Christmas is eight weeks on Wednesday. Hopefully that isn’t too much of a shock but if you’re struggling with gifts for that tricky relative or friend then this blog might just help you out.
Tag: COMPETITION
*** COMPETITION TIME *** Health & Wellbeing Live tickets!
September = January. I know that ‘equation’ really doesn’t add up but it does in my mind. January is a time of resolutions and often those resolutions are around lifestyle, eating habits and exercise.
*** 12 Days of Feastmas *** The Rules!
Tomorrow is 1st December which not only means that the daily administering of chocolate for breakfast begins (advent calendars in case you’re wondering!) & panic really starts to set-in but it marks the arrival of Eat Around Tonbridge’s December competition 12 Days of Feastmas! The blog has been running since April and to say thank you to the wonderful Eat Around Tonbridge followers, I wanted to give something back. I know it’s not easy to find the time to read a blog so for giving up your time, here’s something for you – a celebration of our gastronomic scene! This competition has been in the planning for quite a while & there are some amazing prizes up for grabs donated by local Tonbridge food and drink enterprises – hampers, vouchers for meals out, drinks’ cupboard essentials and of course, many of these would make amazing presents so if you’re not sure it’s for you, give it to someone else….just make sure you enter! A huge thank you to all the local businesses that are participating. The competition runs every working day from 1st -16th December. The competition starts at 9am and finishes at 9pm with the winner being announced on the next working day (so if you enter on a Friday, you’ll find out on the Monday if you’re a winner). You can only enter if you’re over 18. There is no alternative to the prize on offer that day and there are no extras to the prize itself. If two prizes are on offer then two winners will be picked. The first winner will win the first prize listed and the second winner will win the second prize listed. There are 3 ways to enter – via the Eat Around Tonbridge Facebook page, Twitter, @eat_Tonbridge or in the comment box at the bottom of each day’s competition page on the Eat Around Tonbridge website. Any information that you provide as part of the competition will not be used again for example in marketing or promotion without your consent. The winner/s will be picked at random from the correct entries or from the pool of entries depending on the question. Prizes will be secure posted/hand delivered, or will be available to collect from the business itself. Thank you to our wonderful local businesses for making the competition happen – please continue to support them; thank you in advance for taking part and good luck. Set a reminder on your phone for 9am tomorrow morning when it all kicks off!
WFH – Nichola Ferron, The Black Rose Bakery – “Everyone needs awesome cake in their lives!”
WFH is not a rude abbreviation! For those of you wondering if I’ve gone mad, it stands for ‘working from home’ and represents a new series I’m running on local folk that are setting up their own food & drink enterprises from home. I say ‘local’ but Nichola Ferron’s journey has taken her a long way from home. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, cooking providing an escape from an unstable family life. She would religiously watch cooking programmes on television every week. In adulthood she worked in a ‘proper’ job but then decided enough was enough – one day she ‘borrowed’ her mum’s car and made the ridiculously long drive to Seattle to enrol in culinary school, using the car as a temporary abode as well. And now she creates truly spectacular “American style cakes with a French twist,” she tells me, in her kitchen in Tonbridge whilst nonchalantly moulding sugar paste flowers. And this isn’t a professional kitchen or even a very big kitchen but with her numerous fridges, work station and culinary implements stored wherever possible, it works for her and goes to show that if you want to realise your dream, the small issue of ‘space’ shouldn’t stop you. The Black Rose Bakery cakes are true ‘showstoppers’, an edible reflection of this music-loving ex-model’s exuberance: multi-layered, using locally sourced ingredients & fresh fruit, the flavour combinations are unusual and enticing, abundantly decorated with the likes of caramel drizzle, fruits dipped in gold leaf, meringue kisses & award-winning sugar paste flowers. Yes, this is a cake Her signature cake is the hand painted stained glass wedding cake which is simply exquisite; Nichola uses the allegory of an haute-couture gown to describe her cakes, she is preparing them for a catwalk show – they must be perfect. I was treated to amaretto and chocolate sponge with vanilla buttercream, drizzled with caramel and hazelnuts. (Yep, it’s a tough job.) Nichola’s infectious ambition and energy mean that her journey has certainly not finished: this cook with a conscience is aiming high but isn’t forgetting her roots – she wants to help others along the way, just as she was helped back in Brooklyn. She would like to open her own premises next year, employing young apprentices, to showcase her cakes and to share her skills with others, offering sugar paste flower making classes and the like. And in the meantime, look out for her ‘popping-up’ around Tonbridge (offering us savoury, as well as sweet, treats) and going for gold at Cake International in the wedding cake and sugar paste categories (only bronze last year!). Nichola is inspiring, incredibly positive and a great advocate of working flexibly. I’m sure as a little girl she didn’t imagine herself in a kitchen in a town in Kent, England but that’s where her journey has brought her, so far. Once you’ve tried her cake, you’ll be pretty pleased it has. Black Rose Bakery has kindly offered one of her cakes as a prize in the “12 days of Feastmas” competition I’m running in December. If you’re bored of the fruit cake, marzipan, royal icing Christmas cake combo, make sure you’re watching Eat Around Tonbridge on 1 December! If you’d like to meet Nichola, she can be found at the monthly Tonbridge Farmer’s Market (the next is 13 Nov); alternatively, you can find her on FaceBook, Twitter @BlackRoseBakery, Instagram blackrosebakery and at her very own website!
*** COMPETITION TIME *** Wrapper’s Delight
Ben Sulston is the grandmaster of healthy food in Tonbridge at Sulston’s Kitchen. He’s not happy to sit on his laurels though – his new healthy takeaway shop on Quarry Parade has only been part of our lives since June (feels like longer doesn’t it?), he’s launched his cookery classes (details below) and now he’s moving onto his next venture. Ben and his friend and former colleague, Rob Dant, are collaborating, bringing Tonbridge its very own street food – Bez & Kho wraps. Khobez is a Mediterranean bread that’s similar to a tortilla (that you’d use in a Mexican fajita) but more substantial. Rob describes himself as a ‘food tourist’, always trying a wide variety of local food wherever he goes in the world and the culinary duo want this to be reflected in the wraps, “…an artist sees a pallet of colours, we see a pallet of flavours and want to draw from them all, mix them up…” The result it some, quite frankly, mouth-watering taste combinations, such as whole roast pulled chicken with lemon & harissa, caramelized onion humus, herb tabbouleh, flame roast peppers & sesame & miso glazed pork, apple slaw, red chicory, truffle mayo, pickled shitake (veggie options are available). I found those difficult to type – sound too good. The chefs, with 30 years’ experience between them, are keen to take any ‘elitism’ out of food, “Why can’t food for everyone, street food, have the same integrity as Michelin quality food?” asks Rob. The wraps will be thoughtfully crafted using quality produce from local suppliers where possible (Ian Chatfield for example) plus their secret recipe hot sauce. Sam & Richard at The Old Fire Station frequently introduce Tonbridge to new culinary experiences and this is no exception: they are helping the guys launch this addition to the Tonbridge eating scene this weekend. On the evenings of Friday 19th & Saturday 20th August, as well as the bar being open at TOFS, food will be provided by Bez & Kho. The wraps or khobez (£6) will be served open, piled high with their tempting fillings, and can be accompanied by some tantalising sides (£3)such as roast sprouting broccoli with garlic, chilli & parmesan, and curried roast cauliflower. These events really are a showcase of Tonbridge foodie entrepreneurs as Favola, the new ice cream parlour, are providing a yoghurt ice cream for dessert, served with Jamaican ginger cake and roasted pineapple (£4). Saturday 20th August 9am-2pm is the open brunch event at TOFS – Sulston’s Kitchen is at the helm and alongside its own healthy menu, wraps will be available too. And then, if you still haven’t sampled the wraps, Sulston’s Kitchen is officially launching the wraps on Bank Holiday Monday, 29th August 10am at their HQ on Quarry Parade. Plenty of opportunities to try our very own street food. The Tonbridge eating scene continues to evolve and delight our taste buds. *** Competition *** For a chance to win a meal for two (two wraps + 2 sides) on your preferred evening of Friday or Saturday night, answer the following question: Which artist is behind the 1979 rap classic ‘Rapper’s Delight’? You can answer as a comment on my Facebook page or blog page, or send me a tweet @eat_tonbridge. The deadline is 10pm on Thursday 18th August and the winner will be chosen at random & announced Friday morning. Enter now! And if you don’t win, why not go along anyway this weekend to try something unique? Sulston’s Kitchen cookery classes – 3rd September, 1st October. To sign up email Ben at sulstonskitchen@gmail.com. @sulstonskitchen @bez_and_kho @FireStationTN
****COMPETITION TIME**** Win a meal for 4 people + a bottle of prosecco!
“We’re still here, still good value for money and the food’s better than it used to be, “ says Danial Palmer-Johnson, the new manager of The Slug & Lettuce, Tonbridge which has joined forces with Eat Around Tonbridge for this exciting competition to launch their new menu. I visited recently on a Saturday night and left feeling surprised & impressed…. Asian platter from the new menu If you think you know The Slug & Lettuce, then think again. It attracts ladies who lunch, professionals on their way home from the station and families too thanks to it’s ‘Kids eat for £1′ offer on Sundays. Danial, an experienced Slug & Lettuce manager having worked all over the country in the bar chain, has honed in on the community spirit in the town and the Slug & Lettuce is now sponsoring the Tonbridge Juddians Ladies’ team. He’s keen to stock local suppliers too. Very tasty Khichdi from The Slug & Lettuce menu Myself & three friends visited The Slug & Lettuce one Saturday night – none of us had been for ages (years). It was really busy & buzzing at the bar, tunes playing, but it didn’t take us long to be served or be shown to our table, despite the FA Cup Final being shown and a hen do enjoying a cocktail masterclass. The menu is large & varied, covering all bases with specific menus for meals such as salads, burgers, sandwiches & light bites. Large menus often concern me (you know, quality vs quantity) but I needn’t have worried. We ordered a broad selection of dishes from the main menu (fish cakes with sweet potato fries, a super salad, chicken skewers & Khichdi, an Indian inspired rice dish which was sweet & tangy) and were impressed: our food was very tasty and full of flavour, all delivered by our attentive server. Seafood grill from the new menu We had a really good night and it’s somewhere to which we all said we’d return – the (sometimes loud) music, hen do & general hustle and bustle of the place on a Saturday night, only added to our enjoyment. **** Competition **** And now you can experience it for yourselves! To enter the competition: Identify 3 fruit & veg characters from The Slug & Lettuce children’s menu Enter by commenting on this blog post on the Eat Around Tonbridge Facebook page OR reply to the blog tweet on Twitter @eat_tonbridge. The deadline is Thursday 9th June 2016 10pm. The winner will be chosen at random & announced on Friday morning. The prize could be used on Father’s Day too! Enter now for your chance to win!