Welcome to April! I’m feeling in the festival spirit already, but with good reason as you’ll see once you read through what’s coming up in the next few weeks.
We all know that Bristol comes alive when the sun gets its hat on, so it’s time to start clearing your weekends for all of the music, food and arts festivals which will be arriving in the city in the next few months. But before that, here’s what you can look forward to in April (*Spoiler* – it’s a good’un).
The first sunny specks of spring have started to emerge – I’ve seen two trees in full blossom already! It’s around this time of year that I start to get really excited about all of the fun festivals and outdoor events that will be gracing Bristol this summer – we’ll be seeing the return of Food Connections, Grillstock Festival, Make Sundays Special and Eat Drink Bristol Fashion – what else are you excited about?
Let’s not get too ahead of ourselves though; before we can resume supping cider on the quayside outside Arnolfini, we first have to make it through the final weeks of frosty, windy March – luckily there’s plenty to look forward to though…
I know we’re a few weeks in now, but Happy 2015 everyone! I hope your year has got off to an exhilirating start, even in the financial drought of January. There’s already a fair bit going on, with even more coming up in February.
Buzzfeed did a list of Things You Need To Eat In Bristol Right Now, which I heartily agreed with, and then there was a sequel post, which I also nodded along vigorously to (most of the places feature in my 2014 Highlights Package along with some other treasures, if you want to continue the salivating).
Local food sites Bristol Bites and Rocket & Parmesan also updated their food deals pages, to help you fight through the bleakness between pay days. Now, let’s get on with what else is new or coming up! Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – February
This year, it felt like Bristol went from being championed by its locals to being nationally recognised, whether it was for its green credentials, burgeoning food & drink scene, support for local businesses, or putting a water slide down one of its busiest streets.
We had more festivals, more new openings, and made it on to more ‘Best.. in the UK’ lists than ever before.The Guardian called Bristol a ‘Foodie Heaven‘, listed some of our best places to eat on a budget, and included Bristol Eats in its round-up of the Top 10 Food Markets in Europe. The Telegraph was one of several newspapers to report that Bristol had topped the Quality of Living Index, making it The Best City to Live in the UK. But what were the stand out bits of 2014 for Bristolians and local business owners?
The first week of December is fairly jam-packed; a last chance to get the foodie events in before the chaos of Christmas parties and last minute shopping!
There are celebrations (including the 150th anniversary of the Clifton Suspension Bridge on Sunday 7th December), tasting events, supper clubs, Christmas markets and pop-ups, plus the usual list of new businesses to investigate!
Here are my picks of the best food-centric frolics in the coming weeks. Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – December
I’ve eaten a lot of good roast dinners during my year-long quest across Bristol, and as loathe as I was to make these posts into a trilogy, it now looks almost inevitable that there will be a Part 4 at some point – there are just too many places remaining that I want to try!
For now though, here are my highlights from the past few months; feel free to tell me what you thought of the places I’ve listed, or recommend new places for me to try. Also make sure you check out Part One and Part Two of my roast dinner quest! Continue reading The Quest for the Best Roast in Bristol – Part Three
Guys, the time is almost here; as the wind gets chillier and clothing layers multiply, we’re edging ever closer to the opening of the Christmas markets!
I’m sure that many of you are not ready for the appearance of wooden, candy-adorned sheds and German Christmas carols in Broadmead, but I have to say that I’m ridiculously excited. From 7th November until 22nd December you can have your fill of Currywurst, hog roast and cheesy music – be sure to ask for rum or amaretto in your mulled wine too, and thank me later. Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – November 2014
How are you all enjoying the final glimpses of summer?
I have to say that I’m quite enjoying the onset of autumn, bringing with it robust stews, comfy jumpers and, hopefully, the return of pumpkin beer! I tried quite a few varieties last year, and they were all lovely. More vegetable beers please, and don’t go easy on the allspice either. Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – October 2014
Well, we survived. Through the beer festivals, the ridiculously strong collaboration brews, the steins of Pilsner at Oktoberfest, and the beer matching dinners. Well done, everybody.
Only in its second year, and Bristol Beer Week has already cemented itself as one of the flagship food and drink events in Bristol’s calendar. The support this year was overwhelming, both in terms of the number of venues and breweries participating, but also the amount of people attending the events.
King Street was a veritable sea of blue and yellow t-shirts throughout the week, which warmed my cockles no end (or that could have been the 11% Buxton Yellowbelly, who knows). Continue reading Bristol Beer Week: A Debrief
Don’t look outside. It’s probably raining, and if it isn’t right now, it will be, soon. Summer is skipping off into the distance, and with it our excuses for uneven park tans, poorly mixed sangria and wildly over-ambitious plans for a herb garden.
It’s not all woe, however, because with the approaching of Autumn also comes opportunities for hearty stews, dark beers and justified nights on the sofa with box sets – plus, we all look better in our fluffy jumpers than shorts, don’t we?
Luckily, September is packed with plenty of ways for you to indulge in comfort food, try some new beverages, dance around like a lunatic or learn how to make a Christmas cake (yes, already). Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – September 2014
*Updated June 2016*
As much as I’m far from being just a meat and potatoes sort of gal, it has to be said that one of the most luxurious ways to spend an evening is with a good steak and a large glass of red wine.
I’ve said before that my ideal steak is the thickness of my wrist and the size of my face, but I’d like to think that in recent times I’ve come to appreciate quality over quantity with my meat. Probably.
There is now an abundance of fantastic steak restaurants across Bristol, all offering high quality fare at different price points. Here is my guide to the best ones I’ve found so far, along with some of the best deals they have to offer – feel free to tell me about other great steaks you’ve had, or even your top recipes for a steak dinner at home! Continue reading Bristol’s Best Steak Deals
Merry August to you, fellow sweaty Bristolians. I come bearing news of events and assorted food shenanigans to whet your appetite for the coming weeks.
Pull up a pew under a parasol, grab some ice to mop your forehead, and let us begin…
Say hello to…
It’s another busy month for openings in Bristol, and where July seemed to be the month of meat ventures, August seems to be a bit more varied in what it’s dishing up. Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – August 2014
Whether your favourite things are hot air balloons, live music, Thai food or American beer, Bristol is packed full of fun and affordable events throughout July to suit anyone’s tastes.
The most exciting event coming to the city this month is the Harbour Festival, from Friday 18th-Sunday 20th July. It’s one of the biggest events of its kind in the country, with live music across several venues, circus acts in Castle Park, various kids activities and plenty of maritime-themed events – plus, it’s all free! Be sure to keep an eye to the Facebook and Twitter pages, and pick up a programme for full event listings. Continue reading Bristol Food & Drink – July 2014
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
For the fifth pub crawl on this site, I thought it only fair that we head south of the water to Bedminster.
Continue reading Pub Crawl Bristol #5 – North Street, Bedminster
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
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
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
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
*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
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
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’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
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
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
A Life Less Organised 