Crumbs Bath & Bristol - Issue 82

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NOV2E0M18BER

ISSUE 82 NOVEMBER 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 MATT L IN C O L N

ART DIRECTOR

TREVOR GILHAM ADVERTISING MANAGER

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

ALISTAIR TAYLOR alistair.taylor@mediaclash.co.uk

COd it be maGiC?

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE

NATALIE BRERETON natalie.brereton@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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WELL , THAT WAS a blast. The Crumbs Awards went off at the Bristol Old Vic on a recent Sunday (a mere five days ago as I write – yes, I’m still rather sleepy) and the buzz is yet to die down at HQ. It was our second year and, I think it’s safe to say, topped our inaugural 2017 event in style. The night was packed with comedy, live music and, most importantly of course, great food and drink – and the people behind it.

We filled up on deep-fried truffled mac and cheese, crab claws and cake (okay, and a couple of gins too), before hearing who our judges had chosen to be the recipients of those coveted trophies. We hope you were there, partying with us, but if you weren’t, then fret not – we’ll be giving you the full low down on the champs in due course...

For now, though, let’s turn our attentions to this here magazine. It’s our last one before the Christmas issue (and isn’t that hurtling towards us like punters to the pub at 5.30pm on a Friday?), so we’ve taken the liberty of compiling a festive gift guide so you can get ahead with that shopping you’ve probably been avoiding thinking about.

This year, I’ve not only resolved to be more organised (I admit it: as everyone’s down by the tree waiting eagerly to get stuck into the Buck’s Fizz on Christmas morning, I’m still upstairs, wrapping their presents with haste), but also to go easy on the whole gifting affair. Last year, eBay conducted a study and predicted that we’d received 115 million unwanted C-presents in the UK, worth more than £2 billion. So, instead of buying someone a handful of little things they might quite like, I’m going to find just one really great gift – referring to the aforementioned guide on p57, obvs.

Anyway, more talk of Christmas next time – for now, why don’t you gift yourself a cup of tea and a bit of downtime to get stuck into our November issue?

This month we’ve tested out the new Coconut Tree, had a preview of the new-look Hole in the Wall, and eaten at the brand new Koffman and Mr White’s.

Jessica Carter, Editor jessica.carter@mediaclash.co.uk Did you know we have an app? You can read both 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.82 NOVEMBER 2018

STARTERS 08 HERO INGREDIENT Cod goals 12 OPENINGS ETC Word on the foodie street 19 MUCH TO DO Eat your way through November CHEF! Amazing recipes from the region’s kitchens and cooks 26 Merguez cassoulet,

by Rosemary Shrager 29 Celeriac hash browns,

by Jack Scarterfield 32 Squash panzanella,

by Anna Shepherd 35 Halva brownies,

by Edwina Bruford ADDITIONAL RECIPES

10 Bacalao a bras,

by Freddy Bird 21 Pork and cider stew,

by Gill Meller 50 Lamb keema,

by Navina Bartlett

KITCHEN ARMOURY 45 CRUMBS COOKS WITH Navina Bartlett, founder of Coconut Chilli MAINS 57 X-RATED Xmas gifts for all the food lovers in your life 64 EAT LIKE A KING We go on a foodie adventure in Kingham AFTERS New and notable restaurants, cafés and bars 74 The Bear and Swan 77 Riverstation 80 Shelburne Restaurant PLUS! 82 LITTLE BLACK BOOK Colin Moody shares his local culinary knowledge with us

10 November

STA RT E Rs INNOVATIONS, REVELATIONS AND TASTY AMUSE-BOUCHES

AVERYS CELEBRATION OF WINE There will be more than 100 wines for guests to taste at this annual event, including new vintages, novel varieties and well-loved classics. Taking place at Bristol Grammar School over two sessions, the tasting will give guests the opportunity to meet the producers as well as the Averys team. Tickets are £25 and can be bought on the website. averys.com

16 November

PASETTI AND BOOTE DINNER AT THE FORGE Bristol-based event-catering duo Stephanie Boote and Max Pasetti are back at The Forge this evening, serving up a three-course menu of seasonal vegetarian dishes in this beautiful venue.

Guests can also expect snacks and a welcome drink before the meal proper, and a carefully chosen selection of wines will be available to buy, too. Tickets £45. pasettiandboote.com

17-18 November TABLE MATES

Aimed at children between five and 11 years old, this piece of foodie theatre centres on three different cooks, who each tell a story with the dishes they prepare for one another. Staged at The Egg theatre in Bath, performances start at 11.30am and 3pm on both days. Tickets are £9 for adults and £8 for children. theatreroyal.org.uk

REMEMBER, REMEMBER...

22 November

LUCKNAM PARK POP UP AT BATH COLLEGE

...TO GET TO ONE OF THESE FOOD AND DRINK EVENTS THIS NOVEMBER!

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M I C HA E L S I NC L A I R

Michelin-starred and Crumbs Awardwinning chef Hywel Jones will be swapping his kitchen at Lucknam for that of the Bath College’s Shrubbery restaurant for one night only. Catering students will work alongside him to help serve a four-course menu of his signature dishes. Tickets are £50; to book, email shrubberyrestaurant@bathcollege.ac.uk or call 01225 328 502. bathcollege.ac.uk

cod

MEATY, VERSATILE AND DELICIOUS, COD IS PERHAPS BRITAIN’S FAVOURITE FISH, AND WITH STOCKS NOW GETTING HEALTHY AGAIN – COD WILLING! – THIS SWEET, FLAKEY FLESH IS BACK ON THE MENU. IT’S TIME WE ALL JOINED THE COD SQUAD…

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nce upon a time, just a handful of fish were Friday supper staples – cod in the south, haddock in the north – but things have changed. Partly it’s because our tastes have widened exponentially, and partly it’s because change has been forced upon us – by ourselves. The basic problem was that we pulled too many whitefish – cod especially – out of the sea, so had to look elsewhere. We’ll get to this in a moment, but the good news is that stocks are now recovering, and cod is legitimately and sustainably back on our radar. And hurrah for that, because it’s healthy, gorgeous, and a great gateway fish for those (kids especially) who might find other swimmers just a little bit too challengingly ‘fishy’.

COD IS THE common name for a whole bunch of closely aligned species in the family Gadidae and its near relatives, but the most important are Atlantic cod and Pacific cod; both render delicious, rather dense white flesh of sweet, mild flavour, as well as such handy bi-products as cod liver oil. Being rich in B vitamins as well as blood-thinning omega-3 fatty acids, any true cod is a total win as a lean, low-calorie protein source.

Atlantic cod, of course, is the one we care most about – that fish and chip shop classic, with its distinctive white go-faster stripe down the side, a total excess of fins (three big ones along the top and two whoppers

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S T A R T E R S

along the bottom), and its pronounced chin barbel, like a little fleshy goatee beard. (Not a fashion statement, these are actually used in each cod’s hunt for food.) Cod live in the colder parts of the North Atlantic, and change colour depending on how deep they linger – grey-green is common, but you can also get a sort of reddish brown. They’re sociable fish, spawning in early spring in the North Sea and near the Isle of Man, the Outer Hebrides, and in the Bristol Channel. (It sounds like quite a sight – a dominant male will grunt loudly to attract a mate, then swim upside down beneath her in circles, the two never actually touching but the sea between them awash with eggs and sperm.)

Eating small crabs and the like on the sea bed, baby cod have grown to six inches by the end of their first year, and a little under two feet by age three or four. Really big ones can reach over 2m and 100kg however, by which point they’ll tackle just about anything – mackerel, squid, mussels, sand eels, herrings, lobsters – they come across, short of a whale. They’re perfectly happy gobbling down their own young too, which they’ll come across hanging around on that sea bed where there’s plenty to eat.

Cod are important predators then, but never get quite big enough to be safe from being eaten themselves – by sharks, by seals, by us (of course), and by a rather stomach-churning array of parasites. Not that we want to put you off – even if your cod is harbouring a cod worm, they can’t hurt people, even mild cooking or freezing kills them, and experts tend to regard them like soil on a lettuce. Still, though: yuck.

THE VIKINGS OF the first century AD spread dried cod – or ‘cliff-fish’, as they called it – across Europe, and others soon started targeting cod, too: the Portuguese, the Basques, the British, the French. In large part, the east coast of America thrives because of the healthy cod stocks there – you’d be hard pushed to find a major New England city not situated right on top of a good cod fishing ground – and you’ll still find the ‘Sacred Cod of Massachusetts’, a painted five-foot wooden codfish, hanging in Boston’s House of Representatives chamber. Long before Columbus, it was Scandinavians chasing cod stocks who were the first Europeans to visit North America, and the entire exploration and colonisation of the New World, from Canada to the Caribbean, was fuelled by cod.

America has much to be thankful for geographically, and New England is especially lucky, for it always had plenty of natural harbours and a seemingly endless supply of cod living right on its doorstep. On our side of the Atlantic, cod tend to gather far from population centres – off the largely empty northern coasts of Norway, or in the deep North Atlantic – but not so America. Of course, this means that people have historically fought over cod fishing rights there. The British, French and new American colonists danced around each other over the cod trade off Newfoundland and Massachusetts, while the ‘Cod Wars’ between Britain and Iceland in the North Atlantic brought the battles nearer home.

With all this industrial-strength fishing, though, the inevitable finally happened in the 1990s, when cod numbers collapsed everywhere.

Though cod are the oceanic equivalent of rabbits, and breed eagerly and easily, people had simply taken too many. No species would have been able to replace the numbers we’d become so good at hauling out of the water, and a shocked Canada reckoned only one percent of their usual cod stocks remained. Cue a hugely reduced fishery and desperately slow recovery, climate change hardly helping, on both sides of the Atlantic.

For us, the collapse was mildly less horrific but still bad; North Sea cod had been overfished since at least the ’70s, and as recently as 2006 stocks were still dangerously low. Many painful measures later, though, things have finally recovered to the point where the Marine Stewardship Council has now fully certified local cod fishing as sustainable once again.

NOW COD IS back, though, how should we eat it? Luckily, it’s very versatile. The most popular cuts are fillets and steaks, which can be batter-fried, roasted, poached, grilled, pan-fried or baked; this is generally a quick, easy fish to cook, and goes brilliantly with its traditional accompaniments: parsley sauces, lemon wedges and chunky chips.

As with all fish, you want the freshest you can get; if buying the whole beast, look for one that’s firm to the touch with bright, clear eyes, strikingly red gills, and none of that off-putting ‘fishy’ smell. In terms of

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cooking, less is more – and you should generally err on the side of caution, risking undercooking rather than overcooking. Whatever method you use, though, the end result should be flaky, sweet, beautifully white, of subtle flavour and still with a hint of cod’s pleasantly oily texture.

Like other whitefish, cod is often served with cheese or butter sauces, but it does well in a tomato sauce too, or paired with olives, capers and other Mediterranean flavours. As well as batter, a crumb coating works and, because it’s quite sweet, cod goes brilliantly with contrasting salty meats – like bacon, chorizo, pancetta or pork belly. (Chorizo and cod are a classic Spanish coupling.) Cod does well teamed with prawns and other shellfish in fish pies, fishcakes or fish stews like bouillabaisse – the rich sauces bounce off it perfectly, and it holds its shape when cooked – and it loves a carb: chips, of course, or rice, noodles, or a sticky mash. We tend not to barbecue much fish in the UK, but that works too.

COD IS A proper comfort food, you might be thinking, and you’d be right – but it rewards a bolder approach, too. How about marinating it Japanese-style in miso paste, soy sauce or sweet rice wine? Or trying a South American ceviche, that zingy dish of raw fish marinated in salt, citrus juices and chilli for just 10 minutes or so? This is a fish that stands up to the strong spices and flavours of Indian cooking, too; coconut and cod may sound strange, for instance, but it really works.

Another way you can get a little braver is by swerving your standard fillets, steaks and loins, and going for some of cod’s more unusual cuts instead – perhaps not milt (or cod sperm, a Japanese and Korean delicacy), but certainly cheap, delicious cod cheeks. These juicy, chunky little nuggets of flesh, almost like scallops, can be bought separately or as part of a whole fish, and can be sautéed or added to a stir fry. They adore flavours like garlic, ginger or chilli, take just a few minutes to do, and show an admirable dedication to barbel-to-fin cooking.

CRUMBSMAG.COM

R E C I P E

FREDDY BIRD ROPES IN A MATE FOR THIS MONTH’S RECIPE...

BACALAO A BRAS SERVES 4 4 large maris piper potatoes, peeled 1 large Spanish onion extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, chopped 8 medium eggs 450g salted cod loin pieces, desalted and torn in to small flakes 8 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 8-10 pitted black olives

COD MAY BE Britain’s favourite fish, but of its family (Gadiformes), hake has always been my favourite, thanks to its less pronounced flakes and deeper flavour. Cod, however, is transformed when salted. Dry, salted bacalao (which is Spanish; it’s ‘bacalhau’ if you’re Portuguese) is intensely flavoured through the drying process, and its texture is firmer. Fresh cod is rarely on my menu at the Lidos, but salt cod is nearly a daily occurrence.

I was considering my favourite salt cod dish, cocochas pil pil, to write about this month. It was famously served to Hitler by Franco when discussing the blitzkrieg of Guernica. (Which is not a reason to want to eat it, but it’s clearly a classic Basque dish that Franco deemed worth the risk of having cooked for them by a Basque chef. Sadly, the chef didn’t decide to poison the two of them, though!)

But when David Menendez, who owns Bristol-based Spanish produce supplier Mevalco, gave me this recipe, I thought I’d use it instead of mine – it’s just so simple and delicious.

Desalting the cod simply involves soaking it (it should come with instructions). You still want some salt to remain, though, as it gives a lot of flavour and won’t be overpowering once you’ve cooked it, honest.

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1 Cut the potatoes into quarters, then slice into pieces 2mm thick(ish).

Put them in a bowl of water for 30 minutes to release the starch.

2 Peel the onion, cut it in half and then into strips. Heat a pan with extra virgin olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onion. Cook gently until it’s browned, then reduce the heat to very low. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 30-45 minutes, until caramelised.

Set aside.

3 Fry the potatoes in batches in hot olive oil until golden and crunchy. Set aside on paper towels to drain.

4 Beat the eggs well and add the potatoes (reserving ¼ of them for plating) and the onion and garlic.

5 Heat a pan over a medium-low heat, add a splash of extra virgin olive oil and pour in the mixture of potato, egg, onion and garlic. Lower the heat to minimum and stir constantly.

6 When the egg has the desired consistency, add the cod and remove from the heat. (The fish is effectively cured, and as it’s in such small pieces the residual heat of the dish is all it needs – if you cook it any more it will toughen.) Stir to mix the cod and add half of the fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately, top with the rest of the parsley, a few olives and the reserved fried potatoes.

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

Openings etc JUICY GOSSIP

Bath cold-press juice biz The Juice Collective has opened its first ever shop – and its home is Cargo in Bristol. The Juice Box now occupies the former shipping container of Lovett Pies, which shut up shop on Wapping Wharf recently to focus on its wholesale trade. The local pro-juicer (geddit?) was founded by Emma Frampton in 2016, and has been no stranger to this here mag over the last couple of years. The team are selling their juices – which use a blend of both fruit and veg for optimum flavour and nutritional benefits – alongside smoothies and some food. Word on the street is that more is to come from this humble crate in the near future, too... thejuicecollective.co.uk

TWO’S UP

Sri Lankan restaurant The Coconut Tree, which was founded in Cheltenham in 2016 by a group of Sri Lankan mates, has launched in Bristol. The focus here is on street food: dishes originate from Ceylon (where the founders were born) and are designed for sharing. Expect to find the likes of Hoppers – coconut milk pancakes served with sambal and salsa – and Jaffna goat curry on the bill of fare. There are plenty of vegan and gluten-free options, with all dishes designed to be budget friendly. Cocktails are also a-go, and use traditional spirit Ceylon Arrack. Having been scouting out sites in the city for more than a year, the team finally came across a couple of ideal spots and couldn’t turn either down – so, this newly opened Cheltenham Road restaurant and bar is soon to be joined by a second on Whiteladies Road... thecoconut-tree.com

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LUNCH BUNCH

Bath’s Walcot House launched last December in a former bakery and night club, as a food and drink destination on the weekends and events space during the week. Now, its upstairs space has been transformed into the brand new Café Walcot. The open-plan, loft-style space has a soft industrial look: huge Persian-style rugs lay atop worn terracotta floor tiles and a vintage wooden ladder is suspended above the bar with pendant lights hanging from it.

Pops of colour come from sage greens and pastel peaches, while the old leaded windows allow light to pour in. Lunch brings with it the likes of hearty bowls of braised chicken with tomato, olives and fennel; toasted sourdough pittas stuffed with Westcombe Cheddar and roast peppers; and squash and spelt minestrone soup with parsley pesto. Breakfast is served too, and there are wines and beers on offer as well as hot bevs. walcothousebath.com

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK HERE’S LEWIS PARSONS, HEAD CHEF AT THE KINGS ARMS IN MONKTON FARLEIGH What first inspired you to cook professionally? I have always been interested in food and cooking; I used to spend my time reading through my mum’s cookbooks. So, as soon as I was old enough, I began to learn professional cookery.

Where might we know you from?

I’m a Welsh lad, originally from Cardiff, and have worked at some great places like St. Davids Kitchen and Holm House Hotel, but this is my first job in the South West.

What’s the toughest job you’ve tackled so far? I worked as part of a 40-man team at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff, cooking for the royal family and 350 guests. It was extremely tough but the outcome was fantastic. It really felt like a great achievement.

ThE CROWN

Well, that’s the Crumbs Awards wrapped up for another year. The ceremony at the Old Vic was one helluva night, attended by local food royalty and fans of good food and drink. With the help of Belly Laughs’ Mark Olver, we gave out 20 trophies to some mighty deserving culinary heroes, for everything from skilled cooking to front of house service and imaginative use of technology in the food sector. There are too many great winners to name here (amongst which is Best Newcomer Noya’s Kitchen, pictured above). You can find the entire list of champs (and check out some snaps from the night itself) over on our website. crumbsmag.com

Speaking of which, what’s your proudest career achievement?

Taking over The Kings Arms with my partner, Charlotte. She makes sure our customers have a great time while I do the cooking. We make a great team, and I think that reflects in the food and service here.

And what attracted you to this place in particular? The building itself is pretty impressive and is surrounded by beautiful countryside – I fell in love with it straight away. The kitchen is a great size, too; we could see a lot of potential here.

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How would you describe your style of cooking? I like to take traditional dishes and put a twist on them, and use surprising flavour combinations.

And how have you approached the menu here? I wanted hearty portions with excellent flavours. I believe the quality of ingredients really makes dishes stand out, so am always careful about the products I source and try to choose from what’s in season and at its best.

Which dish from the current menu do you think best illustrates the restaurant’s ethos and style? Our slow-braised pig cheek dish is a firm favourite at the moment; the flavours are bold and strong, but they also complement each other very well.

Favourite cookery book? Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater. I love fresh seasonal vegetables, and this book showcases excellent ways to use them. It really makes you love your veg!

What are your favourite ingredients at the moment? I’m loving butternut squash, wild mushrooms, leeks, beetroot and apple right now – they are in season and the quality is great.

What dish most reminds you of home? A great Sunday roast. Every Sunday growing up we would always sit together as a family at the table and have a roast dinner.

S T A R T E R S

ASK YOUR WAITRESS

WHY, IT’S ABI CARTHEW, FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER AT THE CAULDRON

hAVANAThER!

Bristol has a new Cuban-themed restaurant and bar, in the form of Revolución de Cuba.

Taking over the huge riverside building that used to be home to Bordeaux Quay, the group now has 19 sites across the UK, where it spreads its love of rum, carnival festivity and South American food. And speaking of food, it’s served all day here: expect lots of brunches (huevos rancheros with spicy black beans and avocado, anyone?), tapas (think quesadillas, tacos and skewers) and large dishes, including burritos and giant empanadas.

Drinks, meanwhile, are tropical and plentiful, with several versions of classic Mojitos, rum punches, and gin and tonics being mixed up at the bar. revoluciondecuba.com

TACO BOUT IT

The former Le Poivrot sit on Colston Street is, as we bet you already noticed, no more. But happily, in its place has sprung up new Mexican bar and restaurant, Downtown Taqueria. It’s owned by the same team (who are also behind Red Light cocktail bar and Weber and Tring’s wine and spirit shop), and is serving Mexican-inspired food and drink six days a week. Californian-style tacos are the name of the game each evening (fillings include the likes of oxtail, cheek and shin chilli with smoked chipotle and cocoa), while at lunch you can grab a £5 burrito deal. To lubrucate? Tequila and mezcal, of course. downtowntaqueria.co.uk

GOOD mOOD fOOD

B E N P R YO R

Bristol’s Poco has been crowned as The Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Food Made Good Business of the Year. The win is thanks to the team’s unwavering focus on sustainability, which involves responsible sourcing, minimising their impact on the planet, and involvement in the local community. In line with those principles, these guys constantly come up with new ways to reduce waste, use lots of organic ingredients, and focus mostly on vegetable-based dishes, with meat coming only from trusted and sustainable sources. Want to learn more about these admirable efforts while trying the food? Look out for their Meet the Producer events, which will see you leave with new culinary insights, as well as a full belly. pocotapasbar.com

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How long have you worked here, then?

Just shy of two years.

And what attracted you to The Cauldron?

I actually found the job through a trade Facebook page. I did a little research and loved The Cauldron’s uniqueness; cooking on wood and charcoal was something I’d never come across in a restaurant setting.

And where did you work before? A café called City Deli on Victoria Street – sadly, it’s not there anymore.

How long have you been in hospitality?

On and off since I was 15, so nearly 11 years. That makes me sound old!

What was your first job in the industry?

Waitressing in the Terrace Coffee Shop in my hometown of Totnes. (They do a bangin’ cream tea, if you’re ever in the area!)

What do you enjoy most about working in this industry? I like that it’s an active job; being sat behind a desk all day wouldn’t be for me. I also like that you get to interact with different people, and when you get positive feedback from the customers it makes it all worthwhile.

What’s the best thing about your current job? Honestly? Probably trying all the delicious things that come out the kitchen!

But we also have a great team, and that makes even those not-so-fun days better.

And the most challenging part? Though we don’t get them very often, I guess that would be dealing with some of the harderto-please customers.

What makes The Cauldron a special place to visit? The solid fuel kitchen (there’s no gas!) is reason enough to come, but also the cosiness and quirky interior makes it special.

What are the best selling dishes at the moment? Right now it’s all about prawn and crab ravioli, Toulouse sausage casserole, and tiramisu affogato. thecauldron.restaurant

S T A R T E R S

HIP SHOPS

fOX and west

@kbowbristol kicks off her meal with a Negroni

WHAT: GROCERIES WHEN: MON-FRI 8AM-6PM; SAT 9AM-5PM WHERE: 172 WELLS ROAD, BRISTOL BS4 2AL

@shane.42 snaps the #CrumbsAwards cake

@marbell visits Frome’s @rye_bakery Your pic could be here!

Just use #CrumbsSnaps on your foodie Insta posts and we might print one of yours next issue...

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retty much bang-on a year ago, we published a news story about a new grocery shop and deli that had just opened on Bristol’s Wells Road. That grocery shop was Fox and West, and now, 12 months on, it’s thriving, having just reopened after a spruce up.

The Totterdown shop is the creation of Hannah West and Lucy Fox, who left their teaching careers to start the business, with no retail or food training to speak of. It’s safe to say they’re well acquainted with the proverbial ropes now, though, and when we go to catch up with the pair one Friday lunchtime the shop is packed with local food and drink and buzzing with customers – some of whom are browsing the brimming shelves, and some drinking coffee at the café tables.

The new look has brought with it purposebuilt shelving units – made by Lucy’s dad – which are on casters, meaning they can be moved to create space for the evening events that the pair plan to host in the near future.

There is now also a packaging-free station, with everything from granola to rice, spices to dried fruit available to scoop into the reusable containers that customers bring along.

The space itself isn’t the only thing that’s different from when Crumbs last came for a nosey, though: “Everything has changed,” Hannah tells us. “We’ve gone from not knowing anyone in this area to having a real family of customers. And we feel like we really know what they want, too.”

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Luckily, this is an area teeming with great producers, so there’s no need to look very far when it comes to sourcing stock. We spot Incredible Brewing Co beers from (literally) just down the road, Fanny Tingle pies and pestos made in the neighbourhood, and cake

by South Bristol-based Bosh, just for starters.

“There are loads of amazing artists and talented people nearby,” says Lucy. “And everyone is so generous with their knowledge, so we get to hear about more of them all the time. We also have local small producers coming in with their products to see if we want to stock them, which is great.”

Eggs come from free-range hens who roam on Greenacre Farm in Chew, there’s fresh fruit and veg from the Bristol Fruit Market, and a selection of cheeses from the local likes of Godminster and Bath Soft Cheese.

Fox and West has very much become a onestop shop, meaning people can do their whole grocery run without needing to go to the supermarket for anything. And there’s more to come: the new range of spirits will be expanding, while wines will also be on the shelves very soon. The vegan range continues to grow as well, thanks to its huge popularity.

Good news: these guys will be taking cheese and vegetable orders for Christmas, with the intention of making our grocery errands that bit more enjoyable during the festive season, just as they aim to do year-round. foxandwest.co.uk

TRY SOMETHING NEW AND EXCITING THIS CHRISTMAS

Please contact bathevents@cnty.com for all private hire and package enquiries Saw Close Bath BA1 1EY 01225 308 990 Know your limits! For more information go to: BeGambleAware.org – DrinkAware.co.uk

www.cnty.com/bath Come for the Action, Stay for the Fun!

S T A R T E R S

MUCH TO DO

WE HOPE YOU’VE GOT SOME FOOD-SHAPED TIME IN YOUR SCHEDULE THIS MONTH, ’CAUSE HERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU’LL WANT TO GET IN THE DIARY FOR NOVEMBER...

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« CHECK OUT THE REINCARNATED ROSE OF DENMARK

TRY TSUKEMONO AT THE VOLLEY

Hotwells pub The Rose of Denmark recently reopened under the stewardship of Mike Coe (previously of The Bank Tavern), and he’s entrusted the kitchen to pop-up catering company Tri Sauce. Go have a gander at the welcoming boozer’s new look and grab a bite while you’re at it – we hear Sunday lunches are on point. facebook.com/ theroseofdenmarkbristol

Until 1 December this Japanese street food kitchen will be in charge of culinary proceedings at The Volunteer Tavern in central Bristol. Expect the likes of okonomiyaki (‘Japanese pizza’), katsu curry, Japanese fried chicken and dirty fries, smothered with homemade Korean barbecue sauce. tsukemono.co.uk

» FEEL THE GOOD VIBES AT GOOD DAY CAFÉ It’s all a bit dark and dreary of late, and the temperatures are definitely a-droppin’.

Perfect time to check out this bright and cheery new caff in Bath, then. All about the good feels, it serves brekkies like toasted banana bread with yoghurt and blueberry compote, and lunches such as their hoisin ham, apple and cheese sourdough sarnie. gooddaycoffee.co.uk

«

« RESURRECT DATE NIGHT WITH DATE MAKERS

GET YOUR CHOPS AROUND A GOURMET VEGAN SARNIE FROM BUN FICTION

This Bristol biz specialises in food and drink experiences for two: you’ll find everything from rum tasting to frozen cocktail masterclasses, private chef experiences to sushi making sessions on the website. So whether you’ve got a big date coming up or are in need of some QT with someone spesh, check them out and book a foodie date with a difference. datemakers.co.uk

Southern-fried seitan with smoky mayo, tomato, gherkin and cheese, and chaat masala tofu and cauliflower cutlets with onion bhaji are just a couple of the fillings that Bun Fiction has come up with for its bold sandwich menu, which it’s currently serving up in its new home of Kongs on King Street. facebook.com/bunfiction

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S T A R T E R S

THERE’S CULINARY INSPIRATION A-PLENTY AMONG THIS NEW BATCH OF BOOKS THE MODERN ITALIAN COOK Joe Trivelli (Seven Dials, £25) This tempting selection of highly achievable recipes comprises over 150 classic Italian dishes given small twists by River Café co-head chef Joe Trivelli. There are rarely more then 10 ingredients required to make anything here, and even the homemade nougat takes only 45 minutes to do (or, as he says winningly, the length of The Andrew Marr Show on a Sunday morning). This is simple, homely, progressive Italian cooking informed by both sides of Joe’s AngloItalian background: pasta is paired with black truffles or figs or salted sardines, but also with small British garlic; aubergines are cooked sott’olio (under oil) but so are parsnips, which Italians would never use; and small peppers are stuffed with tuna and potato in a non-traditional way. What’s especially impressive is how well-geared to the everyday home cook it all seems. We’re going to start with the potato and porcini pie, then perhaps try the white bean cake or the pork chops with quince and vinegar.

M AT T BI E L BY

TIME Gill Meller (Quadrille, £25) Fans of Gill’s recipes in the award-winning Gather will be pleased to know that the chef, food writer and teacher clearly has plenty more where they came from. Time is an equally beautiful book with just as thoughtful a concept: it follows the rhythms of the day, from morning to evening, with recipes based on the British seasons. Here, Gill celebrates the home kitchen and might well have you looking at yours in a different way. Morning recipes range from Oliver’s Bloody Mary to mushrooms baked on toast with herbs and garlic, and potato cakes with kimchi and Cheddar. Daytime brings with it the likes of gooseberry, bacon and Camembert tart, mushroom, cider and blue cheese soup, and chicken, parsley and mustard pie, while Night promises the likes of slow-roast goat with honey, saffron and prunes, and roasted roots with fennel, squash and labneh. The gorgeous photography and Gill’s thought-provoking writing cement this new portfolio of recipes as a must-have on any home cook’s shelf.

J E SSI CA CA RT ER

THE JEWELLED TABLE Bethany Kehdy (Hardie Grant Books, £26) The first cookbook, The Jewelled Kitchen,

by Lebanon-based supper club host Bethany

Kehdy was something of a hit – Yotam Ottolenghi became a vocal fan – and this second exploration of Middle Eastern cooking is equally strong on background and atmosphere, using illustrations, cool landscape photography and oodles of little history lessons to give real insight into the ways locals eat, cook and entertain at home.

There’s still plenty of room for recipes, though (there must be a half dozen versions of hummus alone), ranging from basic tools like aged butter or dukkah salt to dishes that are more like traditional Western mains: smoked cod tajen, say, or ox cheek, shallot

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and rhubarb stew. Throughout, Bethany steers us away from the mezze tradition towards more typical day-to-day cooking, which uses many of the same techniques but revolves around a single centerpiece. This is a handsome, fascinating book, as much a guide to the region as recipe compilation.

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VEGETABLES, SOIL & HOPE Guy Singh-Watson (Riverford, £9.99) Self-professed veg nerd Guy Singh-Watson is never one to shy away from saying what he thinks. His legendary ‘rants’, delivered weekly with Riverford’s veg boxes, are passionate, provocative and most definitely food for thought (ahem). Rather than a recipe book, this is a compendium of some of his most legendary rants over the years.

Guy’s writing is as much about his frustration with government, big business and stifling management practices as it is about growing his beloved artichokes and cardoons. This makes for an entertaining and insightful read, where personal anecdotes about life on the farm and information on how different crops are grown are blended with grittier political topics, encouraging us to challenge the status quo. This is a book that will sit proudly on coffee tables and no doubt provoke some rather lively debate. MEL ISSA STEWA RT CATALAN FOOD Daniel Olivella (Clarkson Potter, £22.50) Daniel Olivella was brought up in rural Catalonia but now works in the States, running Californian tapas bars and, most recently, an acclaimed Catalan restaurant, Barlata, in Texas.

Though there’s a travelogue aspect to this book, Catalan Food is mostly a collection of recipes, ranging from pica-pica (‘little bites’) through veggies, noodles, seafood and the rest, with a whole chapter dedicated to ‘our friend, the pig’, porkers being – of course – central to this cuisine. Here you get meatballs with cuttlefish, a pigs’ feet terrine in mustard sauce, and beerbraised crispy pork belly, as well as numerous dishes revolving around chorizo and Ibérico ham. Few things are very intimidating here (Daniel’s penne pasta with homemade bacon and tomato sauce is simply a family-pleasing comfort dish, for instance), and he suggests building skills and confidence through trying his simple pica-pica dishes first. He isn’t afraid to go his own way at times, either: the region isn’t big on desserts, for instance, but he’s included a bunch anyway, notably crème brûlée-type custards and a delightfully simple rice pudding. MATT B IEL BY

From Time by Gill Meller (Quadrille, £25)

STEW OF PORK, BACON AND MUSHROOMS WITH CREAM, CIDER AND PARSLEY I FIRST SERVED this stew aboard a fishing boat out on a big sea on a bloody cold day, writes Gill Meller. I’d cooked it the day before (always a good idea with a stew) and reheated it over a tiny camp stove in the wheel-house. I remember the delicious smells carrying out to the hungry fishermen on deck.

SERVES 4 dash of extra-virgin olive oil 1 piece cured pork belly (about 350g), cut into 4-5cm cubes 500g fresh pork belly, cut into 4-5cm cubes 1 large (or 2 small) leeks, halved and sliced 2 or 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 4-6 bay leaves 2-3 rosemary sprigs 2-3 thyme sprigs 2 tbsp plain flour 450ml cider 450ml pork, chicken or vegetable stock knob butter 250g mushrooms (wild or cultivated), cut into large pieces 200ml double cream small bunch parsley 1 Heat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 3.

2 Start by heating the oil in a large heavybased casserole set over a medium-high heat. Add the cured and fresh pork belly pieces and cook for 6-8 minutes, or until well browned on all sides. Lift the pieces out of

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the pan using a spatula or slotted spoon and set aside.

3 Add the leeks to the same pan, along with the sliced garlic, all the herbs and a little seasoning. Sweat the leeks gently for about 10 minutes, then return the browned pork pieces to the pan, sprinkle over the plain flour and stir well. Cook for a further 3-4 minutes, then pour in the cider and stock and bring to a simmer. Stir well, then place a tightfitting lid on the pan and place in the oven for 2 hours, until the pork is fork tender.

4 Meanwhile, set a large frying pan over a high heat and add the butter. When it’s bubbling, add the mushrooms, season them lightly and sauté, turning them regularly, for 6-8 minutes, until cooked through. Set aside.

5 When the casserole is ready, remove it from the oven and add the fried mushrooms and double cream. Stir well, then return the pan to the oven for 15 minutes without its lid.

6 Stir in the chopped parsley and check the seasoning before bringing to the table with a sharply dressed green salad and some good bread.

CHEF!

Celeriac is bang in season right now – and we've got a novel way for you to use it

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

HIGHLIGHTS

BEAN GOOD

ROSEMARY SHRAGER's MERGUEZ AND CHORIZO CASSOULET PAGE 26

SQUASHING UP

PANZANELLA SALAD WITH AN AUTUMNAL DIFFERENCE PAGE 32

BROWNIE PROMISE A PIMPED UP CLASSIC PAGE 35

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Chef, teacher and much-loved TV bod Rosemary Shrager made a trip to Bath recently, to talk all about her new book and TV show.

This collection of recipes is about going back to basics, Rosemary says; it’s a tool for readers to develop their culinary repertoire and build their confidence in the kitchen, even if it’s unfamiliar territory for them. So, as well as impressive-looking dishes like this hearty cassoulet with spicy North African sausage, you’ll also find recipes for cooking the perfect potato, nailing the gooey-centred boiled egg and honing soufflé skills.

“This is a proper winter warmer, packed with spicy sausages and great flavours,” writes Rosemary. “You may like to cook your beans from dried if you have time, but I often use canned for speed and ease. I’m all for making life easy, when possible.”

MERGUEZ, CHORIZO AND BUTTER BEAN CASSOULET SERVES 4-6 2 tbsp olive oil 500g merguez sausage 80g smoked bacon (or pancetta), cut into small strips 140g chorizo, sliced 1 white onion, peeled and finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika 100ml good-quality red wine 1 x 400g tin tomatoes, drained 1 x 400g tin butter beans, drained 250ml chicken stock 1 tbsp tarragon, chopped

ROSe TINTed

IT’S WARMING DISHES LIKE THIS ONE BY ROSEMARY SHRAGER THAT MAKE US PROPERLY EXCITED FOR THE CHILLIER SEASONS…

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

2 Place a flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat and add 1 tbsp of the oil. Add the merguez and cook them on all sides until golden brown. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

3 Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and then the smoked bacon or pancetta and the chorizo. Cook over a medium heat until they have both browned and the chorizo has released its oils. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the onion has softened.

Stir in the smoked paprika and cook for a couple of minutes to release the maximum flavour.

4 Add the wine, bring to the boil and cook until it has reduced by half. Now add the tomatoes, butter beans, browned merguez and the chicken stock and bring back to the boil. Cover the dish and place it in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until the sauce has nicely reduced.

5 Remove the casserole dish from the oven and add the chopped tarragon. This is meant to be quite an oily dish, but you can drain off some of the chorizo oil if you like. Serve immediately with some hunks of good crusty bread.

Recipe from Rosemary Shrager’s Cookery Course (BBC Books, £20)

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C H E F !

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PaRSNIP TROOPeR

THIS CREATION BY JACK SCARTERFIELD IS A VERSATILE ONE THAT CAN BE ADAPTED FOR ANY OCCASION...

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VEGAN Jack is head chef at Bath’s Marlborough Tavern. He recently served up this plant-based dish to hungry diners at a special vegan night there, as part of a fivecourse tasting menu.

“It was most people’s favourite course on the night,” he tells us. “After its success we will be adding this – plus another vegan option – to our a la carte menu.

“The dish uses autumnal ingredients that are readily found in most supermarkets, making it easy to recreate at home. It’s perfect for brunch or as a light evening meal, and can even be used as a starter for a dinner party, by breaking it into smaller portions.”

CELERIAC AND PARSNIP HASH BROWNS WITH MAPLE AND SOY MUSHROOMS, CELERIAC PURÉE AND PARSNIP AND SAGE CRISPS SERVES 4 1 celeriac, peeled and halved 2½ medium parsnips, peeled 300ml almond milk rapeseed oil, for frying 2 shallots, thinly sliced 1 tbsp chives, chopped 200g mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 16 sage leaves 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 Cut one of the celeriac halves into 4, reserving the other half for later, and chop the 2 whole parsnips in half. Steam the veg until just soft – about 12 minutes.

When cooked, set aside to cool.

2 For the purée, take the remaining celeriac half and dice it into 1-inch cubes. Add to a heavy-based pan with the almond milk, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until soft. Then drain off about half the milk and blend until smooth, seasoning with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

3 For the hash browns, fry the sliced shallots in 1 tbsp rapeseed oil until lightly golden. Meanwhile, grate the steamed celeriac and parsnip into a bowl. Add the shallots when they’re ready along with the chopped chives, and season with salt and pepper. Mould the mixture into 8 balls and flatten slightly.

4 Fry the mushrooms in a glug of rapeseed oil for 2 minutes, then stir in the soy and maple syrup before removing from heat.

Marlborough Tavern, 35 Marlborough Buildings, Bath BA1 2LY; marlborough-tavern.com

5 Cut the remaining parsnip half into ribbons using a vegetable peeler. Heat a deep fryer to 180C (alternatively use a deep, heavy-based pan with a couple of inches of neutral oil) and add these along with the sage leaves. Fry for 45 seconds until crisp, then remove, reserving the oil, and leave to drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.

6 Fry the hash browns in the oil – again at 180C – for 3 minutes, until golden and crisp.

7 To serve, add the purée to each plate and top with a hash brown. Add the mushrooms, drizzling the maple and soy mix around, and top with the crisp parsnip shavings and sage leaves. Season with salt flakes.

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Oh mY SqUaSh THIS AUTUMNAL DISH WENT DOWN PARTICULARLY WELL AT ONE OF ANNA SHEPHERD’S RECENT BRISTOL SUPPER CLUBS…

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VEGAN AUTUMN SQUASH AND GRAPE PANZANELLA SERVES 4

EMLI BENDIXEN

2 delicata squash (or one butternut squash), halved lengthways and de-seeded extra virgin olive oil 4 garlic cloves, skin left on 2 red onions, peeled and finely sliced 1 stick cinnamon 4 sprigs rosemary 1 tbsp sherry vinegar 1 tsp Pul Biber (or a pinch chilli flakes) 2 handfuls seedless red grapes (halved lengthways) 2 tbsp capers, rinsed 3 large slices stale bread, roughly torn 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 lemon, juice and zest 1 tsp maple syrup 50g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped ½ bunch tarragon, leaves only

Anna’s next supper club will be held on 23 November.

Visit the website for info and tickets; annashepherdfood.com

Anna Shepherd is a vegetarian food writer, stylist and cook. She’s worked on cookbooks by the likes of Anna Jones and Salma Hage, developing recipes and styling the shoots.

Having relocated to Bristol last year from London, Anna now holds supper clubs – Eats, Roots and Leaves – at her St Werburghs flat, and Crumbs recently went along to one. After being welcomed with snacks and cocktails, the 12 of us took our seats in the pretty baywindowed kitchen-living room for a three-course feast.

Anna and her boyfriend Dan chatted to us while they prepped the food and we poured wine. A spread of imaginative (this time, vegan) food followed, served sharing-style in bowls and on platters.

“This is an autumnal take on a dish I served at that supper club,” says Anna. “Panzanella is a Tuscan salad, great for using up stale bread as it absorbs all the flavour from the fresh ingredients. It’s traditionally made with tomatoes, but can be delicious and richly textured using autumn squash, too. Do try to get hold of delicata squash, if you can – some supermarkets and most greengrocers will have it in stock from October to January – but butternut squash will work well, too.”

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1 Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7.

2 Slice half of the squash into 1 cm half moons, and the rest into irregular 1 cm chunks. Don’t worry about perfect or evenly-sized pieces; it’s lovely to have different textures, and all the edges will caramelise as the squash cooks. Tumble it all into a large roasting tray with the garlic, onions, cinnamon and rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil and season the squash well with salt and pepper. Mix to coat each piece of squash and place in the hot oven for 25 minutes.

3 Remove the tray from the oven and add the sherry vinegar, chilli flakes, grapes and capers to the roasting tray. Mix well to make sure everything is evenly combined, then return the tray to the oven for a final 20 minutes, until the squash is soft and caramelised and the grapes are crimpling and catching at the edges.

4 Meanwhile, arrange the bread in one layer on a separate tray and drizzle over enough oil to coat.

Season well and place the tray in the oven for 12 minutes until the bread is crisp and golden.

5 Remove everything from the oven and squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins into a small mixing bowl (careful, as they’ll be hot). Use a fork to mash the garlic into a smooth paste, then mix in the mustard, lemon juice and zest, maple syrup and 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Taste, and add salt and pepper to season.

6 Spoon the squash and toasted bread onto a serving platter and drizzle over half the dressing. Scatter over the hazelnuts and tarragon leaves and serve with the rest of the dressing alongside. This salad is just as delicious served warm from the oven or at room temperature, after the flavours have had a chance to muddle.

NEW FOR BATH GREAT NEWS FOR LOVERS OF FRANCE, ORGANIC, NATURAL CUISINE AND ARTISANAL STYLE! The team have chosen Bath to launch their new concept store and bistro, Comptoir+Cuisine, that will bring all that is good and delicious about French food and products under one roof.

Born out of the same core values as Champagne+Fromage, the team will source the best food, drink and ingredients from France, as well as complimentary products, such as kitchenware, utensils, furnishings and homeware.

Venture down to the new basement lounge and you will ďŹ nd Champagne+Fromage, a unique bar that pairs a large exclusive selection of more than 50 artisan produced Grower Champagnes.

Comptoir+Cuisine & Champagne+Fromage 5 George Street, Bath, BA1 2EH www.comptoirpluscuisine.com | info@comptoirpluscuisine.com www.champagneplusfromage.co.uk | bath@champagneplusfromage.co.uk comptoir_cuisine

champfromage

Mon : Closed | Tue - Thu: 10:00 - 23:00 | Fri 10:00 - 01:00 | Sun 11:00 - 21:00

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haLVa GO aT ThIS

EDWINA BRUFORD PIMPS UP HER BROWNIES WITH MIDDLE EASTERN INGREDIENTS...

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Popular neighbourhood cafĂŠ No.12 Easton has been steadily churning out some pretty special cakes for the past five years, but especially since master baker Edwina joined the kitchen team. These brownies, which use tahini (a sesame condiment) and halva (an Asian sweet) are some of the most popular treats. Healthy, they are not. Soul soothing, they most definitely are...

HALVA AND TAHINI BROWNIESÂ SERVES 12 250g good quality dark chocolate, cut into small pieces 250g salted butter 5 eggs 330g sugar 125g flour 2 tbsp tahini 50g halva

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4 and line a square oven tin with parchment paper.

2 Bring a pan of water to the boil, and place a heatproof bowl over it, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Place the chocolate and butter into the bowl, and gently melt them together.

3 Beat the eggs and sugar together until pale in colour and light in consistency, then pour in the melted chocolate and butter mix and beat well. Finally, sift in the flour and mix gently.

4 Pour the batter into the tin. Marble the tahini through the mix, and crumble chunks of halva over the top.

5 Bake for 20-30 minutes, until a crust has formed on the top and the middle is firm but still gooey.

No. 12 Easton, 12 High Street, Bristol BS5 6DL; facebook.com/no12easton

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Join us for

Christmas 3-course menu from ÂŁ28 per person Our Christmas menu is served from Friday 23rd November up to and including Monday 24th December and is available Monday to Saturday, lunch and dinner.

Book a party of 12 or more and we will treat the organiserto a gift card to the value of ÂŁ25 to be spent in the New Year at any OHH pub.

Bear & Swan

13 South Parade, Chew Magna, Somerset, BS40 8PR 01275 331100 | thebearandswan@ohhcompany.co.uk

The Old House at Home

Burton, Near Castle Combe, Wiltshire, SN14 7LT 01454 218227 | theoldhouseathome@ohhcompany.co.uk

The Northey Arms

Bath Road, Box, Wiltshire, SN13 8AE 01225 742333 | thenorthey@ohhcompany.co.uk

The Rising Sun

91 West Town Road, Backwell, North Somerset, BS48 3BH 01275 462215 | therisingsun@ohhcompany.co.uk

CAFE KITCHEN Welcome to our award-winning café - providing young people with special needs a unique opportunity to gain work experience and training.

We are working with the local community and employers to develop work experience opportunities after students have worked in 3 Cafe Kitchen.

Join us for breakfast on Saturday mornings Open 8am-12, with breakfast served until 11am.

Full breakfast menu and freshly baked cakes, scones, coffee and a range of cold drinks always available.

No booking required.

Open Monday to Friday 8am–4pm | Saturday 8am–12pm Available for private hire. Please call 01225 830377 or email lucy.beattie@threeways.co.uk Located @ 180 Frome Road, Odd Down, BA2 5RF. Limited parking available on site, full wheelchair and buggy access.

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR AT THE GRAPES This year The Grapes will be open for Christmas Day 12-4pm for lunch (booking in advance only) Christmas Day Lunch £85.00 per person for 6 courses New Years Eve £65.00 per person for 6 courses.

CHRISTMAS PARTY NIGHTS are available to book now, see online for our menu £25.00 Two Courses / £32.00 Three Courses 14 Silver Street, Bradford On Avon, BA15 1JY Telephone: 01225 938088 Email: maylee@thebunchofgrapes.com

www.thebunchofgrapes.com

ARMOURY UR You know what scares me? You are a bit of a Cowardy Custard, so it could be anything.

Heights? Darkness? Clowns? Tigers?

Sharks? (Tiger Sharks?) Thunderstorms?

Pubic speaking? Or maybe just plain old emotional commitment?

CHOOSE YOUR WEAPONS

SLICE AGE

Yes, yes, all of those. But even worse, it’s slicing my hand. And each time I use a mandoline – you know, those brilliant but potentially lethal French cooking utensils – I come out in a cold sweat.

Mandolines are ace, and a near-essential if you want the sort of thin, uniform slices needed for perfect crisps, coleslaw or paper-thin scalloped potatoes – but they’re also famously unforgiving of clumsy fingers. (And no one wants your actual blood mixed in with the translucently thin blood orange slices on top of their chocolate tart.) With this in mind, may I suggest a great alternative: the Gourmet Slicer from Microplane? It’s got the same oar-cumbreadboard shape as most high-end, photoetched Microplane slicers, but on this one the razor-sharp blades are spaced to give perfect 2mm thick slices time after time.

MANDOLINES ARE A GREAT TIME-SAVER AND CUT UBER-THIN SLICES BETTER THAN ANY KNIFE, SAYS MATT BIELBY, BUT IN THE WRONG HANDS CAN MEAN ENDLESS TRIPS TO A&E. TRUST MICROPLANE TO COME UP WITH A COOL ALTERNATIVE…

It sounds sharp. It is – so sharp it’ll do all the hard work for you, while the non-slip base means you can hold it vertically for slicing inside bowls or onto chopping boards. And since you really don’t trust yourself, may I also suggest the £4.99 hand guard accessory, sold separately? It’ll keep your pinkies pink and not a gushing, spurting red. And it’ll hold the food in place, meaning you can safely slice right to the end.

You don’t understand: it sounds really, really sharp. Again, it is – but it’s also really, really safe. And, as such, will make short work of courgettes, spuds, apples, lemons, onions, radishes, beets or you-name-it.

The Microplane Gourmet Slicer is available now for £23.95 from Kitchens Cookshops in Bath and Bristol and other indies; microplaneintl.com

What about sausages? Yes, it’ll slice right through any salami, chorizo or little chipolata you might have to hand. (But now you’ve got me wincing, too!)

THIS MONTH • PLANE AND SIMPLE • THIS IS LAMB HOT

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Crumbs Cooks With

Navina BaRtLett WE CHAT TO THE BRISTOL-BASED FOUNDER OF COCONUT CHILLI AS SHE COOKS US UP ONE OF HER STAPLE WEEKNIGHT DINNERS...

WORDS BY JESSICA CARTER PHOTOS BY SUZIE WORTHINGTON

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C R U M B S

N

avina heaves her bags onto the worktop, not yet offering any clues as to what she’s planning to cook with their contents. We’ve both just arrived at this gorgeous Redland house – belonging to Navina’s mate Sandra Hodgson – which is all high ceilings, spacious rooms and wide hallways.

Sunlight streams into the open-plan kitchen and living room through the French doors that lead out onto the garden.

Sandra couldn’t join us for lunch, but in her absence had left a bottle of something wet and fizzy in the fridge and a couple of flutes on the kitchen island. What a host.

This is the first time I’ve met Navina, the Bristol-based founder of street food-turned-meal-pot business Coconut Chilli. Her homemade ready meals are all about balancing convenience with nutrition, she tells us: there’s quite a gap between time-intensive

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Indian-style curries made with fresh ingredients and whole spices, and processed ready-made versions that it can be tempting to just bung in the microwave when we’re at the office and need a filling lunch. Her meal pots, which are delivered to workers all over Bristol and London, are made by hand (the hands of celebrated Indian chef KK Anand, formerly of Cinnamon Kitchen, to be precise) in the London kitchen. It’s in partnership with KK that Coconut Chilli’s sister catering business, KK and Boss Lady, was launched, too.

Although production has moved to the Capital, Coconut Chilli is very much a Bristol-born biz, which started out in 2011 when Navina decided to get involved with a local street food collective.

From there she expanded into meal pots and corporate catering.

While bringing us up to speed on the background of her culinary career, Navina begins unpacking her bags. After several re-used jars filled with whole dried spices emerge a string bag of fresh

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peas, paper-wrapped mince from the butcher, a tin of curry powder and a pack of pitta breads (we recognise the packaging of local Middle Eastern bakery Abu Noor): she’s making lamb keema.

Navina’s family is from Southern India, and it shows in the style of food that she develops for Coconut Chilli. “We do lots of veggie and vegan stuff,” she says. “It’s full of fresh flavour, and it’s nice and light, with lots of coconut and lemon.”

Of course, that’s the kind of scran most of us associate with Southern India, although Navina notes that it’s not what’s served on the dinner tables of most Indian homes. “A lot of Indian food is all quite well-cooked – every Indian family has a pressure cooker! – but I prefer to do plenty of steaming and parboiling, and toss in lots of fresh ingredients to make sure I keep all the nutrients in.”

Navina begins to chop the onion, garlic and ginger, then fires up the gas hob and places a deep pot over the flame. She adds oil and

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then the spices; within a few seconds their aroma has risen out of the pan and started to permeate the kitchen, all of a sudden making me acutely aware of my empty stomach. She then adds the onion, garlic and ginger, and gives the lot a good stir to combine it all – this is going to form the curry paste.

Navina measures out the curry powder from a large pot labelled ‘Bolst’s’; this producer is based in Bangalore – where her family are from – although you can pick their stuff up at Bristol Sweet Mart in Easton. Not all the ingredients on the table come from such exotic climes, though; the lamb mince is from sheep reared on the salt marshes of the Gower in Wales, which means “you get a subtle saltiness and sweetness in the meat,” Navina tells us. (She bought hers from nearby butchers Molesworths of Henleaze.)

It’s from her family that she “just kind of picked up” her cookery skills, she says. Her dad was really into cooking, and her

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SALT MARSH LAMB KEEMA CURRY SERVES 3-4

auntie has a coffee estate where all kinds of amazing ingredients grow on the super-biodiverse land, up in the hills. However, it wasn’t until she moved to Bristol that she really started to get into food and cookery, eventually giving up her previous career to enter the food industry.

Once the meat is properly browned, the tomatoes go in with the bay leaf, and water is poured over. After covering the pan with its lid, Navina chops the coriander leaves roughly, leaving the mixture to reduce down and form a thick, rich gravy. Eventually, after adding the fresh peas and yoghurt, she pours the lot into a bowl and serves with those local Abu Noor pittas (which you can find in Better Food, Wild Oats, and Southville Deli, among other indie grocery shops, FYI), heated in the toaster.

We use the bread to scoop up the juicy mixture and shovel it hungrily into our mouths (don’t judge: the smells filling the kitchen had properly ramped up our appetites over the last hour or so). This is exactly the kind of food Navina cooks at home, it turns out: simple and quick, but packed with flavour. The keema is rich and aromatic, and the peas – which Navina had been careful to not overcook – are vibrant green and give bursts of sweetness among the rich, spiced meat. That bottle of fizz, incidentally, is great alongside the keema, its dry, crisp character and fine bubbles cutting right through the comforting unctuousness of the food and doing a good job of cleansing our mouths between forkfuls. We savour all this properly; it’s not often a working lunch involves curry and bubbles...

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1-2 tbsp sunflower oil 1 cinnamon stick 1 tsp cumin seeds 3-4 cloves 1 green cardamom pod 1 white onion, finely chopped 5cm-piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped 1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tsp curry powder (I use Bolst’s) 1 tsp chilli powder 500g salt marsh lamb mince 200g tinned chopped tomatoes 1 fresh bay leaf 150g green peas (fresh or frozen petit pois) 2 tbsp plain yoghurt (optional) handful coriander leaves, coarsely chopped pitta breads, to serve 1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, and add the cinnamon, cumin seeds, cloves and cardamom. Fry gently for 30 seconds to release the flavours from the spices.

2 Turn the temperature down and add the onion, ginger and garlic. Fry gently until soft and translucent.

3 Add the curry power and chilli powder to the pan and stir for 1-2 minutes on a very low heat to combine with the oil and other spices and create a curry paste.

4 Add the lamb mince and brown in the pan over a medium heat before adding the tinned tomatoes, bay leaf and 200ml water. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.

5 Add the peas and season with salt, then simmer for a further 5 minutes.

6 Remove from the heat and leave to cool for a few minutes.

Then, stir through the yoghurt, adjust the seasoning, and garnish with the coriander. Serve simply with pitta bread, or on fragrant basmati rice.

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The Piper-Heidsieck Terrace * Exclusive Hire * Corporate Events * Private Parties

12-16 Clifton Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1AF Reservations: 01173 291300 Longmead Gospel Hall, Lower Bristol Road, Bath BA2 3EB Reservations: 01225 446656

#MintRoom www.mintroom.co.uk

FanCy wOrkiNg at crumBs? We're on the hunt for bright sparks looking to forge careers in media sales. If you’re passionate about food and drink, and have love for our local independent businesses, then we may have the job for you. It’s all about working with clients to curate, pitch and deliver advertising campaigns across our pretty awesome food magazines and digital channels.

Sound like your cup of tea? Email your CV to Kyle.phillips@mediaclash.co.uk or give us a call on 01225 475800 for a chat.

www.crumbsmag.com

www.mediaclash.co.uk

The

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

Try something special this Christmas with our

SHERLOCK HOLMES THEMED COCKTAIL MENU!

CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS 2018 Christmas at Ston Easton Park is a feast for all the senses. Whether you are in need of a quiet, relaxing break, seeking a venue to entertain friends and colleagues or in search of a decadent treat, our gift to you is the very finest cuisine along with attentive yet unobtrusive service, wrapped up in a stunning 18th century Palladian mansion.

Ston Easton Park could have been purpose built for Christmas. The beautifully proportioned rooms, open log fires and spectacular festive decorations and Christmas trees come together to create the perfect atmosphere for a traditional Christmas house party. Join us for a two or three day festive break, we’ll take all the strain out of the arrangements and provide you with the relaxing escape you deserve.

VOUCHERS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR WEBSITE OR DIRECTLY. AN IDEAL CHRISTMAS GIFT!

CHRISTMAS LUNCHES

BLACK TIE SHARED CHRISTMAS PARTY

For parties of 9 people or more we will be serving our 3 Course festive Lunch menu starting from £32.00 or Dinner from £37.50 per person in the Sorrel Restaurant.

From 1st to 23rd December

Are you planning the perfect way to celebrate Christmas with your family, friends or work colleagues?

Perfect for small office parties.

Dates available £70.00 per person

Exclusive use Christmas Party dates also available

25% OFF

AFTERNOON TEA Including Vegan Afternoon Tea for one.

See website for details.

Ston Easton, Nr Bath, Somerset BA3 4DF To book, call 01761 241631 or email reception@stoneaston.co.uk

www.stoneaston.co.uk

Bookings available now.

Classic cocktails with a literary twist! Available from Monday 3rd December.

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

MA INs

TOP CULINARY CAUSES, INSIDER KNOWLEDGE AND FOOD PIONEERs The Cotswolds is a handsome patch of countryside just north of Bath, and Kingham is surely one of its most picturesque villages

HIGHLIGHTS

IT 'S A WRAP

CRIMBO PRESENTs FOR YOUR FOODIE FRIENDS PAGE 57

COUNTRY FILES

WE RAMBLE THROUGH RURAL KINGHAM ON A CULINARY MISSION PAGE 64

055 CRUMBSMAG.COM

INCLUDING!

24

HOURS IN THSE COTSWOLD

Tel: 07854239926 info@cliftonwineschool.com

A very warm welcome to Clifton Wine School!

We are a local wine school hosting events in Bristol and Bath.

Choose from our Cheese and Wine Matching night, a Fine Wine tasting, Wines of the World evening courses, Gin tasting, and so much more.

We also do unforgettable hen parties and corporate events.

We don’t sell wine, we sell confidence in wine knowledge from a DipWSET qualified teacher.

You can purchase any course or tasting as a Wine School Gift Voucher starting from £25 the perfect present for any wine lovers!

Now a proud Crumbs Award Winner!

Visit us online at

AD VA N IS CED AD BO VIS OK ED IN G

www.cliftonwineschool.com

The Malago FULLY LICENSED PLANT-BASED EATERY WITH DAY & EVENING MENUS

99% gluten free menu* Organic Veg • Local beers & ciders Roasts (Sunday only - booking required) Safe space • LGBT+ friendly • Dogs welcome

*both gluten free and sourdough bread available

OPENING HOURS Wed to Sat: 10am - 10.30pm Sunday: 12.30pm - 5.30pm Kitchen hours: Wed to Sat 10.30am-2.30pm / 6pm-9pm

SUNDAY ROAST BOOKINGS ONLY

Now taking Christmas Party bookings MON - SAT: BRUNCH/LUNCH: 9AM - 3PM • DINNER: 5.30PM - 9.30PM SUNDAY: BRUNCH/LUNCH: 9AM - 12PM • ROASTS: 12:30PM - 7PM

156 Wells Road, Totterdown, Bristol BS4 2AG 01172398704 • eygbristol@gmail.com eatyourgreensbristol

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

nO time liKe the

PRESENT!

YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES RIGHT ABOUT NOW: YOU CAN A) GET YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING UNDERWAY AND SPEND THE LEAD UP TO THE BIG DAY WITH A SMUG GRIN ON YOUR FACE AND A BAILEYS IN YOUR HAND, OR B) KEEP PUTTING IT OFF AND BE FRANTICALLY WRAPPING YOUR PRESENTS ON C-DAY MORNING, LOCKED IN THE BATHROOM. EITHER WAY, WE’RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE THESE FESTIVE GIFT IDEAS HERE FOR YOU...

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1. SET THE BAR

under a fi ver!

Choco Loco Bah Humbug Bar, £4.99 Handmade in Bristol by a chocolatier with attitude, these bars look great and taste even better.

Find them at Soukous on Cotham Hill and online; choco-loco.co.uk 2. A MIXER UPPER

The Cocktail Bible, £10 This boozy handbook not only lists recipes for 200 concoctions, but also looks at technique and glassware. Find it at Waterstones in Bath and Bristol; waterstones.com 3. GIN DEMAND

LSA Gin Balloon Glasses, £42 The cut-glass design gives these gin balloons an elegant vintage

look. They come in a set of two, from The Pod Company in Bristol; thepodcompany.co.uk

Find them at The Pod Company in Bristol; thepodcompany.co.uk 6. SPOONING

4. MULL IT OVER

Makers and Merchants Mulled Wine Syrup, £5.95 This syrup is all cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, and is not only for adding to wine but can also be sloshed into fizz or used to spike Christmas bakes.

Festive vibes in a bottle. Find it at Fig 1 in Bristol or online; makersand-merchants.com 5. ESPRESSO YOURSELF

Bone China Espresso Mugs, £9.95 This pair of espresso cups have a sweet cat and dog design, ideal for anyone who’s a sourpuss before the first coffee of the day.

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under a fi ver!

Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Spoon, £2.95 This hunk of Belgian milk chocolate on the end of a wooden spoon is waiting to be stirred through hot milk to make an ideal winter warmer. Find it at Vinegar Hill in Bath and Bristol; vinegarhill.co.uk 7. SAUCY

Tracklements Nine Jar Mini Gift Set, £5.55 The little pots of Wiltshire-made condiments in this box range from cranberry, port and orange sauce to chilli jam and sticky fig relish – ideal for that B-Day cold spread. From Farleigh

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Road Farm Shop and online; tracklements.co.uk 8. LET’S BE-GIN

Shipshape and Bristol Fashion Small Batch Gin, £33.50 Made in Long Ashton, this newly released spirit features local Flax Bourton honey as well as fennel and grapefruit. Find it in Grape and Grind on Glouceser Road; grapeandgrind.co.uk 9. PIPE DREAM

Mayd Copper Bottle Opener, £18 This cool polished copper bar tool – which comes either premade or in a DIY kit – will certainly be a talking point, and should see plenty of action over the festive period. Made in Bristol

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and sold at Independent Design Collective; maydby.co.uk 10. DISHY

subscription!

Emmeline Simpson Tea Towel, £9.99 Decorated with iconic scenes from Bath and Bristol, these locally designed tea towels can be found at The Bristol Guild and M Shed in Bristol, and Bath Tourist Information, as well as online; emmelinesimpson.co.uk 11. VOUCH FOR YOU

VOUCHER!

Vale House Kitchen Vouchers, from £50 This great cookery school in Timbsbury doesn’t confine its classes to the kitchen; it has fishing, foraging and shooting courses out in the field, on top of baking, cooking, preserving and butchery. Vouchers start at £50; valehousekitchen.co.uk

salted date and almond butter, and salted date and peanut butter – all locally made. Find it online; yumello.com 13. BARREL OF LAUGHS

Le Benjamin De Puech-Haut Bib-Art Red NV Barrel, £38.80 This artist-designed wine barrel is filled with an easy-drinking vegan red, made with Shiraz and Grenache grapes. There are three litres here, which should see you through the festive season well.

Buy it from Bath’s Le Vignoble; levignoble.co.uk 14. THE BLUES

splurge al ert!

KitchenAid Misty Blue Mixer, £699 With its ceramic hobnaildesign bowl, this new mixer has been released to celebrate KitchenAid’s 100th birthday in 2019. Available online; hartsofstur.com

12. A NUT ABOVE

Yumello Gift Box, £17 Perfect for nut butter nutters, this gift box contains four jars of the stuff: almond butter, peanut putter,

15. YOU GOT SERVED

Rice Porcelain Serving Platter, £69.95 This colourful new range from Danish designers Rice has

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recently landed in the UK, and we love its playful design and durability (it’s all dishwasher safe, y’know). This marble-effect platter especially caught our eye. Find it at Fig 1 in Bristol; fig1.co.uk 16. FILL ’ER UP!

Libby Ballard Travel Mug, £26.50 Part of a new range by local ceramicist Libby Ballard, this is sure to be on the receiving end of some serious cup envy in the coffee queue. Find it at Homefront Interiors in Bath, Independent Design Collective in Bristol, and online; libbyballard.co.uk 17. ESPRESSO DELIVERY

Espresso Martini Sparkling Cocktail Gift Set, £30 If anyone has a better way to wrap up C-lunch than by retreating to the sofa with a glitter-topped Espresso Martini, we’d like to hear it. This gift set has all the ingredients you need to make one, and you can find it at Marks and Spencer in Bath and Bristol and online; marksandspencer.com

CRUMBSMAG.COM

18. CAMEMBERT IT

Choc on Choc Chocolate Camembert, £14 Complete with gooey, oozy centre, this Camembert is made entirely from white chocolate – as are the little discs of ‘bread’ it comes with to dip in that silky sweetness. Find it online; choconchoc.co.uk 19. DRAM FINE

subscriptio n!

The Dram Team Subscription Club, £27.50 (per delivery) This local biz will deliver a box of six whisky miniatures – with varieties from around the world – along with tasting cards, either quarterly or monthly, as you like.

(We know what we’d prefer.) Order online; thedramteam.co.uk 20. RED ALERT

Sophie Conran Hardwick Red Wine Glass, £11.50 These glasses

by British designer Sophie Conran aren’t just fantastically festive, but they’re a steal too; find them at Kilver Court in Shepton Mallet, each with a fiver off the RRP of £16.50; kilvercourt.com

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Two Belly Beer and Cheese Pairings, £25 The team at beer and cheese shop Two Belly have put together this thoughtful gift box of three British cheeses with drinks chosen specifically to match each – ideal for cracking open on Boxing Day. Get it from Two Belly in Bristol; twobelly.co.uk 22. BOTTLED IT

Chilly’s Bottle, from £15 These hard-wearing, leak-proof bottles can keep hot and cold bevs at the right temperature for hours – great for those always on the go. From Rossiters of Bath; rossitersofbath.com 23. MAG DO

subscriptio n!

One Year Crumbs Subscription, £39 What’s that: the latest issue of Crumbs landing on the doormat every four weeks for the next year? (That’s 13 magazines, by the way.) Christmas wishes really can come true. Buy online; crumbsmag.com

24. JINGLE BOWLS

Sous Chef Ramen Bowl Set, £39.50 These sets include gorgeous ramen bowls, ladles, noodles and a recipe booklet – all in a cotton gift bag. Find them online; souschef.co.uk 25. CIDER SENSE

Bristol Cider Shop 12 Ciders of Christmas, £35 A collection of award-winning ciders has been carefully curated by the folk at Bristol Cider Shop to rep the best traditionally made cider from within 50 miles of the city. Order online; bristolcidershop.co.uk 26. BAULES UP

Zara’s Chocolates Filled Chocolate Baubles, £12.50 These shimmering baubles are handmade by this well-known Bristol-based chocolatier, and come in a box of five. As each chocolate shell is filled with hazelnut praline, we have a feeling they won’t last long hanging on the tree… Buy them from the new

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Zara’s Chocolates shop on North Street; zaraschocolates.com

Bristol before they all disappear; casperbristol.com

27. COASTING

30. UP YOUR STREET

The Abstract Bee Coasters, £20 These gorgeous coasters are handmade made from agate rock and have copper detail around the edges; find them at Casper in Bristol; casperbristol.com 28. THE PERFECT WARM

Harvey Nichols Winter Warmers Hamper, £85 The ultimate survival kit for the post-Christmas season, this wicker hamper is packed with mulled wine, caramelised almonds, Champagne truffles, biscuits, tea, panettone and cherry jam. From Harvey Nichols in Bristol and online; harveynichols.com 29. PLATING UP

Boho Bristol Style Plate, circa £20 These one-of-a-kind plates see hand-drawn designs printed onto retro crockery for a unique vintage-meets-contemporary look. Find them in Casper in

CRUMBSMAG.COM

Palmer Street Bottle Trio Gift Pack, £15 This is a perfect Boxing Day survival kit: you get either beer or cider with a local cheese and some cider-spiked chutney. Buy from Palmer Street Bottle in Frome or find them at the Bath Christmas Market; palmerstbottle.co.uk 31. CRACKING

Biscuiteers Nutcracker Letter Box Biscuits, £20 Looking for a gift for someone who’s far away? How about a box of hand-decorated biscuits, which can be posted anywhere in the world and fits perfectly through letterboxes?

Order online; biscuiteers.com 32. THINK SPICE

subscriptio n!

The Spicery Easy Kit Subscription, from £16.50 (for three months) These Bristol spice gurus are well-known

S IE H FR IC R W ” LA ND BS GU SA UM RE NY CR EE A E “ FR ITH OT W QU

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

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

PUB • RESTAURANT • FUNCTION ROOM • ACCOMMODATION

Gourmet vegan sandwiches catering for all tastes.

We also take “suspended sandwiches” for the homeless of Bristol as well as catering private events.

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

KONGS OF KING STREET, 13-15 KING ST, BRISTOL BS1 4EF f a x Tue/Wed/Thu: 17:00 - 22:00 | Fri/Sat: 12:00 - 22:00 | Sun: 12:00 - 20:00

Chandos Road Vale House Kitchen is a bespoke country skills and cookery school situated in the village of Timsbury 8 miles southwest of Bath. We will be offering all the traditional courses you would expect from a cookery school but will have the added dimension of teaching skills such as fishing, shooting, foraging and butchery.

CHRISTMAS VOUCHERS NOW AVAILABLE November 11th – Edible Gifts Course December 1st – Fish Cookery January 12/13th – 2 Day Shooting Experience

01761 470401 | info@valehousekitchen.co.uk

www.valehousekitchen.co.uk

Book your Christmas party at Otira 0117 973 3669 www.otira.co.uk

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for their colourful, aromatic ingredients. This subscription will see the recipient get two spice kits delivered each month with recipe cards to make simple but delicious dinners. Available from The Spicery; thespicery.com 33. CHIN CHIN

Hyde and Co Cocktail Tasting For Two, £50 The pro mixologists at Bristol’s original prohibition bar will treat a pair of thirsty souls to three cocktails each – chosen and mixed to their tastes – and talk them through each concoction.

There are loads of food and drink experiences on offer from this group, all available online; hydeand.co 34. TOUR THING!

VOUCHER!

Bristol Food Tour Vouchers, £45 Each gift voucher will get the recipient a place on any of the team’s available culinary tours, which sees guests whisked around the city to try some of the best food it has to offer.

Check out the website to buy; thebristolfoodtour.com

35. TEATIME

subscriptio n!

Bird and Blend Tea Club Subscription, from £29.85 (three months) Three new tea blends make their way to subscribers each month, with the first batch coming in a gold embossed gift box (ideal for giving on C-Day) and includes tea sacs and a teaspoon.

Order from Bird and Blend in Bristol; birdandblendtea.com 36. OUTSIDER

splurge al ert!

Gozney Roccbox, £499 Make Boxing Day pizza a new tradition by gifting this portable wood- and gas-powered outdoor oven, made

by West Country biz Gozney. (You surely win the right to be the first to sample the results if you do.) Order online; gozney.com

38. HOLEY COW

Paxton and Whitfield Cheese Making Kit, £25 Make your own fresh mozzarella, ricotta, burrata or goat’s cheese with this kit – it includes everything you’ll need but the milk. Find it at Paxton and Whitfield in Bath and online; paxtonandwhitfield.co.uk 39. TEA-OFF

Bird and Blend Tea Wall Tin, £29 After requests from punters, this tea shop is now selling the big tea tins that it uses in store (and they come packed with 60 tea bags, too). Choose a regular label or festive design. From Bird and Blend in Bristol and online; birdandblendtea.com

Yay Rae Flay Jammie Dodger Necklace, £22 Designed and made locally, this birch wood Jammie Dodger is cut and engraved by laser and hangs on a silver plated chain. Find it at Fox and West in Bristol or online at Etzy; foxandwest.co.uk

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Brass Plant Hangers, £27 One of these bad boys would look the business planted with herbs and hung up in the kitchen. Are we right? Find it at Mon Pote in Bristol; monpote.co.uk 42. GIN CITY

Hendrick’s Orbium Gin, £47 This special creation by popular gin distillery Hendrick’s was released in 2017, and has just been launched in Harvey Nics. Conceived by Hendricks’ master distiller Leslie Gracie, it features the addition of quinine, wormwood and blue lotus blossom. Find it at Harvey Nichols in Bristol; harveynichols.com 43. SPICE IS RIGHT

40. DISHY FISHY 37. JAM HOT

41. HANGING OUT

Jess Hughes Designs Mackerel Wall Sculpture, from £15 Each mackerel is totally individual, as they’re made by hand (from sustainable wood) and painted individually by this Bath-based designer. They come in four sizes. Find them online at Etsy; jesshughesdesigns.com

CRUMBSMAG.COM

The Spice Kitchen Silk Wrapped Spice Tin, £29.95 There are nine carefully sourced spices and blends in this tin, each chosen for its important role in Indian cookery, and ground and blended using traditional methods. And it all comes with a silk sari wrap.

Find it in Rossiters in Bath; rossitersofbath.com

THE

CAKERY Re-open under new management.

Kitchen now open, offering traditional pub food.

ARTISAN COFFEE | FRESH BREAD LUNCH | CUSTOM MADE CAKES

Gluten free, dairy free and vegan options available é Visit the shop to book your party or event! é Open: Monday - Saturday 12pm-11pm, Sunday 12pm-10pm Food served: 12pm-9pm Monday to Saturday, Sunday lunches 12pm-5pm 6 Dowry Place, Bristol BS8 4QL 0117 336 8151 | roseofdenmarkbristol@outlook.com

f theroseofdenmarkbristol |

x @roseofdenmarkbristol

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

LOCAL, ORGANIC, SUSTAINABLE, ETHICAL, DELICIOUS With a wealth of experience behind us we can cater any event, bringing our ethos and values to everything we do.

Get in touch to hear how we could cater for your event 0117 954 4030 or 0117 908 5035 | admin@cookingco.co.uk | cookingco.co.uk

Award Winning, Family Run Farm Shop Established for over 30 years Selling Quality Local Produce Open Daily 9am – 6pm (9.30am – 5pm on Sundays)

HOME & LOCALLY REARED FRESH MEAT, POULTRY & GAME HOMEMADE SAUSAGES, BURGERS & FAGGOTS Home Reared Christmas Turkeys – Orders now being taken

LOCAL CHEESES & HOME COOKED MEATS LOCALLY GROWN VEGETABLES, FRUIT & SALADS HOMEMADE CAKES & PIES LOCALLY MADE CHOCOLATES & FUDGE FINE WINE, LOCAL ALE & CIDER

Join us for our Christmas Events Tasting Day

Saturday 24th Nov Shopping Evening Friday 7th Dec

PRESERVES & CHUTNEYS GIFT HAMPERS www.allingtonfarmshop.co.uk 01249 658112

Premium Christmas Trees on sale from 24th November

Allington Bar Farm, Chippenham, SN14 6LJ

Situated in the renowned Spike Island, we are the sister café to the much loved Folk House Café and offer a wonderful setting for everyone.

Chocolate making classes in the centre of Bath.

Perfect for individuals, private groups or team-building events

Visit sevenhillschocolate.co.uk for more details or find us at: Bath Farmer’s Market Bath Christmas Market

133 Cumberland Road Bristol BS1 6UX spikeislandcafe.co.uk 0117 954 4030

LOCAL, ORGANIC, SUSTAINABLE, ETHICAL, DELICIOUS. We also cater for evening events, wedding receptions, birthday parties, supper clubs.

Call now for more information.

40a Park Street, Bristol, BS1 5JG folkhousecafe.co.uk 0117 908 5035

TO KINGhaM COme

THIS FINE COTSWOLD VILLAGE – A RELATIVELY SHORT AND SUITABLY SCENIC DRIVE FROM OUR PATCH – MIGHT BE SMALL, BUT ITS CULINARY GAME IS MIGHTY. A GREAT SPOT, THEN, FOR JESSICA CARTER TO GO PLAY FOOD TOURIST...

The largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK, the Cotswolds’ grassy carpet covers nearly 800 square miles. Among the rolling landscape are dotted centuries-old cottages and stately homes, most built from honey-coloured Cotswold stone, mined from the Jurassic limestone that underpins the entire area. As its AONB designation suggests, this patch of English countryside sure is a looker.

Kingham and its surrounds, it could well be argued, is peak Cotswolds: this little Oxfordshire village, just outside of Chipping Norton, seems as if it’s been meticulously designed by an artistic hand, with the intention of staging a fairytale among its oil paintinglike scenery. (Instead of being ‘a land far, far away’, though, it’s actually less than a two-hour drive. Happy days.) The village has quite the food scene, too. It’s here that you’ll find one of the most sustainable and well-

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known organic farms in the UK – Daylesford – and it’s also where Alex James retreated to, post-Blur fame, to make cheese. (He now also hosts a food fest here, The Big Feastival, with mate Jamie Oliver.) And, of course, Kingham offers some stellar restaurant experiences, too...

Wellies in the boot and the hound packed off on a holiday of her own (don’t give me that look – she had more treats in the ensuing 36 hours than she’d had the rest of the year), I pulled out of my street feeling the specific kind of excitement that only comes from a road trip. Of course, said excitement lasts all of 22 minutes, after which impatience sets in and I begin to regret deciding to not bring provisions for fear of ruining my lunch. No matter, there was only 73 minutes left of navigating down country roads, squeezing past 4x4s, and waiting for clearance to overtake tractors. (I actually love the countryside. What? I do.)

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The Kingham Plough is our first stop – and I don’t mean to brag, but I only accidentally drove past it once. (In all honesty, it is quite difficult to miss, housed in a large and handsome stone building, which also contains several guest rooms.) It was opened 11 years ago by former Great British Menu champ Emily Watkins, who’d trained in Florence and cooked at Heston Blumental’s The Fat Duck before deciding to launch her own venture. It’s the kind of place you’d hope to happen upon in a picture-postcardworthy village like this one: relaxed and pub-like in character (everyone is welcome – old, young, four-legged and muddy-Wellie-booted), it has a thoughtful menu that reflects its setting as much as the pheasant-patterned wallpaper in the wooden-beamed dining room.

Kicking off, lamb scrumpet hides well-seasoned, flakingly tender meat beneath its crisp outer layer, and is topped with soft, thin slices of pink cured flesh (lamb ham, if you will). A vibrant-green and silky-smooth parsley mayo has just the right amount of acidity and flavour to complement the meat, while cubes of salty, zingy anchovy slice right through the lot.

Plump cod cheeks come in pairs, each encased in white, airy batter, which is delicately flavoured so as to not overpower the mild flesh inside. I mentally slap my wrist for not having had this cut of cod for as long as I can remember. They come with a quenelle of sweet and sticky red pepper ‘marmalade’ – the veg in question having originated just down the road at Daylesford Farm – and sit on a bed of fennel ribbons.

The word ‘hake’ tumbles from our waiter’s mouth before we even finish asking what he reckons is the most standout dish right now; the pearly white flesh arrives smothered in punchy gremolata atop a thick and creamy borlottli bean stew, flecked with herbs.

Ginger cake is very much up there in the culinary comfort stakes for me, but instead of the plasticwrapped loaf my mum used to buy me as a kid from the supermarket, I take delivery a slice of moist, dense cake, spiked with warming, autumnal spices and served with a decadently dark and silky blackberry sorbet.

Just as we’re scooping the remnants of these puds into our gobs, someone who looks very much like Vivek Singh strolls past our table. I automatically count the number of wines I’ve had (it’s two, so the process doesn’t take long), but before you can say ‘The Cinnamon Club’ our server is explaining that it is, indeed, Vivek – he’s guest cheffing with Emily that evening. Turns out, these guys plan regular dinner events like this one.

The food here is really nicely pitched – it plays to the tune of both the destination restaurant that you’ll pen in the diary, as well as the relaxed boozer you might drop into spontaneously for a pint with the pooch. Menus are the same for lunch and dinner too, meaning you don’t miss out if you visit during the day, as opposed to later in the evening.

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Luckily, after lunch we needed to roll no great distance to our digs for the evening; The Wild Rabbit is about four minutes by foot from The Kingham Plough. The creation of Carole Bamford (and sister business to Daylesford), this place, on paper, has a similar concept to the venue we’ve just come from: a pub – if a fancy one – with a restaurant-style food offering and accommodation. But don’t think that means you need to choose between the two: they’re rather different beasts.

Throughout its bar, restaurant and guest rooms, The Wild Rabbit is all about rustic chic: exposed stone and raw wooden beams

The Kingham Plough, Kingham, Oxfordshire OX7 6YD; B&B from £145 per couple, per night; starters from £7 and mains from £16; 01608 658327; thekinghamplough.co.uk

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are enhanced by a neutral colour palate of whites and greys. It’s like each little corner of each handsome room has been meticulously styled – styled, though, in a way to suggest there’s been no styling at all. You know the style, right? Shall I stop saying style now? (It’s just too stylish.)

Even so, upon being let into our rooms for the night I bypass cooing over the luxuriously thick curtains or voicing my delight that we have a log burner, kick off my shoes and walk purposefully up the stairs to the first floor, where I assume starfish position and throw myself on the perfectly dressed bed. It’s like getting the top of the milk (in the old days, mind; a carton of semi-skimmed won’t do the same job). Or walking on fresh snow. I must be the one to feel the taught bed sheets crinkle under me and report just how fluffy the pillows are. (Very, obviously.)

Sure, you could call The Wild Rabbit a pub – but it’s unlike any boozer I’ve ever been. The bar is at the front, filled with locals and their four legged chums, and the large dining area is found around the back, beautifully decked out, of course, and with crackling fires a-plenty.

It’s buzzing: we hear a pair of apparent residents on the next table hurriedly ask the waiter if they can book for the following evening, having noticed that the restaurant was, in fact, completely full at 8.30pm on a Wednesday.

Alyn Williams (who worked as head chef at Marcus Wareing’s two-Michelin starred kitchen and also has a Michelin-starred restaurant at The Westbury), is chef patron these days, having hopped (honest accident, that one) aboard in May. The Wild Rabbit had a brief fling with a Michelin star back in 2017, so it’s likely the intention with Alyn’s appointment is to win it back.

The tasting menu could be the way to go if you want to try a few of the chef’s favourites, but we go straight-up a la carte. First, wedges of sweet heritage tomato arrive on various points of the traffic light colour spectrum, and lay on top of, as if protecting, a mound of soft white crabmeat and oozing heap of loose, milky burrata. Thai basil leaves, peppered around the plate, fill the mouth and nose with their heady fragrance. The natural wine that the sommelier has chosen to match (he has some really intriguing vinos to choose from) is red in colour but not in style; it’s made by fermenting the grapes whole, with the magic happening to each individual fruit inside its skin, resulting in a juicy wine that’s easy on tannin. Across the table, little chunks of rabbit, subtly charred but still juicy, share their plate – available, like much of the dinnerware, in the Daylesford shop – with delicate mustard mousse, fresh fennel and carrot, and a seeded shard of ‘pie crust’.

It’s very much the ideal season and location for grouse, and the kitchen team here are using pretty much the whole bird in their starring main: the breast cuts, crimson pink throughout, are warmed in a beurre noisette bath to keep them moist and impart a caramelised flavour; the legs are slowly cooked in fat then the meat picked and rolled into a ball with a spinach leaf shell; and the bones are boiled up for sauce. Juicy little hunks of yellow pickled plum bring the exact sweet, tangy relief that the decadent richness has you craving, and thin discs of potato, joined in pairs around the circumference, are fried until they puff into crisp bubbles and then perfectly seasoned.

The beef rib-eye really is insanely good (as far as I could deduce – I only managed to steal a scant mouthful from across the table); the crust deliciously caramelised, and the meat certainly not requiring the sharpness of the impressive steak knife, complete with bone-look handle, that the table is laid with. A small mound of beef tartare with

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flavours of gherkin sits atop a mini sesame seeded brioche bun, to form a decadent kind of Big Mac from an alternate reality.

A pumpkin pie soufflé is impaled at the table with a knife by our waiter, to allow warm butterscotch sauce to be poured inside. From this core, it spreads out into the airy, savoury soufflé, and I know rather early on I will be thinking about that finale for days. There’s a hearty selection of British cheeses to be had after pud but, despite having eyed them up for most of the night, we relinquish our table on account of being – how shall I put it? – chuffing full.

The Wild Rabbit, Kingham, Oxfordshire OX7 6YA; B&B from £140 per couple, per night; starters from £13 and mains from £22.50; 01608 658389; thewildrabbit.co.uk

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SPECIALIST SINGLE MALT WHISKIES, PREMIUM RUMS CRAFT WORLD AND LOCAL BEERS, COCKTAIL SPIRITS CUBAN CIGARS, FINE WINES AND CHAMPAGNES PRIVATE & CORPORATE TASTING

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

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Having voted in favour of a pre-lunch reccy, we pop over to neighbouring town Chipping Norton and take the long route (totally on purpose, I absolutely did not miss a turning) to the culinary Mecca that is Daylesford Organic. We pass little honey cottages with Farrow and Ball-green front doors as we dodge pheasants which run across the rust-coloured leaves lining the roads. On noticing an impressive, stately looking building in the distance we Google it – a former tweed mill, natch. (Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Bristol anymore.)

Daylesford is far from quiet at noon on a term-time Thursday, and I pat down my fluffy hair and straighten my coat as I climb out of the car (which I’ve parked as far away from the glossy 4x4s as I can manage). People mill around the shop – which sells everything from organic fruit and veg to pots and pans, spirulina kefir to recipe books.

I buy a wooden spoon; I can’t waste the discount card from The Wild Rabbit, but can’t quite manage a Vitamix this month. There’s a cookery school, spa and clothes shop here too, as well as the The Old Spot restaurant and a café.

Lunch at The Old Spot begins with a Green Garden mocktail (because someone has to drive home): a crisp, tangy muddle of elderflower, cucumber, apple and mint. Opposite is a Daylesford IPA. Mains come with a choice of salad and vegetable sides; we buddy the succulent lemon and thyme chicken with the broccoli, sesame and chilli, and crispy Tuscan potatoes. The meat comes resting on a

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nutty romesco bed, and the greens look full of goodness. The burger is rather unlike the ones back in Bristol, ever-jostling for the meaty crown. This is a straight-up, classic-style number, with a thick patty of grass-fed beef, subtly blushing pink inside. It’s topped with creamy and pokey Bledington Blue, which is made on the farm, and truffly fried potato slices hit a sweet spot between crisps and chips. Crumbletopped apple and blackberry tart signals the end of lunch and, with a pot of silky vanilla-laced custard, is about as comforting and fitting a conclusion to this fine little jaunt as I could have asked for.

Staff here are all perfectly polite and smiley, although thankfully with a bit of a down-to-earth edge – which, just for a second, has me forgetting that I don’t actually belong to the lucky group who shop for their groceries here on the regular.

It’s a good job there’s so much square meterage of shop to walk off that lunch in. (Yes, we bought a few more things we didn’t by any stretch need – but I dare you not to.) If it’s fresh air that does it for you after a good feed, though – as opposed to a retail sesh – get yourself among the 2,000 acres of farmland, gardens and orchards. Stroll through enough of them and you might even work up the appetite you need to go back inside for a snack.

The Old Spot at Daylesford, Gloucestershire GL56 0YG; main courses from £14; 01608 731700; daylesford.com

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BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN CRAFT BEER & COCKTAILS On the riverside, Taunton 01823 252466 | info@eatthebird.co.uk x eatthebird a tw_eatthebird

Serving up an ever-changing menu of eight plates, this is a place where the little things matter.

Open Tuesday to Sunday Dinner only from 5:30pm 3 North Parade Passage, Bath BA1 1NX 01225 724111 – eightinbath.co.uk

D N A R IN A W BO O D EN IL M W GA

For great Christmas value

• Woolley Park (Bath) free range turkeys, geese and ducks • Copas organic and free range turkeys • Usk Vale boneless turkey crowns stuffed to order Gift vouchers • Set boxes Molesworths of Henleaze 101 Henleaze Road, Bristol, BS9 4JP

Molesworths of Frampton 147 Church Road, Frampton Cotterell, Bristol, BS36 2JX

0117 962 1095

01454 777337

www.henleazebutchers.co.uk

Helping you have a good day, every day.

Open for Brunch, Lunch, and Speciality Coffee Tuesday-Sunday.

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AFTERS

FREQUENTED, NEW RESTAURANTS DEVOURED, NEW CATHFÉS T OF THEM NEW BARS CRAWLED, AND WHAT WE OUGH

HIGHLIGHTS T TS

CHEW DOWN PUB GRUB AT THIS LAKESIDE LOCAL AK PAGEE 74

GOLDEN OLDIE HOW IS THIS DECADES-OLD GAFF FARING IN 2018?

Riverstation had a proper overhaul in the spring – have you checked out its new look yet?

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EAT, SLEEP, REPEAT

DINNER AND BREKKIE AT THIS WILTSHIRE HOTEL PAGE 80

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(GOOD PUB GRUB)

THE BEAR AND SWAN JESSICA CARTER RETURNS TO THIS LAKESIDE VILLAGE FOR A FAR LESS DRAMATIC (AND MORE ENJOYABLE) TRIP THAN THE TIME BEFORE...

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was last in Chew Magna back in June, and left with a face that was so swollen that I could easily have passed for Shrek’s less-green cousin. (Turns out, taking a short cut to the lake through the fields in the height of hay fever season was a terrible idea. Who knew?) My eyes were so buried beneath puffy lids that I didn’t even notice The Bear and Swan pub, which I must have passed at least twice.

Inside is familiar watering hole territory – tall stools line the bar, exposed beams protrude from the ceiling, big Persian-style rugs lie underfoot, and a large fireplace (not on the go this early autumn evening) promises winter warmth. There’s a dedicated dining room – where tables are laid with glassware and cutlery – which is just off from the bar, meaning it still manages to soak up a bit of the

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atmosphere from the pub. Still, we didn’t sit there; Crumbs mascot Prudence the basset hound was in attendance, so we were placed at a table next to the fireplace near the bar (the dining room is for twolegged patrons only).

The menu is pretty generous in terms of choice – I counted about 10 main courses as well as steak options (all of which come from Ruby and White butchers) and pizzas. It’s developed by the head chef along with The OHH Pub Company’s development chef, Ross Harper, who joined the team in the spring. This is straight-up, British pub food: the intention is not to surprise or challenge punters, but give them what they’d hope and expect when pushing that front door open.

A ham hock Scotch egg (£7.50) saw a thick layer of pink meat packed around a gooey-yolked egg and paired with a pokey mustard and caper dressing. In contrast, a goat’s cheese, butternut and beetroot crostini (£6.95) was a more delicate starter; it stretched the British pub grub concept a bit, but was a good example of the newly invigorated seasonal focus. The squash was puréed and piped onto and around the crisp slices of bread along with the goat’s cheese, while slivers of beetroot sat in amongst the assembly. Unsure as to whether this was a knife-and-fork or pick-it-up affair (the bread was a little too crisp to cut and I feared sending it flying with my knife, but the toppings were on the plate as well as the bread, meaning I couldn’t get to them without my cutlery), I did both. The sweetness from the beet and squash was a good buddy to the saltiness of the goat’s cheese, and walnut crumbs gave some texture and earthiness.

Pru’s eyes lit up when she caught a whiff of the pork belly (£14.95).

Plated up with creamy – yet not too heavy – celeriac dauphinoise and a tangy apple sauce, the meat was nicely tender and made my dinner date rather happy. Upon my enquiring as to why the lovely looking curl of brittle rind that crowned it all was pushed to one side, though, he told me, and I quote, “I don’t really like crackling”. Upon which I dropped my cutlery and let this information sink in (while I ate said crackling, of course, which was flavourful, had snap, and was nicely easy to bite into, thanks to being straw-thin).

The large venison sausages (£12.95) were quite dense and hefty – taking on all three is a bit of a challenge. They were by nature very lean, so in turn a bit dry, but the creamy Stilton sauce which pooled beneath them and bathed buttered, shredded greens, balanced things out nicely. And the horseradish mash croquette – with its golden breadcrumbed coat – made the whole thing a nice alternative to

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the classic bangers and mash. My leftovers were happily adiosed by the now-stranger across the table who doesn’t like crackling.

I bagsied the apple and pear crumble (£6.50) for pud, much to his disappointment; the fruit had come from the pub’s garden (the kitchen has been making use of them in everything from chutneys to desserts of late, we’re told), and the crunchy topping was studded with nice little chewy hunks where the fruit had bubbled up.

This is a friendly pub with warm, familiar service and no-messing food. The kitchen team aims to serve up classic dishes with a dash of imagination.

The Bear and Swan, 13 South Parade, Chew Magna, Bristol BS40 8PR; 01275 331100; ohhpubs.co.uk

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Our award winning chutneys and pickles are always created to a deliciously high standard, using fresh seasonal ingredients.

To find out more contact us on +44 (0)1225 722255 sales@inapicklefoodco.co.uk or join us on

A F T E R S

( O L D FA I T H F U L S )

RIVERSTATION FOLLOWING ITS RECENT RELAUNCH, THIS BRISTOL STALWART GETS A VISIT FROM A NOSEY JESSICA CARTER...

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his mainstay of the Bristol dining scene – housed in the former river police station – has been kicking around for as long as anyone will admit to being able to remember (more than 20 years). Recently though, it’s been all change; in 2016, it was taken over by pub company Young’s, and in spring this year was treated to a full-on redesign. Now, the upstairs restaurant is all polished wood, navy walls, brown leather-look banquette seating and low hanging brass lightshades.

Backing onto the river, the bar and restaurant has floor-to-ceiling windows to make the most of those waterside views, and there’s a terrace on the ground floor with balcony above. There’s even a jetty, so you can reach it from the river, either in your own boat (ooh, get you) or using the riverboat service (yeah, more like it, hey?), which runs regularly every day except Christmas.

It’s a really friendly welcome for us from a cheery, multitasking bartender on the ground floor, who directs us upstairs to the restaurant as he serves a punter.

At our table – happily right up close to one of those huge windows – we quickly find the cocktail list. They’ve shunned the classics for less familiar concoctions using on-trend ingredients – think masala chai tea with tonka bean syrup, spiced dark rum and cherry, and blackberries with smoky mezcal and ginger. In lieu of an actual Negroni among the collection (although I’m sure they can go off-menu if asked), I chance my luck with The Centurian (£8.50), whose description promised a cross between the aforementioned and a gin and tonic.

A surprise pre-starter – a treat usually only expected at higher end joints – was a miniature cup of velvety soup studded with blue cheese, and gave way to dishes of gin-cured trout (£7) and pan-fried scallops (£12.50). Sure, the latter was only £1.50 less than my main, but the creamy-textured scallops – which had lightly caramelised at the edges for a hint of extra flavour – came in a generous portion and were joined by a golden-crumbed crab cake. Apple brought crispness and pickled purple cauliflower some subtle tang, both of which obviously went a treat with the silky, mild seafood. The trout, again, was generously portioned. The plump hunks of peachy coloured flesh were dotted around the plate with compressed cucumber, discs of radish and dill oil, making for a juicy and freshly flavoured opener.

The seafood kept on coming for mains, in the form of whole baked market fish (£18.50), which that day was hake. The moist, buttery flesh was joined by fat prawns and brown butter sauce. A strong suggestion of tarragon, punchy capers, and crisp croutons stepped the party up a gear. There were a couple of vegan dishes on the menu (most of which could be made gluten free): a seasonally changing risotto, and harissa roasted aubergine. The latter (£14) was a colourful plate that saw half an aubergine topped with a fresh and fruity pomegranate salsa, and resting on a bed of chickpeas, tomato and cumin, the sweetness from the pomegranate seeds and chunks of tomato punctuating the slow-burning heat of the harissa. Our server recommended we order sides with those, which ended up being welcome, especially the chunky hand-cut chips (£4.50).

A surprise sorbet, tangy and fresh, preceded desserts (both £6.50) of cherry and pistachio Bakewell tart and vanilla poached peaches. The former was maybe the only misfire of the evening: a nice idea but quite dense and dry, with the cherry getting a bit lost. The peaches, though, made a fan of my ‘not a pudding person’ date. The fruit, which tasted fresh as opposed to overshadowed by the vanilla-pimped poaching liquor, was plated with soft almond sponge and cubes of peach and chilli gel – another really substantially sized dish.

The modern-day Riverstation is a good all-rounder, happily loitering in that space between casual and formal. With good, attentive service and thoughtful touches, a meal here can feel like a real treat – only without any stuffy atmosphere or scary price tags. There’s a really reasonable set menu too, which offers two courses for £16.50, or three for £21.50.

Riverstation, The Grove, Bristol BS1 4RB; 0117 914 4434; riverstation.co.uk

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(FOODIE HOTELS)

THE SHELBURNE RESTAURANT DAN IZZARD BYPASSES GOLF FOR DINNER; THERE’S ONLY ONE KIND OF BIRDIE HE’S INTERESTED IN, AND IT COMES ON A PLATE...

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’m not a big golf fan. Which is why I am as confused as you are, reader, that I became so engrossed listening to the Ryder Cup on the radio on the way down to Devon recently.

I was completely drawn into the drama of some men in questionable slacks tapping a ball around a very neat lawn. I missed two junctions and ended up in Exeter...

I can definitely see why people are drawn to Wiltshire’s Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, then, with its sprawling golf course set among the 100 acres of gardens. The Shelburne Restaurant, set within the hotel, is a great viewing platform for those grounds and you’ll likely hear diners discussing their form out on the course. Not me, though: to be honest, woodpigeon is more my type of game.

This is some cooking I’m really onboard with: take a focal ingredient (often local meat or game) and build a comforting, hearty meal around it without messing with it too much, but being sure to honey glaze those carrots and serve it all with an onion and Madeira purée. You know the type.

First, creamed wild mushrooms (£9) come piled on a chunky slice of lightly toasted brioche, with a liberal dusting of truffle. It might not be as ‘creamed’ as I’d expected (I crave a bit more silky liquor to mop up with the brioche), but it’s not short of flavour. There’s a hint of sherry there, but the parmesan and truffle overpower most subtler elements – which is fine with me. I’d exfoliate with truffle if I could. Maybe that’s a treatment at the spa here...

Across the table, the gratin is harbouring at least five perfectly cooked scallops in a rich and creamy sauce with leek and chunks of

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still-crunchy cauliflower (£11). Both dishes are a great example of comfort food that’s been taken to the next level.

At one end of the restaurant, we can just about see the kitchen through a lattice of shelves. The sound of a chef calling our order cuts through the soft jazz cover of Snow Patrol’s ‘Chasing Cars’ (still a tune). Bowood is so calm and serene that it’s hard to imagine a fast-paced, intense environment behind the pass.

Presented already sliced in half, the tuna steak (£20) shows off its rare centre, and is topped with flakes of sea salt. The coarse orange and corinader crust delivers a powerful salty-citrus hit which lingers on the tongue long enough to flavour a whole mouthful of fish.

The tuna sits on a nest of soy-soaked, al dente rice noodles, and there’s a refreshing and light cucumber salsa (although it doesn’t stand a chance against the saline flavours). A glass of chilled Gerard Bértrand Picpoul de Pinet holds its own well, though.

The wood pigeon (£23) comes beautifully rare, one breast propped up by the other. The meat has a deep earthy flavour and tender, silky texture. A wilted spring onion lolls over the top, and around the plate are scattered oats. Alongside the pigeon is a clever cylinder of pistachio pudding (the creamy, nutty sponge is incredibly satisfying to cut into tiny discs and stack on my fork), sweet roasted aubergine which gets a boost of heat from harissa, and smoked garlic jus.

A large portion of the dessert menu is taken up by a substantial cheese selection (£3 each), including the local Cerney Pyramid, a soft French-style cheese that’s dusted in ash but has a subtle refreshing citrus note. Before that, though, I require some help with my layered chocolate (£7). It needs a bit of strategy to deconstruct; my spoon easily slices through the top layer of tonka bean cream and the next of milk chocolate, but then meets an immovable slice of dense darker choc.

We stayed the night in a large, comfy suite overlooking the grounds, and hung around for Melksham pork sausages, thick back bacon and free-range eggs the next morning, too.

This place, you can probably guess, is all about comfort, in terms of both food and atmosphere. Once you roll through those grand gates you’re expected to relax – and I’d suggest you oblige.

Bowood Hotel, Spa and Golf Resort, Derry Hill, Calne SN11 9PQ; 01249 822228; bowood.org

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BREAKFAST? I’m particularly partial to an uttapam from Thali in Easton as my breakfast fix. This pancake-like savoury treat reminds me of how inexpensive and delicious Southern Indian food is.

BEST BREW? The Canteen at Hamilton House. It’s not just about the tea, it’s about having a spot by the window or out by the road, watching the world go by.

FAVOURITE GROCERY SHOP? Better Food, St Werburghs. The local sourcing and sustainable packaging principles are wonderful – it’s like how everyone used to shop.

BEST WINE MERCHANT? Averys. I popped in there and told them how much I liked one wine from a tasting and Mimi suggested lots of others that would be great too. I’m trying the Castaneda next.

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B L A C K

SUNDAY LUNCH? The Swan in Wedmore. If you ask for a table in the bar you sometimes get to meet the people who grow and care for the ingredients. You can’t recreate that in the city; you have to go to the source.

B O O K

COLin MOOdy

QUICK PINT? My favourite brew has to be Dawkins Ales. Where to drink it? The Plough Inn, for me. Have a beer, shoot some pool, then listen to Cuban rhythms ’til 2am.

CHEEKY COCKTAIL? Red Light. A telephone outside the door gets you in, then it’s down underground you go, where the bartenders mix drinks in dim lighting. I like the theatre of it all.

HAVING JUST HAD A PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK, STOKES CROFT AND MONTPELIER, PUBLISHED, COLIN SURE KNOWS HIS WAY AROUND BRISTOL AND ITS CULINARY HOTSPOTS...

POSH NOSH? Fishers in Clifton has been our favourite for years; we will one day try the seafood platter, which fills up the whole table.

Their whole plaice in butter and caper sauce is divine.

FOOD ON THE GO? Mark’s Bread if in Bemmie, and Zam Zam Bakery if in Easton. Today, Mark’s had hot ciabatta, just out of the oven and it’s the best, while Zam Zam does bread quick – and from 50p! The lamb flatbread is Middle Eastern perfection, and so cheap.

ONE TO WATCH? Woky Ko. At Wapping Wharf and now also by the Clifton Triangle. Try the bao. One may not be enough, though...

COMFORT FOOD? Glen’s Kitchen at St Paul’s Learning Centre; there is a comprehensive range of Caribbean food here. They serve the best jerk chicken, and I ask for the mutton curry stew gravy to go on the rice and peas. Eating these flavours always makes me feel so alive.

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

Thali Easton, Bristol BS5 6JH; thethalirestaurant.co.uk The Canteen, Bristol BS1 3QY; canteenbristol.co.uk Better Food, Bristol BS2 9LB; betterfood.co.uk The Swan Wedmore BS28 4EQ; theswanwedmore.com The Plough Inn, Bristol BS5 0EG; facebook.com/theplougheaston Red Light, Bristol BS1 5HH; redlightbristol.xxx Fishers, Bristol BS8 4BX; fishers-restaurant.com Mark’s Bread, Bristol BS3 1JU; marksbread.co.uk Zam Zam Bakery, Bristol BS5 6DH; 0117 902 8203 Woky Ko, Bristol BS1 6WP; wokyko.com Glen’s Kitchen, Bristol BS2 8XJ; facebook.com/glenskitchenbristol Thali Southville, Bristol BS3 1TF; thethalirestaurant.co.uk Rita’s Take Away, Bristol BS1 3RJ; 0117 924 9119 Viva La Mexicana, Bristol BS3 4EJ; vivalamexicana.com

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BEST CURRY? I’m a big fan of street food, so the tasty small portions they do at Thali on North Street is my favourite go-to Indian food. They have it bang on.

BEST ATMOSPHERE? Rita’s Take Away, Stokes Croft, at 1.15am on a Saturday night. There’s nothing like it. Eat at the bar or go outside, where minicabs and BMWs are lined up while the drivers get theirs.

MOST UNDERRATED? Viva La Mexicana, East Street, Bemmie. This is the only authentic Mexican restaurant I know, and it’s great. They had me the moment the homemade corn chips and salsa were put down on the table. The best Margaritas, too. colinmoodyphotography.wordpress.com

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TUCK INTO SOME AUTHENTIC GREEK SOUVLAKI AT THE ATHENIAN Having humble beginnings, we started from a small street food stall in a small market in London at the end of 2014 to our newly opened restaurant in Bristol in the spring of 2017.

for more: www.theathenian.co.uk hello@theathenian.co.uk

Here in the Athenian we ensure all our ingredients are imported from small independent Greek producers to stay true to authentic Greek cuisine.

Many so-called Greek restaurants serve many dishes that are influenced

by Turkish, Arabic, Mediterranean or Middle-Eastern cooking.

What is your proudest achievement ?

Our proudest achievement would have to be when our Bristol restaurant won the “Best Express/ Takeaway/Deli” award in Bristol’s Good Food Awards.

What’s on the menu?

We’re launching a brand new menu this summer with an emphasis on meat free options. We’re introducing a delicious vegan gyros with vegan mayo that we expect to be an absolute hit with the crowds of Bristol! Of course our handmade meat skewers, chicken and pork gyros remain. We want our menu to be inclusive for everyone across

What makes the Athenian stand out from other Greek restaurants?

all different types of customers.

Including vegans, vegetarians or simply people that want to try something new and exciting or perhaps eat less meat! Our vegan gyros is just as high in protein as chicken, and it looks and tastes like meat! There’s nothing quite like it on the market!

What are your future goals?

Being an environmentally conscious company, we try to have the least impact on the environment that we can. We currently use minimal single use plastic, but we are planning to move to 100% biodegradable alternatives soon!

@theathenianu k