Welcome to August, well known to Bristolians as BALLOON MONTH, or that oddly calm few weeks when the students aren’t here and half the city is on holiday, so you can actually get a seat at Pasta Loco, or served within 20mins at Hy Brasil (I jest about the latter of course, that is always impossible).

As exciting as this month is, you could also argue that it’s mere preamble for September, when we have Whisky Underground, Bristol Beer Week AND Bristol Craft Beer Festival. I’m also keenly awaiting more news from the Bristol Cocktail Week team for autumn.

Until then, here’s what you can look forward to in August…
(you can skip to the Events Calendar if easier)

Exciting stuff

First up, the odds and sods.

Hart’s Bakery chefs Chris & Ollie will be serving up meat & veggie kebabs with freshly baked bread, salads & sauces outside the bakery on Saturday, 4th August from 11am-2pm – a nice one for you to line your stomach for the weekend!

Saturday 11th Aug sees the return of The Rum Bus  – a two hour tour of Bristol on an open top bus with spiced rum drinks.

You can also do your bit for charidee while scoffing burgers on 14th August during Honesty Box Day at Honest Burgers – between 11.30am and 4.30pm, the team are asking all customers to donate whatever they can to one of three local charities instead of paying for their food. You can nominate a charity on their Facebook page – they’ll make a selection on 3rd August.

Were you sad to see BS5 Market go? Luckily, the lovely bunch at Bristol Spirit on Whitehall Rd in Easton have decided to have an occasional Mini Market in its place. The first one will be on 18th August between 10-2pm. Bristol Spirit will be selling their full range of Espensen Spirit infused gins and vodkas, alongside other local traders.

Sad news now – Pi Shop is closing on 4th August to make way for a development kitchen for Casamia. If you haven’t tried their carbonara pizza – do it before they go!

Dinners

Some special dining events you should get along to…

• Fri 10th – Vegan Monsoon Indian Feast at Watershed with Anupreet Attridge, £35
• Sat 11th – Popti’s Pizza Pop-up Supper Club, £27
• Wed 15th – Bristol Syrian Supper Club, £30
• Thu 16th – English Wine Dinner at Harvey Nichols, £49
• Thu 23rd – Supper Club with 6 O’clock Gin at Riverstation, £35

Beer tastic

All the beery things are happening this month!

First up, Bristol Beer Factory have more fun events lined up at their Southville tap room this month, including a beer & curry evening on Thu 2nd, a wheat beer tasting on 7th and £2.50 pints every Thursday for members of their beer club.

Wild Beer are doing a residency at Thali Southville this summer, with a selection of beer-infused snacks and some perfectly-paired beers to go with their dishes. It’s also Wild Beer Wapping Wharf‘s 2nd birthday on Sunday 5th, so pop in and toast to another year with them!

Moor Beer is hosting I Want Moor festival at their brewery in St Phillips from 10-12 August. ‘Franken Fest’, will put the spotlight on a selection of beers from the Franconia region of Germany, alongside a selection of Moor Beer’s fine beers. As usual, there will also be live music and a top line-up of meaty and vegan street food.

Just around the corner from Moor Beer, Good Chemistry Brewing turns 3 on 11th Aug and are having a birthday bash! Expect DJs, pinball and some special beers. Honest Burgers will also be bringing their Landrover back to the brewery to serve up some bangin’ burgers.

Lost & Grounded Brewers are having their final Summer Brewhouse Session on Sat 18th Aug, with brewers from Verdant and Unity bringing along some of their tasty beers for the taps, Buckland Burgers providing some munch, and Psychopomp providing some extra beverages. There will also be a DJ playing some funk & soul all afternoon. Party time!

Finally, but arguably most excitingly, the East Bristol Brewery Trail is back for the bank holiday weekend of 25th & 26th August! Once again the mighty local breweries of Arbor, Dawkins, Good Chemistry, Left Handed Giant and Moor will be welcoming everyone to their breweries for beer, food and good times. The Pickled Brisket will be among the food traders over the weekend (they’ll be plying their trade at Dawkins).

Tastings & Classes

Learn something new to impress your mates…

• Sat 4th – Distiller’s Table: Summer at Psychopomp, £30
• Tue 7th – Wheat beer tasting at Bristol Beer Factory taproom, £15
• Thu 9th/16th – Curry Legend workshop at The Spicery, £45
• Thu 16th – Havana Club Mojito Masterclass at Riverstation, £10
• Fri 17th – Summer wines tasting at Avery’s, £15
• Sat 18th – Pizza Perfecto class at Little Kitchen, £50

Newbies

Some new places to try…

• Just Chips is now open in the centre, doing exactly what it says on the tin.
• Bar 44 is a new sophisticated tapas joint in Clifton.
• You can now get hearty Polish dishes from Gosha’s House on King St
• Izakaya is a chilled Japanese restaurant at the bottom of Park St

And coming soon…

• Oowee Vegan diner is coming to city centre in mid Sept.
• The team behind The Gallimaufry are opening Suncraft across the road in Sept – the menu will be 100% plant-based.

That’s it for this month, I’ll post interim food news on the Life Less Organised Facebook page (which you should follow), or if you want to see what I’m eating you can find me on Instagram, or say hi on Twitter.

Here are some other bits you can read until next time…

– Bristol’s Best Harbourside Restaurants
– The 12 Best Bristol Brunches
– Bristol’s Classiest Cocktail Bars
– Bristol’s Best Pub Gardens

Bye!

Dates for the diary
(or check the Events Calendar)

• Thu 2nd – Beer & curry eve at Bristol Beer Factory taproom
• Fri 3rd – Local gin tasting at The Rummer
• Fri 3rd – The Gin to my Tonic Summer Party
• Sat 4th – Ollie & Chris’s Kebabs at Hart’s Bakery
• Sat 4th – Psychopomp Distiller’s Table: Summer
• Sat 4th – Moor Beer brewery tour
• Sat 4th – Wiper & True Brewery Tour
• Sat 4th – Bristol Food Tour: Vegan tour
• Sat 4th – The Gin to my Tonic Summer Party
• Sat 4th – Prosecco and Italian wine tasting at The Rummer
• Sat 4th – Bottomless Prosecco & Mimosa Brunch at Steam
• Sun 5th – Wild Beer Wapping Wharf 2nd bday
• Tue 7th – Wheat beer tasting at BBF taproom
• Wed 8th – Vietnamese Street Food class at Little Kitchen
• Thu 9th – Curry Legend workshop at The Spicery
• Thu 9th – Summer Soiree on SS Great Britain
• Fri 10th – Bristol Dry Gin tasting at The Rummer
• Fri 10th – Wiper & True tap takeover at Tobacco Factory
• Fri 10th – Vegan Monsoon Indian Feast at Watershed
• Fri 10th – Zion Cider & Sausage Fest
• Fri 10th – A Taste of Marrakech class at Little Kitchen
• Fri 10- Sun 12th – I Want Moor festival
• Sat 11th – Sun 12th – Fiesta Sunrise Breakfast at SS Great Britain
• Sat 11th – Bottomless Prosecco & Mimosa Brunch at Steam
• Sat 11th – Wiper & True Brewery Tour
• Sat 11th – Good Chemistry 3rd birthday bash 
• Sat 11th – Popti’s Pizza Pop-up Supper Club
• Sat 11th – Bingo Lingo BBQ at Motion
• Sat 11th – Jack & Matt’s Bacari Pop Up at West Street Kitchen
• Sat 11th – Yoga Brunch Club
• Sat 11th – The Bank Tavern Summer Fete
• Sat 11th – Gin masterclass at The Kensington Arms
• Sun 12th – Cream Tea trip on The Matthew
• Sun 12th – Breweries, Brunel & Brigstow beer tour
• Tue 14th – Honesty Box Day at Honest Burgers
• Wed 15th – Gosling’s Dark & Stormy Masterclass at Riverstation
• Wed 15th – Bristol Syrian Supper Club
• Thu 16th – Curry Legend workshop at The Spicery
• Thu 16th – Half Acre tap takeover at Small Bar
• Thu 16th – English Wine Dinner at Harvey Nichols
• Thu 16th – Hawkes cider beer tasting with food pairings
• Thu 16th – Havana Club Mojito Masterclass at Riverstation
• Fri 17th – Bristol Dry Gin tasting at The Rummer
• Fri 17th – Summer wines tasting at Avery’s
• Sat 18th – Pizza Perfecto class at Little Kitchen
• Sat 18th – Moor Beer brewery tour
• Sat 18th – Bottomless Prosecco & Mimosa Brunch at Steam
• Sat 18th – The Great British BBQ at The Barley Mow
• Sat 18th – The Shakespeare Redland Summer BBQ
• Sat 18th – Wiper & True Brewery Tour
• Sat 18th – Bristol Spirit Mini Market
• Sat 18th – Lost & Grounded Summer Brewhouse Session: Verdant and Unity
• Sun 19th – Bottomless Burger Club at Burger Theory
• Mon 20th – Wed 22nd – Craft brewing 3 day course at Bristol Brewery School
• Thu 23rd – Supper Club with 6 O’clock Gin at Riverstation
• Fri 24th – Bristol Dry Gin tasting at The Rummer
• Fri 24th – Come Dine With Watershed
• Sat 25th – Wiper & True Brewery Tour
• Sat 25th – Bristol Brewery Tour
• Sat 25 – Sun 26th – East Bristol Brewery Trail
• Wed 29th – Old World vs New World wine tasting at Avery’s
• Fri 31st – Sardinia meets South West at Watershed