Category Archives: Bristol

Bristol, Monthly Food Listings

Bristol Food & Drink – June 2014

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Park on Park Street
1st June sees a park come to Park Street

Incredibly, it’s already halfway through 2014 – how did that happen? Bristol and Bath have already welcomed a swarm of food festivals and events, and we’re not even that far in to summer yet!

I’m still exhausted from the fantastic ten days of Bristol Food Connections, and I can’t wait to see the Eat Drink Bristol Fashion tipis back on Queen Square again soon; but there’s no time to sit and digest (chortle) what has already gone on – it’s time to dust the crumbs off your shirt and get ready for June’s food & drink shenanigans. Here’s what’s in store… Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – June 2014 →

Bristol, Monthly Food Listings

Bristol Food & Drink – May 2014

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tipis bristol

It’s here – May is finally here! This is the point every year when Bristol really comes alive and we see the start of the arts trails, outdoor music events and food & drink festivals that make the city so special. There’s plenty to do this month and something to suit every budget; the problem is going to be choosing where to go! Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – May 2014 →

Bristol, Monthly Food Listings

Bristol Food & Drink – April 2014

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Hot crossed buns
Credit: Alex Poulter https://www.flickr.com/photos/livingfortuesday/

Smog, chocolate Easter bunnies and listening to everyone’s broken Lent vows – April feels like a bit of a lethargic preamble to the exciting festivities in May and beyond, don’t you think?

This month’s round-up is slightly shorter than usual, but I expect that May’s post will be a bonanza of food festivals, beer tastings and various summertime frolics – we all know that Bristol comes into its own during the summer months, and hopefully this will be the best year yet for the city to showcase its first rate food and drink scene. We’ve already been named as Foodie Heaven by the Guardian, and the Best Place to Live in the UK by The Sunday Times, so onwards and upwards! Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – April 2014 →

Bristol, Monthly Food Listings

Bristol Food & Drink – March 2014

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springtime
Raise a toast to springtime, hurrah!
Credit: Alex Poulter, http://www.flickr.com/photos/livingfortuesday/

The evenings are getting lighter, duvets are getting thinner and woolly scarves are getting tentatively left at home – finally we’re edging in to spring, and it couldn’t come soon enough, no?

With the warmer and longer days steadily approaching, we’re also getting in to Bristol’s festival season – we all know that from May onwards it’s impossible to find a weekend without some sort of festival, carnival or music event going on, and a fair amount of them are free too; just another thing that makes this city our favourite. So here are are a few of my tips for what’s coming up in the mad month of March. Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – March 2014 →

Bristol, Food Guides

Where to get your Meat Fix in Bristol

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My last relationship was with a vegan. Now, I’m always happy to try new things and experiment with my cooking, so for the most part it didn’t bother me that most of my recipes had to omit any meat, eggs or dairy. I quite relished the challenge, in fact.

However, once I found myself single again, I seemed to gravitate towards the meatier, greasier and downright dirtier end of every menu I perused. Luckily, there has recently been an influx of fantastic meat eateries to Bristol, so naturally I had to try them all. And this is what I thought. Continue reading Where to get your Meat Fix in Bristol →

Bristol, Food Guides

The Tastiest Tapas in Bristol

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Lunmch pata negra

*Updated July 2017*

I like to believe that I love all food the same. I struggle to think of a national cuisine I haven’t enjoyed.

However, none of them can quite match the excitement I feel whenever I go a tapas bar. The wide array of dishes, the abundance of garlic and the focus on sharing make tapas my culinary soulmate.

I’ve tried several of the tapas places in Bristol now; they all offer something a bit different from each other but are all of a good standard. Here’s my guide to Bristol’s top tapas. ¡Buen provecho! Continue reading The Tastiest Tapas in Bristol →

Bristol, Monthly Food Listings

Bristol Food & Drink – February 2014

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feast
Credit: Alex Poulter, http://www.flickr.com/photos/livingfortuesday/

Shonette Laffy

Give yourself a pat on the back and a handshake; we’re over the hump of early January, and now into the season of wassails, Chinese New Year, Burn’s Night and Valentine’s Day.

2014 is moving on at pace; there are already Creme Eggs in the shops for chrissakes. But before we start thinking about things as far away as Easter, let us instead focus on the exciting happenings in the Bristol food scene this month… Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – February 2014 →

Bristol, Food Guides

The Best Roast Dinner in Bristol: The Sequel

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The Roast dinner at Start the Bus
The cajun style Roast dinner at Start the Bus – something a bit different.

We’re now into winter proper; and the only reasonable ways to spend your time are either under a fleecy blanket searching Netflix, or ensconced in your favourite warm & cosy pub with friends, enjoying a comforting plate of food. As I’ve said before, food doesn’t come much more comforting than a roast dinner.

You can read my first guide to roast dinners in Bristol Here, but as it was so popular I decided to go all Hollywood and do a sequel. Feel free to enlighten me with your own tips for where to enjoy a good roast in Bristol (or Bath – we all like an adventure of a weekend sometimes), and let me know what you think of the places I’ve listed below. I’ve linked to the pub’s website in the title for each section if that’s helpful. Continue reading The Best Roast Dinner in Bristol: The Sequel →

Bristol

Let Me Tell You a Story, Jack! – Bristol’s Storytelling Club

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Bristol’s very own variety storytelling club and open mic night kicked off in fantastic fashion at the beginning of October 2013.

Come along for a chance to see this city’s best writers, musicians, poets, rappers, comedians and general raconteurs get together over their ability to spin a good yarn. Continue reading Let Me Tell You a Story, Jack! – Bristol’s Storytelling Club →

Bristol, Monthly Food Listings

Bristol Food & Drink – December 2013

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Hello, my rain-sodden fellow West Country dwellers. Since my last post, we’ve enjoyed one pretend storm and a couple of real ones, so it’s probably about time that I coax you out from underneath your fleecy blankets and away from your hearths (if you’re lucky enough to have one) and give you a few things to look forward to over the coming days. Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – December 2013 →

Bristol, Monthly Food Listings

Bristol Food & Drink – November 2013

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The Chocolate Chiffon Cake from East Bristol Bakery (Credit: Alex Poulter, http://www.flickr.com/photos/livingfortuesday/)
The Chocolate Chiffon Cake from East Bristol Bakery (Credit: Alex Poulter)

There’s no denying it now – The Chill has arrived. But for all the mourning of picnics and barbecues, now we can look forward to stodgy dinners, Christmas markets and mulled beverages – hurrah!

I love ginger, allspice and dark spirits, so autumn and winter have always been my preference. Here are a few things for you to note down if you’re in need of some food or drink comfort in the coming days… Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – November 2013 →

Bristol, Pub Crawls

Pub Crawl Bristol #4 – Gloucester Road

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Gloucester Road, Bristol

There are many things that Bristol can be proud of, but one of the biggest is the overwhelming support for independent local businesses, along with the diversity of choice on offer. Nowhere in the city is this more apparent than on Gloucester Road; still one of the longest stretches in the country consisting mainly of thriving independent shops, bars and restaurants, which obviously makes it ripe for a good ol’ pub crawl.

I’ve started my list from the top end nearer to Horfield (although just beyond is The Inn on the Green, which is a fantastic pub), just because I think it makes sense to end your journey nearer to the centre of town, but the choice is yours! Here are my top tips for boozing in BS6.

Continue reading Pub Crawl Bristol #4 – Gloucester Road →

Bristol, Monthly Food Listings

Get it in your Diary: Key dates for Bristol’s Beer Drinkers

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As detailed in my last post, Bristol has definitely upped its game in the past 12 months in terms of its beer offerings.

However, in addition to the many bars you can now choose from to educate yourself in all things ale and beer related (my original bar list is Here) there are also plenty of events coming up in the next few weeks to further cement your love of all beverages borne of the barley and hops. Here is my selection of the ones to make a note of. Continue reading Get it in your Diary: Key dates for Bristol’s Beer Drinkers →

Bristol, Pub Crawls

Cider I up! – Where to get your cider in Bristol

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Cider shop
Cider, cider everywhere, so let’s have a drink! (Credit: Countryfile Magazine)

*Updated April 2017*

If there’s one thing that everyone can agree on when they think about the West Country, it’s cider. For that is what this oft-forgotten end of the country does well; fermented apples, and sounding like pirates.

I’m not much of a cider drinker these days, mainly due to overindulging when I first moved to Bristol and never quite being able to shake the memory of those first few vicious hangovers. But I still think that you can’t beat a good perry on a sunny day, or a dirty mulled scrumpy on a bitterly cold evening.

If you want the real deal when it comes to cider, the best thing I can suggest is a tour of Bristol’s establishments. Just watch out for the stronger varieties (quite a few can be over 8% volume) and whatever you do, stay away from Thatcher’s Cheddar Valley. Continue reading Cider I up! – Where to get your cider in Bristol →

Bristol, Monthly Food Listings

Why these are Exciting Times for Bristol

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bris harbour

I could list plenty of things that led me to Bristol and have kept me here for the past 5 years, whether it be the thriving and eclectic music scene, the quirky urban art across the city orjust being able to walk around the harbour.

I read a fantastic post about Bristol recently that I thought perfectly summed up the city and why I’ve come to love it so much; you can read Rachel Schraer’s post here.

Recently, I’d say that Bristol has come in to its own even more, with its independent muisc, art and food scenes becoming even more pronounced and successful. The support for local businesses here is astounding, so I thought it was about time to take stock and appreciate just what Bristol has achieved in the past 12 or so months, along with some exciting things still to come. Continue reading Why these are Exciting Times for Bristol →

Bristol, Food Guides

The Best Breakfasts in Bristol

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20130615_122013

I’ve mentioned on this blog before just how much importance I place on having a good breakfast; in fact I went so far as to write a post about The Perfect Eggs Benedict not too long ago.

Up until recently I had a weekend Breakfast Club with a friend, until he selfishly decided to make food for complete strangers a priority and open his own bakery (The wonderful East Bristol Bakery in fact – if you’ve not been I strongly suggest you pay it a visit). I’ve missed my weekend routine of taking turns with a friend to make some extravagant and experimental breakfast concoctions, so I’m very excited to be reinstating Breakfast Club with my friend Cat (along with whoever else amongst our friends can be bothered to get up before 11am on a Sunday). Continue reading The Best Breakfasts in Bristol →

Bristol, Food Guides

Roast Dinners: The quest for the best in Bristol

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roastdinner
Roast dinners: A hug on a plate.

It always annoys me whenever I hear people lament the slow death of British culture; how we have an ever-decreasing lack of national identity, traditions and pride. I grew up in Central London and always enjoyed the multiculturalism my hometown afforded; I have also lived abroad a couple of times and think this has all allowed me to appreciate other cultures whilst noticing the pros and cons of my own.

When I was living overseas and feeling homesick, the main things I missed aside from my family were (unsurprisingly) the quirks of English cuisine; Marmite, Branston Pickle, Cheddar cheese,  chip shop chips (for these are a specific breed of chips native only to these windswept isles), full English breakfasts, and of course, the mighty Roast Dinner. Continue reading Roast Dinners: The quest for the best in Bristol →

Bristol, Pub Crawls

Pub Crawl Bristol #3: Stokes Croft

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sc

Bristol is known for many things; Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the Clifton Suspension Bridge, colourful houses, hot air balloons, boats, slavery, a ridiculous accent and lethally strong cider. But Bristol has also come to the fore in recent years as the epicentre of some of the best urban art in the world.

As well as the numerous festivals and arts events every year (including See No Evil and Upfest) you can see world-class graffiti all over the city, but nowhere is more of an open air gallery than Stokes Croft, also known as The People’s Republic of Stokes Croft.

Allow me to illuminate a more artistic and less-likely-to-lead-to-liver-cirrhosis route, through Bristol’s most alternative and artistic neighborhood.

Continue reading Pub Crawl Bristol #3: Stokes Croft →

Bristol, Musings

Eggs Benedict: It’s all in the small details…

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eggsbenedictI like my food. I like cooking for friends, going to restaurants and picnics. I’ll try any cuisine and any combination of flavours at least once. Obviously I have my preferences and cravings though, and this weekend has been all about Eggs Benedict.

My favourite breakfasts would usually have to be Eggs Royale (essentially just Eggs Benedict but with smoked salmon in place of the ham) or Huevos Rancheros (Google it – best hangover cure you will ever find, trust me), but this weekend I decided to keep it traditional and get myself to my nearest cosy cafe for some much-needed protein to prepare for the heavy weekend ahead. Continue reading Eggs Benedict: It’s all in the small details… →

Bristol, Musings

What a difference, a name makes…

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Last night I went to see Father John Misty perform at the Thekla in Bristol. I first saw him 3 years ago at End of the Road Festival when he was still performing under his real name, Josh Tillman.

That first performance was pleasant enough; thoughtful, humble and slightly haunting acoustic folk from a beardy, demure man. I only knew him as the drummer from Fleet Foxes back then and didn’t think much more about him after his set at the festival – it was a nice way to pass half an hour  and nothing more (incidentally, you should definitely check out End of the Road Festival if you get a chance, some of the best live music experiences of my life have been there, and I go to a lot of gigs). Continue reading What a difference, a name makes… →

Bristol, Musings

So so so Scandi-alous!

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I’m so fickle.

DurImageing my early teens, my unashamed fandom for Hanson (no sniggering in the back) gave me an obsessive (or as I liked to say, “Dedicated”) love for all things American. I memorised all of the states and their capitals, I started watching NBA and I developed an irrational craving for over-sweetened and flavourless snacks like Twinkies and Hershey bars. Continue reading So so so Scandi-alous! →