Crumbs Bath & Bristol issue 26

A liTtle slice of fOodie heaven

NO. 26 AUGUST 2014

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What’s the difference between a mermaid and a crab?

FeEliNg tHEpiN iNCh FROM THE REGION‘S

BEST CHEFS

P ER FE C T FO R TH E BBQ

no wondeR we’Re

One’s a daughter of the ocean, the other’s a son of a beach!

Meat-free Thali tucker

The natural cook

Ultimate roastchicken

TOM HUNT

You’ll never go back

BRISTOL ECO-CHEF GETS GRILLED

School offi Schoolof of fish

GINGER SNAPS

with Wing of St Mawes

T newiceage The

Why you have to try iced tea

Plus

ESSENTIAl gRIllKIT/SpAnISh h sUMm s er wIneS /More more MoRe

KIRSTIE YOUNG

OVER UNDER SIDEWAYS DOWN

Crumbs is now an app!

You can read both editions of Crumbs – Bath+Bristol and Cotswolds – on iTunes or Android. Scan the QR codes below, search ‘Crumbs’ or find details at crumbsmag.com

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Apple

AS I WRITE this issue’s intro I am listening to Song About a Crab (Sideways Walkin’) – great tune, even better video, get involved – and making pincing motions with my hands. I am also dreaming about supper – how does a creamy crab linguine sound, peppered with fresh chilli, tomato, fennel and parsley? See, there’s all kinds of fun to be had with this most British and summery of ingredients.

Admittedly, you’re unlikely to find these beasties lurking along the banks of the Avon, but that’s where reputable distributers from a little further along the SW coast come in. We’ve been speaking to one such fishmonger, a regular face around the back of some of your favourite local restaurants. He’s helped demystify seafood for us this issue, so now you’ve really no excuse not to cook fresh fish or shellfish at home this July – whether steamed with seasonal veggies, grilled over the barbecue, or sliced into a ceviche.

We’ve also been chatting to one of our favourite local food heroes of the moment – eco chef and food waste campaigner Tom Hunt (of Poco fame). He’s got a new book out, and we’ve been grilling him all about it.

Laura Rowe

Laura Rowe, Editor laura.rowe@mediaclash.co.uk

APPEARING IN THIS ISSUE

MATT BIELBY

Who? Magazine wizard, lately known for his work with comics. He writes the funny/rude bits What? Matt’s got crabs. Well, sort of, for our ‘hero’ (p8)

ROB WING

Who? Cornish fishmonger, and pal of many a top Bristol and Bath chef What? Rob tells us what we should and shouldn’t be eating (fish-wise!) on p19

TOM HUNT

Who? Eco chef, natural cook and food waste campaigner What? Tom gets grilled on his new book and plans for a fresh eatery (p61)

ISABELLA NEWMAN

Who? Cocktail queen, and new mixologist at Bath’s ArtBar What? Bella shares her Little Black Book on page 74

MARK TAYLOR

Who? When not eating his way around Bristol, you’ll find Mark sipping a jar of iced tea What? Haven’t you heard? Iced tea is all the rage (p54)

Search for: Crumbs magazine Did you know you can barbecue crab, too? Neither did we! Tom Hunt explains how in his new book, The Natural Cook

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AUG UST 2 0 1 4

crumbsmag.com Editor Laura Rowe laura.rowe@mediaclash.co.uk Development editor Matt Bielby matt.bielby@mediaclash.co.uk Contributing editor Mark Taylor Junior food writer Sophie Rae sophie.rae@mediaclash.co.uk Art director Trevor Gilham ADVERTISING Advertising manager

Lorena Cussens lorena.cussens@mediaclash.co.uk Account manager Kyle Phillips kyle.phillips@mediaclash.co.uk PRODUCTION Production and distribution manager

Sarah Kingston sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk Deputy production manager / Production designer

Christina West christina.west@mediaclash.co.uk MANAGEMENT Managing director Jane Ingham

jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk Chief executive Greg Ingham greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk CRUMBS

MediaClash, Circus Mews House, Circus Mews, Bath BA1 2PW 01225 475800 www.mediaclash.co.uk © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.

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It’s been a rather strange mix this month: we’ve been squished like unruly amphibians at Bath’s Turtle Bay launch, drowned England failure in cider at Bath Brew House, mingled with rock royalty at The Pig near Bath, and – quietly but happily – celebrated Crumbs’ birthday party: now we are two, and we’re only nearly new.

72 TA BLE O F CONTE NTS STARTERS 07 Scuttling crabs, fishmonger secrets, a waitress who loves scallops, a chef who likes mac ’n’ cheese and – be still our beating hearts! – perhaps the most manly food diary we’ve ever run CHEF! Recipes from the region’s top kitchens 30 Barbecue bass in a bag

by Jack Scarterfield 32 Lamb and beetroot burgers with feta

by Genevieve Taylor

34 Italian-style roast chicken with salsa verde, crispy polenta

by Louise Barnard 36 Roast rabbit saddle, leg rillettes, fresh apricot

by Steve Shore 38 Sticky mango paneer shish

by Sam Hackett 40 Raspberry jam with rose geranium

by Rachel Baker ADDITIONAL RECIPES 08 Crab linguine

by Laura Rowe 25 Barbecued chilli

squid and aubergine

by Nathan Outlaw 54 Earl Grey ice lollies

by Cesar & Nadia Roden 61 Courgette and feta fritters

by Tom Hunt 61 Summer pudding

by Tom Hunt

company really pushing iced tea, with owner Mike Brehme…

KITCHEN ARMOURY 43 Comedy fridges, a fishy jug, and a Clifton home to make Kenya’s Treetops Hotel seem ‘not very African’…

AFTERS New and notable restaurants, cafés, bars 68 Seasons 70 Goodfellows 72 The Boater

MAINS 53 Mister Freeze Inside the local

DEPARTMENTS 65 Next issue 74 Little Black Book

61 Grilled: Tom Hunt The South West’s foodie eco-champion, Poco restaurant boss and (soon!) TV star

THE AWARD WINNING

Fox at Broughton Gifford

2013 & 2014 Best Gastropub

We keep going from strength to strength here at The Fox. We had a great 2013 and a positive start to 2014 and are busy planning for the rest of the year ahead. There is constantly lots going on in our smallholding, new livestock and produce all the time. Why not come and have a look at what we are doing while enjoying a pint of local ale and a plate of local food.

We are open from 12 noon, Tuesday through to Sunday, closed on Mondays.

Broughton Gifford, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 8PN 01225 782949 • @thefoxbroughton www.thefox-broughtongifford.co.uk

Innovations, revelations and tasty amuse-bouches

PHOTO BY EAT PICTURES: ROB WICKS

PIG IDEAS Now this, you might be thinking, is what a proper butcher looks like – except, as it turns out, Bradford-on-Avon’s William Browne is rather more than that, having launched his own pedigree porker sausage company to go with his shop, The Old Spot Sausage Company, which opened in June. Using equipment bought with the help of creative support company Transmit Start-Up – and skills learned at Hartley Farm in Winsley – he uses top-notch meat from the Gloucester Old Spots to be found roaming Gatcombe Park to create a variety of traditionally flavoured sausages (like Cumberland, Pork and Apple and Toulouse) as well as some rather more unusual bangers. The Ploughman’s – with its West Country Cheddar, pickle and spring onions – sound rather delicious, and who could resist the Firecracker, packed with fennel and chillies? William’s currently shifting around 2,000 sausages a month at local markets, his new shop and online. ✱ www.oldspotsausage.co.uk

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Hero ingredients

CRAB Devilishly expensive in a restaurant they might be, but pot-caught British crab makes for a delicious, theatrical, always memorable meal if you cook them yourself. Just watch your fingers!

The crab walk – hilarious as it is – is even more funny when replicated by a kitten. Look up ‘kitten crab walk’ on YouTube

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When boiled – he’s done when the shell has changed colour, turning pink or brown – you can twist and pull the claws from the body, then lever the main shell apart with fingers and a heavy knife. Now just pour out any water, and chuck away the ten grey, spongy, somewhat feathery ‘dead men’s fingers’ (actually just the tough, indigestible gills). Lose the intestines, and start to scoop out the creamy brown meat; if you think it looks a little sloppy and unappetising – and it can – combining it with fine, fresh breadcrumbs is a good way to go. The legs are too thin to be of use (apart from a sneaky sucking – chef’s treat), but you’ll find good white meat from the two outer pieces of the body and the big claws.

However you’ve dispatched him, once cooked you can freeze your crab and use the meat for up to three months.

And if you’re a real wuss you can, of course, buy ready dressed crab too – it requires much less of a labour of love than picking the meat from a whole one, but the flavour’s never as good.

ook at him! Isn’t he handsome? There are thousands of species of crabs out there, these maritime crustaceans famed for their tough armoured shells, big pincer claws and hilarious sideways walks, but this here’s a European brown – also known as Cancer pagurus or, more prosaically, the edible crab – and he’s a beaut. Ten inches wide across the main shell or a little more, he’s the one we mostly eat in the UK, but there are plenty of other delicious varieties out there too: the slightly smaller Atlantic blue, popular in Maine and Massachusetts; the Pacific coast’s Dungeness version, with its pale, supersweet grey-green flesh; and the spectacular Spider crabs, so popular in France and Spain.

All crabs surrender a dense, sweet white meat (similar to the stuff you get out of a lobster) from the claws, and a softer, browner, richer meat from under the hard upper shell – once you break through the armour, of course.

We’ve referred to the chap on these pages as a ‘he’, by the way, because not only is the crab one of the more macho of beasts, but the males tend to have larger claws, and thus more of the prized white flesh. (The slightly sweeter females can come with a once-prized red roe – known as ‘coral’ – although it’s now actually illegal to fish these ‘berried’ females, thus allowing them to breed.) Both sexes, though, have tiny, delicious livers. Brilliantly, boy crabs are known as ‘cocks’, and girl crabs as ‘hens’.

Though crab is available all year round, they’re best in the summer – say, April through to September – with the cocks more scarce at the height of the hot weather as they seek out cooler, deeper waters. We pull more of them out of the sea around British coasts than anyone else in Europe – indeed, the UK takes something like half the crab landed across the entire continent – with most caught by potting.

(It’s one of the most eco-friendly forms of fishing, this, as moulting beasts, undersized examples or other species pulled up from the depths can be quickly returned alive, with high survival rates.) Particularly ‘green’ are crabs from Devon’s Inshore Potting Agreement Area and the Shetland inshore brown crab fishery.

Left unmolested, brown crabs mature around age 10 and can live up to 30 years – indeed, some particularly deep-living scuttlers have been known to make it to 100, doubtless receiving a letter from Neptune when they do so.

Despite the name, the brown’s distinctive ‘pie-crust edge’ shells are often more of an orange or rusty red, with the end of the pincers almost black and their hairy little legs mottled in white.

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ne of the great things about crab is how versatile it is: good eaten hot or cold, excellent in pasta or crab cakes, and great in soups, omelettes, salads, soufflés, pasta, or in a Mediterranean-style garlic-and-tomato stew, where it always tastes distinctive, fresh and of the sea. As with so much seafood, crab loves cream, lemon, mayonnaise, butter or even chilli, and pairs well with other sea beasts – scallops or prawns, especially. Served simply, with brown or white bread and butter, is often best of all.

It’s a bit of a late addition to the menu, this thing – until the 20th century, only fisherman really bothered eating crab, and even they often used the meat as lobster bait instead. These days, of course, we know differently: crab can be just as, if not more, delicious than lobster, but is much cheaper and a bit less showy-offy. Crab still might not be an everyday purchase exactly, but’s its well worth incorporating into your ingredient rotation.

CRAB LINGUINE (SERVES 4) INGREDIENT S 400g dried linguine 1 prepared crab (white and brown meat) 4 tbsp olive oil 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced ½ fresh red chilli, finely sliced slosh of Fino sherry 2 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and finely diced handful fennel fronds, finely chopped handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 1 lemon

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hen buying a crab, pick him up, feel the weight. (But watch your fingers!) Good fresh ones should feel heavy for their size, with little or no liquid sloshing around inside them, and no smell of ammonia.

You can buy them all sorts of different ways. There’s alive, of course – so you’ll need to kill and cook him yourself.

(About 20-30 minutes in a pot of salted, ready-boiling water should do it, depending on crab size, though it’s considered more humane to freeze them first, rendering them totally unconscious by the time they hit the water.) Or you can get the fishmonger to do the dirty for you, humanely killing on site, but you’ll still need to cook him straight away, as the flesh deteriorates rapidly. Or you can buy him readycooked, either in or (easier!) out of the shell.

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METHOD

– Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the dried linguine. Cook until al dente.

– Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a deep pan before adding the sliced garlic and chilli and stirring until they begin to emit their aroma. Add the brown meat to taste (it is rich, so be careful!), the sherry and stir. Allow it to bubble.

– Drain the linguine and add to the pan with 2 tbsp of the cooking water. Stir to coat. Fold through the flaked white meat, diced tomatoes and chopped herbs and season to taste with lemon juice, salt and ground black pepper.

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Openings etc ALL ABROAD This July, diners are invited to board Brunel’s ss Great Britain for a globetrotting, luxury, sixcourse culinary voyage. Using the ports and destinations of this iconic ship as inspiration, the fine-dining feast will stop off in England, America, South Africa, Australia and Turkey, with each course representing a national cuisine with accompanying wine, from quintessentially English roast beef, horseradish and Yorkshire pudding, to South African frikkadels, Australian grilled barramundi and Maryland chicken. Tickets are £65 per person; to book, call 0117 926 0680 or email events@ssgreatbritain.org

Eat your way around the world – without leaving Harbourside!

Now that’s what you call cake!

TOOT TOOT! There’s a new kid on the St Nick’s block, and her name is Tamarind Galliford. She’s been head baker at Bristol’s Papadeli, enjoyed a stint in London at renowned eatery Franze & Evans, and been offered a job in the bakery for Ottolenghi, but now local baker Tam has decided it’s time to return to Bris to open up her own sugarpowered joint, Ahh Toots.

Drawing influence from around the world – like baci di dama from Italy, tres leche from Mexico, American red velvet and the great British Victoria sponge – Tam will combine her love of local, seasonal ingredients with her baking techniques and degree in fine art to create cakes (including vegan-friendly, nutfree and gluten-free varieties) that taste as good as they look.

Ahh Toots is now open 9am-4.30pm, Mon to Sat.

MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY At-Bristol’s summer exhibition, Food!, is set to celebrate all things grub-related. From 23 July the science centre will feature 11 permanent exhibits, a Big Top-style working kitchen, and a travelling greenhouse, with the chance for visitors to follow the journey of food from plot to plate to palate.

As part of the exhibition you will be able to pop corn using light energy, grind your own grain, converse with a robot chef, milk a cow and take part in foodie experiments, such as dissecting a strawberry (more exciting than it sounds!) or discovering the science behind why a summer banger tastes so good.

Food! opens on 23 July, with special celebrations (including a world record attempt) at At-Bristol, Millennium Square. ✱ www.at-bristol.org.uk

Grape expectations With the chilli squid (p25)…

What better way to balance a bit of chilli than Gaintza Txakoli (£12.50), a delicious, crisp Basque Country white produced from a blend of three grape varieties traditional to the region. The wine has flavours of green apple and citrus, and a gentle fizz that lifts the coriander and ginger aromatics beautifully.

✱ www.ahhtoots.co.uk

It’s spooky ’cause it glows

Matchmaker TRAVIS RILEY recommends three great Spanish wines to try with our summery recipes this issue, from page 25…

With the sea bass (p30)…

You will find no better culinary partner for this fish than Monte do Ceo Albarino (£16.50). Albarino is hard to cultivate in the Galicia’s oceanic climate, but when it’s done well it produces unbelievably fragrant wines with zesty lime and honeydew melon flavours, perfect for bringing out the best in grilled white fish.

With the lamb and beetroot burgers (p32)…

This is ebullient food, and deserves a wine with as much heart. Made with tempranillo (the same grape as Rioja), Almirez Toro (£17.50) has real Spanish fire and will win you over with abundant blackberry and damson flavours and rich spice.

All of these wines can be bought at Charlie Crown in Bath; www.charliecrown.co.uk

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In the Larder

It’s official: summer in the South West rocks. So get your shades and flip-flops ready, and tuck into these tasty treats while the good times last

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1. One scoop or two?

Mendip Moments Banana and Salted Caramel, £4.75/500ml It’s that time of year again; time when ice cream becomes a daily occurrence – nay, a necessity. This new flavour won Gold at the 2014 Taste of the West awards, and uses milk and cream from the pedigree Holstein cows at Haydon Farm in Somerset. The Mendip Moments gang have created a fresh banana base (no artificial sweeteners, thank you!) and swirled devilish lashings of salted caramel throughout. Available at delis and farm shops across the South West. ✱ www.mendipmoments.co.uk

2. Ay, caramba!

Bart Smokehouse Barbecue Marinade Rubs, £1.49/27g These new rubs from Bristol’s Bart spicery have turned up the heat in the Crumbs office this month. The

five new blends – Mediterranean, lemon and sweet pepper, tandoori, New York steak and smokey chipotle – have been jazzing up our meat, fish, vegetables and even halloumi cheese. Use the handy marinating bag to keep your workspace mess-free (and contain strong odours in the fridge), wait a few hours, then chuck the infused edibles onto the barbie and cook to perfection. Simples. Available from Southville Deli, Blagdon Butcher and Kitchens Cookshop. ✱ www.bart-ingredients.co.uk

3. Can can

Cawston Press Sparkling Cans, from 99p/330ml There are days we can’t make it to 10am without the crisp punch of an ice cold can of Diet Coke to help us along (don’t judge), but we're also painfully aware of the nasty additives we swig along with

it. Brilliantly, then, here's Cawston Press’ new natural replacement: a choice of sparkling rhubarb or cloudy apple thirst-quenchers.

They're made with either handcut rhubarb or hand-picked Cox and Bramley apples, plucked at prime ripeness and pressed within 48 hours, then gently mixed with sparkling water for a light (and seriously fruity) gulp. Available from Waitrose stores in Bath and Bristol. ✱ www.cawstonpress.com

4. Butter me up

Essential Organic Peanut Butter, £2.40/350g This creamy organic and veganfriendly spread is as delicious stirred through our chai pudding as it is in our homemade satay sauce and soba noodle salads. All the products from the Essential co-operative, based in Bristol, get our thumbs up, but especially

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check out their tahini, yeast extracts, and multi-functional raw cold-pressed coconut oil for pantry staples with a conscience. Find them at Harvest in Bath and Bristol. ✱ www.essential-trading.co.uk

5. Sweet heat

Timmy’s Chillies Strawbonnet Jelly, from £4.95/200g With our Wimbledon withdrawal symptoms kicking in, we’ve found the perfect condiment to add fire to our afternoon tea scones. Timmy’s latest fiery jelly mixes the sweetest of blushing British fruit with an eyewatering dose of Scotch Bonnet chilli: perfect for drizzling over billowing clouds of cream or vanilla ice cream for a speedy pud. It’s damn good in a bacon and Brie toastie too! Available from Allington Farm Shop, White Row Farm Shop, and Neston Park Farm Shop. ✱ www.timmyschillies.com

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When did you begin cooking?

I started in 1992, when I was just 15, in a small pizzeria in my hometown of Nijmegen, in the Netherlands.

Fondest foodie memories from your childhood?

My mother’s macaroni ham and cheese. So simple, but my brother and I still have it when we visit.

What first inspired you to cook professionally?

I started college to become a hotel manager, but didn’t really get on with the front-of-house aspect.

However, I loved the cooking classes – and hearing the reactions of the customers. That is what sparked my passion.

Where might we know you from?

I have been the head chef at The Snooty Fox in Tetbury for three-anda-half years, and made a bit of a name for myself there.

How would you describe your style of cooking?

As it comes; no frills, just good, honest food.

What attracted you to come here?

Bath Ales is an employer with a good reputation for food, and it’s a growing company. I did some freelance work for them, which I really enjoyed, and Colston Hall was a big new opportunity for me. In this job I’ve helped to set up two restaurants, and am also responsible for running Bath Ales’ in-house catering. It’s a big task, but I love a challenge.

restaurants, of course, but I also want to go to Casamia.

How have you approached the new menus?

It’s all about quality. Alice Bowyer – Bath Ales’ executive chef – and I both love American fast food, so the Colston Street Bar & Kitchen menu was great fun. We had to downsize it after we’d finished writing it, but it’s still very extensive. With the Gordito menu, it’s all about the quality of produce. We’ve sourced the best cheese and meat from around the Med – great fun, as it involved lots of taste tests!

Do you grow anything yourself?

Yes, I grow strawberries, garlic, thyme, rosemary, mint and lavender.

I actually love being in the garden on my days off.

Where else do you like to eat in Bath and Bristol?

Any of the Bath Ales pubs and

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

A giant king scallop at the twoMichelin-starred Le Champignon Sauvage in Cheltenham. It was the biggest scallop I have ever seen!

d i k w e N

What has been the toughest job you’ve tackled so far?

Oh, this one. It’s by far the biggest challenge in my professional career.

What are your favourite ingredients at the moment?

Garlic, onion and wine: the basis of any good kitchen.

What do you like to cook at home?

Good healthy food, including lots of vegetables.

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

My knives. I think that goes for most chefs.

Top five 5-a-day?

Carrots, Granny Smith apples, salad leaves, cucumber and... coffee.

(Does coffee count?!)

on the block

Favourite cookery book?

The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit.

Meet FREEK PETERS, the new head chef for Bath Ales’ latest culinary ventures: Colston Street Bar & Kitchen and Gordito, Bristol

Desert island dish?

Sticky pork belly with chipotle slaw, which is actually one of the dishes we put on the menu at Colston Hall. ✱ www.bathales.com

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BREAKFAST ˙ LUNCH ˙ DINNER

ALL OUR MEATS ARE LOCALLY SOURCED

AT SPITFIRE BARBECUE WE ARE ALL ABOUT GRADE A QUALITY MEATS ON BIG JOE OUR BBQ BREAKFAST

LUNCH

MENU MENU £5.95 £6.95

WITH MUG OF TEA OR FILTER COFFEE

MAIN COURSE & SOFT DRINK

All our food will be grilled over lump wood charcoal and with added natural flavouring, apple-wood or hickory wood chips. A true escape from the work stresses in the middle of the city.

Come and enjoy some delicious BBQ food around our fire pits whilst drinking a changing selection of local beers and ciders. Alternatively, pop in for breakfast and drink a cup of locally roasted coffee all with one of the best views of Bristol Harbour.

1 HANNOVER QUAY, BRISTOL BS1 5JE WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SPITFIREBARBECUE · @SPITFIREBBQ

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Ask your Waitress Who knows the menu best?

Who makes the greatest impact on your experience?

Front-of-house is your friend!

ROCK PAPER FISH

Meet POPPY BUTCHER, waitress at RockFish Grill on Whiteladies Road

How long have you been at The Rockfish Grill?

One year now.

And where did you work before?

The Forester in Donhead St Andrew.

What’s the best thing about being here?

We have a great, close-knit team, and are always proud of the food we serve.

What skills have you learnt since coming here?

My knowledge of seafood and wine is certainly more comprehensive, but there is so much more to learn!

What sort of customers do you get?

We have a core of loyal regulars, but we get a real mix. Rockfish is often the place for special occasions, such as birthdays and anniversaries, but it is also really relaxed.

Our set menu, which we now run all night on a Tuesday and a Wednesday, brings in lots of different types of groups who just want to enjoy good seafood.

What are the bestselling dishes at the moment?

We’ve had lobster on the menu for the past couple of weeks, which are grilled on our charcoal oven with garlic butter; they are always really popular. Our mixed seafood grill is always a winner too; it varies daily, depending on the day’s catch.

What are the bestselling drinks?

Probably our house

white wine, which is a Nicolas Choblet Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc. It’s delicious, easy drinking and a staff favourite. Our Mar de Frades Albarino is also popular with customers, and goes perfectly with seafood.

What makes the restaurant a special place to visit?

I can guarantee that you will have a lovely meal here. We use beautiful fish and shellfish and don’t overcomplicate it. All of the staff believe in the ethos of the menu, and I think that’s the most important thing.

If you were a customer today, what would you order?

I would definitely have some oysters, which I love! I’d have the carpet shell clams with peas and sherry to start, and then I would persuade a friend to share the monkfish tail for two, finishing with the deceptively alcoholic and delicious lemon Sgroppino.

Where have you visited locally where the customer service was excellent?

I recently tried out the The Ox on Corn Street for the first time.

I had a great meal, and all of the staff were really friendly.

Where do you like to eat on your days off?

Bell’s Diner in Montpelier never fails to impress. There is always a great atmosphere, and you can have a small bite to eat or go to town!

I also really enjoy the food and G&T’s at Bravas on Cotham Hill.

What do you cook at home?

I love cooking and eating curries, whether Indian or North African. For dinner parties I always try to recreate Rockfish’s scallop dish, roasted in their shells with garlic butter – it never fails to impress!

Don’t wait to be asked! If you’d like to be in ‘Ask Your Waitress

(or Waiter!)’, get in touch: laura.rowe@mediaclash.co.uk

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What the fishmonger knows…

BRIGHT EYES

When it comes to meat, most of us are pretty clued up about the key things to look out for if we want to eat well and responsibly. But do you take the same care when choosing your fish fillets? ROB WING, owner of South West fishmonger Wing of St Mawes, demystifies these slippery wee beasties of the sea

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This fish business is a fairly messy one, and not just physically. For instance, how are we meant to know what’s okay to buy? What does ‘sustainable’ really mean, for example?

It’s mostly about ethical sourcing, and eating the fish when they are in season, much like with fruit and veg. This gives a fish the chance at a better spawning

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cycle, and keeps our seas plentifully stocked with lots of different species.

can deliver it fully prepared that day to chefs – or the next day to households.

Where do you get your fish from?

The vast majority of our fish and seafood comes from our beautiful and unique Cornish coastline. We buy daily at the fish markets at Newlyn and Looe.

Okay, so we’ve (sort of) got our heads around sustainability. But what’s the difference between wild, farmed, organic and so on?

Wild fish will be exactly that, caught in their natural habitat. Farmed fish will be bred and grown under controlled conditions. Organic is where a fish is reared within the Soil

And how often is the fish delivered?

We buy our fish daily, Monday to Saturday, from the fish market, and

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Association’s rigorous standards of feeding, etc.

A lot of the fish and shellfish we see in the supermarket are from international waters? Is it okay to buy those?

Of course. Lots of people do it without realising it but, for us, Cornwall has such plentiful supplies of shellfish and fresh fish, why would we? Plus, of course, ours tastes better. If it’s caught abroad then it would have been frozen, or be on the verge of being classed as ‘old’. This has a real impact on the quality of a fish.

The fresher the fish, the tastier and healthier it is. Ideally, a fish should be eaten within three to five days of being caught. Of course, this does vary. Live shellfish have a lesser shelf life: if it’s alive, cook it; if not, discard.

So, shopping local is even more important if we want our fish fresh.

But make it easy for us: what should we be looking out for when we go shopping for fish?

Good fish shouldn’t smell of anything but the sea. If it is slightly wiffy then

chances are it is on the turn. Fresh fish are firm but not stiff and, when looking at a whole fish, check the eyes. The clearer the eyes, the fresher it is. Fresh fish has a clear slime on its surface without any odour. So, in short: firm, clear eyes, slimy skin, no smell!

Got it! So what fish are in season right now?

Mackerel, plaice and silver mullet are all great to enjoy throughout July and August. Crabs [see page 8] and lobster are also in their prime during the summer months, along with flatfish like megrim and lemon sole.

And how should we be approaching these fish in the kitchen?

If the sun is out then, of course, fish on the barbecue is magic. It’s super quick to cook, and it requires very little adding to it. Scallops and prawns make great kebabs, and more meaty fish like monkfish or hake hold well together on the grill in chunks. Also, at this time of year shellfish are great to stir into pasta dishes or toss into a salad.

Sounds boss. Answer us this one, though. Why are scallops so bloomin’ expensive?!

It’s a classic case of supply and demand in action. The problem is, scallops are extremely popular.

Is the price of fish going up in general, or are we imagining it?

Fish can be the most expensive protein on the planet. And is still very much a hunted food source, so has all the associated costs that come with that, such as fuel, staff, maintenance, etc.

There are plenty of varieties of fish that are very cheap in comparison to meat, though, but we are a nation of cod and haddock lovers – this needs to change! Try a new species every time you visit your fishmonger. Be brave!

It’s all about supply and demand and the eating habits of the nation. If we could get people eating more seasonally, the supply of fish would even out, the

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S t a r t e rs

Rob near his Cornish home, where he sources a wealth of seafood

stocks would be healthier and, yes, the price would eventually come down too.

Makes sense. So what fish is good to buy when we’re feeling the pinch?

(Come the end of the month, say.)

Hake is similar to haddock and cod. We ship loads of it over to Spain, but it’s very similar, delicious – and I doubt you would even taste the difference.

Megrim sole is just like a lemon sole, but half the price. Both of these species are in abundance here in Cornwall.

How do we tackle these, then?

A hot pan, a pinch of salt and a twist of lemon is really all you need to enjoy the full flavour of fish. But, for the more adventurous, serve with a herb butter or a cheeky salsa and new potatoes.

Remember, in fish cookery less is more!

So fresh and seasonal is best. Does that mean freezing is bad?

Not at all. Fresh fish freezes very well, as do most shellfish, and will keep happily in the freezer for a few months. Any longer than that and the quality of the seafood will start to deteriorate.

People often ask us what is the difference between buying fresh and freezing and just buying straight from the freezer. If you freeze from fresh you know the quality of what you are freezing, and how long it has been

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frozen. When buying from the frozen counter, however, there’s no telling how long a fish has been in there and at what point it was frozen after being caught.

What about those pesky bones?

A good fish eater will dissect a fish with the precision of a surgeon – and, you know, it’s actually rather fun too!

Do we need any fancy gadgetry to handle fish in the home?

Nope – a sharp knife is always helpful, but our fish comes fully prepared ready to cook or freeze. A hot, non-stick frying pan, oven or grill is all you need – plus white wine, herbs and lemon, of course!

Should we be making our own fish stock? If so, how?

Save fish frames/bones and all offcuts, steam with a little white wine and onion until the flesh is white, then add water.

This makes a beautiful, clear stock which you can use in soups, risottos, stews and more.

What if we want to have a go at filleting? What’s your top tip?

A sharp knife! Descaling is really important, as is removing all the flesh possible from its bones. If I’m honest, though, ask your fishmonger to fully prepare your seafood. He or she should be highly skilled and pleased to help.

Do flatfish need to be treated very differently to regular ones?

All fish need to be prepared depending on their shape and preferred method of cooking. John Dory, turbot, brill and monkfish tails are great steaked across the bone, whereas flatfish will pan-fry whole. Generally, white fish such as cod and haddock are best filleted.

Skin on, or skin off?

Pan-fry all fish skin-side down to protect the fillet; crispy skins are great.

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One thing that’s been bugging us for a while is mussels. How do we stop them having all that grit in them?

All mussels are depurated (purified, in layman’s terms). Producers try their best to remove grit, but it’s a ‘best effort’.

In my experience, though, St. Austell Bay mussels are virtually grit-free, so it’s worthwhile asking your fishmonger if he or she stocks those.

Awesome. Reckon we’ve got this seafood thing covered now! But, just in case, are there any fish that should just be left for the cat?

No! Supermarkets sell cat food! ✱ WING OF ST MAWES in Cornwall delivers to restaurants across Bath and Bristol, and to homes. Order online for next day delivery. www.wingofstmawes.co.uk

S t a r t e rs

Food Diary ED DOWDING is the founder of Food Trade, a tool that helps anyone, anywhere find, buy or sell better food. So with such a wealth of producers at his fingertips, what does Ed choose to eat and drink in a typical summer week? We take a look…

“WE’RE A REAL-TIME food trading site,” says Ed, speaking of his revolutionary business, Food Trade. “You can discover your nearest producers and stockists of amazing local food, map your food web, and trade surplus homegrown produce with your community. It’s great to see that Bristol’s becoming a Sustainable Fish City, where more businesses are committing to sourcing fish responsibly. We’re also helping a new urban dairy that wants to supply raw milk for Bristol, which would be tasty if it takes off.”

Like many of us, Ed’s food week starts when his organic veg box arrives on a Wednesday, helping to inspire seven days worth of meals, challenging him to use leftovers and tackle the recipes we’ve all been promising to make. When he’s not rewiring the food system, Ed likes nothing better than biking the hillocks of Ashton Court (as you do), wild swimming (naturally), and hanging out on his gorge-floating balcony in Clifton. Oh, and he’s also currently training for the Bristol Half Marathon and has fashionable facial hair.

Yeah, we know, join the queue. ✱ www.foodtrade.com Ed: entrepreneur, foodie and athlete

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WEDNESDAY

Breakfast: Fresh batch of coffee from New Dawn Traders, who actually sail it here. Fairtrade by sail – how epic is that?

Lunch: Veg box arrives from Community Farm. Lyndsey (communications wizard for Food Trade) makes delicious things, so I let her loose in the kitchen. Today it’s warm asparagus, beetroot and walnut salad.

Dinner: Roasted butternut squash risotto with sage from the windowsill. No pudding – I’ve quit sugar for a bit to see what happens.

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THURSDAY

Breakfast: Big bowl of porridge (oats from Essential Co-op in Bristol) after my run.

Lunch: Pasta with garlicky greens, and some crumbed goat’s cheese from The Mall Deli in Clifton.

Dinner: An Indian meal pot from Bristol’s Coconut Chilli.

Some nights it’s nice to not have to think too much, but still know you’re eating healthily and buying local.

FRIDAY

Breakfast: More porridge and more coffee. Porridge is awesome. Coffee is even more awesome. And daily rituals are good.

Lunch: A friend with hens comes to town, so poached eggs on homemade sourdough toast. Enjoying my new baking skills after taking a long course at School of Artisan Food.

Dinner: Tapas at Poco. It’s one of my favourite places to eat in Bristol. I’m reading Tom Hunt’s new book, The Natural Cook – his “eat better, waste less” message is brilliant.

SATURDAY

Breakfast: The same organic jumbo oats I use for porridge, with nuts, seeds, a banana and whole milk.

Lunch: Pop to Source Food Hall for quick lunch – they do a mean bacon sarnie. Pick up some mackerel for dinner from fishmonger Joe. Dinner: After a climb in the gorge with my flatmate Dom, we head to the park for a barbecue. Grilled fish with

green salad from the Severn Project and crusty bread from Hart’s Bakery. There’s nothing quite like cooking and eating outdoors.

SUNDAY

Breakfast: Head round the corner to Wallfish Bistro in Clifton for brunch with friends – black pudding with girolles and a poached egg.

Lunch: Keep it light with sourdough toast with my mum’s homemade blackberry jam.

Dinner: Dom cooked a big lamb roast (from Langley Chase Farm) with all the trimmings for the eight of us.

Fruit salad for pud from Reg the Veg’s ‘damaged goods’ box in Clifton.

MONDAY

Breakfast: Porridge.

Coffee. Go! Lunch: Meetings in town today, so head to Friska for their barbecued pulled pork.

Booyah! It’s incredible.

Dinner: Leftover lamb with some couscous and roasted vegetables.

TUESDAY

Breakfast: Egg-fried rice with lots of soy sauce.

Lunch: Using up leftovers before the next veg box arrives, so mixed veg soup it is.

Dinner: Cycle to dinner at The Ethicurean, then sleep out under the stars in a friend’s orchard. Take a morning dip in the waterfall, then cycle home to find my new veg box. So it begins all over again!

Enjoy laid back Sundays at The Royal Crescent Hotel Relax in the garden, Montagu Bar or Dower House Restaurant and enjoy our special 35 dry aged ruby red beef, cooked in hay and served with traditional garnish.

Served between 1pm - 6pm £18.50 per head

And if you fancy something sweeter…

Why not try Afternoon Tea? Now served between 2-6pm.

The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa 16 Royal Crescent Bath BA1 2LS

S t a r t e rs

Kitchen Library Pick of the Month

The freshest, most inspirational cook books of the month

Nathan Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen Nathan Outlaw, Quadrille, £20

With two Michelin stars to his name, Cornwall-based Nathan Outlaw is one of the most talked about chefs in Britain, and his latest book features 70 new fish and seafood recipes with the emphasis on simplicity and using sustainable species and easy-to-find ingredients. Divided into chapters by cooking technique – raw, cured, pickled and soused, smoked, steamed, poached, boiled and braised, grilled, barbecued, baked, pan-fried and deep-fried – there are useful step-by-step picture guides to preparing different types of fish and shellfish, as well as tips on buying fish. Considering the author’s star-spangled status, recipes are surprisingly easy to prepare – dishes like scallops with hazelnut butter and watercress, and braised turbot in beer with Turn the page bacon, shallots and peas, are guaranteed to bring Michelin-quality for a recipe... dishes to any domestic dinner table.

Social Suppers Jason Atherton Absolute Press, £25

Thomasina Miers Hodder & Stoughton, £25

Andy Harris & David Loftus Quadrille, £20

Eat Istanbul

The Recipe Wheel

As obvious as it might sound, the recipes in uber-chef Jason Atherton’s latest book are all about flavours, or at least flavours that work in perfect harmony. A chef who spends his life travelling and cooking around the world, Atherton takes his culinary inspiration from Shanghai to Soho in this approachable collection of 100 supper recipes.

Despite his top-flight chef credentials (he’s worked alongside Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White, Pierre Koffmann and Ferran Adrià), the recipes are relatively simple with clear instructions.

Summer dishes worth trying include razor clams with chorizo, coriander and chilli; roast rack of lamb with spiced olive jus and creamy mashed potatoes; and elderflower and vanilla panna cotta with peach, raspberry and thyme.

Since she first visited Mexico at age 18, former MasterChef winner Thomasina Miers has been a passionate chilli lover.

The founder of the Mexican street food chain Wahaca, Miers has championed chillies in all their forms, celebrating their versatility as a healthy ingredient capable of enhancing a range of dishes.

Subtitled ‘recipes to warm the heart (not burn the tongue)’, her latest book concentrates on using chillies to pep up dishes rather than using them to “blow one’s head off”. With beautiful photography from Tara Fisher, this is a book full of warming, frugal recipes that make good use of the store cupboard and seasonal produce – broad bean, fennel and runner bean stew, and blueberry and elderflower jelly, being typical July dishes.

Food and travel writer Andy Harris and celebrated photographer David Loftus (he’s Jamie Oliver’s snapper of choice) have captured the essence of one of the world’s most fascinating cities in this colourful look at Istanbul. Part cookbook, part travelogue, the intrepid duo meet the characters behind the wonderful tastes and aromas that permeate the city thanks to its artisan bakers, traditional chefs, fishermen and street food vendors.

Over 90 delicious recipes, lavishly photographed by Loftus, range from breakfasts, salads, soups, easy lunches and fast suppers to dishes for special occasions. Enticing, aromatic choices include mastic milk pudding with rose syrup, and two classic mezze plates: kofte and honeysoaked baklava.

In a world where dozens of new cookbooks are published every month, Rosie Ramsden has come up with something quite innovative for her debut.

The Recipe Wheel takes one simple core recipe – such as risotto, braised beef, roast chicken – that sits at the centre of its own ‘recipe wheel’, with spokes directing you to other related recipes to suit budget, time or occasion. A basic roast chicken, for example, inspires a curry, pilaf, salad and pie as well as a broth and stock. With no photos and only a few delicate watercolour illustrations from the author herself, this is a modest book but one that turns the idea of the conventional cookbook on its head – and is all the better for it. A promising debut.

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Chilli Notes

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Rosie Ramsden Ebury, £18.99

S t a r t e rs Recipe taken from Nathan Outlaw’s Fish Kitchen by Nathan Outlaw, published by Quadrille (£20)

BARBECUED CHILLI SQUID and AUBERGINE with GINGER and CORIANDER YOGHURT ( SERVES 4 ) INGREDIENTS 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped 50g root ginger, peeled and chopped 2 shallots, peeled and chopped 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 3 tbsp fish sauce 40ml water 8 squid, about 100g each, prepared (tubes and tentacles whole, wings scored) 2 aubergines, halved lengthways olive oil, for cooking and dressing 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp chopped thyme leaves Cornish sea salt coriander sprigs (to serve) For the ginger and coriander yoghurt: 150g root ginger, peeled 200ml Greek-style natural yoghurt 3 tsp chopped coriander (optional, but preferable) METHOD – To make the chilli paste, put the chillies, ginger, shallots, garlic and fish sauce into a blender and blend until fine.

Scrape down the sides of the blender and add the water with a pinch of salt. Blend for 2-3 minutes to a paste.

– Place the squid in a bowl, add the chilli paste and turn the squid to coat in the paste.

Leave to marinate in a cool place for at least 2 hours. Light the barbecue 30 minutes

PHOTO © DAVID LOFTUS

before starting to cook.

– Meanwhile, for the yoghurt, blitz the ginger in a blender to a pulp, then tip into a piece of muslin, gather up the edges and squeeze tightly over a bowl to extract the juice; you need 3 tbsp ginger juice. Add the yoghurt and coriander, if using, season with a pinch of salt and stir to mix.

– Score the cut side of the aubergine halves and drizzle with 3 tbsp olive oil, then

season with salt and the ground coriander and cumin.

– When the barbecue coals are ready, place the aubergine halves skin side down on the grid and cook for 6 minutes, then turn over and cook for another 6 minutes to blacken the flesh. Turn the aubergine back onto the skin-side again, and drizzle again with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Cook for another 4 minutes, then remove from the heat. Scrape

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the cooked aubergine out of the skin and into a bowl. Crush it with the back of a fork or spoon and taste for seasoning.

Dress with olive oil, sprinkle with chopped thyme and keep warm at the side of the barbecue.

– To cook the squid, place it on the barbecue and cook for 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a warm platter and spoon the aubergine alongside. Serve immediately, with the yoghurt and a scattering of coriander.

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Walter’s Restaurant serves locally sourced produce for our South West of England’s inspired menus.

To make a booking please call the hotel on 0117 925 5100 quoting the code CRUMBS26 or visit waltersbristolroyal.com Follow us on Walter’s Facebook and Twitter for our menu teasers.

Facebook.com/waltersbristolroyal

Twitter.com/WaltersBristol

Early Bird Dining at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel Enjoy early bird dining in our Walter’s Restaurant which serves only the best local produce from South West inspired menus – booking essential

2 courses £16.95 • 3 courses £21.95 Available 5pm-7pm 7 days a week

Our new Summer menu is now available.

Now selling Sardinian food and wine online FRITTURA DI GAMBERI, CODA DI ROSPO & ZUCCHINE Golden fried tiger prawns, monkfish tail & courgettes sticks, red onion and paprika mayonnaise CARPACCIO DI MANZO CON CARCIOFI E PARMIGIANO Thin-cut fillet of Somerset Beef, marinated artichokes, celery and Parmesan shavings, extra virgin olive oil and lemon dressing PASTAS AND MAINS CANNELLONI DI MERLUZZO E CERNIA AFFUMMICATA Handmade pasta tubes filled with fresh cod, myrtle smoked grouper & ricotta cheese (V) LASAGNE CON MELANZANE & SCAMORZA Homemade lasagne, filled with roasted aubergine and smoked mozzarella cheese, with béchamel sauce on a bed of spinach puré CONIGLIO RIPIENO E FAVETTE Boneless rabbit stuffed with spinach and roasted ham, Marsala wine, thyme & broad beans SPIEDO DI CARNE MISTO Grilled skewer of Somerset lamb cutlet, free range chicken thigh and Sardinian style Pork Sausage, Tabbouleh style Fregola salad

PLUS OUR FAMOUS DAILY FISH SPECIALS

BEST SEAFOOD IN BATH For the 2nd year running!

Italian and Sardinian speciality 7 Edgar Buildings George Street, Bath.

Tel: 01225 443900

Email: info@aiorestaurant.co.uk Online: www.aiorestaurant.co.uk

What to cook, and how to cook it – direct from the kitchens of the region’s best chefs

Highlights BAG IT UP

Fire up the barbie and bag up the season’s finest seafood for a simple, speedy supper Page 30

IN THE PINK

Pam Lloyd likes her burgers fiery and pink – but will you?

Page 32

CHICKEN LITTLE

Make the ultimate roast chicken for summer Sundays, thanks to Louise Barnard Page 34

Plus 36 Wild rabbit two ways Steve Shore pairs game with fruit in a dinner party dish 38 Sticky mango paneer shish Veggie BBQ at its best, thanks to Thali Cafe 40 Raspberry jam With a touch of rose geranium, by Rachel Baker

Including…

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minutes is all it takes for GPT’s fish-in-the-bag.

Meanwhile, you can be drinking beer. (Sounds good, right?)

Chef!

IN THE BAG

G.P.T Smokehouse chef JACK SCARTERFIELD indulges his love of seafood with a super-easy barbecue all-in-one dish – and no washing up!

M

y love of seafood comes from watching Rick Stein, explains Jack, chef at Bath’s G.P.T Smokehouse. Great recipes such as skate with black butter or roasted cod with parsley sauce are still some of my favourites.

The simplicity of seafood cookery excites me.

Fresh fish is a real treat: not cheap, but worth every penny. Having spent seven years working closely with Mitch Tonks at Fishworks – and my first head chef, Gary Rosser, who is now at The Scallop Shell in Beckington, I learnt that you don’t need to complicate seafood. Treat every ingredient with respect, whether it is a fresh Dover sole or a humble cockle – let the food do the talking.

It is great to be back in Bath, with all of the fantastic local producers surrounding us and the great restaurants. The food we serve at G.P.T Smokehouse is not just smoked barbecue classics (thanks to our handmade American hot smoker), but also some lovely seasonal seafood, simply cooked on our Spanish-style plancha.

This dish is cooked in a bag over the grill, and we use Cornish shellfish sourced from the Scallop Shell in Beckington and vegetables from Chris Rich in Batheaston and Larkhall. ✱ G.P.T SMOKEHOUSE, 44-45 Lower Bristol Road, Bath BA2 3BD; 01225 429509; gptbath.com

BARBECUE BASS IN A BAG (SERVES 4)

INGREDIENTS 1 line-caught wild sea bass (approx. 1.4 kg) handful of fresh thyme 8 baby rainbow carrots, washed and peeled 8 baby beetroot, washed and peeled 400g mussels, cleaned 400g clams, cleaned 1 tsp crushed, dried chilli 1 glass Prosecco 600g baby new potatoes, boiled until tender 1 garlic bulb, roasted 50g salted butter 50ml extra virgin olive oil (plus extra to serve) ½ lemon METHOD – Preheat the barbecue.

– Lay out tin foil and parchment paper, double the size of the sea bass.

– Place the fish in the centre of the foil bag. Score the skin 3-4 times down to the bone and stuff with the thyme. Scatter over the rainbow carrots and baby beets, mussels, clams, dried chilli, Prosecco, new potatoes, roasted garlic, butter, olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

– Wrap up the bag and seal tightly. Place the bag on the side of the barbecue (not the centre), so that it cooks slowly and evenly.

– Cook for 40 minutes. To check if the fish is fully cooked, gently pull the fins closest to the head. If they come out clean and easily then the fish is fully cooked.

– Squeeze with lemon and season with sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

The juice from the shellfish, butter and Prosecco will make a beautiful sauce, so don’t forget to drizzle over the fish! Serve immediately.

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( recipe )

One-pot cookery works just as well al fresco – you can use any fish and your fave combo of herbs and wine

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( recipe )

Chef!

Stacked Bristol foodie, and mum to two hungry boys, PAM LLOYD gets creative – with pink burgers. But will the kids take to them?

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Adapt the recipe, like Pam did – try pork and beef mince for extra juicy burgers

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B

( recipe )

arbecue season is well and truly here.

In amongst the rain dodging, sausage burning and forgotten ketchup, we all hope to have at least a handful of happy, carefree days in the sunshine with friends and family, cooking in the great outdoors. A barbecue maybe doesn’t seem like a natural occasion to introduce something new to kids, or to get them to eat a slightly healthier version of the standard burger – but hey, with so much fun going on to distract them, mightn’t it be worth a try? I decided to go for it by adapting a recipe for beetroot burgers, devised by former Crumbs columnist, and prolific Bristol food writer and stylist, Gen Taylor.

The original recipe calls for lamb mince, but on the day I made them I had beef mince in the fridge. Knowing that Gen is a great advocate of using what you have to hand, I ploughed on. In fact, I think you could use a mixture of pork and beef mince too, and any combination of soft herbs would be nice. I used basil and mint in mine.

I find that burgers need loads of flavouring and seasoning to prevent them tasting like cooked lumps of mince. A chopped onion and a couple of cloves of crushed garlic sautéed together with a spoonful of Dijon mustard stirred in is my usual starting point. However, the secret ingredient here does a lot of the work for you.

Look for Sweetfire Beetroot in the salad section of the supermarket, sometimes labelled Sweet Chilli Beetroot.

Don’t shy away from it, even when making burgers for children; the chilli heat disappears into the mixture and the earthy sweetness of the beetroot just works really well.

Chop the beetroot for a chunky result, though I blitzed mine in the food processor. You might want to leave it to drain for a few minutes in a sieve, or blot some of the moisture out with kitchen paper, though, as it does result in quite a wet mixture doing it this way.

These burgers have an ingenuous cube of feta inside too, which is absolutely delicious. I used Cheddar for the boys, but you could use any cheese you like.

Once the burgers are made, chill them for at least 30 minutes – or put them in the freezer, as my butcher recommends. You want them quite firm for cooking, particularly if they are going on the barbecue. As the outside gently chars, the inside stays wonderfully juicy. I made tzatziki to serve on the side, which was a winner.

So, what was the verdict? Well, this isn’t one of those hidden vegetable recipes so beloved of mums. There’s no disguising it: the burgers look pink. Beetroot does lend everything it touches its magenta colour. But, after a moment of inspection, the boys got stuck in and there wasn’t a morsel left, which I call an out-and-out success!

LAMB and BEETROOT BURGERS with FETA

(SERVES 4)

INGREDIENTS 500g minced lamb 250g sweet chilli beetroot, finely chopped 1 egg, beaten 2 tbsp chopped mint 2 garlic cloves, crushed 100g feta, cut into 4 pieces

To serve: 4 burger buns or ciabatta rolls salad leaves cherry tomatoes, cut in ½ 1 red onion, finely sliced METHOD – In a large bowl, combine the lamb, beetroot, egg, mint and garlic. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix thoroughly.

– Divide the mix into 4 equal portions. Take one portion and flatten it in the palm of your hand. Place a cube of feta in the middle and draw the meat up and over the cheese, moulding it into a burger shape and taking care to ensure the cheese is totally surrounded. Repeat with the other meat portions and set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

– When you are ready to cook the burgers, heat a griddle pan (or barbecue) to medium hot and cook the burgers for around 6-8 minutes on each side. Check they are cooked by inserting a metal skewer into the middle. If it comes out piping hot to touch, they are cooked; if not, cook for a further minute or so.

– Serve the burgers in buns with salad.

✱ PAM LLOYD runs a marketing business based in Bristol with her husband, Dieter. With a team of fellow foodies at their side, they specialise in promoting food brands and products through social media, digital marketing and PR. Joseph and George are Pam and Dieter’s two small boys, and gourmands-in-training.

Pam plans, shops and cooks; everyone else eats. Follow Pam on Twitter at @fruitandveggirl. www.pamlloyd.com

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Chicken lickin’

Chef!

Roast dinners can be light enough for the summer too, says LOUISE BARNARD PHOTO BY ROSS CURZON-BUTLER

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( recipe )

W

ho would not be seduced by the Italian way of eating? Food that tastes of sunshine, and is as vibrantly coloured too. This is grub to be shared with friends and family and eaten slowly on a warm afternoon, preferably under the shade of a fruit tree.

Salsa verde literally translates as ‘green sauce’. It can be served with seafood, roast meats, crostini, etc. Some recipes are chunky, others are puréed, depending on whether you prepare and chop the ingredients by hand or blitz them in a machine. Different herbs yield different results, but the fresh herbs really pack a flavourful punch.

Polenta can be bland by itself – it needs big flavours to carry it – so don’t be shy about adding cheese and herbs. For this recipe I’ve have let it set and then griddled it – great for the barbecue, and just delicious. It can be eaten as a snack or finger food for younger children, and is a good replacement for toast in a gluten-free weekend breakfast, topped with wilted spinach, crispy bacon and a poached egg! ✱ You can join Louise for a BABY BITES cookery class at www.babybites.co.uk

ITALIAN-STYLE ROAST CHICKEN with SALSA VERDE and CRISPY POLENTA (SERVES 4- 6)

INGREDIENTS For the chicken: 1 whole chicken olive oil Maldon sea salt ½ lemon 1 garlic bulb 2-3 rosemary sprigs 2-3 thyme sprigs

For the ragu: 1 banana shallot or red onion olive oil ½ fennel bulb 3 red peppers 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tbsp capers 150g stoned olives (black or green), roughly chopped 1 glass white wine (optional) 1 bay leaf 1 tsp crushed dried chilli (optional) 2 tins of chopped tomatoes 1 handful fresh basil For the polenta: 300g polenta 2 tbsp olive oil 100g Parmesan 1 rosemary sprig, chopped crumbsmag.com

For the salsa verde: 1 bunch of basil 1 bunch parsley 1-2 tbsp capers 6-8 anchovies 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed 200ml olive oil juice and zest of 2 lemons METHOD – Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/ gas mark 5.

– Rub the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and cracked black pepper. Fill the cavity with half a lemon, the whole garlic bulb sliced in half horizontally, rosemary and thyme, then put it in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until it is well browned and the juices run clear when you cut into it. Always test a chicken at its thickest point of the thigh joint.

– While the chicken is cooking, prepare the ragu. Finely chop the onion and place in pan over a medium heat with some olive oil. While the onion cooks, finely chop the fennel and peppers and add them too. Then add the finely chopped garlic, capers and roughly chopped olives. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes before adding the white wine,

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a bay leaf, the dried chilli (if using) and, finally, the chopped tomatoes. Leave this to simmer and thicken. Roughly tear or chop the basil and stir this in just before serving.

– Next, prepare the polenta. Cook according to packet instructions, but a good rule of thumb is that it should be about 5 cups of boiling water to 1 cup of polenta. Place the water in a pan and then slowly pour in the polenta while stirring continuously, until it is well combined. Allow it to simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop it sticking to the bottom. When it’s cooked it should be free of any hard bits. Remove from the heat and stir through 1 tbsp of the olive oil, 2/3 of the Parmesan, chopped rosemary and season with salt and pepper to taste.

– Line a baking dish with baking paper and pour in the polenta. Roughly scrape a fork over the top to help it crisp up. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and drizzle with the rest of the olive oil. Place under a hot grill for 10 minutes or until the top is golden.

– Finally, prepare the salsa verde. Chop the basil, parsley, capers, anchovies and garlic. Beat in the olive oil gradually, along with the lemon juice and zest, until a thick sauce is created. Adjust as necessary, adding more lemon, olive oil, and garlic to taste. Alternatively, throw it all in blender for a smoother, less rustic finish.

– Serve the roast chicken with wedges of polenta, the ragu and salsa verde.

Rabbit whole

Chef!

STEVE SHORE cooks noseto-tail (almost) for this impressive rabbit recipe

Seasonal fruit works exceptionally well with game – try it!

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inner party cooking needn’t mean spending a fortune – the key is to spend time treating ingredients (humble or otherwise) with the respect they deserve. Here Steve Shore makes the most of a whole rabbit, offal and all.

“This dish combines a mass of flavours, from the sweetness of the offal to the richness of the rillettes, which is further complemented by the acidic onions and apricots,” says Steve. “One word: divine! It’s actually quite hard to buy particular cuts of rabbit, so this way, when you buy it whole, you are able to use many of the components for one dish. I prefer the taste of wild rabbit rather than farmed, if you can get it, as it has a much stronger flavour. It is such versatile meat.

“We’re at the heart of stone fruit season now, and that’s why I’ve paired the rabbit with the apricot, along with the green cauliflower and Calçot onion, which are also at their best.” ✱ To see more of Steve’s recipes, visit www.adavid.co.uk

ROAST RABBIT SADDLE, LEG RILLETTES, FRESH APRICOT and CALÇOT ONION with a GREEN CAULIFLOWER PURÉE (SERVES 2)

INGREDIENTS 2 wild rabbit legs 500g duck fat 1 bay leaf rind of 1 orange 1 star anise 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 banana shallot, finely chopped 50g butter 3 tbsp olive oil 5g chopped tarragon 5 slices Parma ham 1 boneless chicken breast 1 egg 1 egg white 290ml double cream 2 pinches of nutmeg 1 rabbit saddle 1 rabbit kidney 1 rabbit liver 150ml milk 1 green cauliflower 1 apricot 1 Calçot onion (shallots or silverskin onions are just as good)

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METHOD – Preheat the oven to 130C/250F/ gas mark ½.

– Start by making the rillettes.

Submerge the rabbit legs in the duck fat in an ovenproof dish with a lid. Add the bay leaf, orange rind and star anise, cover with the lid, and place in the preheated oven for 3 hours.

– Allow the meat to cool slightly, then carefully remove the meat from the bone and shred.

– Sauté the shallot and garlic in a pan with half the butter and 1 tbsp of the oil, over a medium heat, until soft.

– Mix the picked meat with the sautéed garlic and shallots and fresh tarragon.

Wrap the mixture in half the Parma ham and wrap tightly in cling film to form a sausage. Chill in the fridge until needed.

– Next make a chicken mousseline by blending the chicken breast, egg and egg white with 275ml of the double cream. Season this with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg. Encase the saddle in the mousseline and wrap in the remaining Parma ham, then mould in cling film. Chill in the fridge.

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– Soak the kidney and liver in the milk.

– Cut the cauliflower into florets, boil in salted water for 10 minutes or until soft, and then blend with the remaining 1 tbsp of double cream until smooth.

Season with salt and pepper, and a pinch of the grated nutmeg, to taste.

– Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/ gas mark 4.

– Steam the saddle of rabbit and chicken mousseline, still wrapped in cling film, for 10-15 minutes or until firm.

– Remove the cling film from the leg rilletes and roast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

– Brush the apricot and Calçot onion with another 1 tbsp of the olive oil and chargrill until marks are visible.

– Place the remaining butter and olive oil in an ovenproof pan over a high heat.

Fry the soaked and drained kidney and liver for 30 seconds on each side, before placing in the oven for 1 minute. Leave to rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.

– Use the green cauliflower purée and any pan juices to dress the plate, before slicing and plating the rilletes and saddle, kidney and liver, and the chargrilled apricot and onion.

( recipe )

Keep the whole family happy next time you barbecue with these veggiefriendly kebabs

BBQ & BIYAR Every good barbecue needs a kebab (and a beer), and here Thali CafĂŠ chef SAM HACKETT has come up with a vegetarian number straight from Bombay 38

crumbsmag.com

Chef!

STICKY MANGO PANEER SHISH (MAKES 6 KEBABS)

INGREDIENTS 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp gram flour 600g paneer cheese, diced into 3cm cubes 3 tbsp finely chopped ginger 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic 1 tsp red chilli flakes 2 tbsp mango chutney, blended 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper 1 tsp turmeric powder 2 tbsp tomato purée 2 tbsp chopped coriander 1 red pepper, diced into 3cm pieces METHOD – In a small pan, heat the oil until hot.

Add the gram flour and stir into the oil.

Reduce the heat and stir until the oil is absorbed and you have a gram flour paste. Do not allow to burn, but aim for a nutty brown colour – this is where the deeply savoury flavour of the marinade comes from. Allow the paste to cool for 2-3 minutes.

– Combine the gram flour mixture with the paneer, and all the other ingredients, in a bowl. Leave to marinade for at least 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat up the barbecue.

– Skewer the paneer pieces alternately with pieces of pepper.

– Quickly griddle, barbecue or panfry the kebabs, until they get a lovely chargrilled exterior. Serve immediately. crumbsmag.com

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n India, a tava grill is often just a sheet of aluminium over a naked flame, feeding thousands at roadside cafés. The chefs at the Thali Cafés in Bristol have adapted this model to seal maximum flavour into an impressive range of kebabs for their new summer menu.

“We wanted to prove that Indian food can be eaten all year around, and I think Sam [above] has cracked it with our shami and shish kebabs,” says Jim Pizer, MD of the popular group of eateries.

The cafés are now also selling a homebrewed drink called Thali Biyar, which is a distinctively crisp golden lager with a full malt body and spicy hop notes: think soothing, smooth and malty sweet.

“The yeast is left alone in our beer, to mature and add flavour,” explains Jim. “It’s unpasteurised, making it healthier, fresher and more nutritious than the massproduced beers too.”

Indian food fans can look out for new dishes like sweet lamb shami with green raisin and pomegranate; Punjab fish shami (pollock and smoked haddock, marinated in a roasted spice rub with a kick of lime); and sticky mango paneer shish, marinated in Alphonso mango and tomato, as detailed here. All are available at the restaurants throughout the summer.

✱ THALI CAFÉ, branches in Clifton, Easton, Montpelier, Southville and Totterdown; www.thethalicafe.co.uk

Chef!

RASPBERRY PARADE

Not content with an everyday raspberry spread, RACHEL BAKER gets floral with her favourite summer jam

Sure, raspberry jam is good on butter and toast – but try it with soft cheese too!

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( recipe )

RASPBERRY JAM with ROSE GERANIUM ( F I L L S 3 X 2 25 G J A R S )

INGREDIENTS 700g raspberries 500g unrefined cane sugar juice of 2 lemons 5-6 rose geranium leaves METHOD – Pick over the raspberries. Omit rinsing them so that they will keep their fragrance.

– In a preserving pan, combine the raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and pour into a ceramic bowl. Cover with a tea towel or a sheet of parchment paper and leave overnight at room temperature.

– The next day, place a saucer with a couple of metal teaspoons in a flat place in the freezer for testing later.

– Rinse the rose geranium leaves under cold water and pat them dry between two clean kitchen towels. Set them aside while you make the jam.

– Transfer the raspberry mixture to a preserving pan and bring to a boil, skimming off any scum that rises. Cook on a medium to high heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, to prevent the jam from sticking. The mixture should appear glossy, the texture more unified, and the colour darkened.

– To test, turn off the heat and remove one of the teaspoons from the freezer. Carefully take a sample of the jam, replacing the spoon back in the freezer for 3-5 minutes. Touch the underside of the spoon.

It should be neither warm nor cold; if still warm, return it to the freezer for another minute. Tilt the spoon vertically to see how quickly the jam runs. If it runs slowly onto the saucer, and if it has thickened to a spreadable consistency, it is done. If it runs quickly or appears watery, cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring, and test again as necessary.

– When you are satisfied with the set, rub the rose geranium leaves briefly between your fingers to release their oil. Swirl them into the jam and leave to infuse for a minute or two. Taste carefully and either remove the leaves with tongs or leave for another minute or two, keeping in mind the rose geranium flavour will be slightly milder once the jam has cooled.

– Pot in warm, dry sterilised jars, and seal. Stored in a cool place, the jam keeps for 3 months; refrigerate once opened.

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here are few more delightful starts to the day than a spread of good raspberry jam on buttered toast, but – like strawberries – raspberries also have some inherent dairy notes which make them especially delicious with cream, yoghurt and soft cheeses.

Just recently I was reminded of an effortlessly simple dessert I ate in Provence, where juicy tart raspberries were set on a plate with a scattering of delicate rose geranium flowers and raw sugar. A bowl of thick crème fraîché made it complete. The whole effect was quite lovely, and I wondered if the same magic could be created in a jam.

Raspberries have a sweet sour taste yet a fruity, floral, leafy flavour. When ripe, they have an intense perfumed quality that hints at rose. Here I’ve used the rose-scented leaves of the geranium plant ‘Attar of Roses,’ as the flowers do not hold well in a jam.

The flavour of the raspberries intensifies when macerated and cooked, while the rose geranium leaves add a subtle floral layer. It makes a perfect snack served with discs of crispbread, big enough for snapping (I like Peter’s Yard), and Westcombe Dairy’s fresh Italian-style creamy ricotta, which I buy from The Fine Cheese Company in Bath. ✱ RACHEL BAKER runs With her Hands, a fruit preserve company based in Bath. She uses only fruits in season, grown from her own fruit plot and by other local growers, often adding spices, herbs, and flowers to create unique and complex flavours. Follow Rachel on Twitter at @withherhandsjam, or visit her blog at www.withherhands.com.

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Kitchen

Armoury Choose your weapons

PIMP MY FRIDGE

Sick of plain white or silver? Then MATT BIELBY might have just the solution for you…

I bought a fancy fridge once.

It was a Smeg with a Union Jack on the front; I was never quite sure if it was the coolest thing ever, or the stupidest.

The thing about that is, once you’ve bought it, you’re committed. Fridge wraps are different, in that you can remove or replace them any time – so if you get sick of a look, just change it. Since they’re typically around £65 for a design that’ll totally transform the front of your fridge – with smaller decals a third of that or less, if you just want to stick your toe in the water – anyone can afford to change them around just as often as they fancy it.

I got a David Attenborough box set for my birthday, so I’m feeling a bit of an animal at the moment.

What can you do me for?

Beasts, you say? Ha! Beginner’s stuff! Fancy a zebra print or snakeskin?

They’ve got it. Or there’s tiger, giraffe, peacock or classic

leopard – think either high fashion (recent collections were all about the critter skin print at Tom Ford, Diane von Furstenberg and Burberry Prorsum) or Bet Lynch, whichever floats your boat.

Hmm. I’ve gone off the idea already. What about a food image instead?

Fancy coffee beans? Or oranges, watermelons, beans (jelly or baked)…? There are also assorted wood, brick and stone patterns, and fridges masquerading as giant versions of classic condiments. Or what about a fridge made of marble? A real one might be a bit heavy, but they can fake that for you too.

Actually, I think I’m more of a pattern man.

Then if you like gastro pub wallpaper – you know, all big, bold and cod-Victorian – they’ve got you covered too. There are plenty of swirls and flowers, a whole range of Aztec-type things, and – if you

opt for the more expensive ‘Speciality FridgeWraps’ – you can get something that looks like it’s made of carbon fibre, or works as a chalkboard…

I’m spoilt for choice.

You really are, because I’ve not finished yet! There are a dozen or so options that are nothing less than famous works of art writ large: Monet flowers, Mondrian squares and Turner seascapes. You could turn your own photos, or child’s drawings into a custom FridgeWrap too.

You know what? It all sounds very fine, but I’m going to have to ’fess up and admit my ignorance here. What actually is a ‘wrap’?

What? You sound like you’ve never seen Pimp My Ride!

It’s basically a durable, high resolution digital print you can stick to things – it’s laminated in a scratch-resistant way that won’t fade in the sun, and will keep looking great for ages, no matter how many

unruly tykes bump into it. It’s something that started with cars – a lasting way to turn a black car matte white, say, for much less money than a respray – and has further advantages too: like, when you get bored of it you can take it off and the paint’s unmarked underneath. And, though you might assume so, it’s not an American thing – indeed, the first ever wrapped car was probably a British taxi around 1990, but it really took off with German cab drivers. Their cars have to be that yucky buttermilk colour by law, and are much easier to sell on now you can peel that off to reveal a pristine ‘Palladium silver’ (or whatever) underneath.

I’m not reselling my fridge.

No – but it’s fun. Check out the telephone box! Or, how does a bright blue food TARDIS sound…? ✱ For more, go to www.vinylrevolution.co.uk, or call 01865 589321

THIS MONTH – Hot chip – Tribe trend – Pitchers and picnics

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£10 LUNCH AND EARLY BIRD SPECIAL! STARTERS Truffled garlic mushrooms on toasted brioche (v,gf*) Cream of celery soup with peas & fried broad beans (v,gf) Rabbit and pork rillettes, chutney, toast (gf*) Crab, chickpea and lemon fishcake, ratatouille sauce (gf) Rare roast beef, hot dripping toast, parsley and caper salad, hot horseradish (+£2.50) (gf*) Lyme bay scallops, fennel, orange, chilli & mint salad (+£4.50) (gf*)

BEEF • PORK • LAMB • POULTRY We can supply beef or lamb from our Red Tractor approved farm. We also have Red Tractor approved poultry and Freedom Farm Foods approved pork.

01985 217150 Units 2/3 Newopaul Way, Warminster Business Park, Warminster, Wiltshire BA12 8RY wayne@stylefarmbutchers.co.uk

MAINS 28 day aged Devon rose Hangar steak, skinny chips, rocket salad, sage and lemon butter (gf) Crustless quiche of summer vegetables & Caerphilly cheese, crushed potatoes, salads (v,gf) Crackling pork belly, apple ratatouille, new potatoes, sage gravy (gf) Lamb and rosemary burger, celeriac coleslaw, onion strings (gf*) Fricassee of seafood with tarragon and vanilla, new potatoes and vegetables (gf) Spaghetti meatballs - Chicken, chicken liver and bacon meatballs, linguini pasta, tomato sauce DESSERTS Vanilla bean crème brulee (v,gf) Chocolate nemesis, vanilla cream (v,gf) Cheddar strawberry & almond Eton mess (v,gf) White chocolate, orange and cardamom posset (gf*) Westcombe cheddar, chutney, biscuits 1 course – £8 • 2 courses – £9 • 3 courses – £10 Have a look at our new website for specials and our other menus! (gf) – gluten free • (v) – vegetarian • (gf*) – gluten free version available The Townhouse Bar & Restaurant, 85 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2NT 0117 973 9302 • Twitter: @TownHouseBris • reservations@thetownhousebristol.co.uk www.thetownhousebristol.co.uk

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House call

THE CLIFTON TRIBE What happens when you combine a love of Africa with a Georgian basement flat in Clifton? An eclectic and colourful interior unlike any we’ve seen before in these pages, says LAURA ROWE PHOTOS BY CHRISTINA WEST

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W

alking down the stone steps, presumably to what would have been the servant’s entrance, at the home of Andrew Yarme (a New Yorker and sound recordist, with David Attenborough amongst his client list) and Jo Scofield (producer and director of wildlife documentaries, designer/ seamstress, entrepreneur, et al), you’d never guess what lies within. It’s cold and dark, a typical Clifton basement Georgian flat – that is, until you open the front door.

The couple, who live here with their two teenage children Jasper and Luca, and oneyear-old working cocker spaniel Ernie, bought the flat in 2010. Before that it hadn’t been on the market for 50 years but, having rented next door for two, they could see its potential.

They started from scratch, rewiring and adding underfloor heating, before moving the kitchen to the back of the property (which formerly housed two bedrooms). It was while stripping everything back that the pair discovered the original paintwork to the house, scratched, battered and worn away, and the thick centuries-old wooden floorboards. They made a virtue of this, framing the exposed plaster with a picture rail, and painting the floor.

Indeed, Jo has a real eye for the reclaimed and recycled. The skirting boards were purposely left “beaten up”, an old window has been transformed into a display cabinet for quirky antique glassware, and the central island began life as an old school chemistry desk. Even a walnut tree that fell during a storm was reborn as a desk top for Jo and Andrew’s home office.

“We wanted no sharp edges – just natural curves, earthy; it has become a lifestyle ever since,” says Jo, as she gives me the tour of the house. Her French zinc bath, for £200 off eBay, is a thing of real beauty.

Back in the kitchen, the main cherrywood workstations were made to order by Devonbased Thomas Brown Design and topped with concrete surfaces by all-round-creative Ryan Broom, who is based in St Werburghs.

“It’s cheap, hardwearing, and you never have to worry about hot plates. The older and duller it gets, the better it looks,” says Jo, as she sweeps her hand along the cool stone.

There’s also a dedicated coffee station – Jo’s baby – with more of that polished concrete, topped with a coffee grinder and maker, and memorabilia displayed in cupboards below. The mirror behind it all was distressed by Jo

Jo and Andrew chill with Ernie on the viewing deck; the kitchen is stacked with handcarved bowls from Africa; recycled local materials have been used to build the bones of the kitchen

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KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL

The couple share their vegetable garden and African beehives with four other local families

and is joined by snapshots of the family. It’s a livedin home, with real tales and adventures to tell. Ikea suddenly feels like a dirty word.

Most of the working elements of the kitchen are out on display – crockery comes in the form of hand-carved Turkana bowls made by nomads in northwest Kenya; stacked Pokot bowls, made from acacia wood, are from a small African village; and the plates are from Isaiah (wood craftsmen), handcarved from mgando hard wood from the East African coast. Even the enamel teapot, that most quintessential of English kit, has a decidedly safari flavour with its Masai beaded cover.

Jo first fell in love with Africa on a gap year, where she stayed some seven hours from Nairobi.

“It changed my life,” explains Jo. “I wouldn’t be doing what I am now without that trip. It gave me my love of Africa. It gets into your blood. It’s full of artists –from tribespeople using the natural materials around them to eccentric expats.”

Indeed, as well as inspiring her home décor, the continent has also sparked off a second business, fromthetribe.com, where Jo sells imported homewares from some of the peoples she’s met on her travels.

Vegetarian Andrew asks if we’re hungry – in between talking camera geekery with our snapper for the day, Christina – and takes us down to the extensive gardens, which stretch steeply down to the gorge with astonishingly uninterrupted views over to Leigh Woods.

A stone terrace blurs the lines between indoors and out (on a sunny day, at least) thanks to a flatscreen placed there for Wimbledon and

the World Cup, plus a hammock, day bed and handmade Yemeni lanterns from Kenya. Vines, not yet heavy with grapes, hang from balconies above.

We follow Andrew, spotting a cellar en route (that’ll be for the pair’s stash of homemade cider barrels). The gardens are vast for a city pad (3/4 of an acre) and, as a result, the pair have shared their lucky find. One side of the plot they’ve given over as communal allotments for five families – with asparagus beds, orchards and fruit bushes dotted throughout – as well as a cooperative collection of African beehives. This is what you call sustainable living. You need only look back in the kitchen to see jars of quince brandy, preserved apricots and pickled veggies as an indication of last season’s loot.

It’s a garden that has worked with, and not against, its sprawling environment. A viewing deck has been built halfway up, inspired by African game lodges, around an old apple tree. Look up and you might also spot a wooden cabin built by a local carpenter, almost as a ‘mini me’ to the living rooms back in the apartment, where friends and family can stay. It’s invisible from above, but just as beautiful when you do peak inside.

Andrew forages for lunch from the plot, and stirs up a simple seasonal salad with roasted aubergines, baby broad beans, herbs, raspberries and a variety salad leaves served up in a oneoff carved bowl for us to tuck into at the end of the shoot, while Jo brews some Moroccan-style fresh mint tea. Now that’s what you call 18th-century English hospitality, paired perfectly with tribal African style. ✱ fromthetribe.com

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Name: Andrew Yarme Hometown: New York/Bristol Occupation: Location sound recordist Must-have kitchen item: Julienne vegetable slicer Go-to recipe: Black bean burritos You love the taste of…

Fresh mint/passion fruit Coffee or tea? Herbal tea Beer or cider? Cider Five people you’d invite to your dinner party, dead or alive: Natalie Portman, Rainer Maria Rilke, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Jack Johnson, Gustave Flaubert. (And they are all vegetarian!)

The look of your kitchen in three words: Fan-f*%£@*£-tastic Kitchen uniform: Flip-flops Preferred midnight nosh: Salted caramel and a double shot of single malt whisky Your kitchen is awesome because…

The door opens out onto the terrace Secret skills: Burning toast What’s on your kitchen playlist?

KC and The Sunshine Band What are you going to bake this weekend?

Danish rhubarb cake with cardamom and custard Unexpected item in your kitchen cupboard: Edible roasted seaweed sheets Most prized item: Blender You can’t live without…

Olive oil Favourite condiment: Harissa If your kitchen could talk, it’d say…

Jambo! Hakuna matata

Put it in the diary!

Jo and Andrew host a supper club from their home every year with The Art of Dining founder, chef and Cotham alumni Ellen Parr. This year it takes place 2-4 October, and all proceeds go to the Bristol Down Syndrome Trust.

For more info, visit theartofdining.co.uk

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The want list Everything tastes better from the grill, yes? Make sure you’re doing it right with our favourite selection of al fresco accessories this summer 1 2

1. Bodum Picnic Grill £29.99

Barbecues on the hoof needn’t involve one of those useless disposable numbers. Whether trotted out for a beach feast with fresh shellfish, or when camping in a field with local sausages for breakfast, this colourful 36x39x39cm grill from Bodum will do the job. The body is enamelcoated, the legs made of chromeplated steel and the handles are covered with heat-resilient silicone. And it will fit comfortably in the boot of any car. (Just let it cool down first.) Available online and at Leekes in Melksham. ✱ www.leekes.co.uk

2. Bambino Tableware Set (Lagoon) £21.95 Want the little ones to eat nicely, but hate plastic? This

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nasty bugs out at the same time, with this steel and enamel drinks dispenser? It can hold 18 litres, which should be enough for the two of you, right? Also comes in grey. Available online and in store at Anthropologie in Bath. ✱ www.anthropologie.eu

handsome set is made with 100% biodegradable bamboo fibre and is ideal to take outside for that first, second and third barbecue of the season. Designed by French eco-design studio Ekobo, this four-piece offers the same practicality as plastic or petrochemical-based dishware, but they’re safe for your health and the environment. And they’re prettier. Available online from Bristol e-tailer Howkapow. ✱ www.howkapow.com

4. Hot Smoking Wood Chip Selection £20

Want to make your meat sing, your halloumi holler and your fish scream with flavour? Wood chips are key. This selection contains naturally flavoured oak, beech, hickory, apple wood and cherry wood, each with their own distinctive scent and taste.

Sprinkle a couple of handfuls over unlit coals, and top with burning ones (using a chimney starter is easiest) and the chips will infuse

3. Lemon Grove Beverage Dispenser £68 You could serve your Pimm’s out of a glass jug, but we all know that the fruit slops everywhere and causes all kinds of mess. So why not add a splash of colour to your patio table, and keep the

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whatever’s cooking low ’n’ slow on the grill above. (Just make sure you’ve got a lid!) Try hickory with brisket or ribs, beech for fish and hard cheese, and cherry and apple for pork. Available online. ✱ www.souschef.co.uk

5. Jersey Pottery Sardine Run Straighter Pitcher £39

This Channel Island based pottery has been creating ceramics since 1946, but the designs are as appealing now as they were all those years ago. We love the Sardine range: simple but striking.

Fill with ice, water and ribbons of cucumber – or apple juice, a used vanilla pod and lots of mint – for a cooling alternative to the hard stuff. Available in store and online at Salcombe Trading in Bath. ✱ www.salcombetrading.co.uk

crumbsmag.com

“With Spanish food this well-executed, and this authentic, Vault Room Bar & Kitchen might just be the best-kept secret in Bristol this summer” “Croquetas de jamon Iberico… as good as any I have tasted in the UK” Mark Taylor Crumbs Magazine

Vault Room Bar & Kitchen | 47, Corn Street, Bristol, BS1 1HT | 0117 930 4762 | bookings@vaultroombristol.co.uk @vaultroom |

vaultroom |

vaultroombristol.co.uk

GOODFELLOWS RESTAURANT NEW LOOK · NEW MENU

Using excellent quality ingredients, Adam and his team create dishes specialising in fish from Brixham and creative meat dishes.

5 Sadler Street | Wells | 01749 673866 64 High Street | Shepton Mallet | 01749 343579

www.goodfellowswells.co.uk goodfellows@btconnect.com

Three Daggers Inn & Brewery

&

Edington Farm Shop

We are a friendly, family owned inn offering hearty home cooked food, in a small country village setting.

Whether you are local or travelling from further afield, you are guaranteed a warm welcome.

Best local seasonal & organic produce pub award

01380 830940 47 Westbury Road Edington BA13 4PG www.threedaggers.co.uk Tunley Road, Tunley BA2 0EB

@3daggers @threecarrots @3dbrewery

biddestone arms Fine Cuisine & Country Pub

Fine cuisine, real ale and good wine in an award winning beautiful village pub.

Biddestone Arms, The Green, Biddestone Nr Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 7DG

Tel: 01249 714377 www.biddestonearms.co.uk

01761 470408

Email: kingwilliamtunley@live.com Join us on Facebook and Twitter @kingwilliam84

www.kingwilliaminn.co.uk

New companies, amazing innovations, campaigns worth fighting for, and people that matter

Highlights REFRESHERS

Mark Taylor likes his tea cold and fruity and, this summer, we reckon you will too Page 54

GRILLED: TOM HUNT

Inside his debut recipe book, The Natural Cook, with Bristol’s eco chef Including…

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new restaurant (along the lines of Poco) set to open in Bristol – if Tom Hunt has anything to do with it!

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summery recipes using ‘root to fruit’ to test this weekend from The Natural Cook

Mains

Ice Ice baBy

If you simply can’t face a boiling brew on these hot summer days, don’t despair. Drinking iced tea just got easier than ever, thanks to a local entrepreneur, says MARK TAYLOR

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ou might not recognise the name Mike Brehme but, if you’re a tea drinker, there’s a pretty good chance you have one of his products in your kitchen. (You may even be drinking one of them as you read this.) Mike, who lives near Bath, is best known for setting up the Clipper tea brand in the 1980s, a business that went on to become one of the biggest success stories of the British food and drinks industry in recent years.

Over the course of 20 years, Clipper became one the most successful tea brands in UK supermarkets, and introduced British tea drinkers to green tea, organic and Fairtrade products, selling over 150 teas and coffees in over 35 countries. Not bad for a business started by one man with just two chests of Assam tea and £50 of capital.

Mike’s success with the brand lasted over two decades, during which time we, as a committed tea-drinking nation with a traditional love for the classic black-tea-and-milk combo, became increasingly used to seeing fruit, herbal and green teas on supermarket shelves. It’s a sector of the market that now – almost unbelievably – accounts for around 50% of all teas bought and consumed in the UK. Mike trained as a tea taster and blender in the early 1980s, and has more

Make like FruitBroo’s Twitter fans and mix it up in an alcoholic iced tea. Try the Elderflower and Lime with gin, still or sparkling water, tonic or lemonade

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than 25 years experience of developing successful teas ‘from bush to shelf ’ for the UK and international markets. Since selling the Clipper brand in 2007 for a reported £30m, Mike has been back in the tasting room creating even more new teas with his new brand, FruitBroo – a range of low-calorie fruit teas and ice teas with no caffeine, gluten or dairy.

Launched through selected supermarkets this month, FruitBroo aims to make fruit teas “taste as good as they smell”, as well as creating the first super-concentrated iced teas, which make the fruity soft drink in an instant. With FruitBroo, Mike hopes to revolutionise the fruit tea market in much the same way he did with traditional teas.

By blending real fruit juices with herbs and spices, FruitBroo offers a range of hot and cold fruit teas, including Rhubarb, Apple and Cinnamon; Blackberry, Apple and Plum; Elderflower and Lime; and Peach, Pear and Honey.

“Tea is the best drink in the world,” says Mike, “and can be so much more than just a cuppa. With our new teas we can use really exciting natural ingredients that you simply cannot squeeze into a tea bag.”

Although increasingly popular, fruit teas have always suffered from a bit of a bad press, but FruitBroo is trying to shake

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Mike proves that tea can be drunk in all weathers with his new range

off the old image of shrivelled up, disappointing, dusty tea bags with more than a small ressemblance to those dry old bowls of pot pourri you might find in grandma’s bathroom.

“Fruit tea is a good example of a long-standing taste challenge,” Mike says. “Almost nine out of 10 people say fruit teas don’t taste as good as they smell, and therefore they avoid them. Historically, they’ve been something we buy in order to avoid caffeine or to opt out of tea and coffee. Most fruit teas are little more than flavoured hot water. But with FruitBroo we’ve made fruit tea a low calorie everyday treat. For example, our Apple, Ginger and Spice tastes like warm apple pie. It comes in a bottle as a natural super-concentrate of juices, herbs and spices to which you simply add hot water.”

Although sales are increasing for fruit teas and iced teas (iced tea cocktails being increasingly popular at weddings and summer garden parties), they still account for a fraction of overall tea sales, although Mike sees this as a challenge – and a great opportunity for his Keynsham-based business.

“Traditional tea is drunk mainly by the 50-plus generation, but the frequency of ‘regular’ tea drinking drops from three or four cups each day for that age group down to one per day or one or two cups per week among younger tea drinkers.

“The increase in demand for herbal or non-traditional black teas really just reflects the openness of younger tea drinkers to a much wider repertoire of tastes and health benefits. Iced tea is another fantastic tea opportunity that’s still to catch on in the UK. For me, what makes a great ice tea is a real fruitiness and crispness with a hint of herb working really well on a green tea base. A little honey can add another dimension to taste sensational, but it’s important to get the balance right. Try to combine too many flavours and you lose them all.”

FruitBroo teas and iced teas are already starting to crop up in local cafés around the region, and are going down well. Peter Botes, chef/owner at Blue Quails Deli in Bath, was one of the first establishments to serve FruitBroo, and he says it’s been a hit with customers since day one.

“We started with the hot fruit teas, but the iced teas really help us stand out as a café that serves something different,” Peter says.

“Customers like the fact that they are pure fruit iced teas, and the flavours are all natural; it really complements our range of iced coffees and iced chocolate milks in hot weather. We love it, and so do our customers.” ✱ www.fruitbroo.com

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EARL GREY MATTER Inspired to serve tea in a different, and decidedly cooler, way this summer?

Try this grown-up lolly with notes of bergamot and vanilla. The recipe below will make 8-10 lollies.

INGREDIENTS 500ml whole milk 20g cornflour 250ml double cream 120g granulated sugar 5 tsp loose Earl Grey tea leaves (or another fragrant tea leaf) 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional) METHOD – Put 3 tbsp of the milk in a small bowl and mix in the cornflour to form a smooth paste.

Pour the remaining milk, cream and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat until just about to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the tea leaves. Allow to steep for 5 minutes.

– Stir in the cornflour paste and return the pan to the heat. Stir constantly until the mixture starts to thicken and bubble.

Allow to thicken, stirring constantly, for a further 2 minutes.

– Pour the mixture through a fine sieve, pressing the leaves with the back of a spoon to fully extract the flavour.

Stir in the vanilla and allow it to cool to room temperature.

– Pour the mixture into moulds, leaving 5mm at the top to allow room for the mixture to expand when it freezes. Insert the lolly sticks and freeze for 4-8 hours. ✱ Recipe taken from Ice Kitchen: 50 Lolly Recipes by Cesar and Nadia Roden, published by Quadrille, £12.99, photography by Adam Slama.

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SIZZLE WITH STYLE

Be generous with your BBQ, says BRIDGET COWAN

L

et’s have a barbecue,” I declare. Then I remember this involves more than chucking a few sausages at hot coals. Or at least it does for me. Bring out the barbecue and it brings out my inner celebrity chef. Oh yes, I love all the usual suspects (think burgers, bangers and maybe a chicken wing, or two) but I like to add a vast array of culinary delights on the side. I’m talking marinades, kebabs, charred sweetcorn, salads and, of course, a selection of puddings.

Unless you are talking about a beach barbecue, and only then will I settle for simple sausages and chocolate bananas in foil.

I take this culinary art seriously, and even cooked our turkey on it last Christmas. But even I, lover of all things smokey and sizzling, have made the mistake of not being prepared for the spontaneous barbecue and, as a result, it’s been a dismal affair.

DEEP FLAVOURS OF THE SOUTH ADD THE TASTE OF ADVENTURE So this month I ordered a Riverford BBQ box, and now I have a stash of organic, handmade burgers and sausages, chicken drumsticks and chunky cubed meat for kebabs in the freezer. For adventurous friends there are Cajun burgers with Deep South flavours of chilli, paprika and garlic. There are even a couple of organic rib-eye steaks, and these I plan to cook like my Chilean friend, Ronnie, does. They sizzle and smoke, drawing everyone near, then he slices them up and offers the chopping board around. It’s a laidback vibe with a generous sense of style. With his inspiration and a packed freezer, I am now more than ready to be spontaneous. So, where is that sunshine?

For delicious barbecue, salad and summer pudding recipes go to www.riverford.co.uk. A Riverford BBQ meatbox contains RSPCA award-winning meat from animals reared the traditional way in free-range herds.

To order go to www.riverford.co.uk or phone the farm on 01803 762059. Try a weekly or fortnightly delivery, and receive a free copy of the Riverford Farm Cookbook with your second order – just quote “Crumbs”.

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G RILLE D THE CRUMBS INTERVIEW

TO M H U N T

He’s an eco chef, food waste campaigner and restaurateur. LAURA ROWE meets the local cook everyone’s talking about

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Use the whole of the courgette (no waste allowed!) in this summery dish

COURGETTE and FETA FRITTERS (SERVES 4)

INGREDIENTS 1 quantity raw courgette ‘spaghetti’ (see below) 1 spring onion, finely sliced 3 sprigs dill, chopped 9 mint leaves, roughly chopped 70g feta, crumbled 1 small egg, lightly beaten 2 tbsp plain flour 6 courgette flowers (optional) light olive oil 80g Greek yoghurt, to serve METHOD – Run fresh and washed courgettes along a box grater turned on its side, creating long, spaghetti-like strings. Keep going until the courgette loses its rigidity, then finely slice the leftover piece with a knife. Spread on a clean tea towel and leave for 5 minutes, then fold the tea towel on top and pat it dry.

– Transfer to a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, except the courgette flowers (if using), oil and yoghurt.

– Mix well and season with pepper. Stuff the courgette flowers with some of the mixture.

– Place a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat with a glug of light olive oil. Drop a small piece of the courgette mixture into the pan to test if it is hot enough; when it sizzles, the pan is at the right temperature.

– First, fry the stuffed courgette flowers (if using). Then drop large tablespoons of the rest of the mixture into the pan. Whether cooking flowers or fritters, allow them to colour to a light brown on one side, then flip and colour on the other. When cooked, remove from the pan and rest on a clean tea towel or kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.

– Serve with Greek yoghurt, or make tzatziki by adding a little finely chopped cucumber, crushed garlic, extra virgin oil, lemon juice and seasoning. They’ll keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat them in an oven, preheated to 180C/350F/gas mark 4, until hot right through.

here isn’t much new in the food industry nowadays. Everything is a recycled rehash of before, right? Delicious still, but not new.

So to have a pioneering chef on our doorstep is really rather exciting. Let me introduce you to Tom Hunt.

He’s originally from Dorset, and now divides his time between London and Bristol – when he’s not on the road with his roaming restaurant, The Forgotten Feast. This business, like his restaurant in Stokes Croft, Poco, is all about eliminating waste, celebrating the seasons and eating well – a seed of an idea that began during childhood, quickly accelerated and sprouted to a beanstalk.

“Eating well has always been part of my life,” says Tom, who trained in fine art. “I had a really sweet tooth when I was around six or seven, and while my mum wouldn’t necessarily buy me sweets I quickly worked out that if I baked my own cakes she would let me eat them. We also grew our own veg, so I’ve always had a strong connection to food.”

He first learnt to cook professionally with chef and best friend Ben Hodges, who ran one of the UK’s first mobile vegetable cafés and had, himself, previously worked at River Café and Moro.

“We travelled from festival to wedding,” Tom says, “cooking incredibly good food. That was my foundation in good cooking.”

From here Tom moved on to River Cottage for three years as sous chef.

“I realized that, rather than seeing seasonality as an ‘important idea’, it was the only way. River Cottage introduced me to the idea of limiting your ingredients through seasonality, and that that’s an exciting concept. By the time I’d left, those beliefs were set in stone and I wanted, through my own business, to create a strong manifesto and ethos that was steadfast and something we wouldn’t sway from, unlike the green wash of the sustainability bandwagon. At the roots of our businesses is this passion and belief. Rather than just harp on that we buy local, we’re all about providing as much clear information as possible about where the food is from. It’s quite educational, but in a really light and convivial way.”

This became even more important for Tom after being invited by Tristram Stuart to do a food waste banquet.

“I was asked to cook high-end food for 200 people using ingredients that would normally be chucked in the bin. I was massively shocked at the quality of food that’s being thrown away. When I realized that I could actually make a difference, quite simply, by not throwing something in the bin and by educating people about that, it was a bit of a turning point in my career, and it gave me a new focus.”

It was then that Tom set up Forgotten Feast, helping to save some of the 20 million tonnes of food that is wasted Inside that innocent summer pudding every year. Neighbourhood eatery Poco provided yet lies a deliciously another platform for Tom to display his ‘root to fruit’ boozy secret... ideology, where nothing would be squandered. Indeed, 95% of everything used in this Bristol kitchen, but that can’t be eaten, is recycled or put on a compost heap at the end of the day. Poco was even named the Most Ethical Restaurant in the UK at the Observer Food Monthly awards in 2013.

This being the case, it was little surprise to see Tom’s debut book, The Natural Cook, hit the shelves last month.

“It just seemed like a logical progression,” admits Tom, who believes it was his unique approach to cooking that caught the attention of the publishers.

The format of the book, too, is fairly unusual by modern cookery book standards. Tom has divided things into seasons, and taken 26 ‘hero ingredients’.

(Hey! Sound familiar?!) Through simple illustrations he then gives ideas for ways to use these fruit or vegetable, using just a few ingredients from the store cupboard or other seasonal treats. With strawberries, for example, he suggests eating them raw with mint and black pepper, or in a seafood salad; cooking them for a jam, and rippling it through mascarpone ice cream; or macerating them with grappa and adding them to a summer pudding (look right for the recipe). There are even tips for using up the leftovers.

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✱ You can sponsor Tom’s trek via his website Tomsfeast.com and buy his new book, The Natural Cook (published by Quadrille, photography by Laura Edwards, £20), in all good book stores

SUMMER PUDDING (SERVES 4-6)

INGREDIENTS 300g strawberries 2 tbsp grappa 1 heaped tsp rapadura or raw cane sugar 550-600g mixed summer fruits (not strawberries), such as raspberries, redcurrants, cherries or blackberries juice of ½ lemon 50g raw local honey, or to taste 4-6 x 1cm-thick slices of sourdough or good white bread, crusts removed

Elsewhere, courgettes, their flowers and even the small vines are used.

Broad beans don’t stop at just the beans – eat the baby pods raw, Tom says, and the bigger ones spiced and deep-fried. It’s all good for the planet, and your wallet. So what’s Tom’s favourite recipe in the book?

“The barbecued crab and broad beans is gnarly, hands-on cooking. I really like the kimchi, too – it’s in the winter section, but it can be made all year round using seasonal greens, like rainbow chard, spinach and kale. The book shows how I eat and what we serve at Poco. If there was a steak next to a pile of purple sprouting broccoli, I’d go for the purple sprouting every time.”

Tom’s due to make his TV debut on 16 August on Saturday Kitchen, and he tells us there are plans for a second restaurant in Bristol soon. Meanwhile, he and the Forgotten Feasts team will be popping up at festivals throughout the summer, such as Bestival, Wilderness, Green Man and Shambala. “Think big, vibrant, seasonal salads, and lamb and fish on the chargrill,” says Tom. And, if that wasn’t enough, Tom has also just been named as the new chef ambassador for Action Against Hunger, and will be trekking across Rajistan in October. Us? We’ll just be working our way through his book.

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METHOD – Pull off and discard the green tops of the strawberries. Halve the berries and put them in a bowl with the grappa and sugar. Turn carefully and allow to macerate in the fridge for 30 minutes, so all the juices begin to seep out and the strawberries soften. Turn now and again to re-cover them with the grappa juices.

– Put the strawberries in a saucepan with the other fruits. Add the lemon juice, honey and 50ml water. Taste, and add more honey if you would like it sweeter. Bring the fruits to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

– Strain the juice from the fruit into a bowl and dip the bread slices into it so they are lightly soaked in the juices. Line a 1l pudding basin with the slices of bread: place a disc of bread in the bottom, then run pieces up the sides, overlapping them slightly. Press the joins together to seal them, using a dab of water to help.

– Fill the bread case with the summer fruits, reserving 2-3 tbsp of the juice. Cover the top with a circle of bread and seal it to the pudding’s ‘walls’. Place a small plate on top and put a weight on that; I use my mortar and pestle, but anything clean and heavy will do.

Put it in the fridge.

– The next day, carefully turn the pudding out onto a plate. Use the reserved juices to paint over the top to freshen it up and cover any white areas. Serve with plenty of fresh cream.

The pudding will keep in its pudding basin in the fridge for 4 days.

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#2 7 NE XT IS SU E

Another little slice of foodie heaven

King of

Tarts The secrets of the ultimate Portuguese tart, with Bristol’s inaugural #tartoff

PICK UP YOURS FROM FRIDAY 8 AUGUST www.crumbsmag.com

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School’s out So we’re naming our top child-friendly cafés Freekeh, c’est chic The ancient grain everyone’s talking about That’ll learn you Our guide to the best cookery schools Plus! An edible journey along Gloucester Road

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New restaurants devoured, new bars crawled, new shops explored, and everything reviewed and rated

Highlights THE GOOD GUYS

Chef Adam Fellows impresses with his six-course fish-tasting menu in Wells Page 70

FISH AND CHIPS

Your Friday night supper just got a tad more interesting with new takeaway, Seasons Page 68

MESSING ABOUT NEAR BOATS

Fuller’s latest venture in Bath, The Boater, has a decidedly maritime feel to it Page 72

Including…

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quid for six fishy courses at Goodfellows in Wells, maybe (or maybe not) involving squid

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pounds for bouillabaisse at posh takeaway, Seasons

( new takeaway )

Af ters

SEASONS FISH KITCHEN Fish and chips are a great British staple, but are they worthy of a special journey? MARK TAYLOR reckons so, thanks to this new fish specialist

HEY, HANG ON a minute. Where are the sea views, the salty ozone smell and the screech of seagulls overhead?

Seasons may call itself a Fish Kitchen, but it’s about as far from the coast as could be – not that you would know it once you step inside.

It may be tucked away in the middle of the ‘shopping village’ next to the Farrington’s farm shop, between Bath and Bristol, but this new fish café and takeaway looks more like the sort of relaxed, cheery shack you stumble across in a remote Cornish cove. There is a decidedly St Ives-meets-Brittany feel to the place, too, which is to say there’s lots of New England-style white tongue and groove, a few blue and white striped cushions on bumnumbing white benches, and the day’s dishes chalked on a wall-size blackboard menu.

There are strings of onions, bowls of lemons, paella pans and a few well-chosen and food-splattered fish cookbooks, including Rick Stein’s Taste of The Sea and Marco Pierre White’s Wild Food From Land & Sea. Small handwritten signs for daily specials hang from butchers’ hooks clinging to a brass rail – half-pints of shell-on prawns; Cornish sardines with chips and mayo; smoked haddock Scotch eggs; and smoked salmon, pancetta, spring onion and Cheddar filo pastry tarts.

At the far end of this beach hut-sized business is an open kitchen with the type of shiny frying range you would expect to find in any seaside chippy. The big difference is that the chap in the chef’s whites and blueand-white striped butcher’s apron isn’t just any old fish fryer, but a chef with a Michelin-star background.

Twenty years ago Alex Venables was head chef at Lucknam Park hotel, after which he took over The Tollgate Inn in Holt, near Bradford-on-Avon, with partner Alison Ward-Baptiste. The couple ran the village pub for 13 years, during which time they won two AA rosettes for the food, added bedrooms and a deli – and even got a rave review from Michael Winner.

Two years since selling the pub, Alex and Alison are back with Seasons Fish Kitchen, a concept they hope to expand in the coming months, perhaps even taking it into a pub in the region, while keeping the café and takeaway in Farrington Gurney.

Seasons Fish Kitchen is much more than just an upmarket fish and chips operation, as it also hosts ‘demo and dine’ evenings, where Alex teaches fish cookery followed by a two-course dinner with wine, as well as offering a ‘fish on wheels’ delivery service (free within a

five-mile radius of the farm shop, on orders over £30) and ‘perfect paella’ kits to take home.

Although essentially a takeaway, there are two tables and a few stools at the counter for those who want to stop for a quick meal – but with no alcohol licence, it’s more of a piscine pit-stop than a place to linger.

The fish is from Dorset-based family firm Samways, which supplies many of the best restaurants in Bristol and Bath, and it all comes from South Coast day boats, including their own.

Dishes include grilled scallops, battered oysters, dressed West Bay crab, fish burgers (made with cod, mackerel and prawns), fish pie, Lyme Bay mussels steamed in cider and apple and Cornish lobsters with garlic butter. The deepfried fish dishes are all available in beer batter or glutenfree batter (cooked in a separate fryer), and chips are double-cooked in vegetable oil. Fish choices change with the seasons and what’s available, but on this visit they included cod loin, plaice, lemon sole and Cornish whiting.

And if you want your fish ‘naked’ and grilled rather than fried, that’s fine too.

My bowl of bouillabaisse (£7.50) was a rich, rustcoloured stew of tomatoes, chunks of garlic, plump and juicy mussels and generous pieces of hake, rock salmon (also known by the less glamorous name of huss) and Cornish whiting. It was the sort of rustic, deep-flavoured seafood stew you expect to find in a quayside bistro in Dieppe rather than a converted shed on a farm between Bristol and Bath.

Alex admits that it has been a steep learning curve to perfect his fish and chips, but it has clearly been time well spent – the crisp batter on the cod had a remarkable lightness, and the cod itself was juicy with thick flakes of snow-white fish. The chef’s restaurant background also shows in the smaller details like the punchy homemade tartare sauce and the bashed peas flecked with mint. The chips were golden, crisp-edged and had the cotton wool fluffiness that comes from using Maris Piper potatoes.

The freshest fish cooked simply by a Michelin-starred chef on a farm just off the A37 – Seasons is a unique place, and worth the detour. It will be interesting to see how this minnow of a concept develops into a much bigger fish.

✱ SEASONS FISH KITCHEN, Farrington’s Farm Shop, Farrington Gurney, Bristol BS39 6UB; 01761 452809; www.seasonskitchen.co.uk

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Why settle for soggy batter and limp chips when you can get your Friday night takeaway cooked by a Michelinstarred chef? From rich bouillabaisse to the crispiest battered cod, minted peas and sharp tartare sauce, Seasons Fish Kitchen celebrates seasonal British fish

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The restaurant dĂŠcor and crockery might be a tad dated, but the food is contemporary fish cooking at its best

( great restaurants )

Af ters

GOODFELLOWS You don’t need to head to the coast to experience first-class seafood cookery, says LAURA ROWE. A short drive to Wells is all that’s needed

I’M GOING TO let you all in on a little secret. I want to open a restaurant when I grow up. I want it to be by the sea, with my partner (a chef) behind the pass serving up the catch of the day, cooked simply and quickly, with me delivering it to the hands of the customers. Sounds dreamy, right? Except that for Adam Fellows and his French wife, Martine, it’s not a fantasy but a 10-year reality.

Adam – who has worked in one-, two- and threeMichelin-starred restaurants in France, Belgium and the UK, including, most recently, Charlton House Hotel – opened Goodfellows in Wells in 2004. One half of the site, which sits in the shadow of the Cathedral, is dedicated to a French patisserie and café, which is run by Martine; the other is, perhaps surprisingly, a seafood restaurant.

I first visited the latter some three years ago (time flies when you’re hungry). It’s a small, 35-seater restaurant spread over two floors, with an open-plan kitchen on the ground floor, and a quiet, intimate space upstairs. We’d booked in downstairs for the full chef’s table experience.

With only eight or so tables, huddled around the pass, you can hear every clatter of the pan, every hiss of frying fish on the plancha, every bubble of rolling bouillabaisse and the smells… well, they are enough to tempt anyone in off the street. There’s no need to argue over who gets to sit facing chef, either, thanks to several TVs dotted around showing the kitchen team at work.

There’s a ‘market menu’ which changes daily, depending on what fish was caught the day before down in Brixham (alongside meat and vegetarian options), as well as a sixcourse tasting menu (£58) which is available Wednesday to Saturday nights. Both are influenced by modern European cooking – so light textures, intense flavours and the bestquality ingredients, some of which happen to be local, while others are sourced from slightly further afield.

Like, for example, the boudin noir that blew our minds on course number five of the tasting menu. Served on polished granite (the plates are a tad dated, like the décor as a whole), it was the softest, most delicately spiced example of blood pudding you’ll find. Adam later tells me it’s from a French producer he’s been working with for the best part of a decade. It was partnered with a fillet of salmon, one that had been cooked with such a delicate touch that it collapsed under the slightest pressure from the cutlery into flakes of peachy perfection. Small dice of vanilla-spiked apple, mashed potato, dots of pea purée, pea shoots and a red wine reduction brought it all together. Unusual platefellows,

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admittedly, but it really worked and was my hero dish of the night. Perfect in every sense – from contrast of textures and balance of flavour, to restrained presentation and generous portion size. The French pinot noir that our also-French waiter recommended as part of the wine flight (a very reasonable £30 for five glasses) couldn’t have been a better match, too. Who said that you couldn’t drink red with fish?

The tasting menu actually starts with a chilled gazpacho – the perfect balance between cooling cucumber, spikey pepper, sweet tomatoes and mellow garlic – topped with a pre-peeled king prawn (exceedingly thoughtful, as was the room temperature butter pat served with the selection of homemade breads). A perfect summery start.

As one fishy dishy followed another – the next a sublime tuna carpaccio, served with a delicate cod brandade, robust piperade salad and intense basil oil – our neighbouring diners started chatting to us. Indeed, it soon becomes clear that this is common practice in this small restaurant, as guests bond over plate envy.

A crab course was good – although, for me, the thick slices of smoked salmon which wrapped the white meat in a pretty parcel, alongside cucumber ‘spaghetti’, caviar and plenty of fresh dill, slightly overpowered the subtle, clean flavours of the crab.

Our final fish dish of the day were the king and queen of the sea bed – scallops and lobster with sea-fresh samphire, asparagus, baby corn and a rich Champagne-laced bisque. It was a touch too salty for us, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Course six, much to the envy of our fellow diners, was a vanilla panna cotta topped with poached rhubarb and a wild strawberry sorbet. There was no style over substance here – the rhubarb was green and cheek-clenchingly sour, the sorbet sweet and sharp (and far more complex than your cultivated berries), and the panna cotta was just set, providing a satisfying wobble with every greedy plunge of the spoon. What topped it off? Well, that would be the superb Californian Black Muscat – a ruby red and not-toosweet pudding wine.

With drama, decadence and top-notch cooking, Goodfellows is one of the best foodie experiences I’ve had this year, and well worth the short trip out of the cities.

Living the dream isn’t so hard after all…

✱ GOODFELLOWS, 5 Sadler Street, Wells, Somerset BA5 2RR; 01749 673866; www.goodfellowswells.co.uk

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( newish pubs )

Af ters

THE BOATER As the third pub in Bath to get the Fuller’s treatment, does The Boater live up to its multimillion-pound investment? LAURA ROWE finds out, fork in hand

ICE IN BEER? Crazy talk. Or is it? I’ll admit it, I’m a relative newcomer to the hoppy stuff (having got a real taste for it on a recent trip to a microbrewery, or four, in Vancouver), but in all my years writing about food and drink, and wasted youth spent in many a backstreet boozer, I’ve never heard of pouring it over ice. Turbocharging it with alcopops, circa 2007, sure; chasing it with ill-advised shots, naturally. But ice? Really?

Turns out, it’s not so odd (although still pretty strange).

Google hard enough and you’ll find a few examples of it across the pond, including a lager cocktail poured over ice with tomato juice, hot sauce, seasoning and lime juice, called Michelada. (I’m keen.) But I first tried it, for real, in Bath, at Fuller’s latest gaff, The Boater on Argyle Street.

The London brewery, which now looks after nearly 400 pubs, bars, hotels and inns across the UK, has spent £7.5m on three Bath boozers – Crystal Palace, The Huntsman and, most recently, The Boater. They’ve all been completely renovated, this one mixing quirky boating memorabilia with a Farrow & Ball colour palette and galvanized buckets as urinals (really).

That’s not all that’s different. There’s a cellar bar with a mural by Bristol graffiti artist Felix Braun; one of the city’s biggest beer gardens overlooking the weir, where you can watch the World Cup (if you still care); and there’s a trendy wine and craft beer bar on the ground floor.

I headed upstairs, though, to the dining room proper, from which you can just about see the Rec – The Boater’s past was as a bona fide rugby pub. It was here that I was served my first beer on ice – a Meantime Raspberry Grand Cru, to be precise. Unusual, but not isolated here, as I discover from friends who have visited. The beer was good, with wheat, malt and sweet and sour raspberry notes. Did the ice add anything to it? I’m not so sure. Beer sans ice, for me, every time please. But little matter. The staff are friendly enough that however you ask for any of their 30 craft beers or six cask ales, they’ll oblige.

So what of the food? It’s not quite typical gastro pub fare – there are a few classics, such as the Boater beef burger; a pie of the day; or fish, chips and mushy peas, all around the tenner mark – but the majority of dishes on the short menu jump around cuisines, from French salads to Italian pastas and Moroccan roasts.

We kicked things off with a ham hock salad (£6.25) with peas, broad beans, a honey mustard dressing and a ‘crispy’

hen’s egg which, when sliced into, broke open and poured its creamy amber yolk over everything like some kind of edible lava. British and beautiful.

A London Porter hot-smoked salmon Niçoise (£7.95) was sound, too; well dressed, with a perfectly poached egg on top and soft, delicate flakes of salmon below. The third starter of seared duck with feta, pickled watermelon, cucumber, mint and courgette (£7.95) sounded great on paper and was nearly there, but the key ingredient wasn’t right. Instead of a naughtily blushing duck breast with crispy, golden skin, these were slices of grey, overdone meat. Disappointing.

Seared sea trout (£13.95) was much, much better – unique in flavour, succulent in texture – and complemented elegantly with crushed new potatoes, salty samphire and a well-balanced sharp lemon butter. That’s summer on a plate. The braised harissa lamb shoulder (£9.95), which had been sliced and stuffed into a flatbread with pickled chilli and a mint yoghurt, was equally well received, and there were no complaints about the rump steak (£14.25), which had been rubbed with cumin and paprika and served with trendy ‘rustic’ chips and a colourful, crunchy apple slaw.

The portions are mighty, and so I was unashamed to be defeated by dessert. I have it on good authority from the flatmate, though, that on her recent visit the Vintage Ale (spot a theme going on?) and molasses sticky toffee pudding (£5.50), with toffee sauce and Jude’s salted caramel ice cream from Hampshire, was hip-stickingly, lip-smackingly good.

Early reviews, like the décor, might have been mixed for The Boater, but what Fuller’s has done here is create a useful and attractive multi-purpose venue with unique features, reasonably priced food, and a good selection of beer and wine. It’s the perfect place to celebrate or drown sorrows watching the World Cup, Bath Rugby’s next fixture or even Shakespeare (yep, there’s a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in August). And that’s got to be worth a punt, right?

✱ THE BOATER, 9 Argyle Street, Bath BA2 4BQ; 01225 464211; boaterbath.co.uk

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( feature )

The decor is quirky, with maritime memorabilia across its three floors, while the food is classic pub grub with a few continental additions, such as this take on a Niรงoise salad

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Check out Bella’s new range of cocktails at Art Bar

Meet ISABELLA NEWMAN, the new bar manager and chief mixologist at Art Bar and Lounge, Bath. Here’s where she heads on her days off…

Breakfast? It’s got to be Roscoff Deli on Northumberland Place – great service and wonderful breakfast options. For me, it’s the place to sit and read the papers and eat Sicilian-inspired breakfast food all day. With friends? ASK Italian on Broad Street is so relaxed and friendly. A great place to eat and catch up with the girls. With the family?

The Porter has everything on offer for family lunches, dinner and drinks. It’s informal, and has incredible food at Clayton’s Kitchen ground-floor restaurant. Child friendly? The café attached to the toy shop My Small World in Little Southgate is great for entertaining children, with lots of toys on the tables to keep them happy for hours. Sunday lunch?

Allium Brasserie is the best in Bath for Sunday lunch – reasonably priced, wonderful portions and buckets of flavour. The Yorkshire puds are to die for! Quick pint? It’s got to be Bath Brew House on James Street West. You can’t beat their home brews, and the range is ever-changing. I’m often found there with friends sampling the latest on offer.

Cheeky cocktail? The Raincheck Bar (formerly Door 34) on Monmouth Street. The guys behind the bar are always willing to create new and wonderful things, or pump out the classics at the weekends. There’s a nice little outside seating bit for sunny evenings too.

Hidden gem? Red Light in Bristol is my all-time favourite hidden gem. The doorway is a beat-up black door covered in graffiti, and next to it is a payphone; you need to pick up the phone and ask to be let in. The cocktail wonders that hide inside are not to be missed!

On the go? Intermezzo Express is the perfect place for a crunchy-filled baguette on the go, and the service is so friendly. They offer a wonderful selection of homemade sandwiches and lunchtime fillers, perfect for anyone passing by. Comfort food? The Hop Pole has everything you could need in the way of comfort – cosy and warming food that always delivers. There’s a selection of Great Bath Ales on offer, and a relaxed atmosphere.

It’s the best place to eat, drink and play board games. Posh nosh? I recently visited the new Blunos Restaurant in Bath, offering perfectly cooked seafood, and it’s so fresh! The signature Martin Blunos vanilla egg and mango mousse is a great surprise after dinner, and a bit special. Best brew? I’m a massive fan of Society Café on Kingsmead Square. The tea and coffee selections are incredible, and there’s always a welcoming smile as you walk in the door. ✱ artbarbath.co.uk

Quick! Now add this little lot to your contacts book Roscoff Deli, Bath; 01225 469590, roscoff.co.uk ASK Italian, Bath; 01225 789997; askitalian.co.uk The Porter, Bath; 01225 585100; theporter.co.uk My Small World, Bath; 01225 938338; mysmallworld.co.uk Allium Brasserie, Bath;

01225 805870; alliumbrasserie.co.uk Bath Brew House, Bath; 01225 805609; thebathbrewhouse.com The Raincheck Bar, Bath; 01225 444770; theraincheckbar.co.uk Red Light, Bristol; 0117 929 1453; redlightbristol.xxx

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Intermezzo Express, Bath; 01225 466583 twitter.com/IntermezzoBath The Hop Pole, Bath; 01225 446327; bathales.com Blunos Restaurant, Bath; 01225 481188; blunosrestaurant.com Society Café, Bath; 01225 442433; society-cafe.com

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