Crumbs Cotswolds – issue 52

CRUMBS Cotswolds NO.52 MARCH 2017

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A little slice of foodie heaven Leeks!

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GREEN GROWERS

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THERE’S BEEN A LOT in the news lately about the shortage of certain veggies. Inclement weather abroad means that there’s been a distinct lack of courgettes, and some supermarkets have even started rationing Iceberg lettuces. Crazy times. But what’s most crazy is the reliance we have on bringing fruit and vegetables from overseas.

After all, our green and pleasant land is only too capable of yielding some wonderful crops at all times of year, not least the lovely leek, which is the star of this issue. It seems obvious, then, that we should do our very best to munch seasonally, rather than rely on imports – as not only does that help support local businesses, but it also cuts down on the old air miles (and, therefore, pollution) and, of course, generally tastes better, too.

This all said, we’re very lucky that here in the Cotswolds there are so many restaurants and hotels with their own kitchen gardens, meaning our chefs have access to some of the freshest ingredients possible. Of course, all this takes a lot of hard work behind the scenes, so this issue we scurried up and down the area meeting some of our best kitchen gardeners, often the unsung heroes of a kitchen team.

If there’s one thing even better than locally grown ingredients, though, it’s home-grown ones, and this month we welcome the Veg Out column back to the mag. Want to know what to plant and harvest each month? Then Kathy Slack is your girl…

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Emma Dance Editor emma.dance@mediaclash.co.uk

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Table of Contents

NO.52 MARCH 2017

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EDITOR

EMMA DANCE emma.dance@mediaclash.co.uk DEVELOPMENT EDITOR

MATT BIELBY matt.bielby@mediaclash.co.uk ART DIRECTOR

TREVOR GILHAM DESIGN

KITCHEN ARMOURY

VICKY MITCHARD ADVERTISING MANAGER

DANIELLE MORRIS danielle.morris@mediaclash.co.uk

36 HOUSE CALL Poulton Hill Wine Estate’s Caroline Findlay and Max Thomas show us around their gaff

SALES EXECUTIVE

RYAN GOODMAN ryan.goodman@mediaclash.co.uk PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

42 THE WANT LIST It’s all about the wine…

SARAH KINGSTON sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk DEPUTY PRODUCTION MANAGER / PRODUCTION DESIGNER

MAINS

CHRISTINA WEST christina.west@mediaclash.co.uk

47 GREEN FINGERS We meet the kitchen gardeners planting up a storm

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

JANE INGHAM jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk CHIEF EXECUTIVE

52 FINE WINE Brush up on your wine knowledge ahead of the Cheltenham Wine Festival

GREG INGHAM greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk

STARTERS large version

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© All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.

MediaClash reserves the right to reject any material and to edit such prior to publication. Opinions are those of individual authors.

Printed on paper from a well-managed source. Inks are vegetable-based; printer is certified to ISO 14001 environmental management.

This month we’ve been gearing up for the Cheltenham Wine Festival with visits to vineyards and plenty of vino.

Yes, it's a tough job…

8 HERO INGREDIENT For the love of leeks 12 OPENINGS ETC The tastiest news and events 20 TRIO New foodie hot spots

31 Secret veg Bolognese,

by Caroline Stokes

CHEF!

32 Confit leeks with sea bass carpaccio, by Kathy Slack

New & notable restaurants, cafés, bars

ADDITIONAL RECIPES

60 Made by Bob 62 Kindness & Co 64 The Old Fleece

Amazing recipes from the region’s top kitchens 26 Salted cod brandade and egg yolk raviolo,

by Francesco Volgo 28 Seared scallops,

by Jon Lane

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56 GOLD RUSH Our pick of some of the best nosebags on offer during the Cheltenham Festival

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AFTERS

10 Leek and Parmesan tart,

by Riverford Organic

PLUS

23 Leon lamb and rhubarb Koresh, from Mr Singh’s Fabulous Fiery Cookbook

66 LITTLE BLACK BOOK We ask butcher Martin Gilder about his favourite spots

INNOVATIONS, REVELATIONS AND TASTY AMUSE-BOUCHES

FUTUre STarS THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE that you’ve heard about the chef shortage that’s sweeping the nation. Even great restaurants are struggling to fill vacancies, and for those of us who like to eat out (and who doesn’t?), it’s frankly quite concerning.

Fortunately, though, The Chefs’ Forum Academy – a fresh joint venture between Gloucestershire College and The Chefs’ Forum – is aiming to cement the future of the industry.

Since 2010, The Chefs’ Forum has been holding regular events across the country, creating links between top chefs, suppliers and hospitality students, and the new Academy is taking this a step further, delivering masterclasses by the region’s best chefs, as well as offering work experience placements.

“This initiative comes after five years of very successful quarterly networking events,” says Catherine Farinha, founder

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of The Chefs’ Forum, “in which we’ve been working with hospitality industry specialists from across the region, as well as staff and students from Gloucestershire College. The Chefs’ Forum prides itself on sharing industry knowledge and bestpractice in catering colleges, and The Chefs’ Forum Academy ensures top chefs continue to pass on their skills to the next generation, inspiring young chefs.”

The launch of the Academy at Gloucestershire College saw students joined by various guest chefs in the kitchen of Number One restaurant on the Cheltenham campus, including former Roux Scholar Paul O’Neill, whose day job is as head chef at Hattusa restaurant at Berwick Lodge, near Bristol. Together, experts and students created canapés for the guests – and yes, we can confirm that they were pretty damn delish… ✱ thechefsforum.co.uk

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S T A R T E R S

L eeks The Welsh once used to strap them to their heads in battle – or so some say – but we’ve better things to do with the homely leek…

THERE’S A GREAT deal to be said for the leek, and much that can be done with it – few veggies are quite as versatile or accommodating – but to think of them as foolproof is foolish indeed. Raw, they’re only occasionally good – for even the youngest, smallest and most expensive baby leeks can be surprisingly harsh – and an undercooked leek is rarely much fun, either. When properly cooked, though, all harshness quickly disappears, leaving an aromatic flavour like the mildest, sweetest onion. And, treated right, they’ll jump through hoops for you, making the perfect base (alongside the likes of carrot, celery and onion) for stews, soups, bakes, tarts, sauces, casseroles, soufflés, pies and gratins galore.

These things spend Christmas with the allium family – being close cousins to the onion, the garlic clove, the chive and the shallot – and buying them during the winter-through-spring months is easy. Just

look for roots that are fresh and white, bulbs that are firm and unblemished, and leaves that are a healthy bright green.

The firm, white-and-light-green part that makes up maybe two-thirds of each leek’s length is what you’ll make most use of, as the tough, woody stalks at one end are useless – they’re best just trimmed and binned – and the really leafy bits at the other are something of a specialist taste.

(They do have their minor uses, though, working well stewed or in stocks, or perhaps as the wrap for a bouquet garni, one of those bundles of herbs you add to soups for flavour, then discard.)

Prepping leeks is a doddle, too: you don’t need to do much beyond cleaning under a running tap, being sure to get into every cranny to remove the soil and sand that can lurk within. (There’s no ‘stem’ or ‘stalk’ here, by the way; what you’re looking at is just a tightly-rolled cylinder of bundled leaves.)

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How do we eat leeks? Well, a thick, warming winter soup is a classic – smooth and creamy leek and potato, perhaps, or some kind of vegetable broth – while two of the world’s most famous soups (the French crème vichyssoise and Scottish cock-a-leekie) are essentially leek-based.

But leeks work well in all sorts of other warming, rustic fare too, from hotpots to shepherd’s pie, bakes to frittatas. Leek teams with the likes of onions, carrots, celery and mushrooms for a good veggie stock; steams easily (under 10 minutes if sliced, maybe 15 minutes if whole) to make a side dish; cooks slowly on a low heat in plenty of butter for Scottish favourite buttered leeks; and loves seafood as a plate companion: prawns, oysters, scallops, salmon, mackerel, crab and whitefish all go well with it. (Also big leek fans: bacon, ham and most cheeses.

Indeed, we adore a posh cheese on toast made with leeks and goats’ cheese.)

As they’re full of vitamins A, K, and B6, plus manganese and the flavonoid kaempferol, leeks seem to be pretty good for you, too: while no wonder food, studies suggest an effectiveness against everything from heart disease to strokes.

Nero – who ruled in the years just after Christ – couldn’t get enough, believing them to improve the quality of his voice.)

But back to Wales, where the leek has become a national emblem for reasons obscure. Some say it’s because that country’s patron saint, St David, loved them – when fasting, they were all he would eat – while others reckon it’s because Welsh soldiers once wore them in their helmets, to distinguish them from their Saxon enemy, in some ancient battle.

(A likely story, but there we go.)

Whatever the reasons, leeks have been ‘Welsh’ for, like, forever – certainly, more than 500 years ago Shakespeare’s Henry V was referring to Welsh leekwearing as an already “ancient tradition” – making one of their classic recipes a great place to start if you’re looking to add more leek to your life. We’d suggest chicken and leek pie, or Welsh Rarebit with added leeks. Or just a nice bowl of cawl, where leeks, lamb and potatoes conspire to make one of the most warming comfort dishes known to man…

Though plentiful and trendy these days, leeks weren’t much used in mainstream British cuisine – outside of Wales, of course – for many years, only really coming back into favour in the latter half of the 20th century. (That said, in the history of the leek this is but a blip, as people worldwide have been eating them for centuries; certainly, the ancient Egyptians loved ’em, and Rome’s Emperor

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R E C I P E

LEEK and PaRMESaN TaRT (SERVES 4- 6)

The secret of this little beauty lies in cooking the leeks long and slow, so that they become sweetly caramelised. The rest takes no time at all, and you can exercise your imagination adding extra toppings.

INGREDIENTS

3-4 tbsp olive oil, or 50g butter 6 large leeks, washed, dried and thinly sliced bunch of thyme, tied with string 300g ready-rolled sheet of allbutter puff pastry 25g Parmesan (or vegetarian equivalent), finely grated salt and black pepper METHOD

– Heat the oven to 200C/400F/ gas mark 6. Heat the oil or butter in a heavy-bottomed pan and add the leeks and thyme.

– Slow-fry the leeks until they are very soft and starting to brown, a good 10-15 minutes.

Cover the pan initially to help them sweat, then take off the lid halfway through so the liquid evaporates. Stir at intervals to stop them catching. Season with salt and pepper, then cool.

– Meanwhile, lay out your pastry flat on a lightly greased nonstick baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until it has completely puffed up and is golden brown. (Remember to check that the bottom of the pastry is cooked, too.)

– Flatten the pastry back down by covering it evenly with the leek mixture, leaving 5mm around the edge.

– Sprinkle with the Parmesan and any other toppings (see suggestions below), and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Serve warm.

VARIATIONS

– Onions work as a replacement for, or combined with, the leeks.

– Experiment with extra toppings, just like a pizza: try anchovies, olives or different cheeses, such as mozzarella or goats’ cheese. ✱ This recipe was provided by the veg-tastic Riverford Organic. For more yummy do-it-yourself dishes, visit riverford.co.uk/recipes

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The Inn for All Seasons, is a former 16th century coaching inn set in the heart of the Cotswolds.

A warm and friendly hotel with a relaxed bar and a renowned restaurant offering the best of British and local produce including the freshest ďŹ sh sourced directly from Devon and Cornwall. The Inn offers comfortable en-suite accommodation, free parking & dogs are welcome.

The Inn for All Seasons | Little Barrington | Burford | Oxfordshire | OX18 4TN T: 01451 844324 | W: www.theinnforallseasons.co.uk THE INN IS NOW OPEN 7 DAYS PER WEEK FROM 8AM – 10PM

S T A R T E R S

COSY UP!

waYNe’S wOrLD

Wayne Sullivan, him off MasterChef: The Professionals, has created a brand new menu at The Old Stocks Inn in Stow-on-the-Wold, one that he’s devised drawing on his experiences on the TV show. “Cooking dishes for some of the world’s most renowned chefs and food critics, and receiving positive feedback from them, has given me more confidence to try new techniques and work with new ingredients to create bolder dishes and experiment more with flavours,” he explains. “Living and working in an area such as the Cotswolds also means you’ve got some of the best local ingredients right here on your doorstep, and that provides so much inspiration.”

Expect dishes like gin-cured salmon with cucumber, citrus and crème fraiche as a starter; rabbit, prosciutto, offal, saffron risotto, carrot and a milk foam as a main; and pistachio cake with olive oil, rhubarb and orange as a dessert. Yummers. ✱ oldstocksinn.com

The latest in the Cosy Club empire has just opened in Cheltenham’s revamped Brewery Quarter. It’s got Cosy’s trademark slightly batty design scheme – think a mixture of tables and dining chairs, battered old club chairs, and sleek 1930s sofas, while on the walls you'll see oil paintings, banners, flags, a splash of taxidermy and all sorts of unusual pictures and prints. It’s open for breakfast lunch and dinner, dishing up “classy and classic comfort food”, with dishes including buttermilk pancakes, burgers, macaroni cheese, farmhouse risotto, tapas-style small plates and salted caramel cheesecake. Get on down, peeps! ✱ cosyclub.co.uk

JOIN The cReW!

The colours in @secretsupper’s sweet pepper mousse are just stunning!

We’re drooling over this croissant bread and butter pudding, created by @mattboulton12

Finding the right staff, or the right job, isn’t easy – especially in the world of hospitality. So if you’re struggling to find the right candidates for a role in your hotel, bar or restaurant, you might want to talk to CaterCrew. These guys are a new hospitality recruitment agency, offering “a personally tailored service to suite your individual needs.” Sounds good, right? They can help out by providing temporary cover throughout the Cotswolds and surrounding areas, from front-of-house staff right through to chefs in the kitchen, and also have a dedicated team of consultants, able to find the perfect match if you’re looking for a permanent staff member.

CaterCrew can also offer you sole supply status, which mean they’ll exclusively recruit on your behalf, giving you more time to spend on your business, taking away the stress of using multiple agencies. Everyone’s a winner. ✱ catercrew.com

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IN THE DIARY...

(Until 18 March) SIX NATIONS CELEBRATIONS To celebrate the Six Nations Rugby, The Churchill Arms will be showing the games on their big flat screen TV. Even better, for each one, talented head chef Nick Deverell Smith will be creating a dish to represent the nations playing. £15 per person. ✱ churchillarms.co (10 March) DAYLESFORD CHEF’S TABLE SUPPER Sit back and relax whilst the chefs at Daylesford Organic Cookery School create a delicious, seasonal tasting menu right in front of you. Tickets cost £110 per person. ✱ daylesford.com

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S T A R T E R S

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In the Larder 2

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Breakfast in bed

Treat your mum this Mother’s Day (or yourself, on any other day of the year!)

1 JUICE UP Daylesford Organic B Bright Cold Pressed Juice, £5.99/250ml Mornings can be tough, but this little number from Daylesford Organic will brighten everything up a bit.

Made with carrots, apples, celery, lemon, ginger and ginseng, it’s full of all the vits you need to help you get going first thing (and then keep you going all day).

Get yours from Daylesford Organic or Ocado. ✱ daylesford.com 2 GOOD EGG Clarence Court Old Cotswold Legbar Eggs, £2.25/dozen It just ain’t a proper brekkie if there ain’t eggs – in our opinion, at least! With their distinctive pale blue shells, these Clarence Court

Cotswold Legbar eggs certainly look pretty, and they more than deliver on the taste front, too. The yolks are a wonderful bright orange and have a rich and creamy flavour which is just divine, whether you fry, poach, scramble or boil them. They’re available from Waitrose and Ocado. ✱ clarencecourt.co.uk 3 DAILY BREAD Hobbs House Bakery Sourdough Bread Box, £16.50 When it comes to bread, those folks at Hobbs House Bakery properly know their stuff (they’re not called the Fabulous Baker Brothers for nothing, y’know), so where else would we go for a morning slice? They’ve got shops in Chipping Sodbury, Nailsworth, Tetbury

and Malmesbury, or they’ll even deliver to your home – they’re obliging like that!

For a good all-purpose loaf we’d recommend the white sourdough, but the rye sourdough is really ace, too.

And if you can’t make up your mind, then this sourdough bread box containing white, rye, wholemeal, St Martin and fig and walnut variations is definitely the way to go. ✱ hobbshousebakery.co.uk 4 HOLY SMOKE Coln Valley Smokery Sliced Gravadlax, £9.65/200g Nothing says ‘decadent’ at breakfast time quite like smoked salmon, and we are totally loving this gravadlax from the Coln Valley Smokery in Northleach. Made using the finest smoked fish, which is then slowly cured in rock salt,

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lightly smoked in brick kilns, and finally topped with dill, it’s a real treat that, actually, could work at any time of the day. ✱ colnvalley.co.uk 5 BERRY NICE Sharpham Park Cherry and Berry Spelt Flakes, £3.99 Breakfast cereal can be a bit, well, dull, can’t it? (Or, at least, the stuff that isn’t full of little marshmallows can be.) But these new cherry and berry spelt flakes from Sharpham Park are really quite amazing!

With no added salt or refined sugar, but plenty of fibre, they tick all the boxes on the ‘good for you’ front – and, with lots of lush cherries, raspberries and blackberries in there too, they’re anything but boring. You can grab a box at Waitrose or online. ✱ sharphampark.com

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( advertising feature )

RAISE A GLASS TO YOUR MUM! You’ve baked the cake, you’ve bought the flowers, but how about presenting your mum with a special cocktail to celebrate this Mother’s Day?

F

eaturing Frobishers Peach and Lychee Cordial this aromatic cocktail is bursting with the juicy flavour of sundrenched peaches and heady perfumed lychee mixed with the sweet, almond overtones of a classic Italian Amaretto.The perfect Mother’s Day cocktail.

MOTHER’S PRIDE INGREDIENTS

75ml Frobishers Cordials Peach and Lychee 10ml Amaretto 25ml Vodka Ice Sparkling water – Shake Frobishers Peach and Lychee Cordial, Amaretto, vodka & a few cubes of ice in a cocktail shaker vigorously.

– Strain & pour into a glass ½ filled with ice and top with cold sparkling water.

– Garnish with a pink straw and a slice of peach if in season.

Lynwood & Co is an amazing new café now open in the heart of Lechlade, the inspiration of Robert Broadbent and his wife Kats.

‘We are committed to providing Lechlade and surrounding villages a place where people can meet and enjoy amazing coffee, homemade cakes, in house artisan bread and a menu driven by seasonality.’

Open 8am - 4pm Mon-Friday, 8am-4pm Saturday, 8am-2pm Sunday (Brunch)

Inspired by adventure, Frobishers Cordials come in five, welltravelled flavours, each featuring only the very best fruit from around the globe. Chose from Lemon & Mint, Pomegranate & Rose, Sloe & Raspberry, Coconut & Kaffir Lime and Peach & Lychee.

Priced at only £3.25 per bottle they’re available to purchase from Waitrose stores and online, farm and deli shops and Ocado.

Lynwood & Co, Apsley House, Market Square, Lechlade, Glouscestershire GL7 3AD 01367 253 707

Coming soon to Fairford!

For more inspiration and to find a cocktail or mocktail recipe to suit any occasion visit frobisherscordials.com.

S STTA A RRT E T RS E R S

New kid on the block What’s the toughest job you’ve tackled so far?

Every job I’ve been involved with has had its own challenges, and that’s one of the reasons why I love this job – every day is so very different !

Proudest career achievement?

I’m proud every time I send the last plate of the night and it’s done with the same passion and determination as the first plate was. So every day, I suppose!

Where else locally might we know you from?

A few years ago I worked around the Cotswolds for quite a while, so you may remember me from places like Lower Slaughter Manor, Cotswold House, Coach & Horses in Bourton-on-theWater, and a few others...

NEW SEASON

How would you describe your style of cooking?

Classical, rustic and seasonal – but, overall, tasty.

How many of you are there in the kitchen team at The Inn For All Seasons, then?

Three. For now…

Say hello to Christophe Arcalis; And how have you approached the menu? he’s only the head chef at Using local and seasonal The Inn For All Seasons produce is really important to me, so I’ve been looking around for as many locally sourced suppliers So, Christophe, you’re obviously doing as possible, and then basing my menu well – but when and where did your around what they have for me. cooking journey being?

My first kitchen job was back in 1983, as What local restaurants do you rate? an apprentice at a pizzeria in a town Since I have been away in France for the south of Paris. last eight years, and just came back

recently, I’ll reserve my judgement on And before you ever got into a pro that one for a bit longer! kitchen, what was your fondest foodie memory from childhood?

What are your favourite ingredients I used to love watching grandpa cooking right now? away. He was a chef too, and it was he There are lots of lovely fish about at the more than anyone who inspired me to moment, plus root vegetables, some start cooking professionally. game… Anything, as long as it’s fresh!

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Do you grow anything yourself?

Not for now, sadly, but Eddie and Melanie – the new owners at The Inn – are looking into having a bit of a garden, so watch this space...

Do you have any favourite suppliers you use for the restaurant?

We pride ourselves on choosing our suppliers carefully, so we can give our customers the very best, so we use the likes of Channel Fisheries and M&J Seafood for the fish, Castle Butchers for meat, and Upton Smokery for all our smoked products.

And what kind of meals do you like to cook at home?

Whatever the fridge dictates! Jokes aside, my cooking at home is very similar to my cooking at work – classic, but with a bit of a twist. To be fair, sometimes it works – but not always…

Which piece of kitchen equipment couldn’t you live without?

My own knives, as some of them have been passed down from my grandfather.

What and where was the best meal you’ve ever eaten?

Back in 2003, and after saving for a while, we went to The Ritz in Paris for a lunch, and that was brilliant.

Top 5-a-day?

Avocado, cauliflower, parsnip, pineapple and banana.

Favourite cookery book?

Larousse Gastronomique, a French encyclopedia of gastronomy, Foodie heroes?

I like Tom Kerridge, both for his culinary skills and his persona.

Finally, what is your current favourite flavour combination?

I love Jersey Royal potatoes and black truffle, chilli, lemon and herbs. ✱ THE INN FOR ALL SEASONS, The Barringtons, Burford OX18 4TN; innforallseasons.com

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S T A R T E R S

BOx cLeVer Something of a legend at Riverford Organic Farmers, Kirsty Hale is behind many of the great veg-heavy recipes that inspire the company’s many vegbox customers…

DEVELOPMENT CHEF KIRSTY has been devising recipes to give inspiration to Riverford veg box lovers for many years, as well as running cooking events and food demonstrations. She’s contributed to the two latest Riverford cook books, too: Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter.

As Kirsty is a champion of simply cooked, seasonal food that doesn’t compromise on flavour, and advocates a diet that shows a bias towards vegetarian cooking – although she’s not a veggie herself – we thought it would be cool to find out what she actually eats in a typical week… ✱ riverford.co.uk

B R E A K FA S T

LU N C H

DINNER

I start each day with a blitzed juice.

Today's variation: carrot, spinach, apple and celery. Pimhill porridge with almond milk, toasted almonds and linseed.

I make batches of soup, portioning and freezing them to take to work in a flask. Parsnip, leek and apple, with chilli cheese bread from Totnes market.

Omelette aux fines herbes with wild rice, rocket and lemon salad. For the first time in 20 years, my husband made a cake. I had a big slice.

The juice: spinach, avocado, kiwi, cucumber, lime and mint. A slice of seeded wholemeal toast, with love-it-orhate-it brown spread!

Carrot, spelt and tarragon soup. To prevent it absorbing liquid in the flask, I cook the spelt separately, take it in a pot and pour over the hot soup.

My Riverford delivery arrives! Happy days: the first blood oranges of the season. Use in a beetroot, orange, lentil and mustard salad with smoked trout.

Today's juice blitz: avocado, broccoli, spinach and pear. With a boiled egg (eaten separately!).

Miso cup soup sprinkled with dried Cornish seaweed. Black rice salad with carrot, peppers, cherry tomatoes, herbs and Wootton White sheeps’ cheese.

Leek, chard, chickpea and coconut curry with garlic and coriander flatbreads. Quite hot, so finished with Salcombe Dairy coffee ice cream.

Juice: chard leaves, lettuce, avocado, kiwi. Pimhill porridge with half a sliced banana, toasted walnuts, and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Barley, thyme and vegetable soup, with carrot, leek, broccoli and celery, all odds and sods leftover from last week’s vegbox.

A Lebanese spinach dish with preserved lemons and black beans.

Griddled High Weald Dairy halloumi and maftoul, simmered in saffron stock.

Juice: broccoli, carrot, celery, white grapes, mint and Bio-tiful Kefir (organic milk drink). Cooked brekkie: eggs and tomatoes on Almond Thief sourdough.

Avocado and peanut butter on oatcake.

For product development, the first mince pie of 2017. (It feels odd to be eating these in January!)

Pork spare rib steaks, wedges of Savoy potatoes, apple, cider and Perl Las blue cheese. The last Cocoa Loco Sloe Gin Truffle, hidden in a cupboard – heaven!

Juice: spinach, kale, cucumber, blood orange, Kefir. Seeded toast with roasted cherry toms, parsley, chilli and leftover Wootton White sheeps’ cheese.

No lunch, just a few nuts after a pool swim, plus a Fever Tree tonic water in the pub.

A cheese fondue to celebrate our wedding anniversary. A little retro, granted, but we got married on a Swiss mountain top, so it fits!

Spinach, celery, banana and blueberries. Chipolata sausage sandwich with brown sauce. After a chilly winter sea swim, I deserved it!

No lunch today, either, as we’re out for a blustery walk along the River Dart.

Grilled pink grapefruit with Campari, from Eivissa, one of my favourite cook books. Braising steak cooked in ale, horseradish mash, and herby roast veg.

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Whilst you are browsing, why not stop for a sweet or savoury snack in our coffee shop and soak up the surroundings.

OPEN EVERY DAY 12 North Street, Winchcombe, Gloucestershire GL54 5LH

01242 604466

easter time BOOK NOW FOR EASTER

S T A R T E R S

HUW JONES

ABSOLUTE beGinners This feisty little threesome might all be newcomers to the Cotswolds foodie scene, but they’re already making their mark

ONE MILE BAKERY Fancy getting freshly made bread, soup and jam delivered right to your door?

Well, now you can – or, at least, you can if you live in Cirencester. One Mile Bakery, which was started by Guardian journalistturned-baker Elisabeth Mahoney in Cardiff, has now opened in Cirencester too. The concept is simple: subscribe, and get homemade goodies delivered by bike, or sign up to take part in one of their fabulous courses to learn baking skills

for yourself. The Cirencester branch is being headed up by Marianne Bradley, a brilliant home cook who will be baking and teaching in the town. She will deliver within a mile radius of her new home, and offer the core OMB classes, but will be adding her own bespoke classes, too. ✱ onemilebakery.com

LOADED GRILL

MALT & ANCHOR

This peri peri joint in the centre of Cirencester starting setting tastebuds tingling when it opened at the end of January. The menu is largely chicken based – with platters containing various combinations of wings, whole chickens and sides, as well as burgers and wraps – but beef, fish, lamb and even veggie options make appearances on the menu, too. Whatever you choose, you can take your pick from six different seasonings, include milder options (such as the cunningly named ‘mild’) or lemon and herb, right through barbecue to a sweatinducing ‘extra hot’.

Those with a sweet tooth will love it here too, ’cos the dessert menu is loaded with sweet treats like sundaes, waffles, cakes and crepes. Delish!

No prizes for guessing what Malt & Anchor is all about. Yep – you’ve guessed it – it’s fish and chips. This place opened up in January, serving what is described as “a traditional chippy menu with a twist.”

As well as the cod and chips, there are some rather lush sounding panko-coated calamari on offer, plus sausages from the renowned Jesse Smith butchers and Pieminister pies, while the drinks menu includes fine wines, boutique beers and even cocktails. Dine on a Monday or Wesnesday and you can take advantage of an offer for fish and chips for two and a bottle of Prosecco for just £30, which sounds to us like a total bargain.

The interior is super-stylish, with smart blue banquettes, exposed brick walls and nautical touches, but if you simply can’t stop there’s a takeaway menu, too.

✱ 37 Castle Street, Cirencester GL7 1QD; loadedgrill.co.uk

✱ 4 Castle Street, Cirencester GL7 1QA; maltandanchor.co.uk

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( advertising feature )

Sustainably brilliant Vibrant new look reflects Stroud Brewery’s innovative ethos

A

t Stroud Brewery we pride ourselves on innovation and creativity. Of course we have our totally brilliant, thirstquenching range of organic and vegan beers which are all made with malt and barley grown on the surrounding Cotswold Hills. The core range is always available as well as hugely popular seasonal ales which are brewed throughout the year. The range is cask conditioned and we also produce premium kegged beer, bottles and now cans too!

However, it’s not just with our brews where we are pushing boundaries as we’ve come up with a vibrant and refreshing new look too which we think (and hope you’ll agree) highlights our ethical ad organic message. Sustainability is at the core of our business and the standards we adhere to include not only the ingredients but also how organic beer is made, packaged and traded.

All of us at Stroud Brewery are concerned about our impact on the planet and consequently we strive in every way to make our business as sustainable as possible – financially, environmentally and socially.

It is not just the process of brewing beer – minimising our resource use, using local and organic ingredients, re-cycling our waste (as feedstuff for pigs and cows on local small holdings) and delivering locally – but also the way we do business.

We love to make delicious beer and bring people together to share good times and create community, in the most responsible, sustainable manner possible.

We are always happy to chat, whether you’re after some free friendly advice or if you want to talk about case discounts and deliveries, just give us a call.

For all enquiries and to place an order please call: 01453 885144 or e-mail: sales@stroudbrewery.co.uk; www.stroudbrewery.co.uk; Facebook: Stroud Brewery; Twitter: @StroudBrewery

S T A R T E R S

The freshest, most inspirational cookbooks of the month

COOKING LIKE MUMMYJI Vicky Bhogal Grub Street, £25

First published in 2003 but out of print for a decade, this award-winning book has been revised and redesigned, complete with new photography.

The 100 recipes in Cooking Like Mummyji cover traditional Punjabi dishes as cooked by families in British homes, rather than the Anglicised food served in most Indian restaurants.

Lighter, fresher and healthier, they range from simple vegetarian dishes like sukke chole (dry chickpeas) and ‘cheat’s saag’ to main meals like coriander masala tandoori roast chicken, and roast lamb Desi-style. The chapters on Indian breads and accompaniments (including ten-second yoghurt and mint chutney) are worth the price tag alone.

As far as books on Indian home cooking go, this is a modern classic.

LEON: FAST & FREE

NATIONAL TRUST FAMILY COOKBOOK

Jane Baxter and John Vincent Conran Octopus, £25

Claire Thomson National Trust Books, £20

The seventh book from Leon is subtitled ‘free-from recipes for people who really like food’, and every recipe is gluten, dairy and refined sugar-free. As a chain, Leon has always championed ‘freefrom’ options on its menu, and owner John Vincent and chef Jane Baxter have pulled together a fantastic collection of recipes that demonstrate that cutting out gluten, dairy and sugar doesn’t mean compromising on flavour or enjoyment of food.

Using substitute ingredients (there is a detailed section on creating a ‘free-form’ store cupboard), these recipes take inspiration from all over the globe, and include the likes of almond milk porridge with banana and cinnamon; aubergine polpettini; soba noodles with avocado sauce; spiced chicken liver salad with a mustard seed vinaigrette; and lemon polenta cake with blueberries.

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The follow-up to her debut, Five O’Clock Apron, Bristolbased food writer (and family food ambassador for the National Trust) Claire Thomson continues on her mission to improve family mealtimes with this delightful collection of childfriendly recipes. Quick and healthy breakfasts, school lunchbox ideas, speedy postschool suppers and relaxed weekend lunches: this book covers all eventualities and, with three young children of her own, Thomson’s recipes are all tried and tested several times.

From three-bean and cheese quesadillas and pea and halloumi fritters to cauliflower jalfrezi and boiled clementine cake, many of the recipes are thrifty and easy to make using what you have in the fridge or cupboard. This book is packed with solid, no-nonsense family fare.

THE REALLY QUITE GOOD BRITISH COOKBOOK Edited by William Sitwell Nourish, £25

What do you cook for people you love? That was the question asked of the 100 chefs, bakers and local food heroes who contributed to this beautifully designed book. A delicious snapshot of the diversity of British food culture, the book features recipes from the likes of Rick Stein, Angela Hartnett, Mark Hix, Russell Norman, Jeremy Lee, Thomasina Miers and Richard Corrigan.

The book looks at British dishes that originate from far-flung places, which means chicken tikka masala pie sits happily alongside such quintessentially British dishes as toad in the hole.

Even better: a portion of the royalties from the book’s sales goes to The Trussell Trust, which runs food banks all over Britain.

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MR SINGH’S FABULOUS FIERY COOKBOOK

Pavilion Books, £14.99

What started out in a garden shed in London 32 years ago has turned into an international business for Popa Singh and his family, with his ‘secret recipe’ chilli sauces and pastes sold all over the world.

Influenced by the family’s Indian, Kenyan and English heritage, the fiery products feature heavily in these Anglo-Asian recipes.

Whether it’s Granny Singh’s spicy scrambled eggs or Punjabi paprika porridge for breakfast, a lunch of spicy chicken couscous and fragrant lamb curry with cumin rice, or main meals such as black chickpea stew or classic chicken and rice, this spicy collection of simple recipes is sure to inject some welcome heat into your cooking during these colder months.

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From: LEON: FAST & FREE

by Jane Baxter and John Vincent (Conran Octopus, £25)

LEON LAMB AND RHUBARB KORESH (SERVES 4)

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

2 onions, peeled and chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 750g lamb shoulder, diced 1 tsp ground turmeric 300ml chicken stock 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley 1 bunch mint 1 bunch coriander small pinch saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp hot water 1 lime, juice only 500g rhubarb, cut into bitesize pieces coconut sugar, to taste extra herbs, chopped, to finish

– In a casserole dish, soften the onions in half of the olive oil for 5 minutes, then remove from the pot and set aside.

– Brown the meat over a high heat in batches. You may need to add a little more oil. When all the meat is browned, return the onions to the pan and season with salt, pepper and turmeric.

– Add the stock, or enough just to cover, and bring to the boil. Then turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 1 hour on a low heat.

– Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley, mint and coriander

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and heat the remaining oil in a pan. Fry the herbs, stirring all the time, for 7-10 minutes. This concentrates their flavours and gives them texture.

– Add the fried herbs, saffron and lime juice to the lamb after it’s cooked. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes.

– Now add the rhubarb, and simmer for 10-15 minutes more.

– Taste for seasoning – you may want to add a touch of coconut sugar at this point.

– Serve sprinkled with the extra chopped herbs.

Award winning farm shop specialising in its own and local meat of outstanding quality and flavour.

Pure, Simple & Delicious.

OPENING TIMES: TUESDAY- FRIDAY 9AM - 6PM • SATURDAY 8.30AM - 2PM

The Butts Farm Rare Breeds & Farm Shop South Cerney, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 5QE • 01285 862224 • info@buttsfarmrarebreeds.co.uk

Chef!

WHAT TO COOK, AND HOW TO COOK IT – DIRECT FROM THE KITCHENS OF THE REGION’S BEST CHEFS

If there’s a mollusc more more-ish than a lovely scallop, we’ve yet to taste it!

Highlights COD ONLY KNOWS

Salted cod brandade takes centre stage Page 26

KING OF THE SEA

Scallops and spice and all things nice Page 28

GLORIOUS GLUTTONY Vegging out with Gluts & Gluttony Page 32

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Plus 31 KEEPING SECRETS A veg-packed spag bol

Chef!

ThaNK COd This delish fish dish from Francesco Volgo, head chef at Barnsley House, does take a bit of advance prep – but is well worth it for the serious wow factor!

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wine matCh 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Lawson's Dry Hills, Marlborough, New Zealand, £13.95 per bottle; available from rovingsommelier.com

Head chef Francesco Volgo has been with The Calcot Collection for many years, serving in various chef roles at this group of well-respected Cotswold hotels. Before heading up the team at The Potager at Barnsley House, for instance, he was head chef at Calcot’s Gumstool Inn. He’s passionate about fresh local produce, and the veg he serves are from its own kitchen garden.

SALTED COD BRANDADE, EGG YOLK RAVIOLO (SERVES 4 AS A STARTER)

For the garnish: 1 red pepper 150g table salt 100g caper berries 1 gem lettuce

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

For the salty marinade: 125g table salt 10 black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 6 cloves garlic 3 sprigs thyme

– Blitz the marinade ingredients in a food processor for 30 seconds. Sprinkle half the mix over a small tray.

– Place the cod fillets on top, and spread the rest of the marinade over the fish.

Cover with cling film, and leave in the fridge for at least two days.

– When the fish is ready, scrape off and wash the fillets in cold water for five minutes. Leave in water to soak overnight in the fridge.

– Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/ gas mark 6.

– Separate and place four of the egg yolks on a flat tray and cover in table salt: leave for 45 minutes. Delicately wash them under running water to remove all the salt and the white membrane.

– For the brandade, cook the potato in a large saucepan until soft (15-20 minutes).

Rice the potato and set aside.

– Add the washed cod, milk, saffron and

For the cod: 600g cod fillets 5 eggs For the brandade: 1 kg Maris Piper potato, peeled 400ml full fat milk 1 pinch saffron 125ml extra virgin olive oil For the pasta: 500g ‘00’ flour 3 eggs 2 yolks 50ml extra virgin olive oil

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olive oil to a pan and gently cook for at least 20 minutes, then leave the cod to cool down in the liquid. When the liquid is tepid, remove and break the cod into large flakes by hand; don’t over-mash it.

– Cook the riced potato over a gentle heat in a clean pan, adding and stirring in the fish cooking liquid by stages, to produce a nice creamy consistency.

Gently stir in the flaked cod, then set to one side.

– Blend all the pasta ingredients in a food processor until the mix has reached a crumble consistency. Dust a worktop with flour, then work the dough with your hands until it’s smooth and not sticky.

– Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, then roll out in a pasta machine to a thin, almost transparent, layer.

– Cut out eight discs of pasta. Place a cured egg yolk in the middle of four discs, wash the circumferences of each disc with the beaten final egg, then cover with another pasta disc and seal with your fingers.

– Wash the red pepper under running water and cook at 200C until the skin is roasted (about 15 minutes).

– Put in a salad bowl and cover with cling film for 20 minutes; this will enable you to peel the pepper easily. Peel the pepper, discarding any burnt bits, and cut into strips.

– Wash and dry the gem lettuce and break off eight outer green leaves.

– Boil the ravioli for 3 minutes, then place in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent the ravioli from sticking to each other.

– Arrange the brandade in the middle of the plate with a ring mould. Decorate the dish with the roasted pepper, gem leaves and caper berries, finishing with a raviolo on top. ✱ THE POTAGER, Barnsley House Hotel, Cirencester GL7 5EE; barnsleyhouse.com

FeeLinG sheLLfish

Chef!

The Old Passage in Arlingham is one of the area’s top seafood restaurants, and head chef Jon Lane has generously shared this rather stunning scallop dish with us

Jon’s kitchen career began at Tubbies Coffee shop in Wyevale Garden Centre, where he did his NVQ level 2 in Catering. As the plants around him grew, so did Jon’s talent and – after stints at The Ormond in Tetbury, The Half Way House in Guiting Power and The Crown Inn at Frampton Mansell, and honing his fish skills on a course in Brixham – Jon joined the team at The Old Passage as sous chef in July 2012. He was promoted to head chef in November last year.

SEARED SCALLOPS with CURRIED PARSLEY ROOT PURÉE, PARSLEY ROOT CRISPS and POMEGRANATE (SERVES 4) INGREDIENTS

12 large scallops For the parsley root crisps: 1 parsley root, peeled vegetable oil, for deep frying For the parsley root purée: 250g parsley root, peeled/chopped 5g of curry powder 5g of ground coriander 4g of ground cumin 1 small pinch of ground turmeric 50ml of double cream 50ml of milk

For the pomegranate dressing: 400ml pomegranate juice 400ml rapeseed oil 50g pomegranate seeds To garnish: micro coriander cress METHOD

– Clean the scallops and store in the refrigerator on a clean tea towel or kitchen cloth before cooking.

– Prepare the parsley root crisps by using a potato peeler to cut strips of parsley root, but do not use the core (this can be used in the purée). Pat the strips dry with kitchen paper and set aside until ready to cook.

– Preheat a deep pan of vegetable oil to 180C. Deep fry the strips for 4-5 minutes, or until golden, then remove from the oil, drain on kitchen towel and season with salt. Keep in a warm, dry place until required.

– To make the curried parsley root purée, place a saucepan on a medium heat and add a dash of vegetable oil, followed by the root and the spices.

– Reduce the heat and cook for 40 minutes, or until the root starts to soften. When soft, add the cream and milk, bring to a simmer and cook for a further 5 minutes.

– Remove the saucepan from the heat, transfer the contents of the pan to a blender, and blitz on full speed until a smooth purée forms.

– Transfer the purée to a clean saucepan and season to taste with salt.

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Cover with greaseproof paper until ready to reheat and serve.

– Put the pomegranate juice in a pan over a high heat and reduce until you are left with 100ml. Remove the juice from the heat and tip into a deep bowl.

Quickly whisk in the rapeseed oil and set aside in a bottle until ready to use.

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– Remove the prepared scallops from the fridge and cut each scallop in half to form 2 rounds. Season lightly with salt.

– Begin to reheat the purée.

– Place a frying pan over a high heat and add a dash of vegetable oil. Once the pan is almost smoking, add some of the scallops, but do not overcrowd the pan,

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as this will cause them to stew – they should be seared and caramelised.

– Sear the scallops on each side for 30-45 seconds, or until golden brown on each side. Repeat until you’ve cooked the rest of the scallops.

– Arrange spoonfuls of the purée around each plate, then top each mound of

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purée with one of the scallop halves.

– Garnish with the pomegranate seeds, parsley root crisps and micro coriander cress, and drizzle with the pomegranate dressing. Serve immediately. ✱ THE OLD PASSAGE, Arlingham, Gloucestershire GL2 7JR; theoldpassage.com

THE INN AT FOSSEBRIDGE ‘North Cotswold CAMRA’ Seasonal Pub of the Year  Character Pub with stone walls and flagstone floors  Casual Dining - Excellent food served all day  Passionate about well kept ales  Famous Inn located on the Fosse Way (A429)  Stunning riverside garden - Al Fresco dining  9 beautiful en-suite bedrooms and two holiday cottages

MARTIN’S MEATS

Welcome to Martin’s Meats A traditional butchers with a modern approach Based in the heart of the Cotswolds, Martin’s Meats is the home of longhorn beef. We produce, age, cut and pack the finest longhorn and traditional breeds of beef. We also supply Gloucester Old Spot and Middle White pork, Cotswold Reared Lamb and Free Range Poultry and Game.

We are one of only a handful of butchers in the UK to age our meat in a unique Himalayan Salt Chamber which enhances the flavour and tenderness of the meat. Our passion to produce the finest meat was rewarded in 2013 when we won the best product in the South West with our 28 day dry aged longhorn Cote de Boeuf at the Great Taste Awards and this year we won a total of 27 stars at these prestigious awards!

Open 6 days a week, customers can visit us in person, order via the telephone or the website for Local and Nationwide delivery.

Email : sales@martinsmeats.com • Tel: 01242 621493

www.martinsmeats.com

01285 720721 Fossebridge | Cheltenham | GL54 3JS

reservations@innatfossebridge.co.uk www.fossebridgeinn.co.uk

Chef!

This easy recipe is a flexible family favourite – a tasty way to make sure children are getting the nutrients they need without the squabbles. Chopping the vegetables up finely helps them pass below some children’s ‘I don’t like vegetables’ radar, and adding lentils means all the flavour with less red meat.

Once they like this version, you can boost the health factor even higher by tucking more vegetables away in there.

Chopped, fried mushrooms work well, as does courgette. Another favourite of Caroline’s is to simply peel and then grate a carrot or two into the tomato mixture, while frying off the mince.

This dish freezes beautifully, so it makes sense to make extra and pop some in the freezer for another day.

Hidden talents

Who better to ask for a foolproof, child-friendly, childhealthy recipe than Caroline Stokes, Catering Manager at Beaudesert Park School in the Cotswolds?

SECRET VEG BOLOGNESE (SERVES 4) INGREDIENTS

400g tin chopped tomatoes (with herbs, with onions, or as you like it!) about 230ml/8 fl oz stock, made with bouillon or a beef stock cube tomato purée, one good squirt 1 tsp mixed herbs or oregano 225g minced beef 2 tbsp olive oil, if needed 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 red pepper, finely chopped 1 stick celery, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped 50g red lentils METHOD

– Add the tinned tomatoes, bouillon/ stock and tomato purée to a saucepan and place on a low heat. Sprinkle in the mixed herbs/oregano.

– Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan and then add half the mince to it. Unless you’re using lean steak mince, there’s no need to add any oil to the pan, as the fat in the meat will be all you need.

– Cook the mince over a high heat until the meat is brown, breaking up any lumps with the back of a wooden spoon as you go along. Once it’s brown, drain

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off any fat before adding the cooked mince to the tomato mixture.

– Repeat for the rest of the mince, but retaining a little oil in the frying pan.

– Put the frying pan back on the heat and fry the chopped onion until beginning to brown. Add to the mince and tomato mixture.

– Repeat with the red peppers, followed by the celery, adding a little olive oil if either starts to stick.

– A couple of minutes before the celery is beginning to brown, add the chopped garlic to the pan, stirring everything constantly to avoid it burning.

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– Now add the whole lot to the mince and tomato mixture.

– Add the lentils, grind in some black pepper and give it all good stir.

– Allow the mixture to bubble away on a low heat, stirring every now and then, for around 40 minutes or until thick and tasty.

– Serve with pasta (wholewheat, ideally), spiralised courgette, or a jacket potato – with some cheese for sprinkling on top, of course. ✱ BEAUDESERT PARK SCHOOL, Minchinhampton, Stroud GL6 9AF; 01453 832072; beaudesert.gloucs.sch.uk

Veg Out

WIKI LEEKS

Blogger, private chef and keen kitchen gardener Kathy Slack of Gluts & Gluttony tells you what to grow and how to cook it.

This month: luscious leeks.

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T

hose with greater restraint and foresight than I will still have leeks in their allotment. Gorging and under-sowing saw my harvest dwindle before Christmas. However, with a little planning, a prayer against allium weevil and a spot of succession planting, the organised allotmenteer can harvest leeks from August to May. And in the depths, as we are, of the Hungry Gap, the humble leek becomes something of a saviour.

For those unaccustomed to leek growing, the basic approach is that you wait until the seedlings are pencilthick, then dig them up and drop them into a deep hole in the soil, which is their final growing place. It is this that gives them the long white stem. The secret to

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perfect leeks is, it seems, twofold. First, grow the seedlings in a bed. I’ve sowed the seeds in trays in the past, but they were much stronger and happier in deeper soil. Second, make sure the holes you make are really, really deep. At least eight inches. Also, The Benevolent Farmer Brown, who owns the farm on which I grow, said that watering the soil before making the holes with the end of a trowel makes the soil sticky and stops the holes caving in on themselves. Wise words. It’s a laborious job dibbering hundreds of holes in the soil, but skimp on the depth at your peril, as the result will be dumpy leeks – horror.

If sown in June and transplanted in late July, the right variety of leek (Hannibal or Musselburgh) will fatten up through the autumn, crop over the winter, and still allow for the odd picking in March. They make fabulous comfort food at this time of year, either sweated down, mixed with grated cheese, piled atop bread and popped under the grill for a glorious adaptation of cheese on toast, or mixed with blue cheese in a warming quiche. Basically, ‘with cheese’ and you can’t fail.

They can, however, be used more adventurously. Small leeks have a delicate sweet flavour with goes beautifully with fish. I am a sucker for raw fish.

Deliriously tasty and easy to prepare, it makes an impressive dinner party starter with little effort. Baby leeks are ideal here, but larger ones, sliced thinly, will work fine too.

CONFIT LEEKS WITH SEA BASS CARPACCIO ( SERVES 2 )

INGREDIENTS

a few baby leeks 4 tbsp light olive oil a dash of cider or white wine vinegar 1 tsp wholegrain mustard 1 fillet of bass or bream (must be still flappingly fresh) 1 tsp capers 1 cornichon, sliced METHOD

– Wash the baby leeks and trim the ends as delicately as you can.

– Warm the olive oil in a saucepan and add the leeks. Leave to mingle over a low heat for around 10 minutes, or until the

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leeks are tender. Remove the leeks and keep the oil for the dressing.

– To make the dressing, mix the leeky oil with a dash of vinegar, mustard and season. Give it a taste and adjust as you see fit. You want a little zing to it, but not so much as to overpower the sweetness of the fish and leeks.

– To plate up, slice the fish into gossamer thin slices. The key to this is a very long, sharp, thin knife and confident strokes.

– Arrange the fish in one layer on the plate and brush on the dressing.

– Scatter the leeks on top together with the capers, cornichon and a few baby leaves, if you’re feeling cheffy.

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✱ KATHY SLACK writes the food blog, Gluts & Gluttony, about the gluts she gets from her veg patch and the ensuing gluttony in the kitchen. She is a private chef and supper club host and also offers in-home cookery classes.

Her cookbook, The Gluts & Gluttony Cookbook & Growing Guide, is available at glutsandgluttony.com Follow Kathy on Twitter and Instagram @gluts_gluttony

The Old Passage The seafood restaurant beside the River Severn Situated on the banks of the Severn overlooking the Forest of Dean and the pretty town of Newnham on Severn. You’ll feel like you’ve been transported to another world, even though we’re only be 20 minutes from J13 on the M5.

Enjoy our delicious oysters and lobsters, that are almost always available from our own holding tanks, or choose the freshest fish which is delivered daily from Devon and Cornwall, or why not try our amazing fish and chips?

Lunch 12noon to 2.00pm, Dinner 7.00pm to 9.00pm Passage Road, Arlingham, Gloucestershire, GL2 7JR T: 01452 740547 • W: theoldpassage.com • E: oldpassage@btconnect.com

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Armoury CHOOSE YOUR WEAPONS

Here’s a question for you: what food does social media love best? I’d say pizzas or burgers, maybe, but then there are plenty of folk posting avocado dishes and sushi, too…

What about the humble waffle? Okay, so they are slightly American – or, rather, Belgian by way of America – but people love sharing their late breakfasts and brunches, and plenty of the most decadent of them now feature waffles front-and-centre, whether topped with blueberries and honey, or bacon and maple syrup.

As comfort food, a warm waffle is hard to beat – fluffy and crunchy and golden like the sun – but they can be messy to make, and hard to get right. That, of course, is where the Smart Waffle from Sage by Heston Blumenthal comes in.

WAFFLY NICE You are waffle, says Matt Bielby, but I like you

It looks like a posh Breville Sandwich Toaster...

A tiny bit, but while most sandwich toasters leave you with crumbs and molten cheese everywhere – and remember, they’ve got a much simpler task on their hands than successful waffle making – the Smart Waffle’s wrap-around moat captures and cooks any sticky overflow for easy (and tasty!) clean-up. Plus, the waffles always come out perfect.

It’s still a lot of kit to make just one thing, though.

Perhaps – but have you really considered all the variations the waffle offers? This beast can automatically work out the cooking time required for whatever style you’re after – Belgian waffles, classic American waffles, chocolate waffles or buttermilk waffles – and their colour too, from pale to dark; it even lets you customise the settings to invent your own. And if the Smart Waffle is too much of an investment for you, there’s a smaller, cheaper version – the No-Mess Waffle – too. This makes a single round waffle rather than two rectangular ones, so aesthetic considerations (and sheer greediness) may well impact on which one you go for.

Okay, say I buy one. Now what do I do? Eat waffles for every darn meal?

You say that like it’s a bad thing. But no, think of all the variations possible: waffled stuffing! Waffled French toast! Waffled mac ’n’ cheese! There’s a whole world of easy culinary adventure to explore with this thing – not unlike those student days, in fact, where the only inroom choice was a toastie, using whatever odds and sods you had lying around… ✱ The Smart Waffle costs £169.95 (and the No-Mess Waffle £99.95) from Steamer Trading, Cirencester, or branches of John Lewis, Debenhams and Lakeland; sageappliances.co.uk

THIS MONTH crumbsmag.com

WAFFLING ON

EYES ON THE VINES

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FEELING GRAPE

House Call

GRAPE EXPECTATIONS Max Thomas and Caroline Findlay, owners of Poulton Hill Wine Estate, show us around their enviable country home…

Words: EMMA DANCE Photographs: KIRSTIE YOUNG

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W

hen Max Thomas and Caroline Findlay bought their rather fine slice of Gloucestershire countryside back in 2008, they never dreamed that it would one day be home to a vineyard producing award-winning sparkling wine. Nor did they ever imagine the jaw-dropping home that they would build here.

“We lived locally, and were always looking for something with a bit of land,” explains Max. “Then this came up for sale. It’s part of a co-operative estate of 4,500 acres, and this bit was sold off as a barn and lots of agricultural outbuildings.

In fact, at one stage it was the largest milking parlour in the UK. “We have 150 acres ourselves, and were looking for an agricultural use for some of the land. Someone suggested that it might make a good vineyard because it’s south facing, so that’s what we did.

“Originally we put in a small vineyard of seven acres. Then, having the vineyard, it made sense that we should live here to help look after it, and that led to converting some of the outbuildings.”

As the saying goes, ‘mighty oaks from little acorns grow’ – although, in this case, maybe it would be more appropriate to quote something about pips and vines.

Whatever, it’s fair to say that what’s standing here now is far from a collection of dilapidated outbuildings scattered over some farmland.

Instead, around seven acres of carefully tended vineyards, growing five varieties of grapes (with a sixth, pinot noir, about to be planted; the first harvests of that, they hope, will be in two to five

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years time) stretch into the distance, and alongside them stands a magnificent eight-bedroom home.

Getting to this stage wasn’t an overnight process, however; far from it, in fact. The house took two-and-a-half years to build, and that was after the inevitable delays, including getting planning permission for such an ambitious project. Indeed, the couple only moved in a little over three years ago, back in December 2013.

“The house and the vineyard came together,” says Max. “It happened fairly organically. We never intended the house to be quite as big as it is, it just evolved.”

Although Max makes it sound like a happy accident, there’s no doubt that an immense amount of skill and talent went into creating the fabulous space, surely much of which can be attributed to Caroline. An interior designer for 40 years, her eye for unusual detail is apparent throughout.

“There’s a real flow to the house,” she explains, as she guides me from room to room, pointing out details such as the cupboard doors, found in an antique shop in France, which now front a purposebuilt cupboard housing a television,

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and the huge fireplaces, discovered in a reclamation yard in St Tropez. There’s a massive window which was once a hatch used for hauling bales into a hayloft too, and – as Caroline points out with a mischievous smile – her stash of gin now makes its home in a crockery cupboard in the kitchen, “to save always having to walk to the drinks cupboard.” (Perhaps ironically for a vineyard owner, Caroline rarely drinks wine, except the occasional glass of rosé or a spot of bubbly – and then only at lunch time.)

The kitchen is actually one of the littlest rooms in the house. “People don’t seem to be able to understand why I have a small kitchen,” she says. “But I have a big house, and I didn’t want to end up living in the kitchen. So many people have dining rooms which only get used for Christmas dinner or something, but when we have family or guests we always use ours or, if it’s just Max and I, we might have our supper on a small table in front of the fire in the upstairs living room, which is one of my favourite rooms.”

‘Small’ doesn’t seem quite the word I’d use for this kitchen, though. Sure, compared to the rest of the house it’s

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relatively compact, but it would still incite some serious kitchen-envy in most people (professional chefs included) – which is something that Caroline is proud of.

“There are two dishwashers, four ovens, a huge hob and a sink big enough to fit large pans,” she says. “Most sinks can’t do that. We’ve thought of everything and, because it’s galley-style, it’s easy to reach what we need. There’s a pantry too, for extra storage, with a glass cleaning machine for when we have parties!”

Entertaining is a big part of the couple’s lifestyle, especially during shooting season, when they regularly host game lunches. It’s not Caroline who does the catering, though, she admits. Instead, it’s housekeeper Dalia who’s in charge of the kitchen, making the most of the produce grown by her husband, Diogo, in the home’s kitchen garden.

“It’s wonderful being able to eat such fresh fruit and vegetables,” enthuses Caroline. “The taste is nothing like the produce you buy in supermarkets.”

It’s not surprising that friends want to come and stay. The bedrooms are superior to many five-star hotels, and Caroline’s design flair has created a

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space that’s filled with quirky details, from chandelier-style light fittings made from antlers to (one of my personal favourites) a soap dispenser crafted from a gin bottle, which was made by Max. “It’s meant to sort of represent a French chateau-y, hunting lodge-y type thing,” she says. “I’m not very good at compromise, but I’ve used all sorts of funny bits of furniture. I do tend to do everything in taupe and beige, though.

And I always have neutral-coloured sofas.

That way you can add colour with other details, and swap cushions to change a look. Actually, I want to do that now, but I’m not allowed to spend more money!”

As well as friends, the house often hosts visitors to the vineyard, which is becoming increasingly well-known for the quality of its wine. Their 2012 sparkling wine has netted a host of awards, and even won its category at the Quality Drinks Awards 2016.

“It came from our first real harvest,” said Max. “And it’s actually turned out to be our best wine to date! We’re trying to hold back the sale of it to some extent, because every year we leave it to mature, the better it is. That said, we’ve just had our best year of production, growing seven tons of grapes. Until now we’ve produced a sparkling white, a sparkling

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pink, and a small amount of white.

This year we’re going to make another sparkling white and two white wines, as well as a rosé, which is actually a lot better than I thought it was going to be. We’re trying a red, too, but I’m not optimistic about that. It’s difficult to do a good red in this country, as we don’t have the heat.”

With no previous experience, running a vineyard has been a steep learning curve for Max. “We’ve had lots of help from experts,” he says. “And we’ve made a lot of mistakes, but things are running well now.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t regularly ask myself why we do this, though, as it’s a lot more work than I imagined.”

With his main business – building holiday homes at the nearby Cotswolds Water Park – taking up most of his time, Max currently has a relatively hands-off approach to the vineyard, but that will change in the future.

“It’s my retirement plan,” he says. “The time will come when I can spend more time on the vineyard, though I don’t expect a very relaxing retirement!” ✱ Poulton Hill wines are available from local stockists, including Jolly Nice in Frampton Mansell, Gloucester Services, The Village Pub in Barnsley, The Five Alls at Filkins, and The Plough at Kelmscott; poultonhillestate.co.uk

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( house call )

KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL Name: Caroline Findlay Hometown: Cirencester Occupation: Interior designer Must-have kitchen item: Quooker boiling tap You love the taste of... Home-grown tomatoes and new potatoes Coffee or tea? Lapsang souchong tea Beer or cider? Gin! Five people you’d invite to your dinner party, dead or alive: Patricia Routledge, David Niven, Rupert Dean, Isabella Findley, Duchess of Devonshire Go-to recipe: Chicken thighs, garlic, fresh herbs and tomato sauce The look of your kitchen, in three words: Functional, fantastic, fabulous If you could change one thing about your kitchen, it would be… Nothing!

Preferred midnight nosh: Cornish Cheddar or beans on toast Your kitchen is awesome because...

Everything is in drawers Secret skills: Presentation Most prized item: Ancient chicken brick What are you going to cook/bake this weekend? Polenta cake Unexpected item in your kitchen cupboard: Tanqueray gin You can’t live without... Extra virgin olive oil Favorite condiment: Maggi If your kitchen could talk, it’d say... “I’m perfect – two dishwashers, four ovens, large hob and an extra-large sink…”

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T H E WA N T LI S T

1 SHIRAZ SCENTED CANDLE £19.50 Full-bodied and warm, with hints of Seville orange and bergamot, this gorgeous candle lets you fill your home with the aroma of your favourite red; it’s even presented in a glass container repurposed from an old wine bottle. Nab one from Cotswolds Trading in Broadway. ✱ cotswoldtrading.com

Hey, it’s always wine o’clock somewhere!

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2 SOIREE WINE AERATOR CLASSIC £22.50 We all know that to enjoy red wine at its best we’re supposed to decant it and let it breathe, but sometimes life is just too short for that kind of forward planning.

Conveniently, however, experts from Napa Valley have designed this aerator, which decants one glass at a time. Pick yours up from Vinegar Hill in Cheltenham. ✱ vinegarhill.co.uk 3 CORKCICLE CANTEEN £17.99 There’re times – many times – when all you want to do is go out and about with a drop of chilled white wine to hand. A picnic, for instance. (Or just walking the dog.)

Decant your favourite chilled vino into the Corkcicle, and it will stay ice cold for up to 25 hours. (And if yours lasts longer than that, you’re doing it wrong.) Available from Steamer Trading in Cirencester. ✱ steamer.co.uk 4 ISOMMELIER PORTABLE WINE DECANTER £349 The really rather smart iSommelier by iFavine helps you to achieve what usually takes years of precise cellaring in just a few minutes, thanks to a highly concentrated oxygen stream. There’s even an app you can use with it, to help you find the perfect decant settings for your favourite wines. Clever, yes?

You can find it at John Lewis in Swindon or Bristol. ✱ ifavine.com 5 CHILL CORE 3 IN 1 WINE BOTTLE CHILLER, STOPPER & POURER £19.99 Walking to the fridge is a waste of time, right? Well, this nifty device solves that problem. Just freeze it before you start, then pop it down the neck to keep your wine chilled from inside the bottle. Hunt it down at Lakeland in Cheltenham. ✱ lakeland.co.uk

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There are probably some yummy things in the soil right about here…

Highlights GREEN FINGERS

Getting to know the Cotswolds’ best kitchen gardeners Page 47

WINE TIME

Looking ahead to the Cheltenham Wine Festival Page 52

OFF TO THE RACES Where to eat and drink during Gold Cup week Page 56

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There’s nothing quite as lush as freshly-picked fruit and veggies. But growing them takes a hefty whack of hard work, and just as much skill. Time, we thought, to meet some of the kitchen gardeners working their green-fingered magic in the veggie patches of some of the Cotswolds’ top hotels and restaurants…

Mains

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Is there anything that you would like to start growing that you don’t currently grow? Blueberries – something seemingly impossible on a soil which is naturally alkali. My father grows them in pots, and enjoys significant harvests. To grow organically, though, they must be grown in the ground, which will need acidifying. Pine needle mulch in vast amounts has been suggested, but changing the soil pH is hard work organically.

ELEANOR JAMES

KITCHEN GARDENER AT BARNSLEY HOUSE HOTEL, NEAR CIRENCESTER, WORKING WITH HEAD GARDENER RICHARD GATENBY

How long have you worked here?

One year, eight months.

How big is the garden? Our kitchen garden is around two acres, including The Potager restaurant, our orchard, the large vegetable beds, polytunnels and glasshouse.

How many different fruits and vegetables do you grow? Around 40 different vegetables, about 10 types of fruit.

What do you particularly enjoy growing?

I always look forward to the tomato growing season, because of the sheer diversity of fruit colours and flavours that are available. This year I hope to grow more varieties than ever for multi-coloured summer salads – including Green Grape (small, yellowish-green, very sweet), Flamingo (a small plum that’s pink, sweet and juicy) and Zlatava (a new variety, orange with red flesh).

Are there any challenges within the garden? And, if so, what? My brassicas become a target for the local population of pigeons in the winter as their natural food supply dwindles, and the box hedging at The Potager provides a haven for slugs and snails, which proves problematic for my gem lettuces throughout late spring and early summer.

Is there anything that you would like to start growing that you don’t currently?

This year I am trying a lot of new things, such as cucamelons (which look like tiny watermelons and taste of a combination of cucumber and lime), tomatillos, and physalis (cape gooseberry), hoping to offer a few more fresh, summery flavours.

Is there anything in the garden that you’re particularly proud of? Working in The Potager certainly provides endless inspiration. Rosemary Verey designed that part of the garden based on preReformation monastic gardens, which featured a layout of vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers in patterned beds.

It allows us to experiment with eclectic combinations of edible plants and decorative flowers that are very different year to year.

What does the kitchen use most of?

Last year our chefs used around 380kg of squash – their favourite is the winter squash Crown Prince, which has a very rich, sweet flavour, and a texture that is perfect for soups. Throughout the summer I take hundreds of courgette flowers into the kitchen.

What are your future plans for the garden? We are planning in the next year to plant a couple of beds of decorative willow varieties to produce material for weaving our own decorative plant support structures. We would also like to extend our collection of top fruit by adding to the dessert apple and pear varieties that we are currently growing in the orchard, as well as planting plum-type fruit, such as yellowskinned mirabelles and bullaces.

✱ barnsleyhouse.com

JEZ TAYLOR

HEAD OF THE MARKET GARDEN AT DAYLESFORD ORGANIC

Is there anything in the garden that you’re particularly proud of?

Minimal waste. The best-looking produce must always go onto the shop floor, but any awkward specimens can go into the kitchens, so we have very few ‘gradeouts.’ We have a busy jam and chutney production kitchen in operation from June to November using up any gluts, from strawberries to sloes.

We also compost all kitchen veg waste from our Daylesford site (up to 0.5 tonnes per week), which is the basis of the potting compost we use for our plant nursery.

What does the kitchen use most of?

Mixed leaf salad. It’s the backdrop to many of the dishes in our cafes, and the bespoke mix of leaves gives a Daylesford signature to each plate. Between our five cafés and The Wild Rabbit pub, they use up to 60kg per week.

What are your future plans for the garden? We are developing a cutting garden and plant nursery to supply our Garden Shop with organic flowers, a rarity in the horticultural world.

How long have you worked here?

Since March 2008.

How big is the garden? 20 acres.

How many different fruits and vegetables do you grow? 70 different types, more than 300 different varieties.

What do you particularly enjoy growing?

Diversity, whether it’s 30 different types of tomato, 15 varieties of squash or a polytunnel full of a rainbow of salad leaves. Growing a mixture of varieties is a constant reminder of how the usual route to obtaining ingredients is so limited.

Are there any challenges with this garden? If so, what? Just the juggle of sowings, plantings, crop care, staffing, and harvesting our myriad crops, as well as trying to present a tidy growing space that can be enjoyed and explored by visitors.

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Is there anything else we should know about your kitchen garden?

We have three permanent staff and three seasonal trainees, who we recruit through the Soil Association Future Growers scheme. The resulting team is a group of people who enthuse and enquire about the ingredients we grow, and the ways of market gardening.

Market gardening on this scale, and with such a complex matrix of crops, is always challenging and rewarding. Farms like this are rare, but bring diversity, culture and jobs to a countryside often lacking a comprehensible way of growing food. ✱ daylesford.com

RYAN KELLY(OWNER AND MANAGER) AND NAOMI HOWELL THISTLEDOWN FARM

How long have you worked here? My parents bought the farm 23 years ago, says Ryan. I’ve run the campsite for around 10 years, and launched the café last year.

own lamb and eggs too, and sell all the surplus vegetables to our campers.

What are your future plans for the garden? Another, larger polytunnel, lots of raised beds, and more soft fruits. ✱ thistledown.org.uk

BEVERLEY JONES HEAD GARDENER AT THYME

How long have you worked here?

I have been head gardener in the kitchen garden at Thyme for six months, but have worked on various aspects of the estate for the past six years.

How big is the garden? Our kitchen gardens are approximately two acres, producing fruit, vegetables and herbs for Thyme, which includes our restaurant at The Swan, events, the hotel and the cookery school.

How big is the garden? The farm is around 80 acres. About one acre is currently used for veg, and about 10 for animals. The rest is camping area, sculptures, woodland, and so on.

How many different fruits and vegetables do you grow? We have more than 400 varietals. Currently the garden is deep in kale and beets, winter leaves and hard herbs. We will be planting beautiful soft herb beds for the spring, along with edible flowers that add interest and taste to the summer plate.

How many different fruits and vegetables do you grow? Lots! In the tunnel, Naomi and I tend to grow lots of tomato varieties, figs, peaches, grapes, aubergines, sweet peppers, chillis, basil varieties, coriander, parsley, watermelon, cucumber, garlic, and early crops of greens, carrots, etc. Outside we grow parsnips, sweetcorn, various beans, redcurrants, whitecurrants, onions, cabbages, sprouts, occasionally potatoes, and more.

What do you particularly enjoy growing?

I love herbs and edible flowers. Picked moments before they appear on the plate, they can be truly inspirational and flavoursome. But I do have a real fondness for winter vegetables, too. Six months of the year is cold, and so a great deal of thought goes into growing the best produce for the colder months, as they are much more difficult to grow. The whole team enjoys the challenge, though.

What do you particularly enjoy growing?

We particularly like growing those that are a bit trickier in our climate – like aubergines, figs, chillis and melons. And I like growing tomatoes in the polytunnel for the smell, and for making passata – homemade passata is unbeatable!

Are there any other challenges with the garden? Just like Mr McGregor, we struggle with deer and rabbits, but that’s part of country gardening. The efforts that the team at Thyme go to ensure the biodiversity of the estate and encourages wildlife, and – although animals are not welcome in the vegetable plots – even I smile at the sight of our resident mole quietly turning over the soil! The kitchen gardens are situated on the alluvial plains of the River Leach, in a truly idyllic spot, sheltered by old deciduous woodland and looking out across the water meadows. This brings with it the problems of a high water table, plants with soggy feet in the wet

Is there anything in the garden that you’re particularly proud of? I’ve been very proud of my aubergine yields!

What does the kitchen use most of?

The café is very new, but this year we’ll grow a lot of salad crops, herbs and tomatoes to use in it. We use a lot of our

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months, and occasional flooding. However, the soils are incredibly rich as a result, and the quality of the produce certainly speaks for our location.

Is there anything that you would like to grow that you don’t currently grow?

Caryn Hibbert, Thyme’s founder and Creative Director, is very keen to expand the soft fruit we grow, so we have been working closely with our garden designer, Bunny Guinness, to increase the range of berries. I have come across a thornless blackberry too, and am keen to add it to the list – for obvious reasons!

In the garden is there anything that you are particularly proud of? We have two polytunnels that extend the growing season, which means we can provide the kitchen with more variety for longer, but I think it is our system of seed collection that I am particularly proud of. Vegetables such as Aztec broccoli are difficult to source, so we gathered lots of seeds last year, and for the cutting and edible flower garden as well.

What does the kitchen use most of?

Everything! We grow what the chefs need and, just as they operate a ‘no waste’ kitchen policy, so we work really hard to make sure we grow only what is needed – although, if we do get a glut that the kitchen can’t keep up with, the pigs love to eat any surplus fruit and veg that doesn’t get preserved. The herbs are really important to the kitchens, so we grow to order and in huge volumes. They are used in all our menus and recipes, in floral bouquets, in infusions and cocktails.

What are your future plans for the garden? We are going expand the range of herbs for tisanes and infusions for The Baa at Thyme, our guest drawing

( feature) ) ( feature

room and cocktail bar, which is interesting.

Caryn and I are discussing new projects and training for members of the garden team, another aspect of an evolving garden that it’s important to stay on top of. We also plan to build on links with the Royal Agricultural University and Writtle College, providing a place where students can find inspiration.

maintenance manager for the hotel and spa, and then I became the head gardener in 2014. My background is in estate management and gardening, which is why I find I can turn my hand to both gardens and maintenance.

How big is the garden? The garden at Whatley Manor covers 12 acres, with 26 distinct areas of English country garden, including the kitchen garden.

✱ thyme.co.uk

How many different fruits and vegetables do you grow?

We grow many kinds of fruit and vegetables, from carrots, cabbages and lettuces to loganberries and figs. This year I am working with our new executive chef, Niall Keating, to plant crops that can be used in his new menus.

ANNE-MARIE OWENS HEAD GARDENER AT BELMOND LE MANOIR AUX QUAT’SAISONS

How long have you worked here?

I have been here for nearly 32 years.

How big is the garden? Approximately 27 acres. Visitors can explore 11 gardens within a garden, including the organic herb and vegetable gardens, heritage garden, Asian garden, Japanese Fugetsu-An tea gardens, orchards, the wild flower meadow and the mushroom valley.

How many different fruits and vegetables do you grow? More than 90 types of vegetables and 70 varieties of herb.

What do you particularly enjoy growing? That’s a very hard question for me. There is so many to mention! One of Raymond Blanc’s signature dishes is courgette flowers, and there are three 30m polytunnels dedicated to just one variety, Nero di Milano. This is a good one, as its fruit are firm, tasty and dark, and it’s a huge producer of flowers. To achieve an endless supply of courgettes from June until October, we plant three batches. The first crop is sown at the end of February for planting into a polytunnel bed in April.

These crop in six weeks but tire quickly, so sowing new stock every four to six weeks is essential to keep up production.

Are there any challenges with this garden? If so, what? The biggest challenges are the chefs! Not really: we work closely with Raymond, Gary and the chefs on what they need, and we’re involved day-to-day with them.

Is there anything that you would like to start growing that you don’t currently grow? Everything edible that we’re not growing at the moment, I suppose; we just need more space!

Is there anything in the garden that you’re particularly proud of? Yes, the way

the garden is embraced by the whole of Le Manoir team as an equally important part of the guest experience as the food, restaurant and the bedrooms. I’m proud of my team, too, who take ownership of their respective areas, from weeding to mowing to taking guests around the garden with knowledge and enthusiasm.

What does the kitchen use most of?

This changes. Every few weeks throughout the year, we sit down with our head chef, Gary Jones, and Raymond to decide between the five or six different varieties of each vegetable we have had on trial that season. Flavour comes first in their list of priorities, but our input on reliability and general ease of growth in their organic garden – it has a sandy topsoil, and heavier clay bottom – has an important place in what we choose, too. There’s no point slaving over some delicious crop if you can’t grow enough of it to be of use in a potentially 200-covers-a-day kitchen.

What are your future plans for the garden? To do more with our wonderful orchard. There are now around 4,000 trees planted there, I believe. ✱ belmond.com/le-manoir-aux-quatsaisons-oxfordshire/

ANDY SPREADBURY

HEAD GARDENER AT WHATLEY MANOR HOTEL & SPA, NEAR MALMESBURY How long have you worked here?

I have worked at Whatley Manor for 12 years. Firstly, in the position of

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What do you particularly enjoy growing?

We never know what seeds are going to take, so when we see a bumper crop of lettuces and tomatoes that the kitchen can use we get a real sense of satisfaction.

Are there any challenges with this garden? If so, what? The Dining Room overlooks the kitchen garden, so not only does the garden have to produce a wide variety of vegetables, we also try to make it look as ornamental as possible.

The other challenge we face is to deter pests from attacking and spoiling the crops.

Last summer we had a few moles in the garden, which caused damage to the lawns.

Thankfully they’ve recovered now, ready for this summer, so please: no more moles.

Is there anything that you would like to start growing that you don’t currently grow? Yes, we want to grow different varieties of carrots and colourful chard in the garden this year.

Is there anything in the garden that you’re particularly proud of? A few years ago my team and I grew an arch of runner beans. It looked pretty, and we had a lot of positive comments from our guests, who loved to walk through it.

What does the kitchen use most of?

The wonderful variety of fragrant herbs.

What are your future plans for the garden? We will be growing more salad crops and pak choi, and plan to expand the range of herbs. We often spot the chefs nipping out into the garden collecting herbs for their dishes on the menu. ✱ whatleymanor.com

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IT’S WINE O’CLOCK

It’s the date wine lovers have been waiting for, as The Cheltenham Wine Festival returns on April 1. But how can you make the most of it?

Happily, Dr John Parr – Cotswolds wine expert and director of the event – is here to make a few suggestions about wines you should look out for on the day…

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nyone who’s partial to a cheeky glass of vino or two (and who isn’t?) is gonna really love this year’s Cheltenham Wine Festival.

The grape-tastic shindig is taking place on April 1 in the really rather splendid Pittville Pump Room, right in the city centre. And there will be no fewer than 300 wines to try, all carefully selected from the world’s best wine regions (natch) to sip and savour, as well as additional stalls selling rather yummy artisan chocolate, cheese and charcuterie, in case you get peckish.

Alongside all the wines on offer, there will also be plenty of experts on hand to answer questions about all things intoxicating, including grape varieties, wine styles, and the people and places behind the finished bottles.

To find out more, we had a chat with the event’s main man, Dr John Parr…

First up, John, which wines are best value at the moment?

There are gems to be found at all price points, including wines for everyday drinking. Wines from the south of France – and regions such as the Languedoc and Roussillon, in particular – are a happy hunting ground for great value wines. With consistent sunny days and a resource of old vines, they can over-deliver on quality and flavour.

Away from the famous names and classic regions of France, you can still find wines with interesting authentic flavours at very affordable prices.

TOP WINE CHOICE 2012 CHATEAU DE CABRIAC, CORBIERES, LANGUEDOCROUSSILLON, FRANCE (Red) £8.69 D’Arcy Wines darcywine.co.uk 01242 511682

What is an up and coming wine region we should be looking for?

In Italy, on the beautiful volcanic island of Sicily, surrounded by the Mediterranean, ambitious young winemakers are now making characterful wines from the island’s ancient native grape varieties in a modern style. Under cloudless skies in

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a landscape of olive groves and citrus trees, grows the red grape Nero d’Avola, producing deeply coloured, spicy, fullbodied wines with high but ripe tannins.

Elsewhere, ocean breezes moderate summer heat, allowing the native Grillo grape to deliver Italian flavours in a light, refreshing, savoury white wine with a citrus finish.

TOP WINE CHOICE 2015 FUEDO MACCARI, NERO D’AVOLA, SICILY, ITALY (Red) £10.99 Talking Wines talkingwines.co.uk 01285 650250

How have our buying habits changed over the last year?

The dramatic boom in foodie culture has contributed to enthusiastic wine consumers wanting to know more about the stories behind the wines they are drinking. With less choice in supermarkets, wine lovers are increasingly turning to quality independent wine merchants to buy wines, seeking out wines with provenance true to the regions they come from. A thirst for knowledge, and enthusiasm for experimenting with wines made from unusual grape varieties and up and coming regions, is reflected in the success and popularity of events such as The Cheltenham Wine Festival.

TOP WINE CHOICE 2014 QUINTA DA ROMEIRA, ARINTO, BUCELAS DOC, LISBOA, PORTUGAL (White) £9.99 Ken Sheather Wines sheathers.co.uk 01242 231231

If I want to try something different, what should I look for?

It is true to say that many wine lovers can be set in their ways, sticking to wines they know and feel confident buying.

However, there is a whole world of exciting wines waiting to be discovered by the adventurous wine drinker beyond the classic grapes and regions. For something completely different, try the wines of Brazil in South America, showcased this year by exhibitors

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GoBrazil. Brazil has a winemaking heritage that’s more than 100 years old, started by Italian settlers who planted vineyards at altitude in rugged mountain terrain, producing wines of elegance that can be a rewarding new experience.

TOP WINE CHOICE 2015 DON GUERINO, RESERVA, TEROLDEGO, SERRA GAUCHA, BRAZIL (Red) £15.00 Go Brazil Wines gobrazilwines.com 01473 722999

What are organic and biodynamic wines, exactly?

These are wines made from grapes farmed using organic and biodynamic methods. Both approaches avoid the use of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers or chemical additives that may be used in conventional farming.

Biodynamic farming goes one step further, approaching the vineyard as a whole ecosystem, following a philosophy introduced by the Austrian, Rudolf Steiner, in the 1920s. Vineyards are treated using natural homeopathic compost preparations, and applied according to the phases of the moon.

Tasks such as planting, pruning and harvesting follow a celestial calendar of root, fruit, flower and leaf days.

Consumers increasingly want to know what they are eating and drinking, and these sustainable and environmentallyfriendly approaches to wine making are becoming increasingly popular among many of the world’s best wine producers.

TOP WINE CHOICE 2011 WEINGUT HAJSZAN, GRUNER VELTLINER ‘HAARLOCKEN’, VIENNA, AUSTRIA (White) £19.25 Alpine Wines alpinewines.co.uk 020 3151 3454

Should different wines be served at different temperatures, and how do I know how best to serve each one?

The serving temperature of different styles of wine is important to the enjoyment and appreciation of wine.

This is because temperature has a profound effect on the balance of the

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components that make up a wine, namely: fruit flavour, sweetness, acidity, alcohol and, in red wines, tannin. It is common for white wines to be served too cold, suppressing the delicate aromas and flavours and leaving the acidity out of balance with an apparent tartness.

And reds are often served too warm, losing freshness, becoming jammy with the alcohol out of balance, and giving a hot sensation on the palate.

Useful advice on the range of serving temperatures for different wine styles can be found in many guides, but, if in doubt, serve the wine a little too cold, as it will soon warm up in the glass.

TOP WINE CHOICE 2013 GRACE BRIDGE, PINOT NOIR, CENTRAL COAST, CALIFORNIA, USA (Red) £12 The Grape Escape thecheltenhamgrape.com 01242 256716

How important is the vintage of a wine, really?

The vintage of a wine is important, because differences in weather in the vineyard during the growing season from year to year can result in a marked difference in the style and quality of a wine, and how it tastes. In some regions, such as Australia, California and Spain, vintages matter far less, because consistent favourable weather conditions result in healthy ripe grapes and mostly good quality.

However, in challenging cooler climates, with variable weather conditions – such as most of France and other parts of Europe – a lack of sun, or excessive rain, can lead to unripe grapes that lack flavour and, in red wines, result in unripe bitter tannins. Ideal weather conditions result in great vintages for which wine enthusiasts are prepared to pay a significant premium over lesser vintages, such as in Bordeaux and Burgundy in France.

TOP WINE CHOICE 2009 CHATEAU LA FLEUR MORANGE ‘MATHILDE’, SAINT EMILION, BORDEAUX, FRANCE (Red) £19.99 Bordeaux Undiscovered bordeaux-undiscovered.co.uk 0800 8766958

What are the basic principles of matching food and wine?

Food and wine are natural partners but, for the best dining experience, it is worth considering whether the available choices complement one another. The aim is to achieve a balance and harmony between the flavours and textures in the food and wine, ensuring one does not overpower the other.

Acidity in white wines brings out and complements the flavours of seafood dishes, while rich, fatty dishes tame the tannins in structured red wines. Lighter reds bridge the divide between fish and poultry dishes with rich sauces, and lighter meat dishes such as lamb.

Regional wines tend to complement regional dishes, so drink Italian wines with Italian cuisine, for example. Much depends on personal preference, so do relax and experiment, as it is actually quite difficult to get combinations that really do not work.

TOP WINE CHOICE 2013 AVIGNONESI, VINO NOBILE di MONTEPULCIANO DOCG, TUSCANY, ITALY (Red) £20.99 Sheldon’s Wine Cellars www.sheldonswines.com 01608 661409

Is more expensive wine better?

In an ideal world, a more expensive wine reflects better quality, due to grape growing and winemaking factors that add to the potential for a more enjoyable and interesting wine experience.

Ambitious producers will tend to use expensive oak barrels to add to the flavour and textural complexity of their wines, too, and aging wines for a year or more allows interesting flavours to evolve as the wine matures, but needs time and storage, so adding to costs.

The best producers also hand harvest grapes at very low yields for perfect ripeness to ensure intense flavours, fine tannins (in reds), and a harmonious balance between components such as acidity and alcohol in the wine.

Producers who favour quality over quantity also seek a sense of place in their wines, which is what makes the world of wine so diverse and interesting.

In general, they’re better in quality terms, and worth paying more for.

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TOP WINE CHOICE 2012 HAMILTON RUSSELL VINEYARDS, CHARDONNAY, HEMEL-EN-AARDE VALLEY, SOUTH AFRICA (White) £25.09 Thomas Panton Wine Merchants wineimporter.co.uk 01666 503088

What are your top tips for a choosing wine in a restaurant?

A well-chosen wine can make for a memorable meal, and for special occasions I always take the opportunity to try something new. Navigating a wine list can be a challenge, but many good restaurants helpfully group wines by grape variety, style and region separately.

Consider trying a wine made from a grape variety you love from a different region, or find a wine you enjoy drinking and consider an alternative in a similar style; an Albarino from Galicia in Spain, for example, rather than a Sauvignon Blanc. Where a wine flight is offered in a restaurant, this is a simple way to experience different wines chosen specially to complement each dish.

And remember, if you cannot decide on a wine choice, don’t be afraid to ask the wine waiter or sommelier, who – in the best restaurants – will be more than happy to share their expertise and offer friendly advice on selecting the perfect wine to suit your palate.

TOP WINE CHOICE 2014 PAZO DE SENORANS, ALBARINO, RIAS BAIXAS, GALICIA, SPAIN (White) £15.95 Vinotopia vinotopiawine.co.uk 01666 502262

The Cheltenham Wine Festival is being organised by the Rotary Club of Cheltenham North in aid of charity partner The Leukaemia and Chemotherapy Fund (LINC), among other nominated charities.

For full details, and the chance to win two tickets to this unmissable experience, visit cheltenhamwinefestival.com

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Mother’s Day at Join us on Sunday 26th March 2017 Three Course Mother’s Day Menu £ 25.00 per person £ 12.50 per child ( ages 2 – 12 ) Children under 2 free Available from 12.00 – 14.00

Restaurant 56

Mother’s Day Champagne Afternoon Tea £ 28.00 per person Available from 12.00 – 16.00

Call us to book on 01367 241272 or for Restaurant 56 01367 245389

AA Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence

01367 241272 www.sudburyhouse.co.uk events@sudburyhouse.co.uk 56 London Street, Faringdon, Oxfordshire SN7 7AA

Nestled at the base of the Malvern Hills, within walking distance of the popular festival town of Upton upon Severn, you will find Clive’s Fruit Farm.

We are a family run farm, famous for growing fruit which is handpicked, pressed and bottled on site. We produce a large selection of single variety apple and pear juices and have extended our range by fusing flavours such as fiery ginger & pear or our delicious new apple & mango. These are all available in our farm shop, online and also many local stockists.

Why not come and try our juices and, if you’re brave enough, our traditionally produced farmhouse cider and perry “Wobblejuice”!

There is a children’s play area, café serving homemade treats, PYO in season and a well-stocked farm shop with deli counter and butchery.

Monday - Saturday 9am - 5pm • Sundays & Bank Holidays 10am - 4pm

Upper Hook Road, Upton upon Severn, Worcs. WR8 0SA

01684 592664

www.clivesfruitfarm.co.uk

Mains

GOING FOR GOLD Whether you want to splurge your winnings or drown your sorrows during Gold Cup week, we’ve got just the places…

NO. 38 The Park

A mere three-minute drive from Cheltenham Racecourse, you won’t find a much more convenient location than No. 38 The Park. Throughout race week, the lavish townhouse will be hosting a Lucky Onion pop-up. From Bloody Marys and bacon butties to kick-start the day, to Singapore Slings and steak tartare in the evening, when it comes to chowing down they’ve got it covered! ✱ luckyonion.com

MOntpellier LOdge

Montpellier Lodge is hosting a day-long food and drink-fuelled celebration to mark the Gold Cup on March 17. For £125

you can start the day with a full English breakfast, refuel with a three-course lunch, and round everything off with an afternoon tea – oh, and unlimited draught products, house wine, soft drinks and hot drinks will be available all day.

There’ll be a screen showing all of the action too, and a tipster on hand for those all-important race tips! ✱ montpellier-lodge.co.uk

MOnty’s Bar and Brasserie

From March 14-17, Monty’s will be under starter’s orders, dishing up a Racing Brunch from 9am until midday. The build-up to the races will be shown on a big screen and, after the racing is over, every evening you’ll be able to enjoy surf ’n’ turf specials, alongside the usual à la carte menu. The cocktail list will include some race week specials, and on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday there will be live music in the cocktail bar from 6.30pm. ✱ montysbraz.co.uk

Daylesford Organic Farm

Get ready for the action on March 12 at Dayleford’s Glass House, with an evening of fine dining and racing talk in the company of a panel of racing personalities. Experts include Telegraph racing columnist Charlie Brooks, trainers Jonjo O’Neill and Graeme McPherson, and jockeys Aidan Coleman and Paddy Brennan, and they will all be sharing

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their indisputably expert views on where to place your bets!

During the week itself, The Old Spot – their new restaurant – will be screening live racing action, highlights and re-runs, with their classic breakfast menu running from 8am to noon, while a special kedgeree will be served all day. ✱ daylesford.com

The Wheatsheaf Inn

Heading out of Cheltenham and into the Cotswolds during race week doesn’t have to mean missing out. On March 13, National Hunt racehorse trainer Kim Bailey and presenter Nick Luck will be at The Wheatsheaf sharing their picks of the runners and riders at a special ‘Mark the Card’ evening. Throughout the week the action will be shown in the pub’s snug, too, so you can watch in comfort! ✱ luckyonion.com

The Ox

A day at the races takes stamina, so, to celebrate the biggest date in Cheltenham’s calendar, The Ox will be making sure you’re well fed and watered with a special Champion’s Brunch. Between 9am and 1pm from Wednesday to Friday throughout race week, you can get stuck into their full English or Irish breakfasts, with plenty of choices for smaller appetites too, all served up alongside a special selection of brunch cocktails, Champagne and a good stout or two. And, in the evening, those wanting to celebrate

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their win or commiserate their losses can do so with steak and cocktails.

Early diners can enjoy The Ox’s famous ‘early bird’ offer of steak, chips, sauce and a glass of wine for just £14 between 5-7pm, all of which will be served alongside their signature sharing steaks, small dishes and excellent desserts. ✱ theoxcheltenham.com

The Beehive

It’s never advised to bet on an empty stomach, so set yourself up for the day with the Great Beehive Racing Breakfast for £15 a person, then take advantage of the free shuttle service to and from the racecourse. Ace. ✱ thebeehivemontpellier.com

The Chequers

Trainer Ben Pauling will be at The Chequers on March 13 to discuss the week ahead at a ‘Mark the Card’ evening.

Throughout the week, the pub will be opening its doors at 8.30am for some magnificent breakfasts, and to make sure everything finishes on a high, whether you’ve won or lost, skiffle pop band Thrill Collins will be playing from 7pm on Gold Cup Friday. ✱ luckyonion.com

Broadway HOtel

Themed around Cheltenham Races, the Broadway Hotel has got to be one of the top picks of places to dine during race week. From March 14-17, racing

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breakfasts will be served in the Jockey Bar. The usual range of local ales will be on offer (with the option of beer paddles, if you want to try more than one), along with a special ale – The Jockey – being created just for the occasion. ✱ broadway-cotswolds.co.uk

The Churchill Arms

The pub will be open on March 13 to help locals and visitors alike prepare for the week ahead. Hosting the evening will be racehorse owner Donald Gault and he, his trainer and his jockey will be telling all sorts of personal race stories and anecdotes, as well as providing some useful tips! For £30 you’ll be treated to a pint of Winston’s ale or glass of house wine on arrival, welcome canapés, and two courses of British fare.

On Gold Cup day, treat yourself to a breakfast of champions for £10, then sit back and watch all the thrills and spills. ✱ churchillarms.co

The White SpOOn

Relax and refuel after a day at the races at The White Spoon, where you’ll find a special Festival Set Menu every evening.

Head chef Chris White uses the best seasonal produce available, and diners will be able to choose two- or threecourse options. Expect wonderful dishes like blackened Gloucester beef, potato terrine, pan-roasted carrot, chanterelle mushroom and onion, or salmon, rhubarb, salmon caviar and pickled

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turnip, and, for dessert, coconut, roasted pineapple and liquorice. ✱ thewhitespoon.co.uk

The Craven Arms

Situated in the heart of the Cotswolds, yet only four miles from Cheltenham, The Craven Arms is a beautiful 16th century Cotswold Inn, full of warmth and charming character. During race week they’ll be serving up breakfasts from 10am to set you up for the day’s excitement, making it the ideal pit stop en route to the action. ✱ thecravenarms.co.uk

Harry COOk Freehouse

The fun (practically) never stops at Harry Cook’s during race week. It all kicks off at 9am every morning with breakfast and drinks then, if you’re off to the racecourse, jump on the Harry Cook coach, which is running every day throughout the festival. If you’re staying in town, then you won’t miss any of the action here either, with four screens showing all the races and a Ladbrokes TV displaying the all-important race information, then, when the racing is finished, there are live bands every night.

Before the racing even gets going, however, on Monday, March 13 there’s a charity racing auction, raising money for HEROS (the ex-racehorse charity), where all things horsey and racingrelated will be auctioned off. ✱ harrycookcheltenham.co.uk

NEW RESTAURANTS DEVOURED, NEW CAFÉS FREQUENTED, NEW BARS CRAWLED, AND THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT WE THOUGHT OF THEM

Afters

Highlights We bet she wishes she could trough some of Bob’s awesome creations!

BACK FOR GOOD Checking out the new look Made by Bob Page 60

SOUL FOOD

Kindness & Co feeds our bodies and souls Page 62

PROPER JOB

Noshing proper pub grub at The Old Fleece Page 64

Including…

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5

A DAY with some vegtastic feeds

Af ters

( R AV I S H I N G R E F U R B S )

MADE

BY BOB

Emma Dance visits this lunch Mecca to find out just what Bob does that keeps people coming back for more

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W

hen Made by Bob closed in September for a major refurb, there was widespread mourning in and around Cirencester.

(Okay, so maybe that’s overstating it slightly. But only slightly.) The thing is, you see, that this restaurant/café/bar is probably the hottest table in town – and has been since it opened some seven years ago. And that’s saying something, when you consider that a) Cirencester has become something of a foodie hub, and b) Made by Bob doesn’t exactly follow the conventional model for a restaurant.

Like, you can’t eat there in the evenings.

At least, not most of the time. Okay, so Wednesday-through-Friday you can have drinks and nibble on ‘Bob’s Bites’ ’til 10pm, but for the full plates (and trust me, you don’t want to miss out on those) it’s lunch only, ’cos the kitchen shuts at 3pm.

Maybe it’s this feeling of limited availability, added to the fact that there are no reservations, that makes it seem even more desirable, I don’t know. But whatever it is, it seems to be working.

Indeed, when we visited on a damp Tuesday lunchtime, the place was heaving. Granted, it had only reopened the previous week, and Cirencester does appear to be crammed with fans dying to get their fix of Bob’s delish grub after being denied it for so long, but I’m assured the average lunchtime is settling down to something like 80 covers, so this level of busyness seems the norm.

An open kitchen is the centrepiece of the restaurant, a swathe of space where Bob and his team work their magic, knocking out dishes from the daily changing menu. There’s everything from light bites, like soup, to hearty, meaty dishes which, when we visited, included a

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double entrecote tagliata, laced with fresh black truffle, for two.

We began modestly with the bread selection. It comes with a vibrant salsa verde that smacked us around the chops with herby deliciousness, and seemed full of promise of what’s to come. Next came pan fried brill, cooked just-so, and kissed by enough heat and butter to give it a golden crust, but without overcooking the fish. It came perched atop a heap of curried yellow lentils, delicately spiced and adding depth and warmth without overpowering the delicate flavoured fish.

A pork loin, so easy to dry out with unsympathetic cooking, was tender and moist, with slivers of soft, silvery fat that just melt in the mouth. There was an accompanying white bean purée, too – creamy and comforting, with a velvetsmooth texture – while chunks of chorizo added rich, smoky notes.

There was no holding us back when it came to desserts. Thick slices of bread and butter pudding. with just the right amount of sugar-crust crunch, were immediately drenched in cream and devoured, while a chocolate and orange cheesecake delivered rich flavours but was surprisingly light in texture.

When so many places struggle for lunchtime trade, especially during the week, it’s easy to assume that there must be some well-kept secret to Bob’s success.

But, honestly, I think it’s far simpler than that. The reason that people keep coming back for more is that Bob knows what people want to eat, and how to cook it. I think it’s safe to say that everyone’s very glad he’s back. ✱ MADE BY BOB, The Corn Hall, 26 Market Place, Cirencester GL7 2NY; foodmadebybob.com

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Af ters

(NEW OPENING)

KINDNESS & CO Emma Dance discovers a health food café that’s bursting with the feel-good factor

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I

t’s generally acknowledged that the things that taste the best are the things that aren’t good for you, right? (Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in favour of eating healthily and everything, and I pretty much always have my five a day, but I’m not gonna lie: I really wish that pie was one of the major food groups, and I can honestly say I’ve never craved an apple in the same way that I’ve craved a bar of chocolate. And I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in any of that.)

So, a health food café. I dunno, I just wasn’t holding out a whole lotta hope that

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it was gonna light my fire, gastronomically speaking. But Kindness & Co does bill itself as ‘deliciously nutritious’, so I was prepared to give it a go.

This place opened in the centre of Cheltenham at the end of January, serving breakfasts, lunches, coffee and cakes – all freshly made, and free from any nasty refined ingredients.

Breakfasts include porridge with different toppings, home-made beans on toast, and smashed avocado with feta and chilli on sourdough or gluten-free bread.

The lunch menu changes every day, but there’s always a selection of salads, as well as proteins and a hot dish, and always including vegan and gluten-free options.

All the options are laid out on a counter, and the bright colours of the various fresh veggies certainly look inviting, so that’s where I headed.

I chose a baked aubergine with pomegranate seeds with three scoops of the salads. Everything was well-seasoned, and there were plenty of textures to keep it interesting. Husband opted for a chickpea tagine with couscous, which was comforting and packed with flavour. A ‘red’ smoothie (which was actually purple) was bursting with berry flavours, and I could almost feel the vitamins coursing through my body, while a turmeric latte, made with oat milk, was satisfying and almost savoury, thanks to the rich spice.

Did this place rock my world? Not really.

But did I enjoy it? For sure. And, at the end

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of the meal, I felt nourished and healthy instead of guilty and gluttonous, which certainly made a pleasant change.

And as the name might suggest, it’s not just the food at Kindness & Co which will make you feel good, either. The cafe is actually donating a percentage of its profits to charity, with the aim being to raise enough money to build a school in Africa. I guess you could say that eating here feeds your soul as well as your body, and there ain’t many feel-good factors better than that. ✱ KINDNESS & CO, 38 Clarence Street, Cheltenham GL50 3JS; kindness-and-co.com

Af ters

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( O L D FAVO U R I T E S )

THE OLD FLEECE

There’s not exactly a shortage of gastropubs in the Cotswolds. So what makes The Old Fleece so special, asks Emma Dance?

A

pparently a fifth of all our pubs have closed in the last decade. That’s a lot. And it’s sad. Very sad, because a good pub is not just a pleasing thing, IMHO, but an important one too.

Most of my closest friendships have been forged in pubs. My first (and second, and third, and probably fourth) date with my now-husband was in a pub. In fact, without pubs I’d probably be very lonely…

But I digress. The point is, a good pub can be a real asset to any community, so it’s a nightmare that many, for various reasons, struggle to stay afloat.

On the face of it, you might think The Old Fleece could be one that would struggle, and for one simple reason: it isn’t quite anywhere. I mean, obviously it’s somewhere. But where it is is right on the A46 between Nailsworth and Stroud, sort of in Woodchester, but not quite in the centre of the village. And yes, there’s a bus stop outside, and yes, there’s a lot of passing traffic, but getting people to stop instead of hurtling by isn’t always easy.

When we arrive at The Old Fleece, though, it’s busy. Properly busy for a mid-week lunchtime, actually, and mostly with people eating, not just propping up the bar. I take it as a good sign, and I’m not disappointed.

There’s a decent-sized menu, mostly good old-fashioned pub grub but with a few twists to keep it contemporary.

We share a fish platter to start.

There’s Thai fish cakes, which have a wonderful crisp shell encasing a fluffy interior, packed with flakes of fish and studded with chilli and herbs. Cajun dusted calamari is just the right side of overcooked – a few seconds more and we might have been in the realm of rubberiness, but all’s good – and the citrus salad is well dressed, with punchy

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mustard. The best thing on the board, however, is a skillet of chilli-buttered tiger prawns. They’re plump and juicy, and the butter is fiery with chilli and zingy with herbs. A whole plate of them and some crusty bread to mop up the sauce and I’d be in heaven. But it’s time to move on.

I’ve chosen my main off the specials – pork tenderloin and steak roulade with a kidney bean casserole and spinach. It’s all well cooked – the meat is moist and tender, and the little bean and vegetable stew is great. Did I need the tenderloin and the steak? Probably not. Was I complaining? Definitely not.

Husband’s seafood chowder was a rich bowl of creamy, smoky yumminess, laden with squid, salmon, smoked haddock and plump mussels, with each element cooked to perfection.

If you’re looking for a light option for dessert, then you might need to look elsewhere, because The Old Fleece is a place for proper puds and big appetites.

Across the table a banoffie pie, rich and sweet as you like, is devoured with gusto, and my winter fruit crumble is packed with tart fruit which is wonderfully offset by the sweet crunch of the topping and a decadent white chocolate custard.

These aren’t the most sophisticated plates I’ve ever eaten, but it’s a pub; it’s not supposed to be fine dining. And what it might lack in elegance, it more than makes up for flavour. These folks certainly know how to serve food that’ll keep you coming back for more. As a proper boozer with unusually good grub, it does exactly what I want it to do; no wonder it seems to be doing so well. ✱ THE OLD FLEECE, Rooksmoor Hill, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 5NB; 01453 872582; food-club.com

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Little black book When he’s not at the block, Toddington butcher Martin Gilder will likely be found at one of these local joints...

BREAKFAST? Starting 4am most days doesn’t really leave much chance to eat out for breakfast, but we have a fantastic snack hut – Slice of Life on Orchard Industrial Estate, Toddington – where our meat plant is based. You really can’t beat their bacon rolls! If not there, I will pop home for a second breakfast of smoked salmon, avocado and fried eggs.

BEST BREW? For a great cappuccino you can’t beat The Guru Coffee House in Gloucester. After we have done our delivery there, Adam makes our driver a fabulous takeaway coffee.

Quick!

Now add this little lot to your contacts book Slice of Life, Orchard Industrial Estate, Toddington, Cheltenham GL54 5EB Guru Coffee House, 29 Brunswick Road, Gloucester GL1 1JE; gurucoffeehouse.co.uk Warner’s Budgens, Greet Road, Winchcombe, Cheltenham GL54; warnersbudgens.co.uk The Plough Inn, Ford, Temple Guiting, Cheltenham GL54 5RU; theploughinnford.co.uk The Royal Oak, Working Lane, Winchcombe, Cheltenham GL54 5EP; royaloakgretton.co.uk Corner Cupboard, 83 Gloucester Street, Winchcombe GL54 5LX; cornercupboardwinchcombe.co.uk Restaurant 5, North Street, Winchcombe, Cheltenham GL54 5LH; 5northstreetrestaurant.co.uk Real Burger, 49 Winchcombe Street, Cheltenham GL52 2NE; realburgercheltenham.com No 131, 131 Promenade, Cheltenham GL50 1NW; theluckyonion.com/property/no-131 KIBOUsushi, 18 Regent Street, Cheltenham GL50 1HE; kibousushi.com The Clarence Social, 1 Clarence Parade, Cheltenham GL50 3NY; theclarence.social The Swan Inn, Worcester Road, Hanley Swan, Worcestershire WR8 0EA; thehanleyswaninn.com Ellenborough Park, Cheltenham GL52 3NJ; ellenboroughpark.com East India Café, 103 Promenade, Cheltenham GL50 1NW; eastindiacafe.com Milkbar, The Quadrangle, Imperial Square, Cheltenham GL50 1PZ; milkbar.co.uk

FAVOURITE GROCERY SHOP? We have a local Budgens store that has recently opened in Winchcombe. They have a great range of local produce, including our own Longhorn burgers!

SUNDAY LUNCH? Without a doubt

The Plough at Ford. They serve all day Sunday. The meat is fantastic, and the parsnips and gravy the best I have ever tasted! It’s a real quintessential Cotswold pub, with loads of atmosphere and very friendly service.

QUICK PINT? Prescott ale at our local, The Royal Oak in Gretton, or – if the rugby is on – then The Corner Cupboard in Winchcombe.

POSH NOSH? Without a doubt, Number

5 In Winchcombe. Chef and owner Marcus Ashenford consistently retains his Michelin star, and eating there is really a gastronomic experience not be missed.

FOOD ON THE GO? The Real Burger

in Cheltenham does the absolute best burger, for my money.

AL FRESCO FEASTING? For lunch in the summer, No 131 on The Promenade is great, and makes you feel like you are lunching in the south of France.

HIDDEN GEM? KIBOUsushi really

is a hidden gem. It’s to be found in a

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basement next to The 21 Club on Regent Street, Cheltenham. The menu always features something a little bit different, and offers an authentic-feeling Japanese dining experience.

ONE TO WATCH? The Clarence Social

in Cheltenham has recently opened, and although I haven’t eaten there yet we have been for drinks, and it has a really lively atmosphere; the restaurant looked good, too.

WITH FRIENDS? The Swan at Hanley Swan does pub food that is really top notch, and offers a good atmosphere for dining with friends.

COMFORT FOOD? My mum’s Sunday

dinner is hard to beat.

WITH THE FAMILY? We take our kids absolutely everywhere we go for food, and often joke that they must have the most sophisticated food tastes! We have been to Ellenborough Park with the children on a number of occasions, and they have really enjoyed it – partly because the food has been fabulous.

BEST CURRY? The East India Café in Cheltenham is definitely the best curry, and a fine dining experience not to be missed. You can opt for the seven course tasting menu, or order from the main menu; either way is good. Their seekh kebab is absolutely delicious.

SOMETHING SWEET? The Milk Bar in Cheltenham does the most delicious gelato ice cream and banana milkshake.

TOP STREET FOOD? This is a bit biased,

but I don’t think you can beat our awardwinning Longhorn burger, served in a Hobbs House semi-brioche roll. Our restored 1979 Bedford truck was out at events last summer, and was a real hit at the Science Festival in Cheltenham. It will be out on the road again this spring/ summer, so please look out for it.

✱ martinsmeats.com

crumbsmag.com