The deadline to nominate for the Kent Life & Kent on Sunday Food & Drink Awards is looming – 7 August. So far I’ve covered the categories ‘Newcomer of the Year’ and ‘Café of the Year’ as Tonbridge has plenty of potential nominees for these categories. On or around Tonbridge High Street we have some lovely independent shops doing their bit to promote food & drink too. ‘Gorgeous George’ sells wines & spirits and would be eligible for ‘Independent Food or Drink Retailer of the Year’, as would Ian Chatfield The Butchers, a reliable & very friendly source of good quality meat with its accompanying deli counter. Next year, we may be nominating Favola, the new artisan ice cream parlour. This week I’d like to highlight a venue that is eligible for both ‘Independent Food or Drink Retailer’ and ‘Food Producer’, as well as ‘Café of the Year’ & the newcomer award – quite a feat: The Bakehouse at 124. The owner, Clare, & her team would love to win an award from Kent Life & Kent on Sunday, “Kent Life covers the whole county…to win an award is amazing customer feedback.” The story behind The Bakehouse is about a passion for food and in particular food education: Clare is allergic to many foods and she found it frustrating when staff didn’t know the origins or the ingredients of the food they were serving. Educating others about food was important to Clare but she decided to focus on herself first, training as an artisan baker. 124 High Street, a bakery in the first half of the 1900s, is one of the oldest buildings in Tonbridge & listed. Its size lends itself well to the café and open kitchens. Clare has lovingly restored it, maintaining the quirks of a building with history. Education comes in the shape of a ‘viewing bench’ for anyone who wants to watch the bakers kneading away; a little bit of calm is available on sofas upstairs; and tranquility can be found with a view of the castle outside in the walled garden. So what is ‘artisan’ bakery, and what makes it different from what I might try at home after watching ‘The Great British Bake Off’? “Artisan means that you are making a product from start to finish, using the best ingredients and making it in its simplest form, be it ice cream, chocolate, bread etc….,” says Clare, “At The Bakehouse we use flour, water & salt, we don’t even use yeast in most of our breads as we use sour dough.” Clare’s training means that she understands the science behind the bake and also the results achieved by using different flours. Artisan is different to ‘craft’ bakery and, of course, a world away from the sliced loaf you buy at the supermarket. The Bakehouse is a café offering a wide variety of artisan baked goods to suit appetites from breakfast to afternoon tea & cake, & it sells its on-site baked loaves too – there’s a ‘loaf timetable’ so that customers know when their favourites are available. We discussed that bread often gets a bad press, people thinking that bread doesn’t ‘agree’ with them but, Clare explains that she has converted quite a few customers. I have tried in the past to make bread by hand, inspired by Mr Hollywood and the GBBO contestants but have failed miserably. I like to know the origins of my food and to be able to see it being made in front of my very eyes, certainly ticks that box. Clare has converted me. If you’d like to nominate The Bakehouse or anywhere else in Kent (preferably Tonbridge!), you can do so here.
Beyond the Grounds, Tonbridge, 28 June 2016
It’s hot isn’t it?! Mustn’t grumble though…keep drinking they say. So grab a glass of something, sit down and have a little read about Beyond the Grounds. I went into Beyond the Grounds expecting just a café but after speaking to the founder & manager, Jennie Kenny, I realised that there is much more to this riverside spot than meets the eye. Jennie, grew up in the hospitality industry and loves entertaining, interacting with people. She decided about 20 years ago after a tough night shift as a midwife that one day she’d like to open her own café. Like Richard Collins and The Tonbridge Old Fire Station, Jennie had her heart set on her current premises and couldn’t believe it when it came on the market; after some patience and a friend’s generosity, she opened Beyond the Grounds downstairs whilst her friend Amanda Hedger runs the counselling service upstairs. There’s a very healthy portion of community in this project which is heartening to hear – Jennie wants to contribute to improving the aesthetic of the town with her venture; the owner of the building donated it to Tonbridge Baptist Church who benefit via the Gift Aid scheme; & Beyond the Grounds itself is a social enterprise. This means that once the bills, staff, café improvements are paid, any leftover money is spent on the local community, and in particular charities that resonate with Jennie and her team. Some charities have benefitted already during the café’s 6 month lifespan. I visited one lunchtime with my friend and three children. We received a very warm welcome – “I want people to feel as though they’re coming into my front room,” says Jennie who wants the café to be hospitable and homely, and the ambience certainly is that: the staff is helpful and smiling, the décor functional but cosy in green & purple hues using upcycled timber from the building’s past. The menus (kids’, grown-ups’, breakfast) are concise & provide good variety. Unlike other cafes, the serving staff come to the table which makes things that little bit more sociable. The children had the tomato & roasted pepper soup which was delicious and perfect for their palates, served with white bloomer toast. The waiting staff was considerate, thinking ahead and bringing the little diners teaspoons, rather than large soup spoons. My friend and I both had burgers – the BTG Bistro special was steak burger that week but for other weeks it may be quiche, beouf bourginon – it changes regularly. It was cooked to perfection and came with some delicious homemade mango relish. My friend had the Slow Roasted Meat Bap which on the day we visited was pork. Both the bap & burger were accompanied by garlic potato wedges and a green salad. They were both really tasty and the portions were perfect, not overwhelming as sometimes burgers and their sides can be. The table of cakes! It was hard to choose from the ‘Table of Cakes’! We had shortbread for pudding as we knew there was a secret recipe behind it (melt in the mouth), and finished off our coffees (good coffee). Our every need had been met in here, teaspoons for children’s soup, soya milk for my friend and an accommodating atmosphere for three noisy children! It might be tricky to manoeuvre round the tables with a buggy but Jennie and the team would help you out and make it work – just as if you were visiting her at home. This is a café with lots to offer thanks to its altruism – a great back story with a community focussed future. Experience ingredients: In the group: 2 ad + 3 children Consumption & cost: 2 x coffees, 3 x carton juices, 2 x adult mains, 3 x children’s soups, 3 x shortbread cookies – £35 If you’d like to nominate Beyond the Grounds for an award in the Kent Life and Kent on Sunday Food & Drink Awards, click here – sadly there isn’t an award for best name!
‘Newcomer of the Year’ award in the Kent Life & Kent on Sunday Food & Drink Awards
In my last blog I kicked off my support of the Kent Life & Kent on Sunday Food & Drink Awards because I really want to see the Tonbridge eating scene receive some recognition! Last time I focused on the Café of the Year category. I’m dedicating this post to Newcomer of the Year as quite frankly, Tonbridge is bursting at the seams with new places (& I spotted two more this week – Nancy’s Tea Rooms in Lambert’s Yard & Favola’s artisan ice cream shop & Italian café!) I have reviewed or met with the people behind many of these sparkly new eating places and the links to the write-ups are listed at the bottom of this page. But your favourite place needs your nominations in order for it to be considered for the awards’ short list; you might like to include in your comment “what impact they have made on the local community…..Are they helping to promote Kent food & drink to a new audience, or have they found a new way to promote an old favourite?”* Your nomination doesn’t have to be somewhere that you can sit down to eat, it could be a retailer (think the Bakehouse at 124), a takeaway (Sulston’s Kitchen), perhaps a cake maker, drinks’ producer or even yours truly: “anyone in the food or drink industry who has started a new venture within the last 18 months”.* And if you’re in any doubt, here’s what some of the potential nominees have to say about what it would mean to them to win…”Winning an award is justification and confirmation that we are a great business with good staff & quality food…it would mean a lot to not just me but the whole team, they would have been rewarded for their very hard work,” Trevor Crysell, owner, Graze. “For Sulston’s Kitchen to be recognised by the Kent Life FDA at this stage in our business would help us to spread our message that healthy food can be really tasty, affordable & genuinely improve people’s lives. As a young, independent business, it would not only support our growth but the growth of all the local suppliers we use enabling us to continue building the vibrancy of Tonbridge, ” Ben Sulston, Sulston’s Kitchen. “It would be great to be nominated, ” says Sam Goode from Tonbridge Old Fire Station, “This venture is bringing an old building back to life and providing the people of Tonbridge with new dining experiences from top chefs.” Remember, it’s not ‘first past the post’ in these awards; nominations are reviewed by the panel of judges, comments digested before the judges visit their respective short list entries….So get nominating! http://kentfda.co.uk/nominate/ The list below does not cover all the new food & drink ventures in Tonbridge – there are lots more! I know which newcomer I’m nominating, do you? Havet Shamo’s Sulston’s Kitchen Tonbridge Old Fire Station Gaab Kao Graze Closing date for nominations is 7 August 2016 * Taken from Kent Life Magazine
Beyond the Grounds – a Kent Life & Kent on Sunday Food & Drink Awards winner?
As you know, this blog was borne out of the fact that Tonbridge has been regaining its mojo thanks to the plethora of new eating places we have now. Just in case featuring on my blog isn’t recognition enough (ahem), over the coming weeks I am going to be highlighting places that you might like to nominate for categories in the Kent Life & Kent on Sunday’s prestigious Food & Drink Awards 2016. Wouldn’t it be GREAT to have some Tonbridge winners? One of the categories is Café of the Year and several have sprouted on or around Tonbridge High Street this year alone. I visited Beyond the Grounds this week to meet the founder Jennie Kenny and, of course, to sample the food. A full review to come soon but here’s a taster to kick start the nomination suggestions… I received a warm welcome as I entered Beyond the Grounds, just next to HSBC bank. The founder Jennie, wants the café to be hospitable and homely, and the ambience certainly is that, the staff helpful and smiling. The children had the tomato & roasted pepper soup which was delicious and perfect for their palates. The waiting staff was considerate, thinking ahead and bringing the little diners teaspoons, rather than large soup spoons. My friend and I both had burgers – the BTG Bistro special is steak burger this week and the Slow Roasted Meat Bap is pork, both of which were accompanied by garlic potato wedges and a green salad. They were both really tasty and the portions were perfect, not overwhelming as sometimes burgers and their sides can be. We had shortbread for pudding (excellent – apparently it’s a secret recipe!), and finished off our coffees. Our every need had been met in here, teaspoons for children, soya milk for my friend and an accommodating atmosphere for three noisy children! Positioned conveniently betwixt park and high street, Beyond the Grounds is a community orientated café that is well worth a visit. I asked Jennie what it would mean to her and the team if they won Café of the Year. “The Kent Life awards are prestigious! It would be amazing to win, to think that people actually connect with it, like what we’re doing & love it for what it is. I would think I’ve achieved what I wanted to achieve.” Hopefully that has started your brain ticking about where you like to go for a coffee and a piece of cake; perhaps it’s Beyond the Grounds, perhaps it’s somewhere else. But if it’s in Kent, nominate it! http://kentfda.co.uk/nominate/ It is easy to nominate! I did it within five minutes, on my mobile, on a dog walk! And in that time, I added the all-important comment that could help to add my favourite foodie haunt to the short list. Will yours be on it? Closing Date – 7 August 2016
Havet, Tonbridge, 28 May 2016
The evening of Saturday 28 May was warm, balmy even. There was a real buzz at the north end of the High Street: people were socialising, drinking cocktails outside Graze & enjoying their night out. It was great to see a vibrant Tonbridge. We were on our way to Havet – was it as good as everyone was saying? Havet has certainly added to the Tonbridge buzz since it launched in April, after the success of its flagship restaurant in Bromley. I seemed to be one of the few not to have been so I was thrilled when they invited me to review them. Havet on the High Street The décor inside is definitely making a statement as is the service. Throughout the evening, despite the energy of the atmosphere, the waiters patiently explained the flexibility of the menu, and the authenticity of the food. Regardless of your budget, you could enjoy a meal here thanks to the flexible menu: a selection of ‘meze’ (the portions are large across the menu) is reasonable and there is a mix & match option with the main courses too. The use of the word ‘combo’ makes it feel a little fast-food-ish but the quality of the food more than makes up for it. Sucuk from the meze menu – Turkish spicy sausage The food was really delicious, full of evocative Mediterranean & Middle Eastern flavours. The imam bayildi was the star of the starters for me (we tried four) – the aubergine was beautifully soft with an intense smoky, sweet taste, perfect with the accompanying pitta. I knew I was supposed to share, but it proved difficult… Lamb adana iskender – a fantastic mélange of flavours I stuck with tradition for my main course and chose a minced lamb kebab: lamb adana iskender. The meat is served on cubes of bread, with a gorgeous tomato sauce, yoghurt & herbs, mint and parsley coming through strongly. I took my time over it to savour the flavours of the meat, sweet & well-seasoned, & the bread that soaks up all the juices from the rich sauce & tangy yoghurt. The portions are large and thankfully I was offered a doggy bag. It was just a shame that they brought the box to me! I felt rather awkward transferring plate to box without the right implements on a small table with people watching (niggle one). The atmosphere is energetic, as I said, and this is heightened by the frequent pinging from the kitchen & bar for orders that are ready to go. The ping sounds like the clinking of a spoon on a champagne flute, heralding the start of speeches at a wedding though, so I was very frequently (it pings a lot) looking up expecting someone to speak. This became rather annoying, I have to say and was causing a sore neck (niggle two). To finish we tried some baklava – sticky, sweet, light pastry – everything they should be. We were too full though so had to repeat the embarrassing doggy bag transfer, ending up with sticky fingers this time. We had a great time at Havet – aside from my tiny niggles, I couldn’t find anything to criticise. It’s obviously popular and that feeling rubbed off on me: it made me feel as though I was dining at ‘the place to be’ in Tonbridge. I left feeling very full but very positive.
Whoops! Forgotten about Father’s Day? Here are some ideas…
Have you forgotten about Father’s Day this Sunday?! You may have also forgotten that it’s Tonbridge Carnival so the High Street will be very busy especially as the weather looks dry. If you want to guarantee a table, and appear organised, best to book. I have done the hard work for you & contacted as many restaurants as I could to compile this list of places that still have tables. They are all on Tonbridge High Street or around, & still had tables available on Thursday/Friday. Don’t forget to check the Eat Around Tonbridge website to read reviews. Graze, 01732 369857 – ‘Man vs Burger Challenge’ – If Dad can eat a 3 stack burger in 20 minutes, it’s free! Plus complimentary beer. Kathmandu Valley, 01732 366366 – In this Nepalese restaurant, groups of 6 or more will receive a complimentary bottle of house red or white wine. The Slug & Lettuce, 01732 368529 – 2 & 3 course set menu, Dads receive a complimentary pint. Shamo’s, 01732 356661 – ‘Daddies’ Day Burger Bonanza’ – Dads can enjoy any burger + fries + slaw free! Eat in only. Vauxhall Inn, 01732 773111 – special Father’s Day 2 course menu £16, 3 course menu £18. If you celebrate Father’s Day after 7pm 19th June, the third course is free. A great pub for non-local people to join you as it’s just off the A21. One 60, 01732 369244 – offering a special Father’s Day menu. The Ivy House, 01732 771249 – their usual Sunday menu is on offer at this gastro pub. Gaab Kao, 01732 358730- our local Thai has just launched a new lunchtime menu. Havet, 01732 387387 – the new Turkish restaurant still has tables. Mamma Mia, 01732 353660- If Dad likes la dolce vita, then the high street Italian still has tables! Around Tonbridge… The Plough, Leigh, 01732 832149 – bookings can be made for after 4pm (fully booked up until then) Poacher & Partridge, 01732 358934 – tables available in the evening only. The following places around Tonbridge are fully booked: The Chaser in Shipbourne The Little Brown Jug in Chiddingstone Causeway The Kentish Hare in Bidborough Let me know if this has been useful by commenting on my Facebook page, Eat Around Tonbridge, on the Eat Around Tonbridge website or on Twitter @eat_tonbridge. Feedback always appreciated! Next week: Havet Enjoy the weekend! Eat Reviewer