SEASONS GREETINGS

DoubleTree by Hilton

Walcot Street, Bath BA1 5BJ; Tel: 01225 463411; hilton.com

Review

Emma Clegg heads to the DoubleTree by Hilton and discovers raspberries, Jane Austen and a new friend called Luis

It started with a kiss. From a raspberry daiquiri. We were visiting the recently refurbished Hilton Doubletree on Walcot Street to sample their new restaurant menu. The façade of the edifice that was once voted Bath’s ugliest building is still lacking – although plans are afoot to revamp the exterior – but the hotel backs on to the River Avon and weir, which ups the natural drama and romance considerably for hotel guests or diners with a river view.

The hotel closed in January to undergo a major refurb following its acquisition by Starwood Capital. Its reopening £10.1 million later – originally scheduled for April and foiled by the obvious – welcomes it as one of the biggest hotels in the city with 176 Scandi-style rooms, a private gym and a meetings and events space that houses up to 200. Inside sees a transformed interior with a clean, Middle Eastern vibe, a spacious, glamorous entrance foyer that’s perfect for social distancing. It is cool, spacious, uncluttered, utilitarian but poised, with open views to the interconnecting spaces on the ground floor.

Beyond the reception area there is a bar and restaurant and a separate ‘grab and go’ café area (where the kiss took place, while my accomplice in dining was courted by an Old-Fashioned), designed to cater for guests wanting a quick coffee and a pastry before shooting off to start their business day. There’s also an intimate Secret Garden, an ‘orangerie’ overlooking the river, which is where we ate. Not all the cascading foliage here needs watering, but more live plants, a garden sound track and a water feature are following soon, designed to stimulate all the senses just as a Georgian orangerie would have done.

In the restaurant – called Emma’s in homage to Jane Austen’s fourth novel – head chef Simon Stevens serves cuisine with a strong Asian influence (with no homage to JA, who would have liked the river view, but I imagine would have preferred English tea and sandwiches). Times have changed however and Simon, who has travelled widely in South East Asia, pulls in culinary references from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, which appeal to the hotel’s significant number of customers from China and the US, along with all those with a meandering global palate.

Starter options included mini pork ramen and a boa bun, Asian style crab cakes with spiced mango chutney (my choice, and an excellent one – no appetite-saving measures took place here), cauliflower pakora with Makhani sauce, smoked BBQ chicken wings and soup of the day cater for most preferences. The main dishes offer a wide selection of sharing platters, from a bread themed one including tomato and rosemary focaccia and pumpkin seed bread served with olives and hummus, to a charcuterie platter including salami, chorizo and baked camembert with pickles and breads, and others sporting a gastro theme of beef brisket, croquettes or chicken.

We selected chicken tikka masala served with basmati and naan (one of the top three most popular dishes, the flavour of which I can wholeheartedly attest to) and sirloin steak with vine tomatoes and grilled Portobello mushrooms –all served on distinctive dishes with wide, copper coloured surrounds. Demonstrating the range, we could also have embraced burgers or haddock and chips, or gone further afield with a Tandoori chicken wrap, Korean rainbow kimchi and glass noodles or nasi goreng with satay skewers and Malaysian sambal.

Secret garden aside, we were totally enchanted by Luis Romaguera from Venezuela who took very good care of us and chatted at length. As restaurant manager, he was a trained sommelier, and recommended the South African Cullinan View Pinotage to match our meal duet. White would have been the natural choice, he explained, but we are assiduous red winers, and so this was a good red match, with a fruity, smoky character and soft rounded tannins.

Dessert brought us pineapple and mango sorbet and chocolate chip cookie cheesecake (choc chip cookie is a defining theme at the Hilton where a DoubleTree cookie cocktail is also on offer), which were satisfying albeit unessential finales to our meal, especially so when accompanied by Luis’ recommended dessert wine, which I agreed to impulsively and made us feel louche but gay, in the archaic sense of the word.

“The Sweetness Lies Within” sang British indie rock band Hefner; so too with the DoubleTree by Hilton. n

Crab cakes: £6.50; cauliflower pakora: £5.95; sirloin steak: £21.95; chicken tikka masala: £15.95; cheesecake: £6.50; sorbet: £4.95; Cullinan View Pinotage: £26. The DoubleTree Hilton restaurant is open from Monday to Saturday from 4pm–10pm

Le chef privé

Some of us have upped our game when dining at home over the past few months. But what if you really, really don’t want to cook and going out isn’t an option? Just call in a world class chef like Laurent Couvreur, says Melissa Blease

For around a decade, Casanis – the super-pretty, authentically French Saville Row bistro owned and run by chef Laurent Couvreur and his wife (aka front-of-house goddess) Jill – enjoyed pole position on Bath’s BestLoved Restaurant chart, garnering local and national acclaim and earning a clutch of prestigious awards for all-round joie de vivre. But of course, for a restaurant to thrive and survive for so many years, there has to be more on the menu than a laid-back atmosphere, a good-times vibe and a sparkle of je ne sais quoi (which Casanis had, in spades); if the food isn’t fabulous, the flurry will be short-lived... and Laurent’s food lived on in the memory long after the dessert had been digested.

Little wonder, then, that when Casanis closed its doors four years ago, a palpable cloud of gloom cast a shadow over Bath. But in this instance, that cloud had a silver

lining: Laurent’s menus can still be the focus of an event to look forward to... in the comfort of our own homes, and in the company of our own bubble.

Laurent’s unique private dining experience Le Chef Privé is not, however, a covidrelated initiative; he established the service back in 2016, long before the dreaded C-word – let alone lockdown restrictions or social distancing – dominated our consciousness. But given the strange times we’re living in, surely the services of a private chef cooking and serving dinner in our own, controlled environment is a welcome addition to the menu of ‘new’ ways to eat out?

“Le Chef Privé definitely offers broad appeal right now, when eating out isn’t anything like it used to be,” says Laurent. “I visit the customer’s home in advance of any event to discuss not only practicalities such as what, where and how I’ll be cooking and what equipment I can provide, but also to reassure people about social distancing and PPE. Of course, I can’t cook for parties larger than six guests as the moment. But I can still recreate a restaurant experience in a domestic environment, and a special occasion atmosphere as required.”

And Laurent is no stranger to creating that environment; prior to Casanis, he cooked at some of the best-known Michelinstarred restaurants along the glamorous Cote d’Azur (including the Le Royal Gray in Cannes), cheffed at both Le Beaujolais (ah, fond memories!) and The Manor House in Castle Combe, and enjoyed a six-year head chef residency at London’s Ritz Club. Does he ever miss the thrum of day-to-day (and night!) restaurant kitchen life? “Well yes, sometimes,” he says. “But only sometimes –and right now, running a restaurant is more difficult than ever. But doing what I’m doing now isn’t necessarily easier than cooking in a restaurant kitchen – there are exactly the same processes to manage, and in some ways, the preparation period is more intense, because I do as much in advance as I can then take everything with me, to the site. But I’m still doing what I love – inventing and developing dishes, serving people, and making people happy, with my food.”

And indeed, Laurent – whose cooking style and influence could very much be described as rooted in southern France, using locally sourced, seasonal produce as much as possible – is making many people very happy, as myriad glowing reviews published on the Le Chef Privé website attest to. What kind of dishes are most often requested, right now? “Classics such as my Beef Wellington and Monkfish wrapped in Parma Ham are always popular,” says

Laurent. “But I can adapt the menu to the occasion, and of course the likes and dislikes of my customer and their guests. I serve hot and cold canapés too, and I’m happy to include recommended wines as part of the service.”

While we’re on the subject of service, it’s worth noting that Le Chef Privé does an excellent job of cleaning up after himself and your guests when the party's over, too (“I often leave a kitchen cleaner and tidier than it was when I arrived!” Laurent laughs) while, if you're lucky, he’ll even bring a little flask filled with orange liqueur home made to his grandmother's recipe – a large decanter of which used to sit on the bar at Casanis – to share at dessert time, the perfect accompaniment to, say, Crème Brûlée, or Tarte aux Pommes... oh là là indeed.

Away from the hob, Laurent and Jill like to eat and drink at Corkage on Chapel Row (“chef Richard is doing great things there,” he says) and the enduringly popular modern brasserie Clayton’s Kitchen. But right here, right now, home – for all the obvious reasons – has to be where the heart is for all of us. And if you want to bring food with heart, passion and bon temps into your home, Le Chef Privé is at your service.

Image by Rob Vanderplank

After a successful couple of years trading at Bath Farmers’ Market, Sugarcane Studio have opened their first shop on Grove Street, just round the corner from the picturesque Pulteney Bridge, bringing Bath a taste of fine patisserie with a subtle Asian twist – a fabulously fresh and exciting combination.

Sugarcane Studio is run by pastry chef Fang-Yu Lin, a Cordon Bleu trained chef with years of experience in London and Taipei, and her husband Neil Edwards, a glass artist and the brand image designer. They began creating their own signature style of patisserie in 2018, fusing classic French desserts with the flavours of East Asia. Using only the freshest, quality ingredients, they balance delicate flavours and textures in all their products. With a regularly evolving menu, you will encounter delights such as yuzu and genmaicha tea macarons, mango and passionfruit choux buns, milk tea and blueberry mille-feuille, or

Image by Siân Mariah Keady

Image by Rob Vanderplank

matcha and adzuki bean gateau in an enticing chilled display cabinet. Located at the start of Grove Street, the shop is a charming place where you can enjoy a coffee or choose from the array of Asian teas while you browse the selection of handmade homeware. Sugarcane Studio strongly believe in the dedication to craft that is shared with chefs and designer/makers alike, and alongside desserts, the company also stocks Taiwanese designed products of the highest craftsmanship.

Image by Fangyu Cho

Sugarcane Studio 1 Grove Street, Bath BA2 6PJ info@sugarcanestudio.co.uk +447415 311461 www.sugarcanestudio.co.uk

Image by Fangyu Cho

Finding the city merry

While this Christmas may be more social bubbles than champagne bubbles, we’ve been putting a little aside to spend on treats from local suppliers to make the holiday special. Here’s some of what we’ve got our eye on...

IT’S SIX O’CLOCK SOMEWHERE

...Always. Romy’s Edition is a deliciously moreish limited edition gin packed with flavour. The lovely distillers at 6 O’Clock worked closely with celebrated chef Romy Gill MBE to craft a gin that portrays the unique flavours of India, using herbs and spices commonly found in Indian cooking, and infuses juice from the native mango. The recipe is inspired by the Romy’s memoirs and strikes the perfect balance between rich, fruity sweetness and reserved spice. Enjoy in a G&T over plenty of ice and garnished with a slice of fresh mango.

Romy’s Edition – Mango, Ginger & Lime, 40% ABV, 70cl, £38. Widely available at stockists across Bath or order online at 6oclockgin.com

TIME FLIES WHEN YOU’RE HAVING RUM

Hailing from the Bristol and Bath Rum Distillery on Park Street in Bristol, renegade spiced rum brand Dead Man’s Fingers has 10 flavours on offer, including spiced, coconut, hazelnut, raspberry and passionfruit – it’s the perfect gift for those looking for a taste to challenge to the conventional Christmas tipples. The raspberry rum, shown here, comprises original Dead Man’s Fingers spiced rum with added notes of sweet, ripe raspberries balanced with a hint of citrus. Try serving over ice with lemonade and a wedge of lime or make yourself an awesome raspberry daiquiri. Delicious and different.

Dead Man’s Fingers flavoured spiced rum, 37.5% ABV, 70cl, RRP £22. Available to buy from the Bristol and Bath Rum Distillery, most major supermarkets or order online at thedropstore.com

0% FREE SPIRIT

Mockingbird Spirit is a brand new alcohol-free, tequila-inspired, agave-based spirit. This unique addition to the mocktail scene makes a great gift and is from a Bristol company setting out to bring inclusivity to anyone who’s off the booze. Made using functional, versatile, authentic, vegan and gluten-free ingredients, the vibe is evocative and moreish earthy blue Weber agave, sweet vanilla and cinnamon with a healthy hint of habanero. It’s passionately produced with the adaptogen ashwagandha to support health and happiness. The perfect pour: in a margarita – naturally!

Available in 50cl (£22.99) & 5cl (£3.99) bottles, order online at mockingbirdspirit.com

APPLE CIDER CELEBRATION

Looking for something new and refreshing this Christmas? Try the latest limited edition cider from the Thatchers Cider Barn range –Grenadier. Harvested in September, the freshly pressed juice of the Grenadier apple is beautifully blended to create an elegant and light 7.4% ABV, wine-like sparkling cider. RRP £2.10 for 500ml. For more than 100 years the Thatcher family has been quietly perfecting the magic that turns apples into cider, and a visit to the Thatchers Cider Shop at Myrtle Farm is a special West Country treat at any time of the year; thatcherscider.co.uk

ONE GIN EMBRACES THE APPLE

One Sage & Apple Gin is uniquely distilled with fresh English sage and russet apple. It is also vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and certified kosher and was awarded Silver at The Gin Masters 2019 and Bronze at the IWSC 2019. One Sage & Apple Gin has an overall aromatic nose of fresh and candied apple, freshly cut wood and juniper, with hints of gooseberry and orange marmalade. This leads to a palate of fresh apple, orange peel and soft juniper, mixed spice and Turkish delight. The gin uses the oil from the pip of the russet apple to deliver apple freshness without creating an overly sweet gin. One Gin is available from Tesco stores or for more information visit: www.thespiritofone.com

FOOD&DRINK NEWS

MOORFIELDS REFURB

The Moorfields in Oldfield Park has reopened following a £500,000 joint investment from Stonegate Pub Company and The Bath Pub Company. The Bath Pub Company took over the Moorfields in March this year –the spend has brought a new lease of life to the building, which has kept its traditional pub feel, while making way for contemporary features and a modern kitchen designed with day-to-day operations and staff comfort in mind. Taking the helm of the pub is general manager Paul Newson, who joins from Circo Cellar Bar, alongside Jack Scarterfield, the long-standing head chef from sister pub The Marlborough Tavern. The pub offers great quality, classic, homecooked pub favourites with a contemporary twist. Find The Moorfields Inn at 73 Third Avenue, Oldfield Park. themoorfields.com

TAKE A BIRD; ADD A PLATE

The Bird, Bath has opened a stylish, neighbourhood restaurant called ‘plate by Leon Smith’, which will bring the ‘Best of Bath and beyond’ to diners. The produce-led, honest British dishes encapsulate a taste of the west country using fresh, seasonal ingredients. It aims to become one of the city’s favourite restaurants, where a relaxed, informal experience of everyday dining awaits. Head chef Leon Smith is an exciting talent returning to the west country having established his reputation at some of the UK’s finest establishments. The colourful, playful interior complements the flavourful menu that is presented with flair and executed with skill. New menu items will be added weekly to reflect true seasonality. thebirdbath.co.uk

FINE PATISSERIE

Sugarcane Studio have opened their first shop on Grove Street, just round the corner from the Pulteney Bridge, bringing Bath fine patisserie with a subtle Asian twist, a fabulously fresh and exciting combination. Run by Cordon Bleu trained pastry chef Fang-Yu Lin and her husband Neil Edwards, glass artist and the brand image designer, the patisserie fuses classic French desserts with the flavours of East Asia. Using the freshest, quality ingredients, the products showcase a balance of delicate flavours and textures. Imagine yuzu and genmaicha tea macarons, and feel the edible thrill. olivetreebath.co.uk n