All posts filed under: Food & Tea

The Third Week of December

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Some festive things I’m loving this week This was the last week of work before Christmas. How did that happen? It’s been so busy. I’ve enjoyed a pre-Christmas lunch with my work colleagues who I don’t see often as we all work remotely, relaxed after a spa session with my daughter as I won’t see her on her birthday, and generally put my festive hat on. Here’s what else I’ve been loving this week… The Radio Times.  I have to mention it. It’s a reminder of my Christmas past! When the paperboy popped a crisp Christmas edition of the Radio Times through the letterbox, you could smell Christmas. Two full weeks of entertainment loomed. You carefully flicked through the pages to see what was on and maybe mark out in blue Biro the programmes to be consumed! My first piece of stollen of the year. It always tastes the sweetest. Not sure how I held out so long. I’m a stickler for tradition, I suppose. No mince pies but I’m a stickler for stollen’s icing sugar …

Three things I’m loving this week

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I feel like I’m really getting into the swing of these wintery weeks, short bright sunny days and long dark evenings. It has been a celebratory week, my Grandson had his first birthday and I shared a relaxing day with a friend celebrating her ‘big’ birthday. What have I been loving this week? Apart from late flowering roses and autumn leaves, here’s what’s made me happy this week… Found… Loose leaf Green Tea I was in need of a cuppa of loose leaf green tea. A perfect match for me has always been Yunnan, smooth and grassy and perfect with a spoon of honey. I am so happy to have rediscovered Brew Tea Co, a small company based in the North West who also offer a range of delicious, top-quality loose leaf teas and teabags so you can enjoy the perfect cuppa wherever you may be. I’m also trying their lemon and ginger for when I have the sniffles! Being kind to myself and friends… I jumped at the invitation to share an afternoon at …

Apple Treats

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Question of the month: do you prefer a sweet apple or a sharp, sour apple? It all depends on mood and individual taste I know. And then there are apples whose very name puts you off eating them. I don’t quite fancy the Dog’s Snout variety (an old Yorkshire cooker) or the Bloody Ploughman or tucking into a Sheepnose, Ballyfatten, Hangdown, Redstreak, Manks Codlin or Maiden’s Blush. And least said about Slack Ma Girdle (an old variety of cider apple) the better. Then there are those strange apples that are named after people: Cardinal Von Galen, Ben Davis, Charles Ross, although, strangely, Granny Smith sounds fine. But the things you can make with apples – even the mushy textured ones – are quite remarkable. In Yorkshire there are various producers working wonders with various forbidden fruit varieties, creating a range of products including wine, cider, vinegar and chutney. Here are a few of my favourites: Yorkshire Apple Wine A 14.2% wine from Luddenden Valley Wines in West Yorkshire. They hand mill and press a blend …

September is rushing by

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Who else feels like September has just rushed by in the blink of an eye? The sun hasn’t always shone this month, but that didn’t stop us all having fun. I made my own sunshine and enjoyed the last days of summer. Here are my favourites so far…… St Malo, oysters, French markets, spending time with friends, French doors and windows #JustOnePerfectThing My local cultural outing this month was with our book club/food club to Queens Mill in Castleford, the home of Allinsons flour mill. It is being lovingly restored keeping that Yorkshire heritage alive. Who remembers the slogan ‘Bread Wi n’owt taken out’? We enjoyed a fab Yorkshire supper in the Queens Mill Tea Room. I’ll be posting a review quite soon. Now it’s time for me to settle down for autumn, read, sew the quilt for my grandsons first birthday, put my garden to bed for the winter, walk on sunny days, go visit some of Yorkshire’s National Trust properties and plan my next trip or two! And you? SaveSave SaveSaveSaveSave SaveSave SaveSave

New York: Foodie Tour

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You’re in New York for the first time ever. You’ve got 4 hours and an appetite for everything. Where do you start? Fortunately, I’d planned a tour with Geovanni, a guide from Tours by Locals. Food tours are one of my favourite tourist activities while travelling and Geovanni came recommended as a foodie and architect, so fitted my requirements well and truly. He met my globe-trotting friend and I at Brooklyn dock where we had just arrived early that June morning after crossing the Atlantic on QM2. Geovanni came with a car and driver, unfortunately not his usual tour guide duo, so it made for an interesting ride for him navigating one way streets and the onward drive out to JFK. But my requirements were met, to sample typical NY food away from the tourist routes, a visit to the 9/11 Memorial and whatever else we could get to see in four hours. The first food stop after leaving the Brooklyn cruise terminal was the area known as DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), …

Yorkshire Dama Cheese

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Yorkshire Dama Cheese is the story of inspirational bravery by a woman who refused to let her circumstances define or constrain her. It is about finding a new place to call home and new experiences leading to the creation of a British, multi-award-winning cheese and dairy company. Razan Alsous, the founder of Yorkshire Dama Cheese, came to the UK due to the war in Syria in 2012. Losing almost everything, settling into a new life in Yorkshire was challenging. Razan rightly perceived Yorkshire as a region rich in high quality food produce and ingredients and was frustrated not to find available the great tasting squeaky cheese she used to eat in Syria each morning. She saw an opportunity to create the same cheese from fresh, high quality Yorkshire cows’ milk! The first product was Yorkshire Halum, a cheese made from 100% Yorkshire milk with a firm but squeaky texture, similar to traditional halloumi cheese. Razan has gone on to expand the product range to include more Yorkshire Squeaky cheese varieties including chilli rosemary and mint. Just now I’m loving her new product, Labneh, a healthy replacement for cream cheese. Razan …

Delicious Japanese Fusion at Bistro Guy

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It has taken a while to work out exactly why we enjoyed Bistro Guy quite as much as we did. It wasn’t down to just one single factor; it was a combination of great elements that show this restaurant is getting things just about right. It was also a lovely opportunity to have a relaxing night out with a dear friend. In short, Bistro Guy is exactly what a neighbourhood restaurant should be, offering great tasting food, unpretentious service, nice surroundings and excellent value. During the day (9am-5pm) the place is busy serving breakfasts, brunches, sandwiches, teas and coffee. Wednesday night has a special feature, serving log fire pizza and cocktails in the garden. It’s a delight to sit under an awning, catching the last of the sunshine in the garden that backs on to York’s city walls. In the evening, three nights a week (from 6.30pm, Thursday, Friday and Saturday), Guy Whapples and his team offer a tightly edited menu that focuses on seasonal produce from Yorkshire, small plates of food with a Japanese …

In a nutshell: July

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Life can’t always be perfect, but we can still look for something small that makes us happy. It may only be a fleeting moment, but it’s precious. #JustOnePerfectThing So, how was July for you? It was a very busy month for Grey Goose – crammed full of being a Granny Goose, gardens, lunches with friends, a local music Proms, a weekend in Alnwick and other delights. It’s fair to say that the weather has been a little disappointing in the UK – especially after that glorious heatwave in June. It was certainly more puddles than picnics. But despite the downpours, there is still beauty and perfection by the barrow load. Which is the whole point of my new #JustOnePerfectThing. I’ve come late to Instagram, and after wondering what all the excitement was about, I’m fast becoming addicted to the camera on my phone and the skills of talented photographers out there. I love the pinky-purple hue of all these photos – lavender was clearly the colour for July on Instagram. Top row: @hellomistermagpie / @sky.larking Bottom row:  @topknotsanddaisies /@edinburghgardendiary I can’t wait to …

Bedern Hall: Your Local Lunch Club

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York does well for Halls. Between the Merchant Adventurers, Merchant Taylors, Jacobs Well, Folk Hall and the Guildhall there are a number of grand buildings ripe to host all manner of events. Arguably a touch less well publicised is Bedern Hall, just off Goodramgate, that has slipped under the radar in building itself up as a dining venue. Now, Your Local Lunch Club at Bedern Hall offers a monthly lunch club serving local produce at a fair price. I have to confess it hadn’t really registered with me until I was asked to go along and take a look. It is a great hidden gem of a venue to have lunch with friends, take business colleagues, or fit into a shopping trip when in town. I went along to lunch recently as a guest of The Local Lunch Club. Looking round the venue was a nice chance to discover one of York’s hidden gems. Perhaps a touch more modest than the larger halls in York, Bedern – its building started from 1370 until  1399 to complete, is packed full of character and …

East Yorkshire: Beverley and Food Treasures

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Chances are that unless you’ve either been before or are from Yorkshire, you probably haven’t heard of the town of Beverley, in East Yorkshire. Beverley is known for a few things: its market that takes place on Wednesdays and Saturdays, its 13th Century Minster, pretty Gothic streets and its racecourse. It’s also known for its historic centre – there’s been a settlement here in the East Riding of Yorkshire since the 7th century! The town was originally founded around 700 AD by Saint John of Beverley, was under Viking rule for a while, and at one point was a major wool-trading port in the UK. Today, tourism makes up a large part of the town’s economy. And a recent visit made me understand why as I went in search of foodie places!! A chance to taste just a little bit of France was my first stop when I discovered Tc Patisserie, in a little side street called Lairgate. It is run by Thierry who trained as a patisserie chef in one of the classic French cooking …