I met with the general manager of The Beer Seller this week, a new pub coming to Tonbridge High Street, to be situated on the site of John Angell jewellers, and due to open mid December. Jamie and the team are busy refurbishing the inside – it’s going to be unlike anywhere else we have already! – and sourcing quality libation.
Tag: BEER
Beercause it’s ale for a great cause! (I know, terrible.)
Warning! This blog is not for the cynical – it’s very positive! Community spirit, creative people, generous businesses. But it does all start with a sad story.
The Dovecote, Capel, 2 September 2017
The Dovecote is hidden away on the road between Tudeley and Capel, almost blending into a row of cottages. Mr EAT and I had a date night and as I was willing to drive, we decided to try somewhere further afield, new to us and somewhere that I hadn’t heard any of you discuss. This very welcoming and homely pub was a pleasant surprise.
What I’ve Learnt This Year
Firstly, thank you very much for such a positive reaction to last week’s blog. In light of the awful events this week, being kind seems all the more important so whether you spread the blog or not, at least just spread the message.
Saltwaters, High Street, Tonbridge, 22 November 2016
It’s Friday which as well as the end of the week, means FISH! The tradition of eating fish on Fridays stems from religion but fish and chips is a national favourite, enjoyed day in, day out around the country. I was kindly invited to dine in Saltwaters, and so my two children & I visited for our fish supper. We were pleasantly surprised by what we found. Family owned, Saltwaters arrived in Tonbridge earlier this year with quite a pedigree – it relocated from fashionable Belgravia and has 50 years’ experience in frying and chipping. Its smart, shiny signage on the library roundabout offers a lovely welcome to the High Street. There was a table already eating when we arrived and a real mix of people trickled into the tastefully decorated restaurant creating a lovely buzz. The quality of the ingredients is impressive – fresh fish, homemade batter, quality Aberdeen Angus beef in its burgers. The menu is really varied with something for everyone – veggie burgers & peri peri chicken making an appearance. And don’t forget about their gluten free Mondays. We were there to taste the dishes that have brought Stevie Wonder into their Belgravia chippie: calamari, salt and pepper squid, fish bites and gourmet fish fingers to start which were delicious. The calamari and squid were cooked to perfection encased in a crunchy, amber batter. Each fish is cooked to order, it’s not left sitting in the batter in the fryer so despite being a ‘chippie’ you will have a ‘restaurant wait’ as your dish is prepared. But it’s worth the wait. The cod that arrived was lightly battered and so not as greasy or filling as perhaps you might have had before. The chips are hand chipped and twice fried resulting in a great crunch on the outside, fluffy potato on the inside; the side salad tasty too. My children had a mini fish and chips and a chicken nuggets and chips which they mostly devoured but had clearly not paced themselves on the starters *rolls eyes*. If you have room for pudding, the menu features classics like sticky toffee pud, crumble, and ice cream, including some interesting flavours like coconut and fruits of the forest. Saltwaters is a really versatile place – great for families or eating out with friends. They have wine and beer, it’s informal and would be a great stop-off from the nearby train station if you didn’t want to cook. It might be famed for its traditional fish and chips but, like the sea there’s a lot more beneath the surface. As we long for comfort food in this cold weather, Saltwaters will provide it alongside a very warm welcome. Saltwaters has kindly donated a generous prize to ’12 Days of Feastmas’ so don’t forget to keep liking and sharing from 1 December to be in with a chance of winning!
News: New places, new nights…Tonbridge continues to change…
Recently, I’ve been catching up with some of the owners and managers of our local Tonbridge eating places and wanted to share with you what I’ve learnt about our evolving & exciting eating scene…get your diaries out, there’s lots going on! The Old Fire Station will continue to bring great chefs to Tonbridge and some are starting to come back to serve us second helpings including Tonbridge’s own Gurkha Planet & Sulston’s Kitchen (brunch weekends) as well as Brisket & Barrell (14th & 15th October – no ticket required) & Ben Spalding (7th & 8th October). Ben tells me that the menu will be revealed on the night but “expect 14 servings of delicious, playful & well-balanced cooking with maximum vibes!” They’re also doing their bit for charity by hosting pizza nights in their courtyard 7th & 8th October. All you need do is buy a drink and then the pizza is as much as you want to donate to ‘Tonbridge Calling’ – a great cause. There’s so much going on at TOFS over the coming weeks and months that I can’t write about it all! I heartily recommend following TOFS on Facebook so that you can be one of the first to hear about these fantastic events and something very exciting that they have planned towards the end of the year! Sadly my lips are sealed but it’ll be worth it… The Bakehouse at 124 is diversifying, bringing us pizza nights and chef Dan Hatton in this lovely old setting. The pizza nights are with Mission Pizza, “trying to save the planet one pizza at a time”, 7th & 8th October. Dan Hatton, a purveyor of fine foods at his store and café in the Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, as well as Michelin starred chef, generously gave his time and efforts to TOFS’ Empty Bowls event back in May. The soup that he served was amazing (read about it here), so if that one bowl of soup is anything to go by, these should be great nights! (Dates for all events are at the bottom of this page). Little tidbits of info… The Slug & Lettuce is set to change: it will become a Town Pub & Kitchen. On the group’s website the images of other TPKs, as they’re called, look promising, quite Graze-esque. Dates are still to be finalised so watch this space. Fuggles, the beer café that started in Tunbridge Wells, has planning permission to change the use of its premises and it’s now just waiting for the alcohol licence to be agreed by the council. The Chequers is ‘under new management’ but what the future holds for the oldest building in Tonbridge, we’re not quite sure. The rumour was that Sankey’s, the fish & seafood restaurant currently found in Tunbridge Wells, was going to take over but they tell me that’s not the case… If you missed my previous post on Facebook, our Thai restaurant, just across from The Chequers, Gaab Kao is now delivering. I know lots of you love it in there and love the takeaways – now you don’t have to leave the house! 01732 358730 Eat Around Tonbridge is launching a jobs board for the hospitality/food industry. There are many seasonal jobs being advertised in the town and you will now be able to find these all in one place. We’re aiming to go live with that next week so watch your feeds and share the Facebook page, tweets and website itself to spread the word and maybe earn some extra cash for Christmas. Lots going on! Surely there’s something for everyone on the High Street these days…but I’m sure it’s going to get even better! Keep liking and sharing my Eat Around Tonbridge Facebook posts, Tweets (@eat_tonbridge) and the website so that you can stay right up to date with news, openings, offers and competitions. Key dates & details 7th & 8th OctoberOld Fire Station – Chef Ben Spalding – if you’d like to book, tickets are £65 for 14 courses and can be booked by emailing Ben directly Ben@benspalding.co.ukOld Fire Station – Tonbridge Calling pizza fundraiserThe Bakehouse at 124 – Mission PizzaCall 01732 360382 14th & 15th OctoberOld Fire Station – Brisket & Barrell – no ticket requiredThe Bakehouse – chef Dan Hatton 18th, 19th November, 16th & 17th DecemberThe Bakehouse – chef Dan Hatton Eat Reviewer