Friday, 13 October 2017
Roxy Ball Room Nottingham REVIEW
There's a whole new ballgame in town and when we say it's called Roxy Ball Room - we don't mean you'll be needing your dancing shoes, neither.
With specially commissioned Jimi Hendrix graffiti-artwork decor, psychedelically-colourful Beer Pong tables plus pool and ping pong tables, Roxy Ball Room is like a kaleidoscopic, spaced-out-chilled-out grown-ups' playground, serving up a night of fun, games and various alcoholic concoctions.
Fast food grub is also available with the California Chicken burger, our confidential fave, which washes down very nicely with a purdy pink Berry Smash, our signature cocktail of choice. Sharing trays, pizza, doughballs, mocktails and craft beers will keep you going or you can get up and go-go burn it all off ping-ponging.
Winning extra bonus points for the pretty frickin' awesome background music and outstanding service from the friendly staff and offering a wacky and welcome alternative to those too many two-a-penny sitting-in-a-corner-with-a-pint-with-nuffin-much-going-on places, confidentially, Roxy Ballroom shoots, scores and good and proper puts the the ping and beer into your pong.
And you can see lots more photos of Roxy Ball Room in glorious technicolour on our Facebook page
Roxy Ball Room is at 10 Thurland Street. Full details and prices can be found on their website
Monday, 22 February 2016
There's a whole new ballgame in town and when we say it's called Roxy Ball Room - we don't mean you'll be needing your dancing shoes, neither.
With specially commissioned Jimi Hendrix graffiti-artwork decor, psychedelically-colourful Beer Pong tables plus pool and ping pong tables, Roxy Ball Room is like a kaleidoscopic, spaced-out-chilled-out grown-ups' playground, serving up a night of fun, games and various alcoholic concoctions.Fast food grub is also available with the California Chicken burger, our confidential fave, which washes down very nicely with a purdy pink Berry Smash, our signature cocktail of choice. Sharing trays, pizza, doughballs, mocktails and craft beers will keep you going or you can get up and go-go burn it all off ping-ponging.
Winning extra bonus points for the pretty frickin' awesome background music and outstanding service from the friendly staff and offering a wacky and welcome alternative to those too many two-a-penny sitting-in-a-corner-with-a-pint-with-nuffin-much-going-on places, confidentially, Roxy Ballroom shoots, scores and good and proper puts the the ping and beer into your pong.
And you can see lots more photos of Roxy Ball Room in glorious technicolour on our Facebook page
Roxy Ball Room is at 10 Thurland Street. Full details and prices can be found on their website
The Loom Nottingham Bar And Grill REVIEW
I could feel hints of spring in the cool February air as I headed to High Pavement to sample the new spring menu at The Loom Nottingham. The Loom is a new bar and restaurant which opened about three months ago and joins the many bars and restaurants that have made the Lace Market their home. But in this reviewer's opinion, it is a cut above many that I have visited.
Inside the doorway we were greeted by our waitress Kristen who gave us a warm welcome. The first section of the dining area was very light, with huge windows onto High Pavement through which you can watch the world go by. We were seated in the second part of the dining area which is beautifully atmospheric with low lighting with fairy lights next to our table to add a bit of twinkle. I explored a little further and to the back of the building is a chilled-out bar area with sofas and a small stage, perfect to while away a few hours, drinking and chatting to friends or listening to bands in the evening. I had been inside this building in its previous incarnation as a cafe and business centre and I must say the transformation is astounding. It has gone from white plastered walls and quite an “office” feeling to beautiful exposed brick and natural wood. They even discovered a window that had been plastered over.
I had the beef with creamed mash, fine beans and maple roasted carrots and shallots. The beef was superbly cooked, my knife cut through it easily and it was juicy and succulent. The carrots and shallots had a lovely sweet tang and the creamy mash melted in my mouth. Absolutely stunning food from a chef with obvious expertise and a delicate touch. My companion ordered Derbyshire lamb but wanted a different type of potato than listed on the menu. This was absolutely no trouble for our friendly waitress who suggested crushed new potatoes instead of the garlic potatoes. The two empty plates at the end of the main was a testament to the quality of the food.
I was in a quandary as to what to have for dessert. Kristen recommended her favourite dessert of sticky toffee pudding but I opted for the lighter elderflower panna cotta with strawberry and shortbread. A lovely, light, sweet dish that is perfect for those full-up after the main course but wanting something sweet.
The service at The Loom was perfect. Our waitress was ever-attentive, checking that we had everything we wanted. The bar manager Alex was friendly and told us as much as he could about the history of the building. He even showed us the enormous loom in the basement, which will be on display when the area is opened to customers in the near future.
A relaxed, atmospheric place to enjoy food of fantastic quality, I confidentially recommend visiting The Loom as soon as possible. I'll be returning and maybe next time I'll sample a cocktail from their extensive menu.
The Loom is in the process of developing a two course for £15 or three course for £20 set lunchtime menu which will be available soon.
You can see more of our Nottingham Confidential photos from The Loom in glorious technicolor on our Facebook page here
The Loom is at 3-5 High Pavement, Nottingham, NG1 1HF and full details and menus can be found on their website http://www.theloomnottingham.com/
Monday, 14 September 2015
I could feel hints of spring in the cool February air as I headed to High Pavement to sample the new spring menu at The Loom Nottingham. The Loom is a new bar and restaurant which opened about three months ago and joins the many bars and restaurants that have made the Lace Market their home. But in this reviewer's opinion, it is a cut above many that I have visited.
Inside the doorway we were greeted by our waitress Kristen who gave us a warm welcome. The first section of the dining area was very light, with huge windows onto High Pavement through which you can watch the world go by. We were seated in the second part of the dining area which is beautifully atmospheric with low lighting with fairy lights next to our table to add a bit of twinkle. I explored a little further and to the back of the building is a chilled-out bar area with sofas and a small stage, perfect to while away a few hours, drinking and chatting to friends or listening to bands in the evening. I had been inside this building in its previous incarnation as a cafe and business centre and I must say the transformation is astounding. It has gone from white plastered walls and quite an “office” feeling to beautiful exposed brick and natural wood. They even discovered a window that had been plastered over.
I had the beef with creamed mash, fine beans and maple roasted carrots and shallots. The beef was superbly cooked, my knife cut through it easily and it was juicy and succulent. The carrots and shallots had a lovely sweet tang and the creamy mash melted in my mouth. Absolutely stunning food from a chef with obvious expertise and a delicate touch. My companion ordered Derbyshire lamb but wanted a different type of potato than listed on the menu. This was absolutely no trouble for our friendly waitress who suggested crushed new potatoes instead of the garlic potatoes. The two empty plates at the end of the main was a testament to the quality of the food.
I was in a quandary as to what to have for dessert. Kristen recommended her favourite dessert of sticky toffee pudding but I opted for the lighter elderflower panna cotta with strawberry and shortbread. A lovely, light, sweet dish that is perfect for those full-up after the main course but wanting something sweet.
The service at The Loom was perfect. Our waitress was ever-attentive, checking that we had everything we wanted. The bar manager Alex was friendly and told us as much as he could about the history of the building. He even showed us the enormous loom in the basement, which will be on display when the area is opened to customers in the near future.
A relaxed, atmospheric place to enjoy food of fantastic quality, I confidentially recommend visiting The Loom as soon as possible. I'll be returning and maybe next time I'll sample a cocktail from their extensive menu.
The Loom is in the process of developing a two course for £15 or three course for £20 set lunchtime menu which will be available soon.
You can see more of our Nottingham Confidential photos from The Loom in glorious technicolor on our Facebook page here
The Loom is at 3-5 High Pavement, Nottingham, NG1 1HF and full details and menus can be found on their website http://www.theloomnottingham.com/
Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill At Nottingham Alea Casino REVIEW
The most fabulous sweeping staircase in town greets you in the entrance lobby of Alea's landmark building on Upper Parliament Street, enticing you to ascend to both their 24 hour state-of-the-art casino and Nottingham's very own branch of culinary's brooding bad boy beefcake Marco Pierre White's Steakhouse Bar & Grill restaurant.
Turning right at the top of the stairs takes you to the restaurant and through its glass doors a luxurious swish-nightclub style decor is revealed, exuding an alluring air of laid-back glamour. Inside, an ambiance that buzzes without becoming overwhelming attracts a mixed clientele of all ages and dress codes, from long gowns to casually smart attire, creating a refreshingly friendly and innovative mix of glitz and comfort.
An array of menu versions is available at the restaurant, including pre-theatre, Sunday roasts and a £35 all in one menu that includes £5 casino chips between two. But tonight we were dining confidentially A La Carte and had the whole steakhouse-experience selection of food to choose from which ranges hugely and brilliantly from sophisticated swordfish, venison and veal to the fun retro glam-rocking 1970s Classic Chicken Kiev and Prawn Cocktail. We chose to begin with the artistically arranged and deliciously indulgent Smoked Salmon with crème fraîche, decadently-dotted with caviar - which is a new addition to the menu along with the Macaroni Of Lobster main - and a visually delightful Cucumber Sorbet, refreshingly perfect as a super-light starter.
Ordering your steak well-done may be jokingly frowned upon in the menu but you can, of course, have your meat cooked any which way you wish and an excellent, attentive and unobtrusively-efficient waiting staff are happy to advise upon cuts of meat. And, small appetites be aware, because confidentially, these steaks are definitely top-quality heavyweights. The sirloin was an almighty piece of meat, a plump, thick, juicy, perfectly cooked knockout, living all the way up to to all that steakhouse-hype and arrived with quite possibly the mightiest chips ever seen, and garnished, finally and fittingly, with a mighty grilled tomato. If you don't feel up to going all out with a steak, the burger is a lighter, more informal option served in a comely brioche bun and still ticks all those high quality meat boxes, arriving served with more delicate pommes frites.
Finding room for dessert after two generously-portioned courses was a challenge but one which, we confidentially are able to report, we managed admirably. The 1930s Classic Knickerbocker Glory proved to be the perfect follow up to the sirloin steak, beautifully presented and raspberry-themed with cream, sorbet and ice cream layering down to fresh raspberries in syrup at the end tasting sweet, light and lovely whereas the apple crumble was crammed full with diced fruit, infused wonderfully with cinnamon and served with lashings of fresh cream. And to end our meal, tea and coffee were served with an icing-sugar dusted cube of Turkish Delight. Perfecto.
"The whole Marco ethos is that it's not just about the food, it's about the whole experience. It's about going out and having a nice time and we try to cater the menu around that too," explains Aimee McNiven, the Food and Beverage Manager at the restaurant. "We want nice things on the menu, we also want things on there that will make people feel comfortable and are not too pretentious. And yes OK, the prices are on the higher side, but that's because of the quality of the products served. So instead of going all 'gourmet chef' we've decided, let's be a steakhouse, but let's do the best steaks that we can do and so it's about getting the top quality products in.
"Our clientele varies completely. One day we might get businessmen in because they're staying in the hotel opposite, the next day it's a hen party, or we have celebrations, birthday dinners and anniversary dinners. People also come for Sunday roast lunches with their family as children are welcome, but obviously anyone under 18 isn't allowed any further than the restaurant. And I don't think anyone that goes in there feels awkward no matter what they're wearing, it's kind of a whatever-you-feel-comfortable-in dress code, if people want to come in glitzed and glam then lovely, we love that as well, but if they don't, fine, fair enough!"
If you are over 18 and you fancy your chances, you can extend the evening and enjoy some after-dinner entertainment at the Alea Casino which has free entry and offers American Roulette, Blackjack, Three Card Poker and Slots with a dedicated Poker Room. With very helpful and friendly croupiers on hand to advise any beginners, it's a fun way to spend a Saturday night, with the thrill of taking a chance on the roulette and card tables whilst pretending to be in a Bond film in ultra-modern, slick, stylish surroundings.
You can see our Nottingham Confidential Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill At Alea Casino photo album in glorious technicolour on our Facebook page here
Further details, including the full menus for Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill at Alea Casino, are available on their official website http://nottingham.aleacasinos.com/
Monday, 10 August 2015
Restaurant Food Delivered To Your Door By Deliveroo REVIEW
There's only one thing better than going to a nice restaurant for a nice meal and that's not having to go to a restaurant and have the nice meal brought to you instead and that is the scrummy premise of the UK delivery service Deliveroo which rolled out in Nottingham city centre and West Bridgford earlier this year.
Working with a tasty mix of gourmet local independents together with well-known established chain restaurants, Deliveroo operates in zones of a 1.5 mile radius of the restaurants to keep delivery times down and the food fresh and warm and offers a selection ranging from Japanese sushi to Pan Asian BBQ to American Grills and Persian meals as well as Deli food from Nottingham's Alley Cafe, Sobar and Aubrey's Traditional Creperie.
With our stay-at-home tastebuds delectably tickled by the prospect of enjoying quality restaurant food in the comfort of our own jim-jams, we plumped for an order from Italian cuisine supremos Carluccio's and found ordering from the Deliveroo website happily straightforward and user-friendly. After entering your postcode and choosing a time slot that can be booked up to a day ahead and in fifteen minute intervals, a list of available restaurants is displayed to choose from, where you continue to order food and create an account with a £2.50 delivery charge and option to tip the driver all included, thereby dispensing entirely with the need for pesky cash and after which your food will be pedalled to you on bikes as fast as legally permitted.
Our delivery arrived bang on time and smartly packed in black and clear plastic boxes and included a tasting trio of pastas with a particularly delicious Luganica with a spicy Italian sausage sauce, a butter-glistening Ravioli and a gloriously mushroomy Pasta Con Funghi, complemented by olives, garlic bread and salad and followed perfectly by an intoxicatingly liqueur-drenched Tiramisu and zingingly tart Lemon Tart, all suitably warm or cool and crush-free and reliably Carluccios-a-licious.
It's a slick, satisfying, lip-smacking service and if you're lucky enough to live in the NG1 and NG2 catchment areas of Deliveroo, this is a proper culinary game-changing tasty treat with an array of foods on offer guaranteed to meet any not-going-out moods and needs. Deliveroo also tell us they "do have plans for other zones" in the future for more Nottingham suburbs so keep an eye on our Nottingham Confidential Twitter feed and we'll let you know as soon as it's announced when Deliveroo will be delivering to you-hoo too.
You can order from Deliveroo on their official website https://deliveroo.co.uk
Time Out Cafe Nottingham REVIEW
I have never tried Asian street food before but after visiting Time Out cafe, a brand, spanking lusciously new venture, I could happily eat it every day as I'm sure I've only skimmed the surface of all the delicious flavours and new food experiences it could offer me.
Located on the first floor at 14-16 Wheelergate, we were signposted to our destination by a board outside the unobtrusive entrance. We climbed the stairs to a large, spacious cafe. A bar at the front and tables, chairs and sofas scattered here and there giving an impression of a chilled out space where people can relax and have plenty of room to themselves. They even have a sofa in one corner where you can play on the Nintendo 64 or PS 3 with loads of games to choose from. We sat at the end of the room where there is a large, wall length window looking down on the street below (the best spot in the cafe).
My companion and I weren't sure what to order as there was so much choice and we were new to this experience. We had a selection from the tapas menu after some recommendations from the manager.
My companion had Vietnamese spring rolls whilst I had the veggie ones. Forget what you know about the spring rolls in Chinese restaurants, these were a revelation. So light and tasty. The Vietnamese ones contain minced prawn and my companion couldn't stop talking about how wonderful they were.
Next came the Korean BBQ burgers, 3 mini burgers in brioche buns. Confidentially, these were my favourite. In an establishment selling Asian food I would expect burgers to be the food that customers turn to when they're looking for something familiar. But no!!! These burger were full of flavour and spice, all going together but I have no idea what went into these. The meat was really juicy and tender, and the bread was fresh. But wow, the flavours were amazing. My companion also enjoyed these so much that she had two and I only had one, hmmmmm.Then we had the Thai Grilled pork skewers. Nice tender pork and what really livened these up was the hot and tasty dipping sauce. Bit hard to dip a skewer once you've eaten the end of it, so I poured the sauce over mine. Lovely.
By the time the chicken Karaage arrived (deep fried chicken) I was quite full and only managed a couple of pieces. Tender pieces of chicken thigh with a crispy batter and a wonderful salty, hot dip. Again it was the dip that lifted this dish from the good to the fab.
The staff were all friendly and attentive and the food arrived in a reasonably amount of time. All the food was freshly cooked to order.
I would recommend this place whether you're on a budget or not. The tapas is great for sharing and also if you want a light lunch. I looked on with jealousy as some delicious looking main meals were being served and next time I go I'll try one of these. Still all affordable though as the tapas is around £5 a dish and the main meals are around £7.
The cafe stays open until 11pm Tuesday till Saturday, so don't just go for lunch go for dinner too.........and then maybe a late night snack.
I'm starting to feel hungry just thinking about Time Out Cafe.
Opening hours
Tuesday – Saturday 11.30am-11pm
Sunday 11.30am-5.30pm
Free wifi
First Floor
14-16 Wheelergate
Nottingham
http://www.timeoutcafenotts.com/
https://www.facebook.com/timeoutcafenotts
Monday, 23 February 2015
Jared's Restaurant At The Old Angel REVIEW
Saturday afternoons in the city are great, but once all of the shopping and socialising takes its toll, nothing beats a good old pub lunch. Except maybe, a good old pub lunch from Jared's at The Old Angel on Stoney Street, in the well known arts-oriented Lace Market area.
With a passion for good food, Samuel – the dedicated chef behind the enterprise – says that having worked in various levels of catering, there's no reason why a traditional pub lunch can't be done to the same standard. Sam creates all of his ingredients from scratch – even down to baking the bread for the burger buns himself. His meat is locally sourced from the Victoria Centre market, and so is the veg. The burger we had was made in front of me from ground mince with seasoning. No filler or processed junk here!The menu is focused on the staple pub meals, from Burger, to Roast Dinner, to snacks such as sandwiches and chips – and all a great price. The meal we had was the Angus Burger with chips, for £6.50, which is the same ball park that the larger pubs charge for a pre-prepared/frozen burger cooked hastily with possibly with the use of a microwave. None of that here though, our meals were fresh and cooked to order.
If you want a high quality, fresh, locally-sourced pub lunch then I recommend Jared's at The Old
Angel. The food itself is great, but it also showcases local independent talent and what can happen when someone with an honest love of their craft meets with a great idea – and manages to hit the nail
on the head.
Davey Rocks
Jared's at The Old Angel is at 7 Stoney Street, Nottingham, NG1 1LG. Full details about Jared's including opening times can be found on The Old Angel website here
Friday, 25 April 2014
Hambleton Bakery Opens In West Bridgford
Baker Julian Carter, left and owner Tim Hart
If you prefer your daily bread to be traditionally made, preservative and additive free yet still last to up to a week whilst tasting honest-to-goodness wholesomely scrumptiously crustalicious, then the latest Hambleton bakery shop opened by local gourmet supremo Tim Hart of Nottingham's Hart's restaurant and Hambleton Hall is sure to fulfil all your specialist loaf needs- as well as any additional tart, cakes, bun and pastries cravings.
Patient, peckish queues spilled out of the shop into the seasonal April showers today to sample the bakery's range of artisan breads baked using stoneground flour and slow fermentation methods which maximise vitamins and mineral content leading to much more nutritious loaves.
It's a fabulous new foodie destination for Melton Road but why was West Bridgford in particular chosen? "We found a site that we like where there's other nice food retailers, a really good butcher, fruit and veg shop and a fishmonger where we buy our fish from," said Tim Hart. " It's a good place to pop in and you can often get a car in here. We thought of different places but we worked out West Bridgford would be the best spot."
Master Baker Julian Carter, voted 'Baker of the Year' at the prestigious National Industry awards (with Hambleton Bakery itself winner of Britain's Best Bakery 2012) agreed that West Bridgford was ideal for the bakery's new shop which also has retail outlets in Exton, Stamford and Oakham.
"People tend to go into the city centre not to buy food but to buy clothes and other things and I think you need to be near other good food retail shops like fishmongers and then it's a destination," he said. "We had so much demand from customers that wanted the bread that we opened our first shop in Oakham, that was a great success so we opened two more and now West Bridgford, I think it's perfect here."
It's a beautiful little shop packed with tempting and tasty treats."We want to appeal to everyone, not just bread fans, but anyone that likes bread at all and so we offer a wide range. But we're in control of it from start to finish from the pastries to the fillings, everything is made by us," said Julian. The specialist breads on sale are more expensive than supermarket breads but the extra quality and health benefits justify the price, he adds. "People will happily spend three pounds on a cup of coffee and that's for one person but they can spend the same on a loaf of bread that will feed four people for two days.
"When you stone-grind flour everything comes through. When you roller mill everything is stripped away bar the white flour, you're stripping away the wheat-germ and the important stuff. "
"The other aspect that makes the difference in terms of nutrition is Julian's long fermentation process," adds Tim Hart. "Industrial bread is made very fast with a lot of yeast and our bread is made very slowly and during very long fermentation the gluten in the bread is transformed into something much more digestible and so you get better digestion, better nutrition and better taste. Bread was always made very slowly until they invented these new processes."
Confidentially, the lemon and treacle tarts and the Campagne Bloomer and Hambleton Local loaves are catching our eye, whilst the Rutland Pippin, invented for Britain's Best Bakery Competition, an apple-shaped crusty dough encasing Lincolnshire sausage meat, ham hock and Stilton had already sold out, sigh. But which is their favourite Hambleton bread?
"My favourite is the sourdough," said Tim."If I was to take a loaf home, I'd always grab the sourdough, it's a bit of everything, you can make a sandwich with it, you can toast it or even have it on its own, it's got a good strong flavour and it smells lovely."
"I think I'd like to mention the Borodinsky which is a rye bread," said Tim Hart. Brilliant with smoked fish and it has a great crumpety texture."
Hambleton Bakery is now open on Melton Road West Bridgford, full details can be found on their official website http://www.hambletonbakery.co.uk/
Wednesday, 19 February 2014
|
| Baker Julian Carter, left and owner Tim Hart |
Patient, peckish queues spilled out of the shop into the seasonal April showers today to sample the bakery's range of artisan breads baked using stoneground flour and slow fermentation methods which maximise vitamins and mineral content leading to much more nutritious loaves.
It's a fabulous new foodie destination for Melton Road but why was West Bridgford in particular chosen? "We found a site that we like where there's other nice food retailers, a really good butcher, fruit and veg shop and a fishmonger where we buy our fish from," said Tim Hart. " It's a good place to pop in and you can often get a car in here. We thought of different places but we worked out West Bridgford would be the best spot."
Master Baker Julian Carter, voted 'Baker of the Year' at the prestigious National Industry awards (with Hambleton Bakery itself winner of Britain's Best Bakery 2012) agreed that West Bridgford was ideal for the bakery's new shop which also has retail outlets in Exton, Stamford and Oakham.
"People tend to go into the city centre not to buy food but to buy clothes and other things and I think you need to be near other good food retail shops like fishmongers and then it's a destination," he said. "We had so much demand from customers that wanted the bread that we opened our first shop in Oakham, that was a great success so we opened two more and now West Bridgford, I think it's perfect here."
It's a beautiful little shop packed with tempting and tasty treats."We want to appeal to everyone, not just bread fans, but anyone that likes bread at all and so we offer a wide range. But we're in control of it from start to finish from the pastries to the fillings, everything is made by us," said Julian. The specialist breads on sale are more expensive than supermarket breads but the extra quality and health benefits justify the price, he adds. "People will happily spend three pounds on a cup of coffee and that's for one person but they can spend the same on a loaf of bread that will feed four people for two days.
"When you stone-grind flour everything comes through. When you roller mill everything is stripped away bar the white flour, you're stripping away the wheat-germ and the important stuff. "
"The other aspect that makes the difference in terms of nutrition is Julian's long fermentation process," adds Tim Hart. "Industrial bread is made very fast with a lot of yeast and our bread is made very slowly and during very long fermentation the gluten in the bread is transformed into something much more digestible and so you get better digestion, better nutrition and better taste. Bread was always made very slowly until they invented these new processes."Confidentially, the lemon and treacle tarts and the Campagne Bloomer and Hambleton Local loaves are catching our eye, whilst the Rutland Pippin, invented for Britain's Best Bakery Competition, an apple-shaped crusty dough encasing Lincolnshire sausage meat, ham hock and Stilton had already sold out, sigh. But which is their favourite Hambleton bread?
"My favourite is the sourdough," said Tim."If I was to take a loaf home, I'd always grab the sourdough, it's a bit of everything, you can make a sandwich with it, you can toast it or even have it on its own, it's got a good strong flavour and it smells lovely."
"I think I'd like to mention the Borodinsky which is a rye bread," said Tim Hart. Brilliant with smoked fish and it has a great crumpety texture."
The Secret Kitchen Cafe
There's something scrumptiously secretive cooking in Sneinton in Nottingham and this innovative project is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK...
The Secret Kitchen was initially set up in 2011 by Marsha Smith to serve both Sneinton locals and beyond with a cafe offering no fixed menu but instead focused on making each meal a freshly cooked 'special' that was tasty, vegetarian and organic or locally sourced wherever possible.
Then last year the kitchen opened the Family Cafe and this innovative and unique latest project actually UPCYCLES donated supermarket food surplus that might otherwise have been thrown away into delicious meals for children and families in return for a donation of either money or time with a super-affordable price list. The aim of the cafe, now open at St Christopher's Church Hall Tuesday-Friday from 4pm-5.30pm, is to set up a space where people can share food and get together as a community to make the most of what they have and to tackle food poverty, offering an alternative to food banks.
Meals include the mouth-watering Melty Crispy Cheese-Avalanched Potato Bakes, Olive Pasta, Cucumber Salad, Garlic Roasties, Pickles and Ginger Cake, Vegetable Pasta Bake and Homemade Apple and Almond Cake, Thai Veg Curry, Veggie Shepherd's Pie and more and more delicious menus being concocted all the time.
Offering affordable food, eaten socially and cooked with lots of love, the project also brings together teachers, police officers, youth workers, parents and anyone they can persuade to come and cook so that kids can see that everyone cooks and eats together. Changing the world, one scoff at a time, it's an incredible and imaginative local project open to all to eat, to help and to share.
Want to volunteer at The Secret Kitchen Cafe? Full details, menus, opening times plus details of the monthly social evening and Marsha's new project The Super Kitchen, a social eating consultancy, can all be found on their official website http://www.thesecretkitchencafe.com/
Monday, 28 October 2013
The Secret Kitchen was initially set up in 2011 by Marsha Smith to serve both Sneinton locals and beyond with a cafe offering no fixed menu but instead focused on making each meal a freshly cooked 'special' that was tasty, vegetarian and organic or locally sourced wherever possible.
Then last year the kitchen opened the Family Cafe and this innovative and unique latest project actually UPCYCLES donated supermarket food surplus that might otherwise have been thrown away into delicious meals for children and families in return for a donation of either money or time with a super-affordable price list. The aim of the cafe, now open at St Christopher's Church Hall Tuesday-Friday from 4pm-5.30pm, is to set up a space where people can share food and get together as a community to make the most of what they have and to tackle food poverty, offering an alternative to food banks.
Meals include the mouth-watering Melty Crispy Cheese-Avalanched Potato Bakes, Olive Pasta, Cucumber Salad, Garlic Roasties, Pickles and Ginger Cake, Vegetable Pasta Bake and Homemade Apple and Almond Cake, Thai Veg Curry, Veggie Shepherd's Pie and more and more delicious menus being concocted all the time.
Offering affordable food, eaten socially and cooked with lots of love, the project also brings together teachers, police officers, youth workers, parents and anyone they can persuade to come and cook so that kids can see that everyone cooks and eats together. Changing the world, one scoff at a time, it's an incredible and imaginative local project open to all to eat, to help and to share.
Sobar, Nottingham's First Alcohol-Free Bar
Sobar, the first alcohol-free bar and restaurant in the East Midlands, will open in Nottingham on Monday 27 January 2014.
The bar will open on Friar Lane on the site of the former Nottingham Building Society building and is the work of Double Impact, the Nottingham-based drug and alcohol charity which received a grant of £340,419 from the Big Lottery Fund.
The bar will be run by permanent and voluntary staff and will offer opportunities to people in recovery to gain work experience, training and employment.
Sobar will follow a social enterprise model, where all profits generated will go back into the charity and allow Double Impact to expand the range of recovery services it offers.
The 60-seat venue is planning to be a 'creative, vibrant space by day and an alternative bar venue by night' and will also serve food in the daytime.
More information on Double Impact can be found on their website www.doubleimpact.org.uk.
And you can follow Sobar's news and updates on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SobarNottinghamWednesday, 2 October 2013
The bar will open on Friar Lane on the site of the former Nottingham Building Society building and is the work of Double Impact, the Nottingham-based drug and alcohol charity which received a grant of £340,419 from the Big Lottery Fund.
The bar will be run by permanent and voluntary staff and will offer opportunities to people in recovery to gain work experience, training and employment.
Sobar will follow a social enterprise model, where all profits generated will go back into the charity and allow Double Impact to expand the range of recovery services it offers.
The 60-seat venue is planning to be a 'creative, vibrant space by day and an alternative bar venue by night' and will also serve food in the daytime.
More information on Double Impact can be found on their website www.doubleimpact.org.uk.
Hart's Hotel Hallowe'en Pumpkin Contest
Photo by Shawn Ryan
Now here's a frighteningly good competition for Hallowe'en with a chance to win an overnight stay plus dinner for two at one of the top hotels in town!
Hart's Hotel and Restaurant in Nottingham want people to create an imaginative design for their annual Pumpkin Art competition and this year the contest has been opened up to a global audience so that anyone, anywhere can enter.
Wonderful, wild and wacky carvings are welcome, so to enter the competition either tweet a a photograph of you with your creation to @HartsNottingham with the hashtag #HartsPumpkinArt or upload it to the Hart's Facebook page www.facebook.com/hartsnottingham. To be a valid entry, the photograph must show you with your entry.
The closing date for the competition is October 31st and the winner will be announced online on November 1st. Full competition rules are available on the Hart's website www.hartsnottingham.co.uk.
Have fun getting your Hallowe'en pumpkin freak on- and good luck!Thursday, 29 August 2013
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| Photo by Shawn Ryan |
Now here's a frighteningly good competition for Hallowe'en with a chance to win an overnight stay plus dinner for two at one of the top hotels in town!
Hart's Hotel and Restaurant in Nottingham want people to create an imaginative design for their annual Pumpkin Art competition and this year the contest has been opened up to a global audience so that anyone, anywhere can enter.
Wonderful, wild and wacky carvings are welcome, so to enter the competition either tweet a a photograph of you with your creation to @HartsNottingham with the hashtag #HartsPumpkinArt or upload it to the Hart's Facebook page www.facebook.com/hartsnottingham. To be a valid entry, the photograph must show you with your entry.
The closing date for the competition is October 31st and the winner will be announced online on November 1st. Full competition rules are available on the Hart's website www.hartsnottingham.co.uk.
Shhhh, Secret Cocktail Bar
If you go shopping for boilers in Nottingham today, you're in for a helluva surprise...
Because on a street somewhere in the Hockley district of the city, there's an unassuming shop front that conceals a Narnia-like secret antechamber with a special surprise entrance opening into a table-service cocktail speakeasy in full swing - and that isn't even the best bit...
Because behind all this fun and ingenious subterfuge there are master-drinksmiths at work, and if you're lucky enough to get a seat at the bar, you'll be treated to a hocus-pocus cocktail magic show with clouds of mint-fragranced dry ice, mugs of tropical tiki delights and familiar old favourites flipped on their side, served with twists and blown inside out.
Meanwhile, an instruction-manual-like drinks menu suggests saucy innovative temptations such as the Not-Quite-Right White Russian, the Cinema Paradiso, the Edison Medicine and- hold onto your hats and umbrellas- for the Mary Poppins Hurricane (Beer is also available.)
If the current fashionable surge in popularity for cocktails is all starting to feel a bit samey, this secret little hideaway will refresh your palette fabulously with lashings of fun, delectable concoctions and cups running over with ingenious quirkiness, so follow our clues and find your way to sample the hottest and coolest new covert liquors and tipples in town. Happy hunting, confidential cocktail fans...
Monday, 15 April 2013
Chino Latino Celebrates Its 10th Birthday In Nottingham
Chino Latino Modern Pan-Asian Cuisine and Latin Bar is celebrating its 10th anniversary with special offer discounts and a prize draw for its diners.
With a distinctive menu that draws upon flavours from China, South East Asia and modern Japan, Chino Latino has just been awarded its first AA rosette and throughout 2013 the restaurant will be offering 10% off food bills on the tenth of every month, starting from 10th May 2013. All diners enjoying this offer will also be entered into a prize draw to win a 'Chino Latino Pass' which will entitle them to a complimentary three course meal in each of the Chino Latino restaurants across Europe over a 12 month period.
Following the restaurant's 10th birthday fiesta which featured the venue's sushi and sashimi together with signature Latin cocktails, Tom Waldron-Lynch, General Manager at Park Plaza Nottingham said, "I am proud to be part of Chino Latino's long-standing success and enjoyed celebrating its tenth year anniversary with close friends and colleagues showcasing what we do best. My team put on a great night and I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as we did. We look forward to welcoming you all back to continue for many more years and parties to come."
For further details or to book visit www.chinolatino.eu
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Bagel Nash Opens In Nottingham
Founded in Leeds in 1987, the company has 14 stores around the country and the Nottingham store is the chain's flagship branch in the Midlands and the largest outside Leeds.Bagel Nash offers a wide variety of fillings prepared for order in store including Breakfast Bagels, Hot Salt Beef and Cheddar Club and the company prides itself on the quality of its fresh coffee, having spent years researching and perfecting the taste of their Rainforest Alliance coffee.
"We are very excited about opening our 15th bagel and coffee shop in Nottingham," said retail operations director Sara Hildreth. "As a small British company, we specifically chose Nottingham because it's such a vibrant and cosmopolitan city, full of great people who are looking for good quality, fresh and convenient food."
More information, menus and deals can be found at www.bagelnash.com.
Friday, 16 November 2012
Dining In The Dark At The Living Room Nottingham REVIEW
The premise was to blindly guess the ingredients of a plentiful succession of taster-sized treats by taste and smell alone, but with the Living Room's adventurous and highly flavoursome dishes this proved to be a rather difficult, though also perplexingly delicious challenge. With blindfolds on, our hands were guided to ladle-style Chinese spoons heaped with mysterious food samples and amidst much blind banter and giggling we all duly made both educated and wild and crazy guesses, including our own confidential totally random stab in the dark at vension in the Shepherd's Pie (score!)
Highlights of this mini-sized sampling of the Living Room winter menu included the Moroccan Spiced Lamb (pictured) a lovely moist duck in a plum chutney, a beautifully flavoured sea bass and the scrummy desserts passionfruit and coconut creme brule (pictured) with the both crunchy and creamy Basil grande.
Tasty, quirky, messy and fun, strangely bonding and just a little bit kinky, this was a gastronomic night of culinary eye-openers and we confidentially highly recommend a dining experience at The Living Room- with blindfolds optional. Mmmm!More details of the Living Room menu can be found at http://www.thelivingroom.co.uk/food/nottingham
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Patisserie Valerie Opens In Nottingham
The breathless wait and hunger-pangs of anticipation are almost over for Nottingham cake lovers as the lusciously-legendary Patisserie Valerie opens its doors for the first time in The Exchange on Saturday August 11.
First opened in Soho in 1926 by Belgian born Madam Valerie who came to London on a (culinarily vital) mission to introduce fine continental patisserie to the English, Patisserie Valerie cafes are known as 'havens of self-indulgence', famous for their gateaux, award-winning croissants and viennoiserie, all hand-made using traditional recipes and authentic methods. Breakfasts and lunches are also available, as are gelatos and confectionery, all served up in an atmosphere that is designed to be unique to each location.
And the Nottingham Patisserie Valerie cafe is sited in the very suitable and unique location of The Exchange, Nottingham's first shopping centre, situated within the city's historic Council House, which opened in 1929 and was originally mainly occupied by Joseph Burton who operated a delicatessen-style food centre. In the early 1980s the centre, locally known as Burtons Arcade, underwent a major refurbishment to provide seventeen retail units and now the centre has come full circle again, nearly 85 years later, with food deliciously back on the menu with the opening of Patisserie Valerie. Bon appetit, Nottingham!You can find out more about The Exchange on their website http://www.theexchange.uk.net/
Nottingham Two-Michelin Starred Chef Sat Bains And The Slow Food Chef Alliance
Nottingham's two-Michelin starred chef Sat Bains created a special menu last week for the launch of the Midlands Slow Food UK's Chef Alliance in partnership with Highland Park Single Malt Whisky. Top chefs from Nottinghamshire and the surrounding counties attended, including Nick Gillespie of La Rock in Sandiacre in Nottingham.
Slow Food was created in the 1980s to counter the rise of Fast Food and is a non-profit and globally recognised organisation in 150 countries linking the pleasure of food with a commitment to the community and the environment together with an ethos to encourage people to choose nutritious food from sustainable local sources. The dynamic scheme works to engage Britain's chefs in actively supporting these aims by championing small scale producers and sustainably sourced quality produce.
Sat Bains created a special menu in his Nottingham restaurant using Slow Food UK's 'Forgotten Foods'- a catalogue of exceptional gastronomic produce in danger of disappearing due to current food production and distribution systems which other members of the Alliance will be encouraged to use in their own seasonal menus. To date, more than fifty of the UK's top chefs are now members of the Alliance with this number continuing to grow.
The lunch was hosted by Slow Food UK CEO Catherine Gazzoli and Scott Dickson from Highland Park single malt whisky, with Sat Bains.
You can find out more about Slow Food on their website http://www.slowfood.org.uk/
Slow Food was created in the 1980s to counter the rise of Fast Food and is a non-profit and globally recognised organisation in 150 countries linking the pleasure of food with a commitment to the community and the environment together with an ethos to encourage people to choose nutritious food from sustainable local sources. The dynamic scheme works to engage Britain's chefs in actively supporting these aims by championing small scale producers and sustainably sourced quality produce.
Sat Bains created a special menu in his Nottingham restaurant using Slow Food UK's 'Forgotten Foods'- a catalogue of exceptional gastronomic produce in danger of disappearing due to current food production and distribution systems which other members of the Alliance will be encouraged to use in their own seasonal menus. To date, more than fifty of the UK's top chefs are now members of the Alliance with this number continuing to grow.
The lunch was hosted by Slow Food UK CEO Catherine Gazzoli and Scott Dickson from Highland Park single malt whisky, with Sat Bains.
You can find out more about Slow Food on their website http://www.slowfood.org.uk/
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Shhhh, Secret Tearoom
There is no telephone number to contact the tearoom, enquiries about availability can only be made through their website and only once a table for four to seven people is booked will directions to the tearoom be revealed.....
At booking, special dietary requirements are noted as are the guests' first names so that personalised place settings can be made. And then upon arrival, the delicious tea-fest commences! A typical Secret Tearoom menu comprises of sandwiches with fillings such as locally raised beef with homemade chilli jam, chicken and tarragon and perhaps Colston Bassett stilton with pear and walnut. This could be followed by brandy-soaked current, thyme and parmesan scones or feta and fresh herb loaf with savoury tartlets. Then a selection of three cakes will arrive, such as individual salted caramel and chocolate tarts, blueberry and lime drizzle cake and lavender shortbread. A number of loose leaf teas are available as are homemade cordial or lemonade and guests can also bring their own alcohol if they wish and glasses will be provided.
Close to Nottingham, but with a rural feel and with a dining room that looks out over fields, the tearoom has been running for a year in an area very popular with walkers. A special, private treat for birthdays and celebrations or just a lovely fun indulgence, guests are invited to 'donate' £15-£20 per person for their secret tearoom experience.Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Nottingham Food & Drink Festival 2012
Now in its fourth year, the Festival will run from Wednesday 4 July to Sunday 8 July and will feature a local and regional food and drink market with over forty stalls in Nottingham's Market Square as its centrepiece. The demo theatre will return and a new beer and wine sampling area will also feature, stocked with a wide selection of wines and locally produced real ales.
The Festival is organised by We Are Nottingham and restaurants and bars around the city will also be involved offering a varied programme of events and masterclasses from blind cocktail tasting to sushi making.
This year, Nottingham performers are also being invited to take part in the festival and local singers, dancers, musicians, comedians and other performers will have a chance to showcase their skills on a special performance stage.
If you'd like to apply to appear on the performance stage, email nottinghamfoodanddrinkfestival@hotmail.co.uk for more details
You can also find out more details about the festival at https://www.facebook.com/NottinghamFoodAndDrinkFestival
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
Browns Bar And Brasserie Opening Party
If you've got the post-Christmas blues and are getting withdrawal symptoms from the festive party season, here's another chance for you to dress up in those glad rags and LBDs.
Browns Bar And Brasserie opens on Park Row in Nottingham next month and is celebrating its launch with a Champagne and Cocktail opening party on Thursday 2nd February with complimentary drinks and nibbles served from 6-9pm. After opening its doors for the first time in 1973 in Brighton, Browns has gained a reputation for classic food and signature cocktails served in a stylish environment and caters for breakfast, brunch and dinner as well as afternoon tea with cakes and finger sandwiches.
To register for the opening night party, simply fill in the form at http://brownsnottingham.co.uk Everyone who registers will also automatically be entered into a prize draw for a chance to win dinner for four and a bottle of champagne.
Saturday, 20 August 2011
Nottingham Robin Hood Beer Festival 2011
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| Photo courtesy of Nottingham Robin Hood Beer Festival |
The festival already holds the world record for offering the largest selection of real ales and this year plans to beat its own record of 848 different cask beers on sale. As well as as this huge choice of ales, the festival also offers stouts, bitters, milds, porters, ciders, perries and barley and country wines.
The festival will be open from 11am till 11pm each day and although it is possible to pay for entry at the gate, the organisers advise buying advance tickets to guarantee admission. Tickets, which cost £12.50, can be bought at Nottingham Tourism Centre in Smithy Row as well as through the festival website and will include a 2011 commemorative tankard and ten mini tokens. As no cash will be taken at the bars to help speed up the event, the mini tokens can be used as a payment system to buy drinks and for the first time this year, the festival offers visitors the option to buy their drinks in thirds as as well as half pints.
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| Photo courtesy of Nottingham Robin Hood Beer Festival |
The festival is also looking for caterers, in particular those offering locally sourced products and anyone who wishes to apply can email treasurer@nottinghamcamra.org. Any entertainers who wish to perform can also apply at raykirby@nottinghamcamra.org If you would like to volunteer to help with the festival, you can contact staffing@nottinghamcamra.org
More details about the festival can be found on the website http://www.beerfestival.nottinghamcamra.org/
Newstead Abbey Afternoon Cream Teas And Events This Summer
Located twelve miles north of Nottingham in Ravenshead, Newstead Abbey was once home to the great and notorious romantic poet Lord Byron. The historic house with its medieval cloisters and Victorian room settings sits in 300 acres of parklands which include Japanese gardens freely roamed by peacocks, lakes, ponds and waterfalls.
The grounds are open to the public all year round and tours of the house run from April to September. This summer sees a whole range of special events to enjoy both inside the Abbey and in its grounds. On the 6th and 27th August the Abbey Ambles event gives visitors the opportunity to take a more in-depth tour of the house and explore below stairs, the kitchen and the nursery. The tour is followed by a cream tea hosted by Newstead's housekeeper Mrs Cooper who will supply traditional sandwiches, homemade scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, mini desserts and speciality teas and coffee. The same menu is also available at the Abbey's weekly Afternoon Tea event which is on every Sunday and is held in the Garden Room and French Garden throughout July and August.
Other events over the summer include outdoor theatre performances of Fantastic Mr Fox on August 12 and The Pirates of Penzance August 19, a Slugs and Bugs children's event with trails through the grounds from 25-31 July and you can also join Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust for their Mini Meadow Seed Pack Giveaway Event at Newstead Abbey on July 31, August 21 and September 11.
Afternoon Teas tickets cost £10 and Abbey Ambles cost £20, pre-booking is essential on 01623 455900. Full details of all events ticket prices are available on the Newstead Abbey website http://www.newsteadabbey.org.uk
Tuesday, 14 June 2011
Sample Nottingham's Own Honey And Produce In Our Own City Farm!
Since the late 1970s Nottingham has had its own little escape to the country right here in the city. Recently celebrating its 30th anniversay, Stonebridge City Farm was set up by a dedicated group of volunteers who wanted to create a much-needed green space for education and involvement that could be accessible to everyone from the very young to the very old.
Today the farm, which is free to visit and is open every day, is home to a number of animals including cows, goats and sheep along with Stinky and Pinky the pigs, Kevin the tortoise and Charlie the Shetland pony. The gardens have vegetable and fruit areas which are interspersed with wild plants, flowers and ponds and produce vegetables and herbs which are available to buy in the farm shop and cafe, along with honey from the farm's own bee hives. There is a also a nature walk which gives the opportunity to watch a number of wild birds and butterflies.
On 24 July the farm, which can be found on Stone Bridge Road in St Anns, will be holding its annual Summer Open Day and activities include live music from Shades of Blue, a martial arts display, farmers market, craft stalls, workshops and face painting and bouncy castles.
Entry is free and further details can be found on the Stonebridge City Farm website http://www.stonebridgecityfarm.com
Thursday, 2 June 2011
Nottingham's Only Secret Supper Club REVEALED!
For all you Nottingham foodies who have done the rounds of all the local restaurants and fancy something a little bit different, here is a special little eaterie to refresh your palette. Clarkies Supper Club is the only one of its kind in Nottinghamshire, a 'pop-up' restaurant run from the home of mother-and-daughter-cooking-combo Libby and Sarah.
"We've been running the Secret Supper Club for about 18 months now," says Libby, " We just love food and thought it would be great fun to invite people into our home and cook for them!"
Popular in America, Supper Clubs are also appearing more and more in the UK due to coverage in programmes such as Restaurant In Our Living Room and are run on an occasional basis from people's homes or a venue they have access to. "We can seat up to 18 people and what makes us a little bit different is that we actually offer a choice of dishes on the night whereas at most Supper Clubs the menu is set beforehand. We know that sometimes when you go out for a meal, you change your mind about what you want to eat! In fact, we've even offered to cook our guests half-and-half dishes and once did a triple dessert just so they could sample all the food!"
With a dedication to cooking entirely from scratch using locally-sourced produce including cheeses and ales, it's very clear that this is a dining experience that is born out of a genuine and warm love for the sharing of food. "We had a lovely time at Christmas, we managed to squeeze 20 people in for that event and everybody went home with a little present of home-made cranberry sauce and Christmas cookies."
Newstead Abbey Afternoon Cream Teas And Events This Summer
The grounds are open to the public all year round and tours of the house run from April to September. This summer sees a whole range of special events to enjoy both inside the Abbey and in its grounds. On the 6th and 27th August the Abbey Ambles event gives visitors the opportunity to take a more in-depth tour of the house and explore below stairs, the kitchen and the nursery. The tour is followed by a cream tea hosted by Newstead's housekeeper Mrs Cooper who will supply traditional sandwiches, homemade scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, mini desserts and speciality teas and coffee. The same menu is also available at the Abbey's weekly Afternoon Tea event which is on every Sunday and is held in the Garden Room and French Garden throughout July and August.
Other events over the summer include outdoor theatre performances of Fantastic Mr Fox on August 12 and The Pirates of Penzance August 19, a Slugs and Bugs children's event with trails through the grounds from 25-31 July and you can also join Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust for their Mini Meadow Seed Pack Giveaway Event at Newstead Abbey on July 31, August 21 and September 11.
Afternoon Teas tickets cost £10 and Abbey Ambles cost £20, pre-booking is essential on 01623 455900. Full details of all events ticket prices are available on the Newstead Abbey website http://www.newsteadabbey.org.uk
Sample Nottingham's Own Honey And Produce In Our Own City Farm!
Since the late 1970s Nottingham has had its own little escape to the country right here in the city. Recently celebrating its 30th anniversay, Stonebridge City Farm was set up by a dedicated group of volunteers who wanted to create a much-needed green space for education and involvement that could be accessible to everyone from the very young to the very old.Today the farm, which is free to visit and is open every day, is home to a number of animals including cows, goats and sheep along with Stinky and Pinky the pigs, Kevin the tortoise and Charlie the Shetland pony. The gardens have vegetable and fruit areas which are interspersed with wild plants, flowers and ponds and produce vegetables and herbs which are available to buy in the farm shop and cafe, along with honey from the farm's own bee hives. There is a also a nature walk which gives the opportunity to watch a number of wild birds and butterflies.
On 24 July the farm, which can be found on Stone Bridge Road in St Anns, will be holding its annual Summer Open Day and activities include live music from Shades of Blue, a martial arts display, farmers market, craft stalls, workshops and face painting and bouncy castles.
Entry is free and further details can be found on the Stonebridge City Farm website http://www.stonebridgecityfarm.comNottingham's Only Secret Supper Club REVEALED!
"We've been running the Secret Supper Club for about 18 months now," says Libby, " We just love food and thought it would be great fun to invite people into our home and cook for them!"
Popular in America, Supper Clubs are also appearing more and more in the UK due to coverage in programmes such as Restaurant In Our Living Room and are run on an occasional basis from people's homes or a venue they have access to. "We can seat up to 18 people and what makes us a little bit different is that we actually offer a choice of dishes on the night whereas at most Supper Clubs the menu is set beforehand. We know that sometimes when you go out for a meal, you change your mind about what you want to eat! In fact, we've even offered to cook our guests half-and-half dishes and once did a triple dessert just so they could sample all the food!"
With a dedication to cooking entirely from scratch using locally-sourced produce including cheeses and ales, it's very clear that this is a dining experience that is born out of a genuine and warm love for the sharing of food. "We had a lovely time at Christmas, we managed to squeeze 20 people in for that event and everybody went home with a little present of home-made cranberry sauce and Christmas cookies."
Clarkies Secret Supper Club's seventh event is on the 17th June. For the 3 course meal experience, a donation of a minimum £25 is required. For more details of the venue and menu and to contact Libby and Sarah visit their website
