Aumbry - Prestwich, Manchester

Named after a small, recessed cupboard in which medieval Lords and Abbots kept precious items; Aumbry in Prestwich, Manchester, really lives up to its namesake and can safely be called the jewel in Manchester's dining scene.

Tucked around a corner of Prestwich’s slowly crumbling high street, Aumbry's dinky dining space is a stark contrast to its external setting - the decor is understated, but high quality and as thought through as each mouthful of each plate - light colours, barely patterned papers, crisp linen and quirky highlights like the patterned boot-sale side plates. It's an intimate space with a familial feel; but a professional, well-bred family rather than the colourful chaos of many other small, neighbourhood eateries.

Aumbry interior - with thanks to The Guardian

Skimming the menu you immediately spot the bald headed molecular chef, Mary Ellen (chef/patron and one half of Aumbry’s husband and wife culinary team), has worked under; there's the odd molecular flourishes in the menu, influences from their 14th century name and modern techniques like sous vide. Unlike Heston's fare, this food is real, edible and understated - but packs a mean punch all the same (and for far less money).

Being skint, we’d chosen the Tuesday night special – five course tasting menu for £25 – this meant we could try a selection of the dishes without being too out of pocket (the usual tasting menu is a reasonable £65 for 9 courses). What we didn’t realise is that for the price you also get given a snackette, bread course and petit fours with coffee thrown in too: good value for money, even if the portion sizes match Aumbry’s diminutive dining space.

To whet the appetite we were given home-made crisps; crunchy, salty and with a sharp slap of vinegar as well as light as a button smoked cheddar gougeres – if the business fails (which it won't) Mary Ellen and Laurence certainly have a promising future in the luxury snack market. This was followed by the bread – chewy, home baked sourdough (why does mine never turn out as good as that?) served with some light as air butters (one a lovely nutty version) and a pot of dripping. Yep, that good old fashioned artery clogger, making a fashionable reappearance. Dripping, I have concluded, is not something to be snobby or health conscious about – it’s divine; deep savoury beefyness coating the mouth and soothing the soul – we were terribly cheeky and asked for more.

Dripping - the stuff my dreams (and arteries) are made of

Out followed a succession of courses – each lilliputian portion brilliantly engineered to be big, but subtle with the flavours. Each dish a clever assimilation of perfectly matching and contrasting elements – all must have been worked and re-worked painstakingly to develop that level of balance. The kitchen may be small, but there’s plenty of skill squeezed in there.

A wild garlic (ramson) soup with truffle was sweet, heady and earthy – those truffles adding a supportive ground note to the dish so it wasn’t all overly heady garlic and cream. It’s funny how such a heavy ingredient could actually lighten a dish.

We were slightly torn with the pressed hare terrine wrapped in Cumbrian air dried ham – a silky soft, melt in the mouth dish; however hares are in decline and we were perturbed about the sustainability/morality of the ingredient when eating this dish - (Aumbry holds many Sustainable Restaurant Awards) (oh, and we still ate the dish, our morals only stretch so far).

Hare today, gone tomorrow?

A dish of home smoked mackerel was just clothed in the sweetest of smokes and dashed through by the ultra red sour grenadine poached rhubarb and the fiery acidity of a mustard cream. Then the main attraction – slow cooked pork; served with part of the loin and part of the shoulder, this had obviously spent it’s life as a very happy pig. Superb quality, supported by pitch perfect cooking and, again perfectly picked apple to accompany and cut through the salty, sweet meat.

Here was an interlude; we were offered the cheese course for an additional £7 (usually £10) - a wander through speciality cheeses of Britain and Ireland, arranged in taste order; youngest and lightest first, all the way through to some uber salty, punch you in the face blue at the end. Each pair of cheeses (there were three pairs) had been paired with an accompanying chutney and biscuits made in house; as our helpful waiter told us when we asked (and we asked about everything).

Out came pudding, a dish that really split the waters between myself and t’boy; grapefruit posset with celery granita and grapefruit sherbet. I loved the intense sourness of the sherbet, the creamy delicateness of the posset and the unusual, refreshing granita on top; in my mind it totally worked. T’boy however felt that it was a let down of a pudding and refused to even touch the granita after the first bite. I would say the pudding was the least strong course, but I usually find that – the only place I’ve seen puddings match the mains is Nutters in Rochdale.

Throughout the meal the very small FOH team were superb – they looked after us brilliantly, were incredibly knowledgeable, didn’t mind me asking a million questions and kept the supply of bread constant. They’re also pretty genned up on the wine they serve - in fact you can have tasting menu of wines to match each dish, but we were pushing our budget just by being out, so we declined. Instead the staff chose two excellent glasses that would compliment the courses we were having and gave us a complete run down of what we were drinking (to read more out Aumbry’s food and wine matching click here).

Mary Ellen and Laurence, husband and wife kitchen wizardry - thanks to Manchester Made it Easy

I’m not going to deny that the portion sizes at Aumbry are as miniature as their restaurant and I know that’s been a criticism from some corners; however this was a tasting menu so I knew each plate would be small. When you take in to account the snacks, unlimited bread, cheese (extra) and petit fours; well, I had to undo the button on my trousers when driving home, so there was no issue with portion sizes for me. Maybe if you are a massive man you’d have an issue, but sometimes isn’t it better to go for quality over quantity?

Aumbry definitely is the jewel in Manchester’s eating crown and the best food I've had in the area. Get in quick as I’m sure a raft of prestigious awards will be thrown their way in the next few years (not sure why they haven't got one yet to be honest).

Ps If you're early for dinner, or fancy a night cap – pop to the pub at the bottom of the road called The Church. Lovely, low beamed affair with some alright whiskies and some cracking ale.

Pps – not only do they have the best food and service, they have the best toilet too!

Price for two Tuesday tasting menus, two glasses of wine, cheese and a port – £74 (or there abouts)

Food – 9/10
Atmosphere – 9/10
Service – 10/10
Value for money – 9/10 (I think £25 for five courses and extras is pretty good)

Total – 37/40

Go again? Yes. I’d like to go back for the full tasting menu, but until I can afford that I think it’s another Tuesday night cheapo for me!

Aumbry, 2 Church Lane, Prestwich, Manchester M25 1AJ – 0161 798 841 - enquires@aumbry restaurant.co.uk - Twitter – Facebook

http://www.aumbryrestaurant.co.uk/

Please forgive the lack of photos, with such an intimate dining room and as I was enjoying myself so much, I felt it would be rude and obtrusive to take loads.

Farmer's Choice Online Butcher

Operating a strict dietary policy of organic or free range meat and dairy, I often find myself at a culinary loss. Large items aren’t a problem – free range chicken is available at the supermarket, lamb is free range and anything else I can source from the network of local-ish butchers I have built up.

The questions is, where do you get free-range chicken livers for pate? What if I want to make sticky wings or BBQ ribs? How about bacon? Or pancetta? Luckily there’s a place I can turn to and I don’t even have to leave my lounge. Famer’s Choice is an online cornucopia of free-range products, dedicated to sourcing from a range of free-range suppliers with rare breeds, no GM/hormones and good husbandry. The company has been in the same hands for twenty years and this leads to a flexibility of service and huge range of choice, there’s over 600 products and cuts you can order.

Tony - the orignal Farmer's Choice butcher, still looking after the business today

My delivery was sent to work; Farmer’s Choice will send anywhere so you don’t have to worry about meat being left on your doorstep or in a sunny porch. Packed in a sturdy cardboard box and insulated with wool, the meat arrived frozen and stayed rock solid until I got it home five hours later. I had initially been worried that it would start to defrost, but the care taken over packing and the sensible use of materials ensured everything stayed as frozen as when it left the Farmer’s Choice depot.

The wild boar haunch I ordered was two good slabs of dark pink steak that we fried up and ate with caramelised apples and a juniper sauce. The meat was gamey with resistance in the bite, without being tough or chewy and had that lovely sweet porcine flavour, but deeper, more robust and more savoury.

Wild boar with thanks to Farmers Choice

I chose the slower growing, free-range chicken from Farmer’s Choice as I was intrigued at how an older bird, slaughtered at 56-60 days, would taste compared to a supermarket free-range bird killed between 36-40 days. They source their birds from Childhey Manor in Dorset, who have specially selected a breed that suits this slower growing. I was impressed that Farmer's Choice/Childhey Manor free range is properly free range; hens live small flocks in insulated arcs and are allowed to go out after three weeks to scratch around and become 'proper' chickens (apparently before they're a favourite food of the magpies!) - supermarket free-range birds live in enriched, open sheds, but hardly roam out as they like to stay by the food troughs.

Chicken as it arrived

Following my usual roasting times I cooked the chicken on a trivet of stock veg, added apples, sage and onions to the pan and roasted my potatoes around the bird – pretty usual fare in the Nosh household. There was a definite difference in the quality of the bird, the boy noticing it as soon as he put the first mouthful in. Compared with a supermarket chook, the Farmer’s Choice bird had a fuller flavour and the meat had more bite. This is not to say the bird was dry or tough, just wonderfully chewy rather than dull and pappy.

Ready for the oven

The accompanying juices that came off the bird also had a depth of flavour I haven’t had from a supermarket free-range bird before. Indeed they were so thick and flavoursome that I didn’t need to make a gravy from them, but used them strained straight from the roasting tin. We ate the cold meat over the next few days and the dark meat was superb, adding deep savoury flavours - I can't wait to taste what the stock is like from the bird.

Ready for my tummy

Initially I had been put off Farmer’s Choice as the meat is all frozen, however when it arrived I realised this was far more beneficial for me, as it stayed fresher as I was at work and I could bung it straight in the freezer (which was where it was going anyway!). After processing the meat at Farmer's Choice is blast frozen to ensure it's frozen properly, with no loss of taste or quality - this was obvious from the meat we ate, there had been no deterioration.

The produce from Farmer’s Choice isn’t cheap, but that’s something to be expected from a specialist producer sourcing rare breeds and quality meat - it's certainly not overly expensive or charged at a premium. The old adage that you get what you pay for is certainly true in relation to Farmer's Choice.
Farmer’s Choice is an excellent resource for those of us who care about the food that we eat and it’s the choice and variety they offer which is the real bonus here. There’s free range stock bones, offal, chicken wings, game, cured meats – products I usually can’t get hold of, even at other online suppliers and have had to fore go many a time.

Please note I was sent my delivery for free, but the views expressed in this article are my own.

http://www.farmerschoice.co.uk/

Farmison.com - online butcher, greengrocer and dairy

I’m not a lover of veg boxes. As I’m a Guardian reading, left leaning Liberal it may come as a bit of a shock to you, but I find there’s either too much trouble with delivery (I don’t have somewhere or someone to leave it with), there’s too much repetition of produce, there’s far too much produce that’s not from the UK – even when it’s in season, or that the produce is a bit ropey. I may be asking a lot from a box scheme, but I’m a picky old thing; that’s why I write a blog!

Farmison are a new online retailer that have started a box scheme and are approaching things from a different angle. Sure there’s the boxes for families and basic boxes, but there’s an emphasis on good quality, hard-to-source produce; plus gourmet products thrown in for good measure (there’s a foodie box, for those that are that way inclined).

From the lovely marketing ladies I chose the Foodie Box (of course) and chose this with relish – big juicy garlic cloves, beautifully fragrant unwaxed lemons, sticky figs, romesco cauliflower, two varieties of cress, shallots, massive Muscat grapes, yellow beetroot, jura potatoes, cheese and yoghurt. My box arrived quickly and I was heartened to see that most of it could go in the recycling/compost – they’d even used paper straw to pad out the dedicates rather than polystyrene beads.

Foodie box with dairy - with thanks to Farmison.com

Opening the box I was like a child at Christmas – all the produce was in peak condition and lasted longer than supermarket produce. However the potatoes didn’t last very long at all and had gone mouldy by the end of the week.

The inclusion of the dairy in the box is a good idea – allowing you to mix and match what you get and add a little extra for your weekly menu. The quality of the dairy products was even better than the fruit and veg. Montgomery’s cheddar was an unpasteurised delight with a rich, almost farmyardy smell and a real tangy bite. The yoghurt was from Preston; thick, creamy and a true delight – it was hard not to eat the whole tub in one go.

Farmison’s philosophy is to offer excellent seasonal produce from traditional and artisanal producers across the UK – offering products that are not available elsewhere online. This commitment's splashed right across their website; their stock of cheeses is enviable and a fromageophile’s equivalent to online porn.

Cheese box - yes, you can even pick your own cheese and put it in a box - with thanks to Farmison.com

Compared to other box schemes Farmison’s prices aren’t much more expensive, but for me I still prefer to be able to fondle my fruit and veg; plus only the cress, cauli and potatoes were from the UK in the foodie box I received. I appreciate that certain products (ie the wonderful lemons from Italy) can’t be sourced in the UK; but for me, even as a foodie, I’d rather fore go most items that are out of season, rather than substitute with those that from a different country (though not those lemons!).

For me, rather than the box scheme, Farmison excels on their meat and dairy; each cut of meat has multiple choices for the consumer, for example there’s four different types of lamb noisettes from North Yorkshire, The Isle of Man, Lancashire and Suffolk. Each entry has details about the farm it’s from, the breed and which chefs in the country use it. You can even click on farm name or the breed and you’re linked to more detailed information. 

Photo of Abbotts Farm, Yorkshire from their producer section - thanks to Farmison.com

Farmison’s dedication to quality sourcing and care of provenance shines through from their well thought out and well designed site. Farmison are putting choice and power back in the hands of the consumer and that’s a good thing in my book. It might be a little pricey, but I like to think that I'm paying for quality, good husbandry and utter trust in the provenance of the produce I buy. I doubt I'll use the box scheme, but that's just me, however for meat and dairy I'm already there!



Ps - I was sent a box by Farmison, but not in the expectation I'd write super nice things about them - all the thoughts are my own and they haven't seen this piece before I publish it.


Pps - Sorry for the lack of pictures, technology problem.


www.farmison.com

Planet Pavillion - Jodrell Bank, Macclesfield

Located in Jodrell Bank's new visitor centre, with excellent views across to the impressive Lovell radio telescope; the Planet Pavilion Cafe is the latest outpost of the Modern Caterer, a small company headed up by award winning chef Peter Booth, that has sustainability and seasonality as its core.

The Modern Caterer at The Planet Pavilion - with thanks to Relish Publications

Dominated by the large windows focused on the iconic white radio telescope; the cafe is a fresh, modern space with quirky facts along the walls and lines of clocks displaying various space related times such as the time on Venus and in a black hole (with handy explanations for the non-physicists underneath). There's the ubiquitous blackboard you find in many little cafes with piles of fresh veg underneath and heaps of homemade cakes on the counter.

Views out to the Lovell radio telescope - with thanks to Manchester University

The menu is a mixture of usual lunchtime fare; sandwiches, soups, wraps and whatever. It's was a bustling little space, even on a wet Tuesday afternoon and whilst we were there it was obvious that staff from Manchester University's Astrophysics Department often pop in. And who wouldn't?

Dishes displayed a simplistic elegance and a genuine care for the ingredients involved; the daily special of parsnip soup was creamy yet light, with a sweet whisper of sharp apple underlying the whole dish. Alongside was bread supplied by (fairly) local bakery, Barbakan of Chorlton - and, considering how much their loaves cost, there was a substantial amount of one on the side of the plate.

Parsnip soup and loads of bread

Potted Cheshire Pork (the meat supplied by award winning WH Frosts - also of Chorlton) was wonderfully soft and surrounded by the lovely, scrumptious fat and topped with the sharpest slivers of apple - a brilliant essay in why salty, sweet and sour works so well together. Could have done with a little more seasoning, but that was my only gripe.

Potted Cheshire Pork

We followed these tasty, simple lunch dishes with a full five minutes considering the distortion of space time round the hefty body of homemade cakes on offer. After much deliberation we chose a light and fragrant orange and poppy seed plus a dense and chewy brownie, which were eaten in three seconds flat; proving the point that space time does indeed slow down and then speed up round heavenly bodies.

Cakes - look boring, tasted fab

The Planet Pavilion is a great cafe for a museum, or for anywhere to be honest. There's no pre-packaged sandwiches; there's the excellent cooking; there's large portions, there's sensible pricing and there's an obvious commitment to deliver good tasting, sustainable food in line with their ethos rather than simply using it as a catchy and on-trend byline. I wish other establishments would take a leaf from Jodrell and realise overcharging for plastic crap is something that should only happen in the gift shop.

Ps - The Planet Pavilion Cafe also has a licence and serves Cains, so you can calm your nerves if contemplating the universe gets too much.

Pps - you don't have to visit Jodrell to go to the cafe; but I'd recommend it, just for a walk around the massive grounds and to stand by the radio telescope and pretend you're Brian Cox or (even better) Sir Patrick Moore.

Cost for two dishes, two cakes and a beer: £14.75

Food - 8/10
Service - 7/10
Atmosphere - 7/10
Vale for money - 9/10

Total - 31/40

Go again? Yes, any excuse for sustainable, well cooked food AND learning about astrophysics. I'm there!

The Modern Caterer at The Planet Pavilion, Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, Lower Withington, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 9DL (sat navs use SK11 9DW) - 01477 571766 - jodrell.visitor.centre@machester.ac.uk

http://www.themoderncaterer.co.uk/

Join Us 4 Supper - North Star Deli, Chorlton

Last weekend I lost my virginity, that of the supper clubs that is and was lucky enough that my first one was a launch event for JoinUs4Supper at the North Star Deli in Chorlton.

North Star Deli - with thanks to the wonderful Christelle Vaillant, ace photographer and foodophile

The theme of the night was local food - as anyone will know I'm an avid supporter of local produce, local suppliers and few food miles, so this was right up my street. And the fact that I had won a ticket to attend was an added bonus (I never win anything so it really was an added bonus - tho somehow I ended up paying half for the the boy's ticket as well...not sure this is how winning usually works).

Arriving early we were greeted in the warmest manner by staff and other diners who had just arrived. The delightful aspect of a supper club is that once you're all in the door's closed, you're sat with people you may not know and you're all there for one thing - good food. I suppose the atmosphere is the same as in a liferaft, you talk to those you are unfamiliar with and weather the good times and the storms together. Thankfully there were no storms at North Star, unless you count the tsunamis of taste that assaulted by taste buds at every step!

Join Us 4 Supper Menu

North Star Deli is bright and fresh; white walls with clever signage, products on display and spaced apart tables. The feeling is welcoming and fresh; would sooth a hangover or perk you up on your commute to work (conveniently they are right next to the shiny new metro stop).

First course was a Mediterranean fish soup with rouille - the fish was supplied by local monger 'Out of the Blue' who are all about sustainability (soup included hake, pollock, clams and mussels) and spanking fresh, good quality produce. Support local and pay them a visit!

Soup-erb!

The fish soup was thick and tomatoey, really reduced and full of flavour. Thankfully sweet and not at all tinny (as some over reduced tomatoes can become). Packed with large lumps of fish this was as much as I'd usually eat for my dinner and it was only the first course. We were warned by chef Deanna that the rouille that accompanied the soup would blow us away (one chef wouldn't taste it as he had a date later!) and she sure was right. However the rouille was sweet and mellow without the harsh, metallic garlic twang that is characteristic of something under prepared.

Mains followed shortly with an introduction by local butcher Lee Frost; the boy was over the moon as not only was he sitting next to him (Northern men bonding over meat talk=good), but the lamb on the table had been slaughtered in Oldham. Lee knows his stuff and was really engaging, he explained the cuts of lamb being served, provenance (Cheshire) and other meaty facts. It was great to be able to meet the producer and heartwarming that North Star invite the suppliers and make them a central part of the evening.

Local butcher Lee Frost - man of meat

The lamb itself was cooked amazingly - well rested, meltingly tender, beautifully seasoned Dijonnaise crust and the quality of the meat shone through. The garlic and broad bean puree served alongside complimented expertly, singing with the sweet notes of the lamb.

Super succulent lamb

What was pudding? Well what else could it have been on a local food night? We were served magnificent slices of Manchester Tart with vimto sauce. The team had the foresight to lighten the serving and used an almost liquid creme anglaise rather than a set custard. This was cut through with the addition of the new season's sharp raspberries - yum!

All this was followed up by some of North Star Deli's famous coffee (rich and fruity) and THE best salted caramel macaroons - so squidgy and delicious! Luckily the boy didn't like his so I got two, bliss.

Maccaroons of doom - get some today!

North Star doesn't only do wonderful supper clubs featuring the best local produce and suppliers, they're also open from 8am everyday to sell you coffee, cake, teas, lovely food, smashing products and wonderful teapots. They're also right next to the new Chorlton metrolink, so all you townies can easily sample the delights.

I managed to grab a quick word with chef Deanna Thomas (who owns North Star with her brothers):

How come you set up the supper club?

We’ve become fascinated with social media and how the food world has embraced it. It’s been a perfect platform for the supper club movement based primarily in London but filtering outwards. Despite Manchester being the second city in terms of social media, we’ve been relatively slow on the uptake in this area. The Spice Club has been doing a wonderful one for a while now and there are monthly gourmet events such as Gastroclub, Guestrant at Elektrik and Gourmet night at the Mark Addy. Our deli can seat 30 people comfortably and is available for events in the evening so we thought we’d start a supper club with a different theme every month.

How did the supper club start?

I did a tester on St Patrick’s day in March and it worked really well. Lots of different people including food bloggers came to meet and chat and there was a really unique atmosphere you don’t get in restaurants.

Why did you choose local food as your first theme?

We feel very privileged in Chorlton, people here are really supportive of local independent businesses and smaller events. We love the way we were so welcomed back in 2003 by other local businesses and we wanted our first event to recognise this.

As well as coming from a long line of butchers, Frost is an expert in his field and a very funny man which made for a great evening. Sustainable fish is a hot issue at the moment and we wanted Dave from Out of the blue to come along and champion some of the lesser known fish and give us some advice on buying and cooking seasonally. Unfortunately he couldn't make it, but we're sure he'll be at one in the future!

And finally why is supper club important and what does it offer that other restaurants don't?

Supper club is one thing that can be done by independents rather than the big bully supermarkets.

North Star Deli's supper club runs every month so follow their blog/site/twitter/facebook to find out more.

Supper club tickets are priced at £25pp for three courses - if you book early you get petis fours and coffee thrown in too - bargain!

Food - 8/10
Atmosphere - 10/10
Service - 8/10
Value for money - 9/10

Total - 37/40

North Star Deli, 418 Wilbraham Road, Manchester M21 0SD - 0161 862 0133 - @JoinUs4Supper

The Clog and Billycock - Pleasington, Blackburn

We've been to The Clog and Billycock in Pleasington a few times since we upped sticks and moved out of the city to greener pastures. Our first few visits were amazing; a great pub in a lovely area with well sourced, well cooked food, making the most of the riches the North West has to offer.

The Clog and Billycock is one of Lancashire chef Nigel Howarth's chain of Ribble Valley Inns that are big on locally sourced food and advertising the producers behind what's served up. Decked out in eggshell blue, mismatched furniture, food served in kilner jars/on chopping boards and a roaring fire it's got the gastropub look down to a tee - though it can sometimes feel a little sterile as the building's had quite a modern fit out and the serving utensils are sometimes over thought.

Clog and Billycock interior - with thanks to CityLife.co.uk

The food's generally good, there's a lot of care and thought gone in to something that's basically being served in a pub. Some of the stars are the Lonk Lamb hotpot with homemade pickled cabbage and crispy potato topping, which is served with a spoon (more places should promote eating up the leftover sauces with spoons, this is the North - embrace it!); the burger, which is usually served pink is massive, soft and salty - plus it comes with chips cooked in dripping; they are what I think young people term 'fit.'

Burger - with thanks to Clog and Billycock

Every month there's a new specials menu, which disappointingly has gone from being a separate menu with pictures/descriptions of what the seasonal ingredient is; parsnips, asparagus, apples... to being a little stick on bit on the main menu - a victim of the economic downturn?

Puddings are reminiscent of school, lots of suet and custard going on (can you hear the boy emitting an audible yay from there?) and they're big on cleverly flavoured homemade ice cream (eccles cake is a recent addition); but I'm sad to say that the most amazing pudding; a chocolate mousse (mousse is too airy a word, it was almost a ganache) with milk foam and hot dark chocolate is no longer on the menu. It was ace, but you'll have to take my word for it as it's not there now.

The food is well sourced and this attitude also applies to the drinks. There's usually a good selection of casks, bottled ales, local ciders and interesting softies including Mawson's sarsaparilla.

So what's the bad point then? The thing is, as good a the Clog and Billycock is ever since we've been there the service has been getting worse. The first time we visited things were pretty much great, apart from a little slowness here and there. But each time since there's been more and more mistakes, ending with our last visits for the Mother's birthday. Firstly we asked three times for a glass of wine (from the same waitress), only to have to go to the bar and then be given one in a dirty glass, a dish was forgotten, we asked for more bread with the starter and it came out with the pudding, the food was cold/overcooked and it goes on - we weren't even there at a particularly busy time.

Clog and Billycock waiter

The Clog at Billycock can be a great pub, it's best in the winter with the fires roaring as it gives the place a little more soul. Food's generally of a high standard and it's commendable that ingredients are sourced with care from the local area. It's a shame that service has become poor, leaving you feeling exasperated and annoyed as the price you pay for locality and sustainability is pretty high, especially as you realise you need to order veg with some of the dishes (most dishes do come with sides, it's just they're generally veg free!). The management need to sort this out as I doubt we'll be back for some time now, and if we do go it'll just be the two of us, no more showing it off to visiting relatives.

Best time to pop in is an evening in the winter and asked to be sat in one of the booths (can seat about four or six smallies at a push) by the fire.

Ps - try the Morcambe Bay shrimps - they smother them with lovely mace blade butter and they're the nest I've had throughout the NW (bar from the trailer on the beach with wind whipping through your hair and sand in your trainers).

Pps - portions can be quite big so I usually only choose two courses, or have two starters and a pudding.

Pps - sorry for the lack of photos, technology gremlins

Starters £2.50-£13.50, mains £9-£25, puddings £5-£10.

Food - 7/10
Atmosphere - 6/10
Service - 5/10
Value for money - 7/10

Total - 25/40

The Clog and Billycock, Billinge End Road, Pleasington, Blackburn, Lancs, BB2 6QB - 01254 201163 enquires@theclogandbillycock.com

http://www.theclogandbillycock.com/real-pub.htm

@RVIpubs

Paganum.co.uk, online farmers' market - Yorkshire

I've never ordered meat online as I'm one for a good old eye up and fondle of produce before I exchange any of my hard earned readies.


Lately I have been at a lose end when trying to find a good chorizo as the usual ones I come across are far too fatty/salty/harshly spiced and seem to rely on either far too much cheap paprika, giving them a bright orange appearance and tinny taste. Or rely on bunging in salt, spice and food colouring teamed with soft, poor quality meat that produces a salami of dire qualities that is worth nothing other than throwing in the bin (which is a insult to the poor carcass that was used to make such an abomination). Most chorizos carried by the big four supermarkets; even those carrying the supermarket's own luxury brand, fall into this foul category.


(NB - this does not apply to the wonderful Joselito Iberico Chorizo picked up in Harvey Nick's Food Hall earlier this month - unfortunately I don't own an oil field or have Daddy's millions to support regular visits there).


Having failed to source anything edible I turned my attentions to the faithful companion of the digital age - t'interweb thingy, and thanks to North West Chefs came across online farmer's market Paganum.

I chose the original chorizo, made with local freedom food pork, smoked Spanish paprika and aged for a minimum of three weeks. They also make a piccante (spicy) version, but I played safe as I wanted this to be a multi-use salami capable of being eaten on its own or used in various recipes.


The chorizo arrived vac packed and the boy and I couldn't wait to tuck in - we instantly made a 'bits and pieces' (see Butler's cheese post for explanation). The chorizo was finely spiced with a sweet and slightly smokey taste. The paprika wasn't overpowering and allowed the delightful porcine flavours of good textured, quality meat to shine through. The chorizo used a good ration of fat to meat, adding a delightful sweetness without leaving a layer of grease in the mouth.

The flavour of the chorizo is subtle at first but soon picks up. What is delightful about the product is that it allows for the flavour of the meat to be heard along with the other ingredients.


This is not just a chorizo for eating, we used it across a broad range of recipes including roast potatoes, frittatta and pasta - and in each incarnation the chorizo shone through and complimented the dishes. Unlike one of the supermarket versions, Paganum's chorizos use of quality meat meant that as well as a smokey Spanish flavour, a wonderful piggy taste was added to the dishes - and everyone knows that a bit of pig is always a wonderful addition to any dish. Paganum's use of more meat, rather than more fat, also meant that dishes weren't swimming in a layer of orange grease - great!

Paganum's is not just a purveyor of a good chorizo, they also supply fresh meat, offal and sausages, plus can be hired out to provide a hog roast for your various functions. The price of their produce isn't cheap, but can be guaranteed to be sourced from local farms with high welfare and good husbandry techniques; plus postage is free and only takes 48 hours, so it's a lot better than some other mail order companies. And good news for all you mutton lovers - Paganum's stock Bolton Abbey mutton too, so if you have super problems (like me) sourcing it locally, you can get it here. One other great feature of the site is their meat boxes - think veg box, but full of everything a family of carnivores could devour in a week.


Whilst Paganum isn't cheap, it's a great site for well-sourced meat, especially if you don't have a good local butcher or like me can't track down a decent chorizo or a leg of mutton for your Sunday roast.


Price for one original chorizo - £4.75, delivery - free!


www.paganum.co.uk

Paganum Produce Ltd, Church End Farm, Kirby Malham, North Yorkshire, BD23 4BU - 01729 8380727 - info@paganum.co.uk

Follow the blog - http://paganum.wordpress.com/

Please note, I was sent this sample gratis, but was under no obligation to say nice things.

The Mark Addy - Salford

A great meal is not usually preceded by "Ergh, you're not going there are you?!" Which was the comment we received from the boy's boss in the pub just before I popped down to The Mark Addy on the Salford/Manchester boarder.

Thankfully it's been a few years since the boss has been there and in that time Robert Owen Brown has taken over as Head Chef and brought the menu bang up to date in line with the modern homage to various bits of animals that used to be detained for poor northern tables, locally sourced produce and sustainable fish.

Robert Owen Brown - with thanks to Citylife

I'm not going to wax lyrical about how Robert Owen Brown and Fergus Henderson (of St Johns fame) are best buddies as a) it's pretty apparent in the menu and b) Jay Rayner did such an excellent job of explaining it in his blog that you can read it there and I'll save on word count.

We'd booked an 8pm table at the Mark Addy and were shown to a large circle table in the middle of the restaurant, unfortunately we weren't next to the window overlooking the canal, but we could still see the murky waters swirling past.

Mark Addy interior -with thanks to guardian.co.uk

The restaurant is very 1970s (not much they can do to change it - see referenced JR blog); but has lovely exposed vaulted ceilings, the aforementioned broody views of the waters and an open fronted kitchen to have a look at Robert Owen Brown doing his thing.

Unfortunately when we visited his 'thing' seemed to be very slow and a little off kilter, which was further hampered by very slow waiting staff (although they were very lovely to be fair).

To start we ordered half a dozen natives on the half shell. Seeing as we had only ordered oysters it took a full 40 minutes from the order taking until the dish came out. If I hadn't been involved in a long overdue catch up with old friends and the fact that, try as I might, I couldn't catch a member of staff's eye, I would have said something. It may have take a long time to come out, but the dish of oysters were so spanking fresh it was almost worth it.

Oysters on the half shell - spanking fresh!

The Mark Addy's menu has some unusual items and it was two of these dishes that were the stars of the starters (after a further 25 min wait after the oysters). A simple dish of Leagram's day old curd on crumpet looked simple - almost too much cheese on a crumpet with a little balsamic drizzle. However simplicity, in this case, was genius - the sharp, creamy curd softened by the buttery crumpet and offset brilliantly by the sweet and sticky drizzle. The crumpet expertly toasted to be slightly crunchy, contrasting with the soft curd and adding texture to what could have been a boring or overly soft dish.

Curd on crumpet - simplicity and genius

Another simple but genius dish was the daily special of razor clams. The clams arrived in the shell, simply cooked with garlic, butter and a little parsley. The clams were well cooked and not chewy at all, unlike clams I've had elsewhere. The garlic butter was simplicity itself, but set off the sweet flesh and let the freshness of the produce shine through.

Razor clams

After a long wait (again) the mains came out from the kitchen and looked great. Whilst everyone else was served I was left without a meal. In time a member of staff arrived to explain that chef had 'inadvertantly' sent my rabbit to another table and 'unfortunately' it was the last rabbit in the house and would I please choose something else?

I chose bone marrow - none left, pork belly - none left, whiff - none left etc etc. I was left in a quandary - I didn't want something heavy, I don't like suet or batter and I wanted something a bit lighter. In the end I had to choose the monkfish cheeks off the specials. Seeing as most of the dishes I was asking for as replacement were off the mains menu, I was surprised that The Mark Addy was so understocked and had run out of staple dishes so easily.

Surprising the cheeks managed to be on my table in about five minutes flat from ordering - I'm guessing that my fluffed dish was put on the priority list. The monkfish was good, but unfortunately in the rush to get it out the cheeks were a little undercooked and chewy and the sauce it came with was slightly under seasoned, but the mussels that came out with it were soft, fresh and delicious so there was a saving grace.

(Plus we did get a bottle of wine for free - I did ask if we could have the dish for free instead as I wasn't drinking, this was agreed, but it was the wine that was taken off the bill at the end - it had been such a long meal that I really didn't have the strength to complain).

The other mains were of good quality, the steak had been well hung and was well cooked - an intense beefy flavour shining through and the hoggert was intensely rich with soft and salty root veg to compliment. The posh scouser had managed to get the last portion of sea bass off the specials, which was a lovely dish - the fish succulent and again expertly cooked, displaying the skill that the kitchen possesses when it puts its mind to it.

Sea bass and razor clams

Puddings were ordered and once again we were left waiting - also they didn't reach the pinnacles of the mains/starters. The main highlight was a dark chocolate cup with a divine lavender cream - made off site a waitress informed us. The choux buns made with this season's rhubarb were slightly chewy and a bit lacklustre: on top of this puddings start at £5.25 and I'm against this excessive pudding charging that seems to be going on across gastro pubs and other establishments lately.

Lavender chocolate pot - apparently made off site (v.good shortbread though!)

In all the Mark Addy has the chemistry to be a really great place. The setting is moody and slightly retro, which marries well with the homage to the now fashionable unfashionable cuts of animals and the broody dark waters sloshing past the windows. To be really great the kitchen needs to get it's timings right and needs to employ more dynamic staff - our waiting staff were lovely, but we could never catch their eyes and anything we asked for took an age to arrive or be acted upon.

The food is good and has the potential to be great, it's not expensive (apart from pudding) and the commitment to local, seasonal and quality produce is a approach and is there to see. Robert Owen Brown has a great cooking style and hopefully with a few more tweaks The Mark Addy will put Salford (and Manchester) on the culinary map.

Ps - try the homemade pork scratchings - divine!

Pps - check out the website as they often have events on such as a foraged food night or a tasting menu.

Price for one nibble, six starters, five mains, three puddings and drinks (and a free bottle of wine) - £114.75

Food - 8/10
Atmosphere - 7/10
Service - 6/10
Value for money - 8/10

Total - 29/40

The Mark Addy, Stanley Street, Salford, Manchester M3 5EJ - 0161 832 4080 - info@markaddy.co.uk
http://markaddy.co.uk/ @TheMarkAddy

Tebay Services - M6 - Cumbria

Zipping about in their fancy cars, discovering new parts of the country and enjoying themselves along the way was a dream our forefathers held close to their hearts. The architecture of service stations such as Forton on the M6 is testament to this with its tower restaurant and futuristic space ship design.

Forton Services - with thanks to Geograph.co.uk

Service stations were once a place of wonder and joy, where the British family stopped off on their long trek across the UK and were often greeted by hostesses in fancy costumes. Restaurants at service stations were pricey affairs aimed at executive businessmen on expense accounts and were kitted out with furniture by Terrance Conran with viewing platforms to watch the cars flying past. So how come service stations have become the home of overcharging, fast food and toilets that smell like a student's underpants after a two week bender in the middle of summer? And why is visiting one akin to having your soul sucked out?

All is not lost though. If you enjoy travelling and want to put the wow back into your wanderings, then there is the offer of hope in the form of Tebay Westmoreland Services. Located on the north and southbound sides of the M6 in between junctions 38 and 39, Tebay is located at Tebay in Cumbria and is a mecca for any tired traveller.

Owned by a local family all the food in their cafe is actually made by their chefs (wow, I know!), with most of the food being sourced locally with a huge emphasis on free range and organic - indeed, the lamb and beef are sourced from their own farm next to Tebay southbound. There's a proper hot food section with delights such as lamb hotpot and big, rich scones. At the Northbound services the cafe looks out over the duck pond offering cheery respite for the road weary traveller.

Tebay Services and the duck pond (with thanks to motorwayservicesonline.co.uk)

Tebay is not only great for a sit down meal, but also includes a fair trade cafe, food to go such as hand-made sandwiches (which are very generous and look like the door steppers my Dad used to make), the usual papers, sweets, mags, a boutique plus my favourite place along the M6 - the Westmoreland farm shop.

Although an unusual place to have a farm shop Westmoreland is never empty - and no wonder with all the delights they have to offer. The shop houses a fine selection of chutneys, jams, honeys, crackers, chocolates, fresh fruit and veg, charcuterie, dried goods such as pasta, a deli counter and a brilliant butchers. My advise if you're hungry is to grab one of the Cumberland pies from the deli - fandabbydozzy - the pastry crisp and salty and the meat all moist with no hint of gristle.

The shop champions local and artisanal produce and is a brilliant place to pick up delights such as Mr Vikki's chilli pickles, Tweesdale Honey, Richard Woodall's cured meats and cheese from the Swaledale Cheese Company, plus more unusual items such as smoked garlic. Tebay's Westmoreland shop now has over 40 regular local suppliers and the list is ever-growing.

Compared to the usual service station suspects the prices at Tebay are on a par - plus there is no extra charge for the feel good factor that the money you spend at Tebay is supporting the local economy. At Tebay there is no neon lighting, nasty plastic or sticky lino - the design has been thoroughly thought out with exposed wooden beams, natural stone and the cafe in the northbound station has a roof of weaved willow interspaced with little white lights. These services are like a massage for the soul and will help you unwind before the next round of traffic jams, road works and surprise diversions.

Tebay has been awarded a raft of awards including the 2009 Grand Prix of Gastronomy by Egon Ronay, Annual Loo of the Year 2009 and and Best Local Retailer by Radio 4's Food and Farming Awards and boy do they deserve them.

Tebay is so good I often try to find an excuse to travel that far up the M6, however with so much to offer there is really no excuse needed. Remember not to miss Tebay between Junc 38 and 39 (Tebay) signposted Tebay Westmoreland - and miss out the cheap and nasty chains such as Welcome Break and Moto. Happy travelling!

Tebay Services, between Junction 38 and 39 of the M6, Tebay, Cumbria - 01539 624511.
http://www.westmorland.com/tebay

Ps - for those Southerners who wish their travelling experiences could be graced with glamour and good food, Westmoreland Ltd (the company who run Tebay) have just won planning permission to start work on another service station on the M5 just outside Gloucester - should be opening in 2013.

Teacup - Manchester

Teacup has been serving vegetarian fare, cakes and coffee to the trendy young hipsters/hungover heads of Manchester's northern quarter for the last couple of years. Originally called Cup (against the wall) it was not only a tea and cake emporium, but was a place to pick up select vintage china, LPs, Mr Scruff-obilia and funky t-shirts (Teacup is owned by Manc DJ Mr Scruff).

However times change and Cup has now become Teacup, the walls and floors have been painted brown, you can no longer buy cups (apart from Mr Scruff mugs) and the trendy t-shirts and vinyl have made way for ever more tables as the need for cakes and coffee in Manchester's northern quarter grows - though the Mr Scruff-obilia is still there is full force.

Teacup gets very busy and it can often be a struggle to get a table, especially at about 12 noon on Saturday when the trendy hipsters have crawled out of their Urban Splash studio flats, fallen into some very-trendy-without-being-trendy clothes and finally opened their eyes and smelt the Tea(cup).

Cup of tea for one

I have to admit it was in this state that I stumbled in to Teacup; however I first had to endure the boy's erratic driving from my parochial hillside village. To soothe my innards I ordered the Superfood Porridge made with proper milk (don't even get me started on the ethics of soya) and a side order of blueberries. The boy made a usual beeline for the organic Dippy Eggs and Soldiers and a fresh orange juice.

Organic dippy eggs and norlander rye soldiers

Service was a little slow, though we were in no need of rushing - two of skinniest hipsters I have ever seen seemed to have ordered the whole of the menu just before us, which took up all the kitchen staff - or so it seemed (surprisingly they finished it all too).

The porridge was good; properly cooked, no lumps and the berries made a brilliant contrast, their sharpness cutting through the soft cream and sweet agave syrup with ease. The boy's dippy eggs were soft and unctuous with no watery bits of uncooked egg, though the norlander rye soldiers (from trendy local bakery Barbakan) had gone a little mushy - this seemed to be more from the amount of butter on top rather than anything else.

Super food porridge with blueberries

After a stressful day in Manchester town centre, a late lunch saw me back once again at Teacup - more on the request of little brother than anything else. Needing to feed the beast in my tummy I opted for the Soup and Sandwich combo, little brother just had sandwiches as did the young architect.

The beetroot soup had a brilliant horseradish kick, but came out a little cool from the kitchen. The sandwiches on the side were very generous, but so I expected it to be for the £7.50 I was paying. The falafal sandwiches that accompanied the soup were the best sandwiches I have ever tasted - little mint leaves combined with spicy jalapenos freshened up the whole carb/legume overload and lifted the whole affair.

Soup and sandwich combo

Compared with the fantastic falafal sandwiches the young architect's Sheep's Cheese sandwiches were a bit of a sorry affair. The red onion marmalade couldn't be identified at all and neither could the spinach, the amount of cheese was far too much for one person to consume and the sandwiches must have been sitting on the pass for an age as the cheese had set and become rather rubbery and tasteless - for £3.95 we would have expected more care and thought. Mother's Tomatoes and Mushrooms on toast was flavourful with crisp toast, but at £3.85 the portion was really small.

Sheep's cheese sandwich

To cheer up the young architect we chose to have cakes and coffee afterwards. Teacup's Hungarian Seed Cake is a masterful dense affair full to the brim with poppy seeds, however I have had this cake before this time the candied peel seemed to be missing from the slice I had and it was worse off without it, there was no freshness or fragrance to the cake.

Little brother's brownie was a moreish and dense slab, the texture contrasting brilliantly with the inclusion of crunchy roasted hazelnuts. The young architect was in for another disappointment with her vanilla cheesecake, which was overly stodgy and sickly sweet. Seeing as each slice had cost us £3.50 on top of what we were paying for lunch, we were now feeling rather out of pocket.

Vanilla cheesecake

Breakfast had been a great affair and apart for £3.20 for a small glass of orange juice was really good value. On the other hand lunch was much more pricey and for what we were served, not great value at all. Especially bad value at Teacup are the cakes, juices, milkshakes and smoothies.

Whilst Teacup is ticking all the boxes in terms of style there seems to be some massive holes in the value and the taste departments - maybe like many frequenters of Manchester's northern quarter style is more important than substance.

In all I will return to Teacup, mainly because they have the best porridge in town and the boy loves dippy eggs probably more than beer or suet (I know!). Plus the coffee is better than most places, they serve organic local and free-range wherever possible, the service is very friendly and the breakfasts (minus the juices) are very good value. I would think twice before popping back in for a piece of cake or lunch as I think there are places that offer better value for the type of food served.



N.B. Teacup is starting an evening menu of meatballs (veggie and meat) on Thurs, Fri and Sat evening after 7pm.

Breakfast cost for porridge, dippy eggs, coffee, tea for one and orange juice: £14.00
Lunch cost for four mains, three cakes, two coffees and one smoothie: £36.10

Value for money - 5/10
Atmosphere - 6/10
Service - 7/10
Food - 7/10

Total - 25/40

Teacup, 55 Thomas Street, Manchester M4 1NA - 0161 8323 233 - eat@teacupandcakes.com
http://teacupandcakes.com/