Brighton
Issue One
Editor’s Note
Dear Reader, Today marks the day of the first Men’s Health Brighton issue! The wait is over and I am pleased and excited to share this zine with you, designed to fish out the city explorer in us all, I ask you to flick through these pages as you walk the lanes of our beloved Brighton and explore the articles for yourselves. Enjoy!
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Shopping
Buy It in Brighton Papillon
If you’re ever wandering through the maze that is; The Laines, then take a stroll to Papillon. Having opened in 2009, Papillon has rapidly become one of my favourite’s places in all of Brighton to visit. With an eclectic mix of interiors and certain tranquillity, this independent boutique opened with the intention of nurturing harmonious living. And harmonious it isfull of beautiful smelling scents, inspiring interiors and stylish gifts, this boutique is simply dreamy. No doubt after one trip to Papillon you will want to transform your entire home to look like a section of the boutique. I certainly know I did. Buy It: The Fairy Tales of the Brother Grimm. One of the many appealing books they feature in their charming boutique. Perfect for unique gift ideas! Find It: 8 Union St Brighton BN1 1HA http://www.thepapillonshop.com/
Rose Hill Boutique Don’t you just love the warm greeting you get when you walk in to an independent store? Suddenly manner’s are bought back into the shopping experience with simply things like ‘Hello, how are you?’ and ‘Thank you for visiting’. Independent stores are also perfect for gift hunting- often stocking a unique selection trinkets and finds that you certainly wouldn’t spot in any high street shop. Rose Hill Boutique however is one of these rare special finds, situated amongst the hustle and bustle of Kensington Gardens. I simply can’t pass without having a nose around this delicate boutique, as every piece is so carefully presented, almost as though their too beautiful to touch. Over the past year I have purchased many pieces; from a skull & antler wall hanging, to soap and bath salts- Rose Hill Boutique constantly brings in new stock, making sure it’s always filled to the brim with must-have pieces. Find It: 3b Kensington Gardens, Brighton, BN1 4AL
Words By Sascha V i n e
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http://www.rosehillboutique.co.uk/
Eating & Drinking
Angel Food Bakery If you have a not-so-secret sweet tooth like me, then head over to Angel Bakery for a spot of tea & cake. Hidden within The Laines. Offering a selection of freshly made and beautifully presented cakes to tempt you to try more than one. Angel Bakery remains a very popular place for tourists to visit when visiting Brighton at the weekend. However during the week the bakery remains’ rather peaceful, which is the best time to visit this piece of cupcake heaven. Angel Bakery has a small cafe section where you can take a seat to enjoy their delicious selection of cakes. Yes, they even bake ones suitable for Vegans. I was lucky enough to of been treated to one of their bespoke occasion cakes for my birthday this year. Of course I went for my favourite; The Red Velvet Cupcake, big enough to generously feed 10 people! Try It: The red velvet cupcake. It’s hard to pass this place and not buy one! Find It: 20 Meeting House Lane, Brighton, BN1 1HB http://www.angelfoodbakery.co.uk/
Words By Sascha V i n e
BYOC BYOC (Bring Your Own Cocktail) quietly slipped into Brighton’s bar scene last November and if the last few months has been anything like my visit, then it has been blowing all competition out of the water since then. Situated down a small side street in The Lanes, BYOC is hidden away behind a disused juice bar and only a lucky few know it’s there. BYOC’s concept is a simple one: pay £10 for one hour, bring your own sealed alcohol and sit back as your bartender mixes bespoke cocktails in the beautiful speakeasy-style surroundings. As it’s so select, you need to book up a table in advance to avoid disappointment and they rarely take bookings straight off the street. Once you ring the doorbell an immaculately dressed bartender will greet you and take you through to the rear of the building where the candlelit bar resides. I have to mention the décor of this place as it’s easily one of the best looking bars in Brighton.
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Situated over 2 levels with moody lighting, BYOC reminds me of an upmarket Bee’s Mouth. The basement is split into two rooms: a bar area with tables and comfy leather sofas, then surprisingly and ingeniously, a small six-seater cinema. The upstairs could seat around 18 guests while downstairs could seat 15, the latter also being available for private functions.
Eating & Drinking
BOYC (cont) Once seated our bartender was keen to see what spirits we had brought. We produced a large bottle of vodka, a small bottle of dark rum and the curve ball: a can of cider. Completely unfazed, our bartender got to work. Using an array of self-brewed concoctions, fresh fruit juices and various essences, he created our drinks. First up was a light summery vodka based drink made with apple juice, lemon juice, summer loving shrub, egg white and a strawberry garnish. This was a perfect start to our evening, expertly mixed, deliciously light and strong. Each flavour really sung through and thanks to the egg white, had a real fluffiness to it. BYOC brews and makes all the juices, mixers and potions fresh on site. The summer loving shrub (which was new to me with my limited cocktail making) is a strong mixer and just one of many that they make on site. We chose to take our seats in the cosy alcove cinema, watching silent movies and listening to the old fashioned, soothing tunes from the gramophone. The next drink was vodka based and included yellow pepper juice, raspberry juice, pink peppercorn extract and fresh raspberry garnish. This was completely different to our first drink; the yellow pepper juice made it almost savoury and sour but the raspberry juice sweetly evened it out. A truly unique and clever mix of flavours.
Next came out a cider and rum based cocktail that included grains of paradise tincture, cacao tincture, nutmeg and apple slice garnish. Bringing the cider was more of joke piece which I felt slightly embarrassed about and didn’t really expect to made into a delicious autumnal cocktail. But I was exceptionally impressed when it came out. The cider had been flattened slightly so was very mellow, but lurking in the background was the heat of the rum and complexity of the tinctures. Never in a million years would I think Magners could be so delectable. Again tinctures were a new one on me, they are typically an alcoholic extract of fruit, herbs, spices etc. These are made again on site and are used sparingly in the drinks but add a great depth of flavour. Our last drink of the evening was a vodka one that included: basil, basil syrup, alfalfa tincture, apple juice, lemon juice, cucumber and lavender syrup. This summery concoction was dry and had all the good bits from a G&T, but was a lot more complex. The basil gave it that extra savoury note and the lemon gave it a sharp send-off.
If you want a more sophisticated night out drinking, then this place is for you with some of the most accommodating and knowledgable bar staff I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.
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Words By Rob L i n g
BYOC was an absolute pleasure to visit from start to finish. There has been a lot of attention to detail and effort put into making this place work. Having lived in Brighton for 7 years, this is one of the most unique places I have visited and somewhere I will definitely go again.
Partying
New Year’s Eve! Not long now until the clock strikes twelve and you’ve got a mouth full of confetti and a hand full of liquid refreshments, but where to see in this heralded party night? Boasting some of the best end of year bashes in the UK, Brighton is a hubbub of activity on New Year’s Eve; whether you’re after the sweet thump of hot house beats or dabbling in a retro rollick, our seaside shores not only aim to please, they knock it out of the party park. Check out some of the best New Year’s Eve events in Brighton 2015. Look, we’re really rather loud on any other night than New Year’s Eve, so what make you think that this end of year bash in Brighton isn’t going to be stellar? Nothing, we tell you, nothing! From some of the best warehouse parties this side of the equator to shindigs for cocktails crooners and laid back doozies the like, there’s nothing that Brighton can’t promise on one of the biggest party nights of the year.
Pump up the jam NYE @ The Tempest Inn on Thu 31st Dec 2015 - Fri 1st Jan 2016 Remember back to when freddos were still 10p and you’d try to make your gooey aliens have sex? The 90s were a special time, and quite frankly, we bloody miss’em! Fortunately for us, The Tempest Inn are here to save the day. On New Years Eve, they’ll be putting on their Pump up the Jam NYE special - an ode to all of the best Dance, House, Garage, Jungle, Hip Hop & Pop music from the golden era. Nang.
Words ByHope Harding NYE PARTY // Black tie // Bar 76 Brighton @ Bar 76 on Thu 31st Dec 2015 - Fri 1st Jan 2016 Bar 76 brings down the curtain on 2015 with another of their infamous Black Tie soirees this year. There’s a strict dress code so make sure you get all dressed up to the nines; with a range of VIP tables and bottle deals available, too. Enjoy some of the cheapest drink deals in Brighton and huge party hits from Resident DJ Leon, mixing it up with current chart-toppers and classic anthems alike.
The incredible clubbers paradise, The Arch are hosting one hell of a New Year’s Eve party putting all others to shame with their ‘All Nighter’ philosophy. Party from the night all the way through until the sun rises and January 1st hits you in your hungover face. Known to host international DJs from around the world, trust in this line-up. Trust.
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Treatment NYE All Nighter @ The Arch on Thu 31st Dec 2015 - Fri 1st Jan 2016
With Thanks To Hope Harding - Editor Rob Ling - Words & Images Sascha Vine - Words & Images
Brighton