Crumbs Bath & Bristol - Issue 72

A little slice of foodie heaven Every Tuesday a clam cleans my house.

NO.72 FEBRUARY 2018

HAIL MARY Y R !

MARY CADO

NO.72 FEBRUARY 2018

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RAZOR QUEssTT { } ON A

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BENEATH THE BEACH S E L I BURIED TREASURE

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RAZOR CLAMs ARE BOTH DELICIOUS AND HILARIOUSLY ENTERTAINING TO CATCH)

ISSUE 72 FEBRUARY 2018 EDITOR

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

MATT BIELBY matt.bielby@mediaclash.co.uk ONLINE EDITOR

DAN IZZARD dan.izzard@mediaclash.co.uk

ThIS IS CLAM hOT

CONTRIBUTOR

GEORGIA GILLESPIE ART DIRECTOR

TREVOR GILHAM ADVERTISING MANAGER

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

NEIL SNOW neil.snow@mediaclash.co.uk ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE

ALISTAIR TAYLOR alistair.taylor@mediaclash.co.uk PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

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

GEMMA SCRINE gemma.scrine@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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A FEW WEEKS AGO I managed to accost Nigel Slater at Topping & Company in Bath, where he was visiting for a signing of his latest recipe book. It’s just across the road from the office, so a colleague and I swooped in before the real punters came. Our mission: to get him to sign a book, have a chat, and generally fangirl over him for a couple of minutes.

Happily, he was just as you’d expect, with a gentle and gracious disposition, and speaking – as he writes – with carefully considered, earnest words. (Yeah, probs just humouring us, but that’ll do for me.) If you have said book, The Christmas Chronicles, by the way, he especially recommended to us the ham with quince paste, cauliflower and dill, as well as the spiced ginger cake, both great warming winter dishes.

We’ve not spent the whole month running around after our favourite food writers, though. I mean, running of any description was pretty much out of the question for me throughout the whole of January. Instead, I reckon now, when it’s cold and dark outside, and afternoons lazing in pub gardens and eating alfresco still seem so far way, is the time to indulge a little bit, and immunise yourself from the winter blues with some great food and drink.

Obviously, razor clams fall well within that bracket; they’re sweet tasting, easy to cook, and really versatile – no wonder they’re starting to crop up on restaurant menus much more these days. This month is a great time to enjoy them too; come summer they’ll be spawning, and then it’s only polite to leave them to it ’til autumn. Never cooked ’em before? Don’t fear; Freddy Bird will show you how.

Right, I’d best let you crack on, then. See you in four weeks...

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

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

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Table of Contents NO.72 FEBRUARY 2018

STARTERS 08 HERO INGREDIENT Hot clam!

12 OPENINGS ETC Word on the street 19 SIX PACK Top event caterers CHEF! Amazing recipes from the region’s top kitchens 26 Buttermilk chicken burger,

by Dan Aldridge

29 Kedgeree Scotch egg with chowder, by Steve Penrose 32 Sea trout with mushrooms,

by Sean Horwood 35 Shorba, by Kalpna Woolf 37 Chocolate beetroot cake,

by Tamarind Galliford

KITCHEN ARMOURY 42 HOUSE CALL A snoop around Mary Cadogan’s kitchen 50 WANT LIST Tools of the trade

ADDITIONAL RECIPES

MAINS 55 CHEETOS Meal hacks for quick, fussfree dinners

10 Razor clams with jamon,

by Freddy Bird 22 Lasange, by Levy Redzepi 48 Honey madeleines,

by Mary Cadogan

AFTERS New & notable restaurants, cafés, bars 64 Rosa 67 The Old Bookshop 70 Homewood Park 72 The Pelican Inn PLUS! 74 LITTLE BLACK BOOK Local musician Javeon’s foodie hideouts

STA RT E R S INNOVATIONS, REVELATIONS AND TASTY AMUSE-BOUCHES

FaNTaSTIC FeBRUaRY THERE ARE PLENTY OF EVENTS TO GET YOUR TEETH INTO ACROSS BATH AND BRISTOL THIS MONTH…

(27 JAN) FEAST WITH A CHEF

It’s the turn of Adam Banks, head chef at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Cornwall, to cook at Long Ashton Village Hall for the next of Clare Hargreaves’ popular events.

Adam will be preparing a seasonal four-course feast, using some of his favourite Cornish ingredients, in this informal, laid-back setting.

Tickets are £48 and available online. clarehargreaves.co.uk

(1 FEB) EAT HAPPY WITH MELISSA HEMSLEY

This cook, blogger and bestselling author might be best known as one half of Hemsley + Hemsley, but now she’s gone lone wolf to release her first ever solo cookbook. Catch her at Topping & Company bookshop for a demo and tasting. Tickets are £7 and available from the website. toppingbooks.co.uk

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(10 FEB) SOUTH WEST VEGAN FESTIVAL

Now into its second year, this festival champions sustainability, animal welfare and vegan lifestyles, with a focus on food.

It’ll be running from 10.30am until 5pm at The Passenger Shed, with tickets available to purchase on the door for £3 (VIP £15 in advance). southwestveganfestival.com

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(28 FEB) CHOCOLATE AND WINE TASTING

Averys has teamed up with Zara Naracott, founder of Zara’s Chocolates, to host an evening showcasing two of our favourite things: wine and chocolate. Guests will have a guided tasting of eight single origin chocs, all matched to different vinos by the experts at Averys. Tickets are £30 and can be purchased online. averys.com

S T A R T E R S

RazOr cLams WE’VE FALLEN IN LOVE AT LOW TIDE. WHILE OTHERS GO FISHING WE’RE DIGGING FOR THE ELUSIVE RAZOR CLAM, A BURIED TREASURE OF HILARIOUS APPEARANCE, SUBTLE TASTE AND SILKY TEXTURE THAT’S THE SEASHORE’S ANSWER TO TRUFFLES

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w

hen you wander across the wet sand of a British beach at low tide, you rarely want to think of weird creatures lurking beneath your feet – this is real life, after all, not Tremors – but lurk they do. Yet the razor clam (also known as the razor fish and razor shell and, if you’re from the Scottish islands, the ‘spoot’) does exactly that. What’s more, catching these things is some of the most bizarre fun you can have on a beach.

As a kid, Crumbs used to try to nab them for use as bait – walking the shore at low tide looking for telltale keyhole-like openings in the sand, then digging fast, before they retreated deeper – but it was a mission most often doomed to failure, as they’re sensitive beasts, and had felt the vibrations of our footfalls and legged it long before we were down on our knees and groping about. But that’s, of course, because no-one had told us the trick.

You see, the clever clam muncher doesn’t have to work for it, but rather lets the clam present itself in its own good time. No lying on wet sand, hand reaching down into a hole to wrestle with a sharpedged beast for this smart soul. Instead, the thing to do is simply to sprinkle a little salt into a likely burrow, then wait until the clam within wriggles to the surface, their brittle, smooth shells looking for all the world like the old-fashioned cut-throat razors they take their name from. If you’ve never experienced it, it’s totally worth doing a little YouTube search to watch the action and see what we’re on about.

The other thing the wise forager no longer does, of course, is waste them as bait. The razor clam is far too delicious for that...

USING THEIR SHORT SIPHONS, razor clams tend to hang around just below the sandy seabed surface to feed when the tide’s in, then retreat deeper as it goes out, each one pushing its narrow foot down like an anchor, then expanding it and pulling the rest of its body towards it.

And they’re very peculiar creatures in other ways, too. While technically they’re a bivalve – like a mussel or scallop – they’re bigger and more active than most, and their sweet, succulent flesh is actually more like that of a squid. Young razors – under 10cm long is a good guide, as they can get twice as long and live up to 20 years – are best left to grow and breed, and it’s very poor form to take more than you need, or to forage for them in the summer months.

Whether you caught yours yourself or bought them from a fishmonger – where you’ll sometimes find them tied tightly together like kindling – you want to ensure that your razor clams are alive and well right up to the point of cooking. Have a good poke at the exposed fleshy white part that can be found drooping out of the shell – unlike most clams, these things gape at both ends – and if it retreats from your finger, it’s a good ’un. Steer clear of bundles that seem excessively heavy too

– they’re probably full of sand – and as a general rule of thumb (and how unlike with some of their lookalikes!), the more slender they are, the better.

Razor clams will actually drown if submerged in fresh water, so keep them happy by wrapping in damp cloth instead, then store in the bottom of the fridge. (They’re okay if left overnight, but the best plan is to eat them the day you get them; whatever you do, don’t even consider freezing.)

Run fresh water over them to get rid of any sand, then remove the unappetising dark intestinal tract you’ll find in the middle. Most of the rest is good, and the digging tool, or ‘foot’, the best bit – tender and sweet. Now comes the fun part: working out how you’re going to cook them. The basic method is steaming in white wine, perhaps with sweated onions and garlic – just as you would with mussels – which flatters the flavour.

Watch it, though – the slightest overcooking can make them tough and rubbery, so remember, when they stop looking translucent, they’re done.

Alternatively, put your razor clams under a hot grill for a couple of minutes until they open, then take ’em off, pull them from their shells, lose the guts and sand, then put them back (either whole or chopped up) with butter, lemon juice, salt and pepper, herbs and spices. Now back on the grill for a couple of minutes more, no longer.

Sous vide cooking ain’t a bad idea either, and both stir-frying and marinating for a ceviche work too. Smaller razor clams (though not too small, remember!) can be eaten raw with lemon juice, and make great sushi or sashimi.

FLAVOUR COMPANIONS? Well, razor clams tend to buddy up best with delicate, fresh tastes – spring onions, Parmesan, things like that – but a splash of Pernod is a classic aromatic pal, and don’t be afraid to take a slightly more robust approach too: try them with bacon, say, or just about any whitefish. Or chorizo, of course – which goes with anything.

Razor clam soup is a special delight, but beyond that recipes are scarce. Except for the odd Asian place, restaurants rarely used razor clams until recently, so there isn’t a big back catalogue. Excitement over foraging and unusual ingredients has changed all that though, and you’ll now find them cropping up here and there.

Though they tend to work best in a simple dish – with Sriracha, lime juice and honey, say – chefs are experimenting with things like razor clam spaghetti, and pairing them with the likes of Thai sausage and duck egg. Certainly, if diners ever had any aversion to pale worm-like creatures on their plates they’ve mostly got over it by now – but if that is an issue for you, then chopping up the flesh sorts the visual issues right out.

So grab some, buy some, and have fun with them, we say. Sure, people always used to tell us off for playing with our grub, but here’s a fun food that – in the catching of them, at least – likes to play right back.

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R E C I P E

whipping

FREDDY BIRD DOES HIS THING WITH THIS MONTH’S HERO, TRANSFORMING SIMPLE, FRESH INGREDIENTS INTO SOMETHING PRETTY SPECIAL...

THIS DISH IS a true example of how a few great ingredients can make a ridiculously easy starter or light meal. Short of simply opening them directly on a plancha or barbecue (my favourite way to eat razors), this recipe is my go-to nearly every time.

There are so many varieties of clams – from your standard palourde or surf clam to tellines, razors and many more – and they all work with this recipe. Best of all, though, are baby razor clams – about 3 inches long and the flesh about ¼ inch diameter. The flesh is incredibly sweet (almost like a scallop) and, personally, I think it’s completely unnecessary to clean them – just give them a quick rinse and go!

Cured Iberico pork fat (tocino) is available from some Spanish delis, but failing that you should easily be able to buy lardo from a good Italian deli.

RAZOR CLAMS WITH CHICKPEAS, JAMON, AMONTILLADO AND GARLIC

SERVES 2-4

INGREDIENTS 100g cured Iberico pork fat (or lardo) 1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed, plus 1 ½ tbsp garlic, finely chopped extra virgin olive oil 100ml Amontillado ½ tin chickpeas 1kg razor clams, rinsed handful pata negra ham (or other cured ham), finely diced handful parsley, finely chopped

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METHOD 1 Blitz the pork fat, rosemary and crushed garlic clove in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.

2 Next, choose a pan that won’t be too crowded when you put the clams in.

Cover the bottom with extra virgin olive oil and add the chopped garlic. Fry until just cooked (don’t let the edges brown!).

3 Add the Amontillado. Boil over a high heat and reduce by half. Add the clams, pork fat mix and chickpeas and cook with a lid on until the clams just start to open. Gently shake the pan so the clams pop open without them overcooking.

Finally, add the jamon and parsley.

4 Transfer to a large dish and pop in the middle of the table to share. Serve with plenty of sourdough bread to mop up all the lovely juices!

Lido, Oakfield Place, Bristol BS8 2BJ; 0117 332 3970; lidobristol.com

S T A R T E R S

Openings etc

DAL-ING The first ever British Dal Festival has been announced – and it’s going to be held in Bristol. Kicking off on 19 March and lasting for a week, the event, conceived by the British Edible Pulse Association, will be taking place throughout the city, with restaurants and eateries serving their own take on this Indian classic as part of a Dal Trail. All said offerings will be judged in order to name the champion at the close of the festival. Local organisations getting involved include 91 Ways, which will look to its diverse community to collate many variations on dal for an online recipe collection; Incredible Edible, which will be planting lentils, peas and beans in The Bearpit; and Bristol Fruit Market, where chefs will be demoing dal recipes. The week will finish with a bang on 25 March at Paintworks, with street food, markets, activities, demos and music. Stay tuned for more info on this first-of-a-kind fest. britishdalfestival.com

GREEN EYED Bath has a new café and deli, in the form of Pickled Greens. The guy behind it is Anthony Bado, who cut his teeth in hospitality as a bartender at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen in London, before working with the likes of Raymond Blanc and Anthony Demetre. His new site (formerly The Foodie Bugle on Abbey Street) has plenty of character, thanks to its bay leaded windows, wood panelling and original floorboards, and Anthony is excited about the addition of a deli counter, showcasing local cheeses and English charcuterie. Pickled Greens serves breakfast, lunch and coffees – and soon will soon be selling natural wines to drink in or take away. pickledgreens.com

GUESS WHO’S BACK?

After a year off, Bristol Food Connections is returning to the city this summer, from 11 to 17 June. Exciting, right? This is a collaborative festival, which always looks to curate a super-diverse programme of events and get as many people as possible involved. This means that the organisers are calling for your ideas – yes, yours! – to help make 2018’s event the best yet. From restaurants to retailers to just good ol’ food enthusiasts, the team want to hear from everyone.

Perhaps you have an idea for a workshop, debate, supper club or foodie film screening, or maybe you fancy putting together some activities for kids? Or maybe you just want to sell your foodie wares? However you want to get involved, make sure you contact the team by 12 March, won’t you? Check out the website for more information. bristolfoodconnections.com

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KING OF THE CASTLE Midford’s Castle Farm Café has just reopened for 2018 with longer hours and a bigger menu.

With farm owners Mark and Jo Edwards now at the helm, the café is open every day of the week, and also serves dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings. The food will continue to be the same kind of fresh, vegetarian fare that the venue has become known for, with some new additions to the already well-loved staples.

There’s extra seating now too, so you’ve got more chances than ever to grab yourself a table at this lovely caff, perched on an organic farm just outside Bath. castlefarmcafe.co.uk

WINGING IT A new chicken joint has opened in Bristol, concentrating on high-welfare poultry.

Happy Bird, which you’ll find on Whiteladies Road at the Clifton Down shopping centre, has been founded by Adam Batty, and aims to combine great-quality, ethical chicken with a casual dining and takeaway concept. The chickens it uses have been free to roam, fed on a diet of corn and herbs, and left to grow naturally for longer than many. Customers can choose whether to have their meat boneless or buttermilk fried, and there are a range of homemade sauces and sides to pick from, too. With eat in, takeaway and delivery options available, could Happy Bird nail the ethical chicken business model that has proved such a challenge until now? happy-bird.com

new kid On the bLOCk THIS IS DARREN DARIO COMER, NEW HEAD CHEF AT ROSEMARINO

Let’s start with the fondest foodie memory from your childhood?

Nonna’s polenta; she used to cook it over an AGA for about eight hours, and it was delicious. The whole family would sit down at the table and there would be silence (for about two minutes!) while everyone would dig in.

What first inspired you to cook professionally?

It was at school, during a food technology lesson. I was making a fruit salad (cutting up a pineapple, to be precise) and I thought, “How cool is this? I could get paid to cut fruit!”

Any idea what career you’d have now if you hadn’t become a chef?

Well, it was a choice between cooking or plumbing. But the career advisor said I was a bit fat to be plumber, as I would have to fit under sinks and tight spaces to get to the water pipes... They actually said that to me!

Proudest career achievement?

When we achieved a Michelin star at Coworth Park after a year of hard work.

What local restaurants might we know you from?

I worked at AlIium in Bath with Chris Staines: he’s a great guy to learn from, and gave me freedom to create dishes.

What attracted you to Rosemarino?

I recently went to Milan for my cousin’s wedding and heard there are over 300 regional dishes in Italy. At this Italian restaurant I want to try and recreate every one of them in my own way.

Which other local restaurants do you like to eat in?

The Victoria Park pub: it’s just such good value for your money.

What are your favourite ingredients at the moment?

Cavolo nero: it’s a wonderful cabbage.

What kind of stuff do you cook when you’re at home?

Vegetarian meals, normally. I think vegetables are wonderful ingredients and so versatile.

Top 5-a-day?

Broccoli, bak choi, mango, pineapple, spring onions.

Foodie heroes?

Chris Staines, Matt Gillian, Olly Pirrepoint, Olly Rouse... Basically everyone I have worked with!

Current favourite flavour combination?

Figs, red wine, blue cheese, fennel, hazelnut, lime. rosemarino.co.uk

What characterises your food?

Progressive flavour, where – hopefully – the last bite is even better than the first.

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S T A R T E R S

asK the Waiter

IT’S JOEY WILLIAMS, GENERAL MANAGER AT CHEW KITCHEN

H I P SHOPS

MATTER WHOLEFOODS

O

turning unsellable fruit and veg into coldwner of Matter Jon Luke press juices to trading directly with an Freeman is all too aware of organic farm to ensure the fairest prices. the reasons people don’t always shop sustainably. He’s Their efforts mean they can afford to sell wholesale as well as to customers, all at also aware, though, of the pretty much the same prices. (You might impact our shopping habits even pay less for some organic veg here can have on the environment. His than regular stuff at the supermarket.) answer? Matter.

It’s not just juices this team make “Matter isn’t just a shop, it’s a themselves; they now have a dedicated movement,” he tells us. “It’s about a belief site in St Werburghs for food production. in a different way of existing.”

Here, you’ll find all sorts being created by Sure, maybe we’ve gone in too early hand, from raw, vegan cheesecakes to with the heavy stuff here; just hear us out. kombucha, chocolate, Matter was founded sauerkraut and soups. four years ago, and it was What: They’re looking into making a bit of an accident, really.

Organic produce and vegan cheeses, too.

Jon has owned the freshly made juices The veg you’ll find at building (which might Where: Matter is always reflective of look tiny from the Greenbank Road, Bristol what’s at its best at the time outside, but is actually BS5 6EZ; 0117 902 1915 of year, and you’ll often see pretty substantial; there’s When: colourful and interesting even a gym space at the Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm; heritage varieties. There are back, which he hopes to Fri & Sat 10am-7.30pm; dry store goods too – from expand the shop into) for Sun 11am-7.30pm pastas and cereals to a decade. It was used, at spreads and baking one point, to hold markets, so Jon decided to open a stall at ingredients – made by respected organic brands from the area and further afield, one, selling organic fruit and veg. like Doves Farm, Essential Trading and “After the second market, I couldn’t return what I didn’t sell to the wholesalers. Clearspring. And Matter runs a veg box service as well, offering delivery of fresh So, the next day, I just put the boxes of what I had left in the front and opened the and organic fruit and veg by electric van.

Allowing people access to good food in doors. It’s grown from there.” this way – stuff that’s healthy, affordable Set in ever-more-popular Easton, the and ethical – is still Jon’s main motivation. shop is all about making organic, “We want to be an example,” he says. sustainable, nutritious food accessible – “We want to show that this is all possible.” with a focus on affordability. The team do matterwholefoods.uk loads to keep their prices down, from

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So, been here long? Just over a year.

And how long have you worked in hospitality now? 12 years; I started as a kitchen porter when I was 14.

What do you like most about being in the industry? That you get to meet fascinating people every day who you wouldn’t usually have the chance to.

Best thing about your current job?

I genuinely look forward to work every day; the job satisfaction is very high here.

And the most challenging part?

Maintaining the high standards of food and service that people love us for.

What kind of relationship does front of house have with the kitchen team here?

Our small team has been hand-picked by Rob and Nicky (the owners), and we’ve all worked together in the past so it’s very friendly both front and back of house.

What are the bestselling dishes? The fresh fishcakes fly off the specials board every time we make them.

If you were a customer today, what would you order? The salt and pepper squid is just too good to miss. And I’d follow with either the lamb rump or Goan fish curry. For dessert it has to be The Kendall – vanilla ice cream topped with espresso coffee and Amaretto.

What do you think makes great customer service? The genuine interest of your server. Every member of staff here is happy when they come to work and it really shows in the service.

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

The Litton, which has been newly renovated, is a great example. The staff seem proud to work there and are always very warm and friendly.

Do you cook much yourself at home?

I have been very lucky to have learned to cook from my mum, Dinah, and a handful of very talented chefs. A current favourite is herb-crumbed chicken schnitzel with a mushroom, garlic and cream sauce. chew.kitchen

We are a funky Japanese Ramen Bar doing handcrafted noodles and broth, using fresh local meats and produce as well as exotic Japanese ingredients.

T: 0117 329 3460 48-52 Baldwin St, Bristol BS1 1QB

S T A R T E R S

In the Larder

1.

THAT’S THE SPIRIT

5.

ALE BE BACK

4.

SOUPER HERO 2.

CHOCA-LOT

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3.

GHEEWHIZ

FEEL-GOOD GRUB

WE’VE BEEN FILLING OUR CUPBOARDS WITH FOOD AND DRINK THAT MAKES US FEEL WARM AND FUZZY INSIDE, BE IT THANKS TO NOURISHMENT OR DECADENCE...

1 THE IVY CENTENARY GIN, £50/70CL The Ivy turned 100 years old in 2017 and, to mark the occasion, it partnered with Chase Distillery to create a celebratory gin. The bar team at the famous London restaurant put their heads together with the Herefordshirebased distillers to come up with a spirit inspired by English ivy; the leaf joins sage, coriander, spruce, bitter almond and juniper on the list of botaincals used. See if you can pick out the whisper of fresh pine and hints of aromatic herbs.

The Ivy Centenary Gin, with its cool Art Deco design, is available for a limited time only at John Lewis in Bristol. johnlewis.com 2 ADAM’S CHOCOLATE £5.75/82G Adam Farag certainly does chocolate differently. Gathering

organic cacao from the highly regarded South American Criollo tree, this chef has developed a pressing method in order to keep his choc 100-percent raw and retain all of the carefully sourced ingredients’ natural goodness.

Rich and aromatic, the chocolate comes in variety of flavours, studded with fruits and nuts.

It’s vegan friendly and ethically made, too. Find it at Better Food in Bristol, and online. adamschocolates.com 3 GHEE EASY, £6/245G Over the last few years, fat has returned to the culinary good books, as people have come to favour natural fats over highly processed alternatives. So it’s about time that ghee stepped into the foodie spotlight, really.

A popular staple in Eastern cooking, ghee can withstand far higher temperatures than

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butter and many vegetable fats, making it a no-brainer for frying and cooking with. Ghee Easy is a natural, organic clarified butter, which has all the flavour and richness of everyone’s favourite dairy product, as well as a whole range of vitamins and omega 3 and 6. Available from Better Food in Bristol. ghee-easy.nl/en 4 NEW COVENT GARDEN SKINNY VEGETABLE ARRABBIATA £2.10/600G With two of your five a day taken care of with one portion, this soup is not only hearty but nice and nutritious, too. It’s based on the classic Italian Arrabbiata pasta dish, and sees rich tomatoes, warming chilli and sweet peppers combined with orzo pasta and ribbons of carrot. With its gentle heat, this is a satisfying soup that’s been

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warming us right up as a winter lunch. Find it in Waitrose in Bath and Bristol. newcoventgardensoup.com 5 DEVITERA BEER, FROM £3/330ML This Wiltshire microbrewery is knocking out some cracking beers. Staying as natural and sustainable as possible, it uses traditionally hand-turned, floormalted barley and whole leaf hops – which are then reused by farmers and gardeners. The main reason we love these beers, though, is (obvs) the taste. We’ve been supping the Pale Ale 01 and American Amber Ale, which have interesting, well-balanced flavours and ABVs that are at the lower end of the craft brew spectrum. Find them at Wolf Wines in Bath, and CW Butchers in Devizes. devitera.co.uk

CAFE KITCHEN Providing young people with special needs training and experience in an award-winning cafe.

Open 8am–4pm Monday to Friday and 9am–12pm Saturday, serving delicious home made cakes, breakfasts, lunch and hot & cold drinks.

We are available for private hire and bookings are available for the meeting room.

Please call Amelia on 01225 838070 Based next to Three Ways Special School, 180 Frome Road, Bath, BA2 5RF

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Six Pack F E E DE R S WE TALK TO SIX LOCAL CATERERS ABOUT THEIR KITCHEN-HOPPING ADVENTURES...

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#1 Stephanie Boote Catering Inspired by the cooking of Britain, Europe and the Middle East, SBC’s food is rustic, honest and reflective of the seasons.

Founded by chef Stephanie Boote (duh) eight years ago, the business now also counts the talented Max Pasetti amongst its number, who’s previously worked in the kitchens of The Yard in Paris, Carousel in London, and our very own Bar Buvette in Bristol. The pair, who are also responsible for the awesome A Tavola pop-ups, are all about fun, inclusive food that’s unpretentious but current. They curate menus of sharing feasts as well as classic plated meals, with dishes running along the lines of lamb chops with cumin, chilli and garlic yoghurt; ricotta ravioli with fresh peas, mint and raw courgette; and radish, white truffle oil, pecorino and celeriac salad. Steph, who gets stuck in with the whole event to make sure everything runs smoothly, has done all kinds of gigs, from creating eight different style curries for an Indian wedding feast, to catering for a family of 20 for a week in a historic castle.

This sure ain’t a lady afraid of a challenge... stephaniebootecatering.com

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#2 Fosters Established way back in 1959, Bristol-based Fosters works to challenge people’s expectations of event food, which (we’ve all been there) can be painfully mediocre – sometimes at best.

They aim to bring restaurant-style food to their diners – be that a small group at a private home or 800 in the middle of a field. Indeed, big numbers are no problem for this lot; every September they make and serve around 150k canapés at the Plymouth University graduation ceremonies, and they’ve done a sit-down meal for 1,600 guests at the Clifton College bicentenary ball. Tom Green, chef director, creates core seasonal menus that the client can use as a starting point to collaborate on their ideal culinary line-up. And with canapés such as octopus ceviche with coriander and pink grapefruit, starters like sea bass with fennel, orange and chilli salad and gazpacho dressing, and mains such as 28-day-aged sirloin with fondant potato and chimichuri, that’s some starting point... fostersevents.co.uk

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S T A R T E R S

#3 Queen and Whippet What do you get when you cross a seasoned fine dining chef with with a pro events manager?

It looks rather like Queen and Whippet – but we think you knew where we were headed there.

Pete Cranston is a classically-trained chef who’s worked in high-end restaurants in London and Edinburgh, while Jo spent her former working life managing events for a record label, meaning she is well-versed in making client visions become a reality. This husband-and-wife team describe their style as “high-end but informal, with an emphasis on sharing”; they combine West Country ingredients with a dash of inspiration from their many travels to create unique menus of refined dishes – from street food feasts to West Country tapas and bangin’ barbecues.

Previous jobs include a three-day, festival-style wedding on a farm in Somerset; a glow-in-thedark summer rave for a cool Bristol corporate; and serving lamb to a father-of-the-bride that he’d reared on his own farm! queenandwhippet.com

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#4 Ebbie’s Kitchen

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With 18 years under her hospitality belt, from working front of house to cooking at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen, Ebbie Burns knows the demands and skills needed to run a smooth, slick catering business. After freelancing in large festival kitchens, and cooking at a variety of local restaurants, Ebbie set up her own business in 2009.

From whipping up top food at Glastonbury to putting on meals in the middle of the woods with no electricity or running water – and from catering for film crews to feeding festival staff – she’s keen to take it all on. After all, “whether the event is an intimate dinner party or Europe’s largest music festival, people still expect goodquality food, delivered on time and at the right temperature,” as Ebbie rightly points out. Her customers help inspire and create her menus, which often include fresh and interesting versions of traditional dishes, as well as her own specialities, such as her popular brownies and apple fritters. ebbieskitchen.co.uk

#5 Caroline Gent Since growing up on a farm in Wiltshire, Caroline has always had a real appreciation for homegrown and wild food, with her parents teaching her how to hunt for everything from edible flowers to mushrooms. As well as lots of foraged ingredients, she uses Somerset-reared lamb and beef, and salads and herbs from her very own kitchen garden. It’s not just life on a farm that taught her the tricks of the trade, though; her travels mean that she’s learned how to make key dishes from the source – think curry in Rajasthan and Thai food on an island in South East Asia.

The company’s head chef Mike Dart has expertise that spreads from street food to elaborate meals – and the pair design their modern menus together. Sure, they can do their thing in a sophisticated kitchen, but Caroline and her team love just as much to work their magic with the grass beneath their feet and a marquee over their heads. carolinegentcatering.com

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#6 Tara’s Table Having changed career to become a chef, Tara cut her teeth in kitchens headed up by the celebrated likes of Barny Haughton and Stephen Markwick. Now, years later, she’s got a well-established, eight-yearold catering company with a tight team of chefs. The defining characteristic of Tara’s food, she’ll tell you, is the time of year that she’s cooking it: “My ethos has always been one of seasonality. It’s honestly the best and the only way I know how to cook.

There is so much joy to be had by eating this way.” High profile jobs have included catering for the Fairtrade Food Awards at the Colston Hall, and the team are adept at creating specialist menus too – such as gluten-free, vegan and raw. A recent job involved a private dinner for a customer who wanted all raw food – but not in the usual vegan style. So this menu included interesting raw and cured meats, including pork marinated in juniper and gin… tarastable.co.uk

S T A R T E R S

TEAM CRUMBS HAS PICKED OUT THE BEST OF THE RECENT BATCH OF COOKERY BOOKS TO GET YOU INSPIRED IN THE KITCHEN THIS MONTH...

DOWNTIME: DELICIOUSNESS AT HOME

Nadine Levy Redzepi (Ebury Press, £27) Nadine Levy Redzepi works at Copenhagen’s famously experimental Noma – her chef husband, René, is co-founder – but this is not a restaurant cookbook, and none of the dishes here will intimidate. Instead, Downtime is full of the stuff she serves at home; clever variations on tried and tested classics, enlivened by unusual flavour combinations and techniques. Tucked in amongst the recipes are useful basics (Nadine’s method for perfect poached eggs, say), and plenty of insight into her life and tastes. (She uses endless butter, for instance, but as little salt as she can get away with.)

There’s definitely a Scandi vibe – salmon roe makes its inevitable appearance – but René is half Yugoslavian, Nadine half English, and their influences and enthusiasms seem boundless: you’re as likely to find the perfect spaghetti sauce or chicken curry recipe here as you are anything involving asparagus or monkfish (though these are present too). Desserts are things like fruit crumbles and apple tarts, each coming with a fun little twist to lift it above the norm. – Matt Bielby

AT MY TABLE: A CELEBRATION OF HOME COOKING

Nigella Lawson (Chatto & Windus, £26) This year marks the 20th anniversary of Nigella’s debut cookbook, How to Eat. Since then, this much-loved cook, writer and TV personality has penned 10 more – of which this is her latest. Accompanied by the BBC TV series of the same name, At My Table continues the evolution of Nigella’s culinary portfolio with more of those achievable, indulgent dishes – perfect for sharing with friends and family – that she’s so well known for. It’s all power to the home cook here, thanks to the relaxed, approachable vibe, easy-to-find ingredients and absence of fancy or fiddly techniques. With everything from whole meals like hake with bacon, peas and cider, to sauces such as golden garlic mayo, sides like salt and vinegar potatoes, and desserts such as no-churn bourbon salted caramel ice cream, this book is really something to get your teeth stuck into.

– Jessica Carter

THE ROAD TO MEXICO

Rick Stein (BBC Books, £26) For the past 20 years or so, Rick Stein’s been cooking his way around the world, taking people on all kinds of culinary journeys. Now he’s turned his attention to the UK’s hottest food trend – Mexican – eating his way from San Francisco through Baja in California to the southernmost tip of Mexico itself, tasting everything from the incredible seafood of the north Pacific coast and the mole of Oaxaca to the spices and salsas of the Yucatan peninsula and Quintana Roo. And, of course, he’s collected plenty of recipes along the way. Viewers of the TV show that this book accompanies will have already seen Rick cooking up some of its 120 dishes, but there are also plenty of recipes not seen on screen within these pages, and they’re accompanied by bright and vibrant

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photography. And with dishes to try like globe artichokes with chipotle mayo, buñuelos with spiced guava syrup, and chicken tinga, it shows its reader that there’s a lot more to Mexican food than just burritos and fajitas.

– Emma Dance

TASTY: LATEST AND GREATEST

(Edbury Press, £16.99) From the people behind online food brand Tasty, this book has no-doubt been eagerly awaited by many hungry home cooks. How might we know this? Well, considering Tasty is the largest food social network in the world, has racked up 65 billion (yep, that’s billion) views of its recipe videos online, and has 19 million followers in the UK alone, it seems like its fan base is already pretty solid.

The book’s glossy pages contain more than 80 of the most popular recipes, covering comfort food, veggie dishes, on-trend eats and party bites – think everything from fried mac ’n’ cheese sticks, sticky pineapple chicken and cauliflowercrust pizzas to Neapolitan brownie bombs and unicorn cheesecake. Down to earth, full of energy and punctuated with the odd cookery hack, this book’s fun, attainable recipes are great for getting young foodies in the kitchen. – Jessica Carter

PATISSERIE MADE SIMPLE

Edd Kimber (Kyle Books, £16.99) It’s been seven (and a bit) years since Edd Kimber was crowned the first ever winner of The Great British Bake Off. In that time he’s bagged his own TV show on Food Network UK, and written three books sharing the secrets to his success. The latest of these is Patisserie Made Simple, which is a celebration of French baking – but using only the sort of equipment that you might actually have in your kitchen, rather than tonnes of expensive or complex kit.

Edd’s covered everything, from the basics of traditional icings, creams and pastries (with step-by-step photography to help you along the way) to desserts and cakes like pistachio and cherry soufflé and crème caramel, and sweet treats including caneles and Kougelhopf. There’s even a ‘masterclass’ chapter, just in case you fancy trying your hand at something worthy of a Bake Off showstopper round! – Emma Dance

Recipe from Downtime: Deliciousness at Home by Nadine Levy Redzepi, (Ebury Press, £27); photography by Ditte Isager

LASANGE WITH SAUSAGE MEATBALLS SERVES 4

When it was our oldest daughter’s turn to have her school playgroup over for dinner, I asked her what she wanted me to make and she requested lasagne.

I’ve never been a huge fan of lasagne, which is usually a bit bland and stuffed with too much melted cheese for my taste, so I challenged myself to create a version that was full of flavour and a bit surprising.

I added a lot of garlic and little balls of sausage in addition to the minced beef, and layered it with a lightly cheesy béchamel sauce, and it really took it to the next level for me. This requires a bit of work, but it serves a big crowd.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE MEAT SAUCE: 90ml extra virgin olive oil 2 onions 8 garlic cloves 800g minced beef 3 x 400g tins peeled plum tomatoes FOR THE BÉCHAMEL: 110g salted butter 70g plain flour 950ml whole milk 450g sweet Italian pork sausages 450g pre-cooked pasta sheets 225g Parmigiano-reggiano cheese, freshly grated METHOD 1 First make the meat sauce: heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Chop the onions, adding them to the pan as you go.

2 Do not stir until the onions are beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they turn a deep golden brown, about 3 minutes more. Crush the garlic cloves with the flat side of your knife and discard the papery skins. Coarsely chop the garlic and stir it into the pan.

3 Push the onion mixture to one side of the pan and

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add 2 more tbsp of the oil. Crumble the minced beef into the pan, avoiding the onions. Let the meat cook for 2 minutes to lightly brown on the bottom. Using a wooden spatula, break up the meat and stir it into the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices and stir to combine, crushing the tomatoes with the spatula.

4 Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until it has thickened slightly, about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the remaining oil. Season to taste. (Stirring in a bit of extra oil will help emulsify the sauce and give it more body.)

5 Preheat the oven to 180C/150F/gas mark 4.

6 Make the béchamel. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and gradually whisk in the flour to make a thick, paste-like roux. Let it bubble for about a minute but don’t let it brown.

Raise the heat to medium.

7 Gradually whisk in the milk. Simmer over a mediumlow heat, whisking often and making sure the bottom doesn’t scorch, until it is lightly thickened and smooth, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt.

8 Place a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings, forming it into small balls. Add them to the pan and cook until they are lightly browned and their fat has rendered. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage balls to the sauce and combine gently.

9 Spread about 240ml of the meat sauce in a 23x33cm baking dish. Top with a layer of lasagne sheets. Cover with about a quarter of the remaining meat sauce, a quarter of the béchamel, and sprinkle with 60g of the Parmigiano. Repeat to make 3 more layers. (You may have lasagne sheets left over.)

Sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano.

10 Bake the lasagne until it is bubbling and browned, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for at least 20 minutes before serving. Don’t cut into the lasagne too soon or it will fall apart when you serve it. Even 20 minutes isn’t too long a resting period, and it will still be hot.

EXCEPTIONAL EVENTS fostersevents.co.uk

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

Beetroot ain’t just for savoury dishes, y’know.

It goes great with chocolate to make a rich, moist sponge cake

H I G H L I G H T S

CLUCK’S SAKE

HOT CLAM!

Recreate this beast of a chicken burger at home Page 26

Check out this Scotch egg with a spicy, seafoody difference...

Page 29

SOUPER WOMAN

Feeling under the weather? Fear not: this one’s for you Page 35 P L U S !

37 That beetroot and chocolate sponge cake...

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FLIPPING The BIRd HAS DAN ALDRIDGE CREATED THE CHICKEN BURGER TO BEAT ALL CHICKEN BURGERS?

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Eat the Bird was created by two mates from the deepest Devon countryside. Originally intended to be a street food concept, it put down roots when Dan Aldridge and Chris Kenny opened a bar and restaurant just under a year ago in Taunton.

“We fry chicken, put it inside a Hobbs House roll and add our own kick ass sauces, creating some of the best, most flavourful gourmet fried chicken around,” explains Dan, a streetfood veteran and the brains behind the food here.

He’d spent six years braving the elements at festivals and events, cooking up seafood delights under the Taste of the West Gold awardwinning Your Plaice Or Mine banner. Last year, though, the time felt right to put down roots and get back inside...

CLUCKING HELL BURGER MAKES 4

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHICKEN: 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp paprika ½ tsp cayenne pepper ½ tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp sea salt 200ml buttermilk 4 x 180g fresh, skinless British chicken breasts, butterflied 100g coarse breadcrumbs, seasoned with an extra bit of all the spices above 500ml rapeseed oil FOR THE ’SLAW: ¼ red cabbage ½ red onion 1 carrot 2 tbsp buttermilk 2 tbsp mayo FOR THE RANCH SAUCE: 1 garlic clove 1 chive 50ml buttermilk 50ml mayo TO SERVE: 4 burger rolls (we use Hobbs House) 150ml buffalo sauce (we make our own, but Frank’s version will work) 16 gherkin slices

aLe matCh niCeLy! Electric Bear NZ session Pale Ale £2.40 (330ml) Angela Mount says: “There are loads of spices and flavours going on in this dish, so I’ve matched it with a beer that is bright, citrusy and lively. This natural, unfiltered number made from New Zealand hops has a freshness that will be just perfect with the spiced chicken, the tangy ’slaw and the creamy dressing.”

METHOD 1 Combine the cumin, paprika, cayenne, pepper, salt and buttermilk, and coat the chicken with it. Leave in a sealed tub in the fridge for at least 4 hours. This helps the chicken stay super moist.

2 While the chicken’s marinating, make the ’slaw. Thinly slice the red cabbage and red onion and grate the carrot. Toss all that into a bowl with the buttermilk and mayo. Season and set aside.

3 For the ranch sauce, purée the garlic, finely chop the chive and mix with the buttermilk and mayo.

4 After 4 hours, grab the chicken and toss it in the breadcrumbs to coat. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3.

5 Heat the oil in the pan on a medium heat and fry each breast individually for 2 minutes each side, or until the crumb starts to brown and crisp up. Then, using a slotted spoon, remove and place on a baking sheet.

6 When all 4 are fried, pop them in the oven for 10-12 minutes (or until they reach an internal temperature of 82C at the thickest point). Then remove and rest the meat for a few minutes.

7 Slice the buns and lightly toast. Then lay a dollop of ’slaw on the bottom of each. Drench the chicken in the buffalo sauce and place on top. Spoon some of the ranch sauce onto the inside of each bun lid and top with 4 gherkin slices. Quickly flip over on top of the chicken and boom; you’ve created a monster.

Eat the Bird, 1 Pegasus Court, Coal Orchard, Taunton TA1 1AE; 01823 252466; eatthebird.co.uk

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CLAMMING UP

THIS RECIPE BY STEVE PENROSE MIGHT TAKE A BIT OF TIME TO KNOCK UP, BUT BOY, WILL IT BE WORTH IT...

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METHOD 1 First make the smoked haddock kedgeree. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7.

2 Skin the smoked haddock and place in a roasting tray along with the double cream. Cover with foil, and bake for 10 minutes. Then leave to one side.

3 Heat the butter and olive oil in a deep, wide pan, then add the red onion. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the onion is soft, add the Arborio rice and bay leaf, and stir. Add the turmeric, nutmeg and cumin to the pan and mix for 1 minute. Now turn the heat up and add the wine. Once this is boiling, add 100ml of the stock and stir in. When the liquid has been absorbed, repeat the process until all the stock has been used.

4 Zest the lemon and add this to the pan with the coriander. Crumble the haddock in, and add the cream it was cooked in. Cook until all the liquid has been absorbed. Season to taste.

SERVES 4 5 Flatten the kedgeree mix out onto some greaseproof paper and leave to cool. Preheat the oven to INGREDIENTS 220C/425F/gas mark 7 once more.

FOR THE KEDGEREE SCOTCH EGG: 6 Add 4 of the eggs to a pan of boiling 2 smoked haddock fillets water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove 100ml double cream from the heat and run under a cold tap 50g unsalted butter straight away. Peel.

2 tbsp olive oil 7 Divide the kedgeree into 4 portions.

1 red onion, finely diced Flatten 1 portion into the palm of your 250g Arborio rice hand, place the boiled egg in the 1 bay leaf middle and fold the mix around it until 1 tsp turmeric the egg is completely covered. Repeat pinch ground nutmeg the process for the remaining eggs. ½ tsp ground cumin 8 Beat the last 4 eggs. Roll each boiled 100ml white wine egg in the flour, then the beaten egg, 500ml fish stock, warm and finally in the breadcrumbs. (For a 1 lemon, zest only firmer Scotch egg you can roll in egg 10g coriander, chopped again and once more through the 8 eggs breadcrumbs.) Once the eggs are all 100g plain flour coated, heat the oil to 190C and deep-fry 120g panko breadcrumbs them for 4 minutes. Finally, place in the oil, for deep frying oven for 8 minutes.

FOR THE CLAM CHOWDER: 9 For the clam chowder, clean the 400g fresh clams clams and chuck any that don’t close 25g butter when tapped. Heat the butter in a 100g smoked streaky bacon, diced deep pan, add the bacon and cook 1 red onion, diced until browned, Now add the onions 250g Maris Piper potatoes, cut into and cook until softened. Next add the 1cm cubes potato, coconut milk, bay leaf, cayenne 1 tin coconut milk pepper and nutmeg. Reduce the heat 1 bay leaf and simmer gently until the potatoes ½ tsp cayenne pepper are cooked but still firm. (A good way pinch nutmeg to test if they are ready is to pierce the 50g spinach potato with a cocktail stick – if easily 25g peas The Christmas Steps, 2 Christmas Steps, Bristol penetrable, then they are done.)

50ml double cream BS1 5BS; 0117 925 3077; thechristmassteps.com 10 Whilst the chowder is cooking, 100ml white wine blanch the spinach in hot water for 20 seconds, remove and ring out any excess liquid.

11 Add the spinach, peas and cream to a blender and purée. Once the chowder is ready, incorporate this purée into it.

Yealands PGR 2016 £13.95, Great Western Wine 12 To finish, place a deep-sided pan with a lid onto a high heat and, Angela Mount says: “A maverick blend of exotic Pinot Gris, once hot, add the clams and wine. Bring to the boil and cover with a lid.

Gewurztraminer and Riesling, this wine bursts with lime, Cook for 2-3 minutes or until all the clams have opened, remove from passion fruit and nectarine character. It’s bold enough to the heat and add to the chowder mix. cope with the Indian spices in the kedgeree, but also the 13 To serve, cut the eggs in half. Divide the chowder between the sweetness of the clam chowder. Intensely fragrant and plates, and place a halved egg on each. We garnish with pea shoots at fruity, with a deliciously clean, dry finish.” the restaurant.

Steve cooks at the awesome Christmas Steps pub in Bristol. Located at the foot of the historic steps themselves, this centuries-old boozer is choc-full of character, thanks to its bare stone walls, huge wooden beams and quirky layout.

Behind the bar you’ll spot a regularly rotating collection of craft beers and great-quality wines. But it’s not all about the drinks; the food menu incorporates fresh and local produce, cooked to a standard well above your average watering hole.

Here, Steve gives us an idea of the kind of grub we can find there, and shows us how to recreate it at home...

SMOKED HADDOCK KEDGEREE SCOTCH EGG WITH SPICY SMOKED BACON AND CLAM CHOWDER

a Grape match!

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The

New Inn

Cask ales • homemade food • stunning views Park Lane, Blagdon, BS40 7SB | Tel: 01761 462 475 | www.newinnblagdon.co.uk

A RIGhT PICKLE

SEAN HORWOOD SHARES A TOP MAKE-AHEAD SEAFOOD DISH… “This is a great winter fish dish: very simple but definitely impressive at a dinner party,” says Sean, head chef at the two AA rosette Restaurant at Centurion in Midsomer Norton. “Sea trout is a chunky fish very similar to salmon; it’s not earthy or bony like regular trout.”

If you are planning to make this for a dinner party, then get organised; the recipe can be done a day in advance, with the fish cooked last minute.

SEA TROUT WITH PICKLED WILD MUSHROOMS AND JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE

Add to a pan with the milk and simmer very gently, making sure they don’t boil over. When they’re soft (this will take around 20-25 minutes) blend them until smooth, and season with salt and pepper.

4 When ready to serve, heat up the purée and warm the mushrooms in a pan. Place a non-stick frying pan on the hob over a medium-high heat and add a good splash of olive oil. Season the trout fillets with salt and pepper, and put them in, skin side down. Gently fry for 3 minutes, then turn over and cook for a further 3 minutes, then turn the heat off, leaving the fish in the pan to finish cooking. Squeeze the lemon juice around the fish (not on the fish).

5 Slice the apples into matchsticks and prepare to plate up.

6 Spoon the purée on the dish first, then place the trout on top. Add some drained mushrooms and scatter over the apple slices and sea herbs (or chervil or picked dill). Drizzle with olive oil and serve. We like this with buttery new potatoes.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS 1 shallot, sliced into rings 100ml cider vinegar 100ml water 100g caster sugar 1 bay leaf 4 dill stalks 1 star anise 1 lemon 3 peppercorns 250g mixed wild mushrooms 500g Jerusalem artichokes 570ml milk (1 pint) 4 x sea trout fillets (approx. 180g each), skin on 1 Granny Smith apple olive oil sea herbs, to garnish (or you could use chervil or dill)

a Grape match!

METHOD 1 To make the pickled mushrooms, put the shallots, vinegar, water, sugar, bay leaf, dill, star anise, zest of the lemon and peppercorns in a pan together, and boil gently for 5 minutes.

2 Whilst the pickling liquid is simmering, wash and chop the wild mushrooms into quarters. Then put them in a heat proof bowl and pour the pickling liquor over. Cover with cling film and leave for at least an hour to soak up the flavour.

3 To make the purée, peel and thinly slice the Jerusalem artichokes.

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Ascheri Gavi di Gavi 2016 £14.95, Great Western Wine Angela Mount says: “This combines the delicacy of sea trout with earthy mushrooms and Jerusalem artichokes.

A Pinot Noir would work, but instead I’m opting for this. It’s elegant, crisp, full of grapefruit and peach, yet with a creamy edge that enhances the richness of the vegetables, and highlights the beauty of the trout.”

Centurion Hotel, Charlton Lane, Midsomer Norton, Radstock BA3 4BD; 01761 417711; centurionhotel.co.uk

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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

OUR TAPAS FAVOURITES Charred Octopus Queen Scallops Pigeon Breasts Baked Quail Lamb Cutlets Rioja Chorizo

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

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

C H E F !

FOR ShORBA!

BRISTOL’S OWN SPICE GIRL KALPNA WOOLF SHARES A SIMPLE, WARMING INDIAN RECIPE THAT’S GREAT FOR WINTER...

This is the vegetarian Indian equivalent of Jewish chicken soup, or Jewish penicillin as it’s commonly called, writes Kalpna, as it is given at any sign of a cold or illness!

In this version, there is no chicken but it is the spices that will warm you in the winter and keep colds at bay. Tempering the spices (cumin, turmeric, ground coriander and mustard seeds) at the end lift this soup’s taste and health properties.

It’s a light, easy, very low-fat, rejuvenating soup.

Cook it slowly, make double and store in the refrigerator for a few days, then feel it reviving you as you eat it. If you are making double, temper the spices when you serve the soup.

Recipe taken from Spice Yourself Slim by Kalpna Woolf (Pavilion Books, £16.99); photos

by Clare Winfield

TIP! ADD PRECOOKED CHICKEN PIECES AT THE END IF YOU

WANT TO BRING SOME PROTEIN TO THIS SOUP. THE CURRY LEAVES ADD A DISTINCTIVE FLAVOUR, BUT IF YOU CAN’T GET THEM JUST LEAVE THEM OUT.

INDIAN REVIVING TOMATO SHORBA SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped ½ small green chilli, finely chopped 1 bay leaf (dried or fresh) ¼ tsp salt 8 large vine tomatoes, roughly chopped 140ml hot water FOR TEMPERING: ½ tsp cumin seeds ¼ tsp black mustard seeds 5-6 fresh curry leaves ½ tsp ground turmeric ½ tsp ground coriander ¼ tsp chilli powder small handful fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

METHOD 1 Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chilli, bay leaf, salt and fresh tomatoes, mix and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

2 Pour in the hot water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. The tomatoes should be completely mashed up, but there should still be some liquid in the pan.

3 Either strain the tomatoes through a sieve until you are left with just the liquid and pour into a saucepan, or blend it all until smooth. If the soup is too thick, add a little more hot water.

4 To temper the spices, heat the oil in a small pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and the curry leaves (if using). When these all start to crackle, quickly add the turmeric, ground coriander and salt to taste. As everything sizzles, pour it over the tomato soup and mix in lightly. Mix in the chopped coriander and serve immediately.

Kalpna will be at Demuths Cookery School on 1 February teaching a class on spices, their health benefits and how to use them; check out the website for more info and to book; demuths.co.uk

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CaKE OF The aRT FOUNDER OF AHH TOOTS TAMARIND GALLIFORD SHARES A SHOW-STOPPING RECIPE WITH US...

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Ahh Toots is a little café in Bristol’s famous St Nicholas Market, and is now coming into its fourth year of baking. Displaying a cart full of tempting bakes, it also serves ace brunches and snacks, such as freshly made sausage rolls and other savoury options – all created by hand in the team’s little shed.

Ahh Toots also makes cakes on commission for all kinds of occasions – and even creates cake-stallations! – for clients in Bristol and beyond.

(These all include plenty of vegan and gluten-free options, of course!)

The impressive bakes the team come up with here take time and patience to achieve – especially when it comes to the decoration, explains Tam. “The ‘crumb coat’ [the first coating of icing] should be quite thin,” she says. “Essentially, it’s what will hold all the crumbs and the cake in place.

So once this has set you can decorate with a second layer of icing, which should remain clean and smooth. Patience and timing is quite a thing with decorating cakes; if each layer hasn’t set you’ll end up pulling the crumbs through – believe me, I know!”

For this recipe, you’ll need a stand mixer (such as a Kenwood or Kitchen Aid) with a balloon whisk attachment. Also, a food processor will make things a lot, lot easier!

CHOCOLATE BEETROOT CAKE (AKA CHOCCY BEETS) SERVES 15

INGREDIENTS 700g cooked, vac-packed beetroot 330g sunflower oil 4 tsp of vanilla extract 9 medium eggs 460g caster sugar 350g plain flour 80g cocoa powder brut (we use 70% and suggest you use the best quality you can get) 4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 100g white chocolate (either chopped into small chunks, or buttons) 400g icing sugar 400g soft butter 250g dark chocolate 125g butter 1 tbsp honey METHOD 1 Preheat the oven to 160C/310F/gas mark 2, and line 2 x 9-inch round tins with baking parchment.

2 In a food processor, blitz the beetroot, sunflower oil and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

3 In the bowl of a mixer, place the eggs and sugar. Whisk with the balloon attachment until the mixture becomes white and fluffy. This process will take a good 10 minutes or so – so don’t be alarmed.

4 While this is whisking, in a separate bowl sieve the plain flour, cocoa powder brut, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

5 When the eggs are lovely and fluffy, add the beetroot mix and continue to whisk for a minute until well combined.

6 Re-sieve the dry ingredients into the egg mix in three parts, folding carefully in after each using a spatula, and making sure you keep the air in the eggs.

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7 When all the ingredients are combined, pour into the lined tins, aiming for an even amount in both. Sprinkle the white chocolate onto the cake mix and place in the oven. Bake for around 45-55 minutes. To check the sponge is cooked, insert a skewer into the centre; if it comes out clean, it’s ready. Leave to cool in the tins, making sure the cake is completely cool before tipping out and decorating.

8 To decorate, sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and beat with the butter until smooth. Sandwich the cakes with the tops together, with a layer of butter icing in the middle. Using a pallet knife, spread a very thin layer of the icing over the top and around the sides, for the crumb coating. Leave to set completely in the fridge, then repeat this until the cake is completely covered, with nice smooth edges.

9 For the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate, butter and honey in a metal bowl over a pan with a little water to make a bain marie. Making sure the metal bowl is not touching the water, place the pan on the heat, stirring until all the ingredients have melted together. Stir until smooth and remove from the heat. The chocolate should be smooth and have a great dropping consistency – but it is important it’s not hot, as it could melt the butter icing. Pour over the cake and leave to set in the fridge.

We choose to decorate with fresh fruit and shards of chocolate.

Ahh Toots, 4-8 Glass Arcade, St Nicholas Market, Bristol BS1 1LJ; 077888 43960; ahhtoots.co.uk

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SBC STEPHANIE BOOTE CATERING EVENTS | PRIVATE DINING | WEDDINGS

Let us help create your special event www.stephaniebootecatering.com

One of the most welcoming and attentive stays in Bath Located just a 10 minute walk from the heart of the historic city of Bath and nestled in seven acres of landscaped gardens is the 18th Century Georgian building of the �ive-star luxury hotel, The Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel.

Our food is quite simply outstanding, awarded with two AA rosettes for excellent quality and Service in The Vellore Restaurant. From our award winning breakfast to delicious evening service, it’s an experience you wouldn’t want to miss.

Indulge yourself on a retreat from the stresses and strains of everyday life and sample one of the most sensuous and healing spas in Bath. We have a hidden haven of refreshing spa treatments, ready to wash away your tension in our state of the art spa.

For details on Packages available please contact us on 01225 476828 or email sales.bathspa@macdonald-hotels.co.uk

M A C D O N A L D B AT H S PA H O T E L

Sydney Road, Bath BA2 6JF 01225 444 424  www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk

Choose your weapons

GET FReSh

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT, THEY SAY. AND HAVING WITNESSED THE FOODSAVER FRESH IN ACTION, MATT BIELBY IS MOUTHING ALONG

What was your New Year’s resolution, then? Mine was to enjoy life to the fullest.

Pfft! Way too wishy-washy! That could mean anything.

Okay, I’ve got another one: to spend more time with family and friends. Almost equally vague! A proper resolution is to lose weight, to save money, to eat more healthily, to be kind to the planet. And to all of those ends, may I introduce the FoodSaver Fresh? It’s a state-of-the-art vacuum sealing solution which, they say, “helps make short-term food storage easier and more convenient than ever.” Just the thing for shedding blubber, squirrelling away quids, snaffling sensibly and giving Mother Earth a big ol’ hug, too.

Okay, I was being vague – but you’re being ridiculous. You’re never going to manage all that… Might.

How? By not binning so much, of course!

Food waste is a hot topic right now, and while agreement on the best ways to stop us all trashing quite so much edible grub isn’t easy come by, the more each of us can do as individuals, the better. As this thing keeps food fresh in the fridge for twice as long as conventional methods like zip-seal bags, cling film and Tupperware, it’ll save you money, save you time, and perhaps make our finite resources go a little further, too.

Time for me to go pfft! now, I think. No, no; bear with. The great thing about FoodSaver Fresh is that it works with just about anything – fresh veggies and leftovers in the fridge; pasta, rice and cereals in the store cupboard; packed lunches when you’re out and about.

I’m just not sure I’d use it. I already have plenty of containers and plastic bags, thank you very much. A-ha! But do they store your food in a vacuum? This thing removes all the air from its speciallydesigned zipper bags and containers, thus preserving both flavour and nutritional goodness for longer. It’s a doddle to use, too – even with just one hand, they say.

So no more wilted, mushy salads?

Indeed not! And since FoodSaver Fresh doesn’t take up much surface space, you can house it right by the fridge, ready to vacuum-seal your grub the minute you get it home. See-through boxes mean you can keep your fridge super-orderly too, as you can see what you’ve got at a glance.

Sounds like I’m living in space, with all this talk of vacuums… Airless voids will soon become your best friends! You’ll be vacuum-packing shampoo for efficient travel, vacuum-packing jewellery to keep it safe from tarnishing, vacuum-packing old comics to save them from yellowing, even vacuum-packing seasonally inappropriate clothing to keep it free of moths.

I don’t have any old comics! Well, many do – and when you think that pristine issues of the first ever Spider-Man story sell for over $1 million (and Superman’s first appearance can reach three times as much!), perhaps you should have invested in a few? (And then vacuum-packed them, of course, to keep them safe.)

I suppose I’ve got a few treasured old magazines tucked away in the loft somewhere… You know what, I’m not even going to go there.

THIS MONTH • QUITE CONTRARY • KILLER KIT

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The FoodSaver Fresh costs £89.99 and is available at Lakeland in Bath and Cribbs Causeway, Bristol; for more, foodsaver.co.uk

House Call

There’s sOmethinG abOut Mary WE PAY A VISIT TO FUN, CREATIVE FOOD PRO MARY CADOGAN – AND FIND HER KITCHEN TO BE VERY MUCH OF THE SAME CHARACTER...

WORDS BY JESSICA CARTER PHOTOS BY MATT AUSTIN

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H O U S E

C A L L

w

herever Mary Cadogan goes, in whatever location or scenario she finds herself, you can bet that some culinary cause or other will follow her there. Or, wait – is it the other way around? It’s difficult to tell...

You see, food is properly embedded in this countrydweller’s life, and is the prefix to many an adjective that describes her: writer, editor, teacher, stylist and – most prominently – fanatic.

It was when she was working in food publishing in London that Mary – along with her husband, Mick – decided to up sticks to the other side of the Channel, making the French countryside home for ten years. There she established a residential cookery school, where she would teach and Mick would take their groups on visits to neighbouring producers to see ingredients being made.

Having returned to home soil a couple of years ago, the pair chose to set up camp in the Mendips (“we wanted to be close to Bath and Bristol – near a bit of the action”), eventually finding a quirky little cottage in the village of Croscombe.

“I just walked in and thought, ‘Oh God, I could really live here’. We fell in love with it,” Mary tells us over a cuppa and some freshly baked madeleines. “I think the house found us, rather than the other way around!”

Built in 1750, the stone cottage now gracefully blends the old with the new, especially in the kitchen, which spills out of its original space into the extension Mary and Mick added after they moved in. Large windows look out on the spacious east-facing garden, meaning the room is woken each morning by a flood of light as the sun rises.

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H O U S E

C A L L

KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL My most prized kitchen item is a battered 1950s kitchen cupboard I bought when we lived in France.

It’s now my favourite thing in the kitchen. (The baguette drawer is brilliant for storing rolling pins!)

I couldn’t live without my Magimix, which I use virtually every day.

Three words to describe my kitchen would be rustic, practical, and joyful.

My kitchen is awesome because it’s where I feel the happiest.

If I could change one thing it would be to have more shelf space to display all my French vintage cookware.

An unexpected item in my cupboard is Bird’s Custard Powder. An essential accompaniment to the steamed puds my husband loves so much, and very, very good in biscuits.

One thing my kitchen is used for that doesn’t involve cooking or eating is dancing.

Five people I’d invite to my dinner party, dead or alive are Ken Loach, Michelle Obama, Daniel Day-Lewis, Elvis and Jane Grigson – might be fun!

My secret kitchen skill is making pâte de fruit using fruit from my garden – I’ve finally perfected the art of it.

My go-to recipe is Greek lamb with orzo – a brilliant crowd-pleasing meal that never lets me down.

I don’t really have a guilty pleasure as food doesn’t make me feel guilty, though I am sometimes a bit shamefaced after eating a whole bar of chocolate straight from the fridge...

I couldn’t ever give up potatoes. It’s in my Irish genes, I’m afraid.

My favourite condiment is Espelette pepper – it’s a very aromatic type of chilli grown in the Basque region of France. I put it in everything from scrambled eggs to pasta sauces – it’s really worth having a look for it on your next trip to France.

This weekend I’m going to rustle up pomegranate molasses chicken with farro salad, roasted butternut and tons of herbs. Fresh, healthy and super tasty.

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DRINKS BRADLEYSJUICE.CO.UK

01934 822356 info@bradleysjuice.co.uk

GET IN TOUCH TO ARRANGE FREE SAMPLES!

H O U S E

C A L L

Having never planned where she’d be living on her return, or what she’d take up once she was here, Mary somehow now finds herself heading up the local quarterly market, running regular supper clubs at The Cross at Croscombe, and holding bespoke cookery workshops from the very kitchen we stand chatting to her in.

If you ever find yourself at one of those classes, here’s a challenge; try and find an object in her kitchen that doesn’t have a story attached to it. Every piece of furniture we remarked on was reclaimed, upcycled or made from scratch. For example, all the unit doors and drawer fronts (which were actually mounted on basic Ikea carcasses) were crafted by carpenter Mick, and modelled on one of the few items that Mary insisted on bringing back from France with her. This vintage cupboard (complete with baguette storage, no less) had been sanded down, repainted and treated to new handles and a new metal top. Fitting perfectly in its new home, the rounded edges of its doors give it an individual look and bring a whisper of ’50s style to the room – now, of course, echoed throughout the rest of the kitchen storage, too.

“I didn’t want my kitchen to be fitted,” Mary tells us. “I wanted it to be more individual. And it’s sort of just evolved over time.”

Individual it certainly is – you’d be hard pushed to find anything off-the-shelf in this characterful room. There’s a small kitchen island that had been rescued after being left to ruin in a neighbour’s garden; a wall-mounted plate rack that was being chucked out by a friend; shelves – now lined with carefully labelled Kilner jars of dry-store ingredients – made of old church pews; a school classroom desk (complete with cheeky graffiti) as a rustic prep table; wine crates from France that have been fashioned into a wine rack; and a repurposed lab sink in the utility room.

And the worktops? Hazard a guess? Rescued from a skip, where they were residing after being ripped out of Croydon College’s science lab, natch...

Mary’s next supper clubs at The Cross at Croscombe are on 29 March and 4 May, and the next market is on 10 March, 10am-2pm, at the Croscombe village hall; marycadogan.co.uk

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HONEY AND VANILLA MADELEINES MAKES 16

INGREDIENTS 100g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 100g caster sugar 100g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing 1 whole egg, yolk and white separated, plus 1 egg white 1 tbsp clear honey (preferably acacia) 1 tsp vanilla extract 16 raspberries (fresh or frozen) icing sugar, for dusting METHOD 1 Heat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Butter 16 madeleine moulds (or use tartlet tins if you don’t have the moulds) and dust lightly with flour.

2 Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl. Put the butter, egg yolk, honey and vanilla into a separate bowl and whisk with a fork to combine. Whisk the two egg whites until stiff. Fold the butter mixture into the dry ingredients until evenly mixed, then fold in the egg whites in two batches, using one of the whisk blades.

3 Divide between the prepared moulds and press a raspberry lightly into the centre of each. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.

Leave to cool in the tins for a couple of minutes, then turn out and cool on a wire rack. Dust lightly with icing sugar to serve.

PLENTY MORE FISH IN THE SEA

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R E S TA U R A N T

A fresh new take on classic British and Chinese takeaway cuisine.

Hand prepared from 100% plant based & organic ingredients!

OPENING HOURS Tuesday - Saturday 5pm - 9:30pm MATTER FASTFOODS 660 Fishponds Road, Bristol BS16 3HJ 0117 9655050 matterbristol@gmail.com www.matterfastfoods.com

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A R M O U R Y

The Want List AS WE’VE BEEN LOOKING AT MEAL HACKS THIS ISSUE, THE TEAM HAVE GONE ON THE HUNT FOR TOOLS TO MAKE ALL KITCHEN JOBS EASY PEASY...

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1 BAMBOO WOK CLEANING BRUSH £3.50 This traditional bamboo brush will care for your wok’s seasoned base; just use it simply with hot water to get rid of any food while preserving that non-stick layer.

Find it online at Sous Chef. souschef.co.uk 2 TYPHOON SEASONINGS MEZZALUNA £6 Not that nimble with a knife? This handy mezzaluna will make short work of chopping. If Nigella uses one, then we’re keen too. Find this ’un at Leekes in Melksham. leekes.co.uk 3 OXO GOOD GRIPS POTATO RICER £23.99 Make lumpy mash a thing of the past. Squeeze yer boiled spuds through this and you’ll have a perfectly silky consistency every time – minimal elbow grease required. Get this chap from Lakeland in Bath or Bristol. lakeland.co.uk 4 JOSEPH JOSEPH SPICE STORE CAROUSEL £36 Organise your spices to they’re always to hand; this 10-piece set of airtight glass jars is perfect – and it’s down from £45! Get it from Gardiner Haskins in Bristol. gardinerhaskins.co.uk 5 MICROPLANE HERB MILL £24.95 The razor-sharp blades in this bad boy making herb chopping a breeze. No knife or board required – just load up and twist. It can strip leaves from the stem easily, too. This one’s from Kitchens in Bath and Bristol. steamer.co.uk

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Private Chef Service & Corporate Event Caterer

A Winter Supper

Friday 26 th January 2 018 at Spike Is land Café Tickets avai lable through W riggle

Seasonal and responsibly sourced produce

Food that tugs at your heartstrings. f Tara’s Table

a Taras_Table

taraclist

0117 962 1770 / 07740 683149 tara@tarastable.co.uk www.tarastable.co.uk

THE OLD STATION INN & CARRIAGE RESTAURANT

01761 452228

Wells Road | Hallatrow | Somerset | BS39 6EN www.theoldstationandcarriage.co.uk

BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

CRAFT BEER & COCKTAILS

On the riverside, Taunton 01823 252466 | info@eatthebird.co.uk x eatthebird a tw_eatthebird

PUB • RESTAURANT • ROOMS Dine in our elegant Pullman carriage restaurant, in our bustling eclectic pub or even al fresco in our large beer garden... Whatever your mood or occasion there will always be a warm welcome and fantastic food.

M AI N S TOP CULINARY CAUSES, FAB FOOD DESTINATIONS, AND INSIDER KNOWLEDGE

H I G H L I G H T

DINNERTIME DILEMMA?

Foodie shortcuts for speedy suppers Page 55

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Bristol’ s first totally vegan delivery service

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.

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PUB • RESTAURANT • FUNCTION ROOM • ACCOMMODATION

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wt We deliver tasty suppers throughout central Bristol from Tuesday to Saturday.

Did you know we now offer a new meal plan subscription service? Visit our website for more details!

Check out our website at millergreen.co.uk 07910 765649 sue@millergreen.co.uk

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

Hand-Cooked Gourmet Ready Meals

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ders ial or for Spec n e k a rt es unde parti r e n n s di t n e v and e

“A taste of France in your freezer” Order your meals through our online shop with free local delivery in the Bath area for orders over £35. Free delivery in Bristol for orders over £50.

Local British ingredients * No additives * No preservatives No colouring * Large choice of gluten free meals

3-4 St Saviours Road, Larkhall, Bath, BA1 6RT Open: Tues - Sat 9am - 5pm T: 01225 312 959 E: info@macuisine.co.uk

www.macuisine.co.uk

M A I N S

MEAL hACKS

FOR THE DAYS WHEN YOU’RE FEELING THE NEED FOR SPEED IN THE KITCHEN (HEY, WE ALL HAVE ’EM), HERE ARE EIGHT OF OUR FAVE LOCAL FOODIE FIXES. HONESTLY, IT’S FINE; READ FIRST AND THANK US LATER...

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1 TAKING IT SLOW It’s definitely still the season for warm, hearty dinners of stews and casseroles – and these brand new Slow Cook Sauces by Bristol-based Bay Tree allows you rustle them up with minimal fuss. There are five in the range, including Rustic Cider and Apple Stew; Classic Minted Hotpot; and this, the Hearty Bourguignon. Giving options for both speedy and slow-cooked preparation, all they need is to be poured into your pot before adding your chosen meat – no chopping, minimal shopping and barely any washing up required. Bosh. Helping to make the short nights and winter chills that bit more bearable, they’re a great way to make a meal of leftover meat or more affordable cuts, too. Find ’em at the likes of Larkhall Butchers, Newton Farm Foods and Neston Farm Shop, as well as online. thebaytree.co.uk

2 V-FORCE Trying to up yer veg intake in 2018? Or maybe you’re keen to rein in your meat consumption? Either way, Miller Green’s meal delivery service is well worth a gander.

Working from a kitchen in Cotham, this team cooks up fresh and flavoursome vegan meals from scratch, before delivering them across central Bristol. The menus change all the time, but meals range from curries and stews to lasagne, pies and mac ’n’ cheese, made with their very own own cashew cheese sauce. Great for light lunches or hearty dinners, these meals simply need heating up before you tuck in, and range from £5.50 to £8.50. There are salads and dips too (including homemade coconut milk yoghurt) as well as cakes and treats. Check out the website for menus, and to place your order. millergreen.co.uk

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5 BOX FRESH The dishes you can make from Riverford’s recipe boxes have been created by experienced pro chefs and cookery writers who know how to get the most from the organic produce grown across Riverford’s farms. The contents of the boxes change each week, and you can view what’s in each one before ordering. Options include Original, Quick, and Quick and Light (either two meals for two people, or three meals for two people), and all have vegetarian variations. The recipe cards will tell you exactly what you need to do, and with all the ingredients already carefully weighed out, you’ll have a freshly cooked, generously sized feast in no time – not to mention a collection of recipes to use again for inspiration. riverford.co.uk

3 TOTALLY POTTY

4 PLANTING THE SEED

Watmuff & Beckett was formed by two school mates, Andrew Watmuff and Michael Beckett, and puts underloved produce from British farmers to work in tasty soups and risottos. Supporting growers by using the wonky veg that retailers don’t want, this Frome-based company comes up with great quality, nutritious heatand-eat meals in pots that can be ready to scoff in a jiffy. The range includes Perfect Pea and Fresh Mint Soup; Sweet Potato, Carrot and Ginger Soup; Spiced Pancetta and Red Pepper Risotto; and Wild Mushroom, Lemon and Thyme Risotto – and everything is gluten-free, too. Just the ticket for a wholesome lunch at work, we reckon. Available online from Ocado. watmuffandbeckett.co.uk

Glo Foods was founded as a result of busy parents Will and Kelly’s struggle adapting to their new vegan lifestyle. Checking labels for hidden ingredients and learning new dishes and recipes made the transition a challenging one – and one that they wanted to make easier for others. So, they founded Glo: an online vegan grocery shop. Not only do they sell vegan produce, but also meal packages, where you can choose a recipe and add whichever ingredients you need for it to your basket, omitting what you already have in your cupoards. Then, when it all gets delivered with the recipe card, you’re good to go. There are breakfasts, lunches and dinners available, and most BA and BS postcodes enjoy a reduced delivery rate. Happy days! glofoods.co.uk

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6 READY, SET, GO There are two menus of ready-made meals to choose from on the Gourmet Vegan Catering website: a fixed menu of firm favourites and a weekly changing list of specials. All you, dear potential customer, need to do is choose whether you want the three-, five-, or ten-meal option, and then pick which dishes you fancy. (You’ll find the likes of potato-topped root veg and bean hotpot, roast veg lasange, and Moroccan chickpea tagine with couscous.) Once you’ve made your decision, you can text or email your order to the team who’ll then confirm all’s a-okay. They’ll get cooking it for you by hand in their Bristol kitchen before dropping the lot off at your door on Sunday.

Meals come in either oven-proof foils or microwave containers, ready to heat up and chow down on throughout the week. No more post-work cop-out dinners, hey? gourmetvegancatering.co.uk

7 KITTED OUT Founded in 2015 by three West Country school mates, Mindful Chef now delivers thousands of recipe kits nationwide. The dishes these guys come up with for their food boxes are all about nutrition, focusing on vegetables and high-quality meat – and leaving out pasta, white rice and bread. The produce in these boxes – veg, fruit, meat, eggs and dairy – all comes with high ethical standards (most from right here in the South West), and is delivered to you in as little as 24 hours after leaving the farm it comes from. Expect dishes such as Sri Lankan coconut prawn curry, Spanish chicken with cavolo nero and black olives, and miso and edamame burgers with peanut ’slaw in yer box. Even better, everything only takes about half an hour to prepare. Winner. mindfulchef.com

8 OH LA LA! Ever seen the words ‘French’ and ‘gourmet’ combined with ‘ready meals’ before? You probably haven’t heard of Ma Cuisine, then.

French chef Christophe Lacroix makes quality meals from scratch in the company’s Bath kitchen, before portioning and freezing them – to keep them as fresh, nutritious and flavoursome as possible. They’re made from great ingredients – such as meat from the Crumbs Award-winning Larkhall Butchers – and steer well clear of any unnatural additives or preservatives. Customers can order online and have their meals delivered, or pop into the shop in Larkhall to browse and buy. You’ll find creations such as bouillabaisse and beef bourguignon, and there’s a selection of mini meals for kids, too. macuisine.co.uk

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CATERERS - WEDDINGS, CORPORATE, CREW & FILM, PARTIES

FRESH SEASONAL FOOD. SIMPLY PREPARED CATERING IN SOMERSET, WILTSHIRE, BRISTOL, BATH, FROME & LONDON

Ebbie’s Kitchen is a unique catering company providing delicious fresh, seasonal and nutritious food for clients, wherever they choose.

Whether you’re planning a product launch or a wedding, producing a film or putting on a festival; Ebbie’s Kitchen has an enthusiastic and experienced team ready to indulge and delight your guests.

E: EBBIE@EBBIESKITCHEN.CO.UK T: 01373 813187 | M: 07782369896 WWW.EBBIESKITCHEN.CO.UK

THE

CAKERY ARTISAN COFFEE CUSTOM MADE CAKES FRESH BREAD

Open daily serving brunch, lunch and evening food. Sunday roasts served 2-8pm. Vegetarian and vegan options available, and our chefs can cater for all dietary requirements.

Open Monday to Saturday 9am to 11pm, Sunday 9am to 10pm Our kitchen is open daily serving brunch 9-3pm, lunch 12-3pm, and dinner 5.30-9.30pm (5.30-9pm on Sundays).

www.themalago.club  eatout@themalago.club 220 North Street, Southville, BS3 1JD  0117 963 9044

Gluten free, dairy free and vegan options available 21 Claverton buildings, Bath BA2 4LD tel 07891 211852 email thecakery-@hotmail.com b The Cakery  @TheCakeryBath  thecakerybath www.thecakerybath.co.uk

A F T E RS NEW RESTAURANTS DEVOURED, NEW CAFÉS FREQUENTED, NEW BARS CRAWLED, AND WHAT WE THOUGHT OF THEM

H I G H L I G H T S

GLOBAL GATHERING

We check out the world tapas at Rosa Page 64

BY THE BOOK

Dinner at North Street’s popular Old Bookshop Page 67

HOMEWARD BOUND

We took a seat by the cracking fire at this warm village pub...

Fine dining at Bath’s Homewood Park Page 70

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In the kitchen, Tim Denny is at the helm.

He’s worked at the likes of José Pizarro in London, and was the guy behind the popular Star and Dove in Totterdown, and draws on his travels and extensive cookery experience to put together a collection of dishes that aim to blend familiar favourites with lesser-seen options. Along with Nathan Kelly (from The Historical Dining Rooms and the Michelin-starred Pony and Trap) and the rest of the brigade of chefs, he’s putting global cookery techniques to work with British ingredients to create authentic and imaginative food.

The space, while still recognisable as The Townhouse, is now styled as much more of a classic, intimate tapas bar, with bare stone walls, moodily dim lighting, and cosy tables for two at the front near the bar. The back has larger candlelit tables, which are great for groups.

( T O P TA PA S )

ROSA A WELL-ESTABLISHED BRISTOL RESTAURANT OUTFIT IS TRYING SOMETHING NEW, FINDS JESSICA CARTER

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ast year, the Zazu’s Kitchen group announced it was selling off its Bristol restaurants on North Street and Gloucester Road to concentrate on its pubs (the team runs the likes of The Grace and The Greenbank, amongst others). Then a few months later, at the end of October 2017, the guys opened this new bar on Whiteladies Road, at the former Townhouse site.

It was inspired by a conversation the owners had with chef Ferran Adria (who

was responsible for the world-renowned, three-Michelin-starred El Bulli restaurant in Catalonia) during a trip to Barcelona. The topic of conversation? ‘World tapas.’

As you’d expect, given that information, this place cooks up dishes that rep countries from all over the globe, in the form of bar snacks, pintxos, and sharing plates. (That is, apart from on Sundays, when roasts are very much the order of the day. And with those being so popular at the group’s other sites, you can be pretty confident they’re going to be on the money here too.)

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At the aforementioned bar you’ll spot plenty of locally made refreshments from the likes of Wiper and True, Lost and Grounded, Good Chemistry, Psychopomp and Extract, as well as wines from all over the world, and even Japanese sake.

The menu is spilt into sections of meat, fish and veg (the latter having the largest number of dishes), and jumps from British comfort food (macaroni cheese spiked with beer) to Middle Eastern-style spiced flatbread with yoghurt and Spanish bomba rice. There’s a handful of dishes that are cooked over coals, too – prawns, quail and a rib of beef to share.

A glass of that sake – which is super sipable, with lots of fruity apple notes – and some homemade bread with paprika butter (£4) kept us going until the food began to arrive. It’s served, as tapas usually is, as and when it’s ready.

Safe to say, Korean fried chicken is officially a thing these days (just compare how many versions we have on Bristol menus now to the situation this time last year) and this latest example (£6.50) saw a decent number of wings piled in a bowl and coated with lashings of sticky red glaze.

The meat from the bone was moist and well cooked, while the sauce’s balance of sour, sweet and savoury flavours made it super moreish and had us licking our fingers and ready for more. A good start.

A steamed bao (£6) came folded over a filling of flaky, tender oxtail with crisp shoestring shallots and miso mayo, which delivered a nicely salty punch. ’Fraid the bun itself wasn’t great though, being more stodgy and dense than light and pillowy.

The burratina (£6.50) made a fan out of my mate – the soft ball of cheese had a gently salty, milky flavour that was punctuated nicely with tangy picked mooli – and the patatas bravas (£5.50) was as carby and comforting as we hoped, seeing hefty wedges of potato topped with a delicately spicy tomato sauce. Curls of squid (£6.50) were coated in a crisp and well-seasoned batter, the meat’s texture nice and firm without being chewy (although it tasted a little earthy as opposed to mild and sweet), and a tomatoey ragu with chunks of pumpkin and artichoke (£5.50) proved to be hearty and rich with red wine.

Rosa is a fun restaurant that’s not afraid to experiment – and doesn’t take itself too seriously. This attitude isn’t just apparent in the dishes, but also the energetic, young, friendly team, who know their food and drink offering well, and properly looked after us. Casual and social, it’s a great shout for gettogethers and groups with different tastes in food, whether you just want drinks and a few nibbles, or lots of interesting plates to pass around and talk about. Rest assured, the conversation will flow.

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Rosa, 85 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2NT; 0117 973 9302; rosabristol.co.uk

LE SA !

R ON TE W IN O W N Premium, Sleek, German Engineered - Luxury Kitchens at competitive prices!

Why choose Kutchenhaus? We are the largest retailer of quality German engineered kitchens, delivering pre-built luxury kitchens at a competitive price. Manufactured in Germany, our kitchens come to you directly from the factory. Visit our showroom to start designing your dream kitchen

Free Designs • Free Quotations • All Kitchens delivered Pre-built

Find us Inside Clifton Down Shopping Centre, Whiteladies Road, Clifton BS8 2NN

Opening times Monday - Saturday: 9.30am - 5.30pm Sunday: 10.00am - 4.00pm

Contact Email: BR.sales@kutchenhaus.co.uk Tel: 0117 2130680

Manchester . York . Sutton Coldfield . Bristol . Farnborough . Brentwood . Aberdeen Tunbridge Wells . Beverley . Exeter . Chichester . High Wycombe . Liverpool . London - West End . London - North

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

THE OLD BOOKSHOP THERE’S BEEN ANOTHER CHANGE IN THE KITCHEN AT THIS KOOKY NORTH STREET BAR OF LATE, SAYS JESSICA CARTER

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A F T E R S

O

kay, full disclosure here: The Old Bookshop is my local. Well, it was my local, but old habits die hard, and since I moved a little further from North Street I still probably go there as often (if not more) than my actual nearest pub.

It’s been just over six years since it opened in Bedminster, and the venue, as well as the stretch of road on which it perches, looks very different now, in 2018. Originally just occupying the very corner of the building, the tiny bar and kitchen launched in the autumn and was a pretty immediate hit, thanks largely to its curious style (you can spot everything from taxidermy and vintage typewriters to a hanging glass rack fashioned out of trumpets) and great small plate menu.

(It’s also, in my opinion anyway, one of the best-value places to drink on North Street – you’ll get a good few coins back from a fiver for a decent glass of wine or pint of craft beer.)

Once it had established itself and locals were in the know, bagging yourself a table here became challenging, to say the least.

Eventually, though, the biz acquired the site next door and expanded into it.

The food offering has changed up quite a few times, as different kitchen teams have come and gone. There was even a spell of pop-up residencies by the likes of Gopal’s

Curry Shack and Burger Theory. Most recently, though, Nick Delgado has taken the helm for the long-term, having moved just a few doors down from sister venue The Old Butcher’s.

The Old Bookshop has a weekly calendar of events, with quizzes, DJ nights, and drinks deals happening on the regular, as well as occasional live music. Although this was a down day, the bar was still healthily full; the nearby venues which have cropped up since this place opened (The Hare, The Steam Crane, North Street Standard and the aforementioned Old Butcher’s) giving people plenty of reason to head to this short stretch, whether they live nearby or not.

It’s a versatile little spot that punters treat as a quiet pub, buzzy bar and quirky restaurant, depending on the mood or occasion. The kitchen team have, then, had to be a bit clever to make sure the food offering works for any of these instances.

Main meals are served all day, and have a pub-like feel – we’re talking fish and chips and burgers – and in the evening they’re joined by decidedly less pub-ish small plates. Meaning you can rock up for a pint and a burger, or go a bit more off-piste with a medley of modern British-style dishes.

The seared scallop ‘ceviche’ (£7) wasn’t a ceviche in the trad sense, as the scallops were (obvs) cooked as well as cured.

This gave them an extra whisper of flavour and allowed ’em to be served in their full,

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plump form (as opposed to in super-thin slices), which made the most of their creamy, sweet flesh. Their platefellows worked to contrast that; sharp red onion, crisp and peppery radish, cubes of silky avocado, and kernels of earthy popcorn.

The buttery Jerusalem artichokes (£5) came caramelised around the edges and topped with salty Parmesan – which melted into and seasoned them nicely – and a scattering of deep-green pistachios. The Brussels sprouts and pearl barley (£5), meanwhile, made a great wintry plate of earthy flavours. The sprouts, dark golden in parts, maintained the critical crunch, and were lifted by sharp apple purée, while the barley and almonds echoed their nuttiness.

From the mains came the beef bone marrow burger (£12). If you, like me, are a bit of a burger purist, this is a solid choice: sandwiched in a soft, shiny brioche bun, the beef was topped simply with cheese, tangy pickle, sharp rings of onion, and garlic mayo. A juicy, flavoursome patty like this one calls for toppings (and therefore distractions) to be kept to a minimum.

The quality, fuss-free food that the team are knocking up here really fits the bill for one of South Bristol’s most well-known and characterful neighbourhood bars.

The Old Bookshop, 65 North Street, Bristol BS3 1ES; 0117 953 5222; theoldbookshop.co.uk

The

Imagined in the 19th Century, Established in the 21st

YOUNG, AIRSHIP CAPTAIN SEEKS COMPANIONSHIP.

A

dventurous Captain of the Royal Air Navy, seeks smart young lady for intellectual conversation and cocktails.

To meet at The Clockwork Rose on the evening of Wednesday 14th February 2018AD. I shall be wearing my dress uniform and carrying a red rose, you will be carrying a white rose.

Capt. Sebastian Commodore HMAS Nautimore

16 St Stephens Street Bristol BS1 1JR 01179276869 theclockworkrose.com thecaptain@theclockworkrose.com

(HISTORIC HOTELS)

HOMEWOOD PARK JUST ON THE EDGE OF BATH, THIS MANOR HOUSE AIMS TO GIVE A REAL OUT-OF-TOWN EXPERIENCE, FINDS DAN IZZARD

I

like to think of a menu as a tasty short story. Jerusalem artichoke five ways?

Yes, I’ll be able to get my teeth right into that chapter. But we all know that every good story needs to start by setting the right scene...

Homewood Park is one such scene. Just six miles out of Bath, this 13th-century manor house makes you feel like you’re travelling to another century rather than another postcode. It’s Scott Galloway who has the duty, as head chef, of creating dishes that do the beautiful surroundings justice.

On arrival, we got ourselves comfortable in the Taittinger Champagne lounge (as one does), and sat listening to the crackle

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of the fireplace until we got talking to the food and beverage manager, Stefanel Vieru, about the beautiful bar and impressive array of spirits.

My partner in crime and the night’s designated driver (thanks #DryJanuary) supped an elaborate virgin French Martini with pineapple press and fresh raspberries.

Its thick smoothie-like base and shot of sweetness made it a drink to savour and ensured it lasted just as long as my not-sovirgin cranberry Mojito.

When it comes to the food, Scott brings experience from Michael Caines’ ABode, The Royal Crescent Hotel and Lower Slaughter Manor. Add a smattering of

A F T E R S

gastropubs to the CV and you’re left with someone who can twist traditional dishes into something pretty unusual. He works with Homewood’s head of maintenance to bring in herbs and other foraged ingredients, giving things a sense of inventiveness that’s most appreciated while in the dark depths of January, bringing colour and excitement to the winter harvest.

Soon enough, we were seated in the high-ceilinged dining room. The sculpted, crushed velvet chairs were almost wingback in style, and so comfy that it was clear they’re designed for leisurely dining. Good stuff: we were in no hurry, and there was a lengthy conversation on the romantic subject of damp-proofing to be had.

An almond scone with smoked salmon and cream cheese amuse-bouche soon appeared. The scones had eagerly risen to outgrow the usual mouthful, and took more than a few bites to see away.

After the sweetness of our cocktails, the house Merlot hit me in the chops with its dry, earthy character. It turned out to be a fine buddy for my starter of pigeon leg and breast, too (£8.50). The breast, which was moist for the most part, had been cooked skin side down for edges that curled skyward. The accompanying leg, shredded and deep-fried, was fatty and moreish on the inside, crisp on the outside. It all sat on a vibrant pink mix of barley and beetroot, a pleasant texture, if outgunned by the flavour of the meat.

I checked tasting notes with my teetotal companion. Her scallops (£12.50) were served with artichoke and lardo, and retained their delicate sweet taste and translucence. I wanted to swap plates but I’d already finished off my pigeon; I don’t think I’d have got a lift home if I’d insisted.

The rack of lamb (£26.50) was accompanied by burnt roscoff onions, satsuma, pecan nuts and red wine, as well as a rectangle of rich and cheesy potato dauphinoise. The lamb was tender and moist, with the very edges of the fat rendered crisp. This was an occasion to assemble that perfect mouthful; I speared the most tender piece of lamb I could find onto my fork with a hunk of potato, balancing a pine nut atop the whole thing, and repeated the ritual until the entire lot was gone.

Seizing the opportunity for a #FoodPorn moment, I wielded my phone ready to capture the crack of the rum and raisin crème brûlée (£8.50). The top, though,

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was either thinner than expected, or I don’t know my own strength, as the spoon sailed straight through the caramel lid and made a deep divot, uncovering some hidden raisins in its depths. The loosely set custard was light and velvety, full of vanilla and creaminess. The chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream (£8.50) fared better though, the choc bursting from the sides.

Homewood is about the whole experience: the history, the grounds, the spa and, of course, the restaurant. It’s somewhere to forget about your bulging email inbox (and post-Christmas waistline) and treat yourself to some classic British fine dining.

Homewood Park Hotel & Spa, Abbey Lane, Freshford, Bath BA2 7TB; 01225 723731; homewoodpark.co.uk

A F T E R S

( G R E AT G A S T R O P U B S )

THE PELICAN INN MONDAY MOTIVATION RECENTLY CAME IN THE FORM OF A PUB LUNCH IN THE COUNTRYSIDE FOR LUCKY JESSICA CARTER...

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O

ne of the things I love about Bristol is how you can be in an urban nucleus one minute, and totally surrounded by greenery the next. There are a number of rural villages peppered around the lush, grassy borders of the city, of which Chew Magna is one. Complete with miles of rolling scenery, pretty listed buildings, a river running through the middle and, of course, Chew Valley Lake, it’s an ace spot to head for a bit of relief from the city.

And when I say it’s just outside the borders, I mean it; it took less than 20 minutes to get to from South Bristol by car.

And guess what? There was even parking right on the road outside. Never get that in the city...

The Pelican is another Butcombe pub: the South West-born brewery, which is celebrating its 40th birthday this year, has been expanding its portfolio recently, with a collection of pubs all over the area (most with BA and BS postcodes), each with a rather individual character.

The Pelly, as we’re told its loyal locals call it, stands right on the edge of the road, the white painted exterior, leaded sash windows and swinging sign above the door all painting the picture of a classic British boozer. Inside, golden glowing fairy lights line the bar and windows, giving a real warmth to the drinking and dining areas.

Underfoot are weathered boards, and the tables are made out of bare wood, too, for a rustic feel. At either end of the room are stone fireplaces, where fires were popping and crackling like good ’uns when we arrived on a bitter Monday lunchtime, while a local read the day’s paper in front of their heat, pint in hand.

Each of the Butcombe pubs I’ve been to has had a bit of a different style to the next – some more than others, granted – and this is reflected in their menus, too. The bill of fare here is not long and complicated, but is a selection to please hungry regulars who want a fuss-free feed, and visitors after a meal with a bit more sense of occasion.

Starters might include smoked mackerel pâté and pickled cucumber, venison Carpaccio, and spiced squash soup, while mains vary from pub classics such as burgers and fish and chips, to more gastropub-style plates, like pork belly with caramelised apple, and fig and onion tart with goat’s cheese.

There were a couple of specials on when we visited too, so Mr Clarke (that’s right – our very own Wine Guy) went off-menu for his starter and ordered the cauliflower soup (£6) from the blackboard. The bread had a thin, crisp crust and a fluffy interior, flecked with fresh herbs. The silky soup was earthy and comforting, containing hunks of mushroom. A drizzle of truffle oil added new levels of flavour and gave a wee whisper of luxury to a humble-sounding winter soup.

My mushroom Duxelles (£7) came spread on top of a thin puff-pastry base that flaked nicely into the finest of layers when pulled apart with my knife and fork. A perfectly-poached egg spilled its golden centre over all of that, while a hollandaise had been spooned on top of the lot, coating it with rich butteriness.

The Duxelles mixture itself was perhaps a tad too rich and salty for me personally, but everything else was as you’d hope.

Mr C’s roasted cod fillet (£15.50) was pearly white and had a great flakey texture, and its accompanying mustard sauce was delicate enough to not overpower the fish. The confit leek and Cheddar potato cake – which was a little lacklustre and dry, unfortunately – came topped with another oozy poached egg.

My braised feather blade of beef (£16) arrived as a very generous chunk of uber-soft, flaky meat. The layers of fat had rendered down into an almost melting consistency, and the meat just collapsed at the mere mention of a fork.

Moist, with a hint of sweetness from the caramelised outer, it was a dream. The fondant potato was less dreamy, though – again, rather dry and lacking in flavour, even with the accompanying gravy – but the baby onions gave tangy bursts of relief from that lovely rich meat, and the red wine sauce hugged everything together.

After an obligatory sticky toffee pudding (£6) with ice cream and custard (ah, yeah), we got some caffeine on board and headed back to the city, vowing to return to the village with four-legged Crumb (Prudence the basset hound) in tow for a nice walk. And, let’s face it, we’ll probably stop for a pint at this friendly, homely pub too.

The Pelican Inn, 10 South Parade, Chew Magna, Bristol BS40 8SL; 01275 331 777; butcombe.com

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L I T T L E

B L A C K

B O O K

JaveOn

SEE IF YOU CAN SPOT THIS LOCAL MUSICIAN AT ANY OF HIS FAVOURITE FOODIE HANGOUTS THIS MONTH...

BELTING BRUNCH? I quite often end up in Boston Tea Party for brunch. I always get The Boss fry up (minus the black pudding), or the Scotch pancakes with bacon. So good!

BEST BREW? Favourite place to get a cuppa would have to be Department of Coffee and Social Affairs in Quakers Friars; really, really tasty coffee – and cakes!

QUICK PINT? There are quite a few places I like to go for a swift one, but for a leisurely pint it’s always The Hillgrove.

TOP BURGER? Burger Theory was my favourite for a long time and is still up there (the halloumi fries are crazy good too!). But like with most people I know, Oowee has stolen my number one spot – and it’s only a stone’s throw away from me.

POSH NOSH? I don’t think it’s that posh, but it definitely isn’t cheap: The Ox on Corn Street and Whiteladies Road has some of the best steak I’ve had in Bristol.

TOP TAKEAWAY? Quite simply: Ray’s Pizza.

STREET FOOD? I’m a little late to the party on this one as they have been about for a few years now, but Chilli Daddy is so good! I love good-quality spicy food, so this place gets my vote. (Plus you get loads for just over a fiver.)

HIDDEN GEM? Strawberry Thief. This place is tucked right away; it looks great, does great drinks, and their jerk chicken is one of the best I’ve had in Bristol. soundcloud.com/javeonmusic

QUICK! Now add this little lot to your contacts book...

• Boston Tea Party; bostonteaparty.co.uk • Department of Coffee and Social Affairs, Bristol BS1 3EU; departmentofcoffee.com • The Hillgrove, Bristol BS2 8LT; dawkins-ales.co.uk

WITH MATES? Beerd on St Michael’s Hill is a shout and a half; they have such good pizza, and a great selection of craft beer.

• Burger Theory, Bristol BS1 1JX; burgertheory.co.uk • Oowee, Bristol BS6 5QA; ooweediner.com

WITH FAMILY? I’ve always enjoyed Aqua, but after trying Caribbean Croft a few times I think this could be a new family favourite!

• The Ox, Bristol BS1 1HT; theoxbristol.com • Beerd, Bristol BS2 8DB; beerdbristol.com • Aqua; aqua-restaurant.com • Caribbean Croft, Bristol BS1 3QD; caribbeancroft.co.uk

BEST ATMOSPHERE? Hyde & Co doesn’t get that busy as they don’t let tonnes of people in, but it’s always got such an enjoyable vibe when I’m there.

GREAT VALUE? The Urban Standard is great value for money. I haven’t been there in a while as there is just so much about at the moment, but it’s definitely one of my top spots!

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• Hyde & Co, Bristol BS8 1JY; hydeand.co • Ray’s Pizza at The Crofters Rights, Bristol BS1 3RW; croftersrights.co.uk • The Urban Standard, Bristol BS7 8AD; theurbanstandard.co.uk • Chilli Daddy, Bristol BS1 1RA; chillidaddy.com • The Strawberry Thief, Bristol BS1 2HG; strawberrythiefbar.com

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