Crumbs Bath & Bristol Issue 64

EAT OUT!

CRUMBS

OUR PICKS FOR ESCO AMAZING ALFR

BATH & BRISTO L

FARE

A little slice of foodie heaven

NO. 64 JULY 2017

NO. 64 JU LY 2017

uPdAte ALert!

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YOUR TUM!

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DO THE RIGHT THING!

S E P I C E R G N I ST BELT-BU

Why did the cow jump over the moon?

THE SOUTH WEST LEAPS INTO ACTION AGAINST HUNGER

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£3 where sold

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HOW TO MAK

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ODEEN SPOO)N O W A SE U A E EC (B PRIZE! E ER THE BOOBY IS NEV

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BY INTERIOR DESIGN GUR DAIRY FARMING’S FIX

SIMPLE SIMON

› RDICIYOTTA › HYOOMGEHMURATDE

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EAT OUT!

A little slice of foodie heaven

CRUMBS

OUR PICKS FOR ESCO AMAZING ALFR

BATH & BRISTO L

FARE

NO. 64 JULY 2017

NO. 64 JULY 2017

uPdAte ALert!

FILL

c r u m bs

YOUR TUM!

USTING REC BELFROT-B M

Why did the cow jump over the moon?

DO THE RIGHT THING!

IPE S

THE SOUTH WEST LEAPS INTO ACTION AGAINST HUNGER

FROm

Rice puds tO pOaChed Fish, Cheeses tO CReams, milk’s GOt

£3 where sold

’s THE REGION s BEST COOK

mag. c om

The farmer had cold hands!

HOW TO MAK

ThE E MILKY WAY

WITH

EJ OSBORNE

OODEEN SPOON OODEN E SE A WOOD ECAU (BECAU OOBY PRIZE!) E ER THEE BBOOBY EV NEVER IS NEV

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RAVISHING RESTA TAURANT

NAME THAT SPOON!

BY INTE INTERI ERI RIOORR DESIGN GUR DAIRY FARMING’S FIX

SIMPLEE SIMON

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HOMEMADE DIY › RICO TTA › YOGHURT

ISSUE NO.64 JULY 2017 EDITOR

JESSICA CARTER jessica.carter@mediaclash.co.uk DEVELOPMENT EDITOR

MATT BIELBY matt.bielby@mediaclash.co.uk CONTRIBUTOR

DAISY LUCKER ART DIRECTOR

TREVOR GILHAM

UDDER PRESSURE

ADVERTISING MANAGER

KYLE PHILLIPS kyle.phillips@mediaclash.co.uk DEPUTY ADVERTISING MANAGER

NEIL SNOW neil.snow@mediaclash.co.uk ACCOUNT MANAGER

LORENA CUSSENS lorena.cussens@mediaclash.co.uk PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

SARAH KINGSTON sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk PRODUCTION DESIGNER

DAWN GOOLD dawn.goold@mediaclash.co.uk CHIEF EXECUTIVE

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

GREG INGHAM greg.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk large version

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This month we went for an Indian feast at Romy’s Kitchen (all hail the tandoori quail); mixed film with food at Bristol Film Festival’s Big Night screening; and discovered new favourites at Bristol’s Gin Festival.

large version

If I’m being totally honest, cows make me uneasy. At least, they do when they’re in close proximity, with nothing standing between us other than perhaps a second-and-a-half headstart. These beasts may well have been domesticated and farmed for centuries – millennia, even – but their stocky builds and poker faces mean that they deserve the benefit of my respectful doubt.

In India (promise this is not a dreaded ‘Gap Yah’ reference), I saw cows roam the cities every day; the urban owners have nowhere for them to graze, so let them wander the streets, knowing that they’ll be back in time for dinner (probably having laid down in the middle of a chaotic road in the interim). Sure, they’d rather be sauntering through green meadows than dusty, rickshaw-filled roads, but with the respect they’re afforded, and opportunities to stretch their legs, they sure have it better than some of our dairy cows.

This issue in your hands has something of a focus on cow dairy – we’ve been looking at everything from health benefits and dietary warnings to farming, processing and ethics, and have learned just how critical our part to play as consumers is.

Milk happily gives me a seamless little link into Wake Up to Organic’s breakfast event; on 14 June more than 220 food venues across the country will dish out an estimated 10,000 free organic brekkies, with plenty of local delis, cafés and shops amongst them (visit wakeuptoorganic.co.uk to find your nearest). The aim? To promote organic, and inspire people to make a few switches – as well as show off all the great natural grub available in our local indies, and make sure we all start the day with some proper fuel inside us for a change. (We know who we are...) Enjoy!

Jessica Carter, Editor jessica.carter@mediaclash.co.uk

Crumbs is now an app! You can read all editions of Crumbs – Bath and Bristol, Cotswolds and Devon – on iTunes or Android. Search ‘Crumbs’, or go to crumbsmag.com

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Table of Contents STARTERS 08 HERO INGREDIENT Why we’re milking it 12 OPENINGS ETC News and interviews 18 SIX PACK The best outdoor ovens 21 ASK THE EXPERT Restaurant interiors

CHEF!

34 Homemade ricotta and cannelloni, by Sarah Mayor

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KITCHEN ARMOURY

37 Salmon with crab and wild garlic, by Alexander Vanables 38 Pork belly with pork popcorn and cider jus,

by Alan Jones 40 Scallops with lime beurre blanc, by Takvor Terlemezyan

51 IN THE STUDIO The art of spoon carving, with EJ Osbourne 60 WANT LIST Utensil goals

MAINS

ADDITIONAL RECIPES

10 Turkish eggs with homemade yoghurt,

by Freddy Bird 24 Andhra prawn curry,

by Atul Kochhar

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89 HUNGER PANGS Action Against Hunger 2017 launches in Bristol and Bath 92 VIVA LA REVOLUTION Omar Allibhoy opens up about his new Bath tapas bar

AFTERS

70 UP IN FARMS The state of the UK’s dairy farming industry

102 Backwell House 107 Acorn Vegetarian Kitchen 110 Stanton Manor

79 COMING OUT Spots for alfresco feasting

PLUS 114 LITTLE BLACK BOOK

THE COTTAGE INN Welcome aboard!

The Cottage Inn, Bristol has reopened its doors and welcomes you to come and try our brand-new seafood inspired menu which has been crafted to give you a perfect waterside experience.

Weยนve even got a take away menu now available, so why not don your deck shoes and head on down to relax with us by the water.

THE COTTAGE INN 01179 215256 Baltic Wharf, Cumberland Road, Bristol BS1 6XG

www.butcombe.com

START E RS INNOVATIONS, REVELATIONS AND TASTY AMUSE-BOUCHES

(21 JUNE) MID-SUMMER ENGLISH WINE TASTING Avon Valley Railway has partnered with Waitrose and the English Wine Producers Group for this fundraising event at Bitton Station, where there will be over 70 English wines to be tasted. Tickets £15; avonvalleyrailway.org

(29 JUNE) RIVERFORD MASTER VEG CLASS Held at the Bradford-on-Avon Youth & Community Centre, this workshop by Riverford will see guests learn how to make the most of a veg box, before tucking into the spread they’ve created. Tickets £40; riverford.co.uk/masterveg

(1-2 JULY) GRILLSTOCK FESTIVAL It’s all about the meat and the music on the first weekend of July – as well as some hot competition from the best barbecuers around. This everpopular festival is set to be even better for 2017. Tickets from £25; grillstock.co.uk/festival

Foodie Events

The YeS maN CAN’T SAY NO TO TRYING NEW FOOD AND DRINK? THIS MONTH’S EVENTS WILL BE RIGHT UP YOUR STREET…

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(7 JULY) RUMAGEDDON 5: A GOOD DAY TO RUM HARD Pata Negra’s secret (shh!) upstairs cocktail bar will be the setting for this night of tutored rum tastings, served alongside the tapas bar’s ace pintxos.

Tickets £22.50, plus booking fee; foozie.co.uk

mILK

DAIRY IS ONE OF THE SOUTH WEST’S GREAT INDUSTRIES, AND FANTASTIC LOCAL MILK IS A THING OF JOY, BUT IT STRUGGLES: BLAME THE SUPERMARKETS, BLAME HEALTH SCARES, AND BLAME UTTER CONFUSION OVER HOW AND WHEN WE SHOULD CONSUME IT…

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urely, it’s one of our most widely used ingredients – especially in puddings. It’s referred to as a ‘complete food’, heaving with the nutrients essential to a balanced diet – and if not sufficient on its own for adults, it’s certainly (in human breast-based form) just the thing for new born babies.

Yes, we’re talking milk. Milk, created in the mammary glands as nutrition for baby mammals unable to digest solid food. Milk, which more than six billion of us consume around the globe. Milk, which we’ve been stealing from other animals since 9,000 BC – something we acknowledge in our use of the term ‘milk’ to mean taking advantage of someone. Milk, which Greek myth says the Milky Way is made from (messy Hera split hers after feeding infant Heracles). Milk, the production of which we industrialised in the mid-19th century, to the point where it soon had the most efficient supply-line of any food. Milk, which we started bottling and pasteurising around 1880. And milk, once seen as a no-brainer part of a healthy diet – but no longer. (More on that later.)

Of course, in recent years milk has not been without its controversies. Indeed, there are few foodie areas where the debate rages quite as hard as it does over dairy. Are we cut out to consume the milk of another species? Are milk alternatives the future? Do supermarkets sell milk too cheap, destroying an industry? (It’s certainly grim that the price per litre is below break-even point for many producers – read our investigtion into the dairy farming industry on p70 for the whole story.) And – perhaps not as pressing but relevant nonetheless – how daft did David Beckham et al look with those ‘milk mustaches’ in the long running American press ads?

And beyond all that, what about all the fat in milk? And the intolerances that we all seem to have suddenly developed for it? Part of the problem here is simply one of confusion: current thinking has it that maybe one-in-twenty of us have lactose intolerance per se – meaning we can’t break down the sugar in milk properly, thanks to a shortage of the enzyme lactase. This leaves it to fester in our gut (nice), bringing bloating, cramping, farting, zit-bursting, and a further -ing we’re not even going to mention here.

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Way more of us, however, have some milder form of dairy intolerance, maybe as many as one in five. For these folk, it’s a1 casein (a protein found in the milk of big Western cows) that causes the problem, while a2 casein (in the milk of goats, sheep and, yes, people) is much easier to digest. Got it? Not quite: for these figures are for Europe, the USA and Australia. Venture south and east – especially to China and the bottom half of Africa – and the intolerance situation often gets much worse.

Of course, in many ways it’s a miracle we’re not all intolerant to milk.

Once upon a time no adult could digest milk (they didn’t produce the lactase necessary), so we turned most of it into cheese and curds.

But then, thousands of years ago, a chance mutation changed the European makeup, and suddenly we could happily handle it. Hurrah!

Even now, though, adults need to regularly consume milk to cope with it properly – quit, and our lactase production quickly slips into decline.

And what can we do with it once we’ve got it – besides drink it, either on its own or in a brew? Think creamy soups and curries; homemade cheeses; milky puds, from blancmange to yoghurt, panna cotta to rice pudding; and fish or pork poached in the stuff. Heck, simply think milk splashed, Tony the Tiger-style, over your breakfast cereal of choice…

We’ll leave this with three milk thoughts. First, because milk is so cheap – think 45p a pint or so – we tend to buy too much then throw the remainder away, sometimes before it’s actually gone off. Indeed, some six million glasses a day are chucked, we’re told, in the UK alone – which means we really should start building up our repertoire of milk recipes to make use of the spare, and pronto. Secondly, drinking plenty of milk is still seen to have many benefits. The calcium is great for bone growth and strength, particularly important in teens and older folk. It’s heaving with vitamin D (don’t have rickets? Thank milk), and the protein builds and repairs muscles, great for the more sporting amongst us.

And, last, a top tip. We all keep milk in the fridge door – it has spaces designed for it, after all – but we really shouldn’t. In the main body of the fridge the temperature is much more static, and guess what? Yes, all that opening and closing, heating up and cooling down, is doing our pints no good at all…

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FREDDY BIRD GETS THROUGH A FAIR AMOUNT OF THE WHITE STUFF IN THE KITCHEN AT BRISTOL’S LIDO; HERE HE SHOWS US HOW HE PUTS IT TO GREAT USE IN HOMEMADE YOGHURT…

s a kid I was lucky enough to live down the road from a dairy and always collected the milk straight from the tank before pasteurisation. The milk was rich and creamy, and you always had to mix it before you drank it because the cream settled on the top. I used to love being the first to get the milk and scooping the cream out over the top of my cornflakes before my brother had the chance to pinch it!

At the Lido we get through an enormous amount of milk: we make a lot of ice cream, and choosing the right milk for our coffee is of utmost importance. We also use it for yoghurt; creating it from scratch makes a huge difference to the dishes we use it in. For me, shop-bought yoghurt tends to be a bit one-dimensional on the whole, but making our own means we can create the perfect balance between richness and creaminess, freshness and acidity. To make our yoghurt I add a small quantity of shop-bought live yoghurt to milk, to introduce the yoghurt cultures (you can buy sachets of dried culture, but I've never used the stuff).

This is my own version of the classic Turkish egg dish, cilbir. Traditionally, the eggs are eaten only with the yoghurt, brown butter and pepper flakes, but I think the sweet tomato sauce is a great mix with the runny yolk and garlicky yoghurt. Don’t be put off by the idea of garlic at breakfast; it’s absolutely delicious, and a firm favourite at the Lido.

TURKISH EGGS

SERVES 4, WITH LEFTOVER YOGHURT! INGREDIENTS 2 ¼ ltr full fat, unhomogenised milk 570ml double cream 570ml natural live yoghurt 5 garlic cloves 2 fresh bay leaves 1 sprig rosemary ½ stick cinnamon 1 tin tomatoes, blended 8 free-range eggs large knob of butter Aleppo pepper flakes handful flat leaf parsley, chopped

METHOD 1 For the yoghurt, reduce the milk by about ⅓ over a medium heat. It may start to catch – if it does then change the pan. You also need to stay nearby in case the milk boils over (I’ve spent a good many hours scrubbing burnt milk off my stoves!). When reduced, add the double cream.

2 Cool until blood temperature and then stir in the live yoghurt. Cover and leave in a warm place for 12-24 hours (until set and thick), then transfer to the fridge.

3 Now make the tomato sauce. Chop and gently fry 4 of the garlic cloves in olive oil until very lightly browned (take it too far and the taste will be bitter rather than rich). Next, add the herbs, cinnamon and tomato. This will prevent the garlic from browning further. Then

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add salt and sugar to taste. Cook this sauce over a medium heat for about 15-20 minutes.

Don’t reduce it too much, as it will lose its lovely fresh taste.

4 Crush the remaining garlic clove and mix with around 400g of the homemade yoghurt.

5 When ready to serve, poach the eggs and add some tomato sauce to each plate.

6 Serve two eggs per plate on top of the sauce, then spoon over a generous dollop of yoghurt. To finish, brown a knob of butter in a frying pan, spoon this over the yoghurt, sprinkle with Aleppo pepper and parsley, and serve immediately.

LIDO, Oakfield Place, Bristol BS8 2BJ; 0117 933 9530; lidobristol.com

S T A R T E R S

Openings etc

BORN TO GRILL

Asado is, in short, the Argentinian word for barbecue – and it has a ton of cultural importance for this South American country that’s famous for its beef. However, it’s also the name of a brand new burger gaff in Bristol – one that we’re pretty stoked about. Asado, which you’ll find on Colston Street, will be serving up Soil Association-approved organic beef from rare breed Devon cows, which have spent their lives happily roaming and grazing in the South West. Focusing on the ethical and environmental issues that meat consumption often throws up, this restaurant – founded by chef Lucien Gordon – has chosen its suppliers extremely carefully, hence its decision to work with Higher Hacknall Organic Farm for that beef. Sides are a big deal here too, so don’t entirely fill up on the burger, will you? Veggies are also happily well catered for, and when it comes to deciding on pre-meal lubrication, look no further than Asado’s list of seasonal cocktails. instagram.com/asadobristol

MARKET LEADER

ROUND OF APP-LAUSE

The Bristol Farmers’ Market, which has been going since 1998, has re-launched in partnership with Love Food Festival.

The improved weekly event promises a broader selection of produce (which focuses on taste and quality as well as sustainability and provenance), and more reasons than ever for people to shop there. As well as the fishmongers, butchers and greengrocers in attendance, local food hero Barny Haughton will also be there on the first Wednesday of every month, giving cookery demonstrations. There are kids’ activities in the school holidays too, and you’ll even find live music. The Bristol Farmers’ and Producers’ Market will be on Corn Street and Wine Street every Wednesday, 8am-2.30pm. lovefoodfestival.com

A brand new mobile app launched in Bath at the beginning of the month. CityMunch comes from London and is already doing its thing in Bristol too, but now can connect Bathonians with local, independent restaurants which are offering exclusive discounts and offers. The difference this app has in comparison with many similar services out there is that these deals are published in real-time, meaning restaurateurs can offer them as and when it suits, to ensure a consistent stream of custom and avoid ending up with surplus food after service. With the likes of Juno, Ponte Vecchio and Piattino already signed up, we’re excited to see what deals we’ll be able to get our mitts on in Bath… citymunchapp.com

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new Kid On the blOCK

DA BOMB

Long-time Bristol chef Andrew Griffin – formerly of Markwicks and Prego, among others – has just opened the first venture of his own. Bomboloni – which takes its name from the sweet, filled doughnuts often served in Italian cafés – is located on Gloucester Road in Bristol. Andrew’s wife Sally and daughter Molly (who was his apprentice at Tart Café & Foodstore, and chef at The Stock Exchange Bakery) work alongside him at the restaurant to serve up the likes of seasonal salads, pizzetta and a bake of the day (which could be anything from cannelloni to aubergine parmigiana) for lunch, and evening meals like meatballs and pasta, arancini, pizza, and whole grilled fish. There will also be cakes, pastries, sourdough and – obvs – those awesome filled doughnuts on offer at this friendly Italian-inspired joint. And to wash it all down? Expect a down-to-earth list of wines, Italian beers, and local ales. bomboloni.net

INDIE ROCK

A brand new monthly event has launched in Bath. The first ever Independent Bath Market took place on 21 May, and from now on will be popping up on the third Sunday of each month between March and October. Visitors can expect to find local independent businesses and traders behind the stalls, selling everything from homeware to pickles and preserves, baked goods to charcuterie and cheese. Being run by a not-for-profit outfit, any extra funding will be reinvested into the event. Check it out next at Abbey Green on 18 June. independentbathmarket.com

MEET DAN MILES, HEAD CHEF AT THE NEW NO. 15 GREAT PULTENEY What is it that first attracted you to No. 15 then, Dan? I love the style that Ian, Christa and Jonathan have put together at the hotel – it’s so quirky and beautiful. I love their enthusiasm, and really feel they want to achieve the same goals as I do.

Tell us about your menus here.

The food we are doing at Cafe 15 is about a more social style of eating, so customers can feel comfortable ordering a couple of starters, just a salad or a whole three courses. As we move on, I think sharing dishes and more interactive dining are definitely on the cards.

What other changes can we expect now you’re at the helm?

There is a new and exciting afternoon tea menu, and we have a new Cafe 15 menu as well, which is going down well with visitors.

Where did you work previously?

In Bath I’ve been at Lucknam Park and The Gainsborough Bath Spa, and more further afield L’Ortolan and La Trompette.

So, how would you describe your style of cooking?

It’s definitely changed over the years; I have loved doing fine dining-style food,

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but here I felt I wanted to cook food that was accessible to everyone. I’m working with four Italians at the moment, so I have been really inspired by great Italian produce and flavours recently.

What part of your work gives you the most job satisfaction?

I love making the most of great produce, taking the most humble and beautiful ingredient, like a carrot, and making it the best it can be with care, attention and love. That’s at the heart of what I do.

What do you think makes the Bath food scene so great?

I love the great choice Bath has to offer – whatever you’re in the mood for, you can find a great restaurant serving just what you want. There are amazing highend industry greats, as well as humble cafés serving banging breakfasts.

What’s your favourite ingredient to work with at the moment?

Lemon thyme. It’s a versatile spring herb, great in savoury and sweet dishes.

Current favorite flavour combination?

Oh, strawberries and basil. It’s an oldie, but I love it! no15greatpulteney.co.uk

S T A R T E R S

here cOmes The JudGe CRUMBS AWARDS: THE BUILD UP

JO N LE W IN

Recognize this chap? You might have spotted him on your box recently – it’s chef, cookery tutor, writer and TV figure Tim Maddams. Here we find out what expertise he’ll be bringing to the Crumbs Awards judging panel…

GOT BOTTLE

You know Frank Water, right? It’s a charity and social enterprise that’s supported by loads of our local foodie hangouts, and also produces bottled drinking water. With the ever-growing concern for the amount of food and drink packaging that ends up as waste, Frank has ditched its plastic bottles in favour of sustainable, recyclable glass versions (made from 32 percent recycled material) and refill solutions, which encourage people to keep and reuse bottles.

Watershed in Bristol is a long-time stockist and supporter of Frank Water, and has made the switch to the glass bottles, citing not only their commitment to sustainability and ethics, but also their customers’ expectations, as reasons for the change. Look out for the new glass bottles around Bristol and Bath, and get behind the #PledgeToRefill campaign. frankwater.com/refill

NEW NEIGHBOURS

Seen the new restaurant that’s popped up on North Street in Bristol? The Malago has taken over the former Zazu’s Kitchen site, and is run by brother-and-sister team Helly (an experienced chef) and John (who comes from an engineering background). The aim for this pair was to create a friendly neighbourhood bar and restaurant which showcases the Bristolion larder and keeps food miles to an absolute minimum. Helly is all about modern British grub and, along with her team, cooks up brunch, lunch, dinner and bar snacks, meaning the menu ranges from American-style pancakes to asparagus with poached egg, Parma ham and lemon oil; pork tenderloin with Scotch quail egg to potato and leek terrine. There are charcuterie boards too.

themalago.club

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So Tim, how goes it? Been busy? I’ve been teaching, cooking in my Chef Shed at Aller Farm, glamping, working on a new book, writing for Borough Market and The Ecologist, foraging, and doing some product development for The Country Food Trust. Phew.

Crikey, we won’t keep you long, then! Tell us what you think of the food and drink scene in Bath and Bristol.

It looks great – I see loads about it online. I don’t get to visit much, though, apart from when I teach at Vale House Kitchen, which is just outside Bath in Timsbury.

Right then; tell us a bit about your credentials as a Crumbs Awards judge. Well, I have been involved in professional cookery for over 20 years now, and teaching for eight of them.

What kind of stuff have you been getting up to over those two decades? I’ve been fortunate enough to work with some fantastic chefs, such as Fergus Henderson, Alistair Little, Marco Pierre White and Mark Hix. I also headed up the River Cottage team, and worked with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on the TV series.

What are you especially going to be looking for when judging these awards? Standout simplicity and trust in ingredients, as well as integrity and ethical awareness.

Got any tips for people entering? Just be true to your ingredients. Keep within the season and as local as possible – simplicity is the key.

What do you reckon is going to be one of the toughest categories to judge? Definitely food supplier; there are so many great ones in the South West!

Which of our categories have you got the strongest personal interest in, and why? Food supplier, again; I’m so fascinated by the link between great seasonal produce and great food; it really is the key to everything for me. timmaddams.com Nominations for the Crumbs Awards are now open!

Go to crumbsmagawards.co.uk for more information, nomination tips, and to enter

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instA FEED

@chubb_tweets

Hip shOps

The product du jour is still locally brewed beer. The younger generation of customers here are really into things made with oldfashioned, artisanal skills, like brewing.”

Paul also tells us how he’s seeing a preference for produce with less packaging, as well as a significant rise in the popularity of the shop’s vegan range.

“People are far more open-minded about their food now,” he says. “Customers are NORTH STREET was a very different much more interested in meat-free produce. place when Paul Wick quit his office job to The vegan food that’s available for us to stock set up Southville Deli there in 2001. He’d has gotten much better recently, too.” moved to the area in 1999 and, while there In 2013 Southville Deli gained a were plenty of shops in the sibling; the second shop has the neighbourhood, he struggled to What? Organic same ethos, same variety and find the food he wanted – good and local groceries same name, but is located on bread, and local organic produce.

Where? 262 North Church Road in Redfield – an area So, he dared himself to leave his Street, Bristol of East Bristol that’s fast gaining in call centre job and be the one to BS3 1JA popularity, just like Bedminster supply it.

When? Mon-Fri was when this here flagship store Now, there’s a huge variety of 8am-6.30pm; Sat first opened. groceries filling the shelves (“this 8am-6pm; Sun And Paul lets us in on some has always been a shop for 10am-5pm plans that are afoot to expand cooks,” Paul tells us), from British even further; the team are hoping and organic wines to dry goods, to give the Southville shop a bit of a rejig, and charcuterie to chocolate. And it’s all in add lots more extra space. Indeed, with the response to the punters that shop there. customer base constantly growing, new “Our stock has grown from customers’ producers and artisans adding to the already requests,” says Paul. “I consult with the staff bursting local larder, and food attitudes when choosing specific products, but they evolving, the team will certainly have no must be organic or made in the local area. problem filling it up with stock.

“We’ve been planning this for ages,” says Paul. “The shop will be twice as big. We’re aiming to expand our range of vegan food, start stocking frozen produce, and expand our chilled section; we’re going to reorganise the whole shop. I don’t know exactly when it’ll happen, but it should be later this year.”

Pretty exciting news, no? We’ve got our empty totes at the ready…

tucks into macarons from Clifton’s @annacakecouture

SOUTHVILLE DELI

southvilledeli.com

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@jaynes_blendoffood discovers @mooandtwo on her first trip to Frome

@littlelottieloves

starts her Sunday as she means to go on, with brekkie @bakersandco

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Tag your Insta pics with #CrumbsSnaps and yours could be here next month!

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BELTIN’ BREKKIES

TO MARK WAKE UP TO ORGANIC’S DAY OF FREE BREAKFASTS AROUND OUR PATCH, WE’VE BEEN LOOKING AT SOME TASTY, WHOLESOME WAYS TO START THE DAY… 1 MUE-TUAL BENEFITS Pimhill Original Muesli, £3.45/850g There’s all sorts going on in this muesli; think jumbo oats, wheat flakes, almonds, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts, as well as bursts of sweet currants, sultanas, raisins, and apple, which provide pops of fruit among all that earthiness.

You can cook it as porridge to warm up on chilly mornings, but we’ve just been digging in with fresh whole milk poured over.

Available from Riverford. riverford.co.uk 2 BUTTER CUP Yumello Peanut Butter, £2.99/170g This version of the ever-popular toast topper is made right here in Bristol. It contains organically

harvested Argan oil – which is packed with health benefits – and is given a delicate sweetness with a dash of honey.

Totally natural with no sinister ingredients, it’s a great way to get those important fatty acids and plant-based protein onboard.

Available from Wild Oats and Scoop Away in Bristol, among other independent retailers. yumello.com 3 BEFORE YOU CO-CO Coldpress Coconut Waters, £3.99/750ml These new drinks are a great mid-way option between coconut water and juices, with more fruity flavour than the former and less sugar than the latter. There are two flavours, Raspberry Lemon Apple, and Blood Orange

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Mandarin – both of which make a fruity, refreshing slurp to start the day with, and get your vit C intake off to a great start. Available at Waitrose in Bristol and Bath. cold-press.com 4 FLAKE OUT Sharpham Park Cherry & Berry Spelt Flakes, £3.99/375g Ancient spelt is thought to be a nutritional heavyweight in the world of grain, carrying iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc, among other goodies, and is a good alternative to try for those that regular wheat doesn’t sit well with. These savoury flakes – made from organic spelt grown at Sharpham Park in Somerset – are punctuated by cherries, raspberries and blackberries, and are high in both fibre and

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slow-release energy. Available at Waitrose or online direct from Sharpham Park. sharphampark.co.uk 5 BEET IT Primrose’s Kitchen Raw Beetroot and Ginger Museli, £5.95/400g Based in the South West, Primrose’s Kitchen makes food that’s totally natural, gluten-free and vegan. Founder Primrose is all about naturopathy, which is concerned with achieving balance. Full of raw ingredients (everything is air-dried to maintain its health benefits), this beetroot and ginger mix is a great alternative to try with milk or yoghurt, or even in your morning smoothie. Available at Harvest in Bristol and Bath. primroseskitchen.com

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1 Morso Grill Forno

1

Six Pack

from £595 at Kindle Stoves, Saltford This award-winning bit o’ kit not only looks the part with with its contemporary Danish design, but it’ll effortlessly see to all your barbecuing – and wood-firing – needs, too.

It’s great to gather around and warm up with on those chillier evenings, as well. All that from a surprisingly compact oven which, stood on its teak legs, won’t take up half the garden, but will take up a good proportion of the conversation over dinner, we bet. kindlestoves.co.uk

2 Big Green Egg

COOKIN’ ON GRASS the moment there’s a crack in the clouds, we want to be getting our cook on outdoors; these alfresco beasts can each be bought locally, so all that’s left is to pick your weapon...

1862crumbsmag.com crumbsmag.com

from £599 at Hartley Farm, Bradford-on-Avon We challenge you to find something you can’t cook in this bad boy; it loves everything from a Sunday roast and slow-cooked pulled pork, to paella and pizza. This ceramic oven and grill (yes, this is far from your regular barbecue) uses charcoal but, thanks to great insulation, requires less fuel than a barbie, and can cook for way longer. Not only can you bake, roast, grill, smoke and slow-cook in here, but it also gives food a gorgeously subtle smoky seasoning – you can even add woodchips of your choice to tailor those smoky notes. Want to see it in action? Visit Hartley Farm for a demo on 15 June. hartley-farm.co.uk

S T A R T E R S

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5 Kamado Joe 3 La Hacienda £189.99 at Leekes, Melksham All about the stone-baked pizza? Take a look at this black, steel beast. The multi-functional outdoor oven is ideal for alfresco dinners of any kind, and comes with a pizza stone, chrome-plated grill, temperature gauge and storage shelf. Pleasingly straightforward to use, it has a chamber at the bottom for the fire, then you can either choose to grill or stone bake your patio feast. Use it for everything from baking pizzas to grilling steaks and smoking fish – go crazy! leekes.co.uk

4 Kadai Recycled Firebowl

from £170 (+VAT) at Boniti, Chippenham Handmade in the Rajistan region of north India, these things are the creations of expert artisans, who pass down their traditional fire bowl-making methods from generation to generation. Made from old oil drums, they’re durable and designed to last. You can use them all year round – on a high stand in the warmer months for cooking all kinds of summer feasts on, and on a low stand in the winter for huddling around on lovely crisp days. Versatile and straightforward to use, one of these will more than earn its place in your garden. boniti.com

£1,098 at Embers, Bristol Imagine a barbecue – and then imagine it as a superhero, with all the culinary powers you could ask for. That’s what we’re dealing with here, folks. The thick walls of the Kamodo Joe keep all the moisture inside the closed grill, meaning your grub emerges from it with awesome texture – not to mention deep, and delicately smoky, flavour. The Kamodo Joe also has a super-precise ventilation dial, giving you total control when cooking or smoking. There are three sizes to choose from, too – sure, we’d all like the biggest, but some people (by which we mean us) aren’t blessed with acres of garden. Sob. embersbristol.com

6 LotusGrill from £144.95 at Steamer Trading, Wells Love a bit of instant gratification? Well, what if we told you that this here LotusGrill is ready to cook with in under three minutes? The secret is its patented built-in fan, which helps to heat the charcoal at super speed – cutting out that whole smoking phase which usually has you waiting around. What’s more, this low-maintenace cooking gadget is light and portable enough for you to whack in the car and take to the park or beach for a picnic. Its double-layered construction also means the outer bowl remains cool to the touch – which is handy for packing up, or if you have little ones running around... steamer.co.uk

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S T A R T E R S

Ask the Expert

WHAT THE RESTAURANT DESIGNER KNOWS...

SIMPLE SIMON IS AN INTERIOR DESIGN COMPANY WITH A DIFFERENCE: INSTEAD OF WORKING ON PEOPLE’S HOMES, THE GUYS HERE CREATE AWESOME EATERIES. WE TALK TO FOUNDERS SIMON JONES AND BEN ROLLS ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO DESIGN A CONVERSATIONSTARTING RESTAURANT DINING ROOM…

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Ben Rolls (second left) and Simon Jones (third right) founded Simple Simon as an interior design company for restaurants and bars

Hello, you pair! Let’s start by finding out how long you’ve been in the interiors game...

That would be since we set up Simple Simon, over 12 years ago. Before that our backgrounds were actually in design for manufacture. Since the launch of this interiors business, we’ve grown into a small team of seven, located at Paintworks in Bristol.

So, what did you study to make it into the industry?

I’m Ben, the design director, and I studied three-dimensional design, and Simon, our creative director, studied furniture design.

Right, can you fire off some examples of gaffs we’ll know that you’ve worked on?

Sure! Some local projects include both the Bristol and Bath branches of Graze, Grillstock and Mokoko, as well as Manos in Bristol, Nando’s at Cribbs Causeway, Longwell Green and Yate, River Cottage Canteen in Bristol, Society Café in Bath, and The Litton in Radstock.

How does what you do differ to the work of a domestic interior designer, d’ya reckon?

The requirements for planning and health and safety will vary, then there’s scale, and the function of the space. It’s very different – but not really a comparison we can make too well, as we only carry out commercial design. We’ve not worked with domestic spaces.

How does it work between you and the restaurant owners, then? Do they tend to have lots of specific ideas, or do they give you more of a broad brief?

Each brief varies; we have a series of questions we run through with our client initially to make sure we understand the project outline, design focus, budgets and timescales. Some clients have more of an idea than others of what they’d like. We then advise them as best as possible as to the focus and steer of the design project.

What do you prefer – a specific brief, or full artistic license?

We are designers, so ultimately we like to be left to our own creative devices. We need enough information to ensure the design is to our client’s visions, expectations and practical requirements, though.

Aside from the brief, where else do you look to for inspiration?

First, we look at the brand – how it works and how it could be improved, and how our design can add to it. We also look for inspiration from other commercial projects, locally and further afield; we have been very inspired by work in Melbourne, Australia recently.

Let’s talk about the people you’re really creating these spaces for: the diners. How do you go about making sure you’re giving them what they want?

The first stage of our design process is what’s called a feasibility study. This means we put together various plan layouts to determine the best use of space, and how it will work practically for the customer experience (and operationally, of course). The customer experience will be impacted by many factors, but mostly the food and drink offering and environment in which it is served. We design according to the offering, working to complement it.

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S T A R T E R S

So, spill; what’s been your toughest local project so far, and why was it such a challenge?

Locally, it would have to be The Litton. The age and nature of the property meant there was a lot to take into consideration in terms of structural works and re-design. It is a 15th-century building with a lot of history, and the many previous owners had added layer upon layer to the structure; we wanted to strip everything back and restore this property to its natural state. In doing so we uncovered some charming original features and found some great pre-existing materials which we were able to re-use – for example, the bar top is made out of the original elm beams.

Sounds like a massive project – tell us a bit more about the changes you made.

Well, the restoration of this former country inn was a collaboration between our creative flair and our client, Sally Billington’s, quirky vision; the journey was a learning curve for all of us.

When we first visited, it almost appeared as though a lick of paint and some new furniture, fixtures and equipment might just do the trick, but on understanding Sally’s vision we put our team to the test in achieving a quirky and considered design to improve the space

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practically and aesthetically. The design was purposefully paired with the culinary offering there: locally sourced produce, home-cooked food and an extensive range of craft beer and cider.

The first winter was a real test; as the rain poured through the cracks in the walls, we started to realise the extent of the structural work that was going to be involved! On the plus side, the initial strip-out exposed original elm beams and floors (which were hidden underneath four layers!) as well as fireplaces. The stunning original features began to unfold and we restored them, removing thick layers of black paint with soda blasting.

What was originally a large area with a very small bar and restricted use of space, nine small bedrooms with shared bathrooms, and a rundown landscape, now has a large bar and restaurant, plus a secondary bar, dedicated to whisky, and snug area.

Outside, we created a courtyard and riverside terrace complete with soft seating and fire pits for the restaurant and bar overflow.

There was also plenty of work undertaken on the exterior of the building, including removing layers of paint to expose the masonry, and adding the new signage and lighting. A lot of work, then, but the end result was well worth it. simplesimondesign.co.uk

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B O O K

O F

T H E

M O N T H

HOTLY ANTICIPATED DEBUTS AND BOOKS WE DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WE NEEDED; MARK TAYLOR HAS ROUNDED THEM ALL UP FOR US…

30 MINUTE CURRIES Atul Kochhar Absolute Press, £26

Indian chef Atul Kochhar may be best known for his Michelin-starred dishes, but this book shows readers how to create simple curries at home in just half an hour from start to finish – or in the same time it might take you to heat a ready meal curry in the oven.

With stunning photos from Bristolbased photographer Mike Cooper, this collection of 90 recipes includes Kochhar’s trademark style of using the best British produce for fresh and modern Indian cuisine. From aubergine and lentil curry, and spiced potatoes and coconut, to chicken with coriander and spinach chutney, and Hyderabadi lamb curry, this is a book packed with vibrant, spicy dishes. Cooking restaurant-quality curries at home will surely never be daunting again.

ANDHRA PRAWN CURRY Andhraiites typically eat fiery hot food, but this prawn curry packs a lot of flavours too!

SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS

500g raw tiger prawns, peeled 6 green cardamom pods bunch of fresh coriander sprigs 2 tbsp vegetable oil 4 cloves 1 tsp fennel seeds 4 tbsp onion paste 4 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp red chilli powder, or to taste 125ml passata 250ml water METHOD

1 Remove and discard the prawn tails, if necessary. Lightly crush the cardamom pods to loosen the seeds. Rinse and chop enough coriander sprigs to make about 2 tbsp worth, and set aside a few sprigs for a garnish.

2 Heat the vegetable oil over a mediumhigh heat in a large sauté or frying pan.

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Add the cardamom pods and the seeds, the cloves and fennel seeds, and stir until the spices crackle. Add the onion paste and stir it into the oil for 30 seconds. Add the ground coriander, chilli powder and passata. Season with salt and stir for 30-60 seconds to cook the spices. The mixture will have a paste-like texture.

Watch closely so the spices do not burn.

3 Add the chopped coriander, prawns and water. Bring to a simmering point, stirring for 30 seconds, or until the prawns turn pink. Adjust the seasoning with salt, if necessary. Garnish with coriander sprigs to serve.

Atul’s time-saving tips Buy raw prawns that have already been shelled, and this warming and satisfying curry will be on the table in less than 15 minutes. That’s quicker than the time it takes to heat the oven and cook a ready meal. If the prawns need thawing, however, put them in a large colander or sieve and run lukewarm water over them until they thaw.

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M E D I T ERRANEAN

TABLE

Ryland Peters & Small, £19.99

Although there is no author credit for this book, a full list of contributors at the back includes a number of wellknown writers and chefs including Ursula Ferrigno, Jenny Linford, Ghillie Bassan and Matt Follas. These 150 summer recipes are divided into ‘snacks and plates to share’, ‘salads and summer soups’, ‘best-ever BBQ’, ‘sunshine lunches’, ‘al fresco’ and ‘desserts and drinks’, and they are all certain to provide plenty of inspiration for every occasion over the summer months.

Highlights include squid, chorizo, feta and asparagus salad; orzo with courgette and tomato dressing; orange and apricot gelato; and panna cotta with rose petal syrup. This book is brimming with sunshine flavours and simple dishes ideal for al fresco meals this summer.

PASTA SECRETS

Laura Santtini Ryland Peters & Small, £16.99

ON THE SIDE

Following The Cornershop Cookbook and The Little Book of Lunch, food writers and stylists Caroline Craig and Sophie Missing now turn their focus on the increasingly popular meal that is brunch. Brunch encapsulates everything a meal should be – easy, delicious and adaptable – and, according to the authors, it is still the most fun meal of all.

From Middle Eastern shakshuka and Indian-style potato bhaji with chickpea chapatis to traditional English savouries like eggs Benedict and sausage and egg muffin, the 100 quick and easy-to-follow recipes cover the globe. And for those with a sweeter tooth, try the blueberry and rhubarb muffins or the porridge with rum-caramelised banana, perhaps washed down with a boozy marmalade Martini.

One of the most eagerly awaited cookbook debuts of the year, On The Side arrives with plenty of celebrity endorsements from the likes of Yotam Ottolenghi and Nigel Slater. Former lawyer Ed Smith retrained as a chef and is the author of highly regarded food blog Rocket & Squash. The book certainly lives up to all the hype, the simple premise being that Smith makes innovative side dishes the star of the meal.

The 140 recipes are eloquently written and his methodical style recalls the likes of Simon Hopkinson.

Chorizo roast potatoes; red wine, anise and orange lentils; black bean, coriander and lime rice; and sweet potato, celeriac and porcini bake are just a snapshot of why this is one of the most important cookbooks of 2017.

Ed Smith Bloomsbury, £20

Caroline Craig and Sophie Missing Square Peg, £16

Just when you thought you had all the pasta recipes you could possibly need, along comes another book bursting with new ideas and twists on old favourites. Award-winning Italian writer and chef Laura Santtini has pulled together over 70 recipes here, from authentic Italian classics to contemporary dishes for people leading busy lives but still looking for healthy eating.

Santtini’s photographer husband Christoper Scholey has provided the beautiful images for the book; every page screams ‘cook me’ and ‘eat me’, from the creamy carbonara and spaghetti to the light and summery asparagus and peas with garganelli pasta, both of which are child-friendly. More grown-up dishes include a vodka-flavoured sauce with penne, and a super-healthy wholewheat fusilli with olive, anchovy and kale.

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THE LITTLE BOOK OF BRUNCH

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( adverti sing feature )

Cocktails with a crunch Raise a glass to adventurous snacking: Burts Chips lead the way in the savoury crisp cocktail trend.

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risps and a pint is a tried and tested snacking occasion in the UK, but Burts Chips are encouraging Brits to think outside the crisp packet and enhance their snacking with the latest trend: savoury crisp cocktails. The artisan hand-cooked crisp company has created six ‘Burtender’ crisp cocktail recipes which are available on its website and across social media for fans to try out.

You’ll never look at a humble packet of crisps in the same way again.

Experts in adventurous snacking, Burts Chips know that a good cocktail is the same as a good snack – it has to have the right balance of ingredients and textures to be satisfying. Burts have teamed up with an expert mixologist who has selectively combined great cocktail ingredients with Burts’ distinct hand-cooked crisp flavours to ensure each cocktail carries its signature big bold taste. There is a drink for all palates and preferences – from the joining of two classics with Burts' vintage cheddar & spring onion martini, to a margarita sprinkled with Burts' Sea Salt & Crushed Peppercorns crisps atop a sea salt foam, and Burts' smoked crispy bacon Manhattan.

For the first time, the crisps aren’t just the wingman to your favourite drink; these adventurous cocktails put crisps centre stage, where they belong!

Take a sip of this new cocktail trend by making one of the Burtender crisp cocktails yourself....

Crisp lovers should visit burtschips.com for the full recipes and for more information on where to buy Burts Chips nationwide

crumbsmag.com

Vintage Cheddar & Spring Onion

The Burtini

50ml gin 10ml dry vermouth 3 - 4 slices of spring onion muddled Method: Shake and double strain into a chilled martini glass Serve with cube of mature cheddar on a stick Enjoy with Burts Chips’ Vintage Cheddar & Spring Onion crisps Tasting notes: Initial aroma of spring onion, clean and wet on the palate, gin wash, then rising bite of spring onion and vermouth.

Strong onion aftertaste, dependent on level of spring onion in drink. If you’re feeling a little indulgent, serve with blanched almonds fried in melted butter, or Hollandaise sauce.

Smoked Crispy Bacon

Burts Bacon Manhattan

50ml four-day bacon infused bourbon 10ml sweet vermouth 5ml dry vermouth 2 dash angostura bitter 5ml cherry syrup from jar Method: Stir until ice-cold, strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with cherry on a stick and Burts Chips’ Smoked Crispy Bacon crisp on rim of glass Tasting notes: Strong bacon aroma, mellowed with the sweetness of the vermouth and strong flavours of bourbon. Cherry sweetness comes through on the finish.

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Devon Roast Beef

Burts Smoky Mary

50ml smoked potato vodka 200ml spiced tomato juice 1/2 bar spoon grated horseradish Method: Shake and strain into ice-filled long glass and garnish with celery stick and a Burts Chips’ Devon Roast Beef crisp Tasting notes: Rich spiced tomato nose, pleasant heat on lips, then intense smoke warmth, zesty bitterness and heat towards the end of the mouth. Tomato lingers.

Sea Salt & Crushed Peppercorns

Burts Peppered Margarita

50ml tequila 15ml agave nectar 25ml fresh lime juice Method: Shake, strain into rocks glass Top with sea salt foam and sprinkle with crumbled Burts Chips’ Sea Salt & Crushed Peppercorns crisps Tasting notes: Sweet and light salt foam, acidic and bitter, meets a sweet challenge from the agave nectar and strong tequila. The salt battles with the margarita, leaving a well-balanced finish. Moreish.

CH E F !

WHAT TO MAKE AND HOW TO MAKE IT – DIRECT FROM THE KITCHENS OF OUR FAVOURITE FOODIES

Butter: not just one of our fave dairy products, but integral to all of this month’s recipes...

H I G H L I G H T S

YEO YEO DIET

Lean how to make ricotta from scratch, then put it to great use...

Page 34

SO CRABBY

A crab and wild garlic potato cake makes a top bed for soft salmon Page 37

POP CULTURE

Want to find out how to make pork popcorn?

You’re in luck...

Page 38

P L U S

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TIP-TOP TAPAS from Bristol’s New Moon

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C H E F !

RICOTTA BE KIddING!

HERE, SARAH MAYOR FROM YEO VALLEY NOT ONLY SHOWS US HOW TO MAKE OUR OWN RICOTTA CHEESE, BUT ALSO WHAT TO USE IT FOR WHEN IT’S DONE… You can make ricotta using liquid rennet, distilled vinegar, white wine vinegar and even yoghurt, but we think this recipe – which uses lemon juice – gives the right combination of taste and consistency, writes Sarah. The longer you leave the ricotta to drain, the firmer it will become. After 8 minutes the curds are soft and can be eaten just as they are. After 20 minutes they’ll have become firm enough to hold their shape but will still be soft. From between 40 and 60 minutes they will be solid enough to cook with. Whatever you do, be sure to use the freshest milk you can lay your hands on – you’ll taste the difference.

a Grape match!

Dunleavy English Rosé 2016 £13.95, Novel Wines “Ricotta always screams for beautifully-made rosé, like Somerset’s very own Dunleavy Rosé, made from 100 percent Pinot Noir grapes. It’s light and fresh with strawberry, honeydew melon and red cherry on the palate.

The finish is rounded and creamy, so it will nicely stand up to this top dish!”

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RICOTTA INGREDIENTS 2¼ ltrs whole milk 250ml double cream ½ tsp salt 4 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice METHOD 1 Line a large sieve with a layer of damp fine muslin. Put the milk in a pan with the cream and salt. Place over a medium-low heat and heat slowly to 93C, stirring gently occasionally. When it reaches the right temperature the milk will be steaming, the surface will be shimmering and small bubbles will have appeared on the surface. Whip the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon juice for a few seconds until curds start to form.

2 Leave undisturbed for 2 minutes then, using a slotted spoon, gently ladle the curds onto the muslin, taking care not to break them up. Drain until the ricotta reaches the desired consistency. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

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SWISS CHARD, RICOTTA AND LEMON CANNELLONI SERVES 6

You can make this recipe with store-bought ricotta and it will be great.

But, if you do like the idea of making your own, your efforts won’t go unnoticed. The results will be fabulous.

INGREDIENTS For the tomato sauce: 1 small onion, quartered 1 small carrot, cut into rough chunks 1 celery stalk, cut into rough chunks 1½ tbsp olive oil 600g canned chopped tomatoes 3 fresh bay leaves 1 tsp clear honey For the filling: 25g butter 1kg Swiss chard, stalks discarded and leaves finely shredded 2 garlic cloves, crushed 250g ricotta, well drained finely grated zest of 1 large lemon 50g Parmesan, finely grated 12 sheets (about 300g) dried lasagne pasta 1 tbsp olive oil For the cheese sauce: 600ml whole milk 65g butter 50g plain flour 3 tbsp double cream 150g cheddar, coarsely grated 1 free-range egg yolk

YEO VALLEY HQ, Rhodyate Blagdon, North Somerset BS40 7YE; yeovalley.co.uk

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METHOD 1 For the tomato sauce, put the onion, carrot and celery into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the chopped veg and ¼ tsp of salt, then cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, until the veg are soft but not browned.

Uncover, add the tomatoes, bay leaves, honey and 100ml water, and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for about 1 hour, stirring frequently, or until the sauce is reduced and concentrated. Remove the bay leaves, season to taste and leave to cool.

2 For the filling, heat a knob of the butter in a pan, then add as much of the chard as you can. Let it wilt down, then add the rest. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, until tender, then tip into a colander and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Melt the remaining butter in the pan, add the garlic and, as soon as it starts sizzling, add the chard leaves and stir to mix. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool, then stir in the ricotta, zest and Parmesan, and season to taste.

3 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Spoon the tomato sauce over the base of a large baking dish. Drop the lasagne sheets one at a time into the boiling water, add the oil and cook for 12 minutes or until al dente. Drain well, separate and lay out side by side on a sheet of cling film. Divide the chard filling between them, spooning it along one short edge of each sheet. Roll them up and place them side by side, seam side down on top of the tomato sauce.

4 Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.

5 Bring the milk to the boil. Melt the butter in another pan, add the flour and gently cook for 1 minute, then beat in the hot milk and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside, stir in the cream, half the cheese and egg yolk and some seasoning.

6 Pour the cheese sauce over the top of the cannelloni and sprinkle over the rest of the cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

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C H E F !

FIShING fOr cOmpLImeNTS HEAD CHEF AND OWNER AT THE GEORGE, ALEXANDER VENABLES, SHARES A SUMMERY FISH DISH

Alexander is cooking up a storm at The George in Bradford-on-Avon.

After spending 13 years at the award-winning Tollgate Inn in Holt and eight years at Lucknam Park, he has turned his attentions to Woolley.

But The George is far more than just another country pub, y’know; it even holds a regular Saturday morning cookery school, teaching everything from bread and pastry to preparing and cooking game. The restaurant kitchen is completely open plan too, so diners can chat to the kitchen team whilst they dine.

SEARED SALMON ON A CRAB AND WILD GARLIC POTATO CAKE WITH POACHED EGG AND TARRAGON HOLLANDAISE SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and quartered knob of butter 2 shallots, finely chopped 200g picked white crab meat 2 tbsp capers, chopped large bunch of wild garlic, lightly chopped 4 small bunches of vine cherry tomatoes glug of olive oil 4 x 200g salmon fillets 4 large free-range eggs small bunch of fresh basil For the hollandaise: 3 free-range egg yolks 2 tsp white wine vinegar 125g butter 2 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped

to the mashed potato and mix in the crab meat, chopped capers and wild garlic.

4 Form the mixture into four patties and chill in the fridge until firm.

5 Pop the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray, sprinkle with rock salt and a drizzle of olive oil and pop in the oven for 20 minutes. You don’t want them to burst and disintegrate, but to hold their shape.

6 Heat a little olive oil in a pan and gently fry the potato cakes until lightly golden, then pop into the oven for about 10 minutes.

7 Heat a little butter and olive oil in a frying pan and place the salmon fillets in, skin side down. Cook for around 5 minutes. Check the salmon is done by teasing the flesh open – it should be just pink.

8 For the hollandaise, heat some water in a saucepan. Melt the butter in a separate pan and set aside.

9 Crack the 3 egg yolks into a metal bowl, and add the white wine vinegar. Place the bowl over the pan of boiling water to create a bain marie. Whisk the eggs and vinegar over the boiling water, until the eggs have doubled in volume. Whisk in the butter a little at a time until it’s all incorporated and then fold in the chopped tarragon.

10 Poach the eggs in boiling water until just cooked – you want to keep the yolk runny.

11 To assemble, place a potato cake on a warmed plate, top with the salmon fillet, and pop the poached egg on top. Spoon over the warm hollandaise and garnish with the warm roasted cherry tomatoes.

Sprinkle the tomatoes with the chopped basil, olive oil and cracked black pepper.

THE GEORGE, 67 Woolley Street, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1AQ; 01225 865650; thegeorgebradfordonavon.co.uk

a Grape match!

METHOD 1 Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

2 First, boil the potato in water until soft, then drain and mash. Set aside to cool.

3 Heat a knob of butter in a pan and fry the shallots until soft. Then add

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Sixteen Ridges Signature Cuvée 2013 £28.95, Novel Wines “Salmon and sparkling wine is the perfect match. I’ve chosen Sixteen Ridges’ English fizz from Herefordshire.

Aromas of fresh orchard fruit lead the way into a palate of baked apple tart, hazelnuts and honeysuckle. The smooth, creamy texture of the fizz works really well with this dish.”

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P HOTO DAVI D GRI FFEN

C H E F !

KeePING UP WITh The JONeSeS ALAN JONES, EXEC CHEF AT EVENTS VENUE CLEVEDON HALL, SHOWS US HOW TO MAKE THIS ACE DISH THAT ALWAYS GOES DOWN A STORM AT WEDDINGS…

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Michelin-trained chef Alan has spent years perfecting his wedding day menus – and this dish is one of the stars.

For this chef, a wedding day starts with a super bridal brunch, consisting of treats like cherry yogurt with homemade granola, smoked salmon frittata, and homemade smoothies.

After the wedding ceremony come drinks and mouthwatering canapés, before the guests sit down to an indulgent three-course wedding breakfast. For this, Alan usually creates a light starter such as Cornish crab and avocado, and he likes to sign off with a trio of desserts: fruit cheesecake, sticky toffee pudding, and creme brulée.

The main course is when this featured recipe makes an appearance.

It is a contemporary twist on a classic British dish which never fails to be a crowd pleaser – and pays homage to the West Country with its use of apple and cider. Relatively simply to prepare with spectacular flavours, this dish works well all year round.

SLOW-BRAISED PORK BELLY WITH PORK POPCORN AND CIDER JUS

a Grape match!

Kardos Tokaj Dry 2015 £11.95, Novel Wines “For chef Alan Jones’ delicious pork belly dish I’ve chosen this superior blend dry white wine from Tokaj.

Blended exclusively for us at Novel Wines, the Tokaj Dry is bursting with zippy citrus, sweet red apples and bitter Granny Smiths that all work together to complement the lovely pork flavours.”

SERVES 8 INGREDIENTS rock salt small bunch of thyme, chopped small bunch of rosemary, chopped handful of peppercorns 1 middle white pork belly, boned and trimmed (with bones and trimmings reserved) 1 carrot 1 leek 1 onion 1 stick of celery 1 whole garlic bulb 6 star anise 1 tbsp coriander seeds 500g extra pork skin, halved 1 tbsp five spice 1 tbsp honey 500ml cider 2 ltrs veal, beef or pork stock dash of double cream knob of butter For the caramelised apple: 2 apples 20g butter 2 tsp caster sugar METHOD 1 First, salt the pork. Combine the rock salt with the thyme (reserving a good sprig), rosemary and peppercorns, and rub all over the pork belly. Cover and leave for 12 to 24 hours, then rinse with cold water and pat dry.

2 Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3.

3 Heat a large saucepan on the hob until hot. Add the pork and cook for a few minutes on each side. Once coloured all over, take the pork out of the pan and put to one side.

4 Add the pork bones and trimmings to the same pan and cook until golden and caramelised. Add the vegetables and garlic, and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

5 Add the star anise, coriander seeds and remaining thyme sprig.

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6 Put the pork belly back in the pan and cover with the stock. Place a sheet of tin foil over the top, and cook in the oven for 4 hours.

7 When cooked, strain the stock, reserving the bones, veg and trimmings. Cool the belly between two baking trays, skin side down.

8 For the pork popcorn, preheat the oven to 100C/215F/gas mark ¼.

Boil half of the pork skin in water for 15 minutes, then cut into shapes and sizes of your choice. Place into the oven for 6 hours (alternatively, you could use a dehydrator). Once cooled, heat some rapeseed oil in a pan to 190C, and deep fry the pieces – they should puff up like a prawn cracker.

9 For the crackling, preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Place the remaining 250g pork skin flat on a roasting tray, and lay another tray on top. Cook until golden and crisp.

10 For the sauce, place the bones, veg and the trimmings from the pork pot back in a pan with the five spice, and cook slowly on the stove top for 2 hours. Then add the honey and cook for one minute, until caramelised.

11 Add the cider and reduce to a glaze. Add the cooking stock, bring to the boil and skim off any foam on the top of the stock. Simmer for 15 minutes, skimming regularly. Then strain and finish the jus with a dash of double cream and a knob of butter. Mix well.

12 Skin, core and cut each apple width-ways into 4 slices. Heat the butter and sugar gently in a frying pan to the caramel stage, then add the apple slices and fry until golden brown on both sides.

13 To finish, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Portion up the belly and cook in a non-stick frying pan, skin side down, in the oven for 10 minutes. Place the crisp belly in the centre of each plate, add two caramelised apple rings each and the crackling, pork popcorn and cider jus. We serve with a generous slash of carrot purée, sautéed spinach, mashed potato and some Chantenay carrots.

CLEVEDON HALL, Elton Road, Clevedon BS21 7RH; 01275 795895; clevedonhall.co.uk

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C H E F !

YAAS, QUEEN!

THIS QUEEN SCALLOP RECIPE FROM TAKVOR TERLEMEZYAN WILL MAKE A GREAT STARTER OR SMALL PLATE… Heard of tapas bar New Moon? You’ll find it in Clifton Village in Bristol.

This little joint has a charming atmosphere and globally inspired food – chef TK, who has two decades’ worth of experience in kitchens, has worked all over the world, from Armenia to India and Bulgaria, and his travels are evident in his menus. This restaurant is a laidback hangout, with monthly specials, great wines and first-rate service.

PAN-SEARED QUEEN SCALLOPS WITH JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE PURÉE AND LIME BEURRE BLANC SERVES 1 INGREDIENTS 500g Jerusalem artichokes 1 lemon 80g shallots sunflower oil 100g butter 100ml white wine 100ml water 100ml double cream 3 scallops, roes trimmed and reserved ⅓ lime 20g samphire

METHOD 1 For the Jerusalem artichoke purée, peel the artichokes and put them in water with a good squeeze of lemon juice.

2 Finely dice the shallot and sauté in sunflower oil. When the shallot starts to soften, finely dice the artichoke and add to the pan, stirring consistently. Add 50g of the butter and stir for another 3 minutes, then pour in 50ml of the white wine and cook for 5 minutes.

3 Add the water, stir and season with a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat and cook, covered, for 15 minutes.

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4 Check from time to time and stir so nothing burns. When the water has reduced and the artichoke is soft, add the cream and cook until it starts bubbling.

5 Pour into a blender and blend the mix while still hot. Test it for salt.

6 Heat an oiled pan until very hot, then add the scallops and cook for 1 ½ minutes before turning each onto their other side. Add the roe to the pan, reduce the heat and cook for a further 1 min.

7 Add 25g of the butter and squeeze in the lime juice, tossing the pan so the scallops can absorb the flavour.

8 Pour in the remaining 50ml of wine, then add the samphire and the rest of the butter. Stir constantly so you end up with a smooth sauce.

9 To serve, heat up the artichoke purée and place it on the plate. Add 3 scallops and drizzle the sauce with the samphire around, and serve with a wedge of lime.

NEW MOON TAPAS, 9 The Mall, Bristol BS8 4DP; 0117 239 3858; newmoontapas.co.uk

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F OR BOOKI NGS PHO NE

0 1 225 4436 86

1 4 – 1 6 T H E COR R I DOR , B AT H

N E W S U M M E R M E N U L AU N C H !

Fresh homemade pasta and Italian classics alongside our speciality pizzas

D O U G H P I Z Z A R E S TA U R A N T. C O . U K

NEW MOON TAPAS

Small Plates Dining EAT YOUR GREENS

Tasty dishes from Aubergines, Artichokes, Olives, Spinach, Padron peppers and other greenies

SPECIALS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Congo, France, Russia, Thailand, Armenia, Britain, Mexico, Cyprus and more...

OUR TAPAS FAVOURITES

Charred Octopus, Queen Scallops, Pigeon Breasts, Baked Quail, Lamb Cutlets, Rioja Chorizo.

9 THE MALL CLIFTON BRISTOL 01772393858 WWW.NEWMOONTAPAS.CO.UK

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Vegetarian | Vegan | Gluten Free

SMOKIN’ ACES Bristol biz Smoke Catering brings food from the deep south of the US to the South West of the UK...

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Tel: 01225 464631 Tel: 01225 466626 TAKEAWAY WE TAKE ORDERS FOR OUTDOOR CATERING AND PARTIES, PLEASE CONTACT US FOR MORE DETAILS INDIAN TEMPTATION 9-10 High Street (Cheap Street) Bath BA1 5AQ

www.indiantemptation.com

orn in Texas, raised in Bristol. This is Smoke Catering, an authentic Texan barbecue catering company, created by Rob and Claire Dacey from Somerset. The pair, together with their 12ft smoker, pitch up at locations all over to cook using the Texan methods taught to them by one of the best pitmasters in Texas.

The nine-hour smoked beef brisket is a particular favourite of theirs – it’s so juicy and buttery it practically just melts in your mouth, and has a light crunch from a special spice rub. The sevenhour smoked pulled pork shoulder (from the award-winning Newton Farm near Bath), meanwhile, is splashed with barbecue sauce right before serving, and the handmade beef and chilli sausages also come from Newton (and are great with the maplesmoked bacon that Smoke Catering produce, too).

It’s not all for the die-hard meat-eaters though; fish fans listen up. These guys hot smoke salmon sides over cedar planks, before sprinkling with their homemade rub and finishing with a hit of maple to bring out the sweetness and the heatness for ya’ll!

All their food is homemade; from the rubs and pickles to the barbecue sauce and all the sides.

The big boy smoker offers a great conversation piece, always draws interest and even acts as a heater during the colder months – bonus!

This is truly a labour of love, with Rob and Claire spending up to 12 hours tending to the fire to ensure the food comes out with a beautiful hint of spice, gentle smoke, and pretty unique flavour.

This pair have a combined total of over 30 years in the hospitality industry from cheffing, waitressing and bar management to eventual hotel and event management, so they’re fully equipped to help with planning any function you need!

Find them at smokecatering.com, on Twitter (@catering_smoke) and on Instagram (/Smoke.Catering)

Try our New Delhi menu throughout May and June.

10 The Mall | Clifton | BS8 4DR | 0117 360 0288 | info@nutmegbristol.com | www.nutmegbristol.com

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UNCOVER A HIDDEN GEM IN BATH Eagerly anticipated as the second of Jamie Oliver’s ground-breaking Italian restaurants when it opened in 2008, Jamie’s Italian Bath approaches its 10th birthday with optimism and a dynamic new team at the helm. Photographs by Ella Miller.

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recent refurbishment has given a new lease of life to Jamie's Italian, especially on sunny days when one of the city’s best kept secrets – a suntrap roof terrace – offers the perfect spot for enjoying the new summer menu al fresco style. The new menu reflects Jamie Oliver’s long-standing commitment to impeccable sourcing and his passion for beautiful seasonal ingredients.

The recipes are created with an eye on what’s fresh and healthy, but not forgetting the restaurant's Italian heritage, inspired by Jamie's mentor, Gennaro Contaldo, and pasta is freshly made on site, every day – using the Italian Godfather’s own recipe.

A selection of hand-made sourdough pizzas was recently introduced to the menu after hundreds of requests from customers. By partnering with artisan producers in the UK and Italy, every pizza is topped with fantastic, lovingly sourced ingredients, including Westcombe Jacks cheese from Westcombe Dairy in Somerset and charcuterie from Cobble Lane Cured in London.

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The best quality at an affordable price makes these pizzas a highly competitive new addition to Bath’s established pizza scene. And if you're a parent, you'll love the hugely popular kids' menu. It's been created

by Jamie to look amazing and taste great and, most importantly, every dish on the kids’ menu packs a superhealthy punch. Check out Organic mini spaghetti & meatballs – served with secret-seven vegetable sauce that looks like a simple tomato sauce but is cram-packed full of goodness!

Recent years have seen the number of restaurants in Bath explode and Jamie’s Italian has evolved to survive, and ultimately, to thrive. Led by new General Manager – and proud ambassador – Ashley Kirwan who’s

grown with the company after starting as a bartender, there’s a lot going on to keep the restaurant firmly on the map as a must-visit dining destination.

Tucked away in Milsom Place, Jamie’s Italian is still a hidden gem for some, but it’s accessible for all and you’ll be looked after by a friendly team who know – and love – their stuff.

The restaurant takes bookings every day for lunch and dinner, as well as being open for passers by. Whether you’re grabbing a quick and healthy lunch, need a well-deserved mid-shop pit stop, fancy a glass of pre-theatre fizz or you’re planning a dinner or Sunday lunch for the family, Jamie’s Italian has something for everyone.

Needless to say, Jamie’s Italian and Jamie’s Deli – it’s little sister next door – are well worth tracking down.

Receive a complimentary bottle of wine when dining at Jamie's Italian Bath – simply quote Bath Crumbs when booking. Ts&Cs apply, please visit jamiesitalian.com/terms for more information.

Jamie's Italian, Bath, 10 Milsom Place Bath BA1 1BZ; 012 2543 2340

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LOVEJOYS LARDER Provisions for the professional kitchen

T: 01225 790 674 W: lovejoyslarder.com E: enquiries@lovejoyslarder.com a @lovejoyslarder

Choose your weapons

The BIG red One

KITCHENAIDS HAVE LONG SENT US WEAK AT THE KNEES. WE’D SELL OUR HOUSES FOR THEM. AND NOW THAT’S OKAY, SAYS MATT BIELBY, ’COS HERE’S ONE BIG ENOUGH TO LIVE IN… Blooming ’eck, that looks like a phone box! A little bit, yes, but thankfully without the broken widows, interesting literature, and, you know, less-thanpleasant smell. It’s actually a fridge, and a damn posh one.

I know, I saw the writing on the handle. That means I won’t be able to afford it, right? Maybe yes, maybe no. KitchenAid’s new Artisan Fridge sells for £1,300, which isn’t cheap, but imagine all the oohs and ahh you’ll hear when green-eyed visitors spot it in your pantry. It comes in three of the most popular colours for KitchenAid’s iconic mixers – black, cream and this vibrant fella, Empire Red – and you can get it with the door opening to either side, so it’ll slot right in whatever your kitchen layout.

These guys have been making mixers for almost 100 years, so they’ve taken their time branching out, haven’t they? In fairness, they’ve also been making kettles and coffee machines for a bit now, and even dishwashers and fridges, but this is the first time one of their major appliances has aped the distinctive look and feel of the mixers quite so closely. KitchenAid stand mixers as we know them were first introduced in the ’30s, designed by the celebrated Egmont Arens – one-time art editor of Vanity Fair magazine, and a lover of bright reds on much of what he designed, whether it was for Coca-Cola or Anheuser-Busch (makers of Budweiser) – and the style of this thing mirrors his aesthetic perfectly.

It looks a bit basic, though. No, no, no! It’s big and sturdy, yes – very much so, with 221 litres capacity inside – but you’ll also find it bristling with up-to-date innovations, like a touch user interface, and a sophisticated temperature and air monitoring system. Plus, it has the very clever Fast Cool, which lowers the inside temperature immediately when you need it to (like, say, when you’ve just filled it with an Ocado delivery).

Sounds good. And, unlike its street corner lookalike, I imagine it doesn’t smell of… you know. No, though occasionally it might reek of something worse. (You do know about my obsession with Stinking Bishop cheese, don’t you…?)

THIS MONTH • BIG RED • FANCY A SPOON? • INTO THE WOODS

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The new KitchenAid Iconic Fridge is £1,300.

Find KitchenAid stuff at Kitchens in Bristol, The AGA Store in Bath, or branches of Currys; kitchenaid.co.uk

The Greenhouse Restaurant at Wadswick Green is a stylish and relaxed all day dining destination. Located in an elegant and modern setting, with beautiful views across the Wiltshire countryside. Meet friends and unwind after work, catch up over cocktails, enjoy a leisurely breakfast or meet the family for a Sunday roast. The perfect place for any occasion.

Take a look at what’s on offer at The Greenhouse

Join us for Steak Night

241 Pizzas

Available on Monday – Thursday from noon-7pm

Every Tuesday Prices start from £12.00 and include a free glass of wine or draught beer with each steak.

Father’s Day

Sunday 18th June 2 courses £22 | 3 courses £27 Celebrate with your family in style and enjoy a delicious Father’s Day menu.

Booking essential.

Fizz Thursday’s

For information on all our offers and events, please check our website.

Enjoy a bottle of prosecco for only £14.95

241 Cocktails

Available on Friday’s between 4-7pm

Free pancakes

For every child dining with an adult for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday

Tapas on the terrace

Available weekdays between 3-7pm Dine alfresco on our beautiful terrace and enjoy 3 tapas dishes plus a glass of 125ml wine for £10pp

BREAKFAST MENU Available 7 days a week

ROASTS

Available from 12 - 6pm on Sundays

The Greenhouse Restaurant is open Mon-Sat from 9am-11pm and Sun 9am-8pm (last orders at 6pm).

You can reserve a table at any time by calling us on 01225 585880 or book online at www.thegreenhousewg.co.uk THE GREENHOUSE RESTAURANT | THE PAVILION | WADSWICK GREEN | CORSHAM SN13 9RD WWW.WADSWICKGREEN.CO.UK

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man On the spOOn

WITH OUR EVER-GROWING INTEREST IN THE PROVENANCE AND ETHICS OF OUR FOOD, WHY DO WE NOT GIVE THE SAME CONSIDERATION TO WHAT WE EAT IT WITH? WE GET THE SCOOP (AHEM) FROM EJ OSBORNE, FOR WHOM EVERYTHING CHANGED WHEN HE STARTED CARVING SPOONS…

WORDS BY JESSICA CARTER PHOTOS BY MARK BENHAM

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I still get a wry smile from people when I explain what I do,” EJ tells us with a grin. “I think the idea of just making one thing – and at the beginning I was carving just one kind of spoon – intrigues people...”

After a fleeting pause, he continues: “I say the word ‘spoon’ a lot.

It’s kind of comical… it’s a comical word when you think about it!”

EJ has been carving spoons for almost five years. It came about when he moved to Frome from London. The hangover from years spent in a pretty chaotic city had him still feeling the stress, so when he arrived here, he’d walk. He’d walk through all the woods that surrounded his new Somerset home. And this, he says, is what induced his most pivotal lightbulb moment. Being so close to so

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much ancient woodland meant that there was plenty of nearby hardwood to forage: beech, birch, elder, English walnut. The latter – Juglans regia, if you want to get all Latin about it – is EJ’s favourite to work with. And luckily so, as when he was just starting out, he met someone who had a fallen English walnut, and they offered it up to him. In fact, he still takes from this tree, and he shows us a hunk of it in his workshop. It’s just sitting there, waiting to be split.

Before embarking on this venture, EJ had a career in hospitality and catering for 15 years, managing cafés and working in bars. In search of a different way to channel his creativeness, he went to university to study product design.

“I did learn a lot there, but mostly I learned about what I didn’t want to be making,” he says.

EJ’s products are all about the story – it’s an integral part of each item he makes, and something you just don’t get with anything that’s been mass-produced.

“Making spoons is not a new idea – it’s ancient,” he points out. “In medieval times, you’d have one spoon and one bowl and carry them around with you. Then the Romans came and that changed, and eventually there was the industrial revolution, and cutlery started to get mass-pressed. What I do is about raising awareness of how we make things, and what we make them from.”

Makes sense, right? We’re all into the provenance of our food and drink, trying to make responsible choices and support ethical producers, so it’s natural to follow that through with the utensils we use to prepare and eat it – no?

“If you’re going to go to great effort to find out where your food comes from,” EJ says, “why would you then prepare it using machines and tools mass-produced in an unethical way in China?”

EJ often still carves in the woodland itself, an activity which brought about the idea for his carving courses.

“I take people out to the woods to teach them to carve, and we camp. A chef I know does all the cooking. It’s holistic; carving among the natural material itself, using the waste for the campfire, using the campfire to cook our food, and then eating the food with the spoons we’ve made. It’s that circle that I really love.”

This focus on spoons, EJ finds, is often a big topic for people. After all, how demanding is the spoon market, really?

“They’re always going to be around. A spoon is basically a bowl with a stick attached to it. It holds food. It feeds you.

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Feeds others. There’s a whole beautiful idea around that, I think.

When I started, no one else was doing this kind of basic work in a contemporary way.

“It sounded crazy to explain it at first, but it just felt right, like it was what I should be doing. I’m proud of myself for sticking at it; I might look mad to some people but... I really don’t care!”

EJ has recently started to branch (ahem) out, though; he now makes a whole range of untensils, and is even working on furniture and carving tools. After all, who knows what makes for a good tool better than someone who uses them every day for their own livelihood?

There are three main tools that are involved in spoon carving: an axe, a straight knife, and a crook knife. That’s it. And, as each of EJ’s products is made freehand with these blades, from unique cuts of wood which have their own patterns and grains, every single one of them is different to the next.

“People love that each one is unique – that is a huge part of the appeal. When I started to get good, I’d make, say a batch of ten of one kind of spoon. And it was always the odd-looking ones, the ones I thought weren’t as good, which would be sold first.

“I began to realise what people wanted, and I had to go back, and reassess my learning.”

EJ started selling his spoons at The Frome Independent street market, before opening an online shop, Hatchet + Bear. Soon enough, retailers got in touch and were ordering his hand-carved spoons for their own stores; think Anthropologie and Conran.

Despite the interest from such huge, successful outfits, though, it’s the small indies that EJ most enjoys supplying – think Assembly in Frome, and Kobi & Teal.

“Staying small is my goal,” he says; which is one more reason to admire this carpenter, author and successful, albeit perhaps unwitting, businessman.

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A ‘Hidden Gem’ that you won’t want to share with anyone else! …but we want you to share it, so we thought we’d let our guests tell you about what you’re missing.

“The food was nothing short of fabulous and absolutely amazing value for money!

We thought it would be far more expensive” L Barrett. April’17 “It was a friend who took us there the first time for a sparkling afternoon tea; this is our third visit since!”

C Ashton. April’17 “real ale from three miles up the road to accompany an excellent hearty lunch on the patio surrounded by lovely well-kept gardens…heaven!”

P Cheney April’17 “We arrived the night before the wedding and dined in the restaurant. It was so amazing; we realised why the bride and groom had opted for Stanton Manor! The wedding breakfast and buffet during the celebration only served to make us book a weekend there for ourselves!

Rob & Wendy Belini May’17 Find your ‘Cotswold hidden gem’ today!

We’re only five minutes from Junction 17 of the M4

Stanton Manor Hotel Stanton St Quintin, Near Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 6DQ 01666 837552 Reception@stantonmanor.co.uk

www.stantonmanor.co.uk

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SPOON CARVING KIT LIST Taken from Spoon Carving by EJ Osborne (Quadrille, £20) Only a few hand tools are required for spoon carving, all of which are inexpensive and serviceable. The following list is all you will need.

SMALL AXE An axe is a beautiful tool indeed. It is a true workhorse, capable of carrying out more than most people realise. For spoon and utensil carving, it is important to use the right kind of axe. I prefer the Gransfors Brüks Wildlife Hatchet; the slim, curved blade is a fine shape for carving, balanced by a nice, short handle, and its overall weight is good for constant chopping and slicing. Avoid axes with chunky, wide heads that are designed for splitting wood, as these do not work so well for carving.

STRAIGHT-EDGE KNIFE For carving spoons, a good straightedge knife is a must. While it does need to be a wood carving knife as opposed to any old knife from the kitchen, it does not have to be expensive. Knives for carving wood should have a slim and shallow blade with a ‘Scandi’ ground edge. A blade with a Scandi grind allows you to carve closely to the surface of the wood with precision.

CROOK KNIFE Simply put, a crook knife is a knife with a bent blade.

It is used to scoop out hollows of varying depths from wood. In spoon carving, a crook knife is used to carve out the bowl of a spoon. Crook knives are made to be specifically left- or right-handed, so make sure you buy one that suits you. They also come in different sizes with a choice of curves. Some crook knives are tiny, for making utensils such as salt and spice scoops, while others are really big, for making objects like ladles and cups. I use a medium-sized crook knife for pretty much everything. It is a good all-rounder and can be used for making lots of different types and sizes of spoon bowls.

FOLDING SAW A decent folding or retractable saw is necessary for harvesting tree branches for carving. I always keep one in the van with me, just in case I drive past a woody haul. You will be surprised at just how much material you can cut through with a saw blade that is only 15cm-20cm long. A well-made saw will stay sharp for a long time, plus the blades are often replaceable on the best ones.

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A taste of Sardinia at the top of Gloucester road

We are a Sardinian family run restaurant opened last February.

We offer home-made, fresh, authentic Italian/Sardinian cuisine.

Our menu changes regulary depending of what is inspiring us and what is seasonal 26 Filton Road BS7 0PA 01179047646 info@zankysbristol.co.uk www.zankysbristol.co.uk

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The Want List TAKING INSPO FROM EJ, WE’VE BEEN SHOPPING FOR UTENSILS WITH NATURAL STYLE AND ETHICAL INTEGRITY

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1 CHEESE KNIVES, £23.95 Sold by a Somerset-based ethical homeware biz, these knives have handles that have been hand-carved from Indian rosewood, and solid brass blades. Buy online from Decorator’s Notebook. decoratorsnotebook.co.uk 2 TEA SPOON, £2 Bamboo is a super-fast growing plant, which reshoots when harvested – and that makes this bamboo tea spoon super sustainable. It’s also organic and Fairtrade, and hand-finished with veg-based oils. Available from Green Tulip in Devises. greentulip.co.uk 3 FULLA FORK, £7 Made by Danish design company Skagerak, these natural-look teak forks are ideal for nibbles and sharing plates at dinner parties. Find them at Salcombe Trading in Bath. salcombetrading.co.uk 4 MON POTE WOODEN SPOON, £5.50 This handsome utensil is made from acacia wood; the lovely grain means each and every one is unique. Available from Mon Pole in Bristol. monpote.co.uk 5 OAK SALAD HANDS, £14.50 Forget Salad Fingers, what we’re after are these natural wood salad hands, from Vinegar Hill in Bath and Bristol. vinegarhill.co.uk

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“Wonderfully fresh flavours... inherently satisfying dishes; staff are cool and calm and the atmosphere terrific.”

MICHELIN GUIDE 2016

Breakfast • Lunch • Coffee • Cake • Wine

11 Margaret’s Buildings, Bath, BA1 2LP 01225 487846 www.greenbirdcafe.co.uk

COMPLIMENTARY SPRITZ for you and your guests when dining To redeem, simply quote ‘crumbs’ on arrival Polpo Bristol 50 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2NH 0117 973 3100 www.polpo.co.uk

Brunch • Lunch • Cakes • Great Brews 45 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2LS

Bar • Kitchen Dining

FATHERS DAY Why not treat Dad to a lovely Sunday lunch on 18th June.

You could share a whole free range roast chicken for 4, with all the trimmings £40 Or how about roast sirloin of beef, Yorkshire puddings, roasties and trimmings.

All fabulous dads will receive a gift on the day with out love.

TO BOOK CALL

01225 865650

67 Woolley St, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1AQ • info@thegeorgebradfordonavon.co.uk • thegeorgebradfordonavon.co.uk

A cut above...

Try our Tasting Menu 12-16 Clifton Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1AF Tel: 01173 291300 Longmead Gospel Hall, Lower Bristol Road, Bath BA2 3EB Tel: 01225 446656 Email: info@themintroom.co.uk www.themintroom.co.uk

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P UB • R ES TAUR A N T

The Ashville, 15 Leigh Street, Bristol BS3 1SN • Tel: 0117 939 6897 • Email: info@theashville.co.uk www.theashville.co.uk

1 Granny Gothards impressive avours are only limited by imagination.......

Call for details of our bespoke service 01823 491591 www.grannygothards.co.uk

M AI N S TOP CULINARY CAUSES, FAB FOOD DESTINATIONS, AND PEOPLE THAT MATTER

H I G H L I G H T S

DAIRY HARMERS

What – or who – is responsible for the dairy industry’s issues?

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We’ve got summer feasting down to a fine art

OUTDOORSY TYPES

The best local spots to go a-feastin’ alfresco Page 79

OMAR WORD!

We talk tapas – proper authentic tapas – with this author and chef Page 92 P L U S

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How we can all help fight famine (over dinner)

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dear DaIry...

WE ALL KNOW THAT THINGS AREN’T EXACTLY DANDY IN THE DAIRY INDUSTRY, BUT WHO SHOULD THE POINTED FINGER BE DIRECTED AT? THE SUPERMARKETS? THE FARMERS? THE CONSUMERS? HERE WE SPEAK TO LOCAL FARMER, AND FOUNDER OF THE FREE RANGE DAIRY, NEIL DARWENT, ABOUT OUR DAIRY ECONOMY...

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he ‘Free Range Dairy’ movement was established back in 2011 by Frome resident and farmer, Neil Darwent. It was in response to a proposed ‘mega dairy’, which would see 8,000 cows housed together to form a financially efficient milk production outfit – you can probably understand, without us going into too much more detail here, why these plans did not sit particularly well with this ethically focused farmer.

“There has been a significant shift towards a more intensive regime on many British dairy farms in recent years – a result of ongoing pressure to deliver cheap milk,” Neil explains. “This means that an increasing number of cows are either housed inside all year round, or only have limited access to grazing.”

The Free Range Dairy network is a Community Interest Company which Neil set up to help re-attribute value to traditional British dairy farms. It does not buy or sell milk; instead it’s a not-for-profit organisation, which works with farmers and milk buyers to offer a product that the public can be certain comes from cows that are free to roam and graze on pastures.

“I have been very fortunate to work for entrepreneurs and pioneers throughout my career who have inspired me to challenge convention and think outside the box,” he explains.

This experience all stemmed from Neil’s upbringing. Dairy faming is in his family, you see; his mother was a dairy farmer’s daughter, and he spent much of his youth driving tractors and lending a hand on the family’s West Country farm. So, understandably, he began to develop an interest in cows and dairy farming.

Neil went to Harper Adams Agricultural College in 1986 to study General Agriculture. Having progressed from milking cows to managing farm businesses, he was appointed Farms Director for Lordswood Farms In January 2000, which saw him running a farming operation with 13 dairy herds across Wiltshire and North Somerset.

So, that’s more than 30 years that Neil has been working professionally in the industry. And as you might imagine, rather a lot has happened during that time to the dairy landscape...

MODERN MILK

“What’s the biggest change? In a word: consolidation,” Neil says. “In the last 20 years, dairy farm numbers have fallen by 60 percent – there are now under 9,500 left in England and Wales, yet annual milk output has risen by a billion litres in this same period. This means we have fewer, but larger, farms producing more milk, and we are witnessing a dramatic change in farming, with fewer cows grazing in fields.

“This consolidation in the dairy supply chain means most of the milk we produce in the UK is processed and bottled by a handful of large dairy companies on an industrial scale, with small family-owned dairies being taken over or driven out of business.”

This industrialisation – as you can guess – is not good news for cows, which are increasingly being cooped up inside all day. Even milk that's labelled as coming from free-range cows isn’t perhaps all it seems. You see, the whole idea of ‘free-range’ is pretty ambiguous when it comes to dairy farming – there are no laws or criteria governing the practice, like there are with eggs. Because of this, Free Range Dairy introduced their Pasture Promise mark, to let people know exactly what they’re buying; the logo can only be used on milk from cows that are grazed for at least 180 days and nights a year, and are reared to a strict set of criteria.

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“I often say we are putting the farming back into food, and it’s hugely rewarding to see people beginning to realise that not all milk is the same. This is why I believe free-range milk can deliver a fair deal for farmers, cows and consumers.

“It is now estimated that somewhere between 15 and 20 percent of dairy cows are confined indoors all year round, and more are spending long periods indoors, as farmers push for higher milk yields,” Neil tells us. “There are some farms now running herds in excess of a thousand cows, which are often milked three times a day and with little or no opportunity to graze in fields.”

THE GOOD STUFF

Milk does our bodies heaps of favours – it’s a valuable source of essential nutrients like calcium and iodine, and contains several different vitamins. Regardless of this, it’s fallen under scrutiny for its fat content in the past, so we’ve been advised to go careful with the white stuff. However, there may be call to rethink this attitude, Neil says.

“Research is beginning to reveal a different story, suggesting that the fats such as Omega-3 and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) found in milk are good for us, and some nutritionists are advising people to consume whole milk rather than semi-skimmed or skimmed.”

That’s not to say that every different carton of milk contains the same amount of these goodies, mind. Neil’s work isn’t just about making sure cows have a good quality of life, but also that the customer gets quality in terms of the milk they buy.

“The nutritional composition of the milk and dairy products we consume is largely determined by the farming system and what the cows eat. Organic and pasture-based systems have been found to be naturally higher in Omega-3 and CLA, thanks to the grass and clover the cows eat. This why Free Range Dairy is working to help farmers make better use of grass, both in the form of summer grazing and grass conserved as silage for winter feeding.”

Different cows also produce different milk – heard of a1 and a2 grades? The distinction is a relatively recent discovery, and is all to do with the different proteins which are present in milk, and therefore the different ways in which they are digested by humans.

“Tests indicate that around 70 percent of cows produce milk containing both the a1 and a2 protein,” says Neil. “However, there are some cows that naturally produce milk containing only the a2 protein.

It’s claimed many people suffer bloating and discomfort after drinking milk containing a1 protein, but are able to tolerate pure a2 milk.”

A biz called The a2 Milk Company was launched in the UK in 2012, championing and supplying milk from cows carrying only the a2 type.

These cows, which are in the minority, are identified by DNA testing, done using hair samples.

“Some consider that cow genetics have little to do with the a1 protein and the health issues associated with milk, instead pointing to the feeding and management of cows, combined with modern processing techniques, as more likely culprits.”

Indeed, much like with wheat and its accociated intollerences, it may well have been our domestication of cows and our farming methods that have brought this less-digestable product into existence.

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INDUSTRY MATTERS

A huge issue with today’s milk industry is that the supply chain sees all the produce, from all kinds of farms across the country, pooled together, and so milk loses its provenance and unique tastes.

“This means that milk takes its identity and value simply from branding and packaging,” says Neil. “By leading people to believe all milk is the same, dairy companies and retailers are able to enjoy the economies of bulk buying, as well as logistics that enable them to sell it at alarmingly low prices.

“The unique qualities and wonderful stories that each batch of milk leaves the farm with are lost before anyone can enjoy them, and farmers and their cows have become enslaved to the mass production of a raw material to which others add value in processing and packing.

“The greatest challenge for dairy farmers is to win recognition and value in the contribution they make to delivering great British milk.

In order to achieve, this they must define the value in their farming system: the life they afford their cows, the way in which they care for the countryside and the quality of the milk they produce.

“Many consumers are not aware of the vital role they play in ensuring both farmers and dairy cows get a fair deal. Every time they go into a shop and purchase milk (or any other food, for that matter), they are voting for the farming system that produced it. There is no such thing as cheap milk; somebody somewhere pays the real price and, all too often, it is the farmer or the cows. If consumers do not make a responsible choice when they pick up milk, it will lead to the growing industrialisation of milk production on farms, and small, traditional farms will continue to go out of business. However, if we want consumers to make a responsible choice, we need clearer labelling that tells them more about the provenance of their milk – that is why we introduced the Pasture Promise logo.

“I strongly believe that together we can secure a dairy industry that delivers what farmers, cows and consumers want. We can offer great tasting milk from sustainable farms whilst ensuring producers and cows get a fair deal. It is all about connecting farmers and consumers to ensure that our diet is not prescribed by those in the supply chain, seeking to make profit from milk on its journey between farm and fridge. By promoting farming that is founded on delivering value rather than volume, we can also create new opportunities for farmers to market milk directly to local people, and begin to offer a chance for new entrants into dairy to get a foothold.”

With milk becoming more of a simple commodity in this way, farmers are just not getting fair dollar for it.

“The one thing that hasn’t changed very much in the industry during my time is the price farmers are paid for their milk,” says Neil. “In 2016 the average farm gate price was 25 pence a litre – the same as it was twenty years earlier in 1996.”

It’s pretty obvious, then, why farmers are under constant and immediate pressure to keep production costs as low as possible – so that they can actually make some kind of a profit. Until they are given an alterative – a way of making a living that doesn’t compromise the quality of milk or life of the cows – the dairy landscape is looking pretty bleak in terms of both environmental and ethical issues.

“I hope that Free Range Dairy can encourage farmers to look at adding value to their milk and avoid a future industry founded on fewer, larger farms,” Neil tells us. freerangedairy.org

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Free Range Dairy instated the Pasture Promise logo (above) as a sign of ethically produced milk

processing a pint PASTURISATION is the process of heating milk to kill bugs and extend shelf life. There are two methods: traditionally, milk pasteurised on a small scale is heated to 145F for 30 minutes. Bigger milk processors use a high-temperature or short-time pasteurisation, where milk is heated to at least 161.6F for just 15 seconds. Some are concerned that this significantly changes the taste and fabric of the milk.

HOMOGENISATION sees fat molecules in milk broken down so that they are suspended evenly, and don’t seperate. There is evidence to suggest the fat globules in homogensied milk are more readily absorbed into the bloodstream, making it less healthy.

Evidence to support this is inconclusive, though.

SKIMMING involves the process of skimming the fat off milk. Processors skim off all of the fat and then mix this skimmed product with whole milk to make semiskimmed. Whole milk typically contains around 3.6 percent fat and semi-skimmed around 1.7 percent. The removal of fat from milk provides dairies with a useful income stream in the form of cream.

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The Catherine Wheel, MarshďŹ eld.

A 17th century country pub with real ales, great food and accommodation.

The southern gateway to the Cotswold hills, designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Enjoy the great outdoors in our sunny Courtyard garden!

MarshďŹ eld, Bath SN14 8LR | 01225 892220 roo@thecatherinewheel.co.uk | www.thecatherinewheel.co.uk

THE HOP POLE

Our cosy country pub in the heart of Bath with its secret courtyard garden. The Hop Pole is a firm favourite with lovers of good food - and where better to eat than in a pub that offers suitably well-kept cask ales and a wine selection to suit all tastes. You can dine in the rooms around the bar, in the pub¹s restaurant or, when the weather allows, in the spacious beer garden. In fact, the garden is one of the pub¹s most popular features - no wonder people call The Hop Pole a country pub in the heart of the city!

THE SWAN

Our family-friendly country pub with a modern face and a traditional heart.

If you’re looking for a country pub in a rural setting - and one that’s only ten minutes away from the busy Bath centre - then you really can’t do much better than The Swan.

THE SALAMANDER

Our hidden gem, tucked away in Bath¹s City Centre - it¹s small, snug but oh so special. You’ll find The Salamander just off Queen Square in the heart of the Georgian city of Bath. The premises consist of a well-stocked bar on the ground floor, cosy corners to sit and eat, and plenty more seating upstairs.

Bath

7 ALBION BUILDINGS UPPER BRISTOL ROAD BATH, BA1 3AR 01225 446 327 hoppole@pkpubco.com

Swineford

BATH ROAD SWINEFORD, BS30 6LN 0117 932 3101 swan@pkpubco.com

Bath

3 JOHN STREET BATH, BA1 2JL 01225 428 889 salamander@pkpubco.com

M A I N S

WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN WE SAY THE WORD ‘SUMMER’?

YEAH, US TOO. THAT’S WHY WE’VE PUT A BUMPER LIST TOGETHER FOR YOU, SO YOU CAN ENJOY LIFE TO THE MAX THIS SUNNY SEASON. YOU’RE WELCOME. (YOU DID SAY ‘BEER GARDEN’, RIGHT?)

OUTsIderS

The Abbey Hotel has some real alfresco action going on this summer

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ABBEY HOTEL

(BATH) Every summer, the Abbey Hotel transforms part of Bath’s North Parade into an ace outdoor terrace – complete with olive trees, wildflowers, armchairs, and flickering candles. This acts as a hub for summer celebrations, with alfresco feasting and a host of foodie events. Alongside ‘Terrace Takeovers’, tasting sessions and food pairing evenings comes a special terrace menu, full of sunshine-filled dishes and top cocktails. abbeyhotelbath.co.uk

BAMBALAN

(BRISTOL) This exotic-feeling member of Bristol’s Hyde & Co family is enjoying its second summer of top roof terrace action right about now. There is a new addition out there for 2017 too, in the form of an outdoor bar that the team have been busy building.

Speaking of which, this place – like its siblings – has got a real thing for cocktails, and has bottles of fizz on BOGOF offers on Fridays, ideal to sup on while enjoying the ace view over Broad Quay. Meet you there? bambalan.co.uk

BREW COFFEE CO

(BRISTOL) Everyone knows this Whiteladies Road joint is a belter for brunch; try the poached eggs with dukka, labneh, mint and pomegranate on sourdough this summer, as

you kick back on the outside decking and get your people watch on. When the sun starts to give you a hella good thirst, get a superrefreshing homemade rhubarb, ginger and apple juice down yer neck – you can thank us for the tip-off later. brewcoffeecompany.co.uk

BOX-E

sharing boards and three-course options.

It’s an ideal spot to get stuck into a drink and bit o’ grub while taking in the harbourside scenery – just don’t let all those runners who pass by make you feel guilty for it. brokendock.co.uk

THE CAMBRIDGE ARMS

(BRISTOL) This small but mighty first-floor shipping container restaurant from Tessa and Elliott Lidstone has just doubled its number of covers with the addition of an outside terrace.

Now diners can sit outside, enjoying the summery likes of charred courgette with crab, pickled fennel and yoghurt, while looking out over the social hub of Wapping Wharf – which just so happens to enjoy a bangin’ sunset. boxebristol.com

(BRISTOL) This Redland local might have a cool, homely interior (another ace example of Simple Simon’s design work – check out p21 for more), but this summer we’re all about the big garden out the back. A family-friendly gaff, The Cambridge Arms has some top food on the go; maybe graze on some sharing plates while you soak up the sun, or get the gang together and book a barbecue in the marquee? (We’ll await our invite.) cambridgearms.co.uk

BROKEN DOCK

THE CASTLE INN

(BRISTOL) This newly launched riverside joint is open all day, seven days a week – so catches the summer sun, from morning ’til eve. Formerly Brigstow, the restaurant has a brand new menu to reflect its cool, casual Millennium Promenade neighbourhood; you’ll find tasty breakfasts and lunches, as well as

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(BRADFORD-ON-AVON) Set in the downright delightful BoA, this Georgian inn has a large alfresco dining area, decked out with canvas umbrellas, fairy lights, wooden tables and steel chairs – and has room for 50 to dine in. There’s a good-sized lawn too, which is ideal for lazing on while the kids

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play. The summer menu is now in full swing, so make your selections – perhaps a moules mariniere with a glass of a nice crisp white? – while enjoying the gorgeous views over this picturesque town. flatcappers.co.uk

THE CLIFTON SAUSAGE

(BATH) While this Bath newcomer – serving classic British fare, done well – may look rather unassuming from the front, it never fails to raise the eyebrows of first-time guests as they spot that view over Bath from the back of the building. Said vista is best enjoyed from the terrace – which can seat around 28 people – with a Hemingway Daiquiri in hand (a blend of Appleton VX rum, grapefruit juice and fresh lime). Sounds good to us, but it gets even better when you know that cocktails are two-for-one until 7pm – every day. cliftonsausage.co.uk

THE GALLIMAUFRY

(BRISTOL) This cool Gloucester Road fave has made the most of its roadside space with plenty of bench-style dining space.

Speaking of dining, the Galli Plates are ideal grazing material as you take in the everbuzzing atmosphere of this famous road of independent bars, eateries and shops. The bar is bursting with ales, wines and spirits to cool down with in the sun, and there are regular live music performances to complete a happy summertime picture. thegallimaufry.co.uk

THE GARDEN

(CHIPPENHAM & TROWBRIDGE) We all know we can’t rely on those temperamental weather gods in any season, but when they do decide to throw a bout of torrential rain or freakishly chilly wind into the summertime mix, we can rely on this place to give us our alfresco fix while keeping us dry.

The Garden’s interior is designed to give customers the feeling of being outside while keeping them safely undercover, while food and drink are inspired by our English country gardens – so the signature Garden Cocktail features rosemary and elderflower alongside vodka and gin. thegardenuk.co.uk

THE GLOUCESTER OLD SPOT

(BRISTOL) A gem of a pub in Horefield, The Gloucester Old Spot is a hotspot for family meals, groups of mates catching up, and proper good pub food. The garden has to be up there with the best in the area, and is flooded with sun all day long. The new

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summer menu has plenty of options to chow down on while catching some rays – think seafood and summer vegetable chowder with smoked haddock, cod, salmon and smoked bacon in a light and creamy broth. theoldspotbristol.co.uk

THE GREENBIRD CAFÉ

(BATH) There are not one but two alfresco areas at this lush little caff, which stands on the flagstones of Margaret’s Buildings. Take a pew out the front on the pretty pedestrianised street, or relax in the little enclosed courtyard out the back (you can even find part of the exterior wall of St Margaret’s Chapel here, which was bombed during the Bath Blitz).

Either way, you can’t go wrong with a chilled rosé or glass of Prosecco, and a seasonal special like Isle of Wight asparagus on toasted sourdough with poached egg and Parmesan as you work on your Vitamin D levels. greenbirdcafe.co.uk

THE GREENHOUSE

(CORSHAM) Summer afternoons easily fall away into evenings when you’re relaxing

outside – which makes The Greenhouse’s tapas selection a total winner. Available weekdays between 3pm and 7pm, this special menu, with lots of sunny Mediterranean influence, features the likes of grilled octopus with lemon and parsley, spicy lamb meatballs in tomato sauce, and flatbread with baba ganoush. And you could have all of those (or indeed any three tapas dishes) with a glass of wine for a tenner. thegreenhousewg.co.uk

THE HARE AND HOUNDS

(BATH) A smokin’ hot contender for the best view in Bath, this great gastro pub looks out over the gorgeous greenery of the Charlcombe Valley. Beyond the pub’s wraparound terrace is a lower garden with plenty of space for alfresco eating and drinking, and kids to run around in. Little ’uns will love the recently expanded woodland play area, too.

Going back to grown-up topics, though, some new aromatic gin infusions have been introduced to the bar offering for the summer; we’re talking the likes of Beefeater with Indian tonic, fresh grapefruit and basil leaves, and Tanqueray with tonic, lavender and cardamom. Yes, please. hareandhoundsbath.com

THE HOP POLE

(BATH) Having been taken over by Prangell & King Pub Co – which is also responsible for The Salamander and The Swan – this wellestablished Bath pub has a corker of a garden for alfresco relaxing in the city. You’ll find it opposite the famous Victoria Park, which will be handy for walking off your lunch on a sunny day. The menu mixes British classics like beer-battered fish and chips with more contemporary dishes such as confit duck with fondant potato, cider-braised red cabbage and thyme gravy. Whatever you pick, eat it out in the pretty garden this summer. bathales.com

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KATE’S KITCHEN AT ARNOS VALE

(BRISTOL) This catering biz opened its first café not long ago, in the pretty grounds of the Arnos Vale Cemetery – and it has plenty of outside space in which to enjoy the team’s unique style of food. Plenty of local ingredients are used, with the kitchen always working with what’s best each season.

You’ll find plenty of colour on your plate too (expect lots of veg and pretty edible flowers), reflecting the surroundings of this garden that’s so rich in wildlife, and the fresh, natural style fits right in with the setting. kateskitchenbristol.co.uk

THE LOCKSBROOK INN

(BATH) The huge outdoor area of this LowerWeston gastropub backs onto the canal and tow path – a popular route for cyclists. If you’d rather leave the bike in the shed, though, the guys here tell us you can hop on a river cruise from Broad Quay in central Bath and arrive just in time for an alfresco lunch. Handy, no? As well as benches and tables for dining, there are also comfortable sofas (in pleasing proximity to the outdoor bar, it just so

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Our large walled courtyard garden, with it’s distinctly Mediterranean feel is the perfect backdrop for an al fresco lunch or dinner. Live music plays in on selected evenings throughout the summer. Ideal for sharing a bottle of Provence rose and our legendary rough pesto.

Fresh and seasonal food Open 7 days (closed Sunday evenings)

£15 two course set lunch Available Monday – Friday

The White Hart | Widcombe | Bath | BA2 6AA T 01225 338053 | www.whitehartbath.co.uk

The Cambridge Arms, Coldharbour Road, Redland, Bristol BS6 7JS 01179 739 786 cambridgearms@fullers.co.uk www.cambridgearms.co.uk @CambridgeArmsBr CambridgeArms

BREAKFAST | LUNCH | DINNER | COFFEE | DRINKS | CHILD & DOG FRIENDLY | FAMILY RUN

SUNDAY ROASTS SERVED 12-8PM

IZ U Q B U P

EVERY TUESDAY STARTS AT 8PM

NEW SUMMER MENU

138-140 Kellaway Avenue, Horfield, Bristol BS6 7YQ hello@theoldspotbristol.co.uk | Tel: 0117 924 7693

64 Downend Rd, Downend, Bristol BS16 5UE hello@theduckandwillowbristol.co.uk | Tel: 0117 956 6843

WWW.THEOLDSPOTBRISTOL.CO.UK

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ace for adults to relax in with something from the new summer menu. The platters are going down a treat at the moment – best enjoyed with a chilled local Midford sparkling cider. nestonfarmshop.co.uk

THE NEW INN

(BATH) It’s burger central at this Bath pub.

Heard of its renowned Don Burger? Picture this: a beef patty topped with smoky bacon, Monterey Jack cheese, gherkins and relish, sandwiched in a toasted Brioche bun. Not long renovated, The New Inn sports a cool roof terrace where you can sun yourself while enjoying craft beers, great wines and premium gins. What’s your poison? newinnbath.co.uk

happens), which are great to sink into with a chilled bev. The food offering is pretty varied, too – there’s everything from sharing boards to pizzas and pub classics – so you’ll no doubt find something to match the mood. thelocksbrookinn.com

LUCKNAM PARK

(CHIPPENHAM) Sure, there are some restaurants that have pretty large gardens, but then there are some with 500 acres of grounds. The Brasserie is Lucknam’s contemporary, laid-back restaurant, which serves up lunches and informal dinners with, of course, an alfresco option.

The restaurant has been designed with lots of glass, to allow the indoors to blend into the outside and make the most of the scenery that envelops it. There’s also a walled garden you can have a wander round, should you want to work up more of an appetite before getting down to your meal on the terrace. lucknampark.co.uk

THE MARLBOROUGH TAVERN

(BATH) This Bath fave has a brand new openplan look outside in the garden, which features new furniture, ambient festoon lights and generally just more space for you to stretch out and chill. The ochre back wall, complete with awning, whispers Moroccan influence, while the grasses planted around the edges provide important greenery. It’s the garden’s first makeover in a decade, Joe Cussens of the Bath Pub Co tells us – and it really does look ten years younger, we reckon. marlborough-tavern.com

NO.1 HARBOURSIDE

MILSOM PLACE

(BATH) Milsom Place is encouraging diners to eat out in the sun, the Continental way, this summer. There’s plenty of food from mainland Europe – with Italian cusine from Carluccio’s and Jamie’s Italian and French creations from Côte Brasserie – there’s even Argentinian food and festivities, courtesy of CAU. Enjoy your choice out in the pretty cobbled courtyard, where it’s easy to forget you’re smack-bang in the busy city centre. milsomplace.co.uk

NESTON FARM SHOP AND KITCHEN

(ATWORTH) These guys know that eating alfresco is how the whole family like to spend the summer – so they’ve created space that you’ll all enjoy. Located out in the countryside, this place has tons of space for the kids to run and play – not to mention animals for them to make friends with – and the rural setting is

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(BRISTOL) Sat right on the edge of the river, this bar has top views of the harbourside from its sheltered alfresco area (handy for British weather, no?). The bar list here focuses on biodynamic and sustainable wines and local ales, while the flexitarian-style menu showcases some top local suppliers. It’s got Bristolian character through and through. no1harbourside.co.uk

THE PUMP HOUSE

(BRISTOL) The afternoon and early evening sun graces this Hotwells pub and riverside alfresco area. Also gracing it are more than 700 different gins (yes, really), meaning decent rays aren’t all you’ll find here; you’ll experience one of the most comprehensive gin collections in the country, too.

The outside area has been recently renovated, allowing punters to get even more comfortable as they settle in for the long-haul and watch the boats pass on the water. If you get peckish, then fear not; they whip up some really good nosh here, and it’s served throughout the day. the-pumphouse.com

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THE REDAN INN

(CHILCOMPTON) The team spent last winter working on the alfresco space at this old country inn, to make sure it was good to go for the warmer season. As a result, there’s a new kitchen garden which is in full bloom right now (this is where the chefs and the bar team get their garnishes for food and drinks) and an old renovated Somerset railway freight wagon to sit in. But what to eat while you’re out in this little suntrap? The new mackerel starter features a fillet with pickled and poached rhubarb, garden radish, ponzu, garden radish, cucumber and puffed rice – an ideal-sounding dish for summer. theredaninn.co.uk

SIGN OF THE ANGEL

(LACOCK) You couldn’t get more textbook cottage garden than this place, with its rippling stream, blooming flowers and fruited trees. In a bid to keep the space feeling open and relaxed, the team have been careful not to pack the garden out with covers, although there’s still room for a good 36 out there.

Alfresco eating is important for these guys, as they like to think it helps diners feel that connection with nature and the environment, where the produce on their plates is reared. signoftheangel.co.uk

THE SPOTTED COW

(BRISTOL) This popular North Street pub has a really decent sized, south-facing garden, with seating for around 100. You’ll often find people sat on the grass too though, lazing on a summer’s afternoon with a cold pint.

Being perhaps the most obvious beer garden in the area to rush to, should the sun make

an appearance, there’s often a fun, buzzy atmosphere here. The menu changes every day, but in these warmer weeks expect plenty of salad-based dishes, using ingredients sourced from local farms and the rooftop garden. The pub hosts regular barbecues too, making the burgers onsite from local meat. thespottedcowbristol.com

STEAM

(BRISTOL) There’s quite the programme of summer events taking place in Steam’s outdoor area this season: a weekend beer festival, pop up appearances from Newlyn Seafood Café, street food markets, and the resident chefs from the Cornish Burger Co will be getting out of the kitchen and into the sun to fire up the barbecue. During Wimbledon you’ll find outdoor screens and can enjoy Pimm’s and Prosecco as you watch Murray pull a blinder again (ever-hopeful, we are). steambristol.co.uk

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TIMBRELL’S YARD

(BRADFORD-ON-AVON) Sat on the edge of the River Avon, this great BOA pub can seat up to 40 out on its stone flagged terrace, from which you can see the gardens of Holy Trinity Church opposite. The bistro-style seating has a cool weathered style, and is enclosed by raw, rustic wood for a cool contemporary-butrural look.

Ask for a recommendation from the menu this summer, and we bet you’ll hear all about the Cornish hake – it comes with samphire and fennel, harissa, wild rice and sorrel.

To wash it down? Try a Pink 75, made with Edgerton Pink Gin, sugar syrup, lemon, thyme and Jacquart Brut Mosiaque Champagne.

Ooh, fancy. timbrellsyard.com Have we missed your fave alfresco hangout? Tweet your summery snaps to us @crumbsmag

The Castle Inn a beautiful family pub at the top of the hill, overlooking Bradford on Avon.

Recently refurbished, to celebrate our 10th birthday, we have two relaxing dining areas and bar, a large garden with plenty of seating and four luxury guest rooms.

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, great wine, local ales and ciders.

Open all day, children and dogs welcome.

www.flatcappers.co.uk The Castle Inn, Mount Pleasant, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire BA15 1SJ 01225 865 657 • thecastle@flatcappers.co.uk

Behind its grandly imposing Victorian frontage at the top of Blackboy Hill, The Kings Arms offers a wonderfully diverse experience. With its café bar, dining rooms and lounges spread over several levels, there is room for everyone – even a Party Hall for those special occasions.

The emphasis on the menu is home-made. Using genuinely sourced ingredients from local producers – including the family farm – it ranges from great pub classics to tasty tapas. Weekly specials use the best of what is seasonal and the burgers are legendary, with the chutneys and smoked cheeses all prepared in the Kings Arms kitchen.

The 2.4.1 weekday burger deal and a mouthwatering range of deli sandwiches makes this as much a lunch destination as an evening. Or just pop in for coffee and cake.

The Sunday roasts are extremely popular, so booking is advisable, and the affordable wine list has something to suit every palette.

Carefully made cocktails are available for the more adventurous – try the ‘Giddy Henry’, the House cocktail served in a tea-cup!

Sit out on our sun-trap terrace – perfect for sunnier days.

The Kings Arms, 168 Whiteladies Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2XZ Telephone: 0117 973 5922 Email: info:kingsarmsbristol.com www.kingsarmsbristol.com

M A I N S

liGhts, CameRa, aCtiOn!

ACTION AGAINST HUNGER IS GEARING UP FOR ITS LOVE FOOD GIVE FOOD CAMPAIGN, WRITES JESSICA CARTER, AND IT KNOWS THE SOUTH WEST WILL DO IT PROUD…

A . GA R CI A N. PE E T

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“We’re aiming to raise £10,000 this year for Action Against nce again, it’s almost time for Action Against Hunger,” says Kieran Waite, co-director of Season and Taste, the Hunger’s annual fundraising campaign to kick off.

Bristol-born outfit behind Bravas. “The famine in South Sudan in Each year, the months of September and October see particular caught our attention in the news earlier this year. When restaurants from all over our region – heck, all over we heard from Action Against Hunger that they needed immediate the country – join forces to help support the vital funds to respond to the crisis, we knew we could help. The customer work that this 40-year old charity does across the world. Our South response is fantastic; people get to eat their favourite thing on the West patch might be small, but it’s mighty when it comes to doing menu, and know that they are giving back at its bit to help fight hunger and malnutrition. the same time.

The Love Food Give Food campaign sees a “It’s important to us that AAH can use our voluntary £1 donation added to punters’ bills at donation as unrestricted funds, so they can participating restaurants and cafés, or included direct it wherever and whenever it’s needed. in the cost of a best-selling dish. For each £1 At the moment we know that looming famine that gets donated, 87p is injected straight into threatens South Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria and the charity’s global projects, which include Somalia – and AAH are doing all they can to everything from creating food security to save people’s lives in these countries.” providing drinking water and responding to Indeed, despite the distace, our local food crisis such as droughts and earthquakes. businesses are really taking responsibility The restaurant team ring this money for helping with crises like these. Clare Lowe through the till (that’s if any tills actually still of The Canteen says: “As a restaurant and ring?) as a non-VAT item, so they can track bar we have not only a responsibility to the how much they take over the two-month community around us, but also the global period of the campaign, and then transfer it • Eat at restaurants supporting the community. We support Action Against over to Action Against Hunger.

Love Food Give Food campaign during Hunger because they do fantastic work Right now, the charity’s South West team September and October and donate worldwide, providing solutions to hunger and is busy telling restaurants all about this with your bill. helping to educate venues such as ourselves – initiative, and getting them signed up. There and also our customers – in how we can help.” are plenty already with their name on the • Visit Bravas in Bristol and order their Romy Gill is another local food hero who list in Bristol, while more are needed in Bath. aubergine with molasses dish. has been inspired to take action for this Some examples of joints that are getting in on cause (remember the Severn Sisters feast we the Love Food Give Food action this autumn • Take part in a local sponsored event. featured in issue 58?), and has seen, firsthand, are Pasta Loco, The Pony and Trap, Romy’s where the funds go.

Kitchen, The Canteen, No.1 Harbourside, The • Hold a dinner party with a difference “We went to Burma and saw how the work Old Market Assembly, The Gallimaufry, Yurt as part of The Great Get Together. done by AAH helps and builds communities,” Lush, Bertha’s Pizza and Chicken Shed.

Gather your friends and family, she says. “For instance, with clean water tanks, Think that £1 ain’t gonna do much? How serve them a tasty meal and get and projects to help new mums.” about £470,00? That’s what the campaign them donating in return. (For more As many as one in eight children go to bed raised last year, thanks to 400 restaurants and information and to receive your digital hungry each night across the entire world their punters, who donated just £1 at a time. dinner party pack, e-mail community@ – and that’s a problem that we can not only Britol’s Bravas gives year-round donations, actionagainsthunger.org.uk) help solve, but help solve by keeping our own by pledging £1 for the sale of every portion of its best-selling aubergine and molasses dish. actionagainsthunger.org.uk bellies full, too...

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

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Top Lane, Whitley, Wiltshire SN12 8QX 01225 704966 T f @peartreewhitley

www.peartreewhitley.co.uk

OMaR aLLIBhOY

AS THIS CHEF, AUTHOR, RESTAURATEUR AND TV FIGURE PREPARES TO LAUNCH HIS NEW BATH JOINT, JESSICA CARTER DRAGS HIM AWAY FROM THE SOUTHGATE BUILDING SITE WITH PROMISES OF COFFEE, TO GET THE GOSS ON HIS NEW LOCAL VENTURE…

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t was almost a decade ago when Spanish-born Omar made the UK his home. Swooping straight into some of the country’s most prestigious kitchens, he’s worked with plenty of celebrated chefs. While obviously no longer a stranger to British cookery, Omar’s focus has always been tapas. But we’re not just talking small plates and a decent patatas bravas; for Omar, tapas means way, way more than that. There’s a huge social aspect to it; tapas is a real part of the Spanish lifestyle, and has proper cultural significance for this Madrid-born chef.

“The tapas bar in Spain is like the public house of this country,” he says. “Here you say, ‘Let’s meet for a pint’; in Spain you say, ‘Let’s go for tapas’. Tapas has evolved into a pure reflection of our needs in Spain.”

Evolved from what, exactly? Let’s rewind.

“Tapas, started, so the legends say – and there are a number of legends, but this is the one I like the most – at the time of King Alfonso X, nicknamed The Wise. He was sick and his doctor told him to drink wine to numb the pain. His servants would serve a bit of food with each wine, so that he didn’t feel as intoxicated, but still at ease from the alcohol. So, when they were preparing the glass of wine, they would always bring him a plate of food on top of the glass, suggesting you need to eat the food before you drink the wine.

“When he recovered, alcoholism was a pandemic across his kingdom of Castile – and the whole of Spain.

So he passed a law that every tavern and pub which sold alcohol needed to now serve food with it – tapas. And this is how it’s evolved into what we have today.”

Seeing as Alfie (too familiar?) reigned in the 13th century, his invention (let’s just take that tale as true) has had quite some time to undergo the evolutionary process and embed itself into Spanish culture – hence why it’s so ingrained into everyday life there. And hence why Omar has quite a protectiveness about what is is – and isn’t.

“When I was working for Gordon Ramsay at Maze, Jason Atherton was the head chef. We were serving tapas. I was interested in knowing what Michelin-starred tapas was like – but I realised it was completely different, and I remember having that conversation with Jason.

I was like, ‘This is not tapas’. And he asked me what I was talking about. He felt offended. I told him tapas is a totally different thing; it’s not just a small version of a dish of something. You can’t divide that. Tapas is to be shared and is constructed to be shared. You need to always have in tapas equal amounts, whatever it is – so that every member of the party can have equal bites. And he was like, ‘Oh...’

“It just goes to show, sometimes things are lost in translation. But the Spanish, we know how it is done!”

It was this lack of real Spanish fare in the UK in the early 2000s that really got Omar thinking.

“I was surprised about how little people knew about Spanish cuisine,” he says. “I thought, they all go on

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holiday to Spain – 16.1 million last year – and yet there are no Spanish restaurants here, or very few, and no one cooks Spanish food.

“So one day I went downstairs from where I lived in Baker Street in London, and thought, ‘I’m just going to ask people what they think’. It took me one person to work it out.

“She was a middle-aged woman; I asked her if she had two minutes (I had my pen and paper ready!) to talk about food. I asked if she’d ever been to Spain, and she replied, ‘Yes, I love Spain, I own an apartment in Malaga and we’ve been going there for the last 21 years – I can speak Spanish’. I asked her if she was familiar with Spanish food, and she said she was very familiar, that she loved the fresh fish. But she didn’t cook it back home. I asked why, and she just said that no-one had ever shown her. And then I realised, well, that was pretty obvious!

“I thought, there is no Spanish ambassador giving help and recipes in the media, in the places where people can look for it. That was the moment when I felt I had to change that and do something. And that’s when I started Tapas Revolution – that is the name of the restaurants, but it was my mission way before – and spread the word of authentic Spanish food. I felt there was the need for a tapas revolution. I wanted to try and bring the real and authentic version of Spanish foods. I thought you were all missing out on the healthy, fresh food!”

Perhaps another reason that Spanish food wasn’t being done authentically, though, is linked to our British larder. Of course, we have some belting seafood here, but those Mediterranean vegetables, fruits, cured meats and cheese are hard to replicate and pricey to import. In fact, there are countless dishes that Omar would love to have on his menus, but which still aren’t logistically viable.

“There are millions,” he says. “I couldn’t name just one. Luckily, though, now that I have seven restaurants we have the ability to ask a supplier from Spain, because there is enough volume. We are lucky enough to be bringing in plenty of new products that the UK has never seen, and we have suppliers who only export for us.”

Despite the hurdles of trying to produce proper authentic Spanish grub over on this little isle, Omar isn’t tempted to make his life any easier, as I find out when I ask him about opening somewhere in Spain.

“No, I don’t think so. I go to Spain for my holidays; to see my family and my friends. I go to relax and to take inspiration. I have my life here.”

The new Bath venue, located at Southgate, opened on 1 June. Being housed in a new development, it was designed from scratch – with Omar staying very handson with this part of the process.

“I always think that if I hadn’t been a chef I’d have wanted to become an architect,” he says, as he shows me some hand-drawn plans for a new site. “I do all the ideas.

I don’t like to use the computer, though; everything I do has to be by hand. From school I always liked being creative. I was never very academic – I repeated twice.”

Omar shows me around the venue (at the time still a building site), enthusiastically helping me to picture the

finished bar, imagine how the kitchen area is going to function, visualise the tall bar stools filled with groups of mates, while families are sat around the lower dining tables. But, all of this almost didn’t happen, he reveals.

In fact, it’s sort of thanks to Brexit that we’re even here, having this converstion…

“The landlord invited us here, as they felt that we would do well. It’s a good landlord; they try to create a good mix of tenants to regenerate this part of Bath.

But there was this French restaurant with American investors, who could offer 50 percent more rent than we could afford. We are small business, so rent is passed onto the customers – so we didn’t feel we could offer more. And they didn’t give it to us; they gave it to the other restaurant. We were really disappointed.

“Then the referendum came, and the people of this country decided it would be better to leave the EU. So the American investors decided that they didn’t want to expand to any further locations in this country, and pulled all their investments.

“Of course, the landlords panicked, called us back again, and offered the unit to us. So, I said, as long as it’s at the price we offered, then yes!”

There you have it, then: the restaurant that so very nearly wasn’t… tapasrevolution.com

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( advertising feature )

WINNING FLAVOURS! Bradley’s Juice Companywas a finalist at the Bristol Life Awards and its new look is going to bowl you over!

A

s we move through the seasons, Bradley’s Juice is also making some changes. A new look for a new time of year. The summer makes you think of blue skies, lying in the sun, slowing down and enjoying yourself. Bradley’s have considered all of this when designing its new look, which is eye catchingly colourful and contemporary, but with an emphasis on the traditional values of juice making. This, coupled with the new logo of a pair of crossed cricket bats (something which, as an avid cricket fan the MD is particularly excited about) evokes the feeling of that warm summer’s day and taking your time to enjoy their juice. This is also reflected in the taste of all the juices from the single variety apple juice, using only the very best handpicked apples, to the Luscious Lemonade made with Sicilian Lemons and their naturally brewed Ginger Beer, brewed for eight days to get that perfect flavour. All the juice is made in small batches on site at Box Bush Farm. You can really tell they haven’t been rushed and the time has been taken to get it right. This new look will be hitting the shelves at the end of June which means that you can carry that summery feeling all the way through the rest of the seasons too.

Bradley’s Juice Company Box Bush Farm, Somerset BS24 6UA Tel: 01934 822356 Email: info@bradleysjuice.co.uk Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram www.bradleysjuice.co.uk

When you find out that Bath's indie restaurants just got cheaper...

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Our upstairs lounge, available for private hire, has its own bar, big screen TV and fantastic staff to help make your event a success.

Be it a business meeting or birthday party, the Curfew has everything you need.

PUXTON BUTCHERS BBQ RANGE LOCAL FOOD WITH FLAVOUR

Classic cuts, sensational seasoning At Puxton the butchers make and season all their burgers, award-winning sausages and marinated cuts here on site.

zero food miles | farm fresh | totally traceable Puxton Park, Cowslip Lane, Hewish, BS24 6AH 01934 523505

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Nibbled Catering specialise in marquee wedding catering as well as other private and corporate functions.

Now open, newly expanded cafe serving fresh farm produce Windmill Hill City Farm, Philip Street, Bristol BS3 4EA Tel: 0117 9633 252 • Email: info@windmillhillcityfarm.org.uk

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Nibbled Catering 22 Northend, Batheaston, Bath BA1 7EN England 01225 851 072 07803 616 063 hello@nibbledcatering.co.uk

The Boater Four unique bars, three stylish dining areas, six cask ales and more than 30 craft beers all add up to make the new Boater Bath’s number one pub. Thanks to an enviable location right next to Pulteney Bridge, you can count on some spectacular river views too.

All your outdoor catering requirements covered!

The team at Kate’s Kitchen love creating healthy and imaginative menus. We cater to suit your needs.

Summer soirees,bustling banquets, beefy barbecues or perfect picnics. In your home or a chosen venue.

We can accommodate a range of events, of varying sizes and styles. Love and attention onto every plate.

We complement our tasty treats by providing the best service possible.

Telephone 0117 3308189 Email events@kateskitchenbristol.co.uk www.kateskitchenbristol.co.uk

ENJOY SUMMER

IN OUR GARDEN The Boater 9 Argyle Street | Bath | BA2 4BQ 01225 464 211 | boater@fullers.co.uk www.boaterbath.co.uk

A F T E RS

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

H I G H L I G H T S

PLAYING HOUSE

Lunch with a side of scenery at Bristol’s Backwell House Page 102

NUTTY PROFESSOR

Acorn Vegetarian Kitchen cooks up some meat-free magic Page 107

MIND YOUR MANORS

A leisurely lunch at Stanton Manor Page 110

Classic meets quirky inside Backwell House’s restaurant...

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( UN D I S COV ERED RES TAU RANTS)

BACKWELL HOUSE HAVING ONLY OPENED ITS RESTAURANT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, THIS HANDSOME HIDDEN GEM IS ALREADY IMPRESSING PICKY PARENTS – LIKE THE ONE BELONGING TO JESSICA CARTER...

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L

iving in Bristol and hailing from Weston-super-Mare, the A370 is an old, familiar friend of mine. I couldn’t tell you the amount of times I’ve driven back and forth past Backwell House – while having no idea that it was even there.

And it has always been there, too – this Georgian manor house was built way back in the early 1800s. The handsome stone facade enjoys a typical English countryside backdrop – despite it being no more that a 15-minute drive from my Bristol flat.

Those grounds are made good use of, too; the team maintain a walled garden (the intention is to use it to grow organic vegetables for the kitchen) and keep honey bees and chickens. There are also plans for an ‘apothocary garden’ where medicinal plants will be grown, and an English flower patch, which Bristolian florist Ivory Flowers will be taking care of, so the venue can offer seasonal flowers at weddings. Speaking of which, when we visited for lunch – that’s

Ms Carter Senior and I – there were tipis being erected on the lawn out the front in preparation for impending knot-tying.

I dropped Mrs C at the door before parking the car, and was led to the lounge to see her already sipping a well-chilled glass of white and completely sold on the lush green views and classic, quirky design inside. She was even already talking about coming back.

The staff are young, friendly and laid back, happy to answer our questions, and chat to the other couple that were in for some lunch.

In the kitchen, things are headed up by Ross Hunter. Having bagged his first head chef role at the rather tender age of 22. this chef – who’s still shy of 30 – has a CV populated with the likes of The Swan in Almondsbury, where he was awarded an AA rosette in his first six months. Ross had only taken up the role here a matter of days before our visit – not that we could tell.

The menu was a set-price affair, priced at £29 for two courses and £35 for three.

The dishes sound elegant but are happily straightforward; even knows-what-she-likes Mrs C was excited to try something new.

A starter of crab saw a mix of soft, fresh meat and tiny shards of apple topped with a subtly salty seaweed crisp, and surrounded by a vibrant-coloured beetroot emultion.

It was a delicate starter, which had been prepped with obvious care, although I perhaps craved more sharpness than the apple provided, to cut through the soft flavours and textures.

The pressed Backwell pork was a total winner; as soft as you like, the meat came with some beautifully al dente garden peas,

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whose freshness easily balanced the rich pork and pancetta. Never before has Mum had to tell me to stop eating greens – I was pinching them from her plate, after all.

Gnocchi with wild garlic and hazelnuts was the first main course: the light gnocchi was fried for a lovely golden crust, and topped with soft, mellow calcot onions. The other was Piper’s Farm chicken breast, with leg Ballotine, asparagus and girolles. The flesh was pearly white and plump inside, showing off its great quality when it was sliced into. And the rest of the dish I can only assume to have been delicious, as the picky Mrs C ate until she was bursting.

Impressive, artistic desserts of strawberry cannelloni with meringue and a vanilla custard slice cemented a return motherdaughter visit.

BACKWELL HOUSE, Farleigh Road, Bristol BS48 3QA; 0117 325 1110; backwellhouse.co.uk

Specialist single malt whiskies, Premium rums Craft world and local beers, Cocktail spirits Cuban cigars, Fine wines and champagnes PRIVATE & CORPORATE TASTING

7 Terrace Walk, Bath • Tel: 01225 340636 Independent-Spirit-of-Bath @indiespiritbath shop@independentspiritofbath.co.uk

A warm and welcoming pub serving great food and drink nestled in the middle of the beautiful village of Colerne AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE HIRE & FUNCTIONS ‧ CALL US FOR DETAILS

THE SIX BELLS Tel: 01225 742413

33 High St, Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 8DD www.sixbellsinn.rocks

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.

PUB • RESTAURANT • FUNCTION ROOM • ACCOMMODATION

Tunley Road, Tunley BA2 0EB • 01761 470408 Email: kingwilliamtunley@live.com • f T @kingwilliam84 www.kingwilliaminn.co.uk

( M A R V E L L O U S M E AT- F R E E J O I N T S )

ACORN VEGETARIAN KITCHEN JESSICA CARTER GETS SOME SERIOUS VEG-SPIRATION FROM THIS LONG-ESTABLISHED BATH GAFF…

t

here’s a pretty unignorable demand for plant-based food in the current culinary climate – for a whole spectrum of reasons that you’ll be reading about everywhere else, so I’ll spare you the list. This slow but ongoing evolution of our eating habits has meant

that, these days, you don’t have to visit a dedicated veggie restaurant to get a meatfree meal that isn’t a mushroom risotto.

Where vegetarian and vegan food used to be a speciality, it’s now a necessity, and you can get interesting and experimental plantbased food from all kinds of eateries. This seems to have done nothing to render those

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dedicated vegetarian restaurants redundant though, as far as I can tell. Especially if this Wednesday lunchtime at Acorn was anything to go by – lucky we booked a table, ’cause it was chocca.

Chef Richard Buckley took over this space to create Acorn in 2013, but it’s long been a veggie joint, having been

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under the reign of Rachel Demuth for more than a quarter of a century before that.

It’s a really lovely site housed in an old, classic Bathonian building, with different levels and little nooks giving it a right good cosy feel. The cosiness also comes courtesy of its pleasingly modest size, of course, which ups the charm factor of this likeable indie joint even further.

Although the name might not immediately scream adventurous and impressive vegetarian fodder, that is what you’ll find here – no squirrel food in sight.

The menu – we were eating from the lunchtime version, where two courses are £17.95 and three £22.95 – listed a small handful of options for each course, as well as nibbles and side dishes.

We cracked on with lunch by way of sourdough with oil and dukkah (£3.95), dunking the thick hunks of fresh bread first in the oil for moisture and then the dry dukkah mix for crunch and a bit o’ spice.

The meal proper began with a starter of chioggia beetroot with cashew purée and beetroot vierge. Delicate slivers of the stripy beets sat in curls on top of the smooth puréed cashew, and the tiny cubes of beetroot in the sauce vierge tasted sweet and fresh.

An asparagus dish with mushroom parfait, dill, hazelnut and pickle made itself unavoidable, not just thanks to the novelty of the Wye Valley spears (which are around for such a short time each year), but because of the fun, lively mix of elements.

And so, in came the main courses. A thin slab of butternut squash terrine rested on a mound of perfectly cooked pine nut risotto – the savoury nuttiness complementing the

sweet, soft squash. The risotto sauce was thick but not dry, holding itself in a loose heap while maintaining a rich, silky texture.

Cones of pickled squash cut though that richness and added tang and crunch.

Main number two was the sautéed cauli floret (stick with me, honestly). It was chosen on this occasion for its promise of mini onion bhajis (who isn’t a sucker for miniature versions of, well, anything?) and cauliflower rice. If you’re not a big eater of veggie dishes in posh restaurants, this will keep you in your comfort zone, with all those familiar-sounding elements.

Finished with cauliflower purée and lemon and raisin, there were taste and texture contrasts galore on this plate that made my lunch pal (who normally only has cauli covered in molten cheese) finally think about this brassica in a different way.

Dessert was a white choc pannacotta with more beetroot (this time poached cubes, and also in a vibrant purple and wonderfully smooth ice cream), dollops of zingy blood orange coulis and chunks of honeycombe. Panacotta never usually makes it onto my radar when choosing a dessert, as I’m pretty picky when it comes to texture, and don’t like anything too rich after a big meal. And yeah, okay, the texture was a bit too jelly-like for me, but the flavour was nicely delicate and not overtly sweet.

Meanwhile, a dish of compressed pineapple with almond amaretto cream, olive oil sorbet and ginger tuille was being seen to across the table. The pineapple came in slivers as opposed to the usual chunks, while the other elements all pulled lightly in different directions, but in a way that made for a satisfying whole.

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I don’t need to tell you that this restaurant ain’t just for vegetarians or those with specialist diets (lots of their dishes are vegan and gluten free too, though); it’s for anyone who likes their dinner peppered with lots of little surprises, and fancies being re-introduced to familiar ingredients in a novel way.

ACORN VEGETARIAN KITCHEN, 2 North Parade Passage, Bath BA1 1NX; 01225 446059; acornvegetariankitchen.co.uk

Local, seasonal and thoughtful food prepared with love and Pacific Island spirit to be enjoyed in beautiful and calming surroundings. Just a short walk across the new bridge from Castle Park.

Try our new Breakfast Menu including Breakfast Fruits, Salads, French Toast, Pacific BLT & HLT, Muesli and Toast.

Ground Floor, The Brewhouse, Georges Square, Bristol BS1 6LA Phone 0117 321 5445 • pacificyoga.co.uk/cafe Best Western Plus Centurion Hotel Charlton Lane, Midsomer Norton, Nr Bath BA3 4BD | 01761 417711

@seanhorwood

RestAtCent

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(REFURBISHED HOTELS)

STANTON MANOR HOTEL FROM FINGER-LICKING BURGERS TO ELEGANT CRAB DISHES, THE NEW CHEF HERE CAN COOK UP A BLINDING DISH AT AN EXCELLENT PRICE, FINDS AN IMPRESSED CHARLIE LYON

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w

hen you think of Wiltshire, it’s rural scenery and handsome old architecture that spring to mind, right?

In fact, the image you have in your head, I’m willing to bet, is something pretty darn close to the picture that Stanton Manor and its grounds paint.

The 23-bedroom hotel and restaurant is just a few minutes’ drive from junction 17 of the M4, but you could be a whole world away thanks to its country feel and peaceful

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setting. And if this has piqued your interest, now is definitely the right time to head to the handsome retreat. Perching just on the edge of the Cotswolds, north-east of Bath, it has well-preened grounds and a real sense of calm – in short, it makes the perfect summertime setting.

Seeing as the sun’s radiating nicely (well, at the time of press it is – hope I don’t jinx it), and the hotel’s wine menu boasts a sound selection of reasonably priced plonk, it’s an excellent idea to start your visit with a glass of something chilled in the gardens.

The sun donning his hat isn’t the only reason you really should hurry to Stanton Manor, though; some recent changes have breathed new life into this pretty venue.

The hotel was taken over by the current owners last May, who came with cash to splash. They’ve already refurbished eight bedrooms as well as the restaurant, and added a few more things to up its weddingvenue potential. There’s a new GM, and heading up the kitchen (this is where we really get interested) is a new, awardwinning head chef, Jamie Barnett.

Jamie, who’s well-acquainted with the local area, has been busy raising the restaurant’s culinary bar, reinvigorating the front and back of house teams, and using the industry knowledge he’s built over his career – as well as his local connections – to get the best produce at the best prices.

Talking of the restaurant, this is where we move into for lunch, taking respite from the heat and noticing the old bread oven of the original house, which makes a lovely feature.

There’s a set lunch on offer today, where two courses will only set you back £15, and it’s just an extra £4 for a third course. But the

a la carte is reasonable, too – and these guys also serve afternoon teas and Sunday roasts.

My crab toasts (£8) come absolutely loaded: two large, crisp slices of ciabatta are smeared with a layer of tangy brown meat then piled with white meat on top. The lashings of pale crab are made colourful with flakes of red chilli and pink radish, while the flavours are kept zingy with slices of fragrant fennel, chopped parsley and a good smattering of dill. A good squeeze of the fresh lime it’s served with seasons it all nicely.

This would make an excellent lunch by itself.

Across the table, hefty spears of superseasonal asparagus (£7) come topped with new potatoes and a perfectly poached egg whose yolk, when punctured, melts to create a creamy plate of late-spring indulgence.

So the starters are awesome but, saying that, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the mains. The ragu of Wiltshire game (£16) is a plate of buttery pappardelle coated in rich meat and tomato sauce. It’s a towering standout thanks to the thick smattering of Italian gremolata, the orange, garlic and parsley bringing bright citrusy notes to the plate, and flavours and colours of summer.

Lambs, in the flesh, are so teeny-weeny, but my lamb burger (£13) is anything but; a beast of a sandwich, it’s a monster to get my chops around (you’ll need a knife and fork here, but that’s probably for the best, as it’s a reasonably posh setting). The thick and garlicky patty is made even more indulgent by a hearty slab of goat’s cheese and layers of pickles. Goes to show country hotels can do burgers as good as a city hangout.

Puds are imaginative, and a coconut panacotta (£6) makes a great summery finale, satisfyingly sweet but not too heavy.

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After your meal, get back out into that garden. Local Beard & Sabre craft ciders from Malmesbury and Flying Monk real ale from just up the road are new additions to the bar menu that are definitely worth refreshing yourself with out in the sun.

Yes, a lunch here, combined with a laid-back stroll across the lawns, is the perfect antidote to the tension induced by life in the chaotic city – which itself now feels a million miles away.

STANTON MANOR HOTEL, Stanton St Quintin, Nr Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 6DQ; 01666 837552; stantonmanor.co.uk

Ian Hobbs Technical Services offer an array of commercial & industrial service solutions, all under one roof

Air Conditioning

Refrigeration

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w: www.ianhobbs.com t: 01225 444171 e: info@ianhobbs.com /ianhobbstech @ianhobbstech

is available to download www.mediaclash.co.uk

L I T T L E

B L A C K

B O O K

Theresa FaGGeTTer THIS IS THE FOUNDER OF LOCAL CATERING BIZ NIBBLED, AND THIS IS WHERE SHE GETS HER FOODIE FIXES…

Favourite grocery store?

Larkhall Butchers sell lovely local meats which are excellent quality; Hobbs House Bakery, based in Chipping Sodbury, have the best sandwich bread (I love the sun-dried tomato and olive, too); and The Fine Cheese Company has to be one of my favourite shops – I always buy far too much!

Best wine merchant?

I like Independent Spirit of Bath. They have a great selection of spirits, craft beer and fine wines – well worth a visit.

Food on the go?

Chandos Deli. Beautiful sandwiches and salads and, on a sunny day, you can just stroll around the corner to Queen Square to sit, eat and watch the world go by.

Alfresco feasting?

It has to be Côte Brasserie in Milsom Place: a chain, yes, but it’s a great outdoor space to sit, chill and drink a cold glass of wine.

Best brew?

Colonna & Small’s in Chapel Row, Bath. These guys are experts in coffee, with a menu that changes weekly – their cakes and brownies aren’t bad, either!

Quick pint?

The Old Green Tree in Green Street is one of Bath’s oldest pubs. It’s central and has a friendly atmosphere, with a good mix of locals and tourists. A great place to have a pint before the rugby.

Cheeky cocktail?

Sub 13 – especially with their new garden!

Sunday lunch?

I like to cook a roast at home, but The Pony & Trap in Chew Magna is without doubt the best place to head to if you’re going out for one. If they ever have their strawberry cheesecake on the menu, don’t pass it by!

Post nosh?

Menu Gordon Jones is excellent and such a treat, and Wilks in Bristol is amazing, too – they serve a fabulous local gin called Psychopomp.

With pals?

Clayton’s Kitchen – fabulous French-inspired food served in a relaxed, bistro-style atmosphere.

My go-to with all my friends.

nibbledcatering.co.uk

QUICK! Now add this little lot to your contacts book • Larkhall Butchers, Bath BA1 6RS; larkhallbutchers.co.uk • Hobbs House Bakery, Chipping Sodbury BS37 6BA; hobbshousebakery.co.uk • The Fine Cheese Company, Bath BA1 5BN; finecheese.co.uk • Independent Spirit, Bath BA1 1LN; independentspiritofbath.co.uk • Chandos Deli, Bath BA1 2EH; chandosdeli.com • Côte Brasserie, Bath BA1 1BZ; cote-restaurants.co.uk • Colonna & Small’s, Bath BA1 1HN; colonnaandsmalls.co.uk • The Old Green Tree, Bath BA1 2JZ; 01225 448259 • Sub 13, Bath BA1 2EE; sub13.net • The Pony & Trap, Chew Magna BS40 8TQ; theponyandtrap.co.uk • Menu Gordon Jones, Bath BA2 3AQ; menugordonjones.co.uk • Wilks, Bristol BS6 6PG; wilksrestaurant.co.uk • Clayton’s Kitchen, Bath BA1 2EN; theporter.co.uk

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