We’re approaching Christmas and the end of another year – it’s flown by hasn’t it! It’s been a great year for Tonbridge and the Eat Around Tonbridge blog.
Tag: CREAMS FACTORY
Quick add on for the Saturday to-do list!
It’s Saturday and you may well be thinking about plans for the weekend. The weather is dry and we have lots on offer in Tonbridge – pub lunch with the children at one of our great local pubs? Trip to Haysden, lunch at the fantastic Cafe in the Park followed by a play on the swings? Picnic on the castle lawn this evening at the Luna cinema?
Tick tock – how time flies! EAT is 1 today + The Clock House & Creams Factory
Eat Around Tonbridge is 1 today! I should probably have some stats on the number of blogs, likes, competition entries I’ve had in the last 12 months but I’m too busy telling you about more new places! How fitting, that in the week that the Eat Around Tonbridge blog celebrates its first anniversary, new places are opening in Tonbridge and we hear that Sankey’s fishmonger is coming! Tick, tock…The Clock House opens its doors at noon today but I managed a sneaky peek of Tonbridge’s new tapas restaurant on Wednesday at the launch party. It looks great – spacious, clean, fresh – and it’s an horologist’s dream with clocks adorning all the walls! Photo credits throughout – Kerry Barton, Studio 23 The ‘theatre kitchen’ was in full swing providing miniature tapas off the menu for guests to try – sea food paella, albondigas (meat balls), patatas bravas (fried potatoes in a tomato sauce) to name a few. The meat balls stood out for me – very tasty! I was impressed with the authentically Spanish menu (even down to the desserts) and that Dan and the team haven’t tried to offer too much: there seems to be enough on the menu to offer variety but not to overwhelm. Sea food paella Photographer in tow (lots of pics in Gallery), after The Clock House we hot-footed it up to Creams Factory to see how week one is going. It’s open until 10pm and when we arrived around 9pm there was a lovely mix of clientele in Tonbridge’s new gelateria. The ice creams (gelato is healthier than traditional ice cream) are made on site and look so tempting, in soft peaks, winking at you through the display cabinet saying “Pick me!” I tried some salted caramel and it was divine – I hear the mint choc chip is good too and at £2 for one scoop on a cone, it’s not too pricey. A rainbow of gelatos… Competitions with both The Clock House and Creams Factory are in the planning so keep your eyes peeled and make sure you enter. But I know you’ll enter as you’ve been so supportive of the Eat Around Tonbridge blog this last year. Thank you for all the likes, shares, retweets & comments (positive and not so positive!) of the restaurant and café reviews, interviews with our local foodies and competitions – I really appreciate it. I’m proud of the blog and its followers; as a collective, we have promoted local businesses and encouraged them on their way – I’m sure we helped Tonbridge yield a bumper crop of awards at the Kent Life Food & Drink awards in 2016. And what you may not know is that, thanks to the blog & your positivity I have a new career, and started my own business as a freelance writer (links at the bottom). So thanks for that too. So please do continue to eat around Tonbridge as it evolves and continue to support the blog – let me know what you’d like to see and I’ll add it to the very long list! Enjoy the long weekend! Eat Reviewer The problem with taking a photographer…is that she wants to photograph me! @eat_tonbridge @writerforbiz https://www.facebook.com/Caroline-Kings-1424474217859290/
Thursday Eat Around Tonbridge News
The sun is shining – it definitely feels as though spring is here, and at times today, maybe summer too. The perfect time for new beginnings and we have three new beginnings in Tonbridge’s gastronomic scene… As you might remember, Dan from historic, The Ivy House has taken over the nearest pub to the train station (previously Mojos) and is turning it into The Clock House. The façade looks fantastic and Dan talked me through the layout today – a ‘theatre’ kitchen (you can see chefs at work – middle pic below), a separate bar area at the front where you’re under no obligation to eat, whilst diners will be towards the back of the building (LH pic). The Clock House will specialise in Spanish & Portuguese wines (the wine cabinet looks great!) and delicious tapas. *** If you didn’t know already The Clock House is opening at noon on Good Friday, 14th April! So not long to wait – if you’d like to book a table, please phone Dan on 07972 865896.*** And then if one new opening wasn’t enough, Creams Factory is set to open ahead of the Easter weekend too! I popped in today to meet the entrepreneurs behind it and they were lovely. Guiseppe is your main man there and the Italian with experience from all over Europe is really passionate about what they’re doing at 160 High Street. Creams Factory will be open from 8.30am-10pm selling ice creams, pastries and great coffee – they have their own blend and the coffee machine looked like something from another age! They are an ‘independent’, not a chain and Tonbridge resident Guiseppe is using local tradesmen to make the gelateria their own (trendy grey and rich maroon colour scheme, booths, sofas and screens showing you how to make ice cream), is employing local staff and most importantly is keen on provenance, so local ingredients where possible. And then finally, Fuggles looks as though it’s progressing nicely with some fab new signage taking shape this week. I’m hoping to meet with them at the end of April so look out for that post too. You know what I’m going to say! If you want them to stay, we have to support them – make sure you Eat Around Tonbridge! Eat Reviewer Creams Factory on Facebook has a typo and is currently Dreams Factory https://www.facebook.com/DreamsFactoryTonbridge/ The Clock House is on Facebook too – https://www.facebook.com/TheClockHouseTonbridge/
Why not become part of the Tonbridge foodie scene?
The Tonbridge scene continues to grow with the revival of The Rose Revived at the weekend & the arrival of The Clockhouse (hoping for March), Fuggles (summer opening) and Creams Factory (also planning to open in March) this year. Creams Factory at 160 High Street If you want to become a part of it, why not apply for one of the jobs on the Eat Around Tonbridge job board? Click here to see what’s available. Good luck and let me know how you get on!
Shout out to winners + more town news…
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas – I was imagining you scoffing mince pies, glugging mulled wine, eating cornflakes with Baileys whilst planning your long walks on Boxing Day! Thanks again to everyone who entered the ’12 Days of Feastmas’ competition – if you’re a winner and missing part of your prize or need some help then please email me at eatreviewer@gmail.com. I think everyone has their prizes but it’s hard to keep track! Please send in pics of you enjoying your prize/s with family and friends and I’ll feature them on the blog! As promised, some town news….160 High Street is going to become Creams Factory, an ‘authentic Italian gelato’ pit stop. They’re hoping to open early 2017 so I’ll keep you posted. We wish them lots of luck with the venture! Also, after such a successful year as winner of Best Newcomer in the Kent Life Food and Drink Awards, Sulston’s Kitchen is going to start to offer ‘eat-in’ as of 2017. This is a great addition to ‘Soto’ (south Tonbridge – do you like it?! can we make it stick??)! Good luck to Ben & Kirsty! If you hear of any other foodie news, do let me know – eatreviewer@gmail.com. Have a great New Year and see you in 2017!