100 voucher to spend in their online store.

(In fact, all readers are invited to make contact for a free sample). Those days of gazing forlornly at WHSmith’s homogenous racks are gone, dear friend. You know where to send the thank-you card...

Ffi 0844 335 0620, www.honeytreebespoke.com

fabulous compS

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

To Enter ➻ PIXIE BELLE Just answer the following question: What nationality is celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe? Email your answer, with ‘Pixie Belle’ in the subject line, to: editor@ foliomagazine.co.uk by Fri 23 Mar. Entries after this date will not be counted.

Winners will be picked at random and notified by Mon 2 Apr. Please include your full contact details (name, address, postcode, email, mobile, landline).

➻ HONEYTREEBESPOKE.COM

Just answer the following question: In which county is Honey Tree Bespoke based? Email your answer, with ‘Honey Tree’ in the subject line, to: editor@foliomagazine.co.uk by Fri 23 Mar. Entries after this date will not be counted. Winner will be picked at random and notified by Mon 2 Apr. Please include your full contact details (name, address, postcode, email, mobile, landline).

THE WINNERS Thornbury Castle comp: Congratulations to Nicole Beebee who won a night’s stay, with breakfast, at Thornbury Castle. Correct answer: Anne Boleyn.

Za Za Bazaar comp: Congratulations to Debbie Atherton who won dinner for four with wine. Correct answer: Portugal.

Win A MOTHER’S DAY MAKEOVER! Find clothes shopping traumatic? Low self-esteem when it comes to your looks? Bristol-based image consultant Samantha Bell (pictured) is on a mission to show women that it’s not just the rich and famous who can, or should, benefit from the services of a personal stylist. Now, the Colour Me Beautiful-trained fashion and beauty expert is offering two lucky Folio readers a full makeover worth £190, including a colour consultation to discover which clothes suit you best, a make-up lesson, a style consultation to discover your style personality and make clothes work for your body shape, budget and lifestyle, and a hair re-style from Spoilt Hair and Beauty (www.spoilthair.co.uk – who will also offer 10% off appointments for the year and a 10% discount on any beauty booking made).

You are officially ready for your close-up.

win a styling session!

FFI WWW.PIXIE-BELLE.CO.UK

20 folio/ march 2011

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➻ life style five-bubble spa, organic hair salon, recycled bikes, fancy footwear & more...

SPA AWARD

BUBBLE WRAP ➻ Following a £250,000 refurbishment, Wales’ largest spa has bagged

we love...

Radley’s latest collection of luxury bags, modelled by brand ambassador Laura Bailey. Compton £249. Ffi: www.radley.co.uk

itself a five-bubble rating - the highest of its kind - from the UK’s leading authority on spa reviews. The Vale Resort at Hensol, which recently retained its status as the highest-rated four-star hotel in Wales, was awarded the accolade by the Good Spa Guide after undergoing the quarter-of-a-million-pound refresh and launching a number of exclusive new features, such as its chill-out, water and sleep relaxation zones.

The Good Spa Guide’s full independent reviews follow strict criteria that are used to rate the best facilities across the UK. Its coveted fivebubble award is the hardest to achieve. “We awarded the Vale Resort our highest accolade because the resort really exceeded expectations,” explains the Good Spa Guide’s Kelly Hallowes. “Our Good Spa Spies complimented their perfectly planned spa journey, including wonderful treatments and immaculate facilities. Our reviewers were also blown away by the highly skilled therapists and luxurious spa facilities, and were delighted that all of the treatments available came at a very reasonable price tag.”

Stephen Leeke, MD of the Vale Resort, says: “We were thrilled to achieve the four-bubble status in 2008, but to scoop the Good Spa Guide’s highest possible rating after our refurbishment is a fantastic reflection of the new facilities that we have to offer.” In addition to four new relaxation zones, the Vale Resort now offers an exclusive range of Indian-inspired Sundari treatments, created by supermodel Christy Turlington, the recently opened Chai Cafe and a newly decorated foyer area, which also offers boutique shopping. All this, of course, complements the Resort’s existing 19 luxury treatment rooms, floatation tank, hydrotherapy bath, 20m swimming pool, Jacuzzi and steam room.

VALE RESORT HENSOL PARK, HENSOL, NR CARDIFF, VALE OF GLAMORGAN, WALES. FFI: 01443 667800, WWW.VALE-HOTEL.COM/SPA

FOOTWEAR

GOOD FOR THE SOLE ➻ SoleLution offer quality branded footwear for all the family. And with spring

Pic credit: mark simmons

approaching fast, this season’s selection of footwear offers something for all occasions.

Women are spoiled for choice, with neutrals and colours to enhance any outfit, whether it’s for everyday wear or something a bit more glamorous. Josef Seibel, Rieker, Hush Puppies, El Naturalista, Moshulu, Skechers, Rocket Dog and FitFlop all offer style and comfort. For the wider fitting, SoleLution offer a range from Hotter and Padders.

Barkers, Rieker, Boxfresh, FitFlop and Hush Puppies are just some of the brands on offer for men, whether you’re looking for a work shoe, something more casual or a sandal for holiday. For children, there’s a wide choice of shoes, sandals and canvas from brands including, Startrite, Geox, Hush Puppies, Ricosta and, new for this season, Campers for Kids.

SoleLution’s knowledgeable and fully trained staff are always on hand to help you find the right shoe for your sole. And don’t forget their loyalty card scheme – you could benefit from 40 per cent off every fifth pair of shoes (terms and conditions apply – see instore for details).

SOLELUTION 1-2 BOYCES AVE, CLIFTON, BRISTOL (0117 973 8350) & 114 HIGH ST, PORTISHEAD (01275 843399)

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lifestyle ORGANIC SALON

BACK TO NATURE

➻ Organic hair salon HUSH Hairdressing has launched in style with a party at its stunning new Bristol salon, hosted by owners Mark Andres and Glenn Holmes who opened the salon with a team of four talented stylists. Friends and clients enjoyed a glass of champagne while chatting to the team and local businesspeople. An organic and mineralbased salon, HUSH use only natural, plant-based products, combining a modern, caring approach with the latest skills and organic technology.

HUSH’s team of two talented nail technicians, led

by Emma Philpott, also offer gel and CND Shellac nails, in a stylish, relaxing environment.

HUSH HAIRDRESSING 27-29 BALDWIN ST, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 930 0350, WWW.HUSHHAIRBRISTOL.CO.UK

CYCLING

Pic credit: mark simmons

TWO WHEELS GOOD ➻ Bath Bike Workshop, a bike recycling social enterprise set up by homeless charity Julian House, takes in donated bikes and renovates them whenever possible. If a bike can’t be put back into a roadworthy state, it can be used for spares or recyclable scrap metal – practically nothing is wasted.

“All our recycled, repaired and serviced bikes are certified safe by an experienced bike mechanic before they leave our premises,” says workshop manager Adam Read. “We also provide affordable repairs and servicing. We aim to turn around most jobs within 24 hours, but simple things like punctures can often be fixed straight away.” They also sell new bikes and are a registered dealer for CycleScheme, which enables employees to get significant discounts on new bikes.

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Social enterprise worker Sue Lowman explains how the business grew from small beginnings: “It all started 18 months ago with a few volunteers fixing up donated bikes in a tiny garden shed.

Now we’ve got much bigger premises in Corn Street, with top-quality tools and equipment. As well as a huge range of bikes and spares, we also run bike maintenance courses for beginners and for people wanting to learn the finer points of customising. A lot of our customers are women, and we’re planning to hold women-only training classes. The interest so far has been terrific.”

BATH BIKE WORKSHOP 35 CORN ST, BATH. FFI: 01225 463350, WWW.BATH-BIKE-WORKSHOP.ORG. UK (WORKSHOP OPEN MON-SAT FROM ABOUT 9AM TO 5PM, LATER ON THUR & FRI)

VINTAGE MARKET

REMEMBER WHEN? ➻ ‘I haven’t seen one of these in ages!’ is just one of the comments you’re likely to overhear at the retro treasures fest that is the Retrolex Vintage Market, as featured on Vintage TV (www.vintage.tv). The market has recently moved to its new venue at Novotel Bristol after many years of trading as the renowned Retro Flea Market at Bristol’s Trinity Centre. Make your way to the Novotel hotel on Sun 4 March to find quality 20th century collectables, vinyl, retro fashion, vintage homeware or that totally unique retro gift that’s got someone-you-know’s name written all over it. You can expect all the buzz of a modern flea and collectors market, with a licensed bar and restaurant on site to top off the past-pleasures browsing therapy.

RETROLEX VINTAGE MARKET SUN 4 MARCH, 11AM5PM, NOVOTEL, VICTORIA ST, BRISTOL. ENTRY £2/£1 NUS. FFI 0117 904 2262, www.retrolex.co.uk

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fashion

How to wear...

Office chic Niki wears… Jeans from Topshop; Blouse from Oasis; Jacket from Mango; Shoes from Topshop; Earrings from House of Harlow; Ring from Accessorize

coloured jeans

Personal stylist and image consultant Niki Whittle gets it right

out to lunch…

Niki wears… Blouse from Monsoon; Pumps from Primark; Bangles from markets in India

C

oloured jeans are one of the items that I’d been steering clear of this season: I’m pear-shaped so would rather have colour and pattern on my top half than draw attention to my bottom half. Having said that, they’re the perfect way to update your wardrobe for the coming season so I decided to give them a go, and you know what? They’re so easy to wear – I love them! So this month, I want to show you how easy it is to integrate a pair into your wardrobe.

The first thing to do is find a pair that suits your shape. The shops are full of super-skinny styles, but if you can’t wear these, then there are alternatives – opt for a straight-leg or bootcut style instead. Next, choose the colour.

There will be plenty to tempt you, from electric brights to soft sorbet shades or even softer pastels, but make sure you choose a colour that complements your wardrobe or you’ll get them home and won’t have anything that goes.

The last hurdle to jump is actually wearing them, but despite what you might think, they’re a really versatile item and are easy to wear. They can be worn with black and white, layered with different tones of the same colour, or teamed with soft greys or neutral shades for a sophisticated twist. This pair slotted into my wardrobe so easily that all three outfits were created with items I already had. Now that’s what I call savvy shopping.

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

whereto buy TOPSHOP WAS WHERE I BOUGHT THE ELECTRIC BLUE PAIR PICTURED, £40 (CABOT CIRCUS, BRISTOL & SOUTHGATE, BATH. FFI: WWW.TOPSHOP.COM) MONSOON FOR A GREAT CHOICE OF STRAIGHT-LEG STYLES (CABOT CIRCUS & THE MALL AT CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL; UNION ST, BATH. FFI: WWW.MONSOON.CO.UK) OASIS HAVE SOME GREAT-FITTING MID-RISE SKINNY STYLES (CABOT CIRCUS & THE MALL AT CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL; CHEAP ST, BATH FFI: WWW.OASIS-STORES.COM) MIMI NOOR FOR A FABULOUS SELECTION OF JEANS BY THE LIKES OF J BRAND, VICTORIA BECKHAM AND GOLDSIGN (MILSOM ST, BATH, WWW.MIMINOOR.COM) WHISTLES IS WHERE TO GO FOR SORBET SHADES (PARK ST & THE MALL AT CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL; JOLLYS, MILSOM ST, BATH, WWW.WHISTLES.CO.UK)

dressed down…

Niki wears… Jumper from Zara; Boots from Ash

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fashion

your step Grab front-row seats at Bristol Fashion Week at the Mall at Cribbs Causeway Words: anna britten

A

h, pastel hues, sharp whites, the Great Gatsby look…

If you can’t wait to kick off the thermals and explore the key style trends of spring/summer 2012, you’ll be sharpening those elbows and polishing those shades to go FROW (front row, darling, obvs) at Bristol Fashion Week at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway.

The city’s biggest fashion event, BFW runs from Wed 21 to Sun 25 March, and brings together the wardrobe-refreshing delights on offer from such high-street favourites as Hobbs, John Lewis, Marks & Spencer, Warehouse, Coast, French Connection and Jigsaw – among a slew of others.

As well as a series of 18 one-hour professional catwalk fashion shows – hosted by TV stylist Mark Heyes and celebrity hairdresser Andrew Barton – guests can also look forward to a 1950s-style champagne tea party in the Fashion Theatre Pavilion, courtesy of M&S, along with fashion tips, make-up demonstrations, goody bags and the chance to win fantastic prizes – including a designer handbag during every show and tickets to the swoonsome Norman Parkinson exhibition at M Shed – plus the chance to indulge themselves in the feelgood treatments on offer at the Pamper Zone.

In a nod to the digital revolution and its impact on street style, there’s a new twist this year – organisers are dedicating an entire catwalk show, on Fri 23 March, to live blogging and are inviting fashion bloggers and students from the Bristol area to apply for one of

200 free passes. (Apply to bristolfashionweek@mallcribbs.com before Sat 10 Mar, with a link to your blog or a scan of your student ID card, for a chance to be there and update your followers with your opinions on everything from 1950s silhouettes to bikinis to who’s the bestdressed person in the city.)

Back in the city centre, BFW is also making itself heard. The Mall at Cribbs Causeway is the main sponsor of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s stunning fashion photography exhibition Selling Dreams, which arrives at the Royal West of England Academy in Clifton on Fri 9 March. Taking its cue from a quote by legendary photographer Irving Penn – who saw his role at Vogue as “selling dreams, not clothes” – the exhibition includes around 60 works by more than 20 major fashion photographers, as well as original magazine spreads, and reflects key themes in fashion photography throughout the past 100 years.

So if you and the girls fancy all the glamorous fun of London, New York, Paris and Milan – without the elitist door policy, five-figure price tags, pressure to wear This Season’s Statement Skirt, celebrity egos, absurdist footwear and Nicki Minaj’s hair ruining the view for those at the back – you know which way to direct the stretch limo driver. You may even pick up some nice new frocks along the way.

BRISTOL FASHION WEEK WED 21-SUN 25 MARCH, THE MALL AT CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL. FFI: WWW.MALLCRIBBS.COM

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t! a un y) n tio olio im co pl en F la is ap M ue/ o c y d c’s t r & n Ve zine cto (t u rch a ag od a M ntr t M I ou % ugh 20 ro th

Now Open Exclusively in Harvey Nichols Bristol!

My favourite Boutique in London, which does the best waxing in town VICTORIA BECKHAM I wouldn’t go anywhere else CHRISTINE BLEAKLEY

This is the best waxing in London!!!

SIENNA MILLER

www.stripwaxbar.com p27.indd 1

0117 916 8864

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fashion Dress by amanda wakeley

Fashion’s A-listers open up at this year’s impressive Bath in Fashion

BATH IN FASHION FRI 23 MARCH–SUN 1 APRIL, VARIOUS VENUES ACROSS BATH. FFI: 0844 847 5256, WWW.BATHINFASHION.CO.UK

Above: Suit – Hemyca, British Designers @ Fashion Capital; Left: Dress – Amanda Wakeley, Millinery – Stephen Jones

All pics: bathinfashion.co.uk

B

ath in Fashion may have begun life two years ago as the sort of low-key, local retail initiative you walk past in the nation’s flagship shopping centres most weekends. But, boy, has it blossomed into something eye-catching. This year, the spa city’s celebration of all things sartorial can boast not only the presence of global and national fashion stars and renowned fashion commentators, but also an expanded roster of technical workshops, talks, catwalk shows, films and exhibitions, and even a fashion careers seminar.

Legendary shoe designer Manolo Blahnik – a resident of Bath’s northern slopes – will be talking to fashion writer and professor Iain R Webb about his life and work (Holburne Museum, Thur 29 Mar). The following day, in the same elegant venue, top milliner Stephen Jones, whose clientele includes Beyoncé, Boy George, Kylie Minogue and Carla Bruni, will be in conversation with Bath-bred fashion critic Sarah Mower of American Vogue. Jones has also curated an exhibition of his designs at the museum.

As if that weren’t enough to send the fash pack fumbling for their Bach’s Rescue Remedy, Amanda Wakeley – regularly red-carpeted by the likes of Kate Winslet, Scarlett Johansson, Dame Helen Mirren and Demi Moore – will act as Bath in Fashion’s guest designer for 2012 and hosts a retrospective show of her fluid, feminine designs at The Forum on Thur 29 March – tix include afternoon tea and fizz.

Then there’s Mulberry founder Roger Saul, who started his world-famous label with just £500 at the age of 21. The Shepton Mallet-based entrepreneur tells his story at The Octagon on Tue 27 Mar. Italian design guru Matteo Alessi tells his family’s story at the same venue on Mon 26 Mar. But it’s not all about haute couture… Vintage Sunday (Sun 1 Apr) at Green Park Station is dedicated to vintage fashion and features a Vintage Fair, Secret Tea Party, cocktails, live music, makeovers and a Best Dressed competition, judged by singer-turned-designer-turned-local-lass Pearl Lowe (there’s a nice vid of her touring Bath’s vintage hotspots here: http://tinyurl.com/8xy8g65).

Nor is the focus entirely on the wearing of clothes.

Dressmakers, designers and students will flock to technical workshops by textile artist Karen Nicol (embellishment) and Julian Roberts (pattern cutting). Drained? Then take the weight off your jewel-buckled pumps at The Little Theatre Cinema, which will be screening fashion-based films such as Beyond Biba – introduced by Barbara Hulanicki herself! – and Funny Face, introduced by pop culture expert, Sir Christopher Frayling.

Says BIF chair Sarah Mansfield: “Bath in Fashion is coming of age in 2012. The event celebrates Bath’s position as the region’s top fashion destination. With some of the big names in fashion coming from as far as the USA, we anticipate the week will be very exciting.” (Anna Britten)

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shopping

lifestyle

“If I wouldn’t give it houseroom, we don’t sell it!”

Shop of the

Month

Melissa Blease finds the perfect gift and shopping as it should be at iota bristol

B

eautiful things at affordable prices…’ Now, if that’s not a philosophy that urges you to go shopping, we don’t know what is – and the iota bristol shopping experience fully lives up to its ethos.

The iota bristol story began 14 years ago in St Nicholas Market, representing the shop’s owner Méibh O’Connor Morse’s original inspirations. “I’d managed other people’s shops, but I really wanted to run one of my own,” Méibh tells Folio. “We had no money, so we rented a tiny unit right at the back of the market, borrowed £1,000 from family and then went round suppliers, begging them to sell us tiny quantities way below their usual minimum orders. Then it was like the elves and the

Tatty Devine Kissing Swallows necklace, £21

shoemaker – I’d sell something and use the money to buy two more, and then sell those and buy four more.”

Soon iota bristol became known as ‘the shop where there’s a present waiting to happen’. Three years later Méibh moved the venture to new premises on Gloucester Road before relocating again to the location (also on Gloucester Road) that we know and love today.

For those who have yet to discover the iota bristol experience, let Méibh introduce you to her world: “Customers are encouraged to spend a while circling round, trying to spot everything that’s on display,” she says. “It usually takes them a couple of circuits to take it all in! It’s a browser’s paradise, and the staff are handpicked for their loveliness. There are no rules about what iota must stock – the only criterion is that I love it! If I wouldn’t give it houseroom, we don’t sell it.” And Méibh’s instinct for spotting the design classics of tomorrow, driven by her love for 20th century stylings, typography and ephemera, is writ large throughout the shop. She’s also developed a close relationship with local artists and craftspeople, who supply everything from jewellery to screenprints. “I called the shop ‘iota bristol’ because we’re incredibly proud to come from Britain’s most creative, live-able and friendly city,” she says. “We reflect that in what we stock – there are so many brilliant local artists and craftspeople, and we love selling their stuff.” iota bristol launched www.iotabristol.com in May 2011. “It took a long time to make that step because we wanted to be sure that both the feel of the website and the service that it delivered matched what we do in the shop. Customers

iota bristol is full of gorgeous gifts just waiting to happen...

have been delighted with the new addition – not only is it a boon for those who can’t get into Bristol, but it’s also very handy for Bristolian residents who want to send presents from their favourite shop to friends and family who live elsewhere.”

Méibh’s plans for 2012 include developing the webshop and continuing to source new products, including table linen, ceramics from Irish homestyle gurus Avoca and contemporary nightlight holders shaped like lightbulbs.

Contact IOTA BRISTOL 167 GLOUCESTER RD, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 924 4911, WWW. IOTABRISTOL.COM

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gift guide

lifestyle

1 CHICK FLICKS Leave the men at home and make a date with mum! With a VIP gift pack for Bristol’s Showcase Cinema de Lux, you can sit back and enjoy a girly film in comfort and luxury. Cocktail in the bar afterwards? Don‘t mind if we do!

DIRECTORS’ HALL GIFT PACKS £28.60, SHOWCASE CINEMA DE LUX

5

mummsyt

deare

TIME TO INDULGE The new wrap ‘n’ roll watches from Guess are the ultimate wristwear for any glamorous mum. If you know the look she loves, take your pick from four stylish designs, including this stunning snakeprint model.

WATCH (W80047L1) £99, GUESS

y this Want to spoil her sill Mother’s Day? Fromto hardworking mumss, Poppy glamorous maman red Benner has it cove

2 RELAX AND UNWIND

Why not treat yourself at the same time, with a mum and daughter day at Cedar Falls in Somerset? The expectation is part of the fun, and this rejuvenating health spa offers plenty of treatments to look forward to, whatever your budget.

VOUCHERS VARIOUS PRICES, CEDAR FALLS

STAR BUY A stellar choice for spring, this scarf is warm and oh so soft. The dainty print is versatile, too, working both day and night to add sparkle to any outfit.

STAR PRINT SCARF £22, OLIVER BONAS

3 4 NATURAL WONDER

Thermae Bath Spa’s rooftop pool is the ideal spot to take in the beauty of Bath. Follow the swim with a massage or facial for a really special treat, or treat her to a luxury spa product from the shop.

VOUCHERS £26-£188, THERMAE BATH SPA

6 WARM AND COSY Soothe away aches and pains with a beautiful body warmer or wrap. Scented with essential oils, they’re essential accessories for any hardworking mum.

BODY WRAP £12.99 & BODY WARMER £17.99, SOUKOUS

➻

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The haircolour you've been waiting for Chromatics • Hair feels up to 2x stronger • No amonia, no odour

products are used in the Salon.

6 Rockleaze Rd, Sneyd Park, Bristol BS9 1NF Tel: 0117 9682663 www.carlohairandbeauty.co.uk 32 folio/march 2012

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gift guide

lifestyle

10 PRETTY PEARLS A little bird told us that mums love jewellery! Make it something unique and beautiful with freshwater baroque pearls and a stunning silver bird T-bar – you can even choose the colour of the pearls, for a personal touch.

CATHERINE AMESBURY ‘BELLA’ NECKLACE £115 & BRACELET £75, ARTEMIS

RED DELICIOUS

BODY BEAUTIFUL

7

Give the gift of super-soft skin, with a little help from these delightful rose-scented smellies. They look so pretty, and won’t break the bank at less than £15 each.

You’ll be the apple of her eye after giving her this cute bag on Mother’s Day – a perfect pick for summer weddings and picnics in the park.

DELICIOUS APPLE BAG (RED) £40, OLLIE & NIC

WILD ROSE HAND CREAM £10 & MOROCCAN ROSE BODY BUTTER £12.50, BODY SHOP

BANG ON TREND? The Fairtrade jewellery from Soukous is served with a big dollop of quirkiness and a side of femininity, all washed down with a splash of vintage sparkle.

JEWELLERY VARIOUS PRICES, SOUKOUS

9

8 BERRY NICE Can’t decide on just one precious stone for mummy dearest? A pendant of silver, amazonite, smoky quartz and garnet, suspended from a silver snake chain, makes for one tasteful statement piece.

ALISON MACLEOD ‘MIXED BERRIES’ NECKLACE £80, DIANA PORTER

11

Contacts

ARTEMIS 214 GLOUCESTER RD, BRISTOL, BS7.

FFI: 0117 924 1003, WWW.ARTEMISBRISTOL.CO. UK, WWW.CATHERINEAMESBURY.COM THE BODY SHOP CABOT CIRCUS (0117 929 4452) & NEW BROADMEAD, BRISTOL (0117 923 0508); BURTON ST, BATH (01225 482289). FFI: WWW.THEBODYSHOP.CO.UK CEDAR FALLS HEALTH FARM BISHOPS LYDEARD, TAUNTON, SOMERSET, TA4. FFI: 01823 433233, WWW.CEDARFALLS.CO.UK DIANA PORTER 33 PARK ST, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 909 0225, WWW.DIANAPORTER.CO.UK GUESS 9 CONCORDE ST, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 920 9490, WWW.GUESS.EU OLIVER BONAS CABOT CIRCUS, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 930 4656, WWW.OLIVERBONAS.COM OLLIE AND NIC 19 PENN ST, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 934 9608, WWW.OLLIEANDNIC.COM SHOWCASE CINEMA DE LUX CABOT CIRCUS, BRISTOL. FFI: 0871 220 1000, WWW. SHOWCASECINEMAS.CO.UK SOUKOUS 44A-46 COTHAM HILL, BRISTOL, BS6.

FFI: 0117 923 9854, WWW.SOUKOUS.CO.UK THERMAE BATH SPA HOT BATH ST, BATH. FFI: 0844 888 0844, WWW.THERMAEBATHSPA. COM

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Gorgeous Gifts, Jewellery & Cards

perfect mother’s day gifts and cards

44a-46 Cotham Hill, Bristol, BS6 6LA Tel 0117 9239854 Open 10-6pm Mon-Sat www.soukous.co.uk

MARK SIMMONS PHOTOGRAPHY Tel: 0117 9140999 Mobile: 07778 063 699 “The photo’s are amazing! Thank you so much for capturing so many great images, they are awesome. You brought out the best in everyone, your B&W’s are especially stylish - we’ll be recommending you!”

Natural Weddings

Joby & Zoe

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Wellspring Oasis

New holistic therapy centre open – High quality treatments, in a great setting whilst all profits go to supporting community.

Heal You Heal Community

Buy an Oasis voucher for £35 and get a second half price Free Car Parking

Treatments available: Aromatherapy, Abhyanga, Shirodhara, Holistic Massage, EFT, Indian Head Massage, Mctimoney Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Reflexology, Reiki, Swedish Massage, Hypnotherapy and Yin-Fu. Beauty treatments including: Facial, Manicure and Pedicure For details check out www.wellspringhlc.org/oasis You can also ring for information and to book an appointment on 0117 304 1400 Monday – Friday 9-7pm Saturday – Sunday 10.30-6.30pm folio/march 2012 35

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beauty Left: The opulent chocolate room at Strip Bristol

after

lifestyle

BEFORE

“The whole process felt like a delightful burst of summer”

Strip D

Can a spray tan at Harvey Nicks turn Ellie Pipe from Bristol pasty into bronze goddess?

espite being a relative newcomer to Bristol, the Strip Wax Bar’s reputation goes before it, but would the Strip spray tan live up to expectations? Could I dare to hope that my pasty complexion would be transformed into that of a flawlessly bronzed goddess, or would I run the risk of resembling a life-size version of Morph with hair?

As I shuffled into Harvey Nichols in search of the Strip Bar one cold afternoon, I deemed this a foolhardy mission. A pristine, designer-clad palace such as this was really no place for the likes of me. I suspected that anyone working in such a chic establishment would take one look at my corn-beef legs and send me packing.

When I located the Strip counter, however, it appeared that I and my corn-beef legs were actually very welcome. I was greeted by the lovely Nicole who, as well as being both friendly

and professional, looked, to my anxious eyes, so reassuringly non-orange. I filled in a brief form and then it was time for the tanning process to commence.

Nicole showed me into a room that had the kind of sleek, minimalist décor you’d expect from a salon that has set up camp in Harvey Nicks. A fabulously discreet, handle-less door hid a cupboard in which stood everything I’d need for my spray tan – namely, a giant paper thong and an equally glamorous paper hairnet.

All dignity, quite frankly, went out of the window as I paraded within the confines of the little room, sporting nothing but said items.

Nicole talked me through my choice of tans.

The South Sea tan gives a more natural, sunkissed glow (and is entirely free from parabens), or for a deeper golden shade, you could choose the Lycon tan – ooh, the choices!

Feeling decidedly adventurous now this was all going so well, I opted for the latter.

The wonderfully patient Nicole not only

knew her stuff, but she was also highly skilled with a tan spray gun! I’m no expert, but I still know a nice even coverage when I see it – and this was indeed flawless. For my part, I posed in different positions as instructed and revelled in the whole unorthodox experience while Nicole ensured that I was bronzed from head to toe (with impressive attention to detail). In fact, despite the spray itself being slightly chilly, the whole process felt like a delightful burst of summer as I was covered in a pleasantly fragrant haze – a welcome surprise on a dreary mid-winter day. To complete the whole rejuvenating process, some South Seas Moorea moisturiser, a deliciously rich, scented cream, was applied to any dry areas of my formerly pasty skin.

Although I was able to put my clothes straight back on, I couldn’t resist indulging in the heaven-scented experience for an extra five minutes, marvelling at my newly bronzed self.

When I emerged, I felt fully relaxed and sported an entirely natural-looking glow. So long, cornbeef legs. It’s been fun but it’s time for me to move on.

Fast-forward a couple of days and I still can’t stop admiring my fantastically brown limbs!

Needless to say, I’m converted. I don’t know about a complete transformation to beach babe, but this is a definite start, and not a streak in sight.

Contacts STRIP WAX BAR & BOUTIQUE HARVEY NICHOLS, CABOT CIRCUS, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 916 8864, WWW.STRIPWAXBAR.COM

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health

lifestyle

spotlight on . . .

REFLEXOLOGY ➻ Reflexology – a therapy that’s been

around for 5,000 years – is based on the concept that specific areas of the foot correspond to specific areas of the body: your little toe connects to your ear, your heel to your buttocks, etc. Sound a bit farfetched? Read on.

The classic example of how reflexes are intertwined is the knee-jerk reflex: tap your knee and your thigh muscles will spasm, which makes your knee jerk. Reflexology,

based on the same principle, is fast becoming one of the most popular complementary therapies available at Cedar Falls Health Farm in Taunton, where highly qualified, experienced reflexologists describe the treatment as “simple, safe and very effective”.

A clutch of controlled research projects over the past few years have concluded that reflexology offers a number of significant benefits. The crankiness we feel when suffering from PMS, for example, is usually because our hormones are raging, our glands are going crazy and our highs and lows are intensified. By stimulating the glands through reflexology, those highs and lows can become far less drastic: 35 women at the University of California who received weekly 30-minute sessions of reflexology for eight weeks reduced their symptoms by an astonishing 62%. Reflexology has also been shown to considerably improve sleep quality during the postnatal period, with women who received a 30-minute session of reflexology for five consecutive days consistently reporting significantly improved sleep quality.

But you don’t have to be ill or suffer from a specific condition to benefit from reflexology; many people use it as a preventive treatment to banish bugs and keep their health in tip-top condition.

Everybody is unique and will respond differently to reflexology; while immediate improvements are often experienced, you should expect to have three or four treatments before noticing significant improvements and changes.

CEDAR FALLS HEALTH FARM TAUNTON, SOMERSET. FFI: 01823 433904, WWW.CEDARFALLS. CO.UK (CALL TO BOOK A 1.25HR REFLEXOLOGY SESSION FOR £58, OR SEE WEBSITE FOR INFO ON 2-NIGHT HOLISTIC RETREAT BREAKS FROM £310)

fractures

BROKEN DREAMS ➻ If you’ve experienced

a fracture, expert decision making throughout the course of treatment is key to optimal recovery – especially for those with busy or active lifestyles. The Fracture Clinic at Spire Bristol Hospital, offering excellence in the management of upper and lower limb injuries, is specifically designed for those who’ve been to their local A&E and have been told they’ll need to see a consultant, or for those who’ve injured themselves and want to see a specialist straight away.

A complete one-stop fast-

track to recovery includes expert assessment, rapid investigation and imaging, contemporary trauma management and rehabilitation, including immediate access to physiotherapy and consultants who are recognised experts within the field. Should surgery be required, you’ll have access to a comprehensive range of interventions consistent with the highest possible standard of modern trauma care.

FRACTURE CLINIC BOOKINGS LINE TEL: 0117 980 4070

NEW RESEARCH

GROW OLD GRACEFULLY ➻ In what’s being described as the largest study of its kind in Europe, a team of Swiss researchers based at the University of Zurich have embarked on a three-year project that expects to prove that healthy aging can be achieved through a holy trinity of three interventions: vitamin D, Omega-3 fatty acids and a simple exercise programme. The scientists hypothesise that the risk of developing age-related illnesses like osteoporosis, arthritis, cognitive decline and heart and lung disease can be reduced if people follow a preventive regime based on these three simple measures. Previous studies have shown that a combination of vitamin D and exercise can improve mobility and reduce the risk of falls and fractures by up to 30 per cent, while Omega-3 has been proved to help with cognitive function and damaged nerves.

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For more information call Simon Wellby your certified Rolfer: 07799 693 546

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Bath 01225 839797 www.brightwhitesmiles.co.uk Appointments available at our Bath, Bristol and Cardiff clinics

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y m Da-12.30p n e m Op ay 10a

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BRISTOL & BATH'S MAGAZINE

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[e

Education

lifestyle

UNIVERSITY NEWS

performing arts

brave new world

skills for life

➻ Could we soon be using fridges

that can order our milk for us?

That’s the kind of question the University of Bath will be asking itself, having bagged £50,000 of research funding from national innovation agency the Technology Strategy Board, as part of a government-backed initiative looking at the ‘Internet of Things’.

“We’ll be exploring the trend for environments, buildings, vehicles, clothing, portable devices and other objects to have more and more information associated with them, and the ability to sense, communicate, network and produce new information,” says the Department of Computer Science’s Dr Eamonn O’Neill. The ability for ‘things’ to retain data has infinite applications, from tracking frozen food between farm and fork to ensure it hasn’t become contaminated in any way, through to creating intelligent appliance monitoring that could allow your fridge to ‘recognise’ that the milk is running out and automatically order more.

“Events like March’s Bath Digital Festival help put the city on the map for its digital expertise,” says Simon BSond, director of the university’s Innovation Centre, “and being involved in major national projects like the Internet of Things is testament to the highquality research taking place here.”

➻ At Stagecoach, children and teenagers are taught how to sing, dance and act, not only to perform on stage and beyond but, more importantly, to perform better in life.

“For almost 25 years we’ve seen young people gain confidence, stretch themselves and build essential life skills,” say Stagecoach, “while learning the tools to sing, dance and act – and, most importantly, have fun!”

Stagecoach cater for the needs of all young performers – whether they’re budding talents or shy and reserved. “Because we concentrate on class work in singing, dance and drama and spend less time rehearsing for end of term presentations, every child has their chance to shine, learn and develop. Our dance classes build strength and co-ordination and are a fun way to get great exercise. Singing lessons can be daunting for shy children, which is why we use a mixture of musical theatre and contemporary songs

Help your child grow in confidence and gain skills for life with Stagecoach

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as well as vocal exercises to build confidence gradually. Drama is an excellent outlet for a child’s imagination, and our drama classes boost self-esteem and encourage teamwork.”

STAGECOACH BRISTOL FFI: 0117 953 2500

easter revision

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[e ➻ If your child is sitting GCSE, AS- or A2-

level exams this summer, you’ll want them to be as confident and well prepared as possible. Many young people, of course, find examinations stressful, especially when their future is dependent on reaching certain grades to secure a place at the university of their choice.

The Easter Revision Courses at Clifton College, which are open to everyone, are designed to give students the confidence to maximise their academic potential and achieve the best possible results, benefiting from first-class teaching in a relaxed environment. As well as revision and exam practice, students are coached on their techniques and the best way to approach specific tasks and questions.

Each student receives the individual attention they require and, by the end of the course, will have learned how to revise

in the most effective and enjoyable way.

Students can attend the course as day pupils but many prefer to take advantage of the residential option. This gives the opportunity to enjoy the fantastic facilities and resources on offer at Clifton College in the company of their fellow students. For many, it’s the first time they will have experienced living in a learning environment away from home. What better way to find out what it feels like to be at university?

CLIFTON COLLEGE’S 2012 EASTER REVISION COURSES 2-6 APRIL, CLIFTON COLLEGE, GUTHRIE RD, BRISTOL. FFI: WWW. CLIFTONCOLLEGEUK.COM/CCSL/ EASTERREVISION OR CONTACT COURSE MANAGER BRAD CLARK ON 0117 315 7143, EMAIL BCLARK@CLIFTON-COLLEGE.AVON. SCH.UK

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motoring

lifestyle Tony astride the BMW R1200 RT Tourer Below: Dick Lovett’s new BMW Motorrad showroom

Proper

Job

Tony Benjamin dons his longjohns and heads for Wales on BMW’s latest R1200 RT Tourer

I

’m told that year-round, all-weather bikers like me are a dying breed. So when, in February’s first icy week, The Powers That Be offered me the chance to review BMW’s latest R1200 RT Tourer, my response was unhesitating: “It’s going to snow – can we leave it till next week?” The Powers were unimpressed

Motoring 206.indd 45

but Bristol’s friendly BMW Motorrad Dealer, Dick Lovett, obliged. The weather gods had the last laugh anyway because, after a bright week, it was snowing again when I arrived at Dick Lovett’s Cribbs Causeway showroom.

They only opened the BMW Motorrad Dealership last November but this summer will see a purpose-built bike centre, complete with gardens, space to display 45 new and approved used BMW bikes as well as a fully fitted six bay workshop, opening a stone's throw away, on the same site.

The BMW R1200 RT is a hefty piece of kit, the broad nosecone and moulded side panniers giving width, while a high-riding position adds to a sense of size that befits a bike aimed more at touring holidays than a daily commute. Compared to my ‘naked’ workhorse it looked enormous, with a worrying plethora of switches on the handlebars hinting at the luxurious range of features. Would I remember which was the indicator button? Past experience test riding a BMW FS 800 had ended in confusion, but there’s an underlying respect for the conventions in this bike that quickly makes sense. Given the weather and time available, I felt I probably wouldn’t need the cruise control, but the Electronic Suspension Adjuster (ESA) is a brilliant gizmo with

presets that allow you to compensate for luggage and/or passenger. Best of all, the speedometer and rev counter are proper dials with needles and not fancy digitised substitutes. So after a not-soquick spin round the car park to get the feel of things (those eager twin-disc front brakes, for instance, need very respectful deployment), it’s off we go.

First impressions are amazing – despite its size, the bike handles like a dream, lighttouch and perfectly balanced, with the mighty torque of 110HP letting the BMW R1200 RT slip effortlessly into the M5 traffic.

Thanks to the new twin-cam arrangement, the air-cooled ‘Boxer twin’ engine is smooth, too, unlike previous generations of that BMW legend, though lovers of a full-throated engine note may be dissatisfied by its genteel purr. Crossing the Avon Bridge, I experiment with the electronically adjustable windscreen and find a position whereby, with only a little hunching, I’m completely shielded from the airflow (running at -1°C, according to the dashboard info screen). Soaring along, comfortably seated and almost overwarm in my thermal layers, I suddenly yearn to be taking advantage of the bike’s 250-mile range.

I don’t, of course, but the next day does see me and The Birdup heading across the Severn Bridge for a trip to the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean. ESA-deployed, the bike barely registers the passenger, either on the motorway or as we wind more interestingly up the valley to Tintern. Enjoying heated grips and saddle, I’m dreaming of the Alps, but the less-coddled Birdup navigates to a Tintern tearoom for scones and a cuppa: not exactly a fry-up at the Ace but warm and welcome nonetheless. Up into the whitewashed Forest there’s iciness about and the need to be watchful but, again, the bike handles quick speed changes effortlessly, the flexibility of the lower gears pulling out of corners with composure. Topping up the tank, we seem to be getting a respectable 45mpg overall for what’s been a very zippy drive, two-up.

Of course it’s not cheap but, looking at what your £13k gets you, it’s astonishing value, really: the latest incarnation of the legendary Boxer with all the power, comfort and capacity to take you anywhere you fancy.

My only niggle (apart from having to give the thing back before I get to go to the Pyrenees) was the absence of an alarm system – optional for £200, but who wants that much investment protected by just a steering lock?

Contacts DICK LOVETT motorrad LAUREL COURT, CRIBBS CAUSEWAY, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 905 0200, WWW.DICKLOVETTmotorrad.

CO.UK

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➻ home front a treasure-trove of delights, beautiful chairs, bespoke kitchens & more...

RETRO & RECYCLED DESIGN

THE SISTERS OF ALCHEMY

➻ At Kiss the Frog Again on Broad Street in Bath

we love...

These chairs designed by Conran for M&S. Conran Basevi Dining Chairs with Covers, £249 for two. Ffi: www.marksandspencer. com

– a furniture, interior accessories and gift shop recycling is the name of the game, be that changing the obvious use of something or giving it a new lease of life: an old tin bath turned into a shelving unit, or skis into a fabulous coat rack.

Then there are products made from recycled materials, like seatbelts into cushions, decommissioned sails into bags and beautiful handblown decorative glass made with recycled glass, alongside some unusual and seriously cool vintage items.

This interesting, bountiful treasure-trove was formed in 2010 and officially launched in late November by sisters Jenny and Caroline – the idea was born out of Jenny’s passion for chairs and interior design, and Caroline’s desire to put her business background to good use. “We live in such a throwaway society,” say the sisters, “and yet we firmly believe that there’s value in much that’s discarded. We wanted to provide a vibrant and exciting alternative to massproduced living by creating show-stopping alternatives. Since we’ve opened, we’ve found many likeminded local artists and makers who share our ethos, enabling us to adopt a community-type approach to our business, which in the current economic climate is important for us all.”

Creative flair jumps out from every corner here, and the girls are superfriendly – this is definitely a must-visit destination in Bath. “The public’s reaction has been fantastic and we’re so delighted to recognise many returning customers. Since most pieces are unique, our stock is continually changing, which enables us to stay fresh. It’s as exciting to create as it is to showcase!”

KISS THE FROG AGAIN 5 BROAD ST, BATH. FFI: 01225 315157, WWW. KISSTHEFROGAGAIN.CO.UK

FLOORING

RED-CARPET TREATMENT ➻ As anyone who’s forked out on buying and fitting new flooring

will tell you, you want to find someone who knows what they’re doing. Bath Carpets and Flooring are experts in the supply and fit of everything from carpets and vinyl to Marmoleum and Flotex, including all the necessary underlays and floor preparation material, dealing with leading brands like Westex, Polyflor, Ryalux, Cormar, Brockway and Karndean. You can expect a fast, efficient service from their fully trained and highly skilled professional installers, with a free measuring service and written estimates.

Bath Carpets and Flooring are the domestic arm of Bath Contract Flooring, which was formed back in 2004 to provide specialised advice on commercial flooring requirements. The well-respected company is headed up by local boy Steve White, formerly sales representative for the UK’s largest carpet manufacturer.

BATH CARPETS & FLOORING/BATH CONTRACT FLOORING 4 KINGSMEAD ST, BATH. FFI: 01225 471888, WWW. CARPETSANDFLOORINGBATH.CO.UK, WWW.BATHCONTRACTFLOORING. CO.UK

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homefront GARDENING

FRUITS AND SHOOTS ➻ This month, Alan Down from Cleeve Nursery is encouraging

us to turn our backyard into a wild-food hotspot. Hawthorn, for example, the main ingredient of native hedge mixtures, can also be grown as an attractive, productive garden tree. “Not only is it good for wildlife but it also produces fruit (haws) that can be used in jams, jellies and syrups, and the young leaves and flowers are edible, too. Or try the rowan or mountain ash (Sorbus) fruit.

Incredibly tough and hardy, rowan makes a very good garden tree, with showy spring flowers, decorative late-summer/early-autumn fruits and good autumn leaf colour. What more could you want!”

If you’re planning a visit to the very wonderful Cleeve Nursery this month, make it Garden Re-Leaf Day on Tue 13 March, when they’ll be raising money for Greenfingers (www. greenfingerscharity.org.uk), who plant magical gardens around children’s hospices. ‘Buy’ anything from a packet of seeds to a plant and they’ll hang your contribution on their ‘donating tree’.

Or buy a 50p ticket for the Grand Prize Draw (3pm on Tue 13) to win goodies like rose bushes, apple trees, planted containers, a year’s supply of compost and membership to the RHS.

GARDEN RE-LEAF DAY TUE 13 MARCH, CLEEVE NURSERY. FFI: WWW. GARDENRELEAF.CO.UK CLEEVE NURSERY CLEEVE, BRISTOL. FFI: 01934 832134, WWW. CLEEVENURSERY.CO.UK

NEW CHAIR RANGE

SITTING COMFORTABLY? ➻

Handmade in the UK, using only the finest natural materials, Fabric Mills’ chairs continue the tradition of skilled upholstery. Made with solid beech frames, these gorgeous chairs will become the family heirlooms of the future. The coil springs are individually hand-tied, over which they use natural horsehair and felt filling to provide maximum comfort with a traditional feel. Their range of classic and contemporary designs can be covered in a fabric of your choice, with prices starting from £825 plus fabric.

Have a look at their website to see the whole selection and to order free fabric samples.

Fabric Mills offer the largest range of discounted designer soft-furnishing fabrics in Bath, and you’ll find everything you need in store, from tracks and poles to lining material and thread. They offer a measuring, make-up and fitting service and are unrivalled in providing curtain solutions for unusual windows. Ask their upholstery team to rescue a much-loved sofa or chair, or they can even create a bespoke item of furniture from scratch. You’ll also often find unique vintage chairs and sofas for sale that have been restored and re-upholstered in glorious patchwork – just have a chat with a member of staff for more information.

Fabric Mills’ Bath store is open daily, with convenient parking available (see website for details), and their expert staff are on hand to provide inspiration and guidance to help you create exactly the look you’re after.

FABRIC MILLS LONDON RD, BATH. FFI: 01225 471167, WWW. FABRICMILLS.CO.UK

KITCHEN SHOWROOM

THE REAL MCCOY ➻ There’s a little-known, unique kitchen showroom on Whiteladies Road that we’re big fans of – the only kitchen showroom around that’s actually used for commercial cooking. Plum Kitchen’s owner Nathan Stewart agreed to install a high-end bespoke kitchen within Bristol’s Ruby and White Butchers to prove that his kitchens will withstand the demands of a commercial environment. There’s usually something delicious being cooked for the deli area of the butchers, and it’s not unusual for clients to be offered samples along with a freshly brewed coffee. To view the kitchen and talk about your project, give Nathan a call.

PLUM KITCHENS 48 WHITELADIES RD, CLIFTON, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 900 0858, WWW.PLUM-KITCHENS.CO.UK

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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

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MyGranddesign

a glass

act

The project

Bespoke-designed DuraGreen windows and a Solidor composite front door, in one of the latest colours, with a contemporary look, offering energy efficiency and high security.

The brief

Mrs F had a clear idea of what she wanted: new windows – with a matching front door – that were a complete change from the existing windows. As well as a complete redesign of the current windows, Mrs F wanted a contemporary look with plenty of natural light while offering high security. It was important to achieve a stylish, modern look that was as distinctive inside as it was on the exterior.

The solution

After discussing the requirements, Crystal Clear recommended uPVC double-glazed A-rated balanced casement windows, available in a range of colours. These gave Mrs F the opportunity to choose the exterior and interior window colour, as well as the design and colour of the glass inlays. She chose ‘Chartwell Green’ for the exterior, with white on the inside, and designed her own glass inlays. A Solidor composite front door in ‘Chartwell Green’, with a traditional locking system, including high security locking, was chosen to match the new windows. It took the expert team from Crystal Clear just one week to fit the windows and front door.

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MYGranddesign

1

A-RATED ENERGYEFFICIENT WINDOWS Crystal Clear fitted DuraGreen uPVC windows – the UK’s most energy-efficient window system, with a 10-year guarantee. These A-rated windows reduce the energy needed to heat/cool your home by up to 20%, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For a contemporary look and a bespoke window, Mrs F designed her own inlays, choosing the size, shape and colour of the glass, to maximise the house’s natural light.

2

SOLIDOR COMPOSITE FRONT DOOR

A Solidor composite front door in a contemporary new design, with a traditional locking system, was recommended by Crystal Clear.

Composite doors have the look of timber with a low-maintenance finish – easy to keep clean, they don’t require painting. Mrs F chose matching ‘Chartwell Green’ for her new front door, which featured high security locking and a rim latch complete with stainless-steel ‘D’ handle.

3

PEACE OF MIND WINDOW LOCKING The new windows feature the exclusive Securilock stainless steel hinge, which locks the vent firmly into position and is highly resistant to forced entry. The unique SAC multi-point shootbolt locking system is standard on opening vents, operated by a key locking handle, incorporating a security push button. A partiallocking night vent application is available in casement vents. SAC locking systems include a £1,000 rating guarantee to cover product replacement, should forced entry be achieved. .

➻testimonial

more, please!

“We’re delighted with our new windows and front door. They’re exactly what I wanted and look great. As well as looking so distinctive from the outside, the windows have given the inside of the house a different feel, into which natural light floods through. I love the colour of the windows and door – it complements the brickwork and gives the house a more modern look. The whole process was straightforward and we found the team very knowledgeable, helpful and efficient. I knew exactly what I wanted in terms of the look I wanted to achieve, and Crystal Clear listened to me throughout the project. They recommended the perfect windows and door, which give us the security and energy efficiency we wanted, as well as the look and feel I was after. We’re so pleased with the end result that we’ve ordered matching guttering, fascias, a back door and a garage door! Crystal Clear will be fitting these for us next month.”

Mandy F, Bristol

CRYSTAL CLEAR ➻ Crystal Clear specialises in a

bespoke supply-and-fit service for windows, doors, conservatories and orangeries, from single windows to complete conservatory builds. Fensaregistered, they’re also a founding member of the UK’s Double Glazing and Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme (DGCOS).

All their products are industryleading, with unique features and benefits, and all built to the most exacting British and European standards, ensuring quality, integrity, longevity and security.

Crystal Clear supplies and fits a wide range of designer doors and windows, including the latest range of contemporary composite doors.

Contact

CRYSTAL CLEAR HEAD OFFICE & SHOWROOM: 22A EMERY RD, BRISLINGTON, BRISTOL (0117 971 7880), CLEVEDON (01275 759922), THORNBURY (01454 891100) & WESTON-SUPER-MARE (01934 886611).

FFI: WWW.CRYSTALCLEARBRISTOL.CO.UK

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Q&A

homefront

Close up with Dominic Taylor From renovations to starting over, the home improvement experts at Homeworx have seen it all Words: Rachel nott

H

omeworx specialise in a complete service, from architects’ drawings, planning permission and kitchen, bathroom and interior design to large-scale extensions, conversions, renovations and new-build, incorporating building regulations and structural engineering as well as all the trades, from heating and electrics to decorating and tiling.

Tell us a bit more about Homeworx Homeworx is a one-stop shop for busy people who want to take on building work but don’t have the time to manage the work themselves. We simplify the process, bring the products to you at your convenience and ensure that only the highest-quality work is produced. We incorporate our building work with architecture, structural engineering, kitchens and bathrooms. Our beautifully designed bespoke kitchens and bathrooms are of excellent quality and we’ll provide 3D full-colour images of our proposed design to help you make decisions. Any project

A beautiful galley kitchen flooded with natural light

This fabulous extension and state-of-the-art new kitchen was designed and completed by Homeworx

Homeworx provide 3D fullcolour images of their proposed designs for every project

where there’s a kitchen involved is made a lot more straightforward for our clients by our complete service.

What things should we consider when buying a wreck?

Make sure that you have a comprehensive survey done before you buy a house that needs a full renovation. This will highlight any major defects the property might have. Then get a guide-costing for these works and negotiate a figure with the seller that takes the renovation work into account. Get your sums right and be realistic, always building in contingencies. You don’t want to buy a wreck and run out of money halfway through renovating it!

How do you make sure that projects don’t run over time and budget?

Get a professional to provide you with drawings and a list of works/specification. (Here at Homeworx we then provide all our clients with a schedule and detailed quotation.) Always choose the most informative and comprehensive quotation – not the cheapest. With the projects on TV where the builder has abandoned the project halfway through, this has often come about due to under-pricing, surprise costs and a poor written agreement about what’s being supplied. If everything is designed properly, the builder is organised and the time-scale realistic, then things should run smoothly. Occasionally you can be let down by suppliers, which can be frustrating and unavoidable, but with the right contingencies in place, this rarely causes problems.

The new-builds on TV projects always look amazing but can often cause stress and heartache. How do you ease the pain of building your own home from scratch?

This is a simple one… Don’t try to manage building work yourself unless you’re qualified to do so or have had a wealth of constructionindustry history! Often the TV projects are managed by the homeowner as they feel they can’t afford a project manager, but this is a false economy as the work coming in on time is more cost-effective than the project over-running. The homeowner becomes stressed-out because they’re in new territory with a lack of knowledge and understanding of the processes involved, and a team of workers all looking to them for answers.

What are the latest trends in home renovation?

There’s still a big trend at the moment for creating open-plan living spaces and then extending these out into the garden. People enjoy cooking and socialising and don’t feel the need for separate formal dining and living areas so much. When these areas are opened up to the garden during the summer they create a new hub of the home – have a look at these pictures of our latest completed projects for inspiration.

HOMEWORX DESIGN & BUILD TEL: 01275 845011 / 07809 152636, EMAIL: INFO@ HOMEWORXBRISTOL.CO.UK, WEB: WWW. HOMEWORXBRISTOL.CO.UK

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interiors

homefront

Make your bed a centrepiece within your boudoir by choosing luxurious sheets and a decorative duvet cover (Azara duvet cover, from £55, John Lewis, www. johnlewis.com)

pillow

talk I Right: Add a sense of glamour with a beautiful chandelier (from £249, Marks & Spencer, www. marksandspencer. com)

Interior designer Lesley Taylor brings some boutique hotel chic into your bedroom

n recent years, many of the home projects I’ve undertaken required much of my attention to be applied to the master bedroom. Increasingly, homeowners are looking to transform this typically private space into a room filled with grandeur and luxury, which becomes far more than just a place for sleeping and resting, but actually an alternative room within the home to relax in and enjoy.

The scheme that’s becoming most popular reflects that found in romantic, boutique hotels.

These days, when we’re looking for somewhere to spend that special weekend, we tend to be drawn to individually run B&Bs or small-scale hotels with personality and charm alongside sophistication and elegance to the highest standard. And the pleasure we experience

through staying in boutique hotels and B&Bs encourages us to try to replicate the same style and design within our own bedrooms. So if you’re looking to transform your bedroom into a lavish space, and are after comfort and serenity while remaining at the forefront of supreme interior design, then follow my simple hints and tips to get you started.

One of the things I love about incorporating this style of décor within your home is that it enables you to mark your own personality and, unlike a more minimalist scheme, it allows for a variety of colours, textures and accessories to be introduced. Despite finishing touches playing an important part in creating a boutique bedroom, the architecture of a space is also an aspect that needs consideration. Stereotypically, a boutique style of home would be associated with high ceilings and decorative wall mouldings that exude plenty of character. Even with new builds that tend to lack in such detail, this scene can be replicated with the use of, for example, dado rails. Despite the fact that they can often be considered outdated, they’re an ideal quick-fix if you’re looking to introduce a period feel or a sense of character.

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interiors

homefront

Above left: Apply luxurious wallpaper to a feature wall to incorporate colour and texture (Today Interior at Taylors Etc, www.taylorsetc. co.uk) Above right: Furniture with a mirrored design is the ideal ingredient for boutiquestyle bedrooms (Simpson range at Next, www.next. co.uk)

When it comes to decoration, I’d recommend using deep shades of reds and purples to create a warm and romantic ambience. Where minimum space is available, however, a neutral backdrop would be more appropriate in order to prevent the room from feeling closed in. If this is the case, then why not opt for white walls, and incorporate black and silver into your colour scheme for a glamorous feel?

A boutique bedroom is the perfect setting in which to include luxurious wallpaper with a bold pattern. However, as this style is based heavily on the use of soft furnishings and accessories, your selected wallcovering should be applied to a feature wall, as opposed to the entire room. When choosing the colour and pattern of your wallpaper, the decision should be based on a design that will complement other key focal points of the space – including the window dressing and bed linen, as these are two areas where alternative colours and textures can be placed within the room successfully.

One of the main aims with a boutique bedroom is to make it feel as luxurious and sophisticated as possible, which is where using silk and velvet materials comes in.

Long, draping curtains should be fitted in a deep shade that adds warmth and intimacy, and you’ll probably find that this will also give the perception of the ceiling being higher than it actually is. The bed should be used to further enhance the elegance of a room, while

also providing optimal comfort.

Investing in Egyptian cotton bedsheets will be a decision that you’ll never regret – it’s quality purchases like this that will enable you to be one step closer to living the upmarket hotel lifestyle we’re all looking to relive.

Decorating the bed with plenty of scatter cushions in a selection of sizes and a variety of beautiful textures, colours and patterns will not only add a further point of interest to the room, but will also help to create a sanctuary in which to seek relaxation and calm.

An ideal boutique décor will also have an eclectic scheme, which involves mixing the old with the new.

So when it comes to choosing your accessories, pick a reflection of different eras – once again, this is a chance to really reflect your personality and put your creative skills to work. Keep your eyes peeled for an antique dressing table to add a vintage touch, or perhaps a decorative secondhand mirror that won’t break the bank yet will add plenty of charm to the room. Alternatively, if you struggle to track these down, the use of glass is a concept that works brilliantly for these kinds of items, along with bedside tables, candle holders and trinket boxes. A sophisticated glass chandelier would also be a beautiful addition – the reflective patterns they project can be mesmerising.

The centrepiece of any bedroom

should be the key ingredient: the bed. One of the simplest ways to transform the one you already have in place is by replacing the headboard. For this I’d recommend either a padded design, or a panelled wood headboard that can be painted and tailored to suit the overall scheme of your room. After all, the frame of your bed needs to be just as attractive as the spread that’s on it!

Contacts The Bed Workshop The Old Pickle Factory, Braunton Rd, Bedminster, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 963 6659, www. thebedworkshop.co.uk Fabric Mills London Rd, Bath. Ffi: 01225 471167, www.fabricmills. co.uk Lumination Third Floor, Gardiner Haskins Homecentre, Broad Plain, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 922 6435, www.lumination.co.uk Old Bank Antiques Centre 14-17 Walcot Buildings, London Rd, Bath. Ffi: 01225 469282/338818, www. oldbankantiquescentre.com Robert Mills Architectural Antiques Narroways Rd, Eastville, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 955 6542, www. rmills.co.uk The Sofa Library Units 5-6, Eastpark Trading Estate, Gordon Rd, Bristol, BS5. Ffi: 0117 951 2624, www.thesofalibrary.co.uk

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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 EUPHORBIAS

W

ith their colourful flowerbracts in spring and summer, a wide range of leaf colour and the bonus of evergreen structure in winter, the spurges are incredibly versatile plants. There’s pretty much one for any situation – dry and shady, hot and sunny. Just one drawback – their sap can be a skin irritant, so always wear gloves when handling them. The wood spurge is an excellent choice for ground-cover in a shady spot, however dry it may be.

Growing tips The vast majority of spurges are pretty easygoing and happy in most soils, providing it isn’t too heavy. They don’t mind whether your soil is acid or not and will generally be happy with some sun, shelter and reasonable drainage.

Jobs for march

The brilliant lime-green flower-bracts of the wood spurge

➻ Others to try ‘PORTUGUESE VELVET’

This makes a fairly large, bulky plant (about 1m tall), with beautiful soft leaves. It bears large heads of green ‘frogspawn’-type flowers. In cold areas, it needs a fairly sheltered position.

Give roses their final pruning.

Sow tomato, aubergine and pepper seeds in a heated propagator or on a windowsill indoors.

Finish tidying flower beds, cutting back any old growth, and give them a mulch with compost.

We’ll be buying…

One of these stylish boxes to keep all our seed packets together, dry and safe from mice. Sort them out either alphabetically or by sowing date, and feel terribly organised (Large Seed Box – Apple Green, £10 + p&p).

FFI WWW.GARDENTRADING.CO.UK

'EUPHORBIA MARTINII'

In spring, the flower stems carry fine crests of red-tinged leaves followed by heads of lime-green flowers. One way and another, this spurge is decorative all year round. About 60cm tall.

‘SILVER SWAN’

Another shrubby euphorbia, with deep blue-green leaves edged with cream. In spring the foliage is topped with predominately white flowers that have a lime green stripe, giving the plant a silvery look in sunshine.

This month we're planning...

Some garden visits The National Gardens Scheme Yellow Book has detailed listings of thousands of gardens open for visiting, all raising money for charity. This year’s edition has a new look and full colour throughout.

FFI BUY DIRECT FROM THE NGS AT WWW.NGS.ORG.UK FOR £9.99 INCLUDING P&P OR FROM BOOKSHOPS

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It’s time to get your garden ready for Spring!

Come and choose from our huge range!

CLEEVE NURSERY Main A370, Cleeve, Bristol BS49 4PW Tel: 01934 832 134

For great home grown plants

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➻ eatingoutwest Foodie festivals, microbreweries, organic veg boxes, cool cafes & more...

RESTAURANT NEWS

MY BLU HEAVEN

➻ When they created the Radisson Blu Hotel slap bang in the centre of Bristol, it was

one of the biggest and neatest refurbs the city had ever seen. The fusty old grey office tower that had previously dominated the Harbourside skyline morphed, thanks to some tasteful blue reflective cladding, into a distinctive shiny presence with a subtly futuristic gleam.

It’s an impressively global chain - Radisson Blu hotels figure in dozens of countries including Azerbaijan, Senegal and Uzbekistan – but the cuisine in the Filini Restaurant is decidedly Mediterranean, combining flavours from Italy and Sardinia. Twice a year all the Filini chefs gather in Italy and a ‘cook-off’ process enables them to select the main menu for the next six months, with daily additions and seasonal specials added at the chef’s discretion.

The first-floor restaurant, which is reached by a stylish glass staircase, offers a great view into the dockland waterfront while lifting you above the hurly burly of Broad Quay. It’s a calm oasis in which to sip a glass from the extensive wine list, drawn from the hotel’s stock of 360 wines, and contemplate a menu that offers a selection of Italian classics with a smattering of more rural Sardinian dishes.

Thus seafood risotto and linguini carbonara rub shoulders with crocchette di baccala e crema di ceci (codfish croquettes with chickpea purée) or chicken breast with pungent salmoriglio sauce.

Antipasti sharing platters are a must, whatever, and the frittelle di mele (apple doughnuts) come highly recommended. It’s family friendly, too, with children’s portions half-price for under-12s and free for nippers under four.

FILINI RESTAURANT RADISSON BLU HOTEL, BROAD QUAY, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 934 9500, WWW.FILINIBRISTOL.CO.UK

ORGANIC

MEAT & 10 VEG

➻ Back in December, the organic veg box people at Riverford were hoping it would be a white Christmas but, unlike the rest of us, they were specifically hoping it for Mount Etna. Apparently the blood orange groves that cover the slopes of Sicily’s famous volcano need a really sharp frost or two to get that bright red colour in the fruit. Happily for them, this seems to have been a chilly year, leading to a fulsome harvest of tangy crimson juiciness and lots of lovely oranges in Riverford’s various box deliveries.

As well as seasonal fruit and veg, the company always have a range of organic meat on offer, from mighty joints of beef down to proper dry-cured bacon.

They’re keen for you to buy it, naturally, but they’re also running a Meat and 10 Veg campaign to encourage people to

eat better, ethically reared meat but in smaller quantities and making use of less mainstream cuts, including beef brisket, pork belly and oxtail. The campaign is backed up with useful recipes from Riverford’s Jane Baxter, helping you make tasty, veg-rich meals that make a little meat go a long way.

RIVERFORD ORGANIC FFI: 01803 762059, WWW.RIVERFORD.CO.UK

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FESTIVALS

FEEL THE LOVE ➻ We don’t know if Love Food’s

celebrated mainwoman Lorna Knapp is a David Bowie fan, but this month sees her taking the family-friendly food ‘n fun festival from Station to Station, starting with the atmospheric ironwork of Bath’s Green Park Station (Sun 4 March). It will be Love Food’s first Bath outing of the year, following their debut there last year, and will be offering all kinds of seasonally themed treats throughout the day including hands-on children’s craft and gardening activities and advice on growing and using medicinal and culinary herbs, together with the usual cavalcade of locally produced deliciousness, from Upton Cheyney chilli chocolate to free-range beef.

Four weeks later you’ll get all that and much, much more at Brunel’s Old Station

in Bristol when Love Food’s biggest annual event kicks. The two-day megafest will offer cookery masterclasses featuring eco-guru Barny Haughton, People’s Supermarket’s Arthur Potts Dawson and others, as well as workshops in bee-keeping, composting and other gardening inspirations. There’ll be a brand new feature – the Love Book area – a library of cookery and gardening books, with a programme of educational talks for grown-ups and storytelling for the kids. All that, and over 70 handpicked market stalls with a dazzling array of local produce from the hands that grew or made it. Love food? You’ll love Love Food, then.

LOVE FOOD BATH SUN 4 MARCH, GREEN PARK STATION, BATH LOVE FOOD SPRING FESTIVAL SAT 31 MARCHSUN 1 APRIL, BRUNEL’S OLD STATION, TEMPLE MEADS, BRISTOL. FFI: WWW. LOVEFOODFESTIVAL.COM

CAFE NEWS

WHISK ASSESSMENT ➻ Since posh catering company Whisk

took over the long-vacant cafe at Knowle West Health Park just before Christmas, their freshly made soup, salads and hot ‘specials’ have been very well received.

“We make all our own cakes and soda bread daily,” says chef/co-proprietor Mike Merelies. “It’s great to see people coming back to the place – it’s a site with lots of potential.” The success has encouraged Merelies and co-owner Evan Roberts to think of expanding: “We believe we have a successful model for other food outlets across Bristol, and we’re already planning the next cafe.”

WHISK KNOWLE WEST HEALTH PARK, DOWNTON RD, KNOWLE, BRISTOL (OPEN DAILY FROM 8AM)

MICROBREWERY

ONE OF A KIND

➻ Happily we’re blessed with a fair number of microbreweries hereabouts, but there’s something about Zerodegrees that make them stand out from that ever-swelling crowd. For one thing, they’re still unique in having their brewery actually in the bar (or is it vice versa?), giving their spacious Park Row premises a futuristic industrial vibe. For another, they’re actually keen on (whisper it) lager – with crisp Czech-style Pilsner and Black Lager standing proudly alongside Pale Ale and others at the pumps. They’re made by ‘brewmaster’ Anna Schwaeble, a 24-year-old Bavarian who trained in Munich, where the Zerodegrees brewery gear was made. But the beer is only one aspect of a place that’s equally well-known as an eatery, not least for a copious range of pizzas and the very popular kilo pots of mussel ZERODEGREES 53 COLSTON ST, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 925 2706, WWW.ZERODEGREES.CO.UK

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➻ EatingOutWest

anyone for

seconds?

This pic and above: new kid on the block, Za Za Bazaar

Melissa Blease on the buffet restaurant revolution that’s ditching the gloop in favour of globallyinspired good value

F

or most people over the age of around 15, the prospect of a serveyourself, fixed-price binge conjures up images of lukewarm, gloopy sauces, mismatched combinations and a side-order of quease. But the times they are definitely a-changin’ - savvy entrepreneurs are wise to the broad appeal of a feast that suits all tastes, all ages and all wallets, and they know full well that we’re unlikely to accept a pile of cut-price slop in our search for well-priced satiation. So, if you think you know all there is to know about the benefits (or otherwise) of the buffet, perhaps it’s time to think again.

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➻ EatingOutWest bristol Za Za Bazaar

Harbourside, Canons Rd. Ffi: 0117 922 0330, www.zazabazaar.com ➻ Chatter about what’s probably the epitome of the new-look buffet restaurant ‘experience’ is currently trending across the UK. EOW’s food and drink editor likened Za Za Bazaar to a bustling funfair where all the activity is about eating - dazzlingly decorated and featuring a line of attentionseeking stalls dispensing international street food at the heart of the action. “What feels like the population of a small town is thronging, fetching colourful platefuls of Indian, Far Eastern, European and Tex-Mex food; the sense of restless activity never stops,” he said. But did he like it? Yes he did – our bet is that you will, too. (Lunch 11am-5pm: Mon-Thur £8.99, Fri-Sat £9.99, Sun £12.99. Dinner 5-11pm: Mon-Thur £14.99, Fri-Sun £16.99.

Children 0-4 free, 5-11 half-price, 12+ full-price)

Cosmo

30 Triangle West, Clifton. Ffi: 0117 934 0999, www.cosmo-restaurants.co.uk ➻ The Bristol branch of this 12-strong chain is due to open the doors to a brand new, refurbished image this month. Expect to set out on a culinary voyage of discovery across nine pan-Asian countries (China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Mongolia, Singapore, Vietnam and India) with the best dishes coming courtesy of the ‘live’ teppenyaki kitchen, the dim sum bar and/ or (be careful now!) the sushi

counter. (Lunch 12noon-3pm Mon-Sat: adult £6.99, child under 150cm £3.50. Dinner 5.3010.30pm: Mon-Thur £12.99, child This pic: Shanghai Nights Above: Cosmo

£6.50, Fri-Sat £13.99/£6.99. Sun & bank hols 12noon-10.30pm £12.99, child £6.50)

Shanghai Nights

Nelson House, Nelson St. Ffi: 0117 945 0505, www.shanghainightsbristol.co.uk ➻ The buffets at this bold, uber-glam emporium of exotica are deservedly legendary around these parts. Until the end of last year, non-stop, all-inclusive feasts were ordered from a menu; today, you simply serve yourself from an extensive array of freshly cooked, authentic, region-specific Chinese delicacies. (Lunch 12noon-3pm Mon-Fri £6.50, child £3.50.

Dinner 5.30-10.30pm, Mon-Fri £12.50, child £7.50. Sat-Sun 12noon-10.30pm: dinner prices apply after 5pm)

preview

Merlin Road, Cribbs Causeway, Bristol. Ffi: 0117 959 8282, www. previewbuffetbar.co.uk Soup, salad, pizza, pasta, grills, burgers, Oriental wok dishes, puds and – if you’re so inclined – an unlimited soft drink option too: it’s all going on at Preview, conveniently located for those who crave a bit of shopping therapy at the Cribbs Causeway mall. Feedback from fans of this big, bold eaterie is relentlessly enthusiastic – and it’s lovely to see plenty of Brit-trad faves amongst an array (and as part of an eating out genre) that usually focuses solely on Far Eastern flavours. (Midweek daytime £6.95, midweek evening from 5.30pm £9.95, weekends & bank holidays £11.95, children under 10 £4.95, unlimited soft drinks £2.25)

➻

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➻ EatingOutWest BATH Jimmy Spices

6 Dorchester St. Ffi: 01225 426802, www.jimmyspices.co.uk ➻ The eighth in an ever-expanding national chain that brings together the flavours of Thailand, China, India, Mexico, Italy and Japan on an array of hotplates and woks, with a huge salad bar and a Willy Wonkastyle dessert buffet supplementing the lot. The overall experience is, in summary, very SouthGate – ie, big, brash and brand new to Bath. But as long as you avoid the classic buffet blunder of over-zealous amalgamations (one doesn’t go to China to eat Mexican food), what’s on offer tends to be lively, tasty and fresh.

(Lunch Mon-Fri 12noon-2.30pm £7.99, Sat-Sun 12noon-4pm £10.99.

Dinner Sun-Wed 5-10.30pm £13.99, Thur-Sat £15.99. Early Bird 5-7pm £9.99. Children under 10 half-price)

The Peking

1-2 New St, Kingsmead Square. Ffi: 01225 466377, www.pekingrestaurantbath.co.uk

➻ OK, The Peking – the Heritage

City’s longest-established, ‘oldschool’ Chinese restaurant - isn’t strictly a ‘buffet’ affair, seeing as you make your selection from a traditional menu… how quaint!

But as Bath recently lost two of the best buffets in the west (RIP Arabesque and Ocean Pearl, swept out with the fixtures and fittings now that Waitrose is set to take over the entire Podium), allinclusive set menus have become a lesser-spotted option – particularly of a standard this high. Go forth and binge from a classic selection of upper-crust Cantonese/ Szechuan/Peking delights that arrive at your table freshly cooked to order until you choose to bring a halt to proceedings. (Tue-Wed 5-10pm £20, children under 10 £10)

Mouchuck

136 Wells Rd, BA2. Ffi: 01225 333449, www.cityofbath.co.uk/ mouchuck ➻ This friendly, welcoming, no-frills Indian diner just below Bear Flat enjoys cult status in Bath, highly regarded for its warm welcome, cheerful BYO policy and rock-bottom prices. As a result, it can get packed to the (MDF) rafters on Tuesday evenings when the serve-yourself, fixed-priced buffet gets laid out in front of the (almost) open kitchen. The range on offer may be small but it’s perfectly formed: a spicy dish, a mild dish, a veggie dish and lots and lots of sides. How much you eat is up to you; how little you pay is a downright miracle. (Tue 5.30-10pm £6.45, children under 12 £5.95)

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➻ EatingOutWest

Volunteers at the Vegmead growing project in Hedgemead Park

the plot thickens Need a little corner of paradise to grow your own? Tony Benjamin points you in the right direction

I

t’s spring and, whatever may be happening to the economy, the real green shoots are starting to pop up. As tufts of straggly grass push up between urban paving stones, amateur gardeners start to rustle their seed packets in anticipation.

While not everyone has space or inclination for serious cultivation, an increasing number of us are finding ingenious ways to grow a little something for the table.

David Crossland, resident veg expert at Bristol’s Riverside Garden Centre, finds it all very encouraging. “You can grow stuff in surprisingly small places – I’ve known people grow potatoes in a bucket or some old car tyres filled with soil.

Window boxes are great for herbs and salad leaves, especially the ‘cut-and-come-again’ kind like Valmaine lettuce or sweet cherry tomatoes that hang down. Chilli plants will do well in pots on a window sill. The important thing is to get the soil right, so just ask for advice. We’re always happy to talk through the options, however limited the space.”

It can become addictive, though, as Bristol City Council allotment supremo Steve Campin knows: “Growing a couple of tomato plants on a balcony or wherever is marvellous, but once you get the bug for homegrown produce and how good it tastes, many people want to do more.” Though an allotment is the obvious move for garden-starved city-dwellers, Steve urges caution: “It’s not always good to start with too big a piece of land and then get overwhelmed by it. We’re offering smaller plots – about half-sized. If people hopefully enjoy that, they can move onto something bigger.”

Thanks to this strategy, Campin reckons he can

offer growing spaces across a wide range of sites in Bristol (see contact info below).

The Bath allotment scene, however, isn’t so accessible, and while the Bath Allotment Association are delighted that BANES are finally creating 200 new plots this year, there’s already a waiting list of over 600 people. The association’s secretary Virginia Williamson is aware of competing interests: “We need to protect allotments in the face of house-building targets.

In the 1950s, Bath was nearly self-sufficient for food but developers have built over the land.”

One creative response to this shortage of space has been the development of guerrilla gardening and community-based growing in underused spaces around the city. As convenor of Transition Bath’s food group, Williamson is a keen supporter of initiatives like Bath Organic Group’s community garden by Victoria Park, the Community Nuttery in Smallcombe Vale and the Vegmead growing project in Hedgemead Park (you can see a brilliant video about Vegmead on the Transition website).

It’s an approach that Steve Campin favours in Bristol, too. “There are lots of community growing groups and new ones coming along all the time. The great thing is that they share out the work – you can volunteer whatever you can offer.” Campin (who developed the attractive edible veg beds on Castle Green) is always keen to hear from anyone with thoughts about a bit of ground suitable for edible planting (see right for contact info).

Community gardening projects aren’t just small enterprises, either – after only one year, Sims Hill Shared Harvest in Bristol’s Barton Hill

is providing food to nearly 50 households, with plans to build a polytunnel and extend that to 60.

Currently, growing projects are about producing for personal use, but Dan Iles of Bristol’s new People’s Supermarket project sees wider potential in them: “The ideas are still in the melting pot, but I’ve found about 15 growing groups to visit. I want to see what makes them tick. It may be that we can work together in the future, providing a route to market for any surpluses they make and convert them into a funding stream to keep their project sustainable.”

It may be a long way from a potato in a bucket to micro-agriculture but everything still starts with planting a seed.

contacts BRISTOL Bristol People’s Supermarket FFI: www.bristolpeoplessupermarket.org Riverside Garden Centre Clift House Rd, Bristol. FFI: 0800 037 5796 www.riversidegardencentre.com Steve Campin at Bristol City Council Allotments FFI: 0117 922 3737 email: allotments@bristol.gov.uk BATH Transition Bath FFI: www.transitionbath.org email: food@transitionbath.org.

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The

New Inn at Backwell 2 courses for £10.00 3 for £13.50

Wed-Sat 12-3pm throughout February On March the 6th we will be hosting “An evening with the chefs” Experience true indulgence with an exquisite culinary treat comprising of an 8 course tasting menu

To book Call 01275 462 199

TAKE AWAY AND INFORMAL CAFE STYLE SEATING At Tiffins we cook and serve traditional home cooking style Gujarati food. We cook in only little amounts of pure sunflower oil and do not use ghee, or any artificial colouring or flavours. All dishes are cooked individually, in the traditional way, and all the dishes are displayed in front of you for you to choose and mix and match as you wish. Our menu changes daily with a selection of 7 veggie curries and 2 meat curries to choose from.

Dishes can be taken home cold to heat up later or we can heat it up for you.

EVENTS CATERING Tiffins offer event catering which is tailor-made to suit your budget and needs.

www.tiffinsbristol.com

Finalist for Best Take-away 2010

by BBC Radio 4 Food and Farming Awards.

151 St Michael’s Hill, Bristol, BS2 8DB 0117 973 4834 www.tiffinsbristol.com info@tiffins-bristol.com folio/march 2012 65

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www.millendmitcheldean.co.uk

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➻ EatingOutWest

ReView menu gordon jones No formal menu, a tiny venue and fantastical gourmet thrills all night?

Melissa Blease reckons this could be a new foodie revolution for Bath

B

ack in the good old days, before they turned into accountants enslaved to gross profit, hygiene ratings and TripAdvisor ‘reviews’, chefs were outrageously pompous egomaniacs hell-bent on prandial perfection.

Today, Marco Pierre White promotes stock cubes during X Factor ad breaks, Gordon Ramsay has turned into a Stateside reality TV show antihero and the only MasterChefs about whom the chattering classes chatter are whingeing about their ‘passion’ to a Snow Patrol backing track on primetime TV. While the pretentious sophistication of Michelin-starred diners may still offer a showcase for the obsessive, inspired, hedonistic auteurs willing to dedicate three weeks of their life to distilling the essence of roast artichoke into one single, gelatinous droplet, such experiences are rarely accessible to those of us for whom £300 represents a week’s salary (if we’re lucky), not dinner for two on a Wednesday evening. If ever the time were right for a new foodie revolution, it’s now.

And if ever there were a chef to show Bath the way forward, it’s Gordon Jones.

Now Gordon – who honed his skills under superstar chefs Martin Wishart and Martin Blunos before embarking on a long-term residency at the Royal Crescent Hotel, where he eventually worked his way up to head chef status – isn’t anywhere near as belligerent as MPW nor as rude as Ramsay (although I wouldn’t recommend that you ask him for tomato ketchup). But he’s clearly a risk taker. Only the bravest entrepreneur would open a restaurant in a tiny former cafe (maximum covers: 14) in a homely

neighbourhood a steep trek away from the city centre. Only a chef with supreme confidence in his abilities would more or less eschew the whole concept of a formal menu altogether in favour of a set six-course taster (£35pp) based around ‘you get what you’re given’ principles. And only an experience this unique could, after a decade of reviewing restaurants, evoke such emotion: a veritable rush of sheer, thrilling, delighted excitement from start to finish.

“If ever there were a chef to show bath the way forward, it’s gordon jones.”

I didn’t take a notebook to Gordon Jones – it’s a pretentious affectation that critics (or fake critics) use as a shortcut for ‘Do you know who I am?’ (to which the response, in my case, would generally be: ‘No.’) As a result, my rambling recollections aren’t intended to be comprehensive, but instead represent typical highlights of an elegant, multifaceted feast that came with more twists, turns and flourishes than three series of Strictly Come Dancing put together.

Red cabbage bread came in a brown paper bag that, once opened, delivered a warm, yeasty odour that I’m guessing you’d only ever inhale were you to sit in the oven alongside it while it baked. Basil oil and thick, glossy balsamic reduction came in test-tubes, and a tomato soup amuse-bouche came topped with a froth that tasted like serrano ham but turned out to have a smoked eel derivation. A dish of actual smoked eel tasted like caviar, while a plate of wood pigeon tasted entirely of its earthy, gamey self.

Dessert was a milk chocolate soufflé that tasted like I’d imagine heaven

would taste if you’d been a very, very good person on earth, and a selection of organic/biodynamic wines to match each dish kept on coming throughout. Meanwhile, low-volume background music as eclectic as the menu acts as a gentle buffer between conversation at one table and the next, a beautifully scripted Finnish homily adorning the wall behind the bar adds further subtle eclectica, and Gordon himself keeps a keen eye on proceedings as he whips up all kinds of magic in his tiny open kitchen, resulting in a fantastical version of the best intimate supper party you’ve ever been to.

If, however, you prefer mediocre food cooked by an accountant in lacklustre surroundings, you’d be better off declining the invitation.

Contact

menu gordon jones 2 wellsway, bath. FFI: 01225 480871, www. menugordonjones.co.uk The Verdict HHHHHHHHHH

A fascinating experience on all levels – the Bath restaurant revolution starts here

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➻ EatingOutWest

ReView BORDEAUX QUAY Tony Benjamin is more than happy to help save the planet, if this pioneering harbourside eco-eaterie is anything to go by

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here are many ways to save the planet but few are as elegant and comfortable as dining at Bordeaux Quay, founder member of the Sustainable Restaurant Association and the first to achieve Soil Association Gold status for sustainability. The pioneering ‘eco-restaurant’ has been gathering accolades for its environmentally aware operations since Day One but, despite the worthiness, it’s a far from dull place to dine. As Nigel Slater (no less) observed, Bordeaux Quay is ‘a fabulously swish restaurant that just happens to be sustainable’. Exactly.

There were few bikes outside, surprisingly, when I and the Lovely She locked ours to the railings, though the ground floor was running at capacity with drinkers and eaters, with that bistro buzz. We swept past, however, and upstairs to the restaurant or, rather, to the bar because Bordeaux Quay is a place for proper dining and thus not to be rushed at. A glass of fino sherry for She, a super-dry martini for me, and we metaphorically kicked off our shoes and depressurised to the cool and distant reggae soundtrack in the roomy drinking area. Olives arrived, and peanuts and, at some discreet point, menus and a wine list.

Absolutely no pressure, all in our own time, we sipped and gossiped and finally remembered to bicker about the menu before being taken to our table with its fine view of the dark sparkling waterside.

Unlike the downstairs diner, the restaurant is amazingly spacious, the fewer diners spread over a larger space that should, in theory, mean unobtrusiveness. Unfortunately we were there at the same time as a table of seven men whose shirt-but-no-tie uniform announced ‘sales managers

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on expenses’. True to form, they drank themselves from loud to shouty in the course of the evening but barely impinged on what was, for us, a superbly relaxed experience.

At this point (and I’m aware I’ve yet to talk about the food) I feel I should mention the waiter. An urbane young Canadian, he somehow managed to generate a witty, inclusive atmosphere between us without overstepping whatever is the mark these days and (what’s more) delivering the meal at exactly the right pace. This was

bordeaux quay is “a fabulously swish restaurant that just happens to be sustainable”

another important component of BQ getting it right, and the all-important food was another. It began with an amuse-bouche of tiny feta tartlet and salmon sushi so small that it barely fitted on the end of a cocktail stick.

Both were explosions of flavour and texture and a suitable fanfare for what followed.

She had a fish starter of crisp grilled fillet of gurnard, white fish sausage, blood orange and fennel puree, while I went for Bath chaps with Somerset spelt risotto. We’d each picked glasses of white wine – she Muga Rioja, me Sancerre – and we both started doing that ‘Mmmm’ thing from the first forkful and sip. Why don’t more places do fish sausages? A lush, cleantextured idea with a fresh flavour.

And what had they done to turn Bath chaps into rillettes, melting pork shreds rich in flavoursome punch?

Ditto the mains: her crunchy pink beetroot arancini rice balls sitting in a ‘babagenouche’ puree of smoked aubergine alongside a pristine little cylinder of baked goat’s cheese that melted like marshmallow on the approach of a fork. My velvet

slices of pan-fried rump of venison had a simmering purple heart and crispy crust, velvet on the tongue, with gamey wild mushrooms adding deeper flavours and an unannounced bed of venison ragu providing a deeply savoury undertone. And ditto, too, the desserts: carefully assembled confections of lemon sorbet, prosecco jelly and vanilla (mine) and blood orange and rhubarb pannacotta with ginger sponge and pistachio biscuits (hers). All of these had a consistency of quality and care in their production that defied criticism and fully justified the £50-ish a head price tag (including second glasses of red Urbina Rioja and Californian Zinfandel). Clearly saving the planet this way requires a bit of saving up but, then again, it’s worth it.

Contact

bordeaux quay canons rd, harbourside, bristol. FFI: 0117 943 1200, WWW.bordeaux-quay.co.uk The Verdict HHHHHHHHHH

Everything you look for in a top dining experience with the minimum carbon footprint

nigel slater

2/22/2012 2:52:51 PM

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➻ EatingOutWest

ReView DEMUTHS Bath’s vibrant, funky and super-friendly vegetarian hotspot headed up by kitchen god Richard Buckley

Don’t expect your supermarket to dedicate an aisle to Lent...

Table Talk Lent

➻ There’s that aisle in most big supermarkets called ‘seasonal’ or something like that. It doesn’t refer to whatever veg happens to be popping up in the fields right now, however. It relates to an annual cycle of marketable events that each come with their own consumption imperatives – St Valentine’s Day, Halloween, Bonfire Night, Easter and the biggie… Christmas.

Though there are few direct references to be found on the supermarket shelves, there’s a strong link to the Christian calendar (with the exception of Guy Fawkes’ business), but there’s one particular Christian festival strongly associated with consumption that is conspicuously absent – and that’s, of course, Lent.

It starts with a bang – major Mardi Gras carnivals around the world, particularly in the Caribbean and Brazil, and… er… pancakes here in the UK – and ends with Easter. But traditionally the six weeks in between (including the whole of March) is a time for giving things up and taking stock of the luxuries in life.

Looking at the health consequences of over-consumption on ourselves and the planet, even fervent atheists might approve of the notion behind Lent – and many people do that ‘January detox’ thing every year for just that reason. But you won’t find Tesco bigging up Lent, of course, because there’s no profit margin in an empty shelf – especially when you could fill it with chocolate bunnies and Easter eggs. (Tony Benjamin, Food & Drink editor)

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he almost impossibly pretty North Parade Passage offers what’s probably Bath’s oldest trip down memory lane: Sally Lunn’s buns have been peddled here since 1680, entrepreneur and philanthropist Ralph Allen hung out here while he dreamed up a whole new countenance for Bath, and Tilleys Bistro has been an old-school supper hotspot since Renee and Renato topped the charts. But while funky, friendly, award-winning vegetarian haven demuths is hardly a newcomer to the (ancient) block – heck, green goddess Rachel Demuth first opened the doors to her green dream here over two decades ago – it’s as modern, vibrant and avant garde an experience as any fully fashionable frolicker could wish for, standing alone as a beacon of continual advancement in the midst of so much olde worlde tourist entrapment. Today, head chef Richard Buckley – a kitchen god for whom meat can only murder such effervescent inspirations – oversees proceedings in the kitchen, and right now, you’ll be hard pushed to find a more inspired vegetarian chef this side of the nose-to-tail revolution.

I started my back-to-the-future foray with salt-baked celeriac surrounded by a moat of vivid green herb sauce, ciderpoached apple and shards of salted caramel crisp doing that multi-dimensional sweet/ sour thing, with pearl barley caressing every forkful. Meanwhile, The Man For Whom A Meal Is Not Complete Without

At Least One Pork Sausage tucked into herb-infused winter beets accompanied by a spirited horseradish granita without a single ‘Where’s the meat?’ murmur. He would have been equally satisfied with my mushroom parfait main course, the main component at the heart of the action paying subtle (and, I’m guessing, innocent?) homage to – dare I say it – foie gras (eek!), teamed with a dinky roast onion tatin, sexy smoked parsnip and roast garlic purée and pied bleu duxelle, with smooth parsley oil raving around all components.

Meanwhile, TMFWAMINCWALOPS declared his perfect Applewood smoked cheddar soufflé to be a triumph, augmented by red wine poached figs, tarragon potatoes, walnut purée and winter greens. To close, a vivacious lemon sponge, lemon tarragon mascarpone, lemon curd and caramelised pistachio combo, and an aromatic spiced chocolate ganache teamed with cardamom chocolate parfait, honeycomb and a Hestonesque orange and passion fruit gel that exemplified sensuality.

Our three courses came in at £24.95, a remarkably well-priced ante that we upped by around £18 to include an outstanding biodynamic Italian red wine. demuths: a no-meat, outstanding treat indeed.

Contact

DEMUTHS 2 NORTH PARADE PASSAGE, BATH. FFI: 01225 446059, WWW.DEMUTHS.CO.UK The Verdict HHHHHHHHHH

Refreshing, uplifting, inspired

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➻ EatingOutWest

What's Cooking?

Our monthly round-up of news from the foodie world

Super Markets 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…

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t seems that, happily, not enough Bristol consumers were keen to have a side-order of breast and thigh with their all-you-caneat chicken wings to sustain a branch of notorious ‘breastaurant’ Hooters. The US-style Harbourside diner offering such delights as fried pickles and ‘the strip-cheese sandwich’ – and blatantly trading on the notion of offering attractive and scantily clad waitresses – opened amid controversy in late 2010 but went into administration last month, leaving the Cardiff franchise the only one in the UK. By contrast, things are still on the up for Greedy Italian restaurateur Antonio Carluccio, with the announcement of a planning application to turn shop premises in Bath’s Milsom Place into a new branch of his trattoriacum-deli chain Carluccio’s, complete with alfresco dining in the precinct’s off-road courtyard.

It’s that time again, when countless barrels will be rolling into Temple Meads for Camra’s annual Bristol Beer Festival, only to roll out empty after the weekend. Last year saw local

brewers Arbor Ales, Bristol Beer Factory and Zerodegrees unite to produce a special one-off ale, and this year’s Collaboration 2012 brew will also bring the skills of Bath Ales, Great Western Brewing and RCH to the mix to produce a dark porter in the traditional style brewed in 18th century Bristol. Once it’s been launched at the festival, the dark ale will be available for a limited time from the breweries’ pubs and other freehouses around the city.

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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10 of the best Real Ale Pubs The Camra-organised Bristol Beer Festival will bring 150 artisan ales to Temple Meads this month. It’s sold out, naturally, but here are some alefriendly locals. ➻ Barley Mow Barton Rd, St Philips, Bristol • Bristol Beer Factory’s classic backstreet local showcases the brewery’s best (and stoutest) ales as well as welcoming a guest or two.

➻ EatingOutWest

ReView DELMONICO

The neighbourhood restaurant that dishes up good food, good prices, and hospitality just as it should be

➻ The Bell Walcot St, Bath • This bursting heart of Walcot Nation is an ale-lover’s haven, thanks to seven locally sourced ales plus guests and free live music. ➻ The Cornubia Temple St, Bristol • Once found, the Hidden Brewery’s hidden pub rewards with a friendly welcome and a mighty fine selection of local beers. ➻ Griffin Inn Monmouth St, Bath • Since a complete refurb some four years ago, the Griffin has become a classy freehouse haunt for lovers of local ales. ➻ Hare on the Hill Thomas St North, Kingsdown, Bristol • Bath Ales’ first boozer is a streetcorner classic with a full range of the brewery’s beers. ➻ Old Green Tree Green St, Bath • Blindmans’ exclusively brewed Old Green Tree is favourite among halfa-dozen well-sourced ales at this cosy and welcoming local. ➻ The Raven Queen St, Bath • This freest of free houses turns over 200 different brews a year – hence regular Camra accolades. ➻ Seven Stars Thomas Lane, Redcliffe, Bristol • Another Camraapproved treasure, serving eight ever-changing ales, this place claims to have been ‘reassuringly open since 1760’. ➻ The Star The Vineyards (off The Paragon) • Wearing its history lightly, this Abbey Ales house offers a pinch of snuff and perfectly kept pints.

Pic credit: mark simmons

➻ Three Tuns St George’s Rd, Hotwells, Bristol • Owners Arbor Ales have added contemporary comforts as well as four guest beers and a trio of their own.

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t’s not the only word that comes to mind but there’s something enduringly nice about Delmonico’s. It’s first experienced in a warmth of service, making no demands on the customer but effortlessly providing exactly what it offers. It’s not a sycophantic thing, nor obtrusive, but rather the best kind of old-school English hospitality, untainted by transatlantic ‘bonhomie’ or continental ‘attitude’. But, happily, it’s not accompanied by the culinary cack-handedness that such Englishness might have served up in those Bad Old Days, with the menu offering a cosmopolitan mix of popular favourites.

We tipped up on a busy Friday evening, with couples and larger groups spread around the split-level dining room, but all was calm.

We picked a reasonably priced bottle of Moulin de Gassac (£14.95) – a full-tasting red that got on very affably with our starters.

The Lodger had snaffled mussels in cream, garlic and wine sauce from the specials board, giving himself a fingerlicking good time with the generous heap of shellfish. I had pinkblushed chicken liver pate with a hint of booze on its breath and a very punchy dollop of homemade chutney alongside. Good stuff and worth savouring with that wine.

While we paused before the mains arrived, I noticed the easy familiarity with which proprietors Nick and Tony chatted with some tables. People were chatting between tables, too, bearing out Delmonico’s claim to be a ‘neighbourhood’ restaurant. We certainly didn’t feel excluded, however, especially when the generously sized main courses arrived.

Mine was a ‘special’ – two sizeable fillets of sea bream lightly grilled on a bed of sweet red pepper ragu and spiced up with salsa verde, each component nicely prepared and tasty, the whole a very well-balanced plate. Lodger’s braised duck leg quarter had a piquant red cabbage and a full-flavoured red wine sauce, a rich, robust combination of flavours that pleased him mightily. With properly crisp side portions of new potatoes and purplesprouting broccoli, both were hearty meals to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace.

They gave us a necessary breather before the desserts, also lavishly apportioned: a wedge of tuffety white chocolate cheesecake flecked with toasted coconut (Lodger: “Oh yes!”) and a heap of cream-rich homemade lemon and stem ginger ice-cream (Me: “Hmm-mmm!”).

By this time there was an atmosphere of belt-loosening jollity around the room but no shouting or outrageousness – we were English, after all – and the prevailing mood was that of well-satisfied customers lingering before heading home. Our meal had rolled out at about £65 (including wine) and we too were well satisfied – which is, after all, a very nice feeling. (Tony Benjamin)

Contact

DELMONICO 217 GLOUCESTER RD, BRISTOL. FFI: 0117 944 5673, WEB: WWW.DELMONICO.CO.UK The Verdict HHHHHHHHHH

Interesting and unpretentious food, carefully prepared and served with perfect hospitality

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➻ EatingOutWest Recipe liam stockdale Age: 25 Nationality: British Restaurant: Graze Bar & Chophouse

➻

I grew up on a bio-dynamic farm so I was always around good-quality produce and never really considered anything other than being a chef. Like most chefs, I started out life as a kitchen porter, in a pub restaurant called the Tump Inn in Herefordshire.

I’d describe the food at Graze as meaty modern British. I love cooking British food – both classic and modern dishes.

And you can’t beat a good Sunday roast!

I always try to incorporate some Bath Ales beers in my menus. We do a lovely rarebit dish with Dark Side and we use Bounders Cider in our mussels.

Most of the famous faces I’ve cooked for have been customers at Graze: Lee Evans, Justin Lee Collins, Carol Vorderman and John Inverdale to name a few. The kitchen at Graze is an open kitchen, and it’s great to know who you’re cooking for.

My advice to any aspiring chefs out there? Work hard, watch other chefs at work and try to be the best you can.

liam stockdale AT

GRAZE BAR & CHOPHOUSE Address: 63 Queen Square, Bristol BS1 4JZ Tel: 0117 927 6706 Web: www.bathales.com

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hen Bath Ales opened the doors to Graze Bar & Chophouse in Queen Square back in 2009, it was something of a departure from their existing estate of traditional pubs. The rise of cafe bars and casual dining restaurants had been fairly dramatic over recent years and so had customer expectation.

As a progressive organisation, Bath Ales had been keen to acquire a site in Bristol city centre.

Central yet discreet, it’s well placed to serve the city’s professional community along with the plethora of local people and tourists that use the city centre. Bars and chophouses in London and New York provided much of the inspiration for the interior design: high-quality bespoke furniture coupled with creative lighting schemes and some quirky design cues have been used to great effect.

“The concept for Graze is a sophisticated take on the British pub,” says Robin Couling, retail operations manager for Bath Ales, “and combines superb cask ales, wines and spirits with a nononsense menu of quality British and European cooking. We’ve created an informal yet stylish bar that serves Bath Ales beers along with an eclectic range of continental beers, premium spirits,

interesting wines and soft drinks. Customers can order drinks at the bar or relax and enjoy service at the table.

“Meat cookery is central to the food theme,” Robin continues, “and we’re delighted to be working with Neston Park Farm in Wiltshire who supply their superb estate-reared, organic black and tan beef along with delicious woodland reared pork and fabulous red clover-grazed lamb. The menu is designed in such a way as to allow customers to eat anything from a light lunch or snack, such as mushrooms and kidneys on toast or fish soup, to a three- or four-course meal with fine wines.”

“Superb cask ales, wines and spirits and a no-nonsense menu of quality British and European cooking”

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Game terrine INGREDIENTS

500g diced game (eg partridge, venison, rabbit) 500g pork mince 3 skinless pheasant breasts 500g smoked streaky bacon handful of picked thyme & rosemary 100ml port 100ml brandy salt & pepper

TO MAKE

1 2

Finely chop the thyme and rosemary and mix with the port and brandy.

Ensuring that all the meats are kept in separate bowls, marinade the pork mince, diced game and pheasant breasts in the herb mixture. Leave in the fridge overnight.

3 4

Preheat oven to 180°C and line a terrine mould (or baking tin) with clingfilm.

Spread the bacon out between two sheets of clingfilm. Using a rolling pin, roll out the bacon as thinly as possible. Line the mould with the bacon, making sure there are no gaps. Ensure that there’s at least an inch overhang all the way round.

5

Season all the marinated meats generously. Spoon half of the pork mince mixture into the terrine mould, pressing it in tightly and making sure there are no air gaps.

6

Follow by spooning half the diced game, and then all five of the pheasant breasts.

Repeat the process with the rest of the diced game, and finally the pork mince, creating five clear layers.

7

Fold the excess bacon and remaining clingfilm over the top of the terrine and cover with foil.

8

Cook in a bain marie (deep oven tray, three-quarters-filled with hot water) for approximately 1hr to 1hr20 mins or until the core temperature is 70°C.

9

Take the tray out of the oven and remove from the bain marie. Remove the foil and leave to cool, then slice and serve.

10

Serve with your favourite chutney (beetroot recommended), warm toast and pickles.

Recommended...

RARE VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR

➻ This dish has a rich mix of flavours,

with the game adding depth, the pheasant and pork bringing lighter savoury notes and the port and brandy bringing a subtle fruit essence. The Rare Vineyards Pinot Noir is a richer, fruit-driven style of pinot and brings red cherry and ripe raspberry fruit with a touch of vanilla on the finish. The red fruit flavours will help to cut through the richness of this dish and complement the port, while the vanilla, from the short-time oak, will blend perfectly with the game and herb seasoning – a must-try!

FFI WWW.MATTHEWCLARK. CO.UK

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