Food Glue

Tom Hibberd & Stephanie Muzzall

This issue: Essen

Time for a brows(e)

There's been brilliant street art everywhere in Beeston for some time now, and now there is a gallery! One for eyebrows though. In what used to be Barnsdale's/Dawson's butchers, next door to another confusingly named shop.

You can't bank on it

Nat West bank closed their doors at the end of January, and all manner of interesting stuff has been removed from it, particularly the safes. One thing is for certain - you won't be able to get any cash out of this hole in the wall.

Slow movement

The highly anticipated public conveniences are slowly taking shape, but still not open for 'business' yet. There has been much talk about the length of time the job has taken, the excuse being that the building materials used are bog standard.

Take a stroll from the centre of Beeston towards the University, and you’ll find a place that transports me back to my childhood memories of holidays in Europe. Open the door, walk in and you are lovingly enveloped by the soft smells of cheese and cured meat. My mind wanders back to the small village Charcuteries and Fromageries that dotted the French landscape in the 1980s and 1990s and all the wonderful memories that those bring. I’m sure many of you feel the same.

The place in question is Essen General Store located at 103A High Road. Run by co-proprietors and suitably effervescent personalities Sam and Ed. Many of you will be asking ‘what is a general store?’ Checking out their website they say… ‘We specialise in cheese, charcuterie, natural wine & a wide array of artisan food. Our aim is to share our love of food & drink with you’. To you and me it’s a large Deli with seating and an extensive range of natural wines and craft beer to drink in and take away. To go with their cheese and charcuterie counters there are beautiful products for foodies that are also ideal for gifts.

The cheese fridge is the highlight of the store and is positively cosmopolitan featuring a wide range of styles from all over Europe and many from the British Isles. It’s well worth coming in and talking about what you like with Sam and Ed as they’ll able to guide you through their extensive selection. I do remember many conversations had on local social media suggesting that Beeston needed a good cheesemonger, well at long last we have one! No cheap supermarket cheddar or plastic cheese here. Sam and Ed have curated a selection of small batch cheeses, lovingly made by small producers and the prices and flavours reflect that. A little goes a long way

Children and well behaved dogs are very welcome to come in and sit with you, from experience, you may want to bring something soft for your dog (or child for that matter) to lounge on while you enjoy yourself as the floors are quite hard.

Interior

Essen is decorated in a modern industrial or Scandinavian style with exposed wood, metal and concrete. Unlike some shops which can be left somewhat stark with this treatment Essen has been softened with warm lighting, plants from another local Little Plant Guys and a cheery yellow floor. It looks very inviting on a cold winter evening, as does the outside seating on a balmy summers day. There are a few separate tables and stools at the bar however the highlight is the central long galley style table that can accommodate large groups. It’s also ideal for sharing notes about your meal with other cheese lovers that you may encounter when you sit down.

Menu

The menu consists of small plates and sharing platters with a separate sandwich board. Vegans and vegetarians will find options to suit though of course cheese features heavily! The current menu is available to view on their website and changes with the seasons/availability.

I choose the three cheese kimchi toastie from the sandwich selection served with house pickles and a jalapeño jam. The sharp pickles and jam contrasted wonderfully with the rich warming cheese interior. The bread was sourdough with an incredible crust and open texture that allows the cheese to ooze through and infuse into the surrounding bread.

To accompany my toastie I choose a pint of Cheese Riot, a 3% pale table beer in a Belgian style from local Nottingham Brewery Black Iris. Brewed in collaboration with Essen to accompany a lot of cheese! Despite featuring a low alcohol content it remains very tasty, tangy and refreshing (and not cheesy). Essen generally have four craft keg beers on tap although the range will change depending on what’s available and what they fancy.

I’m always impressed by the eclectic selection of top quality alcohol free beers and soft drinks available including Kombuchas, flavoured soda and fruit juices. There’s also filter coffee and a tea selection if you feel like something warmer.

If you want a little slice of continental life in a relaxing and welcoming environment then take the short trip to Essen and indulge yourself.