12 minute read
Food & Drink
Food & Drink Nineteen south Wiltshire pubs voted into latest CAMRA good beer guide
Ian Turner (left), chairman of the Salisbury & S. Wilts branch of CAMRA, presents a Good Beer Guide certificate to Martin Crane, landlord of The Pheasant, Salisbury, and his wife Julie. Photograph: Roger Braddick
NINETEEN pubs in Salisbury and south Wiltshire have been voted into the 50th edition of the Good Beer Guide published by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). They were selected for the Good Beer Guide by local CAMRA members with personal experience of pubs in the area.
The pubs include The Pheasant Inn in Salt Lane, Salisbury whose landlord, Martin Crane and his wife Julie were presented with their Good Beer Guide certificate by Ian Turner, chairman of the Salisbury & South Wilts branch of CAMRA.
“We are delighted to be voted into the Good Beer Guide,” said Martin, who has been at The Pheasant for three years. “I go to a lot of trouble to keep my beers just right. Freshness, a minimal stock and regular cleaning are all crucial.”
The Pheasant also serves a range of excellent traditional English food from its kitchen, which is run by Julie. Martin is a hugely experienced landlord having been in the pub trade for 29 years, 14 of them in Salisbury. The Cranes took over The Pheasant in November 2019, just four months before the Covid-19 pandemic began. He admits that running a pub has been tough going, first with the periods of lockdown resulting from Covid and now with soaring energy prices.
Ian Turner, chairman of the Salisbury & South Wilts branch of CAMRA, said: “We are lucky to have so many good pubs in the area and inclusion in the Good Beer Guide is a tremendous accolade for the very best of them. The Pheasant is an excellent example of a really cracking good local with a selection of well-kept real ales.”
Altogether, 140 pubs in the area covered by the Salisbury & South Wilts Branch of CAMRA were eligible for inclusion in Britain’s premier guide to real ale, with CAMRA members choosing only the top 19.
The full list of south Wiltshire pubs can be found in the 2023 edition of the Good Beer Guide. The 50th edition of the guide has been updated to make it more user-friendly and accessible. As well as 4,500 of the best real ale pubs in Great Britain, it includes a comprehensive breweries section. The guide costs £16.99 plus postage and packing and is available from the CAMRA website. https://shop1.camra.org.uk/product/the-good-beer-guide-2023/
The Carriers Arms is travellers choice
THE Carriers Arms, Stockton has been recognised by Tripadvisor as a 2022 Travellers’ Choice award winner.
The award celebrates businesses that have received great traveller reviews from diners around the globe on Tripadvisor over the last 12 months. As challenging as the past year was, The Carriers Arms stood out by consistently delivering positive experiences to diners.
Landlords David and Karen Foster, said: “Having taken over the pub in January we were keen to bring the excellent cuisine and hospitality that we had built a reputation for at The Bell Inn in Wylye to The Carriers Arms. Repairing the reputation of the pub as one that welcomes all guests that walk through our doors was a high priority and this award demonstrates that we have achieved this.
“Of course, hospitality is nothing without a great food offer and we are blessed to have an outstanding mother and son chef team Karen and Joe who produce wholesome food that is always a hit with our customers.
“We endeavour to source ingredients locally, with our meats coming from Walter Rose (Devizes), our fish and seafood from Premier Fish in Downton and fresh vegetables from Harvest Fine Foods. We adopt the same approach with our drinks offer with gin supplied by Spirit of Codford, lager and pale from the Blonde Brothers in Steeple Langford, cask ale from Keystone Brewery in Berwick St Leonard and, of course, there is usually a cask ale that we produce ourselves on sale.
“We would like to thank all of our customers who have taken the time to write such positive reviews for us. We are glad that they enjoyed the hospitality that we offer and it is reassuring to know that the hard-work and changes that we have made to The Carriers Arms are appreciated.”
Kanika Soni, chief commercial officer at Tripadvisor, said: “Congratulations to the 2022 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Winners. The awards recognise the best in tourism and hospitality, according to those who matter most: your guests. Ranking among the Travellers’ Choice winners is always tough – but never more so than this year as we emerge from the pandemic. Whether it’s using new technology, implementing safety measures, or hiring outstanding staff,
“I’m impressed by the steps you’ve taken to meet travellers’ new demands. You’ve adapted brilliantly in the face of adversity.”
Food & Drink
Tis the season of winter warmers and the wonder of whiskey liqueurs
Words by Neil Henty
YOU’LL have noticed the weather has turned. Yes, I know it’s still pouring with rain, but it’s definitely got windier and chillier. At home, the question of turning the heating on has been asked more than once and rugs and blankets are populating the living room.
This time of year is preparation season, or should that be preservation season... We tackled sloe gin in the first issue but there is no reason not to experiment further. Bottle of spirit, some fruit lying around, a bit of sugar in the cupboard. It’s a recipe for something, that’s for sure.
While I do like a good whiskey, I have on occasion been known to drink a bad one or two, but that’s another story. Vodka lends itself well to steeping fruit that can gradually imbue the clear spirit with its colour and taste, but other spirits are less easily tamed.
Gin is tricky because of the many botanicals all fighting for your taste buds. Whiskey is another beast altogether. There are some who like a mixer. We’ll move on quickly.
There are also some who insist on a drop of room temperature water to help open up the oils.
But for want of winter warmer there are a number of ways to combine fruit and whiskey to arrive at a very pleasant sipping drink.
I first came across a whiskey ginger liqueur from the Lyme Bay Winery. It was a little bit of a revelation. A birthday present I wasn’t expecting that became a staple whenever I was passing that way.
The ginger and whiskey worked well together, tempered with an overtone of honey.
I always thought I would like to make my own version and there are quite a few recipes out there. My favourite so far comes from the Larder Love website. Essentially, most recipes call for whiskey, citrus fruits, root ginger and sugar.
Some, like the Larder Love version, require a herb as well, in this case a stick of rosemary.
Measurements vary depending on just how much citrus twist you prefer. You can use any combination of orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit (pink or red). Likewise, sugar can be replaced by honey though you might want to experiment with the quantity.
It is a fairly quick liqueur to make, both in terms of preparation time and how long it takes before you can enjoy it.
Recipe
So, if we base our drink on the Larder Love recipe, you will need: 500ml scotch whisky 1 unwaxed orange 1 unwaxed lemon 1 unwaxed lime (or you can swap one out for grapefruit) 2cm piece of fresh root ginger, grated (again, adjust for taste) A sprig of fresh rosemary (optional) 225g granulated sugar or an equivalent amount of honey.
You’ll also need a 1ltr kilner jar. Make sure you get a good one that has a strong seal as you’ll be shaking the mixture everyday for a week, and you don’t want to let the liquid escape (I speak from bitter, or rather sweet, experience).
Have your jar (sterilised first) ready. Pop in the rosemary stick if using, pour in the whiskey (use whatever you prefer here), pour in the sugar or honey. Peel and grate the ginger then add to the jar. For each citrus fruit, pare the rind, then add that and the juice to the jar.
Seal the jar and give it a good, vigorous shake. Then place it in a cool, dark cupboard. Every day for the first week, shake, shake, shake, really giving it a good going over. The aim is to dissolve the sugar into the liquid.
Once all the sugar has dissolved, leave the jar alone for another week (if you can for two more weeks, I know, I didn’t). Then strain through a muslin cloth into a pouring jug and use a funnel to fill your chosen storage bottles.
A delicious winter warmer that even non-whiskey fans will enjoy (responsibly, of course).
Tasty vegetable broth, quick and easy
IF you want to be fancy you could call this a pot au feu sans beouf. Raymond Blancis a big fan of the beefy broth version, but you can make a hearty version using seasonal chunky vegetables.
And it is pretty easy. I’m sure the beef version in a Paris restaurant would require approximately 4 days and 74 stages just to get the stock right, but there’s a cost of living crisis and winter is coming.
You can adapt this anyway you wish. Different vegetables (squash, swede etc) cut in different ways, different stocks and seasoning. Parsnips are in their prime right now, so make use of this often underappreciated veg. You want all the hard veg to be cut roughly the same size.
Recipe
2 large carrots, peeled and cut 2 large leeks, white and light-green parts only 2 large or 3 medium parsnips, peeled, halved lengthwise if large 1/2 medium head of savoy cabbage, cut into 4 wedges, each with some core attached 2 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, plus 1tbsp chopped for an optional garnish Just over a 1ltr of chicken stock/broth or vegetable stock if you want the recipe to be fully vegetarian/vegan Salt and pepper to season.
What to do
Simply put all of the vegetables, parsley sprig and stock into a large heavy pot and bring it to the boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender but not falling apart.
This stage takes approximately 20 minutes. Once cooked, season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley (if you wish).
A hearty, super tasty vegetable broth, with no beef in sight.
Food & Drink
Parsnips are healthy and hearty
HEALTH benefits of parsnips A source of potassium, fibre and vitamin C, one 80g serving is one of your five-a-day.
Parsnips are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre and can help promote healthy digestion. They promote a good mix of beneficial gut microbes and are good for gut-related problems such as reflex.
There are certain diets that advise avoiding root vegetables because of their simple carb content. But when eaten whole, their fibre and water content may help to curb appetite.
They are a good source of active plant compounds such as flavonoids that have antiinflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-cancer properties and can help modulate blood pressure (think heart healthy). Which sounds like a very good reason to roast some parsnips or make some parsnip soup.
They might even make you feel good. Falcarinol can protect against fungal infection and have a calming effect. One serving contains a fifth of your daily vitamin C and contains a powerful package of antioxidants as well.
Add to that an assortment of minerals such as calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. What’s not to love?
Market Square move paying off for city sandwich bar
Words and photo by Tristan Ovington
SINCE its move to the market square in March this year, the Naked Bagel sandwich bar has gone from strength to strength.
Owner Rory Clark said of the move: “I established Naked Bagel in June 2019. I had spent the last 10 years as a chef and wanted to start my own business in the food sector and the time was right.
“After two years, we had the opportunity to move as our lease was up. We took the gamble of moving to the market square during the pandemic.
“This was the first year without Covid restrictions, and so far we have been really pleased with Salisbury’s reaction to our move to a more visible location. We can now accommodate people inside and out with seating. We had many BBQs and other events over the summer with the extra space.”
How does Rory keep the menu as fresh as the ingredients? “Our menu is always evolving and being updated. We regularly have specials and new additions, like the healthy but filling poke bowls, which have been very popular as a hot offering.”
And new additions to the menu aren’t all Rory has planned for the future. “We now have a full alcohol licence and are planning monthly food challenges, more BBQ’s in the market square M next spring and the Bush Tucker Trial, which involves trying many different delicacies you will never have tasted before. It almost becomes an endurance challenge, like I’m A Celebrity! It takes place at Naked Bagel on November 24 and costs £5 to enter.”
Rory’s passion for bagels doesn’t end there. “The future is looking great. And we are expanding to external catering with weddings booked already. We advise people to book us while you can, as you never know how busy we will be in the future.” 01722 697642
Owner Rory Clark has credited the C Y CM MY CY CMY K The White Horse Quidhampton Lower Road, Quidhampton, Salisbury SP2 9AS 01722 744448
Traditional English pub serving homemade food and a wide variety of drinks Quiz Night every month Wednesday Lunch Seniors’ Lunch DealFish Row Oct 22 Quarter Page Advert.pdf 2 20/10/2022 13:54:31
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