Tag Archives: food

Spiced Granola

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I always have a big glass jar of this granola in my kitchen. Made with honey,nuts seeds and oats it’s perfect for breakfast. At Christmas, I like to add cranberries instead of sultanas or apricots and mixed spice instead of cinnamon. But this is one of those recipes that provided you stick to the measurements for honey, oil and dry ingredients you can play around with the rest. Pecans, apricots, cherries and walnuts are just some of the ingredients I swap around. The white chocolate stars just add a bit more Christmas sparkle! Pack it up in bags for friends – I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a bag of crunchy honey sweetened goodness.

 Ingredientsxams-granola-crop

600g rolled oats
50g raw pumpkin seeds
50g sunflower seeds
50g milled flaxseed
50g flaked almonds
1 x 15ml spoon ground mixed spice
240ml clear honey (or maple syrup)
210ml sunflower oil
50g dried cranberries
50g crimson raisins
50g mini white chocolate stars (optional)

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180c. Place the first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl and combine.
  2. Place the honey (omit this step if you are using maple syrup) and oil in a plastic jug and microwave for 20-30 seconds or until runny (do not allow to boil)
  3. Add the honey and oil to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
  4. Line 2 baking sheets with non-stick paper and divide the granola between them.
  5. Bake for 25-30 minutes stirring occasionally or until the oats are golden brown.

 

Tips & tricks

  • Allow the granola to cool completely before storing for up to 6 weeks in an airtight jar
  • Use cinnamon instead of mixed spice
  • Stir the granola whilst its cooling otherwise it will set into a solid mass
  • Once it has cooled you can add dried fruit of your choice such as apricots, raisins, cranberries or sultanas
  • Never add the fruit before baking as it will harden and burn in the oven
  • Only add chocolate to the granola when it is completely cooled
  • Try using different nuts, spices and fruit

 

I buy a lot of my Christmas wrapping in Tiger (branch in the Friary Centre in Guildford and Peacock Shopping Centre in Woking)

Natter Cafe

Cafes, Coffee Shop, pop up cafe, Pop up Supper Club, Restaurants, Reviews, Take Away, Tea Shop, Vegetarian, , , , , , , , , , ,

67 St. Johns Street. Farncombe, GU7 3EH

 An award winning cafe where owner Kay has created a wonderful eating and meeting space, for the local community.

The Upside: Gorgeous coffee, freshly prepared traditional all day breakfasts, contemporary salads, savouries and freshly baked cakes.

The downside: This café is so busy you need to book in advance to guarantee a lunchtime table. It’s closed in the evening but they do run events.

The flipside: Buy tickets for one of their infamous supper clubs where you can BYO and indulge in some great food at prices that won’t break the bank.

Natter café is the type of success story I would wish for any new independent starting up in this challenging market. Winner of the Muddy Stilettos best cafe in Surrey award I can tell you why this business is making waves!

Kay is the creative force behind the Natter Café and her story starts with coffee beans. Her original foray into coffee was stall in Guildford’s North Street Market which she started with a business partner in 2002. They parted company but the stall was very successful and its still at the market today. Kay’s passion for coffee retailing saw her start a coffee van service and a kiosk at Farncombe station. Her standards of service are legendary. Ring the kiosk from your mobile and they will have a latte and a bacon butty ready to pass to you on the platform as your train passes through.

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Adoring customers always asked Kay when she was going to open a café. It wasn’t she says really on her radar, but when friend and estate agent John suggested a property he had would be perfect for this purpose it was a defining moment. Going on holiday the next day she had time to think it through and the rest is history. Kay is really pleased she took the plunge. Its clear she has really invested in this business the premises have been refurbished to a high standard and the result is a really lovely comfortable space.

Coffee comes from a roaster in Winchester and Kay uses single origin estate for filter coffee, which is brewed at your table. You can choose from single or double shots (from £1.50). Teas are from Canton teas known for their delicious blends many of them from Taiwan (from £2.50).

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Food is also freshly prepared on site apart from some of the cakes, which are made by local producers. Since opening Kay has never had to advertise for staff. She has she says been lucky enough to have lots of locals (mums, students, teenagers) regularly popping in asking for work. In addition she also has lots of expert cake makers offering to supply her too! I expect the welcoming warm space Kay has created has everything to do with this.

Food is prepared by two chefs in a compact kitchen hence the need to buy in cakes but also because this café is always busy. Come late for lunch and expect to wait for a table. Kay and her team have the formula just right here. A core menu with breakfasts and sandwiches are complimented by seasonal specials. Expect soup in the winter and salads in the summer. A full English breakfast with local butcher Wakelings sausages is £8.75 and a generous plateful. For smaller people or appetites you can go for a half size portion at £5.75 (I wish more eateries did this). Smoked salmon bagels are also on offer at £5.00.

specials-board

Arriving for lunch I ordered a salad of the specials board. It was a warmish autumnal day so it was a toss up between that or roasted carrot and butternut squash soup. The salad won as my favourites were featured here; beetroot, rocket, pine nut and feta with salad leaves and a light tasty dressing. I have a pet hate of salad leaves served naked (read my article here) but these were perfectly dressed. My plus one had bacon muffins with melted brie and salad, which he said was tasty, light and gooey. I didn’t really get a look in there but I trust his judgement.

natter-cafe-savouries

We were too full for cakes but we did have coffee, which was full flavoured and served really hot. We watched the other customers around us being served equally good-looking plates of food.

natter-cafe-and-cakes

 

I love this café its got good coffee and food at its core. Kay supports other locals by procuring her stock from them wherever possible (produce from the local greengrocer and meat from Wakelings and Black Barn)  and she provides local employment too. Her staff recently for her birthday treated her to a day spa when she thought she was just going to work. I think that says it all!

Go and give Natter a whirl – opening hours and menu on the website- link below.

01483 421303
and also at Farncombe Station on Platform 1 GU7 3NF / 07531 018190

 

Cellar Wines

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The Old Cellar, High Street, Ripley, Surrey, GU23 6BB

The upside: A truly inspiring wine and cheese shopping experience!

The downside: Only open 5 days per week, but until 8pm.

The flipside: Fantastic tailor made and off the shelf events!

When Cellar Wines opened in Ripley it was impossible to predict what an impact this unassuming new wine retailer could possibly have on our wine loving community. Ripley itself has emerged over the last few years as a bit of a culinary hotspot. Drakes a Michelin star restaurant is opposite, Pinnock’s an award winning coffee shop has been pivotal too, plus a fantastic farm shop at A. Luff & Sons at Ripley Nurseries on the outskirts of the village. In addition, local community leaders set up a monthly farmers market (second Saturday of the month) which has gained a dedicated following! That said it was a good bet that a wine shop would also be well received.

shop-and-manager-andy

Cellar wines is housed in a historical fifteenth-century building which during the second world war was purchased by a pharmacist Kenneth White. He is revered for being the first producer of penicillin for civilians and the shop now has a blue plaque to commemorate his contribution. So with a listed building and a mission for excellence this little shop opened quietly.

cellar-wines-blue-plaque-trio

When one of the founding partners left, the original investor took the helm and really unique elements started to unfold. Originally focused on French wines the shop now embraces the globe bringing in superb South African wines from the likes of rebel wine makers the Kloof Brothers, Galician artisan producer Benito Santos (I love the labelling on this wine) and award winning wines from Surrey itself. If you have ever stood in a supermarket staring at dismally at same old display of wines then this shop is for you. A bottle of ‘The flower and the bee’ costs only £12.80 here from an artisanal Spanish producer with vines growing on organic soil while in contrast, a bottle of High Clandon Cuvee Reserve Vintage will set you back £45.00. In fact, all the bottles of wine have an interesting story and I would be proud to take any of these to any wine and food event.

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If you like advice on what to buy then Manager Andy Walton and assistant David Hefford are on hand to help. What I love about the staff here is their brilliant customer service. There is no wine snobbery at play just a desire to share their knowledge of their truly eclectic and interesting selection of wines and spirits with their customers. Prices here start at the accessible for all and rise to aficionado status and this is for some a special occasion retail experience. Guided by knowledgeable staff, a great selection of tasting samples plus a fantastic range of expertly curated options, creates an exciting retail experience. Judging by the rave reviews of the shop it’s a shared opinion.

Local vineyards are featured and celebrated here too. It’s been a hugely important decade in England for winemakers and we have several award winning vineyards in Surrey. Greyfriars and the Albury Estate, for example, are within 10 miles of the shop as is Clandon. In addition to wines you will find local superstar craft gin Silent Pool and newcomer Mews too. Craft beers are also on offer such as Hop Art based in Farnham. A collaboration by native Belgian and Italian beer makers whose products are gaining a large following. Stylish labels and a catchy name help here too but it is delicious beer with four core styles.

hop-art-andmews

To support the wine here they also have a delightful cheese counter with a range of local and imported cheeses. To compliment a range of Cornish charcuterie including a fantastic smoked chorizo. Local cheeses include Surrey’s famous Norbury Blue and Dirty Vicar from Michaela Allum in Box Hill. A goats cheese cheddar and a delicious Italian cheese named 3 Latti (made from a combination of cows, goats and ewes milk) also feature. A supporting range of interesting cheese biscuits, Millers Damsels, Mondovino cheese crackers in packaging that oozes 60’s glitz and cocktail bar culture, choose from wild mushroom plus other equally tantalizing flavours. These compliment the cheeses on offer.

cellar-cheese-and-bisuits

But the icing on the cake here is the range of interesting accompaniments they stock to create the perfect cheeseboard. This I discovered when I attended a tasting of South African wines. Cellar wines calls itself a boutique and here’s why. It’s a shop, a bar, a lounge and an event venue it even has a small outside terrace at the back. Book a private party, supper club, buy a ticket for a wine tasting or design your own event. Anything is possible here and that’s surprising in what is a relatively small space. In a lock up down the road, they keep a range of chairs tables, linen-ware, wine glasses, crockery, in fact, anything you need really for a stunning evening of food and wine.

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Arriving at the wine tasting evening it was amazing to see how the shop had been transformed into an intimate venue. We were greeted on arrival with a glass of our first wine of the evening from the Waterford Estate (Sauvignon, Blanc) delicious and crisp is set the tone. Now I have to be honest here I was not sure what to expect as other wine tastings experienced have been boring, fusty and bit highbrow for me. Our tutor for the evening was a breath of fresh air. Easy to talk to and a walking encyclopedia of wine it was impossible not be in awe. She led us through the six wines of the evening embellishing each with interesting stories of the vineyards, their geographic locations and how this affected the resulting wine. It was an interesting political history too as for a long time South African products were restricted because of Apartheid.

cellar-wines-cellar-and-seating-areas

Now this was the best wine tasting I have been too because not only was our tutor a brilliant speaker but also because she wasn’t too prescriptive about how you drank your wine, more advisory. This meant you could drink at your own pace and we weren’t forced into naming fruit/nut/food notes and other associations that I have felt under duress to do with previous events. But one of the highlights of this wine tasting was the addition of cheese and charcuterie nibbles that were in perfect harmony with the wine. Whoever put this together knew what they were doing. For example Keens Cheddar on olive oil crackers with Piccalilli was served with my favourite wine of the evening Mullinex Kloof Street Red 2014 (£17.50). Stichelton Toast with Kileen Goat Gouda and Pickled Cherries were stunning with the Mullinex Straw Wine our final tasting and a dessert wine which made a perfect finish. The pickled cherries were fabulous and now on my list for Christmas day offerings. My absolute favourite though was Wyfe of Bath on water crackers with Acacia Honey & Truffle which was served with a Chenin Blanc.

I thoroughly recommend a visit to this enterprising wine Boutique. It is one of the most creative businesses I have been to recently. Why not take it one step further and attend one of their tasting events because it’s an education not only in wine but food pairing too! Be warned they are not open on Sundays or Mondays but they do have an online shop.

01483 610610

www.cellarwines.co.uk

 

 

Beetroot and Feta Dip

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I like to do veggie packed snacks for pre-dinner drinks or quick lunches. I have been making beetroot hummus for a while now so when I was deciding what to do with my latest bunch of roasted beetroot I decided to do something different. A pack of feta unused in the fridge and memory of beetroot and feta burgers from a food styling session was the trigger I needed. This is so simple it’s really a kitchen sketch than a proper recipe. The variations could be endless too. I used chioggia beetroot that is home grown at Secretts in Milford, which is why it has a delicate pink hue but any beetroot would work. Although these candy stripe beetroot are gorgeous looking raw you lose the stripe when they are cooked but the flavour is sweet. Roasted beets are superior as they are not as watery as boiled so give a more robust texture to the finished dip. The beetroots can be roasted the day before.

Ingredients

I large bunch of Chioggia beetroot, scrubbed
1 x 200g pack of feta, reserve 50g for the garnish
Juice of 1 lemon
2-3 dessertspoons of natural yogurt
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme, remove the leaves and discard the stems
Freshly ground black pepper
To garnish
The reserved feta cheese crumbled or finely cubed
A drizzle of rapeseed oil
Some fresh herbs (I used blackcurrant sage flowers)
Pre-heat the oven to Gas 5/ 200°C /Fan 180°C

Place the beetroot in a roasting tin and cover with foil. Roast until tender approximately 40mins to 1hr. Leave to cool in the tin. Remove the skins they should just slide off with the help of a sharp knife.

Chop the beetroot roughly and place in a food processor with the feta, lemon juice and 2 spoons of yogurt. Process until smooth and add more yogurt if the mixture is too thick. Add the herbs and pepper and blitz just to combine. Test the seasoning you shouldn’t need salt as the feta should be enough. But suit your own taste here.

Using a silicone spatula, heap the dip into a serving dish and make a swirly pattern on the top with a metal spoon. Place the reserved feta in the centre and then garnish with herbs and finish with a drizzle of rapeseed oil. Serve with crudités, warm pitta or bread sticks.

 

Waters Edge Dine at the Wetlands Centre Horsell

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Heather Farm , Horsell Common, GU21 4XY

The upside: Delicious, locally sourced and well executed food

The downside: If it’s busy service can be slow because everything is made fresh to order!

The flipside: A lot of the food here comes from the proprietors own farm and is picked within hours of arriving at your table!

Newly opened in January 2016 this venue is located just outside Woking in Surrey. Woking isn’t a particularly attractive town although improvements to the centre recently have improved it dramatically. However just a five minute drive away takes you into some quite spectacular countryside and Horsell Common is no exception. A new wetlands centre opened with a café on January 9th and news spread fast of its peaceful atmosphere, dog friendly policies and its wonderful café. The area around the wetland has been set up with decking and paths making it easy for buggies and mobility scooters unless their has been a lot of rain as it gets muddy. I enjoyed it so much that I have been back three times mainly because the setting and the food is fabulous but also because I have been trying to interview Chef Aneke Spacie. Busy managing a young family, a new eaterie opening at the Lightbox Gallery in Woking and her current café we had to resort to a telephone conversation in the end, which filled in the gaps.

view-accross-water-edge-dine

Like you, I am used to going to some pretty gorgeous places here and abroad only to find the café serves mediocre food, fizzy drinks and deep-fries anything unfortunate enough to make its way into the kitchen. Not here though – the food ethos, menu and hospitality is as close to my idea of a perfect venue as you can get. Organic, locally sourced, thoughtfully cooked and presented, it’s delightful, refreshing and sustainable too. Before children came along this highly skilled chef built up an enviable CV working for McClaren, the Ivy, British Airways, Harrods and Sotheby’s. Running her own catering company in Surrey she built on this experience and a successful pop up at the Lightbox last year sealed a contract to take over the catering there too.

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Waters Edge Dine is Aneke Spacie’s first solo restaurant and within just a few months she has a hardcore following of diners who love the menu, cooking style and dedication to healthy sustainable eating. Here the mantra is to buy food with thought, cook with care, use less wheat and meat, buy local, serve just enough and create minimal waste. Food is presented in such an attractive way too and whilst it’s not fine dining London style you have a sense that your meal is going to be really good for you (tea time cakes not included here).

On my first visit my daughter came with me and at this point it was just to get a sense of what the venue was all about. It was just after 3pm and although the kitchen had just closed for the lunchtime service we were still able to order. Choosing a spicy Welsh rarebit with a free-range hen’s egg and then a couple of mugs of tea we took a seat. When the food arrived it was on a wooden board which looks great but isn’t practical as the runny egg without some control would have rolled right over the edge. I happen to think plates are really the obvious choice as  they retain their heat and control the food. However in the subsequent visits I have made here it is the only criticism I could possibly muster up in addition to the fact that as seating is limited inside they could particularly in poor weather outgrow their space fast.

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A week later after deciding to write about Waters Edge I took a fellow writer for lunch. He was over from Taipei where we had worked together and it was the perfect venue. We had a barmy English summers day to share and it was a far cry from our last lunch together eating stinky tofu in Shenkeng, a suburb of Taipei where one street of restaurants is dedicated to the consumption of fermented tofu. This time our menu was based on good nutrition, provenance, budget and balance and we loved it. I had pan fried wild mushrooms on toast (£7.50) with Parmesan, truffle dressing and wild rocket while Richard had the house burger (£10.50) with cheddar (Wookey Hole) smoked bacon, salad and tomato relish with home fries. Aneke bought the food to our table on this occasion and shared some useful information with us (if I had realized she was so busy I would have delved deeper). Some of the mushrooms had she told us come from the farm, which they top up with those from their local vegetable supplier, the truffles were from the estate (Surrey surprisingly is not bad for truffle hunters) and the meat from a local farm. We loved our food as both dishes were satisfying, delicious and had an understated feel good factor. The setting of course overlooking the wetland adds to the overall sense of wellbeing. Nearby diners had selected roasted pork belly and a huge bowl of soup, which looked exceptional too. Next time.

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To finish we ordered drinks and cake. They have a substantial range of home-made and bought in sweet treats here (from a local bakery) such as chocolate dipped flapjacks to large cutting cakes. Choose from red velvet, chocolate with salted caramel, carrot and coffee. Gluten free options include orange and polenta cake too. For children there is also an option to buy and decorate your own gingerbread person with a plate of sprinkles and writing icing. Coffee here is barista style and tea comes in large mugs with a tea-bag, which you can recycle in the glass jar provided. What a great idea.

If you are interested in how the Wetland Centre came into being you can find out more about the Horsell Preservation Society, their other sites and the fantastic work they do here www.horsellcommon.org.uk.

Its child friendly here too with buckets of crayons, a lego corner and teepees to set up outside. For dogs water is provided and towels for those that end up in the water! Dogs on leads are allowed inside but must be kept on a tight leash by owner. As this is a wetland to encourage wildlife there are strict rules for dog walking on the site. Please check the website before you visit if you are bringing a dog with you.

01483 726556

www.surreywatersedge.com

 

 

Fresh Raspberry, Pistachio and Almond Tart

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This is a version of a recipe I use a lot with different fruit (such as figs, pears, blueberries) as it is so versatile. This works better with really fruity jam and its worth using an extra jam like Jam Packed with at at least 45% fruit content. Once you have the basic recipe sorted add flaked almonds or chopped pistachios on top. It’s really quick to make especially with ready -made pastry. Individual tarts work well here too just cut down the cooking time. Perfect for summer picnics and al fresco eating. If you want a more spongy texture simply add 50-75g more flour to the filling. I like a more paste like texture but for food on the go and picnics a little extra flour helps it stay together better.

Serves: 6-8pistachio-cream-M&S-Haselmere

Ingredients
Pastry
125g cold diced butter
250g plain or gluten free flour
40g caster sugar
I medium egg
or
1 pack ready made sweet short-crust pastry

Filling
100g butter, softened
100g Vanilla infused caster sugar
3 medium eggs
2-3 tablespoons raspberry jam
100g ground almonds
75g of finely ground pistachios or 1 small jar of pistachio paste*
50g self-raising flour (gluten free works well here)
200g fresh raspberries

Preheat the oven to 180/ Fan 170°C/ Gas mark 5 when the pastry has 10 mins left to chill.

1.If using ready-made pastry skip this step. Place butter and flour and sugar together in the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer. Process until you have a breadcrumb like consistency. Add the egg and few drop of cold water to form a dough. Do not overwork.

2. Now beat the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk or stand mixer for about 4 minutes until pale. Slowly beat in the eggs, almonds and flour until combined.

3.Remove the pastry case from the fridge and spread the base with the raspberry jam. Spoon in half the filling and scatter with half the raspberries. Add the rest of the filling and the remaining fruit and finish with almonds or pistachios.

4.Bake the tart on the baking sheet for 35 – 40 minutes, until golden brown.

Delicious served just warm with a dollop of Greek yogurt or cream. This will keep for 2 – 3 days stored in a cool place.

1

*When Marks and Spencer opened their new shop in Haselmere a few months ago I was invited to take a look around. Their PR team gave me a selection of new products to try and Pistachio cream was one of them. It’s used to fill macaroons, choux buns, flavour ice-cream and other culinary delights. Here is works well in the frangipane tinting it with a lovely green hue while also imparting its distinctive flavour.

raspberry tart 6x9

Roll out the pastry thinly and line a 20 – 24cm flan tin. Cover with film and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes.

Platform 3 – The smallest pub in Britain

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Brightwater Brewery, Platform 3, The Parade, Claygate, Surrey, KT10 0PN

The upside: Lovingly crafted small batch beer available to drink in or take-away!

The downside: This pub is really small with short opening hours

The flipside: This really is the smallest pub in Britain selling a range of their own unique beers

If you turn into the parade towards Claygate Station in Surrey you’ll get a welcome surprise. As you venture forward independent retailers are on either side with traditional butchers, a fruit and veg shop, a top end traditional fishmongers, wine shop, deli, bakery and café. To top it all, right at the end next to the station is a tiny pub. Platform 3 has just enough standing room inside for two people, so when it is open guests rely on some outdoor tables with umbrellas to protect against the elements. This doesn’t stop the constant flow of customers coming to take a pint to drink straight away or take out for later. Everyone who comes in seems to know the owners and a strong sense of community is evident.

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Alex started making beer with his dad when he was a teenager. Not, he says emphatically, with kits but from scratch with proper ingredients. He carried this on as a serious hobby during his IT career. When he was made redundant is 2012 he took six months off to recharge his batteries assuming he would just find another similar role to the one he had left. Economic turndown and age he suspected were not on his side. After six months he felt ready to attach himself to the world of work again and this time it was to start his own business. It seemed natural to him that a serious hobby that he had lots of expertise in and loved could become a full time job.

claygate-trio

First he set about equipping his brewery a huge research project but worth it to get it just right. This is housed in his garage at home with stainless steel professional equipment and is an official bonded warehouse. This is a government requirement for anybody who produces alcoholic drinks where duty is payable. Alex makes five beers on rotation from different recipes that produce golden, amber or dark ales. He lists availability on his website and these are available to drink in or take away. He reckons his beers are at their best at 3-4 weeks old and will only sell when they are in peak condition. To maintain this he brews batches to meet demand and as I discovered is a stickler for maintaining the drinking quality.

pub 9x6

Alex is the perfect landlord, chatty a beer aficionado plus he is extremely personable. In fact it would seem that this is the perfect career for him. He runs the business with his partner Sue (a business buff) so it’s a symbiotic combination of creativity and business acumen here too. The fact that all the beer he sells in the pub is his own brew is a real pull. Not just for the pints he serves but because he wouldn’t serve anyone a duff pint and he knows the stuff he sells from hops upwards. Whilst I was in the pub there was an endless stream of customers buying a pint to drink outside or to take away a firkin to share with friends later. Everyone is on first name terms and there is a sense of excitement that they are buying into something really unique.

Each of the beers on the menu currently in production have been through diligent recipe testing from the ambient temperature at which they are made to the type of hops and the ferment period. Beer, Alex confides is temperamental and there are many competing factors in getting each batch right such as your local water supply. No two batches will taste exactly the same because this is craft beer made by hand and each brew varies slightly with time of year and the affects of temperature, the raw ingredients and natural yeasts. This is part of the fun and like wine some brews are better than others but probably more so (I suspect) to an expert palate. Alex says that managing beer production is like bringing up a ‘petulant child’.

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Of the beers Alex makes, ‘Daisy Gold’ is the best seller (he named it after his dog who is apparently as ‘good as gold’). This light golden flavour packed beer is like others on his menu at around 4% volume. Alex specializes in what he calls session beer. It’s healthier and means you can enjoy a few pints in an evening and still walk home! This is particularly good for older drinkers and in line with current drinking advice from health professionals. In addition these beers are worthy of a more considered drinking session and deserve as such to be slowly imbibed.

Although golden ales are the most popular Alex also produces ‘Top Notch’ an amber ale which he makes with 2 different malts and dark-beer-claygateanother variety of hops. Citra is Brightwaters other golden ale, which gets its name from the hops used to make it. Known for its fresh lemony finish to beers ‘Citra’ has a zingier finish to ‘Daisy Gold’. This brewery also produces a rather unusual dark stout type beer called ‘Wild Orchid’. The use of black malt gives this its dark colour but by putting Madagascan Vanilla pods in each cask its also has a subtle hint of vanilla which doesn’t dominate but adds a lovely finish to the overall taste.

 

If you are a fan of craft beers I highly recommend a visit to Platform 3 it’s in a class of its own. With guest beers also on offer and other drinks for non-beer fans it’s a great afternoon out. Take-out, delivery for parties and ready bottled beer for gifts are also available. Go for the beer but also for the novelty value because this is the smallest pub in Britain!

Tel: 01372 462 334

Mob: 07802 316 389

Twitter @SmallestPubinUK

This review was originally published in Essence Magazine in February 2016

 

 

Tante Marie Restaurant

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For the well-heeled young in post war Britain who weren’t suited to academic life it was often a choice (for young ladies in particular) of learning secretarial or cooking skills. On the cooking front selection usually came down to two venues in England, the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London or the Tante Marie Culinary Academy in Woking. Nowadays Leith’s and other great colleges have joined the party and there are a wealth of courses to choose from. Recently Tante Marie’s move to a new purpose built venue means they are topping the leader board again. The academy (the first of its kind in the UK) is famous for its professional chef courses, celebrity graduates as the incredible skill set that students leave the school with unlocks many doors into the foodie world. Being part of the local community is also high on the agenda for Tante Marie Management and with a new restaurant and plethora of short courses open to the public they are gaining loyal following. Want to do a season cooking in a ski chalet or luxury yacht then this could be your passport too.

tante-marie-interior-

Tante Marie has changed ownership three times since opening in 1954 under the tutelage of cookery writer Irish Syrett who died in 1964. Today former chef and deputy principal Andrew Maxwell and Gordon Ramsay Holdings own the academy. With a new lease of life and investment the school moved from an old red brick Victorian building to a new purpose built site in central Woking in 2015. In addition to the culinary academy there is also a modern European restaurant, staffed by graduates of the Cordon Bleu Diploma. Here they work for one year to gain a Level 5 Diploma in Culinary and Hospitality Management. I have dined here twice now and have been impressed by the delightful service, innovative and professionally dispatched menu. The attention to detail in the food and service is faultless as overseen by tutor manager Marco Di-Michele.

amuse bouche trio

The restaurant food is fresh, seasonal, locally sourced where possible, skilfully prepared and presented. To give staff the full range of food service skills, Amuse-bouche accompanies menu selections as does hand made bread (orange and thyme or caraway last visit). Appetising nibbles on offer include smoked mackerel pate on melba toast or shot glasses of leek and potato soup with truffle oil.

starters-trio

Starters on the seasonal menu may include scallops and black pudding (£10.50) or crab rarebit (£7.25). For mains we chose beef fillet anchovy butter served with creamy mash (£19.95) and pan-fried sea bass (£15.95). The fish was served on a bed of pearl barley risotto intensely green from the addition of baby spinach with contrast in taste and texture of spicy chorizo.

tante-marie-mains

Both dishes arrived swiftly from the kitchen on stylish hot plates and were cooked and seasoned faultlessly. Desserts (£6.50) included pear and frangipane tart with clotted cream (light and buttery) and a rhubarb fool with hand made biscuits. The food is so good here it’s hard to believe the staff are all new graduates.

desserts_tante_marie

 

Well run and managed; the space is modern, clean and comfortable. Wine is reasonably priced (starting at £20 per bottle) and offered by the glass too. It was good to see local gin Silent Pool on offer here and some English wines. We started with a glass of Prosecco each at £7 each.

Located centrally in Woking in a newly regenerated area Tante Marie and other newcomers have really started to put Woking on the map as a foodie destination. This is in part due to incentives from the council to make this a reality.

With so many gastro pubs churning out the same predictable menus its refreshing to to find a menu that really is a bit different!

Tante Marie Culinary Academy
57-61 Commercial Way, Woking GU21 6HN

01483 726957

www.tantemarie.co.uk

I was invited by Woking Shopping’s PR company to review this restaurant. Having already been once I was keen to return. The food and standard of service was as good as it was on my first visit. I am looking forward to doing one of their 1 day cookery courses on Indonesian food in late May.

Mrs B’s Bees

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I have been meaning to write about locally produced Surrey honey for a while. I will only buy mine from various beekeepers I meet on my rounds of farm shops and farmers markets. They all taste different and it’s fascinating to know that the source was wildflowers, chestnuts, heather or even oil seed rape. Luckily for me a recent visit to Milford Farmers Market gave me the inspiration I needed, thanks to Bee Keeper Debbie Burton. Her stall was stocked not only with honey but also associated products of beeswax candles, honeycomb and beeswax polish. As I was looking at the products I could hear Debbie talking to a customer so passionately about bees I was sucked in! A walking encyclopedia of bee knowledge this producer also has a fascinating story to share.

mixed honey

 

Debbie lived in Romania for a few years where her first husband was teaching young men how to become farriers. Years of fighting and fatalities during the Ceausescu regime left many communities without tradesmen to pass on their traditional skills to the next generation. Picking up the language easily Debbie and young son Tex were fascinated by their neighbours garden beehives particularly when the colonies started swarming. Beekeeping in Romania is practiced commonly and most gardens at that time Debbie recalls had at least one hive. Finding beekeeping really interesting Debbie and her son learnt as much as they could and when they returned to the UK in 2006 they started to keep their own. They gradually built their colonies and now have hives in Surrey, Hampshire and East Sussex. In fact Tex is one of the youngest stewards in the UK to judge Honey at events. Honey is categorized by where the nectar has been harvested and has many classes and categories. Crystalline, runny or set the resulting style is dependent on which plant the bees collected the nectar.

honey-trio

I noticed that Debbie has different types of honey for sale and asked how she could know if they were wildflower, heather or borage. It turns out that if you want different types of honey in your portfolio you take the bees on a gourmet vacation! Each season this enterprising beekeeper loads up 20 hives at a time onto a trailer and takes them to area of woodland where there is a concentration of blossom or flowers. In the New Forest for example there is an abundance of heather so when it’s the right time to collect nectar the bees are taken there for 3 months. Debbie has permits to leave her hives in certain locations at certain times of the year. This practice is called migratory beekeeping and is a practice a lot of smaller keepers are able to manage. Because bees will only travel as far as they have to collect nectar and pollen for the hive you can be sure that if a large source is close to the hives then your source is guaranteed. The colour and texture of the honey harvested will later confirm this. What it is difficult to do is claim for honey to be organic as bees are free flying agents and may not stick solely to one area of collection.

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There are three seasons each year for harvesting honey and you can collect a different style of honey each time. Borage honey is known for its light colour and runniness. Heather honey is darker, thicker and much harder to extract from the comb. Where borage can be extracted easily by centrifugal activity heather honey has to extracted by breaking the comb and then separating the wax from the honey. The wax can then be used for candles and polish.

Sustainability is also high on the agenda for Debbie’s honey. I had heard that sugar syrup is given to bee’s which she agreed does happen in commercial production. For those who produce honey naturally the key is to make sure you have a healthy, large colony of hard working bees. If the hive is working well the bees naturally produce excess honey, which can be harvested without harming the colonies survival. This honey will be of a superior quality, texture and flavour. Experienced beekeepers know how much honey to leave for the colony particularly over winter when activity in the hive is low. In commercial farming the majority of the honey is taken and the hives fed with sugar syrup. Evidence has shown that this is detrimental to bee health and leaves them more susceptible to disease.

Declining bee populations have been well documented over the last few years with the neonicotinoid pesticides identified as a possible cause in addition to disease. I asked Debbie her view as an experienced beekeeper who currently has many healthy honey producing hives. It’s this; farmers struggle to produce the yields required without the use of some pesticides from time to time or risk losing entire crops. With this in mind she feels its better to continue with neonicotinoids which are now better understood because the replacement may be far worse. Of course there are plenty of different views on this contentious matter and this is just one.

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If you like supporting local food producers buying local honey is a brilliant way to do this. Buying from a market trader like Debbie means you have direct contact with the producer and for me it’s just a brilliant way to go shopping. The money goes straight into her pocket and as she says making money out of honey production on small scale is really tough. Last year they had high yields but because we had such unusual weather this summer the yields are a third of what they were. The commercial honey sold in supermarkets is no match for as artisan produced product and its well worth the extra couple of pounds.

My jar of heather honey has pride of place on my shelf. Spread on some local artisan bread with local butter it couldn’t be more satisfying. If you are interesting in keeping bees Debbie says to work first with a local bee club or apiary. As a beekeeper be prepared for hard work, investing in some expensive kit plus you have to be patient and prepared for heavy lifting. But she also says it’s a wonderful job and immensely satisfying. Her enthusiasm and jars of gorgeous honey are proof enough for me.

You’ll find Debbie at all the Surrey farmers Markets which are listed on their website http://surreyfarmersmarkets.org

www.mrsbsbees.co.uk

This article first appeared in the November 2015 issue of Essence of Surrey Magazine

Eton Mess with Blackberry Gin Cordial

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This has to be the easiest emergency dessert to make providing you have the right ingredients. It’s fast, effective and difficult not to love. Fruit infused gins are lovely for providing an alcoholic kick to an otherwise innocent classic. The *gin cordials from Silent Pool are perfect here.

 Eton Mess with Blackberry Gineton-mess-6x9

Makes 4 large or 6 medium dessert glasses

500 grams mixed berries, hulled and chopped

120ml of blackberry, damson or strawberry gin or *cordial

2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

250ml whipping cream

250ml double cream

3-4 small meringue nests (home or ready-made), lightly crushed

A few berries and fresh thyme to decorate

Put the berries into a mixing bowl. Pour over 120ml of flavoured gin and stir in the sugar. I used blackberry but damson or strawberry would also work well here. Leave the berries to macerate while you prepare the cream. Pour the whipping and double cream into mixing bowl and whisk until it visibly thickens. You want a soft whip here not solid so the meringue will easily fold in. Fold the crushed meringue into the cream. Lay out the glasses or a large serving dish. At this stage you can mix the fruit mixture into the cream but I layered mine. Its purely personal but I like the look of the layers. Start with a fruit layer followed by the meringue cream, spooning the gin in with each layer. Finish with meringue cream and decorate with a few berries and a sprig of thyme. Can be made a few hours or a day ahead. Refrigerate until required.

eton-mess-6x9

This recipe first appeared in Essence Magazine in the December/January Issue and was also featured in Local Food Britain.