Recipes and Restaurant Reviews
I was very much looking forward to reviewing La Vecchia Banca, Bishops Cleeve’ first Italian restaurant. I was expecting a relaxed suburban family run dining experience for families, the demographic of Bishops Cleeve. Somewhere where local people could causally dine and hangout, which in a …
Updated: 9 Feb 2023 We went back, after our first review in 2017, and how things have changed since then. Cheltenham will always be the OG, but now they have eight more locations, a new menu, plenty of awards and a win on Come Dine …
After a couple of years of rumour, National Dish even joined in, it’s finally open. The Kings Arms, Prestbury, Cheltenham and as a local blog, we had to review Raymond Blanc’s latest Pub and Restaurant combo near Cheltenham Racecourse, in the Cotswolds. Can a boozer, …
I’ve been dying to make Pink Grapefruit Gin, I think the colour would be attractive and relate completely to the flavour – Pink Grapefruit is a real treat just as grapefruit. As with all our Gin recipes, you need to sterilise everything thoroughly, I mean …
We like infusing our own Gin and have a growing number of flavours. Fennel Gin is a bit of a surprise – I wasn’t sure how it would turn out – it’s real good, it’s vegan and is a subtle version of Sambuca. Unlike fruit …
Some people find roasting and cooking beef a real challenge, ending up with a disappointingly tough result, especially a beef brisket. All that is usually missing though, is a little patience and foresight. Brisket is a cheap (although annoyingly, that is changing) cut of meat …
Before we get in to the detail of The Ivy Cheltenham, or to give its full name The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie in Cheltenham, what do you know about The Ivy? I mean the actual The Ivy in Covent Garden, Soho, London. It’s famous for being …
The time of year is late August and my two Plum tree varieties – Mirebelle and Victoria are ready to harvest. I could make Jam but that means eating bread and that ain’t gonna happen. So I’m making Gin! How do you make Plum Gin? …
Poussin is a french word used exactly the same in English, which does not necessarily make this a french dish, so I have credited both countries. But – how do you cook Poussin? Also known as Spring Chicken, Poussin basically means ‘young chicken’, which …
This is a preview of their pre-open event. You can now read the full review here. I had the pleasure of being invited to the pre-opening night at The Ivy Montpellier Brasserie in Cheltenham, to get a look around the day before the action started. On …