Crumbs Bath & Bristol - Issue 94

A lit tle slice of foodie heaven

FAVE M OUR F OO D I ES

What does a drunk guinea fowl lay?

N o. 94 Octo be r 20 19

FRO

CRUMBS BATH + BRISTOL NO.94 OCTOBER 2019

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S E P I C E R G I L N R ST E

O F ALL W

TASTIER THAN TURKEY! FRIENDLIER THAN

PHEASANTS! CLEVERER THAN

CHICKENS!

GUINEA FOWL HAS GOT US

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HACK TO THE

+ROOT +CASCARA +QUAY ST DI NER +B ELMOND LE

FRENCH

NEW GUINEAS

WHO'S SERVING THE BEST ROASTS?

OM MAG.C

ROAST MODERN ****

UP M BS

KITCHEN FOR 2020

E LD CRU

FUTURE UPDATE YOUR

Scotch eggs!

GREAT TASTE FANCY WINNERS ** ISOIRT IBSAITTH, ** MANOI R A UX QUAT'SAISONS

TRIED AND TASTED PROVE NCE?

Ooh, fancy

Tel: 01225 585 100

rob@claytonskitchen.com

15a George Street, Bath BA1 2EN

www.claytonskitchen.com

a ClaytonsKitch

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claytons_kitchen

B O O K N O W F O R T H E C H R I S T M A S PA R T Y M E N U £45 for 3 courses

N E W : P R I VAT E D I N I N G R O O M

LUNCH MENU

Opening Times

2 courses £20 | 3 courses £25

Mon to Thu: 1200-1430 & 1800-2130

Monday – Saturday from 12pm.

Sat: 1200-1500 & 1730-2200

Main menus and more can be found on our website.

Sun: 1200-1500 & 1800-2100

Fri: 1200-1430 & 1800-2200

Mix up your Sunday roast with subtly gamey guinea fowl

BIRD UP My favourite thing about cooking a roast dinner is the leftovers it happily yields (okay, I do tend to make too much on purpose). Cold meat sarnies, bubble and squeak... That’s where it’s at. The saddest roast experience is when, despite cooking far more roast potatoes than I think is needed for lunch, they all get eaten.

See, my favourite Sunday dinnertime ritual is piling cold, leftover roasties onto a plate, curling up on the sofa and eating them with my fingers, dunked in leftover gravy. I urge you to do the same this weekend.

With autumnal weather rolling in and Sundays becoming less about pub gardens and more about hearty meals with a decent bottle of red, roast-related cravings are ramping up. So, we’ve rounded up some of the finest Sunday lunches on our patch – and procured top tips from the chefs on how to take our own to the next level.

Next time I rustle up a roast, I’ve resolved to swap out chicken for guinea fowl – our deserving Hero Ingredient this issue. At their best right now, these birds have inspired in us something of a soft spot, thanks to their unique (read: loud, lazy and stubborn but also brave and smart) character and softly gamey meat.

This time next month, we’ll be showcasing all our Crumbs Award winners – so keep an eye out for our November issue. Meantime, watch our social channels for awards updates and enjoy tucking into the next 80-odd pages.

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

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TABLE OF CONTENTS ISSUE 94 OCTOBER 2019

STARTERS

EDITOR

JESSICA CARTER jessica.carter@mediaclash.co.uk

08 HERO Fowl play 12 OPENINGS ETC Hot gossip on the local food scene

DEVELOPMENT EDITOR

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

CHEF!

DAN IZZARD dan.izzard@mediaclash.co.uk

22 Apple and goat’s cheese tarts,

by James Rich 24 Celeriac, two ways, by Ben Faker 26 Jackfruit burgers, by Jack Stein 29 Tamarind ribs, by Mark Diacono

ART DIRECTOR

TREVOR GILHAM ADVERTISING MANAGER

JON HORWOOD jon.horwood@mediaclash.co.uk ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE

RUSSELL SEALY russell.sealy@mediaclash.co.uk

ADDITIONAL RECIPES

10 Spatchcock guinea fowl, by Freddy Bird 17 Pelmeni, by Simon Bajada

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE

CLAIRE HAWKINS claire.hawkins@mediaclash.co.uk PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

WHAT SUP?

SARAH KINGSTON sarah.kingston@mediaclash.co.uk

34 THE DRIP FEED What’s new in the drinks world?

35 BRISTOL FASHION We uncover the story behind a historic Bristol-method gin

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

GEMMA SCRINE gemma.scrine@mediaclash.co.uk CHIEF EXECUTIVE

JANE INGHAM jane.ingham@mediaclash.co.uk

KITCHEN ARMOURY

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

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

MediaClash, Circus Mews House, Circus Mews, Bath BA1 2PW 01225 475800 mediaclash.co.uk © All rights reserved. May not be reproduced without written permission of MediaClash.

MediaClash reserves the right to reject any material and to edit such prior to publication. Opinions are those of individual authors.

Printed on paper from a wellmanaged source; printer is certified to ISO 14001 environmental management.

This month we ate at the two new Italians in town, Marmo and Bianchis, celebrated Circumstance Distillery’s first birthday with a snifter, and raised a glass with Romy Gill to her brand new vegan recipe book, Zaika

large version

42 HOUSE CALL Top tips from local property stylist, Lucy Collins 48 THE WANT LIST Rural French vibes

MAINS 56 SUNDAY FUNDAY Top roasts to be found on our patch 63 KITCHEN SYNC Next year’s kitchen trends, as predicted by our interiors experts

AFTERS 72 Root 75 Cascara 78 Quay Street Diner 80 Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

+ 82 LITTLE BLACK BOOK Andrew Watmuff makes the most of Frome’s food and drink hangouts

On a quest for the perfect roastie? We’ve got what you want this issue

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Welcome to Mantra, an Indian Restaurant in the heart of Bath, that specialises in serving progressive Indian food. Mantra is a family run authentic Indian restaurant. Our dishes are healthily packed with flavour, crunch, punch and zing offering plenty of choice to vegetarians and vegans.Inspired by seasonal ingredients, our food contains only the freshest produce prepared in a way that captures the amazing diversity of India’s regional cuisines and childhood street food memories.

5, Bladud Buildings, The Paragon, Bath BA1 5LS Tel: 01225 446 332 Email: info@mantraofbath.co.uk | www.mantraofbath.co.uk

STA RT ERS

INNOVATIONS, REVELATIONS AND TASTY AMUSE-BOUCHES

AUTUMN ALMANACK Think just ’cause the temperatures are dropping and the evenings are getting darker that you should be hibernating at home? Grab a fork and think again...

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GBBO semi-finalist and Crumbs Awards judge Briony May will be sharing her story from homebaker to TV bod at Woolley Grange Hotel. Tickets £10 (free for hotel residents). Call the hotel to book. woolleygrangehotel.co.uk

Just in time for Halloween, this Bristol Film Festival screening of Carry on Screaming will take place in the cellars of Averys.

Expect a welcome drink plus four wines to enjoy throughout the film. Tickets £25. bristolfilmfestival.com

THE CRUMBS AWARDS

OKTOBERFEST BRISTOL

If you’ve not got your ticket yet, sort it out – and sharpish.

This is set to be an evening filled with food, drink, laughs and dance moves at the iconic Bristol Old Vic. Get amongst it.

Tickets from £55 (plus fees). awards.crumbsmag.com

The Passenger Shed at Temple Meads will be going all out Bavarian from Friday evening to Saturday night with sausage and stein-induced shenanigans. Tickets start at a tenner. facebook.com/oktoberfestbristol

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Fancy an afternoon at the Bath Priory, reclining in the lounge as you listen to live jazz before tucking into a refined threecourse meal? Course you do – and you’re in luck. Tickets are £60 each and available via Eventbrite. thebathpriory.co.uk

In celebration of the South West’s culinary scene, this event will see 150 food and drink stalls, a farmyard area, food photography workshops and more pop up in the historic centre of England’s smallest city. wellsfoodfestival.co.uk

This regular event is back, and this time it’s all about Porter’s gin. Expect a tutored tasting as well as three cocktails and nibbles at this boozesoaked evening. Tickets £20 from Wriggle. getawriggleon.com

You could win a bottle of fizz at this fun wine tasting hosted by Bath wine bar Le Vignoble. All you have to do is guess which ‘expert’ is bluffing with their descriptions of the six vinos you’ll be sipping on. Tickets £15. levignoble.co.uk

JAZZ LUNCH

WELLS FOOD FESTIVAL

BRIONY TALKS BAKING

MILK THISTLE’S GIN CLUB

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FILM SCREAMING WITH WINE

CALL MY BLUFF WINE TASTING

Hero Ingredients

GUINEA FOWL

Consider the guinea fowl. Is it game at entry level, or chicken with attitude?

Both are valid viewpoints, but one thing we’re sure of: this posh poultry is an old fashioned flavour that’s never tasted more modern

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M embers of the pheasant family, close cousins to the chicken and the quail, guinea fowl originally come from West Africa – the ancient Egyptians loved them and you can see them painted on the walls of the pyramids – and from there spread through the Roman world. Sometimes called ‘original fowl’, they’re amongst the oldest of all gamefowl but didn’t become widely enjoyed across Europe until the Portuguese started importing them from Guinea, one of their colonies, in the 16th century.

Since Elizabethan times, we Brits have been enjoying this delicious domesticated game bird – though we’ve rather foolishly forgotten it in recent years.

Guinea fowl are hardy souls, best kept semi-wild, and rarely suffer from disease. Gregarious, free-spirited and largely self-sufficient – gathering a large proportion of their own food, even in winter – some can live for 20 years. Unlike male pheasants, which will fight to the death over females in breeding season, guinea fowl are quite chilled, with no more than hard looks exchanged between the competing lads, so can be happily kept together – or with, for that matter, other fowl.

Owners report a beady-eyed bird, more alert than chickens and brighter than geese, which nest on the ground but love to perch high in trees and screech raucously – the noise can be a

S T A R T E R S

little annoying, in truth, like a squeaky pump that needs oiling – at the approach of any intruder, from fox to postman, but stay quiet around people they know. (Smallholders find them a top-notch early warning system and a great tool in the fight against rural equipment theft.) Unlike chickens, they’re safe in your vegetable patch too, eating bugs (including the Lyme disease-causing deer tick), chasing away rats and destroying wasp nests, while leaving your veggies intact; in their native Africa, they’re known to kill snakes on sight.

Though there are four or five types, the common domestic one – Numida meleagris – predominates, coming in around 20 different colours, ranging from whites and browns through chocolate, purple, bronze, pewter and lavender, though the traditional pearl-spotted grey is most common.

Each fowl’s pearl-shaped markings are said to be the tears of a gaggle of Macedonian princesses, who saw their brother – the hero, Argonaut and prince Meleager – killed by his own mother after murdering his uncles in an argument over a dead boar. Weeping incessantly in grief, they were all turned into guineahens by the hunter goddess, Artemis.

(Unsurprisingly, this is Greek mythology, not actual history.)

While not traditional beauties – all scraggy blue necks, big red beaks, flapping wattles, and fat black bodies – guineas do have attractive feathers and a certain proud, regal bearing, while their courage, loyalty and adventurous antics make them endlessly appealing. They mate for life and often run rather than fly – but can shoot straight upward towards tall branches when threatened.

Perched all in a row, they look like short, fat little vultures.

Guinea fowl are particularly

popular in French and Italian cooking, but of late we’ve been increasingly getting into them in this country too. After all, the flavour is richer and more gamey than moist, mild chicken – how chicken used to taste, some say – but more accessible than the more assertive, tighter pheasant or grouse.

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It means they’re great when cooked simply, but can handle robust flavours like garlic, mustard or chilli too, and are excellent braised in sauce. Because they’re farm reared – but in the most hands-off way – they’re available all year round, but are at their best throughout autumn and winter.

As they’re quite small, cooking methods that retain moisture are best – pot-roasting or casseroling, say. (You’ll want to regularly base them if roasting.) The breast meat is darker than you’d get with chicken, and the legs darker yet, while the fat and skin are yellow – but looks, as we all know, aren’t everything. Guineas go especially well with red grapes or cherries, roast chestnuts or many seasonal herbs; perhaps try them in a tagine with chickpeas and squash or pair them with lentils and bacon, Jerusalem artichokes or even truffles.

Afterwards, boiling the carcasses with celery, carrots and onion delivers a most divine broth; use it as a base for stews, soups, gravies and sauces.

And you know what? Their small, rich, duck-like eggs are well worth having too. (If they’re a bit old – and they might be, as guineas tend to hide them randomly in the thick undergrowth – they’re great pickled, though the tough shells take some cracking. After boiling for 10 minutes, attack them with a small hammer.)

Guinea fowl offers slightly more protein than chicken and roughly half the fat, but size is an issue – a chicken can feed a family, a smaller guinea fowl may not. The main thing that tends to put people off, though, is a basic lack of understanding about how to treat the meat. Guineas don’t need hanging and as it’s not a game bird – well, not any more – there’ll be no shot in it. They’re usually slaughtered (easy enough, if you can catch them) at 12-14 weeks for milder meat or 20 weeks for richer, and are fairly painless to pluck. Basically, treat them like chicken.

Not only a fantastic and sustainable source of meat (and eggs) but an excellent entry-level drug into the rich, fascinating world of true game birds, guinea fowl are proof positive that good things can come in small, ugly packages.

R E C I P E

Hero Ingredients We managed to convince Freddy Bird to share the recipe for one of his restaurant’s most popular dishes…

This is the simplest but most delicious of recipes – it’s already a menu staple at Littlefrench, where it’s served on a big platter for two to share.

If you’re not confident spatchcocking the bird yourself, ask your butcher to remove the spine – you need to spread the bird out flat to cook.

When it comes to the potatoes, use King Edwards or a similar variety. The chips should have fluffy middles and crispy outers, so don’t get anything waxy. And I just roughly peel them, as I like a bit of skin on the frites.

The last of the soggy chips with the juices mixed with aioli is almost the best part of this dish…

GUINEA FOWL WITH OLIVES, OREGANO, FRITES AND AIOLI SERVES 2 HUNGRY PEOPLE 2-3 large potatoes (King Edward or similar) 1 guinea fowl, spatchcocked large handful wild oregano, chopped olive oil vegetable oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 free-range egg yolks ½ lemon, juice only 1 glass white wine 100ml chicken stock (homemade) 1 handful verdiales olives, pitted and roughly chopped 1 Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7.

2 Roughly peel the potatoes and slice into skinny chips. Soak in water to wash away the starch.

3 Rub the guinea fowl with olive oil and season liberally with salt (I use Maldon) and ⅔ of the oregano. Place in the oven and roast for around 35 minutes, just until the bird is cooked through.

4 Meanwhile, for the aioli, add the crushed garlic to the egg yolks with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Slowly whisk in enough oil to make a runny aioli (use about a 70:30 ratio of olive oil and veg oil).

5 Drain the chips and heat a deep fat fryer (or warm about 4cm vegetable oil in a deep pan) to 130C. Blanch the chips in the oil until soft (about 3-4 minutes). Set aside.

6 When the guinea fowl is cooked, remove it from the oven and take it out of the roasting tray. Place the tray over the heat on the hob. Deglaze with the white wine and allow to reduce. Then add the chicken stock and reduce again, by half.

7 To finish, deep-fry the chips at 190C until golden and crispy (about 2 minutes). Season with fine salt.

8 Place the guinea fowl and frites on a large platter, scatter over the olives and remaining oregano and pour over the white wine sauce and any leftover roasting juices. Serve with the aioli on the side. littlefrench.co.uk

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Openings etc It’s all change at Woky Ko on Queens Road

The Pasta Loco team are on a roll

MAMA MIA!

That clever bunch behind the ever-popular Pasta Loco have gone and done it again, opening their fourth restaurant to reams of praise. Bianchis opened in September and is, like its siblings, Italian in style but has an old-school twist. Tables are cloaked in white linen and held in place with the clips you only ever see when you’re on holiday; the menu is made up of antipasti, primi and secondi dishes; and a smartly bound drinks list contains vinos a-plenty. Having taken over the old Bell’s Diner site, the team at Bianchis know they have big boots to fill but are taking it in their stride. Head chef at this loveable new trattoria is Pegs Quinn (formerly of River Café), while the front of house hero Magda Pietrykowska is taking care of the slick and personable service, which the team is famous for. Try the inky bucatini with cuttlefish and vermouth ragu, and thank us later. bianchisrestaurant.co.uk

JING WHEN YOU’RE WINNING

Just over a year after its opening, Woky Ko: Kauto on Queens Road in Bristol has been relaunched with a new name and new concept. Woky Ko: Jing Xu is a Bristol incarnation of China’s siu lap dong-style restaurants, which are informal hangouts serving spit-roasted meats. As well as the rotisserie treats (think glazed duck and char siu pork), noodles are a key part of the offering, which also features small plates.

Expect a faster pace here than before as the focus has shifted onto feeding diners top-quality Chinese food with quick turnarounds – ideal for those after a speedy meal with no time to waste.

The vegan and veggie offering is solid, owner and former MasterChef contestant Larkin Cen tells us, and there is beer and wine on offer for those that do have time to hang around. wokyko.com

CURE SURE

New name, same great-quality food at the former Arts House Café

The well-known Arts House Café is no more. But, what is this? It’s been reincarnated as a new café and restaurant? Yep, that’s right; Caper and Cure is the new businesses in town, conceived by the Arts House owners Giles Coram and Craig Summers (front-of-house pro and chef respectively, who worked together at former Clifton outfit Wallfish). They took the business over 18 months ago and have decided now is the time to really put their own stamp on it. The food offering is similar in concept to what the Arts House knocked out – think great brunches and seasonal, refined small-plate dinners – with roasts served on Sundays. caperandcure.co.uk

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S T A R T E R S

HIP SHOPS

Marmo is a welcome addition to Baldwin Street

FLIP What: Vegan ingredients and fresh deli snacks Where: 81 North Street, Bristol BS3 1ES When: Tues-Fri 8.30am-6.30pm; Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 10am-4pm

WINE LANGUAGE

It was a teary affair when Bar Buvette closed its doors in April, but now it’s smiles all round as one of its front of house team has opened a brand new restaurant in the unique space. Marmo is the creation of Lily Sterck and her husband and chef Cosmo (formerly of St John), who returned to their university city of Bristol to find the perfect space for their venture. Marmo is all about Europeanstyle food with a prominent Italian streak; dishes include the likes of palourde clams with coriander and garlic, spinach and ricotta ravioli (which we can personally vouch for), and saddleback pork collar with borlotti beans. (Cosmo gets half a pig a week, and makes sure that as much of the beast is used as possible.) There’s a focus on great wine too; the list is made up of organic and biodynamic vinos, produced with low intervention methods by Old World wineries. Open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday, Marmo has just started lunches, too. marmo.restaurant

GREAT GAINS

Dan Moon: done with foie gras

Chef Dan Moon of luxury hotel The Gainsborough Bath Spa has done away with foie gras in the restaurant. After strong campaigning work by local vegan charity Viva!, which saw Bath’s council-registered eateries stop serving the ingredient, Moon has swapped out the controversial meat for a more ethical alternative.

“We chose to move to ‛foie royale’ for ethical and sustainability reasons,” he told us. “I felt that my signature dish would sit much more comfortably with me and with our guests this way, as foie royale comes from free-roaming ducks that are not force-fed.” Foie gras production is banned in the UK (as well as many other countries), although it’s still legal to import it. thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk

Sophie has just opened her first deli

Everything slotted into place for Sophie Fox once she made the decision to go vegan.

“It was a nice moment, realising I could, actually, do it – it unleashed a new kind of creativity in me,” she tells us.

Sophie, who set up the Create centre nine years ago and has also worked as a cookery teacher as well as in law, had the idea for this vegan deli and café last summer, her sights set on this former Indian takeaway on Bedminster’s buzzing North Street, which had been empty for six-and-a-half years.

“I wanted to offer highquality food which was accidentally vegan, but I’m also really interested in sustainability. There are lots of different motivations behind veganism, so people are coming to it from all kinds of angles, whether that’s health, the environment.…”

So, as well as being plantbased, the stock also shows a focus on sustainability, in an attempt to minimise the business’ impact on the planet.

Plastic packaging is scarce among the cool scaffoldingstyle shelves (Lucy hopes to eliminate it entirely) and any food waste the café processes gets composted.

Bristol-made fabric sandwich bags are on sale

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here and customers are welcome to bring in their own containers to take fresh deli treats home in – think salads, hummus and pasta sauces, made in-house – although there are paper boxes available, if needed. What you won’t find, though, are singleuse coffee cups; Sophie’s made the brave decision to not offer them. But, if you buy a reusable cup, Flip promises a free coffee with the purchase.

Back to those cool shelves, then: they’re heaving with premium vegan ingredients (expect medium- to high-end products, like top-notch beans and pulses from the Med) as well as lesser-seen specialist items (think wheat gluten and yeast flakes) and chilled dairy alternatives like vegan mayo, custard and crème fraîche.

There are vegan beers and wines from the likes of Dunleavy and Moor Beer to drink in or take away, too.

“The ranges are evolving and we’re always asking customers to tell us what they want,” says Sophie. “We’ve just got a new range of baby food in – and dog food, too.” (Yes dogs can be vegan – not cats though, sFYI.) Food-related gifts are to be found here as well – there’s even local pottery. flipfood.co.uk

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WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS Following the results of this year’s Great Taste Awards, we’ve been filling face with some of the newly crowned South West champs…

1 Worley's Special Reserve Cider, £6/75cl This cider is conditioned in the bottle for a medium-dry finish with gentle carbonation. There’s special reason to pop the cork now too, as this traditionally made Somerset cider won the Nigel Barden Heritage Award this year. Made from pure apple juice using the centuries-old keeving method, the naturally cloudy cider delivers crisp Granny Smith flavours with a touch of tartness and a lingering dry finish. moreworleyscider.co.uk 2 Capreolus Fine Foods Guanciale, £4.80/100g Guanciale is an Italian cured meat, made from the cheek of the pig. This Dorset producer is giving Continental varieties a run for their money though,

with its West Country take on the traditional product. Meltingly tender, the translucent strips of meat have sweetness as well as depth and the fat renders down beautifully when cooked.

No wonder it won Charcuterie Product of the Year. We’ve been getting it involved in everything from spag Bol to leek tarts. Buy it from Gloucester Services and producer’s website. capreolusfinefoods.co.uk 3 Artisan Kitchen Blaisdon Red Plum Jam, £5.50/200g Oof. This tart, sweet and rich jam sure packs a fruity punch. The judges clearly thought so too, whacking a full three stars on it and naming its maker Small Artisan Producer of the Year. It’s made by hand in small batches in a tiny kitchen in Gloucestershire, and we love its dark, sticky

character. The texture is loose enough to spread but thick and gummy enough to be the perfect adhesive in a twist on a Victoria sponge – which is exactly the plans we have for (what remains of) our jar. Buy it online or spot it in indie farm shops and delis. theartisankitchen.co.uk 4 The Wasabi Company Wasabi Mustard, £3.95/175g Confidently fiery yet very wellrounded, this fierce condiment is our new favourite thing to dollop and spread on beef sarnies, roast ham and burgers.

A new product from The Wasabi Company – which grows wasabi right here in the West Country – it was given the whole trio of stars without delay by the impressed judges. Now that we’ve cracked open a jar and got the taste for it, this’ll be going

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in everything from mashed potato to salad dressings for the foreseeable. Buy it online. thewasabicompany.co.uk 5 Swoon Nocciola Gelato, £20/litre Bristol-born Swoon (which also has a branch in Bath) carried the Golden Fork away from this year’s Great Taste Awards, having been chosen as the overall best product from the South West. This hazelnut gelato is made fresh by highly trained gelato chefs, and is impossibly velvety and creamy, with a really natural, nutty flavour. It’s as good as (if not better than) anything you’ll find in Italy, and the judges called it “unreal”. Buy it by the litre to take home, or by the scoop to eat right away, from Swoon in Bath and Bristol. swoononaspoon.co.uk

Join us for a Lunch or Dinner treat this coming Festive season All OHH Pubs will be serving a mouth watering 2 or 3 course Festive Menu, available from Friday 22nd November until Tuesday 24th December.

Whether you plan for a business outing, family or friends gathering, contact your preferred OHH Pub for more detail or visit www.ohhpubs.co.uk Make the experience that extra special and enquire about our 5 Star rated letting bedrooms

The Old House at Home

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

The Bear & Swan

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

The Rising Sun

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

The Northey Arms

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

www.ohhpubs.co.uk

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Ki tchen Library BOOK OF THE MONTH

Whether you want to explore new regions, learn new culinary disciplines or get inspo for speedy suppers, this month’s varied batch of books has something for you…

THE JAPANESE TABLE

SUPER SOURDOUGH

ORIGINAL FLAVA

There’s long been a link between Nordic and Asian sensibilities – a love of simplicity, ingredients obsessed over – and when Stockholm author Sofia Hellsten found herself missing the unfussy home cooking she’d enjoyed in Japan, she began a Japanese ‘brunch experience’ called Leaves and Grains to celebrate it. Her book brings the ichijusansai tradition to European tables; it means ‘one soup, three dishes’, and is a way to build a meal out of small plates. Here, Sofia gives us a selection of favourite fish, tofu, egg and pickled dishes, plus soups, rices, greens and noodles, then – at the end – shows us how to combine them into balanced meals. This is a book of calm, empty interiors, muted colours, seemingly minor (but actually important) details, like what plates to use for each item, and endless tempting dishes, many only using a handful of ingredients. We fancy the soypickled eggs, sweet miso cod, creamy tofu, mushroom and Jerusalem artichoke, and almond-milk pudding. MATT BIELBY

James Morton, Scottish doctor, Great British Bake Off runner up and five-time book author has written more of a handbook than recipe book here (although, make no mistake, recipes do feature, and plenty and varied they are, too), explaining at length the ‘whys’ as well as the ‘hows’ when it comes to working with wild, spontaneous yeast. Morton’s earnest and honest writing manages our expectations (he writes of ‘inevitable disappointment’) while somehow also rousing the shoots of determination. If the person who baked the beautiful archetypal loaves in these handsome photos still messes up sometimes, then surely it’s possible for us – who mess up a lot – to bake that beautiful bread, as well? The encouraging hand-holding continues throughout recipes such as pretzels, English muffins, sweet glazed buns, doughnuts and pizza basses, as well, of course, as many types of loaf. The mantra of try, try again has never rung truer – especially if the reward for our efforts will be bakes as satisfying as these. JESSICA CARTER

South London brothers Craig and Shaun McAnuff are one of those internet foodie sensations, their easy smiles and easier Caribbean recipes earning them, apparently, over 40 million views. Inspired by their much-loved Nanny – who arrived in London from Jamaica in 1956 and experienced all the highs and lows of the ‘Windrush generation’ – their food is accessible, often fairly easy, and endlessly tempting, and while all the ‘tings’ and ‘likkles’ peppering the recipes might be a little overdone, they’re engaging guides.

There’s a minor travelogue element to the book – the lads exploring Nanny’s roots on a trip back to Jamaica – but it’s the recipes you’ll stay for: honey herb shrimp noodles, green banana potato salad, curry mutton pie, fish tea soup. UK alternatives are given for hard-tofind Caribbean ingredients and some dishes amiably blur cultural divides, not least the BritCaribbean Breakfast Bowl, which is a fry-up with added avocado, plantain, dumplings and

Sofia Hellsten (Hardie Grant, £18)

James Morton (Quadrille, £20)

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Craig and Shaun McAnuff (Bloomsbury, £26)

ackee, a Jamaican fruit that looks a little like scrambled eggs. MATT BIELBY

THE QUICK ROASTING TIN Rukmini Iyer (Square Peg, 2019)

This is the third recipe book in as many years from food stylist and author Iyer that focuses on the roasting tin. And it seems she’s really onto something with the series; all three are still loitering in top-selling charts, their simple approach and promise of fuss-free dinners with minimal washing up resonating with modern (and therefore time-strapped) home cooks. For this newest release, the premise is simple: one-tray recipes that can be left to their own devices in the oven for 30 minutes or less and emerge as colourful, flavour-packed meals. Prep is kept to a minimum too (10 minutes or under), ingredients are readily available in supermarkets and vegan and veggie options abound (around 75 per cent of dishes here are meat-free). Chapters cover all bases – from weekday dinners (Thai fish pie) to make-ahead packed lunches (cinnamonspiced aubergine with feta, olives and herby bulgur wheat) and weekend treats (peanut chilli chicken with tomato rice). I can see this quickly becoming a go-to at my gaff.

JESSICA CARTER

BALTIC

Simon Bajada (Hardie Grant, £25) Food writer Bajada has a fascination with the Baltic states. Progressive Estonia in the north is a practical, no-nonsense place; Skype was developed here and it’s fast becoming one of Europe’s answers to Silicon Valley, while the food is the most Scandinavian. Wooded, coastal Latvia takes more from Russia and is home to a giant central food market made of five old Zeppelin hangars, while Lithuania is more multicultural and Jewish influenced than the others. Taken together, Baltic food is wholesome, creative and highly seasonal, young chefs here rapidly developing an exciting ‘post-Soviet cuisine’, and the book reflects that: some centuries-old classics don’t appear, while others do, but in their most modern, experimental incarnations. Expect plenty of apples, potatoes, beetroot and soured cream – the region loves this with everything – in such intriguing recipes as summer’s milk soup, sprat and herb omelette, fish in beetroot sauce with parsnip purée, brown butter and spruce, and curd chocolate. And yes, that is cheese-filled chocolate – better than it sounds!

PELMENI One of my first Baltic food memories was slurping on these delicious, slippery morsels late on a cold and dark winter’s night in Riga, where a number of the late-night restaurants that specialise in making them price them by weight.

Finding their way into the region via Russia (their exact origins are a subject for historians to battle out, though it seems likely they come from the Far East originally) pelmeni are now a much loved everyday product and appear in the supermarkets of Baltic countries, where they can be bought frozen with an endless assortment of fillings.

Pelmeni differ from Polish pierogi and other dumplings found in nearby countries in that they must have a thin dough and the filling must be raw before they are poached.

SERVES 6 For the dough: 300g plain flour 1 small egg 35g butter, cut into 2cm cubes 140ml ice-cold water ½ tsp salt For the filling: 250g minced pork 250g minced beef 1 small onion, finely grated 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground white pepper To serve: 500ml chicken or vegetable stock 100g bacon, finely diced and fried until crispy

MATT BIELBY

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2 tbsp chives, chopped 1 tbsp dill, chopped 150g sour cream 1 To make the dough, add all the ingredients to a food processor fitted with the dough hook attachment and mix together to form a silky, smooth dough. Set aside in a bowl covered with a tea towel to rest for at least 30 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, make the filling by mixing together all the ingredients in a bowl using your hands.

3 Divide the rested dough into four equalsized pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one of the pieces to a thickness of approximately 5mm. Using a drinking glass around 8cm in diameter, cut out as many circles as possible, re-rolling any trimmings. Place 1 tsp of filling in the centre of one of the pastry circles and fold it over to make a half-moon shape, then pinch the seam together, fold the pointy ends around to meet each other and pinch again.

Set aside on a floured tray and repeat with remaining dough and filling.

4 To serve, warm the chicken or vegetable stock in a saucepan and bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer. Gently lower the dumplings into the water and cook for 5-7 minutes until they rise to the surface, then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and divide among serving bowls. Ladle over the warm stock and top with the bacon, chives, dill and large dollops of sour cream.

From Baltic by Simon Bajada (Hardie Grant, £25) Photography © Simon Bajada

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

TOP RECIPES FROM OUR FAVOURITE LOCAL FOODIES

CHEF!

HIGHLIGHTS

22 TART OF GOLD

Put the new apple harvest to work in these ace savoury tarts

24 ROOTING FOR YOU

In-season celery root stars in this creative plantbased dish

26 JACK IT IN This Jack Stein recipe is made to enjoy with a pint o’ Tribute

29 PORKSHIRE Sticky tamarind pork ribs for tea, anyone?

Young jackfruit – the popular meat substitute – comes in tins, so we rarely see it in all its green glory, like this 21

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These mini tarts each contain a delicious balance of sweet and salty flavours

James Rich sure is keen on apples...

CORE BELIEFS James Rich just cannot resist that forbidden fruit (Eve is not alone), and shows it has far more varied uses in the kitchen than many of us give it credit for in his new book…

James, originally from Somerset, is all about the apple.

He spent his childhood running amok in South West orchards as his cider-making father tended to the trees.

His family’s history with apples (and cider) goes back to the mid-century – this clan have juice in their blood.

James recently released a cookbook that pays homage to this most British of seasonal fruit – and this is one of the goodies you’ll find within.

It’s best to use a sweet apple for this recipe to complement the tanginess of the cheese, so try a Braeburn or Royal Gala instead of Granny Smith or Cox’s, he writes. You can either bake this as individual tarts – as I have done – or as a traybake, in which case just roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle.

Recipe taken from Apple by James Rich (Hardie Grant, £20) Photography ©Jacqui Melville

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C H E F !

GOAT’S CHEESE, APPLE AND HONEY TARTS MAKES 10 75g unsalted butter 1 onion, thinly sliced ½ sprig rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped 2 x 320g packs ready-made puff pastry a little plain flour, for dusting 1 egg, beaten For the cheese topping: 200g goat’s cheese ½ lemon (for 1 tbsp juice) 4 crisp eating apples (such as Braeburn), peeled, cored and sliced pinch ground allspice 4 tbsp runny honey micro purple basil

1 Preheat a fan oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 6 and line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.

2 Heat a saucepan over a medium heat and melt half the butter. Add the onion and rosemary and fry until the onion begins to brown. Leave to one side.

3 Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thick. Using a round 10cm biscuit cutter, cut out 20 rounds. Place 10 on the prepared baking sheet and prick all over with a fork.

4 Make pastry rings by cutting smaller rounds into the remaining 10 pieces of pastry using a 9cm biscuit cutter. Then, take out the centre sections and save for another recipe. Brush the whole rounds on the baking sheet with the beaten egg, and then place a pastry ring on each one. Pop in the freezer for 15 minutes to cool.

5 To make the cheese topping, put the goat’s cheese, lemon juice and some salt and pepper into a bowl and mix with a fork. Avoid over-mixing, as you want the cheese to still be crumbly.

6 Spoon about 1 tbsp of the cheese mix onto each piece of pastry, then top with the sliced apple, overlapping slightly. Melt the remaining butter and brush it over the tarts. Sprinkle over the allspice.

7 Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. When the tarts are out of the oven, drizzle with the honey and scatter over the purple basil while still warm.

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There’s plenty of plant power in this elegant dish 24 CRUMBSMAG.COM

C H E F !

BAKED AND BURNT CELERIAC WITH GRILLED KALE AND ROASTED GARLIC DRESSING

Ben has just joined the Glassboat team

SERVES 4 2 medium celeriac olive oil, for roasting 1 garlic bulb 50g basil leaves 50g parsley leaves 50ml sherry vinegar 150ml extra virgin olive oil 80g almonds bunch kale

FLOAT YOUR BOAT

Celeriac is at its best right now, and Ben Faker is putting it to good work in this imaginative but straightforward dish

Ben is the new head chef at Glassboat. He has lived and cooked abroad for much of his life; in fact, it was during his 12 years in Sydney that he developed his globally influenced seasonal and ingredient-led cooking style.

This is exactly the kind of food you’ll find at the longstanding Glassboat restaurant, which has been moored at Welsh Back since 1986. Some top West Country produce is prepared with both traditional and modern techniques in dishes that are elegantly simple but with a contemporary edge.

Glassboat, Welsh Back, Bristol BS1 4SB; 0117 332 3971; glassboat.co.uk

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

2 Leaving the skin on, clean the celeriac under cold water with a stiff brush to remove any dirt.

3 Remove the stem and root from one of the celeriac, place it onto a square of tin foil and coat liberally with olive oil and salt and pepper. Wrap it up in the foil and bake for 1½ hours until cooked through. Then set aside and allow to cool in the foil, leaving the oven on.

4 Meanwhile, prepare the burnt celeriac purée.

Remove the stem and root from the other celeriac and slice it into 2cm-thick discs. Brush with olive oil and place onto a hot charcoal grill, or in a griddle pan.

Burn the celeriac until totally black all over.

5 Place the burnt celeriac into a pan and cover with water. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until the celeriac is soft and the water has reduced by half.

6 Place the burnt celeriac and half of the water into a blender and blend until smooth (you may need to add a little more of the water). Taste the purée and adjust the seasoning as required.

7 For the garlic dressing, slice the top off the head of garlic and dress with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Wrap the garlic in foil and bake in the hot oven until soft (about 20-30 minutes) then remove and allow to cool, leaving the oven on.

8 Press out the cooked flesh from the head of garlic and, using a pestle and mortar, combine with the herbs to form a paste. Mix in the extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar and season with sea salt and black pepper.

9 Roast the almonds until golden in the oven, then roughly chop.

10 Unwrap the cooled baked celeriac and cut into 8 wedges. Reheat it in the oven and warm the purée.

11 Dress the kale with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place over coals or under the grill until cooked but not burnt (about 2-3 minutes).

12 Spoon the purée onto a plate and place the baked celeriac on top. Place the grilled kale on and around the celeriac and dress the vegetables liberally with the roasted garlic dressing. Top with the roasted almonds and serve.

C H E F !

Jack is a West County native and loves the local brews

JACK IT IN

Jack Stein has come up with a jackfruit recipe that’s made specially to enjoy with a South West brewed beer...

The family-owned St Austell Brewery has been making beer in the West Country since 1851. It’s probably most famous for its Tribute Pale Ale, with Proper Job IPA and Korev Cornish Lager also among its most recognisable creations.

Chef Jack Stein has partnered up with the brewery to develop a collection of food matches for the beers.

This vegan pulled jackfruit recipe has been created to pair perfectly with Tribute, which just so happens to turn 20 this year.

PULLED JACKFRUIT BURGERS SERVES 4 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 brown onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tsp five spice 1 tsp cayenne 2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp ground cumin 400g ketchup 20g white wine vinegar 1 x 400g can young jackfruit in brine 5g Marmite 10g soy sauce 4 vegan burger buns cucumber slices, to serve red cabbage, to serve vegan mayonnaise, to serve For the pickled onions: 1 red onion, sliced into rounds 50g white wine vinegar 20g water 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt

1 Start with the sauce. Add a dash of vegetable oil to a pan and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic cook until soft. Then add the spices, ketchup and vinegar.

2 Strain the jackfruit and add it to the pan. Slowly simmer for 20 minutes, gradually pulling it apart with tongs. Finish by adding the Marmite and soy sauce.

Set aside.

3 To make the pickled onions, place all the ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and allow to cool.

4 Lightly toast the burger buns and serve the jackfruit in them accompanied by the pickle, cucumber, cabbage and vegan mayonnaise.

A contemporary take on the classic burger and pint combo

staustellbrewery.co.uk

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C H E F !

SOUR POINT Mark explores sourness in his new book

Mark Diacono is coming to Bath this month to talk about his zingy new book Sour – from which we’ve commandeered this meaty, mouthwatering recipe…

It’s 8.07am and I’m writing about tamarind ribs and now all I want for second breakfast is tamarind ribs, writes Mark. And all I’ll want for lunch and dinner is tamarind ribs. They may take a while in the oven, but the only attention you need to pay here is in softening the onions slowly: after that, you just have to come back in a couple of hours with an appetite.

The sauce is hugely adaptable: when I couldn’t get good pork ribs, I tried it with a rack of lamb – cooked hard at 200C/400F/gas mark 6 for 15 minutes, before being slathered in the sauce and cooked for another 25 minutes at 160C/325F/gas mark 3 – and it was extraordinary.

TAMARIND RIBS SERVES 2-3 4 tbsp olive oil 2 onions, finely diced 10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 15g fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped 1½ tsp fennel seeds 1 star anise 1½ tsp Aleppo pepper 5 tbsp dark soy sauce 3 tbsp tomato ketchup 3 tbsp maple syrup 60g soft dark brown sugar 5 tbsp tamarind paste 1kg pork ribs

1 Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/ gas mark 2.

2 Warm the oil in a frying pan over low-medium heat, add the Recipe taken from onions and fry slowly, stirring Sour by Mark often – we are after sweet softness, Diacono without burning, so expect it to (Quadrille, £25) take 15-25 minutes.

3 Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes more. Add the spices, stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the soy sauce, ketchup, maple syrup, sugar and tamarind paste and stir to incorporate thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Cook just for a minute or 2.

4 Place the ribs into a roasting tray large enough to accommodate them in a single layer, close-ish but not jammed in. Spoon the spicy paste over the ribs. Cover the tray in foil and cook for 2 hours.

5 Turn the heat up to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.

Uncover the ribs and taste the paste, seasoning more if needed. Spoon some of the paste from the tin over the ribs. Replace the foil, and return to the oven for 20 minutes more – be careful; you are after dark and sweet-sour gooey rather than black and burnt.

6 Remove from the oven and allow the ribs to cool a little before serving with pea shoots and a sharp dressing, or just a cold beer.

Sweet, sticky and sour – these ribs are a bit of us

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Mark’s event at Topping and Company in Bath takes place on 24 October. Tickets are £25 and include a copy of the book; toppingbooks.co.uk

( advertising feature )

Vegan Deli & Cafe in Bristol

AN ITALIAN CHRISTMAS Celebrate the festive season with PONTE VECCHIO and enjoy a selection of tasty Italian dishes

H

Serving freshly made meals from the kitchen and providing delicious deli treats for you to take home.

FLIP Opening Times Tuesday to Friday: 8.30 to 18.30 Saturday: 9.00 to 17.00 Sunday: 10.00 to 16.00 Dogs welcome!

81 North Street, Bristol, BS3 1ES sophie@flipfood.co.uk ■ www.flipfood.co.uk

ere at Ponte Vecchio we are real foodies, so it’s our pleasure to serve the most mouth-watering dishes and complement them with outstanding customer service to create great memories.

Our a la carte menu is a Napolitan and Sicilian fusion, and features a great range of dishes, catering for all dietary requirements and allergies.

We are super excited about this Christmas, with our new head chef Ernesto Ziqaro having just joined the family. We have created a festive menu that we are very proud of, which promises two courses for £29 or three courses for £32.

The menu contains classic Italian dishes as well as a new twist on Nonna’s recipes. For instance, our delicious anatra starter sees smoked duck breast served thinly sliced with a crisp fennel and honey salad, while the baccalà e frutta di mare is our chef’s special – expect fresh cod served with carefully selected Cornish clams, mussels and prawns, prepared in a warming cherry tomato sauce.

To get our customers in the festive mood, we are going all out with Christmas decorations and will also be serving our Italian mulled wine, which is a must-try!

We are going to ensure that every customer gets a great Italian Christmas experience.

Ponte Vecchio, Spring Gardens Road, Bath BA2 6PW; James Kjaedegaard 01225 424800 info@pontevecchiobath.com www.pontevecchiobath.com

f

a @brockleystores

Brockley Stores, Main Road, Brockley, North Somerset BS48 3AT

fa

I DRINK, THEREFORE I AM

WHAT SUP?

look!!

IT’S SECTION,OUDERDINECAWTE TO ALL THINGS D SUPPABLE

SHRUB STEP

When we heard that Max Pasetti has been experimenting with lots of booze-free concoctions, we asked him to share one of his faves…

MAX PASETTI IS one half of Pasetti and Boote – a local private catering and pop-up supper club business.

An experienced chef, Max isn’t just a dab hand at turning great ingredients into beautiful, seasonal dishes with an Italian edge, but also making delicious homemade cordials.

“This a really great refreshing drink,” he says. “Using the live cider vinegar not only preserves the fruit but the probiotics have great health benefits.

“I find the fig leaf brings a creaminess that works really well when mixed with soda. If you can’t get your hands on a fig leaf, try a couple of bay leaves, or just raspberries alone are delicious.”

FIG LEAF AND RASPBERRY SHRUB 400g raspberries (fresh or frozen) 1 large fresh fig leaf few strips of lemon rind, removed with a peeler 200g sugar 200g raw cider vinegar soda water, to serve 1 Muddle the raspberries, fig leaf, lemon rind and sugar together well in a container.

2 Cover the mixture with a lid and leave for 2 days at room temperature to break down the fruit.

3 Add the cider vinegar and transfer into a sterilised Kilner jar. Seal the lid shut and keep for a week in the fridge.

4 After a week, the vinegar and fruit will have become one. Carefully strain the mixture through a muslin. Store in the fridge in a sterilised bottle for up to a month.

5 To drink, tip a double shot over ice and top up with soda.

If raspberries aren’t in season when you come to make the shrub, frozen ones work just as well

BEER + COFFEE + WINES + SPIRITS + MORE 33 33

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pasettiandboote.com

W H A T

S U P ?

THE DRIP FEED NEWS + BREWS + BARS + TRENDS

LATTE NIGHT, WAS IT?

YOUR NEW BEST MATÉ

DO THE CAN CAN

Pukka Herbs has released a new latte blend, designed to be sipped on in the evening. Night Time latte is made from oat, carob bean, lavender, chamomile, ashwagandha, cinnamon and nutmeg – all of which have been picked, not only for their health-supporting and sleep-aiding benefits, but also flavour.

We whisked two teaspoons into 250ml warm almond milk on a Sunday evening and were surprised at the latte’s comforting and aromatic character. There’s a nutty, malty backbone but with a subtly sweet edge, while the floral lavender and chamomile notes are super gentle. Find it at Wild Oats in Bristol, and Neal’s Yard in Bath. pukkaherbs.com

A new drinks producer has emerged in Bath – and it’s doing something pretty novel. Heyday Maté is made from the yerba maté plant, which you might know about thanks to the traditional South American tea. This, though, is a lightly sparkling maté soda. It’s full of good stuff (more antioxidants than green tea) and has a kick of caffeine.

Not totally unlike iced tea, it’s less sweet and has a gentle smokiness; it can be enjoyed straight-up or used in cocktails. “We like to mix 100ml with 50ml of Cointreau, 2-3 drops of angostura bitters and serve over ice with a sprig of thyme and orange zest,” says Beth. Find it at Wolf Wine and Southville Deli. heydaymate.com

Nationally loved Bristol brewer Wiper and True has made a significant change to its beers. Don’t panic – it’s less about the brews themselves than the vessels they come in. Yep, the team have decided to ditch the glass bottles in favour of cans. It’s primarily to keep the “bright, bold flavours of the tank-fresh beer,” says Michael Wiper, but let’s not forget the positive environmental effects (aluminium is easier to recycle than glass and lighter for transporting).

The recognisable branding is staying the same on the new cans, although some of the gold illustrations will be changed up to help shoppers better differentiate between brews. wiperandtrue.com

MY L OC A L

Local photographer Jon Craig just can’t get enough of the views (and the Scotch) at his beloved local boozer...

My local is The Lion Cliftonwood, in Bristol.

The vibe here in three words is warm, welcoming, family.

I’m drinking whisky – with no ‘e’. It makes a big difference!

And to nibble I’ll have maybe some olives, or if I’m a bit

more hungry, perhaps a salad or the waffles.

You’ll find me sitting in the garden – sun or snow – enjoying the unique view out to the harbour.

The crowd is a good bunch – when they aren’t climbing over a barrier 10 people deep to get to the bar!

My best celeb spots here are Rob Gregory, amazing architect, and Charity Vincent, who’s known for her cakes.

(Well okay, they’re famous at

34 CRUMBSMAG.COM

this pub, anyway!) Also, Bristolborn actor Norman Eshley.

Nice chap.

The pub’s best asset is the entire team. They really are a good group!

If I could steal something from the pub it’d be the golden lion statue that sits on the bar.

Basically, you should try my local because it’s just how a pub should be. thelioncliftonwood.co.uk

W H A T

A QUICK SNIFTER

Wi th EDMUND SKINNER We talk to the brand ambassador of Smeaton’s Gin to find out all about its historical and fiercely Bristolian spirit...

S U P ?

So then you decided to hunt down the original Bristol gin recipe...

Yes – we used the Bristol Archives (on Spike Island, in the former bonded warehouse on Smeaton Road) to research the hand-written records of Bristol’s distilleries. We found a small pack of distiller’s notebooks which included the details for the gin that we have revived.

And who did the original recipe belong to?

As far as we can tell, it was used by the Bristol Distilling Company, founded in 1671 on what was then known as Radcliffe Street (now Redcliff Street) and remained there until it burnt down in 1909.

It wasn’t a particularly straightforward recipe to follow though, was it?

That’s possibly an understatement! It took a long time to bring the gin to the market, but we were determined not to rush the research or development.

So what, exactly, is so Bristolian about this gin?

Smeaton’s revives gin the way it was made in Bristol 150 years ago. We use the same botanicals, sourced from original trading routes, and distil each individually in traditional copper pot stills. The Bristol Method – individual distillation of each botanical using fresh ingredients – was unusual 150 years ago, and it’s still special today.

Care to shed any light on why all the botanicals were distilled separately?

In Bristol Archives we found receipts showing the city’s role as a major importer of fresh produce and exotic spices, but the receipts also confirmed that the fresh ingredients didn’t all arrive at the same time.

While London and Plymouth distilled gin from dried ingredients, our research shows that Bristol distilleries used fresh botanicals, meaning they had to do each individually when they arrived.

And what botanicals do you use?

Juniper, which we still source from Tuscany and Macedonia, is important, as are Moroccan coriander and Sri Lankan cinnamon. We honour Bristol’s long trading history with Spain by insisting on using Valencia Late oranges, too.

The story behind this gin goes back centuries

How similar, do you estimate, the original Bristol method gin and the Smeaton’s incarnation taste?

Right then, Edmund. How long has Smeaton’s been making Bristol Method Dry Gin?

We bottled our first batch of 1,300 bottles two years ago now.

But the gin’s story goes back much further than that, right?

Absolutely. It started 10 years ago with our research into the history of gin in England, and a reference we found to ‘Bristol Gin’ in a book by Loftus from 1870.

Here, it said that “the difference between Liverpool and Bristol Gin, or that prepared at Bristol or Plymouth, is as remarkable as the difference between Scotch and Irish malt whiskey”.

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Of course, we can only guess. We’ve revived the recipe as carefully as we can, but the base spirit that we use is certainly higher quality than that available 150 years ago!

How would you suggest serving it?

Smeaton’s makes a complex long gin and tonic and is ideally suited to an undressed serve (with ice but no garnish). It’s also right at home in a Dry Martini, and makes a wonderful Negroni too, because the calamus and fresh orange in the gin complement the Italian orange bitters. smeatons-gin.com

CHOOSE YOUR WEAPONS

KITCHEN

ARMOURY EGGCELLENT ADVENTURES Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice, wrote Robert Frost. But whichever it is, says Matt Bielby, these Egguins will stay stoic throughout

What’s that? Has Pingu joined the police force and is now handling security on match day?

Nothing quite so exciting, I’m afraid.

Instead, this is a too-cute egg holder-cum-cooker, created by the clever folk at Peleg Design. Owner, CEO and chief designer Shahar Peleg apparently took one look at an egg, thought of a penguin, and saw a neat way to make something funny that also has purpose.

Yeah, I must confess, it is blooming cute.

And it solves a problem, albeit a minor one: how to boil eggs then deliver them to the breakfast table without faffing around with spoons, hot splashing water, and all those other hazards you don’t need first thing in the morning.

THIS MONTH

Two things I know: penguins are my very favourite birds, so funny and unflappable, and boiling eggs is way more of a pain than it should be. Either they’re too hard or too soft, and half the time I crack them accidentally.

Boiling eggs is certainly no exact science, and while this thing won’t help with your ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ issues, it might just aid with the cracking thing. Peleg Design loves to play fast-and-loose with kitchen convention – you may vaguely remember their gulping yolk fish – and their Egguins corrals together a small colony of the flightless fellas. Real-life penguins are versatile beasts – as happy on the coasts of South Africa as the ice sheets of Antarctica – and these chaps are similarly easygoing,

huddling together back-to-back in the frozen wasteland of your fridge, the mild cool of your pantry, or the bubbling heat of your cooking pot. They look like the hollowed-out spectres of penguins until you plonk an egg into their belly-spaces, at which point – like magic – their distinctive black-andwhite aesthetic is complete.

So you just put the whole thing into boiling water, do you?

You see that handle, sticking up from the centre of their huddle?

It’s heat-resistant, and should stay well above the scalding surface, making retrieving your eggs painless, and without fear of breakage. Now just take them to the breakfast table or, if you’re making hard-boiled eggs for a

picnic, to the fridge to cool down, without having to remove them from their protective wings. It’s cute, quirky, but still useful.

Cruel too. I feel sorry for them – it’s like when the baddies try to lower Willie into the lava pit in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

You’re soft as one of your eggs, you are.

Egguins are available to preorder now (expect an October delivery) and will be available through UK stores in due course; peleg-design.com

UNFLAPPABLE + LAIR STYLIST + FRENCH CHIC 41 CRUMBSMAG.COM

Lucy has made a career out of her eye for great design

House Call

LIFE COACH

This interior pro is all about perfecting the domestic miseen-scene and has put her talents to work on her Bath coach house…

WO RDS BY JE S S I CA CA RT E R P HOTO S BY A LI CE W H IT BY

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Instead of an AGA is this smart electric Rayburn cooker

See that parapet? The house is built in Gothic Revival style, inspired by Strawberry Hill House in London

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H O U S E

Some panels were taken off this dining table and turned into shelves (below)

L

ucy Collins has always had an eye for interiors. Her innate sense of style caused her mother to tell her, when she was small, that even if she had to live in a tent it would be pretty, and her friends to tell her, some years later, that she should enter the field in a professional capacity. So she did.

Before becoming a property stylist, Lucy had a very successful career in deaf education, which saw her work at Great Ormond Street Hospital as well as become a university lecturer. When the time came to make a change, she studied interior styling and set up her own business, dressing interior spaces.

“I didn’t want to do whole design and build projects, but instead focus on the finishing touches and styling,” she tells us.

“I think that’s what I’m best at – giving stories to rooms.”

Lucy’s designs are always highly personal to the client; to her, success is creating a space which reflects the personality

of its owner and weaves a narrative about them. She can often be found hunting in flea markets and antique shops (Amy Perry Antiques in Tetbury is a favourite) for items that perfectly represent the people she’s working with.

“To get to know clients, I ask them about their everyday life, hobbies and interests. And how they live, what their routines are.

For instance, I love my coffee and wine – so lovely cups and good wine glasses are a must.”

We’re all largely more curious about interior design than we once were, thanks to the proliferation of design-focused TV shows, magazines and online content, not to mention imageled social media platforms like Pinterest and Instagram. But a room that looks pretty on a glossy page and a space that works for you as an individual are two very different things, Lucy points out.

“I recently had a client who wanted to introduce lots of blue into a room, which is tricky, 45 CRUMBSMAG.COM

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H O U S E

as it’s such a cold colour. There was no other blue in the house so, to investigate, I asked if I could look in her wardrobe. There was no blue there, either. What she was asking for felt disconnected from her own style.”

There’s a trap in trying to replicate something you’ve seen on TV or online in your own home, thinks Lucy, and it might not be until you’re living with it that you realise how it, actually, just doesn’t work for you.

Of course, one of this stylist’s most prominent projects was her own home, which she moved into three years ago. It was previously a student house and needed significant work – in terms of both build and design (for instance, the open-plan ground floor of the property used to be three separate rooms).

In fact, the building – which was built in the Gothic Revival style of the famous 18th-century Strawberry Hill House in London – was completely gutted. Now, elegant neutral hues and a mix of textures flow throughout the softly lit space.

The large dining table (which was a must, perfect for the family to gather around when they visit) is made from deeply grained wood for a rustic effect. It came from The Loft on Bartlett Street, but had to be customised to make

it fit its new home. Not a scrap of the wood was wasted, though.

“A big table was a priority – it’s a major focus when everyone’s here,” says Lucy. “This one was actually too big, so we took some wood off to make it slightly smaller, and then made shelves out of it.”

Said shelves are where some of her vast collection of pottery and ceramics is kept.

“I love my French pottery,” she tells us, reaching for an elegant teapot. “This is made from clay just outside Paris, then they coat it with this lovely milky glaze.

And all my espresso cups are collected for me by my son.”

A blend of natural textures like rustic wood, glazed ceramics, linen (“I love old linen – I had bright blinds made, but ended up covering them in linen”) and concrete worktops, as well as the colour palette of whites and greys, make this space feel rustic and whisper of rural French style.

Crossing the Channel for her next home is certainly not on the agenda, though; having lived in Bath for 25 years, this globetrotter professes she now wouldn’t live anywhere else.

And with digs like this, well, who can argue?

There’s lots of beautiful glassware and ceramics on display throughout this kitchen

facebook.com/lucycollinspropertystylist

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KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL Name: Lucy Collins.

Hometown: Bath.

Occupations: Advisory education specialist, counsellor and property stylist.

Favourite kitchen hack: Using my French mouli grater.

Secret kitchen skill: I am a dab hand at making soufflés.

You love the taste of... A delicious, freshly picked salad, perfectly dressed.

Coffee or tea? Coffee.

Beer or cider? Beer – but I would rather drink wine any day!

Go-to recipe: Freshly made pesto with various nuts.

Guilty pleasure: Champagne.

A food you couldn’t live without: Has to be fresh ravioli.

Favourite condiment: Himalayan salt.

The style of your kitchen in three words: Contemporary, French, ordered.

Your kitchen is awesome because...

I have a very well-stocked wine rack.

If you could change one thing about it, it would be… Adding more storage and more space for display.

What are you going to rustle up this weekend? Ricotta, candied lemon and pistachio ice cream.

Unexpected item in your kitchen cupboard: A Madeleine baking tin.

One thing your kitchen is used for that doesn’t involve cooking or eating: Sewing, chatting and dancing.

K I T C H E N Darsa Cheese Knife Set, £34.99 These brushed gold knives by Nkuku will take your fromage game to the next level. From Fig 1. fig1.co.uk

A R M O U R Y

T he Want List Lucy’s home has given us all the rustic French cottage feels...

Handmade Espresso Cup, £20 Crafted by Bristol potter Tamsin John, this little cup is finished with a white satin glaze. Buy it online from Etsy. tamsinjohnpottery.com

Bowsley Pasta Bowl (set of 6), £102 Pile these pretty stoneware bowl with a hearty cassoulet this winter and your French table is complete. Buy them from Neptune. neptune.com

Butter Bowl, £29.99 May your butter always be ready for spreading – and have a home as lovely as this ceramic dish. Find it at Vinegar Hill. vinegarhill.co.uk

Grey Linen Napkins (set of four), £28 Bring some contrasting texture to the table with these rustic linen napkins from Graham and Green. grahamandgreen.co.uk

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EATING-OUT INSPO, INSIDER KNOWLEDGE AND FOOD PIONEERS

MAINS

Sustainable kitchenware is set to become even more stylish in 2020, say our pros

HIGHLIGHTS

56 FANCY A JOINT?

We speak to chefs on our hunt for the region’s best roast

63 TWENTY SOMETHINGS

The big kitchen trends to look out for in 2020

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There’s no danger of leaving The River Grille hungry after Sunday lunch

ROAST WITH THE MOST When you’re in the mood for a Sunday afternoon joint, nothing else will do. Here are some of the best roasts on our turf to satisfy those cravings – and tips from the chefs on how to nail yours at home, too...

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The Bank Tavern (Bristol)

These roast dinners are the talk of Bristol carnivores – many of whom book months in advance to secure them. What makes ’em so special? We think it’s the generous portions, carefully sourced Bristolian ingredients and great British pub vibes that come on the side as standard.

Get an ale in and grab a fork – you’re in for a treat. banktavern.com

Bar 44 (Bristol)

As you’d expect from this tapas joint, its roasts have a distinctly Spanish edge, with the likes of truffled manchego cauliflower cheese, Ibérico jamón fat roast potatoes (oh, hello) and giant chorizo Yorkshire puds accompanying the 35-day dryaged sirloin of Hereford beef and overnight sidra roast pork.

In keeping with the Med feels, they’re served sharing-style on platters. Go all out and get a bottle of Spanish red in, an’ all. bar44.co.uk

Bath Spa Hotel (Bath)

Check out this board of roast meats at Broken Dock

Don’t worry about feeling too stuffed after a hefty roast here – it has plenty of acres of grounds to walk it off in. The beef is served nicely pink – something chef Jon Machin has perfected.

“Ensuring your beef is at room temperature before cooking is essential; doing so means that the meat cooks evenly, allowing you to get a beautifully tender and rare finish,” he says. bathspahotel.co.uk

Birch (Bristol)

Beef dripping roasties are reason enough to choose this great little bistro for lunch on Sunday – and that’s never mind the crimson-coloured, 28-day aged local Ashdale beef or free top-ups of veggies. Head chef Lee Bloomfield likes to add a large pinch of mustard powder to his Yorkshire pudding mix: “it helps balance the sweet flavours of the vegetables,” he says. We’ll certainly be giving that a go. birchbristol.co

Bar 44 serves roasts with a Spanish twist

Broken Dock (Bristol) Broken Dock’s Sunday lunches come sharing size, but please keep roastie-focused squabbles to a minimum. Lamb, pork, beef and stuffed cauli are the centrepieces to choose from, and they come with seasonal sides like roast parsnips, which we got head chef Phil Doel to share his recipe for. “Leave the skins and wood in and roast them in the oven, then pan fry with honey and mustard.

The skin holds the flavour and pan-frying makes sure they are evenly coated in the gooey honey glaze.” brokendock.co.uk

The Canteen (Bristol)

Sure, there are meaty offerings on Sundays here, but the vegan roasts at this StoCro mainstay deserve a special shout out; chef Will Roth (shortlisted for Best Chef at the 2019 Crumbs Awards) is all about inventive vegan dishes. Fancy mixing things up with your own roast at home? “Take a look beyond the 57 CRUMBSMAG.COM

normal parts of veg,” says Will.

“You’ll find new flavours in bits you’d usually throw away, like broccoli stems. So delicious!” canteenbristol.co.uk

The Cauldron Restaurant (Bristol)

Famous among Bristolians for its solid-fuelled kitchen, this place’s Sunday meats are all smoke-roasted over locally felled beech logs and the gravy is brewed over four days in a 60-litre cast-iron cauldron.

Want a roasting tip from chefowner Henry Eldon? You got it.

“Instead of steaming or boiling your vegetables, roast them with some whole spices like cumin, fennel or caraway seeds.

Use a high heat and the Maillard effect will brown them, giving a sweetness you simply won’t achieve using water.” thecauldron.restaurant

Castle Farm (Bath)

At this gorgeous restaurant in a converted tractor shed, roasts are built to share, with

100% PLANT-BASED!

M A I N S

a selection of meats and more trimmings than you can shake a stick at (including the crispiest roasties, freshest homegrown organic veg and as many extra helpings of gravy and Yorkies as you can handle). For chef Pravin Nayar, a good roast is all about a relaxed process. “Don’t stress, start early, open a bottle of wine, put on Radio 2 and cook everything slowly, in batches,” he says. “Once it’s time to serve up, just give everything a blast in the oven!” castlefarmmidford.co.uk

Eat Your Greens (Bristol)

This vegan restaurant in Totterdown is on a mission to make sure that anyone eating animal- and gluten-free doesn’t have to miss out on the ritual of Sunday lunch. The seed and cranberry roast comes with braised red cabbage, squash wedges, roast potatoes, mapleglazed carrots and red onion and beetroot gravy. And there’s an optional plant-based cauli ‘cheese’ on the go. “Every Monday night roast, anyone? Best head to The Old Bookshop

aspect, every vegetable, is treated as the star of the show,” says owner Babs Greaves.

“Every part of the meal is the main event.” facebook.com/ eatyourgreensbristol

The crispiest roasties, unlimited gravy and homegrown organic veg at Castle Farm

The George

(Bradford-on-Avon)

This place sure doesn’t do Sundays by halves, with its log fires roaring and epic sharing roasts on the menu. Choose from a board with a selection of meats or a whole roast chicken. If you’re not much of a sharer (or can’t wrangle your mates to help you out with those) there are roasts for one, too. We’ve got our eye on the leg of local venison… thegeorgebradfordonavon.co.uk

Hare and Hounds (Bath)

Included with roasts here come unlimited helpings of sweeping views out over the lush greenery of the Cotswolds. Meat comes from the much-celebrated Ruby and White butchers, including the popular pork belly. “We brine the pork before cooking, which creates better texture on the meat,” says head chef Christopher Lynn. “The brine we use consists of sugar, water, salt, coriander seeds, bay leaves and fennel seeds.” hareandhoundsbath.com

Homewood (Bath)

Exec head chef James Forman takes his roast meat seriously, using sirloin cuts of Devon Ruby Red beef and getting a proper crackling on his pork, with beautifully melting fat between the skin and meat. “We pour boiling water over the pork before it goes in the oven then smother it with oil and rock salt.

We then cook for 30 minutes on a very high heat to blister the skin before dropping it to ensure thorough cooking and turning it back up at the end.” homewoodbath.co.uk

The Kensington Arms (Bristol)

After a bit of an extra special feed on the Sabbath? This 59 CRUMBSMAG.COM

Redland gastropub – owned

by Josh Eggleton and with a kitchen headed up by former Pony and Trap chef Luke Hawkins – dishes up buckets of class with its Sunday lunches, with delicious homemade condiments and gravy that takes three days to make. The private dining room is super popular on Sundays – what better reason than a slap-up roast to get everyone together? thekensingtonarms.co.uk

The Old Bookshop (Bristol)

This cool bar in Bemmie is knocking out some great roast dinners – and not just on Sundays. The new Monday night roast has just been launched (what a way to start the week) and is followed by the pub quiz. Don’t expect the usual suspects when it comes to veg here – you’re likely to see imaginative alternatives like Jerusalem artichokes and beetroot this winter. A vegan option is available, too. theoldbookshop.co.uk

M A I N S

The Old Market Assembly (Bristol)

These guys have some fierce sourcing policies when it comes to their ingredients, and roasts are no exception. All meat comes from farms within 50-miles and the sides make the most out of what is in plentiful supply locally – right about now, that’s lots of lovely autumnal squash. Head chef Adam Barlow is here to remind us to salt that water when we par-boil our spuds, “and don’t be scared to roast them for an extra 10 minutes for a completely crispy finish!” Yes, sir. oldmarketassembly.co.uk

Pasture (Bristol)

Known for its banging pasturereared, high-welfare meat, this place really brings it on Sundays. The beef is cooked over charcoal and cherry wood which imparts a lovely smokiness, and there’s also sixhour-cooked lamb shoulder and pork loin. All the trimmings are in attendance, including a

A pastry-encased twist on the classic roast lunch, by Pieminister

top-notch gravy. “It’s gravy that brings the whole dish together,” says head chef Rhys Grayson.

“You want to get it on early; we start ours on Friday morning and use all our aged beef bones and trimmings. Roast them until golden along with vegetables and tomato purée. Next is a good helping of reduced red wine and port, and finally the roasting juices. If you don’t have bones for you gravy, just ask your local butcher.” pasturerestaurant.com

The meat experts at Pasture nail their Sunday offering

Pieminister (Bristol)

Sundays are done a bit differently at Pieminister. Let us elaborate: choose any pie (there are 13 to decide between) and it’ll arrive on a pile of delicious mash and wearing a Yorkshire pudding hat, itself filled with roast garlic and rosemary potatoes and carrot and swede mash. The final flourish comes in the form of a shard of freerange pork crackling and a pigin-blanket. Oh, and there’s a jug of gravy on the side for dousing it all in too, of course. Vegan and gluten-free options are available an’ all. What’s not to love? pieminister.co.uk

The River Grille (Bristol)

Fancy a side of river views with your Sunday lunch? Hit up this waterside eatery, which is serving big portions and topdrawer meat (think slow-cooked aged sirloin, leg of lamb and pork belly). Want to know how chef Pawel Mikolajczewski gets those roasties bang-on? “Steam or boil them until they start to go soft but still hold their shape.

Then give them a shake and chill in the fridge. All the starch will crystallise, so when you cook them in hot oil, the outside will be super crispy.” doylecollection.com

The Vittoria (Bristol)

This long-standing Whiteladies Road gaff is into a bit of oneupmanship, with its beef coming with bone marrow and oxtail and the pork pimped up with caramelised apple and a 60 CRUMBSMAG.COM

cracking croquette. Sides are spesh, too: think confit carrot, broccoli cheese, roasties and grilled cabbage. And yes, you get a Yorkie whatever meat you order. Heavy one the night before? You’d better take the team up on their offer of bottomless Bloody Marys for a fiver, then. vittoriabristol.com

Yurt Lush (Bristol)

In this cool restaurant housed in adjoining Mongolian yurts, all guests on Sundays get a surprise amuse-bouche (a surprise which we’ve just spoilt for you – mega soz). Head chef Oscar Davis, who is all about the top South West ingredients, is keen to remind us home cooks to get next week’s stock on with the leftover meat and bones after we’ve filled our belles each Sunday. “Making stock for gravy makes all the difference for us,” he says. “We start making beef and chicken stock on Monday and reduce them down slowly until Friday, when we combine them into one super stock.” eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk

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2020 VISION

What’s going to be hot in the world of kitchens and dinnerware in 2020?

With our crystal ball currently out of action, we turned to local interiors pros for their predictions instead…

Mixing up textures and finishes, a la this worktop, is so 2020

MATERIAL WORLD

The way we use our kitchens is changing. No longer purely for practical endeavours, they’re being integrated into the rest of the home and are starting to mimic other social spaces. As such, John Law of Bath interior designers Woodhouse and Law thinks we’re likely to see more mixed materials and textures infiltrate kitchens throughout 2020.

“Combining contrasting materials is a great way to add character and interest in your kitchen, in much the same way you would treat another room in the house,” he says. “The kitchen is being considered less as a standalone, functional part of the house, and instead rightly as an integral and core component of the home that has a cohesive feel with the surrounding spaces.

“Mixing materials looks great on worktops and elsewhere, with the likes of brass inlays on cabinetry, flooring and furniture. Similarly, the use of unpainted timber adds a softness of touch, a stronger connection to nature and a greater sense of individuality.” woodhouseandlaw.co.uk 63 CRUMBSMAG.COM

Give your kitchen a personal edge

IT’S PERSONAL

The kitchens of 2020 are going to bring a whole new meaning to the term ‘bespoke’, reckons Celine Allen of Walrow Kitchens in Somerset – not just in terms of fit, but in unique added detail.

“Although we are based in Somerset, city trends trickle down to us pretty quickly, and we have noticed an increase in customers asking for a personal detail in their kitchens,” she says. “For example, glazed cabinet doors with designs etched into them.”

The image here of a tree design was made for a customer to match the detail on her front door.

“We think that customers are increasingly looking to personalise their kitchen space and include an element of individuality, which can be in the form of a bespoke element or a pop of colour or texture.” walrowkitchens.co.uk

Back to (matte) black...

THE DARK SIDE

The beginnings of a shift in colour and finish has been noticed by James Horsfall of Bath Kitchen Company this year, and this trend is set to continue gaining momentum.

“Designers will embrace a darker palette and we’ll see an increase in matte blacks, greys and rich blue hues for cabinetry,” he predicts.

These kinds of looks have a smart, grown-up feel, and will stay relevant for years to come: “There is something incredibly sophisticated about it, and it can work with both modern and traditional homes.” bathkitchencompany.co.uk

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GOING COLD What we’ll be waving goodbye to…

“Although the number of people looking for a handleless kitchen has increased, the ‘J-pull’ handle on kitchen doors is far less popular than it was. It has mainly been replaced by kitchens with aluminium or wood rails.”

Celine Allen, Walrow Kitchens “White and lighter coloured kitchens, particularly in high-gloss finishes, are falling out of favour as clients are looking for more of a timeless look and want to invest in their kitchens for the long term.”

John Law, Woodhouse and Law

Expect a focus on craftsmanship, to ensure your kitchen’s longevity

SO CRAFTY

There’s a focus on good old-fashioned craftsmanship right now, and Tom Jones-Marquez, co-founder of Arlberry Bespoke, sees this growing next year.

“A resurgence of craftsmanship is gaining momentum and looks to continue into 2020,” he says. “An investment of time and development of knowledge and experience is imbued within the concept of craft, and it’s that elusive element we see more and more people connecting with and appreciating – the care, time and skill endowed in the end result.”

This is partly to do with appreciation for build quality and the growing market for bespoke design, but also with the recent extension of our environmental consciousness, he explains.

“Arlberry Bespoke has long championed the importance of a sustainable approach to business and, for us, craft will always matter. It defines a collaborative way of working and contributing positively to our immediate community and to society at large.” arlberry.com

GREENLIGHT

Sustainable kitchenware is getting ever more classy

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We’re all attempting to be more mindful of sustainability issues when it comes to our food, but the same principle will be increasingly applied to our kitchenware next year, says Peter James of Rossiters.

“We are seeing increasing demand for eco products like stainless steel lunch boxes, as people start to veer away from plastic,” he says. “Reusable sandwich wraps which can be washed have proved a hit and, of course, there is the thorny issue of straws. We now offer glass, stainless steel and paper straws, which are all selling well.

“This focus on products that are mindful of our environment is a trend which will only strengthen in the coming years as customers demand ranges that are sympathetic to the planet.” rossitersofbath.com

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AFTERS

NEW AND NOTABLE RESTAURANTS, PUBS AND CAFÉS

HIGHLIGHTS

72 EDGY VEGGIES

Cargo’s Root is still on a deliciously vegbased mission

78 QUAY TO THE CITY All the sunny feels at central Bristol’s Quay Street Diner

80 RAY OF SUNSHINE

A L E X A NDE R J C OL L I NS

Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, 35 years on

Vegetables are put front and centre at Root – and are deserving stars of the show

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It’s all about the veggies here – along with just a smattering of seafood and even less meat

F

S MAS HI NG S MAL L P L AT ES

A L E XA ND E R J CO L L I NS

resh into the world of full-time work, one of the first restaurants I ever wrote about was Bruno Loubet’s new London venture, Grain Store. It stuck in my mind for a couple of reasons. First, I was new to the gig and wanted to make an impression, with impossibly insightful yet witty commentary, obviously.

But second – and most importantly – it was because the restaurant was doing something quite radical in the plant-based eating space. A space that was a whole lot smaller at the time.

Grain Store wasn’t a vegetarian gaff, though. It used fish and meat as well as fruit and veg, only with the focus flipped from the former onto the latter. Plants were the star of the show here, meat the support act.

This forward-thinking restaurant was taking a path not well-trodden in 2013.

Grain Store at Kings Cross closed in August 2017 when Loubet retired. But as that door closed, Root opened (literally – in the very same month) with a similarly veg-focused but meat-including concept – not to mention a far more convenient location for us West Country folk. Its contemporary, veg-celebrating offering, conceived by former Pony and Trap chef Rob Howell (who is still sickeningly young for what he’s achieved), reps some of the city’s best food.

The shipping container restaurant is on the first floor of Cargo, with a terrace overlooking the river.

Inside, elegant line drawings of vegetables hang framed on the aubergine-coloured walls, while rustic wood-panelled benches run around the edges of the room, facing the open kitchen.

ROOT There’s a reason why everyone is still in love with this plant-first joint, two years after its opening, says Jessica Carter

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A F T E R S

Great ingredients and simple cooking techniques make for pretty special dishes

Root, Unit 9 Cargo 1, Gaol Ferry Steps, Bristol BS1 6WP; 0117 930 0260; eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk

I’ve, of course, been to Root before. This was not my first rodeo. But while I thought I knew just what was coming as I climbed the stairs up to this repurposed container, it turns out there was room for plenty of surprises.

Cocktails are good here – try the Peach Tea Sour.

And, just as Root makes not eating meat a breeze, it makes not drinking booze about as manageable as it gets too. Or so my date thought, who was more than happy with his ABV-free cocktail made with Seedlip, lemon, lime mint and blackberry.

To kick off, the sourdough (£3.75) is super soft inside – almost gooey, even – with a crisp, caramelised crust. Great bread and butter never gets old. Next, Isle of Wight tomatoes (£8.50) come pickled, blanched and fresh, in all of their traffic light-coloured glory, with ribbons of courgette, little black salty olives and croutons. Vivid green dill oil pools beneath it all,

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mingling with the juices of the sweet fruit which were hungrily mopped up with the aforementioned carb. A perfect storm of first-rate produce, real kitchen skill and the art of simplicity (also referred to as leaving great ingredients the hell alone).

From the specials, Cornish mussels (£8) are served in a steaming pile in a bowl of almond and curry sauce, with soft sliced onion draped over the shells. The mussels are huge and tender, and the sauce sweet, spiced and nutty. Also on the specials are the sardines with kimchi (£2.75 each), the fish butterflied and splayed out on top of a pokey – but not overwhelmingly so – heap of fermented veg.

Rarebit sauce, punchy and creamy in equal measure, cloaks a hunk of cauliflower (£7.50), which soft, mellow mustard seeds cluster beneath, while fried gnocchi is very gently spiced, bathing in a tomatoey sauce with more courgette ribbons (£9.50).

Also, charred cabbage (£7.50) arrives glossy with light and creamy seaweed butter dressing, pale and mellow pickled shallot rings adding tang.

The only dish that I didn’t gobble down with all the greed of a spoilt beagle was the carrots with cultured cream and peach (£8.50), which was, naturally, quite sweet (something I did anticipate, having read the description). My sweet-toothed dinner date adiosed the lot, though and – who knows? – if it was packaged as a pud I might have been more inclined.

God, this place really has it down: approachable, unfussy food that feels special; a solid and thoughtful concept; engaged and friendly service from a great team; a buzzy atmosphere; and dishes served at a spot-on pace (although that may be pot luck, as they come out when they’re ready).

With the menu promising some difficult decisions and most small plates around the £8-£9 mark, though, you could easily drop more dough here than originally planned. Heck. Treat yourself.

This is a very cool, terribly likeable place, which more than holds its own among the region’s high calibre of restaurants. Luckily for us, this chef’s retirement is rather far off.

Would you like to work in Media Sales?

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If you would like to join our continuing success story please email your CV to steve.hawkins@mediaclash.co.uk or give us a call anytime on 01225 475827 for a chat about the company, our magazines and available positions.

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 ÂŁ25 the perfect present for any wine lovers!

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www.cliftonwineschool.com

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A F T E R S

Colourful vegan lunches are a-go at this Bath caff

C R EA TIV E C A F É S

CASCARA

It may be a hop, skip and jump from Crumbs HQ, but this café saw Jessica Carter doing none of the above after a filling lunch here

T Cascara, 3 Upper Borough Walls, Bath BA1 1RG; 01225 542636; instagram.com/cascarabath

his cool little spot on Upper Borough Walls in Bath has a solid following.

Shoppers recharge with coffee and cake, students sip on smoothies while tapping on their MacBooks and mates hang out over long, leisurely lunches in the tiny space.

Cascara changed hands last year – the hands who hold it now being those of Sus Davy, who you may know from social media as Rough Measures – and is a plant-focused gaff. From the cakes on display to the alternative milks and all-day breakfasts on the concise menu, everything here is vegan-friendly.

Outside, people huddle on the cushioned window benches around tables with coffee, while the barstyle seating along the brick wall inside is filled with customers slurping warming soups and tucking into sandwiches. Bare bulbs hang above the counter, behind which is a gilt-framed blackboard listing drinks and specials.

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Take the curving staircase at the back and you’ll arrive in the small first-floor dining room, with white walls and a smattering of plants. The leaded sash window of the Georgian building allows plenty of light to flood in and – if you get the table right in front of it, as we did – promises some real people-watching potential over the street below.

The all-day breakfasts rep a large chunk of the short menu and include the likes of smoky beans on sourdough with chilli oil, and coconut yoghurt bowl with seeds and fruit.

The salad plate (£8.50) today involves a rich aubergine and sundried tomato mix and herby and bright pesto-coated courgetti. A vibrant pink beetroot and butterbean purée is our dip of choice and sits in the middle, while slices of buttered sourdough line up alongside it, ripe for the scooping.

The special is a New Yorker jackfruit toastie (£6.25) with a creamy filling of jackfruit and vegan cheese and mayo. It’s given tang with pickles and redcabbage sauerkraut. Not traditionally ‘New Yorker’ in flavour – there’s no mustard-like heat – but a good, filling sarnie.

Blends – or smoothies – come in various styles (all £4); my Monkey Nut is a happy mix of banana, peanut butter and almond ‘mylk’ that appeals hugely to my eight-year-old self (who’s still rather a prominent voice in my head, considering she’s some 23 years out of date) while Bielby’s green machine is a more virtuous blend of kale, lemon, celery, cucumber, apple and ginger.

After finishing with a flaky Bakewell tart (£3.50), we eventually surrender to our afternoon’s workload and head back to the office.

This is a nicely designed, cosy caff with superfriendly staff and a chilled out, inviting vibe. Just ask its regulars, who sure seem fond of it from where we’re sitting.

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THE

Reach the best in the west

CAKERY CUSTOM MADE CAKES

a

Affluent, active and influential and just a call away

Gluten free dairy fr , ee & vegan options

07891211852 | 01225 684936 21 Claverton buildings, Bath BA2 4LD b   thecakery-@hotmail.com | thecakerybath.co.uk

Call Russell 01225 475835

An all-day kind of joint, this diner serves brunch, too

A L L - D A Y D IN ING

QUAY STREET DINER

SoCal flavours, craft beers and laidback decor: here’s a place to hole up in until next summer rolls around, says winter-denier Charlie Lyon The cool, industrialstyle decor suits the relaxed vibe

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A F T E R S

There are plenty of classic diner staples on the menu, like burgers, po’ boys and pancakes

Quay St Diner, 2 Quay Street, Bristol BS1 2JL; 0117 403 1152; quaystreetdiner.co.uk

N

o, no, no: no to crispness in the air; no to wool scarves; no to slow cooking; no to evening reading.

“I’m looking forward to autumn,” says the genial server as she welcomes us into Californian-inspired Quay Street Diner and takes us to our table with all the enthusiasm and positivity of a real-life West Coast dweller.

It’s the start of September and I want to cling onto summer’s T-shirt weather and optimism, thank you.

And surely this is the place to do it – somewhere as traditionally un-British as the summer season itself.

The vibe evokes Californian feels: dark teal panelling and sanded-back wooden tables echo the shades of sea and sand. Fairy lights stretch across the ceiling adding a feeling of fiesta, and lush green pot plants bring the outside in.

It was a sad day when the site’s former incarnation, Roll For The Soul – a bike café and workshop – closed.

As a community interest company, it was a social hub, drawing in cyclists and diners with keenly priced food and coffee and evening events. A confident offering was needed to fill its boots, and former co-owners of Grillstock, Jon Finch and Ben Merrington, stepped up to the challenge last year with the promise of live fire cooking and the “best brunches in town”.

Footfall is high on Old City’s Quay Street – a multitude of surrounding office blocks ensuring a steady stream of passers-by, morning ’til evening.

The food and drink here is good value too – what you want after a hard day on the grind, and the promise of another one tomorrow.

An Apple Garden cocktail from the reasonably priced drinks list (all cocktails £7, with two-forone deals 4pm-7pm every day) does a good job of expelling that early autumn chill.

Next are sweetcorn fritters (£3.95). The chef’s not scrimping on filling – they’re thick, packed with juicy kernels and comforting potatoey stodge. There’s a decent-sized pot of sweet-chilli sauce on the side too, so you can dunk them whole. We try the chicken wings as well (£4.50), with a spicy sriracha honey

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glaze. Dishes like these, with a couple of craft beers, are the perfect unwind after a day at the desk, or a fun way of kicking-off a night of music at nearby venues SWX or The Lanes.

Baja fish tacos (£7.50) are next up for me. They tow a different line to the fish tacos offered by the likes of Masa and Mezcal and Cargo Cantina, which focus on perfected Mexican authenticity and detailed flavour in bitesize offerings. Quay Street Diner makes up in size for what it lacks in refinement. Big, meaty chunks of fried fish sit atop beds of shredded red cabbage – tangy with good crunch. There is a pile on each of the two hand-size tacos – plenty big enough for gluttonous me. The pineapple chilli salsa is the perfect accompaniment; the juicy cubes of sweetness pep up the tempura-battered fish and lift the chipotle mayo and salsa roja, making each mouthful good and lively. I upgraded my tacos to a ‘plate’ (£11.50), but next time I’d think again, as the mini portions of guacamole, black beans and plain tortilla chips don’t bring much extra flavour to the party.

Across the booth, J is getting stuck into a SoCal favourite – the ’dog. Her eight-inch pork snag is “allnatural”, apparently, and she’s ordered it katsu-style, topped with curry sauce (although not as much of it as she’d hoped), pickled ginger and crispy onions (£9). It’s an upgrade on the currywurst I won’t go back for in Berlin, but comes just by itself so, visually, I’ve come up trumps with my order.

We add on sides too (maybe it’s a good thing it’ll be too chilly to put my bikini on again this year): £2.50 for a big basket of salty, crispy fries and the same for the ’slaw (which was a touch too creamy for us).

Vegans are well catered for here and the weekend brunches – huevos rancheros, steak and eggs et al – sound spot-on.

As a keen cyclist, I still lament the fact there’s no one here to sell me a cut-price tyre pump, or to check my derailleur assemblies as I eat. That said, I’m going to need my sunshine fix throughout the impending winter and, as a city-centre worker, this is where I’ll be going for Californian sun.

BELMOND LE MANOIR AUX QUAT’SAISONS Jessica Carter isn’t sure exactly the nature of the special occasion she went here to mark, but she didn’t half mark it well...

There are plenty of grounds to explore here

T

his famous Oxfordshire hotel and restaurant, founded and run by Raymond Blanc, is a mecca of special occasion. This is especially obvious, pre-dinner, in the lounge, which is filled with birthdays, anniversaries and family celebrations.

Our excuse for partaking in two-Michelinstar extravagance out near the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is, too, an anniversary.

Although, not one that F and I can claim for ourselves.

See, this year marks 35 since Raymond Blanc opened the doors to his ‘Four Seasons Manor’, where he has held two Michelin stars for the same number of years.

(This month, the restaurant shall appear in its 36th consecutive Michelin Guide – unless I’ve just jinxed it, of course – with the publication of the 2020 edition.)

It’s also exec head chef Gary Jones’ 20th year in his post and Blanc’s 70th birthday happens to be next month. I think you’ll find that’s justification enough.

Le Manoir is one heck of a country pile, the 15th-century manor house now 32 rooms and suites strong, sitting within 27 acres of private gardens.

Traditional in style, it avoids feeling stuffy or old fashioned – helped in no small part by the largely young, friendly (although mighty professional) team.

Cutting to the chase, then, it’ll come as no surprise that this place – with its marble en suites, landscaped grounds and flock of vintage Bentleys parked out the front – ain’t cheap. There’s a difference, of course, between cheap and good value, though, and for the two days we were there we saw no-one sporting a look

The traditional feel here is offset with friendly service

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A F T E R S

The refined, wellbalanced menus are varied and blend the classical with the contemporary

Travel: About an hour and 45 minutes from Bath or Bristol by car.

Stay: Room rates start at around £538 for one night bed and breakfast for two.

Great for: Extra-special meals, top service and memorable occasions.

of regret at having dropped some serious dollar on their stay. In fact, there were notable smiles slapped across guests faces – ours included – as we all sat tucking into canapés and aperitifs before dinner.

The operation here is slick, with the flow of guests into the lounge perfectly countered by the stream being shown out to the restaurant. And the impressive logistics continue through dinner – more than once F looks up confused as to when, exactly, his wine was topped up (and it is, generously) or his empty plate swiped away.

In the evening there’s a seven-course tasting menu for £190 (add a wine flight for £125), or three-course a la carte at £175. (There are daytime options too, though, like the five-course lunch for £150.)

We eat from the former, which begins with a muddle of pickled seaweed and garden vegetables.

Tangy and crunchy, the bowl had an umami kick from wisps of dried seaweed and roasted-sesame dressing. Not a dish I was waiting for with particular excitement, but one that I’d eat again, 20 times over.

This becomes something of a recurring theme.

A heap of white Cornish crab meat rests on silky brown-meat purée and a quenelle of kaffir lime and coconut sorbet sits to the side. Fresh and aromatic South East Asian flavours permeate the plate, which is given zing from vibrant passion fruit. Next up are earthy British flavours in the chargrilled beetroot with walnut pesto (paired with a brilliant Chardonnay that’s all savoury, nutty and smoky) and then braised Cornish turbot with deliciously tangy pickled cockles and seaweed sabayon.

Roast grouse is gamey and tender, slicked with a rich, dark jus and sitting alongside braised red cabbage, a cube of crisp hashed celeriac and beautifully fat and sharp blackberries.

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A pre-dessert of coffee and chocolate – not exactly what we think we want after seeing off that lot but, once again, the kitchen knows best and we lap it up – is followed by wonderfully gooey-in-the-middle blackcurrant meringue, paired with a light, sparkling red wine that echoes the fruitness and scrubs the palate between mouthfuls with its bubbles.

Le Manoir’s surrounding landscape has been a huge influence on the food ever since the restaurant’s conception. (Such focus on locality is a character trait that was, of course, less common 35 years ago, and was shaped by Blanc’s upbringing in rural, postwar France.) The landscaped grounds, then, are well worth a pre-dinner stroll – pick your way down the windy stone paths of the Japanese tea garden, stare across the 15th-century, lily-adorned pond, investigate the ‘Maman Blanc’ herb garden and visit the beautiful 12th-century church of St Mary.

There are on-site cookery and gardening schools to take classes at as well, should you be looking to expand your culinary skillset as well as waistline.

Not got a special occasion coming up to book in for? Come on, use your ingenuity. belmond.com

L I T T L E

B L A C K

B O O K

ANDREW WATMUFF

Half of the pair behind local meal pot biz Watmuff and Beckett, this entrepreneur knows how to eat his way around Frome…

Breakfast? John Thorner’s The Den in Pylle does a great breakfast using its own sausages, black pudding and bacon. If you go for ‛The Den Ultimate’, don’t organise to have lunch that day.

Best brew? It has to be Earl Grey from the tea experts at Moo and Two on Catherine’s Hill, Frome. Euan and the team import their own tea from small, single-estate growers and have an amazing eye (or palate!) for detail.

Favourite grocery shop? White Row Farm Shop. A great example of how a farm shop with local and regional produce can work as well as a supermarket for the big shop. Grab a trolley and fill it with fresh local veg. Oh, and some Watmuff and Beckett soup!

Best wine merchant? Beckford Bottle Shop in Bath has a great range of expensive and sought-after vintages, but if you’re after a bargain, it does a house Pinot Noir which is delicious – and only £9.50!

Sunday lunch? The Talbot Inn in Mells serves a great roast. If we have some autumn sun you can enjoy it in the courtyard outside, otherwise there’s usually a log fire going indoors.

Belting burger? On a Friday lunchtime The Refectory Café in The Old Church School, Butts Hill does a great burger with homemade potato wedges. The café is located within a buzzing co-working office, but it’s open to the public too.

Quick pint? Palmer Street Bottle is a favourite of mine.

Enjoy a pint while you decide what to take home from the wide selection of beers and ciders.

Cheeky cocktail? I have been going to Sub 13 in Edgar Buildings for years. The team always look after my cocktail needs. I can highly recommend their Whiskey Sour; it’s not on the menu but ask for it, it’s a classic.

Food on the go? Nook in King Street, Frome is an Australian-style juice and bowl bar. The team create and blend noodle salad bowls and cold press juices to take away, so it’s great for a light lunch on the run.

With friends? A strong Italian coffee and a doorstep bacon sandwich at Café La Strada is a great way to start the weekend, and a good place to catch up with friends.

Pet-friendly? After our regular 20 minute walk, Agnes my French bulldog and I regularly visit the four-legged friendly Three Swans pub in Frome for a Guinness and a bowl of water.

On the hit list? The Newt in Somerset – it’s an immaculate country estate with bakery, restaurant and gardens. watmuffandbeckett.co.uk

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

The Den, Pylle BA4 6TA; jonthorners.co.uk Moo and Two, Frome BA11 1BY; mooandtwo.com White Row Farm Shop, Beckington BA11 6TN; whiterowfarm.co.uk Beckford Bottle Shop, Bath BA1 2QP; beckfordbottleshop.com The Talbot Inn, Mells BA11 3PN; talbotinn.com The Refectory Café, Frome BA11 1HR; theoldchurchschool.co.uk Palmer Street Bottle, Frome BA11 1DS; palmerstbottle.co.uk Sub 13, Bath BA1 2EE; sub13.net Nook, Frome BA11 1BH; 01373 471368 Café La Strada, Frome BA11 1BN; cafelastrada.co.uk Three Swans, Frome BA11 1BH; thethreeswans.com The Newt in Somerset, Bruton BA7 7NG; thenewtinsomerset.com

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