Food, Drink, Entertainment

40 Seat Function Room FOR HIRE

Belper Town Centre

Suitable for Meetings, Classes, Events & Parties Bar and Catering Available Please call 07989 520629 or e-mail clubstrutt@gmail.com for more information

The Strutt Club, 6 Campbell Street, Belper DE56 1AP (above Arkwrights Real Ale Bar)

AA Breakfast Award

The Derby Hotel North Shore Blackpool

Welcome to The Derby Hotel in Blackpool, situated on Derby Road, North Shore Blackpool. Less than 50 yards from the promenade

2021 Trips

MONDAY TO FRIDAY

Door to door pickup from Belper and Ripley

Bed, breakfast & evening meal with transport only £180pp

Aug 23rd to 27th • Sept 20th to 24th Oct 18th to 22nd

Proud to Have AA Breakfast Award 2020!

7 DAY

FRIDAY TO FRIDAY

Door to door pickup in your own taxi Bed, breakfast & evening meal. Only £680 for 2 people!

For more informa�on or to book, call Ivan 01253 623708 or 07809 143248 www.thederbyhotel.co.uk

Beer

A New Wave of British Lager

Lager has had a bit of a chequered history in this country. The first known lager to be brewed in the UK was back in 1835 in Edinburgh by Muir’s Brewery, but it didn’t really take off until two German immigrants from Saxony established the Wrexham Lager Beer Company in 1881.

They found some success by exporting it but, unfortunately, it was a little too early for the majority of tastes of the UK beer drinkers who were still drinking the sweeter beers, like mild.

In the 1960s and ‘70s when people started to travel to the continent and experience lager in warmer climes, the popularity of this golden, crystal clear beverage exploded. The introduction of mass marketed keg beer in the UK at this time was, in part, the reason for the consumer group CAMRA to be established, as a bit of a kickback against this onslaught and to preserve the heritage of real ale. More recently, within the craft beer scene, which has been synonymous with IPAs, pales, sours and stouts, we are seeing some breweries focus solely on lager, offering an alternative to the largely popular brands you expect to see on most bars.

Lost & Grounded - Starting life in 2016 this Bristol brewer gained an instant reputation for being one of the best in the UK. With Alex Troncoso and Annie Clements at the helm it was never going to be bad. Alex was part of shaping Little Creatures into where it is today, and helped to build Camden Town Brewery into the monster that was eventually bought out, which is when this brewer and his partner left to follow their dream of their own brewery.

Donzoko – based in Hartlepool, they are inspired by the rich beer heritage of the UK, Germany and Europe using techniques from modern UK and American craft brewing processes to create delicious beers for every day. Braybrooke – started in 2017 in Market Harborough and they have just one aim: to make really good lager. They have a commitment to quality and complementing their core range of Kelles, Helles and Session lagers with Cold Brew Lager, Honey Marzen, Smoked Lager and India Pale Lager.

Utopian – based in the middle of Devon in Crediton, they pride themselves on using only British ingredients, reducing their food miles. The UK leads the way in growing natural, disease-resistant hops and sourcing them locally helps Utopian with their sustainability pledge, as these are also more environmentally friendly. Most beers spend over 100 days in tanks, meaning they are crystal clear, crisp and dry. Expect styles such as a British Pilsner, Czech inspired lager, Maibock lager and Black lager.

I was fortunate to try some of these beers, as part of the @belperbeerclub. All members were all suitably impressed with the care and attention that is being poured into them and would highly recommend giving any of these a try if you are wanting to source British lagers.

By Sean McKeown

Follow Sean on Twitter @joonip3r

Word on Wine

With summer now in full swing, why not try a chilled white wine in the sun? The wine I would like to introduce to you is Picpoul de Pinet.

Picpoul is an ancient grape variety from the Languedoc region of France. Sometimes referred to as Piquepoul, meaning ‘lip-stinging’, the wine it produces has high acidity. It has produced good quality wine since the early 17th century, and was exported north from the Midi region in large quantities in the 17th and 18th centuries. However, the vines are susceptible to fungal diseases and the phylloxera outbreak in the late 1800s almost wiped it out. In the early 20th century it was found that the vines like the sandy soils of the coastal hills in southern France. Picpoul comes in 3 guises of Blanc, Noir and Gris. The Noir grapes produce an alcoholic, richly scented, colourless wine which is often used to soften strong red wines like Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The Blanc variety is the one being used to make white wine from the Languedoc / Roussillon region using 100% Picpoul.

Picpoul de Pinet uses Picpoul Blanc grapes, creating a clear to green-gold coloured, full-bodied wine with lemony citrus flavours. This has become one of the area’s signature wines and has given the Languedoc / Roussillon region its own appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC). It is one of the few French wines that actually use the name of the grape in the name of the wine. Tourists to the area can now visit the cooperative at Pinet, the most important winery in the region. It cannot be missed, as it is heavily signposted and at the side of the main autoroute along the Mediterranean coast.

The wine that reflects the characteristics of the grape is the Ormarine’s Villemarin Picpoul de Pinet 2020 from Majestic Wines. They describe the wine as mouth-wateringly crisp and refreshing. The plateau of the area is covered in vines, wild herbs (juniper, thyme, rosemary and lavender) and pine groves stretching down to the vast Thau Lagoon. Warm days, cool nights and sea breezes create a wine full of citrus, apple and stone fruit flavours with a saline minerality. One writer described the wine as having ‘its head in the breeze and feet in the sea’. If you like wine and would like to learn more, please visit our website at www.kiburnwinecircle.weebly.com or see our Facebook page for details. You can find information on our website about our planned programme of tastings in 2021, subject to COVID-19 restrictions.

By David Savidge, Kilburn Wine Circle

Technical Details:

Grapes: 100% Picpoul Appearance: Clean, clear wine. Nose / Aroma: Floral aromas of lemon, white peach and apple. Taste: Citrus / lemon with wet stone, green apple and stone fruits. Alcohol by Volume: 13% Food match: Good with sea food and rich cheese, or simply sipped on its own. Available from: Majestic Wines £9.99 (reduced to £7.47 as part of six or more bottles).

For more information about the wine and to order online, visit www.majestic.co.uk or visit the shop on Ashbourne Road in Derby.

The world’s heaviest potato was grown by UK resident Peter Glazebrook in 2011. It weighed nearly 5kg. Potatoes have more Vitamin C than oranges, more potassium than bananas and more fibre than apples. The sweet potato is only distantly related to the regular potato. Potatoes develop green skin when exposed to light. Not only does this skin taste bitter, but it’s also toxic. Instant potato brand ‘Smash’ was originally launched in the 1960s but its heyday was in the 1970s, following the Smash Martians advert (look on YouTube kids, if you don’t remember it!). Smash is still popular today, with the UK consuming around 140 million servings a year.

A Change Round at Horsley Lodge Golf Club

Horsley Lodge Golf Club & Hotel used the lockdown time to reassess where they wanted to go in the business marketplace and have made some changes during this time.

On reopening, the restaurant and patio has now become a new ‘Members Lounge and Terrace’ area, exclusively for members, friends and their guests. The other areas of the facility are still open to the public and can be pre-booked as they continue to offer these popular hospitality services.

General Manager Richard Odell explains to us how the new set up works:

Many of our readers love to come up here for the great food and the beautiful views, are they still welcome?

Of course! We still offer to the public our extremely popular Sunday Lunches, Afternoon Teas and Champagne Breakfasts at specific times, which can be reserved in our other private dining rooms overlooking the course. The public are still able to pre-book private rooms for minimum sized parties for personal celebrations and events, and we can now look after you at our more exclusive private club.

What does the social membership offer and how much does it cost?

Clubhouse membership offers exclusive access to our new ‘Members Lounge and Terrace’ for members, friends and their guests. This area has a discounted food and beverage menu available 7 days a week to represent the subscription fees they pay, and it definitely has more of that sports bar vibe for the ‘après-golf’ crowd. Social memberships are now available to purchase at a nominal fee of around £1 per week, which gives you not only the advantage of signing in as many guests as you would like, but also keeps you up to date with everything that is happening around the Club.

Are you still attracting weddings and functions to this beautiful venue?

Horsley Lodge will continue to offer its excellent conference and banqueting facilities and exceptional accommodation to everyone and will remain as one of the most popular wedding venues. Private rooms are also available to be booked out for businesses and conferences.

If you are interested in becoming either a social member of Horsley Lodge, booking a private function or reserving a dining place, please contact them on 01332 780838.

www.horsleylodge.co.uk

Recipe

Quinoa and Feta Burgers with Tomato Relish

A vegetarian burger packed with flavour and topped with a simple tomato relish.

Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes Makes: 6 burgers

Ingredients:

80g / scant ½ cup quinoa 2 tsp bouillon vegetable stock powder or a vegetable stock cube 2 tbsp olive oil ½ red onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 tsp ground cumin 1 x 400g can kidney beans drained 115g / 4oz feta cheese, crumbled 1 tbsp parsley, chopped 1 tbsp mint, chopped 2 tbsp cornflour Salt and pepper

Tomato Relish:

4 tomatoes, quartered 1 red onion, quartered 1 tbsp olive oil ½ small chipotle chilli, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes 1 tbsp fresh coriander 2 tsp xylitol 2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Method:

Add the quinoa to 250ml water with the bouillon powder or stock cube and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes until cooked. Keep the lid on and let the quinoa sit in the pan for another 10 minutes. Place in a bowl.

For the relish, preheat the oven to 180C/ fan 160C/gas mark 4 and place the tomatoes and onion on a baking tray. Drizzle over the oil and cook in the oven for 15 minutes until soft. Place in a food processor with the remaining ingredients and pulse to form a thick and chunky puree. Allow to cool.

Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan.

Add the onion, garlic and cumin. Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the beans, feta and cooked quinoa. Stir in the herbs and cornflour and mash with a potato masher to break up the beans. When cool enough to handle, divide into 6 portions and shape into burgers.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook until browned on each side, about 5-6 minutes.

To serve, place the burgers into burger buns and arrange over the toppings of your choice.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories per burger with relish (no bun): 215kcal Protein 8.5g Carbohydrates 24g (of which sugars 6.2g) Fat 9.7g (of which saturates 3.4g)