flavour magazine_december/january

Editor: Nick Gregory Email: [email protected]

Art Director: Bruce Mytton Email: [email protected]

Advertising: Miranda Coller, Director of Sales Email: [email protected]

Helen Kembery, Account Manager Email: [email protected]

Photography: Jeni Meade,

Contributors: Sian Blunos, Martin Blunos, Tom Bowles, Peter Swanepoel, Nick Harman, Jennie Clark, Clare Morris, Duncan Shine, Mitch Tonks, Ron Faulkner, Louis Labron-Johnson, Holly Aurelius-Haddock, Melissa Blease, Max Drake, James Underdown

Flavour Magazine151-153 Wick Road, Brislington, Bristol, BS4 4HHTel: 01179 779188 | Visit: www.flavourmagazine.com

For general enquiries:Peter FrancombEmail: [email protected]

For competition entries:Email: [email protected]

© Copyright 2011 flavourmagazine.com

All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without permission of flavour. While we take care to ensure that reports, reviews and features are accurate, flavourmagazine.com accepts no liability for reader dis-satisfaction arising from the content of this publication. The opinions expressed or advice given are the views of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of flavourmagazine.com

flavour magazine provides effective communication through design. We specialise in brochures, corporate identity, advertising, direct mail, marketing and design for print. We have a reputation for clear, creative solutions to communication problems for a number of corporate, sports, financial, charity and leisure industry clients. We maintain the highest of standards, throughout each individual project and our client relationship. We pride ourselves on delivering distinctive designs and ideas that will get you noticed.

For more information, please contact Peter Francomb Tel: 01179 779188 Email: [email protected] Visit: www.flavourmagazine.com

Competition Terms & ConditionsIn addition to any specifically stated terms and conditions, the following applies to all competitions. All information forms part of the rules. All entrants are deemed to have accepted the rules and agree to be bound by them. The winner will be the first entry drawn at random from all the entries sent back after the closing date and will be notified by either post, email or telephone. The prizes are as stated; they are non-transferable and no cash alternative will be offered. All entrants must be at least 18 years old. Competitions are open to UK residents only. One entry per person. Proof of postage is not proof of entry. flavour accepts no responsibility for entries lost or damaged in the post. Entrants agree to take part in any publicity material relating to the competition. The name of the winner will be published in the next edition. The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Prizes do not include unspecified extras (such as travel). All prizes are subject to availability. Please state if you do not wish to receive any further correspondence from flavour or competition organisers. You may be required to collect your prize.

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Welcome to flavour and a bumper issue to take you through the festive period, out the other side and into the New Year. And what an issue we have...

I was lucky enough to visit Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons recently and you’ll see I went a little ‘kid in a sweetshop’ about that experience (P.33), our intrepid traveller Louis took off to Italy to research Nudo Olive Oils (P.57) and we have put together a fantastic Cheese, Wine and Biscuits feature (P.88) that should give you plenty of food for thought.

It’s been a great year here at flavour HQ and although we have lost (to pastures new) Miss flavour herself and previous editor Holly, one thing that has not changed is the fantastic array of local producers that continue to stretch the food and drink boundaries with excellence and innovation, keeping hold of traditions that have served us all so well in our gastro lives.

The food and drink world is ever-changing, with new techniques, trends and fads popping up all the time – we may all be eating tripe in 12 months time – and that keeps this industry exciting, fresh and full of promise. I can’t wait to see what’s around the corner!

Anyway, have a great festive period, a decent recuperate and I’ll see you all in the New Year...

Well done from all here at flavour!

Nick Gregory

welcome

Nick

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05 WIN! An overnight stay for two at The Inn at Fossebridge

10 In Season Tom Bowles and Peter Swanepoel cook up the best of the season’s produce

15 Walk, Shop and Eat A browse through Bradford on Avon

22 Flash Cooking Laura Santtini makes the ordinary extraordinary in a flash

61 Cosy Winter Warmers Sidle up to the fire in our great escapes

Inside...

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If you have any news or events that you would like to share with us here at flavour then email [email protected]

this monthFEAST YOUR EYES

You know what it’s like: you want to mark a special occasion, so you stop by a store and reach straight for the box of chocolates (because it’s chocolate, of course!). But then you get drawn towards the flowers, because they look “oh so presentable”. It’s an age-old dilemma. Well that’s where Hundreds & Thousands Cupcakes come in handy; not only do they satisfy the taste buds, but also they are gorgeous to look at. In fact, they’re the perfect gift.

www.handtcupcakes.co.uk

AINSLEY LOVES A GOOD PORK PIE

Somerset Business Awards finalist Jon Thorner’s received an array of awards at the Q Guild of Butchers Smithfield Product Evaluation presentation in November.

The Q Guild of Butchers is a prestigious organisation that represents the finest quality independent British meat retailers, and celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott, at Butchers Hall in London, hosted the presentation.

John Emery, the chef at Jon Thorner’s said, “This is a fantastic result. We are so pleased to have received so many top awards for our range of products, but I’m especially pleased my new pork pies have hit the mark!”

www.jonthorners.co.uk

FRONT COVER: DEVILLED EGG

Here’s a recipe from the lovely Bristol- based cookery school – The Devilled Egg.

Pan-Fried Scallops with Black Pudding, Pea and Pancetta Puree and Parma Ham Crisp.

Serves Four

Ingredients70g pancetta cubes360g frozen peas130ml water4 slices Parma ham12 scallops12 slices black pudding

MethodParma ham crisp1 Grease two identical

baking sheets.1 Place one inside the other

so the ham slices are sandwiched between the greased surfaces. Bake for 9 minutes.

Pea and Pancetta Puree1 Fry pancetta in a hot pan

until golden brown. Add water to the pan and bring to the boil. Add peas and stir.

2 Cook for one minute and tip into a blender. Blend until smooth.

Black Pudding1 Bake at 190°C until

sizzling.

Scallops1 Pour olive oil into pan and

bring to high heat. Place scallops into hot oil for three minutes, should be golden-brown.

2 Turn over for several seconds

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> flavour news

HAVE A HARTHartley Farm has put itself firmly at the centre of the slow food movement this autumn with the addition of a new head chef, and the launch of both ‘farm supper’ events and a bespoke catering service.

Farm shop manager and fifth generation farmer Tom Bowles sees this as another step forward in the life of Hartley Farm Shop: “Since Ollie Hoyle – new head chef – joined us we have been able to offer a fantastic breakfast menu including a Full Farmhouse Breakfast – with all the works – straight from our own butchery counter.

www.hartley-farm.co.uk

JAMMY OR WHAT?Award-winning jams, chutneys, marmalades and condiments have been made by Kitchen Garden in the Cotswolds for more than 20 years. From the first blackberries, picked from the hedgerows and made into blackberry and apple jam all those years ago, has grown a family business that supplies farm shops, delicatessens, garden centres and hamper companies throughout the UK and overseas. For an exclusive promotion, simply go online, order £15 or more (plus p&p) and put in the code FLAVR1 in the box marked ‘Notes to seller’ and Kitchen Garden will include a FREE 200g jar of their best-selling Old Spot Real Ale Chutney. www.kitchengardenpreserves.co.uk

THE MONKEY COMES TO BATH

Visit Tea Monkey, the exciting new meeting place and communication hub now open in Little Southgate and chose from over 40 fabulous tea varieties (both loose leaf and organic), excellent coffees and a great range of cakes and snacks, including gluten and wheat-free options. They’ll even serve you a cream tea. With free use of Wi-fi and iPads and in-strore printing, you can catch up with friends while relaxing with a cuppa in their soothing surroundings.

www.tea-monkey.com/ stores/bath-tea-monkey.aspx

AN OVERNIGHT STAY AT THE INN AT FOSSEBRIDGE IN THE COTSWOLDS!

With beautiful gardens, elegant furnishings and fantastic food, The Inn at Fossebridge is at the pinnacle of fine country living and set in a charming hamlet of the same name deep in the Cotswolds.

This month, flavour is proud to offer – in conjunction with The Inn at Fossebridge – a wonderful prize for one lucky couple. Win a one-night stay in a deluxe room including breakfast, a bottle of house Champagne and a three-course dinner in the Cotswold Inn restaurant, by simply emailing [email protected] with the competition title in the header and full contact details within.

www.fossebridgeinn.co.uk

WIN!

COMPETITION WINNER: Congratulations to Maureen Bingham from Sherborne, who wins an overnight stay for two at The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa!

AZALEA IN BLOOM

Brighten up someone’s New Year with a beautiful living gift from Sutton Seeds, which will arrive in bud and start flowering in two to three weeks, giving pleasure long after Christmas has gone. A stunning azalea tree, bearing pink flowers with white picoteed edges is ideal as a striking centerpiece and comes with a stylish 17cm cream pot for just £26.99 including postage.

Call Suttons Seeds on 0844 922 0606 quoting FM112 or visit the website. www.suttons.co.uk

> flavour news

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YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS British pensioners are now the masters of kitchen, and it’s the young women who are opting for less adventurous, more traditional meals. A daring 71% of men claim to cook new cuisines from across the world compared to just 42% of women according to a study of 3,000 people by sparkling drink Orangina. But it’s older folks that really like to spice things up in the kitchen and try new dishes with 74% of people aged 55+ often trying new foods while only 20% of people aged 18-24 like to experiment with new foods. www.orangina.com

ZA ZA BAZAAR!Roll up, roll up… down to the Waterfront for Bristol’s finest fixed-priced buffet dining restaurant, with an amazing variety of global cuisine, live cooking and expertly-mixed cocktails, opening on December 1.

It’s the perfect venue for anyone who loves the buzz of a night market, has the spirit of adventure and an appetite for fun!

www.zazabazaar.com

FISH ‘N’ CHIP-OFF

RockFish of Dartmouth has been recognised as one of the best fish and chip restaurants in the United Kingdom. It will now ‘batter’ it out against McDermotts of Croydon, Quayside of Whitby, Trenchers of Whitby, Seniors of Thornton and Hanburys of Babbacombe to decide the winner, which will be announced at the grand final in London on 17 January 2012.

www.rockfishdevon.co.uk

PUD PLEASURE

Men prefer ‘blokey’ puddings while women prefer posher desserts, research has revealed.

A study of 3,000 adults found spotted dick, jam roly-poly and bread and butter pudding are all high on the list of men’s favourite desserts. By contrast women are more likely to enjoy more contemporary treats like crème brûlée, waffles and tiramisu. Time-honoured classics like blancmange, treacle tart and jelly and ice cream are popular with both sexes. The report was commissioned by Crown Carveries to mark British Pudding Day on Wednesday 9th of November. TOP TEN MALE DESSERTS1. Cheesecake2. Chocolate Fudge Cake3. Ice Cream Sundae4. Bread and Butter Pudding5. Jam Roly- Poly6. Banoffee Pie7. Apple Pie8. Spotted Dick9. Blancmange10. Rhubarb and Custard TOP TEN FEMALE DESSERTS1. Cheesecake2. Chocolate Fudge Cake3. Waffles4. Crème brûlée5. Tiramisu6. Banoffee Pie7. Ice Cream Sundae8. Pavlova9. Black Forest Gateaux10. Apple Pie

GREEK TREAT AT LUCKNAM

Lucknam Park is delighted to announce that renowned Greek chef, Athinagoras Kostakos will be creating his signature dishes and Greek delicacies in the Michelin starred The Park and Brasserie restaurants from 28th February – 4th March 2012.

At the age of just 27, Kostakos is the youngest Executive Chef in Greece. Earlier this year he also became his home nation’s best known after winning Top Chef, the Greek version of the hugely successful American reality series in which leading chefs compete against each other in a series of challenges.

www.lucknampark.co.uk

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> flavour news

MON DIEU! FRENCH CHEF AT WESLEY HOUSE

Cedrik Rullier has been appointed head chef of Wesley House in Winchcombe.

The 30-year-old who trained in the Loir Valley of France has worked the past four years at the High Street restaurant.

Cedric worked in France and Spain before moving to England.

“Wesley House has a wonderful reputation which

I hope to build on. I want to see a return to simple food, using the very best ingredients and allowing the produce to speak for itself,” he said.

“Whether you are enjoying our comfortable atmosphere in our restaurant or the buzzing atmosphere of our Bar & Grill, we want the food to be outstanding.”

www.wesleyhouse.co.uk

TURKEY PIZZACold turkey sandwiches and tasteless bubble and squeak – the prospect of using the remnants of Christmas dinner in such predictable ways can provoke shudders and disapproving groans in everyone. What On Earth, an award winning organic food manufacturer, proposes that households keep food waste and overspend at a low by using up Christmas leftovers in a fun and innovative way – by making Christmas pizza.

“We’ve thought of a more ecological and economical way to enjoy the leftovers – why not bundle them on top of a pizza?” The joy of pizza is that it’s a personal preference – people opt for the toppings of their choice. They can now do the same with their favourite Christmas items. www.whatonearth.co.uk

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS IN BOAAmid the lanterns, lights and Christmas cheer you will find a little bit of magic in the centre of Bradford on Avon this year.

Up until the 22nd of December there will be a toy maker on hand at an original toy shop to give you plenty of ideas, while the Little Theatre will be buzzing as Ebenezer Scrooge comes face-to-face with the ghosts of Christmas past and future. Tons of events are planned to entertain and, while you’re at it, check out our Walk, Shop and Eat feature on this lovely town on page 15

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“I am often asked what a Brasserie Blanc is. Well if the Manoir is a delicate waltz then the Brasseries are the cancan. For sure, this is not a place for refined haute cuisine and three-course meals. Rather, Brasserie Blanc is a place for relaxed enjoyment where I can offer you simple, high-quality food that comes as close as possible to the meals that my mother prepared for me at home in Besançon and at a price that encourages you to visit us regularly. The real origins of French brasseries are lost in time and probably in several litres of beer but nowadays in France they are the bastions of good eating and drinking, locally and informally. I want my Brasserie Blancs to be a central part of the local community where you can have fun and enjoy particularly good food. So sit back and relax.”

Raymond Blanc

Come and enjoy our brasserie and choose from our ‘Dine with wine’ menu. Changing every four weeks this menu offers great seasonal favourites at a great price. The menu runs all day, giving you the chance to try two or three courses and the option to have a glass of house wine – perfect for chasing away the winter blues.

Brasserie BlancThe Friary BuildingCabot CircusBristol, BS1 3DF

0117 9102 [email protected]

Brasserie BlancThe PromenadeCheltenhamGL50 1NN

01242 266 [email protected]

www.brasserieblanc.com

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> flavour fab foodie reads

For bookworms who love nothing more than cooking up a feast for family and friends, our

monthly selection of new releases is enough to keep anyone entertained!

I’D SOONER STARVE!MARK SINCLAIRWild Wolf Publishing, £8.99

Have you ever eaten in a restaurant? Have you ever wondered why the waiter was surly? Why the salad was limp? The soup cold? Ever thought the owners looked like they didn’t know what they were doing…Wild Wolf Publishing’s latest book I’d Sooner Starve is the engagingly true story of one man’s quest to escape his monotonous nine-to-five existence and open a charming delicatessen and restaurant in a delightful market town. With honesty, humour and breathtaking naïveté, it records his steep learning

curve, radical lifestyle change and the revelation: the customer isn’t always right! Amidst tales of bulimia, public menstruation, endless abuse and hilarious customer encounters, this eye-opening story unveils what happens after you say walk into the boss and say, “I quit!”

LA FAMIGLIA: THE COOKBOOKALVARO MACCIONIPalazzo Editions, £25.00

Palazzo Editions announces the long-awaited publication of Alvaro Maccioni’s lifetime collection of authentic Tuscan recipes. Published in association with Alvaro’s award-winning and much-loved Chelsea restaurant that he still runs today together with his daughter Marietta, the book is structured around the four seasons of the year. Beginning with the tender tastes of spring and ending with the nourishing flavours of winter. Here you will find authentic antipasti, pasta and risotto dishes; secondi piatti of meat, poultry and fish; and tempting dolci. Collected from his farmhouse in Tuscany and adapted from his award-winning restaurant menu, the secrets of Alvaro’s cooking will inspire a new generation of cooks to appreciate the traditions of entertaining, sustaining and celebrating la famiglia.

GALVIN: A COOKBOOK DE LUXECHRIS GALVIN & JEFF GALVINAbsolute Press, £25

From Britain’s favourite Michelin-starred chefs comes Galvin: A Cookbook de Luxe, in which brothers Chris and Jeff Galvin provide their singular take on the world’s favourite cuisine – the much-loved and ever-popular brasserie de luxe food of France. This beautiful book comprises 150 recipes and is richly illustrated throughout. Together, the remarkable Galvin brothers have had huge success with their restaurants: Galvin Bistrot de Luxe, which opened in 2005 in Baker Street; Galvin at Windows, opened in 2006 and gaining a Michelin star in 2010; as well as Galvin La Chapelle and Café Vin, both opened in 2009, with La Chapelle gaining its star in 2011.

A PUKKA LIFE: FINDING YOUR PATH TO PERFECT HEALTHSEBASTIAN POLEQuadrille, £15.00

A Pukka Life is about the art of living wisely, guided by the wisdom of Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a holistic system which guides us so we can live a healthier and more balanced lifestyle and focuses on food, lifestyle, massage, yoga and herbal remedies to suit our individual make-up. This ancient Indian philosophy of health and well-being has been passed down to us through the last 50 generations of Ayurvedic teachers. Written by an experienced practitioner, the book is packed with philosophical insights, dietary and nutritional information, massage and rejuvenation plans, meditation and yoga exercises, as well as the pukka larder, an appendix of herbs and their benefits.

fab foodie reads

PICK OF THE MONTH!

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> flavour in season

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>ClementineThe flavour of Christmas stockings; clementines are the smallest of the mandarins. They are packed full of vitamins and easiest to eat as they have no seeds to chew on! Pick fairly firm fruits that are slightly yielding, keep in a cool room or preferably overnight in an oversized sock on Christmas Eve. Clementines are usually best eaten just as they are, freshly peeled and segmented, snacked on throughout the day.

At their best

FESTIVE CLEMENTINE POSSET (SERVES 4-6)In a medium pot bring to a simmer the juice and zest of 4 clementines, 500ml double cream, 75ml natural yogurt, 50g caster sugar, 75ml golden honey, 1 vanilla pod, 2 cloves and 1 star anise. Allow the mixture to simmer for ten minutes then remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve. Pour the mixture into cocktail glasses or ramekins and allow to cool. When cold place in the fridge for 3-4 hours to set. Serve with red currants and clementine segments for a zingy treat.

POMEGRANATE PRESERVEIn a medium pan bring to the boil 200g castor sugar, 50ml water, 100ml rose juice, the zest of 2 oranges, 50ml apple juice, 1 bayleaf, half a stick of cinnamon and some freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the liqour by half and then add 500g pomegranate berries. Turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes till the mixture starts to thicken. Strain through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Transfer to a kilner jar and allow to cool. Great as a addition to roasted pheasant, duck or glazed ham.

>PomegranateThe tough, leathery skin of this fruit is the guard of hundreds of bright capsules that are bursting with a sweet but sharp and dry tang. When picking, look for fruits that are weighty for their size. They will keep for a few weeks but I doubt they will last for that long! They are delicious on their own but my favourite way to enjoy them sprinkling them over a salad with cured ham or a nice, salty blue cheese.

Hartley Farm Shop and Café is located just outside Bath, selling a fresh and colourful selection of local, seasonal produce. www.hartley-farm.co.uk

Peter Swanepoel has been cooking-up delights in the West Country for several years and continues to inspire with original, heart-felt and stunning recipes. Twitter: @chefpeter31

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> flavour in season

right nowWe all know that eating with the seasons makes for healthier bodies and tastier dishes. Each month Tom Bowles from Hartley Farm and our resident South African chef Peter Swanepoel team up to bring you all you need to know about the best produce of the month.

>Red CabbageRed cabbage is a wonderfully warming winter veg that packs a lot of vitamins and minerals. It is often seen served up braised with other ingredients that have the same wintery warming effects such as cinnamon and ginger, together with seasonal fruit such as apples or pears. It will keep for a week or two out of the fridge as if kept in a fridge; it can lose its flavour. Red cabbage is also a great way to add a bit of colour to winter coleslaw with a bit of horseradish to spice things up.

PICKLED RED CABBAGEFinely slice 500g of cabbage and season with 30g smoked Maldon sea salt and freshly-ground pink peppercorns, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Lightly toast half a tsp coriander seed, 2 star anise, 5 cloves and 3 all spice berries. Transfer to a spice grinder. In a medium pot sweat down 30g unsalted butter, 2 finely-chopped shallots, a clove of garlic, 1 bay leaf and 3 sprigs of thyme. Add 100g of caster sugar and allow to melt, add the ground spices, 200ml red wine vinegar, 100ml ruby port and 50ml water, reduce by half. Remove the cabbage from the fridge and strain the excess liquid off. Transfer to a large kilner jar and pour the hot pickle over. Allow to cool.

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE BARIGOULEPeel 500g of Jerusalem artichokes and transfer to a lemon and water solution to avoid discolouring. Finely chop a carrot, a leek, 1 stick of celery and 2 banana shallots and gently sweat down in a medium pan. Add 3 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 tbsp toasted fennel seeds, 3 sprigs of thyme and 2 bay leaves and 5g maldon sea salt and leave to infuse for a minute. Add 75 ml white wine vinegar, 200ml white wine and bring to a simmer. Add 200ml extra virgin olive oil and the juice and zest of a lemon. Place the artichokes in the bouillon and return to a simmer. Once cooked remove from the heat and allow to cool in the liquid. Will keep for up to a week in the fridge. For best results remove from the liquid and roast in a high oven for a great addition to roast lamb.

>Jerusalem ArtichokeWith no real links to Jerusalem and no relation to other artichokes this vegetable doesn’t seem do what it says on the tin! However the proof is in the eating and here is where this little knobbly, nutty and nifty little veg more than makes up for it. If unsure it is best to just treat them as you would a potato as they are great roasted, baked, boiled or my favourite, as mash. They can be prepared like potatoes too with the skins peeled off or left on. They do store well in a cool, dark place for a week or more.

QCan you suggest a nice,fresh, seasonal sauce for mussels? Doug Lock, Bradford-on-Avon

If there was ever a dishthat proved the classicsare king it’s moulesmarinière. Add a splashmore cream to make thedish a little richer tocounter the cold weather,which is when musselsare in their prime. Noother sauce brings out theflavour of the musselsquite like it.

Q

Q

My father is a big fan ofsingle malts, specificallyIslay malts, I think. Can you suggest a good one? And cangood whiskies be matched to food? Heidi Nardoni, Swindon

Islay malts are wonderful;many are heavy, pungent andsmoky with notes of iodineand undertones of salt, whichis the reason I love Laphroaig.Add a little age and you’llimprove the depth of flavourand elegance. On the flip sidethe price tag also gets bigger.I believe whiskies are bestserved as a digestif. I knowTom Atkins recently teamedup with Glenmorangie to pairwhisky and food – must havebeen a lot of fun!

Q

Q

Can I bake good bread in my oven? Or must I splash out on some fancy-pants breadmachine? Bruce Mytton, Bristol

You can make bread in your own oven. However,a friend of mine has a bread machine and mademe a loaf once, which was rather tasty. Yousimply weigh the ingredients, pop them in themachine and when you wake up a fresh loaf iswaiting to be eaten. I found myself quitetempted to buy one.

askachef:

Ronnie’s of Thornbury 01454 411137 ~ The Muset by Ronnie 01179 737248 ~ www.ronnies-restaurant.co.uk

Hi Ron, I’m a bit of a fiend for cinnamon in my crumble, on my buttered toast, anything sweet gets a generous dash. However, I’ve never really known how to apply it to savoury dishes, any suggestions? Scot Fulton, Street

Cinnamon is a fabulous spice with a rich history, dating back to 2000 BC. It is used in savoury dishes in Eastern and North African cuisine and works well with spices that offer heat and sweetness. The dish that sprung to mind when I read the question is lamb tagine where cinnamon is an integral flavour of the dish.

I love the gamey flavour of rabbit, but find it a bit tough when I cook it. Is there something I can do to make the most of this moreish morsel?Jane Turner, Atworth

I find most people treat a rabbit as one piece ofmeat but its not. The loins need very little cookingand dry out quickly, whilst the legs benefit fromlonger cooking to tenderize them. I like to confitthe front legs and use them in terrines and thelike, whilst the hind legs are wonderful braised.

Ron Faulkner is the owner-chef of Ronnie’s and The Muset by Ronnie.His distinguished career has seen

him work in some of the most prestigiouskitchens in the UK and Europe, forcelebrated chefs such as Anton Mosimannand Ed Baines. Schooled in classic Frenchtechniques, Ron’s modern Europeancooking style is underpinned with a passionfor using the very best seasonal ingredients.

Flav_45_SW_AskChefRonnie:Layout 1 16/12/2011 03:40

walk, shop & eat AROUND BRADFORD ON AVON

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> flavour walk, shop & eat

Woolley was bought back by Nigel Chapman at the beginning of December 2011 and is going through a process of gentle refurbishment to enhance its atmosphere.

Woolley Grange still retains the feeling of home; formality is replaced with a warm welcome and an understanding that younger guests need to let off steam, while parents enjoy some welcome ‘me time’.

With a strong local reputation for dining, you can be sure of great flavours often created using produce from the kitchen garden. Woolley is open all day for food, whether you are looking for a hearty Sunday lunch, fine afternoon tea with finger sandwiches and small cakes or a relaxed family supper. With two AA rosettes, you can enjoy fine food in a relaxed, friendly and unpretentious atmosphere. Woolley is also very popular for family celebrations and

weddings using the various private dining rooms.

The Spa at Woolley – which opened in October 2010 – is also geared towards looking after families, with unrestricted children’s swim times and family changing rooms. The indoor pool, sauna and steam rooms are available to members, hotel residents and day spa guests with special arrangements for the use of the Woolley Bears Den, the hotel’s on-site OFSTED registered crèche. Treatments with (comfort zone)and Mama Mio products are available to local residents as well as hotel guests.

Woolley Green Bradford-on-Avon Wiltshire BA15 1TX

Call: 01225 864705 www.woolleygrangehotel.co.uk

A beautiful Jacobean manor house on the outskirts of the medieval wool town of Bradford on Avon in Wiltshire, Woolley Grange was a family home for 400 years before becoming the first luxury family hotel in 1989.

You can enjoy fine food in a relaxed,

friendly and unpretentious atmosphere

Two special offers for the New Year...

Book any one-hour treatment and enjoy complimentary use of the spa facility – book by 16 January for use

by 13 February 2012.

Great Woolley Getaway

This offer includes dinner, bed and breakfast for two adults and breakfast for children under the

age of 11.

Complimentary upgraded room worth up to £50 per night, subject

to availability.

Complimentary champagne & cream tea worth £35 on arrival

Two complimentary half-hour treatment of your choice, each

worth £40.

Rates from only £195 per night Available until 31 March 2012.

For terms and conditions please see website.

Woolley Grange Hotel


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The Lock InnSituated below the locks and Bradford wharf this busy café has a uniquely different feel to it. For the past twenty one years it truly has offered an all day menu from 8.30 in the morning until 9.00 in the evening, lots of places claim all day opening but this little gem really does go from breakfast to dinner with full menu of snacks, locally made ice cream and a good wine list and beers to match.

Dick and Jane started this business in 1990 (Fun with Dick and Jane) as a café and bike hire business on the towpath of this wonderful stretch of The Kennet and Avon Canal. Although the bike hire and shop relocated to new premises across the road in 2000 and the café is much busier then it was all those years ago the same homely welcome awaits you from them and their very enthusiastic staff, and their customer charter holds fast to this day.

We welcome kids, cats, dogs, smokers, non smokers and muddy boots and well cut suits, walkers, bankers, scaffolders, plumbers (when they turn up), old age travelers and party revelers, actors and film stars.

Kids please keep your parents under control!

Call: 01225 868068

www.thelockinn.co.uk

TroughsTroughs, Avoncliff, is now in its first year and what a great one it has been at that. If you’ve never been to troughs before then you should – there is plenty to tempt you. Not only is it situated in one of the area’s most outstanding natural beauty spots, there are also plenty of yummy delights on offer to reward yourselves with after a walk, cycle or a lazy boat trip.

They use only the finest local products to produce simple yet interesting dishes at a very reasonable price; from pizza cooked in the clay oven to warming winter braises, delicious cakes and fantastic coffee and tea, not forgetting a big welcoming smile from the staff as you arrive. Look out for the popular master classes during the winter and also the great value Christmas menu at £16.50 for three courses – you can’t go far wrong!

Troughs, 155 Avoncliff Bradford-on-Avon Wiltshire BA15 2HD

Call: 01225 868123 www.troughsatavoncliff.co.uk

FetchTucked away in the heart of Bradford on Avon is a real gem of a pet shop, selling the kind of goods so desirable they get placed straight at the top of your ‘must-have’ list.

Nestled in The Shambles, Bradford’s prettiest street, Fetch offers a unique shopping experience for style-conscious pet owners. Designer accessories, gifts and treats provide a visual feast and all sit effortlessly alongside traditional pet shop fayre.

Fetch is so much more than a pet shop. This little haven is somewhere that regulars simply call in to say hello, buy a treat or come to see the resident shop dog Sparky, whose responsibilities include shop security and the meet-and-greet service.

What is guaranteed is that every item in the shop has been selected with the attention to detail that makes Fetch what it is. The other guarantee is that you will leave with a smile on your face and an item that you didn’t know even existed until you walked in.

Open Mon to Sat 9.30am – 5pm and Sunday (during December only) 11am – 4pm

Fetch, 10 The Shambles Bradford on Avon BA15 1JS

Call: 01225 864767 www.fetchpetshop.co.uk

walk, shop & eat AROUND BRADFORD ON AVON

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The Bear InnSituated on Silver Street in the heart of beautiful Bradford on Avon, The Bear Inn is a recently refurbished and re-opened inn with accommodation. This wonderful, modern inn with contemporary decor and a bustling, lively atmosphere provides unpretentious modern British and classic French cuisine, along with a daily selection of fresh fish and seafood dishes for you to enjoy. With all the dishes freshly prepared and cooked to order, the kitchen team are able to accommodate specific dietary requirements such as celiac and lactose intolerance with ease.

The Bear Inn 26 Silver Street Bradford on Avon Wiltshire, BA15 1JY

Call: 01225 862356 www.thebearinnbradford.co.uk

Maple’s DeliSnuggled in the centre of The Shambles you’ll find a little gem that is Maple’s Deli Café.

The shop’s shelves are lined with those hard-to-find ingredients and locally-produced fayre. The deli counter boasts both local and world meats and cheeses. The staff relish the opportunity to introduce regulars and customers ambling by to traditional treats and quirkier products, with regular tastings from the ever-changing and innovative menu, freshly-prepared in their kitchen using locally-sourced, fair-trade and happy ingredients.

Open from 8.30-5 Monday-Saturday

4 The Shambles, Bradford on Avon Wiltshire BA15 1JS

Call: 01225 862203 www.maplesdeli.com

Ruby RedRuby Red Wine Cellars are one of the best independent wine merchants in the area, specialising in a choice that supermarkets can’t support.

There are always at least 400 wines lines in stock at any one time – not to mention 100 whiskys, 30 rums, 40 ciders, 90 local ales and bottles and bottles of gin!

Ruby Red source the best bin-ends and while they strive to achieve the best wines for the customers, they also try to match supermarket price points. They also have a founded reputation for stocking great Champagnes, ranging from £16 a bottle to exclusive Champagnes from some of the best small producers. They also stock some of the best Cognacs in the world – really – pop in and see and taste for yourselves!

Ruby Red Wine Cellars 4 Silver Street Bradford on Avon BA15 1JX

Call: 01225 862289

AROUND BRADFORD ON AVON walk, shop & eat

Restaurant by night, café in the morning & many other things in between, Bradford’s most versatile eatery.

For all outside catering enquiries please email us at [email protected] and we will be in touch to discuss

your requirements further.

www.fatfowl.com 01225 863111Silver Street, Bradford on Avon

Restaurant Tapas Bar

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The Biddestone Arms and James HedgesJames Hedges began his career in the 1980s training with Albert and Michel Roux at Le Gavroche. Here he learnt to respect ingredients, love food and enjoy cooking. These ethics have now been incorporated into his own style of cooking, offering perfect, traditional English pub food, cooking only food he loves to eat himself.

James took on his head chef position at the age of 25 at the Cottage Inn, Maidens Green, and in 1998 he opened his own restaurant, Jamieson’s in Binfield, before moving West to Biddestone, Wiltshire to run the Biddestone Arms with his wife Louise. Here he cooks up an absolute gem of a favourite...

Serves 4

Ingredients200g each of salmon, cod, natural smoked haddock200ml double cream (use crème fraiche for a healthier option)125ml white wine1 tsp cornflourJuice of ½ fFreshly squeezed lemon50g chopped flat parsley½ pint chicken stockSalt and freshly-ground black pepper

Ingredients800g Maris Piper potatoesButter and/or cream (crème fraiche for a healthier option)Salt for seasoning

Method1 Dice the fish into 1 inch pieces and roast

in the oven at 150°C for eight minutes.

2 Place the wine, lemon juice and chicken stock into a saucepan and reduce over a medium heat. Add the cornflour and stir until thickened. Add the chopped parsley and stir in.

3 Place the fish into a pie dish and cover with the sauce and allow to cool. Put the mashed potato into a piping bag and pipe onto cooled pie filling. Bake in the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and piping hot.

Serve with green vegetables and enjoy!

The Green. Chippenham Wiltshire SN14 7DG

01249 714377 www.biddestonearms.co.uk

Biddestone Arms Cornish Fish Pie

Mashed potato topping

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> flavour columnist martin blunos

Our British winter has finally kicked-in with a flourish of new growth from plants and trees that are unsure of the season they are in. The shiny red sled, purchased last year when we had that flutter of settling snow, still hangs untouched in the shed. Coco, my daughter, wants me to mount it on wheels and paint go faster stripes down the sides. So much for her confidence in a white winter!

I have recently returned from Irkutsk in Siberia, where winter is really taking hold. I arrived mid-afternoon, and stepped from the plane to be greeted by a biting cold of minus 21°C – this is just chilly to the locals because the temperature can, and often does, drop to a staggering minus 45°C.

I was there doing some masterclasses for chefs, cooking a seven-course dinner for the city’s hoi polloi and filming a pilot for a TV series.

One of the highlights of the trip was being taught how to make ukha (pronounced ‘Oo-ha’); a clear fish broth cooked by the fishermen who make their livelihoods from lake Baikal (the world’s largest freshwater lake). In true Russian fashion I cooked the dish outside, in a forest where the temperature had dropped to a glacial minus 30°C.

My lesson started with a toast to the impending ukha and a glass of vodka (to warm the blood). A fire was lit and well established in a drum-like brazier that was topped with a cast iron cauldron containing boiling fish bouillon (stock). Ingredients were prepared and laid out – small potatoes, chopped white onion, a selection of fresh water fish from the lake, bay leaves, fresh chopped green herbs (dill and parsley), salt and pepper.

I placed the potatoes and onions in the bouillon as instructed and singed the bay leaves on the open fire (to bring out the flavour) and these went into the pot.

The fish was now due for cooking so I added these carefully, swirling them into the bouillon. Omul (only available from the lake), followed by grayling, tench and sturgeon – skinned filleted pieces or in cross-cut chunks dependent on size of whole fish. Salt and pepper was scattered, as were the chopped herbs.

The next two stages of the recipe were integral to making the ukha authentic. Firstly, a good splash of vodka is poured and stirred into the cauldron. Secondly, tongs in hand, I was told to take one of the burning logs and dunk it into the ukha for a few seconds to add a slightly smoky taste.

Standing around an open fire in a Siberian forest with the temperature lower than I’ve ever experienced before, (minus 18˚C a walk-in freezer at work being the lowest) eating and drinking with new friends was one of the best times I’ve ever had. The ukha by the way tasted brilliant! (Twitter me on @martinblunos1)

One of the South West’s most talented chefs, Martin Blunos was born and brought up near Bath, his parents having come to England from Latvia just after the Second World War. He has held two Michelin stars for more than 15 years and appears regularly on television and radio with regular slots as guest chef on BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen with James Martin, BBC Market Kitchen,

ITV Daily Cooks and ITV’s Saturday Cooks.

This month Martin Blunos experiences cold as he has never known it, as he travels to the icy reaches of Siberia...

SOUP IN SIBERIA

> flavour thyme at southrop

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thyme... for the perfect giftEvery year at this time, it’s the same old story. You meant to start in August but it somehow never happened. And now finally you’ve begun to draw up the list – and you realise time is getting short. What to get Granny, and what for Dad?

You want something memorable, something that will leave a lasting impression, and something that they will use again and again. Acquiring a new skill is always life-enhancing – whatever your age – and stays with you forever. Cooking, for instance, is something that can bring joy and satisfaction at so many levels and to so many people, whether basic or haute cuisine. Many of us never did home economics at school, our mothers never taught us. TV chefs have only confused us and following recipe books is never as easy as they claim. Perhaps we are self-taught but want to move on to that next level. In all cases, some hands-on classes from professional chefs, watching over your technique

and ready with handy tips, is a fantastic experience.

Caryn Hibbert knows the ability to cook is a fantastic gift. She was lucky enough to learn how in her mother’s glorious country kitchen. But over the years she realised all are not so blessed. When she conceived Thyme at Southrop Manor, her food school in the Cotswolds, she was driven by her love of food and entertaining and by her passion for the land that produces our food. A cookery lesson at Thyme at Southrop Manor allows people to connect with the unspoiled rural surroundings in a unique way. In designing the content of all the cookery and foraging courses, Hibbert

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> flavour thyme at southrop

was inspired by the seasons and by the locale and, unusually, has created a food school where the chefs are gardeners and the gardeners are chefs, sourcing their ingredients from the estate’s own gardens, local suppliers, foragers and producers. The courses at Thyme at Southrop Manor are all intended to boost existing culinary skills or to start pupils off on the right foot if they come in empty handed. And, for Caryn, that means really understanding the relationship between the food we eat and the land it comes from.

The courses take a variety of forms; from full days, short days and evening classes to cooking demonstrations, tastings and hands-on, skill-based cooking days. Subjects covered are varied and wide.

So Granny can learn how to preserve, pickle and pot or try her hand at handmade chocolates, while Dad can find out how to cook and carve a Sunday lunch, make charcuterie, bake bread or prepare and serve game at its best. Short on inspiration for entertaining, hosts and hostesses can expand their repertoire with classes on seasonal menus or world-class food.

Thyme at SouthropSouthrop ManorSouthropGloucestershireGL7 3NX

01367 850174www.thymeatsouthrop.co.uk

A cookery lesson at Thyme at Southrop Manor allows people to connect with the unspoiled rural surroundings in a unique way

The perfect gift from Thyme at Southrop Manor can be presented

in the form of a beautifully –wrapped gift voucher, purchased for any amount, and redeemable

against any course at the Food School, allowing the lucky recipient to choose exactly what they want. The vouchers can be bought from the website or by

phoning in.

> flavour Flash Cooking

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> flavour flash cooking

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Flash CookingFit fast flavours for busy peopleLAURA SANTTINI

Flash Cooking is about making the ordinary extraordinary in a flash. Bringing together great ingredients that literally flash in the pan, Flash Cooking is about fast, healthy, easy-to-prepare, nutritious, flavour-packed meals that look great, taste extraordinary and promote well-being. Laura Santtini’s collection of brilliant ideas and recipes is not just about cooking, but a way of life. Through this cookbook her mission is for us all to live a healthful lifestyle and be the best version of ourselves that we can possibly be. This she believes is the route to living a healthy and happy life and is just the ticket after a few weeks of indulgence!

INTERNATIONAL JERK PRAWNI like to chop my own fruit when I am not in a hurry and I buy the small pineapples and serve my international jerk prawn on his own pineapple yacht.

Method1 Heat the oil in a non-stick wok. Add the jerk seasoning and fry for a couple of seconds. Add the prawns and toss them until coated in the jerk seasoning and almost cooked.

2 Add the fruit and season with salt to taste. When the fruit begins to soften, add the butter and stir-fry until the banana almost disappears into the sauce and the remaining fruit is hot right through.

3 Just before serving, check and adjust the seasoning, then add the coriander, chilli and a squeeze of lime juice.

IngredientsGlug of olive oil½ -1 tsp jerk seasoning (depending on how hot you like it!)400g peeled, rawking prawn tails200g mixed chopped mango and pineapple (you can use supermarket ready-cut, but cut into bite-sized pieces)1 ripe banana, peeled and slicedSaltKnob of butterHandful of chopped coriander leaves1 red chilli, sliced and deseededJuice of ½ lime

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LEMON PESTO SCALLOPS

IngredientsOlive oil1-2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced6-8 king scallops or 200g smaller scallopsSea salt and freshly-ground black pepperSplash of white wine Grated zest of 1 lemon and a squeeze of juice, plus lemon wedges to serve145g fresh green pesto (the type found in the chilled section, not jars) or see below

Method1 Heat a dash of oil in a wok until quite hot, then add the garlic and scallops with a good grinding of black pepper.

2 When sizzling, splash with the white wine and scatter over the lemon zest. Then toss until the garlic begins to colour and scallops are opaque.

3 When the scallops are just firm but not overcooked, remove from the heat and stir in the pesto with a squeeze of lemon juice.

4 Serve immediately.

CLASSIC PESTO RECIPE FOR THOSE WHO CAN BE BOTHERED

A more delicate and perhaps more ‘naïve’ pesto can be achieved by leaving out the cheese and pine nuts. For red pesto, replace the basil with 2 handfuls of sun-dried tomatoes (and a sprinkling of chilli flakes if you like).

Ingredients2 large handfuls of basil leaves1-2 garlic cloves 1-2 tbsp toasted pine nutsSea salt and freshly-ground black pepper30g grated pecorino cheese30g grated Parmesan cheeseExtra virgin olive oil

Method1 Place the basil leaves in a mortar with the garlic, pine nuts and a pinch of salt. Crush the ingredients to release their flavours, taking care not to be rough, as this will spoil the texture.

2 Add the cheeses and pour in a fine steady stream of olive oil, stirring until you reach your chosen consistency. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.

PRESERVED LEMON AND CUMIN CHICKEN CAKES

This recipe can also be made with 500g firm white fish, such as monkfish. As an accompaniment, try making a dipping sauce with 2 tablespoons of Chinese rice vinegar, a drop of runny honey, a couple of drops of nam pla fish sauce, a squeeze of lime juice and some shredded fresh ginger matchsticks.

Method1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C)/350°F/gas mark 4.

2 Put all ingredients except the oil in a food processor and blend to a paste. To check for seasoning, I fry a little of the mixture to taste and see if it needs more salt, as it isn’t advisable to eat raw chicken. Shape into small patties.

3 Place on a non-stick or lightly-oiled baking tray and cook in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until golden on the outside and cooked through.

4 Serve on crisp lettuce.

Ingredients6 boneless, skinless, chicken thigh fillets1 egg yolk1 small preserved lemon (about the size of a ping-pong ball)½ tbsp harissa paste or powder (rose or ordinary)1 tsp ground cuminHandful of flat-leaf parsleySea salt and freshly- ground black pepperA little olive oil for brushing (optional) to serveLettuce leaves (ideally radicchio or baby gem)

BABY GEM & FENNEL SALAD WITH PRAWNS & MINT

This is one of my favourite salads and often I eat it without the prawns, as it makes a wonderful accompaniment to any flash dish. For those of you who don’t mind the breath, it is wonderful with a scattering of chopped spring onion.

Ingredients4 baby gem lettuce hearts2 heads of fennel 300g cooked king prawns1 large bunch of mint, roughly choppedExtra virgin olive oilLemon juiceSea salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Method1 Cut the lettuce hearts into quarters lengthways, then quarter the fennel bulb and cut into crunchy slices. Put them in a salad bowl.

2 Add the prawns and mint, and dress with the oil, lemon juice and season to taste.

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SUMAC-ROASTED TOMATOES

I love these with thin slices of pecorino or feta cheese accompanied by a simple salad of baby gem lettuce leaves with an olive oil and lemon juice dressing.

Method1 Preheat the oven to 150°C (fan 140°C)/300°F/gas mark 2.

2 Cut the tomatoes in half and place on a baking tray. Season with salt and pepper and add a light sprinkling of sugar. Drizzle with oil, and then sprinkle with the sumac and thyme leaves.

3 Slow roast the tomatoes until soft and beginning to caramelise, about 20-30 minutes.

Ingredients6 ripe tomatoes, preferably ‘on-the-vine’Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper Light sprinkling of molasses Sugar Olive oil1 tbsp sumac3 sprigs of thyme, leaves only

Quadrille, £20

> flavour the water of life

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UISGE BEATHA –THE WATER OF LIFERichard Woodard looks at how centuries of tradition and evolution have conspired to create a single drink – whisky – with a multitude of expressions and characters...

For over 10 years, I’ve travelled to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, enjoying the stunning scenery and indulging in a dram or two of the

local whiskies. It fascinates me that the combination of three simple ingredients can result in such a range of expressions.

But it’s not just Scotch whisky for which I have a fondness. Countries such as Japan, Ireland, America, even India and Australia are now creating great quality whiskies of their own. Each distillery has its own style of whisky-making genius – from the smooth texture of a triple-distilled Irish whiskey like Tullamore Dew, to the complexity of a blend like Grant’s.

Even within Scotch whisky there is room for huge diversity. Take single malt whiskies for instance: as the name suggests, these are the product of individual distilleries, but the differences between those distilleries can be vast. The way in which the barley is malted, the size and shape of the copper stills that produce the spirit, the particular types of oak barrel chosen for maturation… Even the water used can affect flavour, balance and texture.

Glenfiddich, the world’s best-selling single malt, is a good example. To the traditional method of Scotch whisky production, Glenfiddich brings unique elements such as Robbie Dhu spring water from the nearby Conval Hills, plus copper pot stills that are a precise replica of the originals bought by company founder William Grant over a century ago (and, by the way, it’s still owned and run by the Grant family to this day).

Once the Glenfiddich spirit is run off those stills, the fun really starts. Maturation in former bourbon or sherry casks produces whiskies of a totally different character, giving the master distiller, Brian Kinsman, a palette of flavours with which to concoct a winning dram. In Glenfiddich 12-year-old, the balanced European and American oak plays a subtle accompaniment to the fresh, fruity, pear-forward malt aromas, while the 15-year-old boasts key notes of honey, raisins and warm spice.

And, even within Speyside itself, there are contrasts: The Balvenie single malt, for example, has a hand-crafted character all its own. Unlike many distilleries, it still grows its own barley, uses traditional floor maltings and employs a team of coopers to maintain its barrels, plus a coppersmith to keep an eye on those all-important stills.

The result of Malt Master David Stewart’s handiwork is a deliciously-honeyed, supple single malt with expressions like The Balvenie Signature, which balances former bourbon and sherry casks, and The Balvenie Doublewood, where a final ageing in ex-Oloroso sherry casks imparts a rich and velvety extra dimension to the whisky.

Single malts, however, are not the whole story by any means. Most Scotch whisky in the world is blended – the product of a combination of single malt whiskies and grain whiskies. The production of a successful blend is, to many, the ultimate test of whisky-making skill – because it demands, in the case of a winning blend like Grant’s, the painstaking combination of about 30 single malts, layered on top of a base of fine Girvan grain whisky. Balance and characterful intricacies are the desired result.

Still want more? Then how about a blended malt Scotch? Monkey Shoulder (the name’s a reference to an ailment formerly suffered by maltmen) combines three Speyside single malts and maturation in former bourbon casks to produce a versatile, richly-smooth whisky that mingles fresh fruits, honey, spice and vanilla that can be used as a great base for a whisky cocktail.

Yet another example of how centuries of tradition and evolution have conspired to create a single drink – whisky – with a multitude of expressions and characters.

Whiskies mentioned are widely available at all good retailers. For those in the food and drink industry, please call Matthew Clark on 01275 891400.

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> flavour the water of life

The Balvenie single malt has a hand-crafted character all of its own...

The Balvenie Distillery malting floor

Inspired by a skiing holiday, TOFFOC was created to fill a gap in the lucrative flavoured vodka market. Instead of the existing toffee flavoured alcoholic drinks that are far too syrupy and heavy, TOFFOC gives you the exquisite toffee flavouring, but with not nearly as many calories as other toffee liqueurs. Initially designed for the pub market, TOFFOC was soon discovered to be a versatile ingredient and, with the endorsement of Michelin star celebrity TV chef Gary Rhodes who provided several serving suggestions, you can be assured of its quality. TOFFOC is a fun and unique product, and makes an ideal Christmas gift for the bon viveur in your life, and with guaranteed delivery before Christmas for online orders, it’ll also take the stress out of your Christmas shopping.

TOFFOC toffee vodka spirit is gloriously light and crisp; a delightful harmony of top-quality, triple-distilled UK vodka and TOFFOC’S own unique toffee syrup has been balanced to perfection to make this sumptuous liquor. At 27.5% ABV, TOFFOC is neither too strong nor too sweet. Sipped served with ice, the discerning palate enjoys the smoothness of the toffee and the warmth of the vodka, and its versatility knows no bounds – mix it, cook with it or invent your own delicious cocktail. Benefit from a full-size 70cl bottle. No paying for fancy bottles here, just good, honest and affordable quality. TOFFOC vodka is nectar, like Christmas in a glass.

TOFFEE VODKA TIME TOFFOC TIME

FOR YOUR PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT GO TO

WWW.TOFFOC.COM

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> flavour festive drinks

festive drinksChristmas is coming and the spirits cupboard is calling. I’m a huge fan of spirits and their diversity, but for a lot of people this is a corner of the kitchen that gathers dust throughout the year and never really achieves its true potential. I’m not suggesting everyone should become a top-class bartender overnight –

far from it. Neither should you have to go out and spend a fortune on complicated barware. What I do firmly believe is that everyone can learn how to make a couple of really interesting drinks in the comfort of their own home, and for the most part with equipment you already have to hand. Don’t be afraid to try different

combinations and flavours – it’s all about personal taste, after all. I’ve included recipes for use with traditional bar equipment, but if you don’t have any there are a few alternative suggestions at the bottom of the page:

Berry Snow LeopardIngredients 50ml lemon-infused Snow Leopard vodka 15ml elderflower cordial 15ml lemon juice 2 dashes cranberry juice 1 barspoon blackberry jam

Method Shake over cubed ice and then double strain into chilled martini glass

Garnish: Lemon peel

Glass: Martini

Difficulty: 3/5

REALLY RUSTY NAILIngredients 25ml Black Bottle whisky 25ml whisky liqueur 1 barspoon blood orange marmalade

Method Put a few cubes of ice in your glass. Add the whisky, whisky liqueur and marmalade slowly whilst constantly stirring.

Garnish: Orange zest and slice

Glass: Old fashioned/ rocks glass

Difficulty: 3/5

MARTELL CHANTELOUPEIngredients 50ml Martell VS 20ml pear purée 10ml lemon juice 2 barspoons vanilla sugar/juice

Method Shake and double strain into a chilled martini glass

Garnish: Pear slice

Glass: Martini

Difficulty: 3/5

GREY GOOSE LE FIZZIngredients 35ml Grey Goose 15ml elderflower cordial 15ml freshly-squeezed lime juice 75ml chilled soda

Method Shake ingredients over ice then strain into a flute, serve topped with chilled soda

Glass: Champagne flute

Difficulty: 2/5

Try using a blender if you don’t have a Boston shaker. Add a few ice cubes to your ingredients and whizz for just a few seconds. You can then pour the cocktail without needing to strain.

Also use a blender if you don’t have fruit purée. Add a little lemon juice to keep colour fresh if necessary.

A large, sturdy glass will also take the place of a Boston shaker, as long as you can find something to go over the top while you shake. Even a piece of

tightly-wrapped cling film can do the job nicely.

If you do need to strain the drink, use your kitchen sieve over a bowl or a tea strainer into a glass.

A martini glass is not a requirement – although they do look great. A decent tumbler, filled with ice, a whisky glass or even a Champagne flute for a smaller measure is just as good to serve in.

The only thing I do get grumpy about is ice. Make sure you have plenty of it. The bigger the cubes, the longer they last and you therefore end up with less water diluting your drink.

Now what are you waiting for?!

Enjoy!

Wine columnist Clare Morris diverts from her normal track and brings us a selection of her favourite festive tipples...

> flavour the sommelier

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the sommelier: a vintage profession

A wonderful way to meet a new wine, or an unpleasant experience served with a side order of sneer? Louis Labron-Johnson looks at the ancient art of the professional wine-waiter.

Often regarded as a stuffy, sniffy, snooty and quite unnecessary institution, drawing associations

with archaic French dining rooms and the upselling of wines that they know as well as you do that you could never afford, sommeliers are seen as best to be avoided. Until recently. A reshaping of the occupation has resulted in a much-needed overhaul – not so much in methods, which for the most part remain firmly traditional – but in approach. Today’s sommelier is likely to be friendly and accessible, with a mind to educate and inform, rather than patronise the patron.

The principal task of the sommelier is to provide an expert dialogue with you, the wine customer, taking you on a taste

adventure that may well deviate entirely from what you originally

had in mind, as well as assisting in the

procurement of wines, cellar storage and rotation. The customer’s taste preferences and budget parameters will be taken into consideration; putting your faith in the hands of a professional may well reward you with a wine that not only matches your meal perfectly, but stays with you for a long, long time.

Some restaurants have taken the radical step of doing away with wine lists altogether, negating any presumptions one might make on their choice, and forces the customer to engage in discussion with the sommelier, who will then make a suggestion. While not to everyone’s taste, this method can result in a much more hands-on and intimate experience.

A practise that to some can seem a little odd is the tasting of your wine – by the sommelier. While many restaurants will have the sommelier offer the customer a small measure to ensure that the wine is in proper condition, some fine dining

establishments have the

Monarchs and nobles would rely on the sommelier to taste their food and drink it first to avoid a nasty surprise.

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> flavour the sommelier

Like professional cooking, building, and the military, the job of a sommelier has traditionally been a male-dominated one. But times are changing and like all of the afore-mentioned careers, women are beginning to stake their claim as masters (mistresses?) in the field. Out of 264 international Masters of Wine, 64 are now women, and in 2006 a woman won the UK sommelier of the year award (Claire Thevenot, Hotel du Vin, Winchester), demonstrating how a masculine stranglehold on the industry is beginning to loosen. However, statistics still show that nine times out of ten, it is still a man who orders the wine at a table.

Scientific studies, ongoing since the ‘70s, have shown that women actually have a keener sense of smell and taste than men. Studies have demonstrated that women have more odour preferences than men, and that smell activates more areas of brain activity, making them more sensory-aware. Whether this can logistically be applied to wine tasting is debatable, but it certainly sheds a positive light on the future of women in the trade.

sommelier taste your wine for flaws or defects such as infected corks, oxidation or bacteria, before offering it to the table. This is done using either a special straw or a tastevin, a traditional silver tasting cup worn around the sommelier’s neck.

Historically, this practise came from when the sommelier’s role was that of a glorified poison detector. Monarchs and nobles would rely on the sommelier to taste their food and drink it first to avoid a nasty surprise.

Nowadays it is slightly less likely that someone will be putting venom from a little green bottle in your Bergerac, so that reason for the practise is largely redundant. But many wine experts still insist that the sommelier’s first taste is necessary, arguing that most consumers lack the sophistication to detect flaws, and who better to discern the state of a vintage than a trained professional? The counterweight to this line of reasoning is that sommeliers ought to be good communicators, and if there are concerns over the ability of the customer to identify a bad bottle, then why not educate them at the table?

No formal training is necessary to claim the title ‘sommelier’, but to become certified, or eventually ‘master’

sommelier; one must take classes and a rigorous examination.

The Court of Master Sommeliers, established in 1977, is the examining body for the Master Sommelier Diploma, the Advanced Sommelier Certificate, the Certified Sommelier Certificate and the Introductory Sommelier Certificate.

An experience with a great sommelier can be a treat. The recent resurgence in popularity of the trade is testament to a contemporary attitude throughout

much of the industry, as well as a desire among the British to become just

as well acquainted with a good glass of plonk as our Gallic

friends across the Channel. Just make sure you are

aware of the price tag before you seal the deal – some sommeliers are more scrupulous than others…

> flavour drops by

In an idyllic cottage in Kingsdown, enjoying outstanding views of Bath and the surrounding countryside, is In the Pink Cookery School. The school specialises in healthy eating and runs courses such as dairy free, gluten free, cholesterol reduction and healthy snacking alongside more general courses such as Mediterranean cookery.

Making no compromise on taste, the courses have been developed to help people on restricted diets. The aim is to make delicious, healthy food, which improves well-being through small but significant changes. The owner and host of In the Pink Cookery School, chef Kerry Evans, brings a wealth of experience to the kitchen having spent ten years as a chef on super yachts and five years as a private chef. “During my time on super yachts I cooked a huge range of dishes and

experimented with ingredients from all over the world,” she says.

“I became increasingly interested in the health benefits of food so I decided to train as a nutritional therapist. One of the first things I noticed during my training was that although people found the diet and lifestyle changes hugely beneficial, after three or so weeks they were struggling to maintain their goals. They often commented that they were finding the food boring.

“Personally I love my food so I could see how for many people this was a real deal breaker. I focus on showing people how to implement their new diet using alternative ingredients and my days are spent perfecting everything from dairy-free fish pie to snacks and treats that actually help balance your blood sugar.

“The courses introduce people to new ingredients and I provide lists of the shops and supermarkets that stock them, making life as simple as possible. Being on a special diet shouldn’t be a chore or an inconvenience. It gives me such pleasure to see people eating foods they thought had been forever banished, it is wonderful to share recipes and cooking techniques which ensure that favourite dishes can be put back on the menu.”

In the Pink Cookery School runs a series of one-day courses. You can attend a scheduled course or contact Kerry to discuss a bespoke course for you, your family and friends. ■

01225 743386 www.inthepinkcookery.co.uk

flavour

drops by...In the pink cookery school

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33

lemanoirA U X Q U AT ’S A I S O N S

For those who love motorbikes, your dream may be to ride the Ducatti 848 EVO with Valentino Rossi as pillion singing

a Rossini number made famous by Mario Petri. For flavour editor Nick Gregory however, a trip to

Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons could happily fill his eight hours of slumber, but he

found it infinitely better when that dream became a reality...

> flavour le manoir

34

Working in the food industry has been somewhat of an exponential journey. I was grateful and impressed initially with a bag of crisps and a pint of bitter at the local, moving on to two-course meals at well-known Italian chains and then progressing upwards during my career through the sushi bars, gastro pubs and then country house hotels – all with their merits and none to be sniffed at.

But perhaps now my graph has finally plateaued? If I were to live and die by The Sunday Times then it most certainly has. Voted the best place to stay in Britain and coming second in the paper’s Food List 2011 (The Ledbury headed the field), the two Michelin-starred Le Manoir is, for most of us, a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The nine-course Menu Découverte, with a selection of wines chosen by the sommelier for my friend and I, was the must-have option for first-timers, offering an encompassing insight into what executive chef Gary Jones can and does do on a daily basis.

The bread of course was beautifully- made on site, complementing our first two courses of spiced velouté of cauliflower with roasted scallop, and duck liver, quince and gingerbread’. The butternut squash agnolotti with wild mushrooms that followed was both delicate and boisterous, but the star of the show for me was the wild Cornish brill with native oyster, Oscietra caviar, cucumber and wasabi beurre blanc. It is a dish that improves and exceeds with every mouthful and at this point my friend and I were wondering what could possibly follow. In fact, the assiette of Oxfordshire lamb, quinoa, onion and garlic purée kept us at the same level and the Ardrahan cheese, apricot and vanilla chutney that concluded our savoury choices only compounded our school-boyesque delight.

Our three puddings of exotic fruit raviole, kaffir lime and coconut jus; Williams pear Almondine, caramel croustillant and ginger sauce and the tiramisu flavours, Cœur de Guanaja chocolate cream all

were superb, even though feeling a little ‘after the Lord Mayor’s Show’.

Needless to say the accompanying wines matched perfectly – the Champagne beforehand alongside elegant canapés beginning now to take their toll – and so, after petit fours, a coffee and a cognac in the drawing room, our evening’s indulgence came to a close.

Le Manoir was not voted the best place to stay in the UK on a whim. The Lavande

suite was perfection, it really was. It’s the little things that make the biggest statements and within the walls of that first-floor enclave the attention to detail leaves no cliché unturned. The grounds too are immaculate, lending extra gravitas to the stay and providing an outer sanctum to the inner beauty of the mellow stone manor house.

Sharing an oyster with Monsieur Blanc after breakfast the next morning, he talks continually about ‘striving for excellence’, and both encouraging and expecting his formidable team of staff to share those same ideals. You see Raymond lives by his own ‘bible’, a comprehensive reference book he has built up over two decades listing all the produce he uses, where it is sourced from, who it’s sourced by, its production process, what it has for dinner

and its political views. This almost OCD-ness is, I suppose, how the greats become great. All we can do is judge, or more so revel in, the end product.

It’s been two months since we visited Great Milton for a night’s stay at Le Manoir. Since then I have been out in my camper van, been whisked away to Venice, eaten at several well-established restaurants and had a couple of decent nights’ kip in first-class hotels. But, like the one that got away, Le Manoir comes back time and again and reminds me of what I had, where I had once been and where I am unlikely ever to go again.

But I think that may just be a good thing. I liked the fact that I was akin to a giggling child, that the wonder and awe was a constant adrenalin rush and the feeling that things didn’t get much better than this. It was my Charlie and The Chocolate Factory moment and I appreciated every single bit of it.

Raymond tells me he is not quite there yet with Le Manoir, as he

kisses another member of staff in the French way (no, not that way… you

know what I mean), but it’s the best I’ve come across and it’s hard to imagine there is something out there that supersedes it.

Pies and pints have their place and we can enjoy them every day, but if you can afford it – and there’s no doubt you need deep pockets – Le Manoir should really be on your bucket list. Swimming with dolphins, scaling the Matterhorn or going toe-to-toe with Jenson Button are all very well. A stay at Raymond Blanc’s tops the lot.

But, like the surfer in a quest for the ultimate wave, where next when he finds it?

Church RoadGreat MiltonOxford OX44 7PD

01844 278881www.manoir.com

The two Michelin-starred Le Manoir is, for most of us, a

once-in-a-lifetime experience...

Sommelier’s MatchMENU DÉCOUVERTE

Viognier 2009, Cambria Tepusquet, Santa Maria Valley, California

VELOUTÉ DE CHOU-FLEUR, NOIX DE ST-JACQUES

Gruner Veltliner Renner 2010, Schloss Gobelsburg, Kamptal, Austria

FOIE DE CANARD, COING ET PAIN D’ÉPICESAGNOLOTTI DE COURGE MUSQUÉE,

CHAMPIGNONS SAUVAGES

Chassagne Montrachet Les Mazures 2008, Domaine Jean-Noël, Gagnard, BurgundyFILET DE BARBUE, HUÎTRE, CAVIAR D’OSCIÈTRE, CONCOMBRE, WASABI BEURRE BLANC

Côte-Rôtie La Germine 2006, Domaine Duclaux, Northern Rhone ASSIETTE D’AGNEAU, QUINOA, PURÉE D’OIGNON ET D’AIL

Cerasuolo Di Vittoria Classico 2008FROMAGE ARDRAHAN, CHUTNEY D’ABRICOT ET VANILLE

Maculan Torcolato 2007, Breganze, Veneto, Italy RAVIOLE DE FRUITS EXOTIQUES,

JUS DE NOIX DE COCO ET FEUILLE DE KAFFIRAMANDINE DE POIRE WILLIAMS, CROUSTILLANT CARAMEL, SAUCE AU GINGEMBRE

SAVEURS DE TIRAMISU ET CRÈME AU CŒUR DE GUANAJA

36

Head chef Richard Buckley of Demuths has a passion for bringing vegetables to the centre of the plate: “I believe

that local, seasonal produce should be at the heart of all our food, nothing is more satisfying than taking a beautiful vegetable straight from the field, treating it with respect and serving it to people you care about.”

Demuths Restaurant in Bath has been one of the country’s top vegetarian restaurants for over 20 years and continues to redefine what it means to cook and eat vegetables in our times. They strive to make healthier, tastier, more creative food using the world-class produce grown in the fields around Bath.

2 North Parade Passage, Bath BA1 1NX01225 446059 www.demuths.co.uk

Beetroot, herb, almond, apple and watercress salad with horseradish dressing

Demuths

After Christmas’s excess we all crave something light and cleansing to help lift our spirits in the crisp January air. It is a great joy to be able to do this using those lovely fresh ingredients growing right on our doorstep. This recipe uses some of our very own superfoods – sweet beetroot, crisp apple and peppery watercress – to give a big vitamin-laden treat. The fresh winter herbs add real variety of flavour as well as a dose of antioxidants and the horseradish dressing brings the whole thing together with a fiery cleansing tang.

Ingredients

For the salad4 fresh medium beetroots2 apples (English cox’s stored over winter are the best)A small handful of almondsA small bunch of mint and parsley100g watercress

For the dressing15g cider vinegar45g rapeseed oil2 tbsp natural yoghurt1-2 tbsp creamed horseradishA pinch of sea salt

Method

1 Wrap the beetroots in a tin foil parcel with plenty of salt and bake at 180˚C for 1 hour. Check that they are completely soft before removing. If not put them back in for 15 minutes at a time until they are soft through. Leave to cool before rubbing off the skins and cutting into wedges.

2 Toast the almonds in the oven for 7 minutes, and chop the apples into wedges.

3 For the dressing put all the ingredients together into a bowl and whisk to combine. Wash the herbs and chop roughly. Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl and spoon out onto your plates.

4 Generously spoon the dressing over the top and serve.

> flavour demuths

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> flavour xxxxxxx

37

> flavour luxury spa guide

Charlton House SpaCharlton House is a luxury spa hotel situated in the quaint village of Shepton Mallet, Somerset. The hotel features the wonderful Spa, a unique and luxurious place to visit for those who wish to soothe their mind and soul, relax and recuperate and leave feeling rejuvenated.

Relax and unwind, celebrate with friends or simply indulge in some me time...

Charlton House, Shepton Mallet, Nr Glastonbury, Somerset BA4 4PR Call: 01749 342008 Visit: www.bannatyne.co.uk

The Spa at Charlton House offers the ultimate in relaxation and pampering with a fantastic choice of Spa Days. Whether it’s to relax and unwind, celebrate with friends or simply indulge in some ‘me-time’, there’s a Pamper Spa Day for you. As well as the fantastic treatments on offer in the package of your choice, you’ll also have access to the other Spa facilities which include Hydrotherapy Pool, Crystal Steam Room, Experience Showers, Finnish Sauna, Laconium, Ice Fountain and Fitness Studio!

New for 2012 is a Chocolate Indulgent Full Body Massage which includes a full body scrub, followed by a chocolate massage which is guaranteed to have your mouth watering with the aroma of hot chocolate! Choose your options of mint, orange or original to ensure you capture the mood.

Book any spa day during January, February or March and receive one complimentary soft drink of your choice per booking. Please quote ‘Flavour’ when making your reservation. Limited spaces available under this offer.

Once having relaxed in the Spa, why not enjoy your lunch in the Restaurant. Most Spa Days include a two course lunch or you can opt for a lighter menu in one of our lounges. Our Head Chef, Chris Coombe, and his brigade expertly create menus that change seasonally, prepared with the best locally-sourced produce.

Enjoy slow roasted Somerset pork loin with apple purée, roast vegetables and red wine jus or cream of mushroom and tarragon risotto, roquette and parmesan salad.

From February 10-18, Charlton House is offering a great Valentine’s Spa Package, which is a more decadent take on the current Romantic Break package for no extra cost, and includes a choice of treatments including an exotic coconut rub and milk ritual float, an Elemis skin

specific facial, a men’s urban cleanse facial or our indulgent new chocolate treatment. The spa break also includes one night’s accommodation in a standard double/twin room with a box of chocolates in your room on arrival, a full English breakfast, half a bottle of champagne, a special four-course candlelit dinner

for two and use of the spa facilities. The package is £269 Sunday to Thursday, and £325 Friday or Saturday. The rates are per room per night based upon two people sharing. To make your reservation please call the Spa Booking line on 0845 017 8681 and mention FLAVOUR012 to receive this fantastic deal


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The Garden Spa – Bath Priory

Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel

The Garden Spa at the Bath Priory is a place of tranquility, a calm oasis of peace and quiet offering a real escape from the daily routine.

The treatment rooms are a haven of pure indulgence; restful, warm, relaxing and the perfect place to enjoy a treatment of your choice from renowned product houses Elemis or LI’TYA. The indoor heated pool is a deep Mediterranean blue, creating a sense of summer warmth, perfect for gentle exercise and poolside relaxation in the sauna or elliptical steam pod.

After a busy week at work, I was in need of some urgent pampering. I booked myself in to The Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel for a day of pure indulgence. On arrival

I was welcomed into the elegant 18th-Century former mansion and shown to the spa. As I was shown around the luxury spa facilities; (15-metre indoor pool,

whirlpool, outdoor hydrotherapy pool, thermal suite and relaxation room) I couldn’t wait to get changed into a warm bathrobe and slippers and start to enjoy my day.

After a relaxing few hours in the spa facilities, it was time for my treatments. The treatment room was a calm and inviting environment, where I had a massage and

facial. My aches and pains disappeared after receiving the healing hands of my therapist and my skin was left looking radiant from my facial.

After my treatment I snuggled up under a warm blanket in the relaxation room, sipping a herbal tea and reading my book. The Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel is the

perfect place to relax, pure indulgence at its best. I will certainly be back.

To fulfil those New Year resolutions for improved well-being, the fitness suite is airy with good natural daylight and the equipment is well spaced, offering a full-range of cardiovascular machines, including Techno Gym’s multi-purpose Kinesos Personal vision which allows users to do more than 200 different exercises without making any adjustments. There is a good mix of resistance, aerobic, weights and cardio equipment suitable for all levels.

The Garden Spa offers a range of memberships that include full use, weekend and swim only so there is something for everyone and all memberships include hotel benefits and discounts on treatments.

A full range of day spas are also available or you can simply join for your favourite treatment. There is ample on-site parking free of charge and lunch or light snacks are available in the award-winning restaurant.

The Garden Spa – Bath PrioryWeston Road, Bath BA1 2XT

Call: 01225 478395Visit: www.thebathpriory.co.uk

Offer for flavour readers: Spa use, a one-hour Decleor Aroma Body Massage or one-hour Decleor Facial and car parking. Towels and robes provided during your time. Monday-Thursday £78.00 instead of £117.00. Friday-Sunday £88.00 instead of £130.00.

From 2nd Jan-29th Feb 2012. Excluding 11-15th February 2012

Sydney Place, Bath, Somerset BA26JF Call: 01225 476862Visit: www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/our-hotels/macdonald-bath-spa-hotel

The Royal Crescent Hotel and Bath House Spa

Focusing on the natural elements of earth, air, fire and water, The Bath House at The Royal Crescent Hotel embraces both ancient and modern-day spa culture.

The contemporary style of The Bath House was created from a converted coach house with stables that open onto the beautiful gardens. Enjoy the wonderful relaxation pool heated to 35°C, the sauna and steam Karahafus as well as a fully-equipped

gymnasium. Treatments range from soothing massages to full aromatherapy facials, and from fruit enzyme wraps to holistic foot and nail treatments. Half and full-day retreats are available, with a large range of treatment combinations and a delicious two-course lunch including refreshments. Throughout January the hotel is offering a Lemon Detox Day Retreat for only £139 per person, which includes consultation and herbal tea on arrival, several lemon

detox drinks throughout the day and a one-hour Bootcamp Treatment or Monticelli Warm Mud Cocoon. As well as this, clients will receive a 30-minute facial, a delicious two-course lunch and lemon syrup to take away.

Relax your body and mind at The Bath House Spa.

The Royal Crescent Hotel, 16 Royal Crescent, Bath BA1 2LSCall: 01225 823333 Visit: www.royalcrescent.co.uk

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Whatley Manor Hotel and Spa

Whatley Manor Hotel and Spa is situated in the tranquil Wiltshire countryside and just forty minutes from Bristol City centre. Amongst the jewels in its crown is the award winning Spa Aquarias featuring one of the largest hydrotherapy pools in the UK.

The Winter Day Spa gives you time to relax your mind and nurture your body in tranquil surroundings. Experience a 45-minute ‘La Prairie Express facial’ designed to firm, nourish and renew your skin. Cranial pressure point massage improves circulation leaving you and your skin even more radiant.

£100 includes the 45-minute facial and a light lunch with refreshment served in the spa lounge. Full use of the spa facilities including the Gym and Studio complete with PowerPlate®, Hydrotherapy Pool, Thermal Cabins, Salt Scrub Showers and Wave Dream Sensory Room. A complimentary luxury bath robe, towels and slippers will be provided for your comfort. The Winter Day Spa is valid until February 29th 2012.

Call Aquarias on 01666 827070 or email [email protected] quoting ‘Flavour magazine 2012’ when you make your booking.

Whatley Manor Hotel and Spa, Easton Grey, Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 0RB

Visit: www.whatleymanor.com

Winter Day Spa and La Prairie Facial. Monday to Thursday from

9.00am – 5.00pm


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Thermae Bath SpaNow that winter is approaching and the weather is turning colder, why not come and warm up in Britain’s only thermal, mineral-rich waters at Thermae Bath Spa, in Bath.

By day or by night, a two-hour or four-hour spa session includes full use of the indoor Minerva Bath, a series of steam rooms, each infused with aromatherapy essences such as frankincense or eucalyptus and the open-air rooftop pool with fabulous views over the city of Bath.

As a little treat, choose from one of their great value packages, which combine a spa session with a range of spa treatments and the option of a meal in the Springs Restaurant. One of the favourites is the Classic Thermae Package which includes a four-hour spa session, Kraxen Stove, a choice of either an Aromatherapy Hot Oil Massage, a Thermae Facial or a Bamboo Massage and a two-course meal in the Springs Restaurant - all for £98.

The popular Twilight Package, priced at £42, is also a great way to experience the gradual change in atmosphere at Thermae Bath Spa and to enjoy the city lights from the open-air rooftop pool. The package includes three hours in the Spa, complimentary use of towel, robe and slippers and a one-course main meal and drink in the Springs Restaurant. A well-deserved treat after a day’s work or an afternoon of Christmas shopping!

Visit the Spa Shop where you can buy Thermae’s very own Spa products, all enriched with Bath’s spring water. Also available are Spa Gift Vouchers, massage oils, candles, lavender pillows, soft fleece bath robes.

Spa Gift Vouchers make a great present for friends, family or colleagues! Choose from the 10 Spa Gift vouchers ranging from £26 to £188. They can

be purchased online or by calling the Reservations team on 0844 888 0844.

www.thermaebathspa.com The Hetling Pump Room, Hot Bath Street, Bath, BA1 1SJ

Our steam rooms are infused with aromatherapy essences such as frankincense and eucalyptus

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Woolley Grange

The pressures and stresses of life can easily be smoothed away with a visit to the Spa at Woolley Grange, situated just a few miles from Bath in the Wiltshire countryside.

The friendly, relaxing atmosphere here has much to offer the individual visitor and family groups alike. Facilities include family-sized changing rooms, a heated indoor pool, a scented steam room with mood lighting and a dry sauna room. Outside the pool hall you can see herbs, fruit and vegetables being cultivated in the walled garden for use in the hotel kitchen.

The spa treatments are the main attraction, with trained therapists working to transport you on a sensually relaxing journey. Woolley Grange can offer massage, facials, manicures and finishing touch treatments as well as treatments especially designed for gentlemen.

Guests can use the spa by booking a spa day package, which runs from two hours to a full day.

This January Woolley Grange is running a special offer. Book a one-hour treatment by January 16 and receive complimentary spa use Sundays 1pm – Fridays 1pm. This offer is to be used by February 13. Quote FMJ12 to receive the offer.

Woolley Grange, Woolley Green, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire BA15 1TXCall: 01225 864705 Visit: www.woolleygrangehotel.co.uk

Lucknam Park Hotel & SpaNestled within a walled garden of the hotel’s grounds, the award-winning Spa at Lucknam Park is a luxurious treat. Place yourself in the hands of the experienced therapists to ease away stresses and strains with the finest treatments. Extend your day of indulgence with thermal cabins, plunge pools, experience showers and the relaxation room, before enjoying a light lunch in the adjoining Brasserie, providing contemporary and stylish all-day dining – there is even a healthy option menu! After the mad rush of Christmas why not take some time to relax and unwind with the January Detox Spa Day, available Monday to Friday from January 8 to January 31, subject to availability, including a welcome coffee and pastry, use of all Spa facilities, a two-course light lunch with a glass of wine, use of robe

and slippers for the day and a crushed ‘sea salt and seaweed body envelopment treatment’ for £135 per person.

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Bath, Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 8AZ Call: 01225 742777 Fax: 01225 743536 Visit: www.lucknampark.co.uk

Sea Salt and Seaweed Body EnvelopmentCommencing with the drizzling of aromatic blended oils, fresh herbs and crushed sea salt are applied leaving your skin feeling like silk. This is followed by a deeply detoxifying body wrap treatment, using Spirulina seaweed to boost toxin release and purify the skin. A soothing and relaxing scalp massage is performed during the body wrap treatment to relieve stress and tension and leaving your body and mind totally detoxified.

SUNDAY BEST> flavour sunday best

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The Fox

The Fox, Broughton Gifford, Melksham SN12 8PNCall: 01225 782949 Visit: www.thefox-broughtongifford.co.uk

Nestling in the heart of this popular and picturesque village, The Fox at Broughton Gifford is an exciting addition to the Wiltshire dining scene. The team at The Fox are committed to seasonal and local produce; so much so that they raise their own pigs to produce their own house charcuterie, air cured hams, wet cured hams, sausages and even bacon.

Add to this a very good selection of West Country beers and ciders, and an interesting wine and spirit list, then it’s no surprise that this new country pub just ten miles from Bath is busy with locals and visitors alike, enjoying an evening meal or pint at the bar. As for the Sunday lunch, it’s really something special and seems to have acquired something of a cult following.

Every Sunday you can expect to see large tables of friends and families enjoying an indulgent afternoon in comfortable and relaxed surroundings, talking and jostling at the bar with locals before sitting down to enjoy a table roast.

The whole joint is served at your table complete with carving equipment, heaps of roast potatoes, steamed and roasted vegetables and jugs of homemade gravy. Start with a pear and Shropshire blue salad with hazelnut dressing, before moving on to the main event: Perhaps a slow-roasted shoulder of locally-reared lamb, or if you are a large party why not indulge in a whole roasted rib of beef? Complete the experience with a damson and cointreau crumble, and you will be leaving with light hearts and heavy stomachs.

The Fox is a top destination; warm and friendly staff combined with scrumptious foodie delights always make a winning arrangement.

SUNDAY BEST

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> flavour sunday best

The Black Boy Inn

The Black Boy Inn, 171 Whiteladies Road, Redland, Bristol BS8 2RYCall: 0117 973 5233 Visit: www.blackboy-inn-bristol.co.uk

A lovely old pub on Clifton’s trendy Whiteladies Road – The Black Boy Inn is well furnished throughout and focuses on fine seasonal food, sourced every morning from local fishermen and farmers. Enjoy delicious meals served at farmhouse tables, with comfortable armchairs, a lovely fireplace, and a relaxed, informal atmosphere. For a sumptuous Sunday lunch, the Black Boy Inn has a fantastic range of dishes on offer from several menus.

From the a la carte menu, why not try the slow roast shoulder of lamb served with red pesto crust, roast new potatoes and ratatouille? Beef and

pork roasts are also available on the a la carte, and daily specials – focusing on the freshest seafood and game – are quite exceptional. Expect to see such delicacies as fillet of turbot on thyme and onion rosti with steamed asparagus and beurre blanc sauce, or confit Gressingham duck leg.

The Black Boy Inn also serves a range of real ales, fine wines, spirits, beers and soft drinks. The commitment from the team to good food and great service will make your experience at The Black Boy Inn one to remember.Cornish sea bass. This is British dining at its most quintessential and opulent.

Mount Somerset

Call us to book a table for lunch or dinner, or email [email protected] Festive dining menu available during December for just £25 per person for three courses including coffee.

Newly and beautifully refurbished Regency country house. Secluded countryside setting cradling the Quantock Hills.

Open seven days a week to residents and non-residents for:

Breakfast • All Day Dining • Lunch • Afternoon Tea • À La Carte Dinner

The Mount Somerset Hotel, Lower Henlade, Taunton, Somerset TA3 5NBCall: 01823 442500 Visit: www.mountsomersethotel.co.uk

Sunday Lunch One Course for £13.95Two Courses for £18.95 Three Courses for £22.50�

Sunday Jazz LunchJoin us for the last Sunday each month for Sunday lunch with our jazz duo. Three Courses for £29.50�

Peacock Lunch Menu Two Courses for £12.50�

Monday To Saturday

Peacock All Day Dining Menu individually-priced from £5.50�

Monday To Saturday

Fine Dining Dinner MenuThree courses for £49.0�0�

Gourmet Tasting MenuSeven courses for £65.0�0�Vegetarian menus available

SUNDAY BEST> flavour sunday best

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The Tunnel House

FarrellsIrish/Italian Restaurant

The CatherineWheel

Charlton House

The Tunnel House is a historic pub set in the heart of the Cotswolds. A large garden and plenty of beautiful walks nearby provide an easy way to work up an appetite! Inside, comfortable sofas, two roaring fires and great homemade food make The Tunnel House the perfect place to enjoy your Sunday lunch.

The Tunnel House has facilities for a range of events. Coupled with their barn they can also host anything from birthdays to weddings. They have New Year’s celebrations coming up when everything shall be in full swing.

Set in the heart of the Mendips, this atmospheric country house offers the warmest of welcomes. Charlton House takes great pride in their expertly-crafted menus, using the finest, locally-sourced produce to deliver an exceptional dining experience.

Visit with family or friends, and enjoy the Sunday lunch menu, featuring three courses for £21.95. You can expect to find many delicacies, including salmon three ways, roast rib-eye of Somerset beef and a rich dark chocolate fondant.

The Tunnel House, Tarlton Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 6PW

Call: 01285 770280 Visit: www.tunnelhouse.com

44 Temple Street, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 1EH

Call: 0117 9866 330 Visit: www.farrellsrestaurant.co.uk

The Catherine Wheel, The High Street,Marshfield SN14 8LR

Call: 01225 892220 Visit: www.thecatherinewheel.co.uk

Charlton House, Shepton Mallet, Nr Glastonbury, Somerset BA4 4PR

Call: 01749 342008 www.bannatyne.co.uk/hotel/charltonhouse

The Catherine Wheel is a fine 16th-Century inn situated in Marshfield, on the edge of the Cotswolds. Whether you fancy sightseeing in Bath and Cheltenham or tramping the beautiful countryside, The Catherine Wheel is a cosy destination.

An excellent Sunday lunch menu is available, and contains a number of carnivorous choices, including lamb, beef, sea bass and venison, as well as some great vegetarian options, such as a tasty lentil and nut roast. All mains are £9.75, and starters and desserts are also available.

The Farrells Sunday lunch has become increasingly popular since they opened the doors back in June, mostly because it’s prepared with all locally-sourced vegetables that change week to week and incorporate an Irish sirloin of beef!

All desserts are homemade by the resident pastry chef. Sunday still carries the Irish/Italian twist with Irish beef and risotto and pasta on the menu.

SUNDAY BEST

Lucknam Park Hotel & SpaJust six miles east of Bath, Lucknam Park is unspoilt, country house living at its very best. Truly one of England’s finest five-star luxury Country House Hotels, Luckham Park offers fine dining featuring local produce in The Park restaurant or a more relaxed meal in The Brasserie, luxurious spa treatments and extensive leisure facilities in the new Spa, and the ability to traverse more than 50�0� acres via the Equestrian Centre. Lucknam Park is the ideal place to leave everyday life behind.

Enjoy a relaxing Sunday lunch at Lucknam Park’s Park restaurant - with stunning parkland views, grand

features and elegant décor, the restaurant is the perfect setting for a gourmet Michelin Star experience. Executive Chef Hywel Jones showcases his uncomplicated style and passion for full and clean flavours using the highest quality ingredients sourced locally where possible.

The Park is now open every Sunday for three-courses Sunday lunches for £45 per person. The traditional roast is, of course, on the menu along with some other mouthwatering dishes such as some freshly line-caught Cornish sea bass. This is British dining at its most quintessential and opulent.

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Bath, Colerne, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 8AZCall: 01225 742777 Visit: www.lucknampark.co.uk

> flavour sunday best

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Here’s the ca ch

With sustainable fishing top on the agenda, each month flavour columnist and seafood specialist Mitch Tonks cooks up a storm with his seasonal fish of choice...

I’m a big fan of the cuttlefish. It looks quite daunting when whole but after the fishmonger has done the preparation you are left with pure white meat which, treated properly, has the most wonderful flavour. I had an amazing stew in Venice where they cooked it in ink. I had seen this before but not tasted it. It’s very, very good and you should not be put off by the colour – it won’t stain you!

This is a favourite on our menu in RockFish, where head chef Jake cooks a superb soft polenta with it too and, in the Seahorse in Dartmouth, everyone I have cooked it for absolutely loves it – even those who are a little concerned at first.

Cuttlefish is caught in the UK and masses of it is landed in Brixham, but the majority, you may not be surprised to learn, is exported to Spain where they have a great love of it. I think this is such a shame! In the UK we absolutely love squid and so there is no reason not to love cuttlefish, a different beast for sure but requiring similar treatment – either fast-flash cooking or slow braising and the latter seems to suit it really well. I can’t help thinking that this sort of slow braise in the deep dark, inky colour is just what is needed at Christmas – something rich and jewel-like that will dazzle your guests. Enjoy, and I hope to see you at RockFish over the festive season!

CUTTLEFISH IN INK SAUCE

MethodPour a generous glug of olive oil into a casserole dish and add the garlic and onion and cook until lightly golden. Add the cuttlefish and fry for a further minute or two. Season with salt then add the wine and allow it to reduce by half then add the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes, (only add the water if you feel the pan is too dry as the cuttlefish will release liquid as it cooks), half the parsley and lastly the ink.

Stir together to amalgamate, bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook gently for about 45 – 50 minutes until the cuttlefish is really tender when you stick a knife into it. It should have the texture of braised belly pork fat. If you need to cook it longer to get there then do so, you will achieve this texture. If you have lots of liquid still in the pan just ladle most of it out into another saucepan and boil to reduce it by as much as you need to thicken it then add it back to the stew. The final texture should be thick so that when you spoon it onto plates you don’t have juice spilling out of it. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve. Just a chunk of crusty bread is fine with this.

Serves 2

Ingredients Olive oil2 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 small onion, finely chopped1 kg cuttlefish, cleaned and cut into strips1 glass white wineSalt and black pepper3 tbsp tomato purée8 tomatoes, roughly chopped1 small glass of water1 small handful of parsley4 sachets of cuttlefish or squid ink – just ask your fishmonger

Mitch Tonks runs RockFish Grill & Seafood Market in Clifton, Bristol. He is an award-winning chef, restaurateur and food writer and has two other seafood restaurants in Dartmouth.

47

© Mitch Tonks. RockFish Grill & Seafood MarketFishmonger, food writer, restaurateur www.rockfishgrill.co.uk www.mitchtonks.co.uk www.twitter.com/rockfishgrill

Recipe taken from The AGA Seafood Cookbook by Mitch Tonks published by Absolute Press. Photo credit Jason Lowe.

> flavour mitch tonks

49

St John’s Wort is primarily known as a herb for banishing the winter blues, borne out by a Cochrane

Collaboration review – which is supposed to be the last word in evidence-based medicine – that concluded that St John’s Wort is as effective as standard anti-depressants in treating major depression, with fewer side-effects.

There’s a fair amount of hullaballoo surrounding this amazing herb, because scientists have been unable to isolate the much sought after “active compound” – which would enable the pharmaceutical companies to synthesize a drug and take control of the market. Rather brilliantly, St John’s Wort has managed to evade their prying eyes, and it seems there are several compounds contained within that work in synergy to create its uplifting effects.

In a completely unscientific manner, I would say that St John’s Wort captures the summer sunlight and gives it back to us in the winter. In fact, it does create some photosensitivity if you take too much. The bright yellow flowers will yield a really beautiful red infused oil if left to infuse outdoors in the daylight during

July and August, and this redness can’t really be captured by any other means other than allowing the plant to bathe in sunlight. Similarly, the photosensitivity reaction in people would mean that if you took too much and were exposed to the sun, you’d be more likely to get sunburn.

There are a couple of other things that one has to watch out for with St John’s Wort; it can interact with various drugs, so if you’re on medication it would be worth checking about these interactions. Ask a herbalist. Also, don’t expect an instant high when you first encounter St John’s Wort. It usually takes a few weeks before you start to notice its benefits.

the herb doctor

Max Drake is a practising medical herbalist at the Urban Fringe Dispensary, where he runs courses and workshops teaching how to use herbs safely and effectively, treat common ailments and stay healthy.

So, how would you use it?

There are a few pharmaceutical- style extracts that you can buy in chemists, which mostly come in tablet form made by Big Pharma. These are marketed on the basis of safety, consistency etc... and they are reasonably effective.

Or, if you’ve got the time and space, it’s a very easy plant to grow from seed, and will adorn any small garden or allotment for many years if you look after it. You can harvest it on St John’s Day (June 24), or anytime thereafter while in flower, and dry it to either make a tincture or to use as a tea. The tincture (an extract in strong vodka) is way more effective. The tincture works very well in combination with lemon balm, and you’ll be able to get this and some very nice and friendly advice by talking to your nearest herbalist, who you can find via the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (www.nimh.org.uk)

st john’s wortTHIS

MONTH

Sitting in the centre of the town of North Petherton, between Bridgwater and Taunton, The Walnut Tree boasts equally easy access to Somerset’s country rambles and the main travel routes and county town.

The bar is cosy and beamy, with all the character of the 18th-Century coaching inn. The view across the street is of the striking St Mary’s church, which is spectacularly lit in the evening – one of a plethora of reasons why this is an ideal wedding venue.

The hotel offers two menus – bistro, which can be eaten at the bar, and the Lemon Tree restaurant. The bistro menu is great value for money. From a ploughman’s with scotch quails’ eggs, and smoked mackerel pâté, to pasta of the day and local rib-eye steak – every dish is hearty and homemade with a big emphasis on locally sourced ingredients from its bountiful south western county.

We ate at the restaurant, where our starters were vibrant, fresh and beautifully presented. I had the beetroot tart with goat’s cheese and walnut salad – an ever-winning combination. The tart was sweet and crisp and the cheese soft and salty. My partner had scallops with black pudding and pea pancake, which was also as lovely as it sounds.

The main restaurant is relatively small for the size of the hotel, with just a few tables – but the starters left me hoping that it’s not only resident guests who come to enjoy head chef Luke Nicholson’s homely fare.

An array of tempting autumnal mains included oven-roasted cod with braised fennel, and duck with red cabbage. I opted

for the lamb three ways, with garlic and herb rosti. The lamb’s liver, lamb chop and minced lamb came with a generous boat of delicious dark gravy – the kind I perpetually envy not being able to recreate at home. The trio of meats was delicately cooked, despite the enormous portion! We also sampled the fillet steak – with another dark and sticky sauce, and a buttery melée of pan-fried wild mushrooms.

Even after our substantial mains, we managed to squeeze in a dessert trio of pancakes, chocolate fondant and mixed berry jelly. This was another exercise in homely perfection – oozing chocolate and bright fruit suspended in pale jelly.

The hotel has quite a mature feel, but not at all austere – it was so refreshing to chat to the waiting staff about the food with no overbearing formalities. I’ve been to many a chain restaurant where you feel this friendly service-style is drummed into the waiters – but you really can’t fake it.

Our room for the night was large and well-equipped, in a quiet corridor away from the function rooms. It’s clear the hotel is versatile and that the staff has real expertise in holding big events – there are a number of different sized rooms, suited to different purposes and holding up to 120 people.

My overwhelming impression though is that I left thinking you’d struggle to find a more friendly welcome than at The Walnut Tree. Everything about our stay was unhurried and cheery – every single member of staff we came across was friendly and helpful. There’s nothing more you can ask for on a Friday night after a busy week than to be well looked-after – and here, you will be.

> flavour walnut tree

50

the walnut tree

In the bleak midwinter it’s always comforting to find a cosy gem of a hotel that warms the cockles of your heart, as Jennie Clark discovers.

North PethertonSouth of BridgwaterSomerset TA6 6QA

01278 662255www.walnut-tree-hotel.co.uk

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The lamb’s liver, lamb chop and minced lamb came with a generous boat of

delicious dark gravy – the kind I perpetually

envy not being able to recreate at home.

> flavour the pelican inn

52

One of the challenges of running a pub in a small town – even a town as pretty and well presented as Chew Magna – is the dichotomy between appealing to local residents and attracting customers from further afield. Often, what seems homely and relaxed to the regulars can seem ‘cliquey’ and unwelcoming to strangers. Or the attempt to draw in diners from afar with exotic menus and gastro-cuisine seems to be at the expense of locals who just want a pint.

It was with some trepidation, therefore, that I set out across Somerset to visit The Pelican: a small-town pub walking that exact tightrope – and at a time when the economy hardly lends itself to great swathes of hostelry largesse from the good people of the South West. I need not have worried...

The Pelican dates back at least to the 17th century, and is an imposing double-gabled, whitewashed structure with an elaborate porch entrance marked by two fine but unobtrusive pieces of privet topiary. The pub changed hands in 2010 and has had a good old spruce-up since.

The name, incidentally, comes from the flagship of Sir Francis Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe, as is

beautifully illustrated on the pub sign at the front of the building. The only vessel to have completed Drake’s round-the-world odyssey from start to finish, it left Plymouth in November 1577 and returned in September 1580 laden with captured Spanish treasures as well as spices galore. If, like me, you thought Drake’s ship was called the Golden Hind, you’re right. Drake changed the name from The Pelican to The Golden Hind about halfway round in honour of his patron Sir Christopher Hatton, on whose coat of arms was a deer of yellowish hue.

But back to the modern day Pelly... There are large, framed, sketch drawings of

The Pelican10 South ParadeChew MagnaSomersetBS40 8SL

01275 331 777www.pelicanchewmagna.com

the pelicaninn

A regular contributor to CAMRA magazine Pints West, Duncan Shine champions the virtues of real

ale and traditional cider. He’s also editor of the website britishpubguide.com

53

> flavour the pelican inn

farmhouse vegetables around the walls, as well as a charming Absinthe mirror. Fireplaces flank the pub at either end, and provide a crackling cosiness that invites the casual visitor to relax and unwind.

There does seem to be an informal and very amicable division in the pub, with locals and Pelly regulars gathered to the left – nearer the side exit through which they can nip out for an occasional cigarette, perhaps – while the formal dining area is to the right. But the overwhelming feeling here is one of balance. The decor is more ‘upmarket’ than your average village local, but the welcome and the chatter much more relaxed than your average gastro-pub.

As to the food... There seem to be five main menus a year (the four seasons plus a Christmas menu), as well as a specials ‘board’ that is actually on a roll of pseudo-parchment complete with crank handle. There was a lovely pork loin in a creamy cider sauce, along with a fish mixed grill of fishcakes, sea bass, salmon and tiger prawns. Regular dishes range from classic club sandwiches to imaginative vegetarian dishes, as well as more traditional pub fare such as beer-battered fish and chips or a nice steak.

For the ale choice, the Pelly has gone for tried and tested real ales, which, while unlikely to add to the dedicated beer-ticker’s list, do nonetheless reflect some of the most popular brews currently available. Butcombe Bitter is the most local, along with Courage Best Bitter – once but no longer brewed in Bristol. As well as the ales and ciders, there is a huge array of wines available by the glass or bottle; these are displayed in a Celebrity Squares-style grid at the back of the bar.

Although not used much in the depths of mid-winter, it is worth noting the large and sheltered courtyard, with elegant tables and large parasols. Beyond, and bounded by original stone walls of the barns and wider grounds of years gone by, is the garden. It’s a delightful oasis of suntrap calm, and an ideal place to feel the first rays of warming sunshine once spring comes around.

So, to that challenge of running a pub in a small town – how to appeal to local residents and attract customers from further afield. It’s a tough balance to strike, but if anywhere can, The ‘Pelly’ can. ■

Raise a glass to... Butcombe Bitter (4%) Brewed in Somerset since 1978, this is a bitter whose taste lives up to the name: a truly bitter bitter. There’s a faint hint of lemon in there too, plus a good old whack of malt.

Courage Best Bitter (4%) Originally from Bermondsey, and for a while brewed in Bristol, this is now brewed by Wells & Young’s in Bedford. This much maligned brew actually has a good mix of malt, hops and fruit in its flavour, though the fruit isn’t apparent in its aroma. Really quite dry too, so a good session bitter.

Broad Oak Pheasant Plucker (4.5%) Good to see proper ciders that don’t overdo the alcohol content. This one has an orangey tint to it, not utterly still, but with only a very light hazy sparkle to it. Reassuring, too, to be able to actually smell apples in the bouquet!

> flavour chef profile

54

My parents were my inspiration. I learnt a lot from their culinary passion, as well as working as a kitchen porter in the evenings and watching the chefs at work. I grew into an enthusiastic teenager with a keen sense of flavour, and checked into Weston-super-Mare College to train as a chef. While studying there, I honed my talent by cooking at a nearby family-run hotel. After flourishing at college, I landed my first job aged 17 at a local pub. I was able to experiment with food and write my own menus. Now a fully-fledged chef with a commanding repertoire, I have made a strong impression on the dining scene.

My career has been rich and varied, and there have been many highlights. These have included working with Michael Caines at the Royal Marriot Hotel and being appointed head chef at the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill – not to mention being head chef at Farrells Irish Italian Restaurant!

Waking up in the morning is not a problem when you’ve got a noisy four-year-old son! The menu at Farrells is changed daily with what local produce is available, so that keeps things fresh and exciting. I enjoy the camaraderie in the kitchen and it’s important to keep the chefs trained and inspired.

My style is modern British with Southern French, Spanish, Irish and Italian influences. I particularly enjoy cooking with shellfish and seafood, and I couldn’t live without my fresh herbs and olive oil. I think that it’s important to match beer and wine to dishes as it can really enhance the customer’s experience.

If I could have my perfect three-course meal, it would start simple: A moules marinieres with fresh bread prepared by friend and chef Tom Green. He used to make these years back, usually before a night out on the town! For mains I’d go with a Michael Caines game dish, perhaps venison, with root vegetable puree and a sticky blackberry jus. For dessert it would just have to be my mum’s carrot cake – simply divine!

chef profile

Farrells Irish Italian44 Temple StreetKeynshamBristolBS31 1EH

01179 866330www.farrellsrestaurant.co.uk

Name: Kieran LenihanAge: 32Originally from: Weston-super-MareHead chefs at: Farrells Irish Italian

> flavour chef profile

In Le Marche with NudoBeauty, culture, flavour and tradition. This month,Louis Labron-Johnsontravels to one of Italy’sbest-kept secrets, wherehe discovers Nudo olive oil,tastes great Italian winesand learns the localprocesses of the growthand manufacture of theseancient Roman staples…

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The Art of Making Olive OilI

talians have been making olive oil forcenturies – it’s in their blood. But in theCorradini olive press in the tiny village of

Macina there are two camps with opposingviews on how to extract the oil: the traditionalway is favoured by the older generations, who crush the olives with huge granitewheels to make a paste, before smearing the paste on plastic mats. These mats arestacked in a press, causing the oil to dribbledown. Unfortunately this method exposes theoil too much, causing it to oxidise and loseflavour. The mats are rarely washed; afterseveral weeks the oil is dark and tar-like, and will never be of extra-virgin quality.

Recent innovations in the craft have led to anew type of centrifuge system, where moreolives can be pressed rapidly in a controlledenvironment, resulting in much fresher, purer oil. In a series of stainless steelmachines that snake around a large warehouse,the Marchetti olives are washed then crushedin a granite press. At this point Nudo may addfresh lemons, basil or mandarins.

The oil, water and pulp seep out together intoa cylindrical machine that spins incrediblyfast, causing the components to separate dueto their differing weights. They are slowlysiphoned out individually and nothing iswasted: the extra virgin oil is bottled, thewater used as fertiliser for fields, and the olivepulp and stones are sold to large companies,who chemically extract inferior ‘pomace’ oilfrom them.

At the height of the season, Corrado – thethird-generation owner of the press - canspend days on end without sleep, as everygrove-owner in the area brings him olives to press.

Aspectacular region on the east coast of Italy, Le Marche has largely beenignored in favour of its more glamorous

neighbour – Tuscany. The consequence? An unspoilt area of outstanding naturalsplendour where visitors can experiencerural Italian life free from the trappings of tourism.

Le Marche is one of Italy’s finest and mostfertile grape-and olive-growing regions. Allacross the countryside the hillocks are strewnwith green, rust and amber vines and treesarranged in haphazard patchwork thickets.

Eight years ago, olive oil makers Jason andCathy bought Rosalio, a farmhouse set withina 21-acre olive grove. Here, they conceivedNudo’s Adopt an olive tree programme, whichenables you to adopt one of nearly 1,000 olivetrees in their grove. Your tree will be cared forand flourish, and bi-annually you will be sentexquisite tins of olive oil – in spring pure, inautumn three tins of naturally flavoured oilswith fresh lemons, basil, mandarins or garlic.Tasting olive oil from your own tree manymiles away on a hillside in Italy has a genuineromance to it – many ‘tree parents’ like to visittheir adoptees, and Jason and Cathy arealways more than happy to oblige.

Tasting the oil is an art in itself, and BarbaraAlfei – chief oil taster in Le Marche – isMichelangelo. Barbara demonstrates how todetermine the properties of the oil: pour alittle oil into a receptacle, and warm in yourhands for a minute. Smell the oil and try todetect aromas – is there artichoke there, ahint of apple? Take a small sip, and roll the oil around your mouth, then take short, sharpbreaths through clenched teeth to aspirate the oil. There should be a peppery kick at theback of your throat, offset by bitterness at the front: A fine oil will have the perfectbalance between peppery, bitter, fresh and pungent properties.

> flavour nudo olive oil

67-69_Nudo:Layout 1 24/11/2011 21:28 Page 60

61

The Wine CountryV

isiting local winemakers is fascinating,their passion and knowledge of the land and its produce inspiring: in Osimo,

Umani Ronchi create superb whites fromVerdicchio and Trebbiano grapes, and redsmainly from Montepulciano, aged in steel or ornate oak casks in a cellar burrowed into a hillside.

In Cossignano, at the Fiorano Agriturismo,organic wine and olive oil producer Paolo –one of the first collaborators in Nudo's Adoptan Olive Tree programme – talks animatedlyabout his vineyards and groves, where eachgrapevine or olive tree is planted in aparticular spot. The differing levels of acidityin the soil, as well as elevation and gradient of land are all significant to the outcome of the produce. The hardy olive trees can beplaced on steep hills, whereas the delicategrapevines are cloistered in the shelter of the valley.

With its hills and valleys, mountains andbeaches, fantastic food and fine wines, Le Marche is a region begging to be devoured.People here know how to live – contented,serene and well-fed – making Le Marche the perfect destination for culinary discovery, a relaxing jaunt or a visit to your Nudo olivetree. Get there before the travel agents do.

www.nudo-italia.com

67-69_Nudo:Layout 1 24/11/2011 21:28 Page 61

The Art of Making Olive OilI

talians have been making olive oil forcenturies – it’s in their blood. But in theCorradini olive press in the tiny village of

Macina there are two camps with opposingviews on how to extract the oil: the traditionalway is favoured by the older generations, who crush the olives with huge granitewheels to make a paste, before smearing the paste on plastic mats. These mats arestacked in a press, causing the oil to dribbledown. Unfortunately this method exposes theoil too much, causing it to oxidise and loseflavour. The mats are rarely washed; afterseveral weeks the oil is dark and tar-like, and will never be of extra-virgin quality.

Recent innovations in the craft have led to anew type of centrifuge system, where moreolives can be pressed rapidly in a controlledenvironment, resulting in much fresher, purer oil. In a series of stainless steelmachines that snake around a large warehouse,the Marchetti olives are washed then crushedin a granite press. At this point Nudo may addfresh lemons, basil or mandarins.

The oil, water and pulp seep out together intoa cylindrical machine that spins incrediblyfast, causing the components to separate dueto their differing weights. They are slowlysiphoned out individually and nothing iswasted: the extra virgin oil is bottled, thewater used as fertiliser for fields, and the olivepulp and stones are sold to large companies,who chemically extract inferior ‘pomace’ oilfrom them.

At the height of the season, Corrado – thethird-generation owner of the press - canspend days on end without sleep, as everygrove-owner in the area brings him olives to press.

Aspectacular region on the east coast of Italy, Le Marche has largely beenignored in favour of its more glamorous

neighbour – Tuscany. The consequence? An unspoilt area of outstanding naturalsplendour where visitors can experiencerural Italian life free from the trappings of tourism.

Le Marche is one of Italy’s finest and mostfertile grape-and olive-growing regions. Allacross the countryside the hillocks are strewnwith green, rust and amber vines and treesarranged in haphazard patchwork thickets.

Eight years ago, olive oil makers Jason andCathy bought Rosalio, a farmhouse set withina 21-acre olive grove. Here, they conceivedNudo’s Adopt an olive tree programme, whichenables you to adopt one of nearly 1,000 olivetrees in their grove. Your tree will be cared forand flourish, and bi-annually you will be sentexquisite tins of olive oil – in spring pure, inautumn three tins of naturally flavoured oilswith fresh lemons, basil, mandarins or garlic.Tasting olive oil from your own tree manymiles away on a hillside in Italy has a genuineromance to it – many ‘tree parents’ like to visittheir adoptees, and Jason and Cathy arealways more than happy to oblige.

Tasting the oil is an art in itself, and BarbaraAlfei – chief oil taster in Le Marche – isMichelangelo. Barbara demonstrates how todetermine the properties of the oil: pour alittle oil into a receptacle, and warm in yourhands for a minute. Smell the oil and try todetect aromas – is there artichoke there, ahint of apple? Take a small sip, and roll the oil around your mouth, then take short, sharpbreaths through clenched teeth to aspirate the oil. There should be a peppery kick at theback of your throat, offset by bitterness at the front: A fine oil will have the perfectbalance between peppery, bitter, fresh and pungent properties.

> flavour nudo olive oil

67-69_Nudo:Layout 1 24/11/2011 21:28 Page 60

61

The Wine CountryV

isiting local winemakers is fascinating,their passion and knowledge of the land and its produce inspiring: in Osimo,

Umani Ronchi create superb whites fromVerdicchio and Trebbiano grapes, and redsmainly from Montepulciano, aged in steel or ornate oak casks in a cellar burrowed into a hillside.

In Cossignano, at the Fiorano Agriturismo,organic wine and olive oil producer Paolo –one of the first collaborators in Nudo's Adoptan Olive Tree programme – talks animatedlyabout his vineyards and groves, where eachgrapevine or olive tree is planted in aparticular spot. The differing levels of acidityin the soil, as well as elevation and gradient of land are all significant to the outcome of the produce. The hardy olive trees can beplaced on steep hills, whereas the delicategrapevines are cloistered in the shelter of the valley.

With its hills and valleys, mountains andbeaches, fantastic food and fine wines, Le Marche is a region begging to be devoured.People here know how to live – contented,serene and well-fed – making Le Marche the perfect destination for culinary discovery, a relaxing jaunt or a visit to your Nudo olivetree. Get there before the travel agents do.

www.nudo-italia.com

67-69_Nudo:Layout 1 24/11/2011 21:28 Page 61

59

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> flavour cosy winter warmers

MOUNT SOMERSET HOTEL & SPA If tranquility, relaxation by open log fires or pampering in a luxury spa along with superb food is what you desire, then why not enjoy a post-Christmas break at the newly-refurbished Mount Somerset Hotel and Spa.

A ll of the bedrooms are beautifully proportioned and individually decorated

in a classic style with a sumptuous modern edge. Exquisite fabrics and chic wallpaper, elegant furniture and comfortable beds complete the experience of total luxury. Most rooms feature en-suite bathrooms with stunning roll-top baths and wet rooms with power showers to complement the decadent feel. All rooms also benefit from large flat screen TVs with digital freeview and complimentary wireless internet access. There is lots to see and do for all of the family and The Mount Somerset Hotel and Spa is the perfect base to explore Somerset, its dramatic coastline and stunning English countryside including the Somerset Levels and Exmoor.

Why not take a trip on the West Somerset Steam Railway or visit the array of historic sites, gardens, museums, wildlife centres and retail outlets Somerset has to offer. Taunton is also home to Somerset County Cricket Ground and the Brewhouse Theatre.

Once back at the hotel, relax and indulge in the beautiful new spa and enjoy dining in the Somerset dining room. Highly acclaimed head chef, Stephen Walker, cooks honest food using honest ingredients from the abundance of fantastic produce available in the South West. Exmoor lamb and beef, their own smoked salmon, Somerset ham hock, Somerset cheeses and Brixham lobster and crab feature regularly. A well-chosen wine list completes a truly delightful experience.

Rates start from just £199 per room per night based on two people sharing. This includes accommodation in one of the refurbished bedrooms, a three-course fine-dining dinner, full English breakfast and full use of the spa facilities.

Rates are subject to availability and valid until 31 March 2012 excluding Christmas, New Year and Valentine’s Day. Please quote flavour magazine when making your booking. Mount Somerset Hotel, Lower Henlade, Taunton, Somerset TA3 5NBCall: 01823 442500 Visit: www.mountsomersethotel.co.uk

Cosy WINTER WARMERS

The Kings Arms, Litton, Somerset BA3 4PW • Telephone 01761 241301 • www.kingsarmslitton.co.uk

62

THE INN AT FOSSEBRIDGE

THE RECTORY HOTEL

At the bottom of a steep-sided valley beside the River Coln in the pretty hamlet of Fossebridge, you will find The Inn at Fossebridge, an enchanting early 17th-Century former coaching inn.

As the very definition of relaxed Cotswold living, The Rectory Hotel is the laid-back country house experience done properly.

Acharming Cotswold retreat, The Inn at Fossebridge offers nine individual en suite

bedrooms, and is equipped with roaring log fires and flagstone floors. The Inn – which is set in a stunning riverside garden of four acres – serves local ales and excellent food.

The Inn at Fossebridge was a finalist in this year's The Taste of Gloucestershire Food & Farming Awards, in the Best Pub Food category, showcasing the quality of the cuisine there. The Inn at Fossebridge is the ideal winter destination; after a wander in the exquisite grounds, settle down by the fire in the residents' drawing room with an indulgent Fossebridge cream tea, or a glass of wine or whisky from the inn’s excellent selection.

As well as the winter à la carte dinner menu and the winter lunch menu, The Inn at Fossebridge’s award-winning head chef is running a sumptuous set dinner menu during the winter months in the new Bridge Restaurant. The menu is very affordable at only £14.95 for two courses or £17.95 for three courses.

The Inn at Fossebridge is offering a very special bed and breakfast deal throughout January and February. Stay in one of the well-appointed en suite guest rooms for only £60 per night Sunday to Thursday or £75 per night Fridays and Saturdays.

A night at The Inn at Fossebridge is the winter break to beat those winter blues.

This charming destination is situated in the beautiful Cotswold triangle of Tetbury,

Malmesbury and Cirencester, 100 yards across the road from its sister business, The Potting Shed Pub.

The Rectory offers the perfect country escape coupled with a real foodie treat. The dining room is at the heart of The Rectory’s oeuvre. A glamorous dining experience is executed under the creative direction of head chef Peter Fairclough. His menu offers local, organic and foraged produce direct from The Rectory doorstep. The hotel’s dining room and adjacent conservatory are also available for private hire, perfect for making that special occasion just a little more distinctive!

Why not begin dinner with a Rectory Cocktail by a cosy fire in the bar or enjoy three acres of beautiful Victorian walled gardens, the perfect place to relax and unwind before dinner! It’s certainly worth your while to make a night of it in one of 12 bedrooms at The Rectory, all of which are individually designed, featuring an eclectic mix of antique finds and updated with more contemporary pieces. All rooms come with Roberts retro radios, iPod docking stations, TV/DVD players and organic Bamford products.

The Rectory is a wonderful winter getaway – escape the hustle and bustle of the city in a quintessentially rustic fashion.

The Inn at Fossebridge, Fosse Way Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, GL54 3JS

Call: 01285 720721 Visit: www.fossebridgeinn.co.uk

Rectory Hotel, CrudwellMalmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 9EP

Call: 01666 577194 www.therectoryhotel.com

Cosy WINTER WARMERS

Introducing

LittonKINGS ARMS

The Kings Arms, Litton, Somerset BA3 4PW • Telephone 01761 241301 • www.kingsarmslitton.co.uk

The

The beautiful Kings Arms in Litton is nestled at the foot of the Mendip hills and the entrance to the wonderful

Chew Valley and it reflects both sophisticated and simple food choices, all sourced locally and organically and many bought directly from the farmers themselves.

Just sit back in either the historic surroundings of the 591-year old 14th-Century pub or move to the contemporary surroundings of the Litton dining restaurant and just soak up the flavours and get lost in the tantalising array of choices.

Taste real 12 to 14-month-old Cheddar cheese and enjoy the beef and lamb born and bred on the Mendips. All is fresh, zesty and carefully prepared – simply a delight to enjoy.

The Kings Arms complements all their food, wine and beer with very high levels of service and when the sun shines, it does so into the beautiful gardens that cascade gently downward towards the gurgling and splashing River Chew, rushing busily through the grounds.

The Kings Arms at Litton has opened six luxurious double bedrooms in its adjacent 15th-Century cottage, matching the same high standards as the pub itself. Guests can opt for bed and breakfast, a full hotel room service or use the facilities next door.

Owner Findlay Hobbs said: “What we are trying to do is extend the charm of coming here, so that people can now wine, dine and sleep – and enjoy the local walks, the local food and everything else that the Mendips have to offer.” He and co-owner Luis Duarte have overseen the work, using oak throughout to maintain the character of the 1420 building, but with contemporary facilities like wi-fi and everything else you would expect from a five-star hotel.

Guests will also have the use of three private garden terraces, leading to the herb garden, which supplies the pub’s kitchen. Prices range from £75 to £135

a night. Owner Luis Duarte says he feels very proud of the quality they have achieved so far and looks forward to a fantastic 2012.

This is Somerset at its very best, for all to enjoy with preparation as close to perfect by the staff, along with a fresh taste that sees customers leave with an

unforgettable experience.

Five star quality

We thank all our customers for their fantastic

support in 2011 and wish you all a

Very Happy New Year!

> flavour cosy winter warmers

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THE ARUNDELL ARMS

MELLSTOCK HOUSE THE FOX & HOUNDS

The Arundell Arms is the perfect getaway during the winter months.

In the stunning north Devonshire seaside village of Combe Martin sits Mellstock House, a four-star Edwardian guesthouse with a wealth of warmth and character.

The Fox and Hounds is a warm and cosy traditional country pub; built in 1725 as blacksmith’s workshop.

Not only does the hotel enjoy an unrivalled sporting reputation for shooting

and fishing – it also offers real log fires, well-appointed bedrooms and award-winning cuisine cooked up by master chef of Great Britain Steven Pidgeon and his culinary brigade. The hotel sits in the ancient village of Lifton, which looks over The Dartmoor National Park. The Arundell Arms is officially the number one fly fishing school in the country and even has 20 miles of private waters for guests to fish on, as well as a three-acre stocked lake for trout fishing all year round.

During the summer months guests can fish for brown trout, sea trout, rainbow trout and also salmon.

Throughout January, February and March the hotel is running a fantastic special offer called the ‘Winter Warmer’. In this deal guests can stay for only £78 per person per night, which includes dinner, board and breakfast.

Arundell Arms, Fore Street, Lifton, Devon PL16 0AA

Call: 01566 784666 Visit: www.arundellarms.com

Mellstock House, WoodlandsCombe Martin, Devon EX34 0AR

Call: 01271 882592 Visit: www.mellstockhouse.co.uk

The Fox & Hounds, 9 High Street, Colerne Chippenham SN14 8DB

Call: 01225 744847 Visit: www.foxandhoundscolerne.co.uk

Cosy WINTER WARMERS

The rooms here are well-appointed and comfortable, boasting lovely views of the sea and surrounding countryside.

Mellstock’s cosy lounge bar is the ideal place for you to unwind with a relaxing drink whether afternoon or evening. Great meals offer a variety of delicious home-cooked food using local produce where possible. A gem in the heart of a beautiful part of the world; Mellstock House is a great place to unwind.

Quote FL1 for extra 2.5% discount.

The owners have created a wonderfully pleasant experience here for all to enjoy.

The pub strives to create exceptional food, using only local and British ingredients. All the meat comes from small independent farmers specialising in their produce.

Behind the pub there is a fully refurbished function room, totally independent from the main pub, complete with its own bar and toilet facilities.

This cosy tavern is a great destination for drinks, events or a tasty meal.

THE FOX & HOUNDS

> flavour what’s hot

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FIELD&FLOWERfield&flower rear and butcher their own traditional breed cattle on Home Farm in North Somerset where the Flower family has been farming for five generations. They also carefully and ethically source the very best pork, lamb and organic chicken from neighbouring farms.

Their easy-to-use website allows customers to create their own monthly meat box from just £55, delivered straight to their door. It is also possible to change the content of the box on a monthly basis for ultimate flexibility. Customers can also place one-off orders from the website. They deliver fresh meat, not frozen.

www.fieldandflower.co.uk

GRAPE AND GRINDGrape and Grind, Bristol, offer delicious wines, spirits, beer and cider from independent producers around the world. Try one of their tasting events, home deliveries or mixed Christmas cases for the ultimate in decadence.

101 Gloucester Road

CHOPHOUSE RESTAURANT AND BARSituated opposite Bristol’s iconic Cabot Circus shopping complex is Future Inn’s Chophouse Restaurant and Bar. The restaurant which draws on hearty traditional cuisine with a North American theme is widely regarded for its choice of steaks. At The Chophouse, the focus is on delivering high-quality basic North American themed dishes, which offer excellent value for money and able to satisfy the healthiest of appetite.

0845 094 5588 www.futureinns.co.uk/bristol-hotels

ABSOLUTELY CAKESLocally-sourced, organic ingredients and sustainability creates scrumptious cakes for each and every occasion, or just because!

Absolutely Cakes – the home of lusciousness.

07532 054521 www.absolutelycakes.co.uk

6 O’CLOCK GIN AND TONICCombine precisely balanced Six O’clock Gin with Bramley and Gage’s perfectly-matched Six O’clock Tonic to create your own moment of “ginspiration”.

Balance, poise and precision; three imperatives in the mind of engineer and inventor Edward Kain. With meticulous attention to detail he created mechanical works of art, documented in blueprints that are still treasured today.

www.bramleyandgage.co.uk

TURNBULLS DELI & CAFÉTurnbulls are making a habit of finding the supreme examples old-fashioned foods. They are the only West country retailer selling the Supreme Champion Great Taste Award corn beef from McCartney’s in Northern Ireland. It really is worth traveling for!

01747 858 575 www.turnbulls-deli.co.uk

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> flavour what’s hot

CATTARO RESTAURANTCattaro is an independent, family-run Italian restaurant based in the heart of Cheltenham. They pride themselves on providing authentic, high-quality, home cooked Italian food to the discerning public.

Cattaro offers two courses for £9.95 and three courses for £12.95. This offer is served throughout the lunch period and between 5pm and 7pm Monday to Saturday. An a la carte menu is always available.

Opening hours are from 11.30am to 3pm and 5pm to 11pm.

01242 255787 www.cattarorestaurant.co.uk

FOLLY FARMImagine holding your event at a purpose-built eco-centre on an organic farm-cum-nature reserve only 20 minutes from both Bath and Bristol city centres! Folly Farm has accommodation for up to 45 people – choose from studio apartments or bedrooms in the farmhouse.

What’s more – all profits from the centre go towards supporting the Avon Wildlife Trust’s important work with local wildlife. Sustainability is at the heart of everything they do at the award-winning Folly Farm Centre, who are now offering a range of BioConferencing services. Listen to inspiring sustainability speakers and learn from the people who can help you embed sustainability into your organisation.

01275 331590 www.follyfarm.org

DETAIL KITCHENSA bespoke kitchen and joinery company who offer a complete design, manufacture and installation service, Detail Kitchens is top-of the-range. Their factory began in Devon in 1946 making bespoke joinery and over the years they have trained many highly-skilled craftsmen.

Detail Kitchens supply bespoke kitchens and joinery to the trade and work closely with architects and interior designers. The company’s showroom-based designers produce bespoke designs for each and every client to complement any interior, whether it be traditional or ultra modern.

01179 735838 www.detail-kitchens.co.uk

JAMES CHOCOLATESChocolate covered honeycomb is always a winning combination. At James chocolates they like to make something with a twist – their version is double coated in thick milk chocolate and infused with hot chilli. The chilli chocolate offsets the sweetness of the honeycomb perfectly to make a very addictive and delicious confection. Buy some today for the chilli lover in your life, but watch out, it has quite a chilli kick!

Flavour readers special offer: enter code CHILLIHONEY at checkout for 20% off all chilli chocolates. Offer ends February 14.

01749 831330 www.jameschocolates.co.uk

TARA’S TABLETara’s Table offers the perfect opportunity to learn how to cook like a pro. Are you bored with cooking the same old thing and want to widen your repertoire?

Get stuck into a hands-on cookery lesson. Tara has headed up kitchens in some of the best restaurants and she teaches one-to-one or small groups to cook simply and seasonally in her purpose-built kitchen. There are plenty of opportunities to taste, ask questions and learn heaps of useful tips in an open and friendly environment. At the end of the class you will take your creations home with you, along with a folder of the recipes you have cooked. Gift vouchers are available.

0117 9621 770 07740 683149 www.tarastable.co.uk

QUARTZ-LITEQuartz-Lite fits on top and around your existing kitchen worktop, or it can be specified as part of a new installation. They provide granite, stone and quartz worktops for your kitchens and bathrooms in Bristol, Bath and throughout the South West.

01179 373361 www.quartz-Lite.com

> flavour hotel du vin

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There’s something about the bold Hotel du Vin aesthetic that you can’t help but admire. In the world of the modern hotel where light, space and clean lines reign supreme, its dark colours, gilt edges and heavy upholstery stand out in stark contrast. It’s a style of décor that’s unflinchingly confident, seemingly uninterested in seeking the approval of its audience.

Despite a loosely unified look and feel throughout the various venues across the UK, each retains something quite individual worth experiencing in its own right. This is partly down to the buildings themselves, all of them interesting conversions, whether it be a Georgian townhouse, a warehouse, a hospital or a brewery.

Formerly the Carlton Hotel and located in the chic Montpellier district, the Cheltenham hotel offers 49 bedrooms and suites, all decorated in the inimitable Hotel du Vin style. Think roll top-baths, Venetian blinds and well, the kind of fixtures and fittings you’d expect to see by spying through the keyhole of Daniel Craig’s house. That’s when he’s playing a current-day James Bond, that is.

Visitors will also discover various nods to the spa town’s world-famous horse races dotted around the place, including a playful rocking horse and mesmerising equine portraiture in the reception area.

A showpiece spiral staircase complete with a stunning wine glass chandelier promises

to turn heads, creating an effortless sense of occasion and luxury to those who bask in its warm glow. And in case you want even more reasons to drop by, the hotel also features a trademark bistro, Health du Vin spa treatment rooms, extensive al fresco and private dining, bar and cigar shack.

Under the tutelage of Head Chef, Paul Mottram, Bistro du Vin lies at the heart of the hotel, boasting a French-inspired, elegant and informal setting for anything from a light bite to a truly opulent feast. As part of a ‘homegrown and local’ philosophy, diners can experience some of the finest produce that the region has to offer with local delights from Madgett’s Farm Poultry, Gloucester Old Spot pigs, Herefordshire veggies and Cornish seafood.

Add to this an extensive and eclectic wine list carefully selected by Head Sommelier Roberto Zanca, and it’s not hard to see why the hotel’s winning formula saw them awarded AA Four Star status shortly after opening back in 2007.

The evening got off to a strong start with a pork and pistachio terrine with pickles, a deliciously rustic offering which required an extra basket of homemade bread to accommodate such a hearty serving. My guest opted for oysters Rockefeller, a Franco-American creation made up of 19 ingredients, including Absinthe. The dish allegedly takes its name from one of the first diners to try it back in late 1800s, who upon first taste, declared: “Why, this is as

rich as Rockefeller!” My guest’s lightly-cooked and intensely aromatic starter certainly paid fitting tribute to this New-Orleans masterpiece.

Next on the agenda was a confit duck leg, sausage and white bean cassoulet for me and a classic roast partridge with game chips and bread sauce for my guest. The former dish was France itself: full of flavour, the best quality ingredients and delightfully simple in essence. The latter far more British in composition, but no less wonderful for being so. The earthy flavours of the game were expertly played off against the rich bread sauce, the game chips flagging up an evolutionary kitchen capable of pleasing the discerning palette.

According to Paul: “I fervently believe this to be the best menu we have ever produced, due in no small part to our homegrown heroes...Think of it as a celebration of all that’s great about the Cotswold region and its amazing people.”

A tempting invitation to judge for yourself if ever I heard it.

Hotel du Vin & Bistro Parabola RoadCheltenham Gloucestershire GL50 3AQ

01242 588 450www.hotelduvin.com/hotels/cheltenham

hotel du vin –cheltenhamWidely touted as one of Cheltenham’s best-loved destinations, this month Holly Aurelius-Haddock discovers why a visit to Hotel du Vin is a dead cert...

> flavour hotel du vin

It’s a style of décor that’s unflinchingly confident, seemingly uninterested in seeking the approval of its audience

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> flavour siân blunos

Ingredients440g strong flourPinch salt1 tsp baking powder1½ tsp ground ginger1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp all spice1 tsp ground black pepper225g unsalted butter155g dark brown sugar185g golden syrup1 egg

MethodFor the biscuits1 Sift the flour, salt and

spices together in a bowl. Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

2 Mix in the syrup and egg, keep mixing and then add the flour and spices until a soft dough forms. Divide into two pieces and shape into a flat disc. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for several hours or overnight until firm enough to roll.

3 Pre-heat oven to 180°C/350°F, lightly grease two large baking sheets. On a lightly-floured surface roll out

half the dough (keep remaining dough in the fridge ) ¼ inch thick, cut out as many biscuits as possible and arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheet.

4 Bake until edges are lightly browned (approximately 10 to 12 minutes), allow to cool slightly and using a spatula remove biscuits to wire cooling racks and repeat with remaining trimmings and dough.

For the icing225g icing sugar1-2 tbsps warm waterSqueeze of lemon juiceNatural food colouring (optional)Edible glitter and sprinkles

1 Sift icing sugar into a bowl, stir in a little of the lemon juice and water, adding more if it is too thick. Add food colouring to the desired shade.

2 Sprinkle with edible glitter and let them be as creative as they want…make sure they help with the washing up too!

FESTIVE GINGER BREAD BISCUITSThese festive cookies are great fun to make with your children and lovely to give away. They do contain sugar but for a special treat are tasty and don’t contain any nasty artificial ingredients. The spice in these is quite delicate; just add 1 extra tsp of ginger if you like it hotter...

Chef, food writer, author and mother Siân Blunos is passionate about children’s health and their eating habits,

and believes that expanding your knowledge of food can only help benefit your child.

KNOW MAGICAL

FOOD

COOKING FOR COCOLike most busy mothers, Siân wanted to feed her baby well, but didn’t have a lot of free time on her hands. Her solution was to develop recipes using a wide variety of fresh, available foods, which could be batch-cooked and used to stock the freezer. Now, she always has a range of delicious dishes on hand, and you can too. With a little care and planning you can give even the youngest of children the experience of good, fresh food, which is tasty and nutritious.

To order a personally signed copy of Cooking for Coco for only £8.50 (including postage), RRP £9.99, email [email protected]

I love Christmas time – for me it is the best time of the year. It is a time for family and friends, traditions and treats; a time to bring the family together around food. It is of course especially magical for children. From November onwards it is non-stop, what with preparations at school, the nativity plays, carol services, Christmas parties and Christmas bazaars, not forgetting Santa’s grottos. You can feel the children’s excitement building up towards the end of November and the month of December is non-stop fun for them. My daughter Coco’s social

calendar was far more exciting than mine this year (not bad for a ten-year-old).

After all the excitement of decorating the house and tree, cooking and shopping (in other words running yourself ragged) the big day comes and goes in a flash leaving us all feeling a little deflated, so we ask ourselves – how can we keep our little ones busy and content?

Coco never tires of cooking – it’s creative and fun and keeps her away from the telly and

computer games.

> flavour green park brasserie

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GREEN PARK BRASSERIE

Reputations stand up to the test as Melissa Blease visits one of Bath’s well-loved institutions…

Bath’s Green Park Station was built by the Midland Railway Co in 1870...but closed as a result of the Beeching

Cuts in 1966. Thanks to the Ethical Property Company, however, the former station is today a beautifully restored, magnificent example of Victorian-era architectural splendour, at the heart of which the Green Park Brasserie (occupying the former booking hall) takes all-comers on a journey through contemporary social life in the Heritage City, zeroes=style.

Spacious but with plenty of intimate nooks and crannies to cosy up in and featuring a well-stocked bar and menus that waltz from morning coffee and pastries through lunch, afternoon tea and early bird dining deals before segueing into full-on dinnertime blowouts, the GPB is a longstanding cornerstone of the Bath merrymaking scene, highly regarded for keeping music (predominantly jazz) live.

The indoor/outdoor patio to the rear forms the social epicentre of Bath’s best markets (farmers’ every Saturday and all manner of crafty/arty events throughout the year), while further al-fresco opportunities beyond the main entrance offer a very pleasant buffer between traffic-heavy thoroughfare and relaxing urban oasis. If the GPB had a star sign, it would be a Gemini – a charming social butterfly with an innate aptitude for multi-tasking.

From a snug corner table on a raised platform offering splendid people (and live band) watching opportunities, dinner at the GPB began with three pleasantly plump crab and spring onion beignets accompanied by a lighthearted, caper-infused salad and a wasabi mayonnaise just punchy enough to make its presence felt. Offering similarly enticing appeal to my guest, half-a-dozen fingers of deep fried halloumi came with

a lively tomato, pesto and pine nut salad that shrewdly offset the density of the cheese. Both starters were beautifully presented, and both subtly displayed the essential credentials (confidence, competence, charisma) that showcase an accomplished kitchen without overtly showing off. For mains, a big, juicy Hinton ribeye steak bathed in a rich Bath Blue Cheese sauce teamed with field mushrooms and a stack of real chips proved to be a supremely satisfying, man-sized treat, while my decision to sample a lighter, more ladylike fish dish did not go unrewarded: two neat fillets of Cornish gurnard resting on a smooth potato and chive cake surrounded by sugar snap peas and a brace of mussels all gently bathed in a subtle chive cream sauce proved to be another well-considered dish, each component presented to its best advantage. Diners of a less gluttonous persuasion would have ended their GPB journey here, at the point of total satiation. But to do so would be to walk away from the opportunity to explore menu territories that really shouldn’t be overlooked. An apple crumble cheesecake (two classics in one incarnation – what’s not to love?) came with a jammy blackberry compote and a refreshingly light crème anglaise, while a salaciously creamy crème brûlée was a textbook-perfect manifestation of the genre, teamed with a freshly-baked, oaty flapjack that served as a stand-alone treat in its own right.

Throughout our joyful jaunt, local legend Gavin Lazarus crooned his way through a set-list of smooth jazz standards, a well-priced, thoroughly decent Tempranillo flowed and service was friendly and unobtrusive; little wonder then that the Green Park Brasserie maintains a solid reputation as a reliably good Bath institution well worth making regular return trips to.

Green Park StationBath BA1 1JB

01225 338565www.greenparkbrasserie.com

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> flavour green park brasserie

If the GPB had a star sign, it would be a Gemini – a charming social butterfly with an innate aptitude for multi-tasking.

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teen chef the

James Underdown – flavour’s 14-year-old budding chef – has been back in the kitchen this month to serve up another one of his mouthwatering treats.

Well, this month my GCSE catering course is in full swing. Over the past month I’ve made all sorts of delicacies, from chow mein to sausage rolls and sweet and sour pork to Viennese biscuits. I’ve got my first piece of coursework looming in the near future in which I have to bake and present (using quality control, which means making two portions the same size) four dishes in only two hours.

This month’s recipe is all ‘Christmassy’ and uses the mincemeat I made in school along with puff pastry. I like to call them mince twirls. I much prefer these to normal mince pies as I find too much mincemeat quite sickly. I’ve just been informed that one Heston Blumenthal is advertising a similar sort of Christmas treat, with essence of Christmas infused icing sugar or something like that. But I always think it better to make it yourself in your own laboratory.

Mince TwirlsIngredientsFor the pastry250g of plain flourPinch of salt125g of lard and butter (at room temp)150g of cold waterTeaspoon of lemon juice

For the mincemeat125g grated cooking apple125g raisins, sultanas and currants 125g soft brown sugar125g shredded suet25g mixed peel2 teaspoons of mixed spice50ml brandy

Method1 Pre-heat the oven to 180oC and grease two baking

trays. Sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Break the butter and lard into clumps and rub them into the flour. You should still be able to see chunks in the bowl.

2 Make a well, pour two thirds of the water and lemon juice in and mix until a firm dough forms. Add extra water if needed. Cover with cling film, then leave to rest for 20 minutes in the fridge. Put all the ingredients for the mincemeat in a large bowl and thoroughly mix together.

3 Take the pastry out of the fridge and place it on a floured surface. Roll out into a rectangle. Now here comes the boring part; fold a third over and do the same the other side so you have three layers of pastry. Then roll out again. Repeat this as many times as you want, the more you do it the puffier your pastry will be. Cover and leave again for 20 minutes.

4 Place on a floured surface again and roll out rectangles of pastry 15 x 20cm. Spread the mincemeat on, making sure it doesn’t go right to the edges and roll. Now cut in to three, 5cm across. Do this for however many twirls you want. Egg-glaze them and bake until golden brown. Lovely.

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> flavour white row farm

james griffith at white row farm cafe & restaurantJames is 29 and joined White Row in May this year with a view to making the farm shop cafe a foodie destination, rather than just a convenient place for a coffee. He knew he wanted to work as a chef from the age of 15 when he got a job washing up in a local restaurant, and has since worked at several prestigious venues including The Angel at Heytesbury (where he was head chef for three years), Babington House, Bianco Nero in London and Michel Bras in the South of France.

Can you describe your approach to cooking?My approach is very simple: I get the most out of great ingredients, using simple techniques to maximise flavour.

What are your plans for the farm shop cafe?I really want to create a relaxed atmosphere in the cafe where people can feel comfortable, where they will want to come specially for a wonderful full English breakfast first thing in the morning, a great homemade burger with some friends in the evening, or a delicious afternoon tea.

What are your favourite winter ingredients? At the moment the root vegetables are superb on the farm, lovely, huge parsnips that hold their sweetness and are a great accompaniment to the roast White Row pork on Sundays. Also I’m really into cooking game (the season is in full swing at the moment) so I’m looking forward to picking up some lovely pheasant or partridge for the specials board.

How do you use produce from the farm shop on your menus? Garry in The Scallop Shell fishmongers at White Row is always on hand to let me know what fish is at its best and at what time of the

year, as are Heather and Steve with the veg on the farm. There really is nothing better as a chef than walking about ten yards to get the highest quality fish from Garry and superb vegetables and pork from the farm.

Does your evening menu differ much from the lunchtime one?In the evenings there won’t be a set menu apart from the steaks. I am only using what’s seasonal and of high quality on that day and the menus will be written out on blackboards before service. That way everything stays fresh and new. There will be a couple of favourites making a regular appearance on the menu, such as beer-battered pollack with hand-cut chips, homemade mushy peas and tartare sauce.

Which famous chef do you most admire and why?Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall; he never compromises on quality ingredients, seasonality or sustainability.

Have you ever had any cooking disasters?Too many to count!

Lastly, can you tell us a joke? THow do you confuse an idiot?459

White Row FarmBeckingtonFromeSomersetBA11 6TN

01373 830798www.whiterowcountryfoods.co.uk

> flavour fat of the land

If you fall into the category of those who cook turkey just because it’s Christmas, you might like to consider some other fabulous centrepieces for your annual family feast…

Martin’s Meats is a premium-quality retail and catering butchers that supplies some of the top pubs, hotels and restaurants in Cheltenham and the Cotswolds, and was set up in 2003 by farmer Martin Gilder.

Whilst farming and dealing in livestock, Martin noted that there was a shortage in the area of locally produced good quality meat. He therefore started his own butchers business specialising in high quality dry-matured meat, reared either on his own farm-assured farm in Gretton, near Winchcombe, or from farm-assured farms in the Cotswolds.

Traditional breeds of cattle are used, such as Aberdeen Angus, Hereford and South Devon, but also use rare breeds such as Longhorns, Old Gloucester, White Park, Highland and Belted Galloway.

The butchers beat off tough competition to take home the top award at the recent Heart of England Fine Foods (HEFF)

Diamond Awards. The company’s 28-day aged Longhorn fillet steak won first place in the meat product category, and then beat nine other finalists to win the special Diamond Award for Taste.

The judges said: “This product had a beautiful colour, shape and size, was delicate and smooth with a distinctive flavour and effortlessly melted in the mouth.” Martin said: “It’s really amazing, I’m absolutely shocked. I thought it was great to win the meat category but then to win the overall award for taste was just fantastic. It’s nice to be recognised in this way for everything we’ve done; hopefully this will open some doors for us.” Martin’s Meats was one of our first local suppliers and we at flavour are delighted for his success!

For the best dry-matured meat in the area look no further; cut out the middlemen and get quality Cotswold meat straight from the farm.

Martin’s MeatsUnit 5Orchard Industrial EstateToddingtonCheltenhamGL54 5EB

01242 621493www.martinsmeats.com

Martin’s Meats

Fat

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of the


The Alternative Meats Company is located in the rural market town of Wem, in Shropshire, created through the passion of Jeannie Edgar and Rachel Godwin. Their experience started in the British ostrich industry in 1996 and their interest in unusual meats quickly progressed, forming the foundations for this exciting business. The initial product range of ostrich and wild boar has greatly increased and continues to grow on demand from customers seeking out these unusual alternatives to pork, chicken, lamb and beef. The range now includes seasonal oven-ready British game such as mallard, pheasant, partridge, wood pigeon, grouse, venison and rabbit, as well as their more exotic listings of South African game - springbok, kudu, zebra, ostrich, wildebeest and crocodile, and from Australia, kangaroo and camel. In addition, Alternative Meats have produced a range called “Deliciously

Different” which has evolved from within the British Isles, and includes rose veal from Cumbria, Welsh wagyu from Montgomeryshire, kid goat from Cheshire and wild boar from Scotland. Jeannie and Rachel have appeared on the BBC Two cookery show, Ready Steady Cook and more recently the Good Food Channel’s Market Kitchen Great Adventure. Last year saw the publication of their cookery book, the Exotic Meats Cookbook - A-Z Antelope to Zebra, published worldwide in hardback by Harper Collins. This year Alternative Meats launched a new product, Welsh wagyu fat, (available exclusively in Harrods) which they entered into the Gold Taste Awards and for which they received the highest accolade of three gold stars! This put the product into the top 35 out of 7,500 products entered, and added to their triumphs in the remainder of the competition, where they collected another four gold stars in total for Welsh

wagyu steaks and their Heaves Farm rose veal fillet. They were rewarded for their hard work at the end of the evening when they were handed the “Golden Fork” trophy for Best First Time Entrant into the prestigious awards. Alternative Meats LimitedThe Dutch BarnHighfield FarmWemShropshireSY4 5UN

0844 545 6070www.alternativemeats.co.uk

Alternative Meats

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Fatof the Land

If you’re looking for premium quality beef that tastes like it ought to taste, look no further than Newton Farm, in Newton St Loe, Bath. At Newton Farm the beef suckler herd freely grazes parkland designed by the seminal landscape architect Capability Brown, the calves staying with their mothers and growing slowly and naturally.

Hugh Gay – a third generation Duchy of Cornwall tenant – has grown his butchery business by always maintaining the highest quality. All Newton Farm beef is dry-aged by hanging the carcass for approximately four weeks. The flavour and tenderness attained through this method speaks for itself. Whether you choose a traditional rib of beef on the bone, or a fillet for beef Wellington, or simply some diced stewing steak for a hearty casserole, you will realise why Newton Farm beef has gained the reputation it has simply by word of mouth; it’s out of this world!

Hugh and Celia have developed their farm butchery for customers to call in, and have experienced butchers on site six days a week. The expert advice that they offer means you’ll be leaving with just the cut of meat you require. Newton Farm also sells a range of other locally-sourced meats, dairy products, eggs, preserves and locally-grown vegetables.

Newton Farm, Bath BA2 9BT01225 873707www.newtonfarmfoods.co.uk

Newton Farm Foods

Staying organized and adaptable to people and change has been the secret to Goodman’s success and has insured their position at the heart of the community.

What initially started out as a hobby quickly developed into an award winning family business. Judy Goodman elaborates: “It began in 1981 when my mother in law complained that she couldn’t source any geese for Christmas. By 1982 I had 26 goslings on the lawn.” The farm is now the home to 4300 geese and 4200 turkeys.

Judy modestly tells of her award from Worcester life, given with recognition for her outstanding service to agriculture. The geese won the Diamond award for taste and presentation for the Heart of Fine Food. Quite an accolade of achievement.

Delia Smith, Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall have all recommended Goodman’s Geese as one of the leading meat suppliers in the area – high praise, highly deserved.

Goodman’s GeeseWalsgrove FarmGreat WitleyWorcestershire WR6 6JJ

01299 896272www.goodmansgeese.co.uk

Goodman’s Geese Jon Thorner’s began with one simple

idea; source good food, locally.And for over 35 years Jon Thorner’s has been offering a diverse range of locally reared meat and regional produce. You will find traditional and exciting choices for your Christmas feast; pop in and speak to one of their skilled butchers who will offer advice and prepare your choice of meat how you want it.

The master butchers and pie making business has grown from a single farm shop to a franchise of butchery counters across the South West, including counters at at Farrington’s Farm shop, Frome Valley Farm Shop, Radstock Co-operative, Street Co-operative and Whiterow Country Farm Foods.

Try one of their award-winning pies such as the Beef & Stilton, which received the acclaimed Diamond Award, presented by Heston Blumenthal. Each pie, quiche and dessert is individually crafted by hand.

You will find an abundance of locally-made chutneys, sauces and beverages at Bridge Farm Shop in Pylle, because they use over 25 suppliers within ten miles of the shop, including the award winning James Chocolates and Barbers cheese.

Jon Thorner’s Bridge Farm ShopPylle, Shepton Mallet BA4 6TA01749 830138www.jonthorners.co.uk

Jon Thorner’s

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Fatof the Land

Set-up by city boy James Mansfield and farmer’s son James Flower, field&flower offers a variety of premium Somerset meat, delivered monthly throughout the UK from Home Farm in the Gordano Valley. The pair have recently launched a brand new range featuring the very best Somerset and South West game, with two seasonal box options available until the end of February.The game is wild and sourced from estates local to their own farm. The range includes rabbit, venison (red or fallow deer), pheasant, wood pigeon, duck (mallard), hare and partridge. The set game boxes are available from £25.95 including free delivery.

Fellow South Westerner Mark Hix comments: ‘The South West is known as the larder of Britain and for good reason. field&flower have gone out of their way to source the best game this region has to offer’.Their website allows you to create your own monthly meat box from just £55, delivered straight to your door. You can change the content of your box on a monthly basis for ultimate flexibility.

www.fieldandflower.co.uk

Field & flower

Bartlett & Sons Family Butchers are traditional butchers based in Bath, covering the surrounding area. A local stalwart, Bartlett & Sons have been supplying top-quality meat since 1931. They source their meat locally to ensure the quality and use no chemicals or additives to artificially enhance their produce.

All the meat is prepared using traditional butcher methods and beef is matured for over 21 days to ensure you get the most tender and succulent steak possible. As well as providing beef, lamb, pork and bacon they also manufacture their own sausages and burgers on the premises. Bartlett & Sons also stock turkey, venison, rabbit and seasonal game such as partridge.

The team of butchers are highly trained, professional, courteous and friendly. Bartlett & Sons supply meat to commercial businesses as well as to the general public.

Retail: 10/11 Green StreetBath BA1 2JZ01225 466731

Catering: Cheltenham StreetBath BA2 3EX01225 425258

www.bartlettandsons.co.uk

BartletT & Sons

Three Counties Fine FoodsWhat could be better than purebred beef reared in the beautiful countryside of Herefordshire?

Three Counties Fine Foods dedicate time into hand-selecting their beef from neighbouring farms. The beef is hung for a minimum of 14 days in quarters, after which the carcass is expertly cut into prime joints to be hung on the bone for a further 14 days. This amount of time is dedicated to the Hereford beef to allow for butter-like tenderness and a full flavour that just can’t be beaten. A variety of Hereford beef selection boxes can be bought and delivered nationwide. What better way to kick-start the New Year than to treat yourself to the best beef you have ever been fortunate enough to taste?

Three Counties are giving away a massive Mixed Meat Box containing all the meat to feed a family for a month including roasts, mince, diced, sausage and bacon! Send an email headed FLAVOUR3COUNTIES with your contact details to [email protected] to win.

01432 882359www.tcfoods.co.uk

> flavour boat house

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Situated just outside the sandstone city of Bath, on the banks of the river Avon, The Boathouse is an aesthetic departure from the Georgian symmetry omnipresent throughout the city. With a wooden-slatted frontage and plenty of outside decking, the riverside inn exudes a distinctly nautical air; it looks as though many a summer’s day could be spent happily here, sipping Pimm’s and pink lemonades in deck chairs with the jumper-you-really-didn’t-need draped insouciantly across a bench. One can only speculate, as when we arrived the weather was distinctly Baltic; a stroll around the exterior short-lived as we soon sought sanctuary from the elements.

With what could be considered the main selling point of The Boathouse – its great location and al fresco potential – effectively nullified by winter, the onus was perhaps placed more on the quality of the provenance to provide the experience.

The inn is certainly well appointed; dark wood and leather furnishings in muted hues give the place a warm and essentially classical English feel. The dining room takes the naval club theme further; colourful racks of ties hang amongst framed photos of swimmers and rowers from days of yore. In one particularly inviting corner stacks of leather-bound volumes sit above a high wooden bench. Here we nestled.

After much deliberation we eventually opted for a seafood platter (£10.95) to share as a starter. Presented on a large wooden slab, our platter contained deep-fried whitebait – delicious mopped-up with aioli – juicy smoked salmon and little cockles whose subtle flavour contrasted nicely with the the smoky tang of their companions. Sitting astride the platter was a pair of hefty king prawns in their shells. We disembowelled them with joy.

A Chablis (£23) was selected to accompany our feasting. The wine was excellent, sweeter

than one would expect from that region, with flinty notes and more than a hint of elderflower.

Next up on the agenda was a rib-eye steak for me, at £15.99 by far the priciest item on the menu, (I’m a sucker for rib-eye) but comparatively cheap for a premium cut of beef, which it certainly was: tender, moist and succulent, it was served with all the trimmings, including a beurre maison.

My companion opted for grilled chicken breast stuffed with chorizo and brie (£10.95) – again, fairly inexpensive. He loved the flavours, and the creamy cheese sauce that it was served with, but I had to agree with him that the chorizo and brie may have been better off roughly cut and retaining their texture, rather than being reduced to a paste. The portions were very sizeable, but we managed to ready ourselves for another course. Matt was served a chocolate brownie (£4.99) roughly the size of a brick, accompanied by cherry ice cream. The brownie had a lovely glazed crust on the outside, which cracked satisfyingly when attacked with a spoon.

Old sweet tooth went for the treacle tart (£4.99), which was served with vanilla ice cream alongside an array of fruit coulis. No complaints here – as much justice was done to this old classic as the brownie. While the dessert menu was unadventurous, what was on offer was executed well. Rather that than some exotic effort gone awry.

As a place to go out of your way to visit the summer months may well be when The Boathouse comes in to its own, and for those who are in the area it’s definitely a damn sight better than your average roadside pub, in terms of both what’s on your plate and the surroundings. I for one would happily dine there again, and I won’t be forgetting that rib-eye for a while. ■

The Boathouse is just off the main road between Bath and Bristol, making it ideally suited for weary travellers – but is it worth the trip as a destination in itself? Louis Labron-Johnson investigates…

the boathouse

The BoathouseNewbridge RoadLower LansdownBathBA1 2PP

01225 482584www.boathousebath.com

Sitting astride the platter was a pair of hefty king prawns in their shells. We disembowelled them with joy.

> flavour heritage prime

82

fiddling while rome burns...BY IAN BELL

It seems to be an inescapable fact that, eventually, organised human society becomes its own worst enemy...

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> flavour heritage prime

A s one generation passes along, a sort of complacency, possibly born of world-weariness,

spiritual disdain or, perhaps, simple self-satisfaction, takes hold. ‘cultural’ change comes about as if by stealth: no desire for such change is expressed overtly yet, somehow, the levers are set, ignition engaged and, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, change is quickly come upon us. Culture decays in value. Of course, it has to be said that change, innovation and movement can bring great benefits and even, sometimes, a sense of hope.

But we must accept also, that change can be malevolent, a deliberate and subversive sneak-thief.

Nowhere is this phenomenon better illustrated than in the curious rise of our supermarket culture and, (in case you ask) this has everything to do with flavour, for the distinctive taste of your food - the tang, its very spirit – and the nutritional benefits you expect it to convey, are directly linked to an essence of the land culture from which it springs.

This ‘culture of land’, hewn over long centuries of gathered wisdom, has been coldly misappropriated in the name of big retail businesses which, masquerading as some kind of ‘family friend’, have consciously swept away planning laws, designed expressly by those who have gone before, to protect our precious communities – villages, town centres and people from the Orwellian state of affairs that now surrounds us. A scene now prevails that is offensive only to those who can recall the shopping landscape (and the personalities who populated it!) before the retail behemoths began to take a stranglehold on shoppers and to fashion them into a kind of ‘club card robot’. The British farmer, your most trusty ‘bellwether’, has been assaulted by this same false notion of change, going under the name of ‘progress’. Ultimately, malign commercial influences have exerted themselves relentlessly on our country’s farms, to the extent that small, family farms are rendered unviable, local wisdom is annihilated and formerly close-knit communities are dispersed. Our erstwhile ‘big society’, far from being a politician’s brainchild, was fostered in the high street shops of our towns and villages. We were indeed a nation of shopkeepers – and a nation that was, at the same time, the most powerful in the world. Taking responsibility for the provenance of our food was an integral part of the shopkeeper’s craft, his shop a place where a deep trust was established with his customers who were, after all, his neighbours. He had no brand, no avaricious, anonymous shareholders to satisfy and no desire to ‘grow’ his business, but he knew his business. In the context of all of the above, ‘progress’ is become a robber, the word a mere euphemism for the commercial sleight of hand which has in turn led to the consolidation of small farms into large ‘agricultural units’.

But, hands up! It is we who have colluded in the rise of what must be seen as an abomination of grocer-ship, we who have been ‘taken in’. It is our lack of wisdom that threatens ‘those yet to follow’, be they butterflies, bees or babies.

Unless, with a will, we turn our backs on shopping in the marbled halls of the supermarket, entering them not even so much as for a newspaper, then we shall have no right to call ourselves intelligent, let alone wise.

In late 2011, a new branch of Waitrose will have been completed at Poundbury, near Dorchester. It is a novel building, constructed on what was once first-rate, species-rich, chalk farmland. It is a concrete irony that this is an edifice whose very grandeur resembles nothing so much as The Colosseum itself and whose imperious façade belies a poverty of ecological conscience and a scant regard for agricultural, spiritual, human necessities. The benighted melodies that pour from the strings of our contemporary fiddles must be causing our Roman ancestors to spin in their graves, as they whisper, “Be warned, Every Little Hurts – a lot!” www.heritageprime.co.uk

heritage prime

Elizabeth Shaw is one of the UK’s longest-established and best-loved chocolate brands, and is famous for its timeless classics, such as the iconic Chocolate Mint Crisp, and Famous Names Liqueurs.

The company also has a whole range of delicious and contemporary flavours, such as Milk Chocolate Butterscotch and Dark Chocolate Caramel, all with Elizabeth Shaw’s melt-in-the-mouth honeycomb crisp. With so many moreish options on offer, you certainly won’t be disappointed.

Perfect for a festive gift, Elizabeth Shaw’s Mint Collection could be just the thing – a sophisticated selection of dark and milk chocolates, infused with their own specially-selected mint oil, and with a gorgeous decorative seal around the pack, this makes the perfect prezzie.

For an alternative festive surprise, you simply must try their renowned Famous Names Liqueur chocolates, now also available in a super large pack, a must for any liqueur lover! Featuring deliciously smooth liqueur centres encased in rich dark chocolate, these classic chocolates are made to a unique recipe, giving youa luxurious experience every time.

12 Becket CourtPucklechurchBristol BS16 9QG

Call: 0117 9371 200www.elizabethshaw.co.uk

> flavour loves

84

flavourTHIS MONTH’S MUST DO, BUY & SEE...

Elizabeth Shaw is most certainly one of the premier confectioners this country has, don’t miss out on the gorgeous treats they have on offer

Elizabeth Shaw

La PiazzaLa Piazza Restaurant has won again! They have been recognized by Papa Pasta & Pizza food Association and become a Gold Award winner for Italian restaurant of the year 2011.

If that was not enough, they were shortlisted for the Evening Post Restaurant of the Year award and came second out of 10 very well known restaurants in Bristol. Congratulations to all of the La Piazza team for their hard work in achieving great results.

The restaurant has been awarded for consistency in providing high food standards and professional service to their customers, making their La Piazza experience ‘indimenticabile!’ So with the festive celebration times ahead why not visit La Piazza and experience it for yourself?

Between two branches (Aztec West and Thornbury) La Piazza can cater for any occasion, whether it’s your birthday, anniversary, private function, business meeting, chilled out pizza night, romantic dinner for two, takeaway service, Christmas family meal, New Year’s Eve Party… everyone is looked after.

Once again, congratulations to La Piazza and keep up the great work. We are all looking forward to next year’s challenge.

Unit 1, Aztec Centre, Aztec West Almondsbury, Bristol BS32 4TD

Call: 01454 201778

No. 4 High Street, Thornbury Bristol BS35 2AQ

Call: 01454 414500www.lapiazza-bristol.co.uk

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> flavour loves

A tasty winter menu has been put together for evening dining in December, where the café is opening on Friday and Saturday evenings. This will become a regular feature in the new year from February onwards. The Avenue café has been very well received by local residents.

Avenue Café, 112 Emerson Way Emerson’s Green, Bristol BS16 7AS

Call: 01173 050505www.avenue-cafe.com

Avenue Café The retro Avenue Café located in Henleaze has recently re-opened its site in Emerson’s Green, in a more contemporary setting where you can find the same great coffee and homemade cakes, providing quality products and service. Offering an extensive all-day breakfast menu, as well as an array of classic café cuisine, from sandwiches to paninis, pasta dishes to delicious risottos and a variety of daily specials and also a great value set menu.

Sample of the Evening Menu

STARTERSThai fishcakes on a bed of

salad with chilli jam - £5.75

Filo pastry parcel stuffed

with goat’s cheese & courgette

mousse with a sundried

tomato coulis - £5.00

MAINSRoasted duck breast in a

griottine cherry sauce - £14.95

Sundried tomato, courgette &

mushroom risotto, with a

hint of cream - £10.50

All mains served with seasonal

vegetables and a choice of sautéed

potatoes or potato gratin

DESSERTS

Vanilla pannacotta served

with a berry compote - £4.75

Tarte au citron, creamy rich filling,

with crème fraiche & raspberries - £5.50

Brisco GourmetBristol-based importers of French jams and confitures of the highest quality, Brisco Gourmet rely on traditional recipes and techniques – free from artificial flavourings and additives – to produce sensational vacuum-cooked products that retain the full flavour and texture of the fruit.

Select online from inspiring flavours of gourmet confitures, fruit and herb fusions of well-being jams, healthy 100 per cent fruit jams, delicious blends of relishes for cheese, smooth fruit compotes and amazing stuffed prunes that will make the perfect gift or simply brighten up your day.

Jam flavours include rose petals, orange-chocolate, chestnut-vanilla, peach-cranberry, raspberry-lychee and rhubarb-speculoos…

www.briscogourmet.com

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Get ready for Christmas! Visit us and shop online

Gastro NicksThe finest foods and wine direct from top artisan producers. Bringing Europe’s finest foods direct from producer to consumer, we at Gastro Nicks deliver delicious, high-quality goods and seasonal produce to all of our customers.

Extra Virgin Oil imported from Crete, Sicily and Tuscany • Tuscan-Infused Olive Oil • Homemade Dressings • Genuine Aged Balsamic Vinegar - Modena • Italian and French Products • English Farm House • Cheese and Chutney • Sicilian Cheese • Salami • Hampers • DOCG Prosecco • Wines

Unit 4, Garlands Estate, Cadley Road Collingbourne Ducis, SN8 3EB Call: 01264 852701 Email: [email protected]

> flavour loves

> flavour the ultimate match

88

the ultimate match

It really wouldn’t be the festive season if I wasn’t allowed to overindulge in cheese. When I was a student my cheese consumption used to consist of mild cheddar and the odd bit of mozzarella when it came attached to a pizza. Back in those days the cheese aisle at the supermarket was a somewhat confusing place – a bit like the wine aisle – but compared to the great array of products available to us now, it seems a tiny range in comparison.

Thankfully now the world of gastro pubs has made the traditional cheese board ‘cool’ again and it’s acceptable to be seen eating from one for anyone under the age of retirement. I’ve broadened my food horizons quite significantly since my university days – as well as wine, thankfully, with the bottles of Lambrini and sweet pink stuff firmly banished to the memory banks. However, with all the different cheese options available and an increasingly diverse range from the UK, it’s impossible to know everything inside out. Which is why it’s always great to get a cheese board with some unknown names and new flavours. Yes it’s a confusing category but – like wine, it’s easy to find one that you like. And on a cheese board it’s highly likely that you will find more than one that surprises you.

The other great thing, in my humble opinion, is the surprisingly versatile range of wines that work really well with different cheeses. In particular I’ve been surprised at white wine options with cheese. You do have to think about the type of flavours you’re pairing but some combinations are definitely worth the experimentation. Of course, if you’re more of a traditionalist then the heavy red or port choice is always a good one. Either way, here are a few options to get your taste buds tingling. It is the festive season after all, and where would we be without a little self-indulgence?

Wine columnist Clare Morris has over 10 years’ experience in the drinks industry, consulting with hotels, restaurants, pubs and bars across the UK. She is currently studying for a Diploma at the WSET London Wine and Spirit School.

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> flavour the ultimate match

Bocabar at the Paintworks, Bristol This venue is one of those places that truly works well all year round. It’s light and airy in the summer and wonderfully cosy and atmospheric in the winter. I could stay for hours lounging on sofas with lamps and candlelight at this time of year. Bocabar had the great idea of rotating a set of cheese and wine matches each week in the run-up to Christmas so there’s always something new to keep you interested. Far be it from me to tell you which is best – I suggest you try them all and decide for yourselves.

The Albion, Clifton, BristolA true gastro pub, by which I mean a beautifully rustic and British pub-feel, serious wine list and interesting, excellently-presented food menu. Gastro pubs get a bad press but for me they are everything that I love about the British ‘on trade’ – somewhere to relax with a top-quality drink, plus the option of a great meal without having to move so much as 20 yards down the road. The Albion has a fabulous new wine list ready to launch, which has some lovely options to pair up with our cheese quest. This cheese board is a mix of British and French artisan cheeses served with walnut bun, chutney and oatcakes – something for everyone. I love the rich fruit flavours of the Blackstone Merlot from California, the perfect match of quality and depth yet wonderfully easy to drink. If you want to go the whole hog, you can indulge in a single quinta port by Dow’s. Single quinta ports are made from a single vintage, in years not deemed quite good enough to reach vintage status. They offer excellent value for money and personally, I couldn’t tell the difference from a vintage!

WhiteWine: Denbies Flint Valley Cheese: Somerset Brie The lightness and zestiness of the wine will balance the elegant, yet creamy flavour of the brie.

RedWine: Armindale Estate Unoaked Cabernet Sauvignon Cheese: Worthy Farm Cheddar Here we have firm tannins to soften the tanginess of the cheese – giving it a richer flavour and smoother texture.

Wine: Barossa Valley E Minor Shiraz Cheese: Exmoor Blue Almost port-like in its flavour, this Shiraz will beautifully match the intensity and saltiness of the cheese.

White Wine: Rare Vineyards Marsanne Viogner Cheese: Cornish Yarg Ripe fruit and richness to balance the savoury and tangy flavour of the cheese.

RoséWine: Fair Horizons Pinotage Rosé Cheese: Pennard Ridge A light and fruity option for our wine is exactly what a goats’ cheese needs.

www.bocabar.co.uk

www.thealbionclifton.co.uk

> flavour cheese, wine & biscuits

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Few things are as well-matched as cheese, wine and biscuits. Pair brie, Gorgonzola or good old Cheddar with oatcakes, crackers or Ryvita and a good glass of wine to experience the definitive winter indulgence...

cheese, wine & biscuitsFudgesFudges’ range of savoury biscuits offers the perfect treat for everyone this festive season. The delicious Biscuits for Cheese Selection Box or Cheddar Wafers are the perfect accompaniment to any cheese board, while the brand new Cheese Party Pack – jam-packed with all your cheese board essentials – is the ultimate option for any dinner party. Brimming with favourites like Oat and Thyme Squares, Marmite Flatbreads and Stilton Topped Cheese Straws, this luxurious bundle of biscuits is sure to see you all the way through Christmas and well into the New Year.

Fudges’ range of sweet and savoury biscuits, cakes and flatbreads are available from most major supermarkets, delis and farm shops, and the Fudges online shop.

The Somerset Brandy CompanyPass Vale Farm, on the southern edge of the Somerset Levels, is as picturesque as can be. Half-timbered outhouses surround a courtyard filled with wooden barrels, crates of bottles and apple cartons. Daisy, the elderly farm pony, surveys the scene from her stable door as a pair of pigs rootle beneath an ancient apple tree. It’s very Darling Buds of May.

Pass Vale’s Somerset Pomona is a blend of vintage apples grown in the famous orchards of Burrow Hill in South Somerset and Somerset cider brandy. It is matured in small oak barrels for two years to become a full-bodied warming digestif with a lingering aftertaste that is particularly good with a fine cheese. Treat like a port.

www.fudges.co.uk

www.ciderbrandy.co.uk www.averys.com

Averys Wine MerchantsFor all your Christmas wines pop into Averys historic Bristol Cellars.

Averys is a Bristol stalwart, whose traditional values and nose for fine – yet affordable – wines have stood them in good stead for over 200 years.

There are over 1000 wines to choose from and a number that are open daily for you to taste. You’ll also find a wide range of ports, Sauternes and other fine wines to serve with cheese this Christmas.

Visit Averys Cellars today. Open until 4pm on Christmas Eve.

Free delivery BS1 to BS9 postcodes.

Averys, Culver St Cellars Bristol BS1 5LD

Call: 0117 921 4146

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> flavour cheese, wine & biscuits

Simon Weaver Cotswold Organic DairySimon Weaver’s dairy is an organic family farm set deep in the beautiful Cotswolds that has been producing fresh creamy milk and exquisite brie cheeses for three generations.

Since the start of production, Simon and his team have been inundated with awards, including several from ‘Taste of the West’, and a gold medal from the World Cheese Awards.

Simon Weaver follows a traditional method of organic farming, and places great store in caring for the land and animal welfare. His organic herd enjoys a forage-based diet, and their milk production is not forced. Simon says, “We know that if our girls are happy, our cheeses will taste great too.”

As well as the classic organic Cotswold brie, the dairy also produces some interesting variations on the gooey fromage. Organic Cotswold blue-veined brie blends elements of brie and fine stilton, and has a rich texture that goes particularly well with pear.

Organic Cotswold herb brie contains a subtle mix of organic herbs, and is the perfect accompaniment to soft crusty wholemeal bread or rustic oatcakes.

Simon Weaver Cotswold Organic Dairy Kirkham Farm, Upper Slaughter Gloucestershire GL54 2JS

Call: 01451 870852

www.simonweaver.net

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> flavour cheese, wine & biscuits> flavour cheese, wine & biscuits

cheese, wine & biscuits

Somerset Cheese CompanySomerset Cheese Company is based on the collective skills of the three directors; experienced cheese maker Philip Rainbow and Anita and Nicholas Robinson, who undertake the practicalities of running a small business.

What makes them stand out as cheese makers is the quality and range of the cheeses they produce. Although only a small dairy, they produce high-quality, handmade artisan cheeses from several types of, as locally-sourced as possible, milk from goat, ewe, buffalo and cow.

Philip’s expertise is his ability to adapt traditional styles of cheese making to accommodate the differing types of milk producing the distinctive, award-winning cheeses.

Ditcheat Hill FarmDitcheat HillShepton Mallet BA4 6TL

01749 860237

www.somersetcheese.co.uk

PENNARD RIDGEBronze medal at British Cheese Awards 2008 at World Cheese Awards 2007, Silver medal at World Cheese Awards 2010 & 2011, 3 Gold Star Award at Great Taste Awards 2011.

Semi-hard cheese made from pasteurised goats’ milkThis cheese develops a good flavour within four weeks and so can be eaten young. Pennard Ridge is pale cream in colour and has a slightly open, chalky texture without being dry. The flavour initially, is fresh, clean and very slightly fruity with a lovely nutty ending that develops as the cheese matures. Overall, a light, refreshing cheese. Pennard Ridge takes its name from the geographical ridge on which the dairy sits, with wonderful views all around.

SIX SPIRESGold medal at British Cheese Awards 2009 and two gold awards at the Frome Cheese Show 2009, Bronze medal at British Cheese Awards 2010 & 2011, Best Speciality Cheese at Global Cheese Awards 2011.

Hard cheese made from unpasteurised cows’ milkSix Spires is a dense, slightly waxy cheese having a well-rounded, mature flavour which is full of character. This cheese can be matured for up to 15 months before consumption. Six Spires was named from the high ground the dairy sits on – six parish churches’ spires can be seen.

PENNARD REDBronze medal at British Cheese Awards 2007, Silver medal at World Cheese Awards 2011.

Hard cheese made from pasteurised goats’ milk Pennard Ridge Red is a coloured cheese. Annatto is used to achieve the traditional golden appearance of Red Leicester. It has a slightly ‘short’ texture and the flavour is full, being initially sweet and nutty with a slight sharp edge to finish. Pennard Ridge Red takes its name to link with the other goats’ milk cheeses produced at the dairy.

> flavour nick harman

94

Back in the days of punk, we used the word ‘dinosaur’ a lot. Hip in our straight leg jeans, spiked hair and festooned with chains we poured virulent scorn on bands like Led Zeppelin, The Who and their kind. ‘Dinosaur Rock!’ we sneered; all that ‘musicianship’, all that ability to play skilfully was a waste of time. All you needed was to have energy, a cheap guitar, knowledge of three chords and you were in a punk band.

And it was true up to a point. New bands popped up every day, almost every hour. You could be in Soho or Surbiton and every pub had some spotty kids lustily spitting out lyrics and leaping into the crowd for a fight. It was enormous fun, if a little messy.

The old ‘dinosaurs’ gloomily saw which way the wind had blown, sighed regretfully and packed up their concept albums and their three-necked guitars and retired to their large country manors and fish farms.

And so it came to pass that of all the hundreds of punk bands that had appeared, and were given the benefit of the doubt by music critics either old and in fear of their jobs, or young and uncalibrated, only a few lasted more than a month or two. Less got past a year. Today almost all their names are forgotten and the lead singers are holding down jobs at faceless companies while steadily losing their hair.

But the dinosaurs have not been forgotten, today’s young kids pull dad’s vinyl from the pile and note how good early Zeppelin and The Who were, they are inspired to join bands and

happy to cite their influences as ‘old skool’. They talk to me about it and I am embarrassed to admit that back in the ‘70s, under the influence of hormones, I slated quality music and often embraced rubbish just because it was fashionable at the time to do so.

Which finally brings me to restaurants. There is currently a London-led tendency to denounce any restaurant that has a carpet, clean linen and a waiter who doesn’t have prominent tattoos and an attitude, as ‘dinosaur dining’. Respectful, knowledgeable service is out, cooking from gut instinct is in. Scrape some lichen, unearth a root, sling it all in a pot and serve it on a trestle table – novelty is everything.

Now obviously I don’t want a return to the days when every dish came under a cloche, but at the same time there is surely a place for a restaurant catering for that special occasion? A restaurant that cooks classic good food, normally French, and which costs a bomb? Where chef has trained for years and not just bought a Thermomix and opened a Twitter account?

Just like those early punk bands, the majority of punk ‘chefs’ will be forgotten in a year while the classic chefs, like the classic bands, will find themselves once more praised to the skies by the very critics, who under pressure to conform, are happily slating them now. We shouldn’t be at all surprised when it happens. As dear old Led Zep liked to say, ‘the song remains the same.’

dinosaurs are not extinctAnd so it came to pass that Nick Harman realised there was nothing wrong with living in the past...

Nick Harman is editor of www.foodepedia.co.ukand was shortlisted last year for The Guild of Food Writer’s Restaurant Reviewer of the Year.

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